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Welcome
Welcome to my website, where I share news, information and many ideas and resources for Congregational Support in our diocese. For example, a major resource is RenewalWorks, a ministry of Forward Movement.
Archive of previous newsletter editions will be posted here soon DIOCESAN CLERGY COACHES
Video from Sept 26, 2020 (10 to Noon)
Invite Welcome Connect is a new-member ministry process for churches seeking to expand their congregational reach to new people in their communities. Get the basics and develop a plan for your church!
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TRANSITIONS
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BUILDING THE FOUNDATION
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Renewal Works
Available in English. Spanish! RenewalWorks is a great place to begin for congregational development! This five- month plan is being used across the Episcopal Church to help congregations focus on spiritual growth for congregational growth. It needs a team of 9 – 15 people, including clergy. For smaller churches, the whole congregation may opt to be the team. There are Fall and Winter Co-horts of congregations annually. In a nutshell: Through a guided methodology of self-reflection, sharing and workshop discussion, RenewalWorks challenges parishes to refocus on spiritual growth and to identify ways that God is calling them to grow.
Here’s how it works:
The RenewalWorks process starts and ends with a party! We will gather congregations doing RenewalWorks together for an opening orientation and blessing for the journey. Next, the entire congregation is invited to reflect on their own spiritual life in an online Spiritual Life Inventory. The results are tabulated by RenewalWorks by creating a snapshot of the congregation’s spiritual life and sent to the Team for reflection at the second meeting. Each congregation has a Lay Facilitator and Administrator to organize and run the four, 1 ½ hour focus group meetings. Before the second meeting, the Clergy and lay leadership team have a phone consultation with RenewalWorks to go over the results of the online Spiritual Life Inventory. In the third and fourth meetings, the focus group uses the metrics drawn from the Spiritual Life Inventory to create a plan to grow the church in the five best practices of vital and viable congregations. Congregations doing RenewalWorks regather for a closing celebration sharing learning and surprises, as well as two goals for the coming year. We expect different synergies and opportunities among congregations to arise at the closing party! RenewalWorks Timelines: For Fall Cohorts March/April: Present RenewalWorks to Vestry and important lay leaders. May/July: Register online at RenewalWorks.org. Cost is $500 per congregation September: Parish Teams Orientation Dinner 6:00pm – 8:00pm at Mercer School of Theology, date TBA. February: Closing Sharing and Celebrations dinners. Mercer School of Theology, date TBA. For Winter Cohorts Sept/Oct: Present RenewalWorks to Vestry and important lay leaders. Oct – Dec: Register online at RenewalWorks.org. Cost is $500 per congregation. January: Parish Teams Orientation Dinner 6:00pm – 8:00pm at Mercer School of Theology, date TBA. June: Closing Sharing and Celebrations dinners. Mercer School of Theology, date TBA. Learn more: An Interview with the Rev. Jay Sidebotham in the Church Growth section of The Living Church : https://vimeo.com/114192493 BEST PRACTICE PRINCIPLES 
The Five Best Practice Principles
The Congregational Support and Development framework we use is drawn from RenewalWorks insight into the five best practice principles that churches that are thriving across denominations, size and location consistently do. Your congregation, as it grows and deepens in Christ, will experience greater vitality and strength as they put these mutually reenforcing principles into practice. Whether you use DCDI or RenewalWorks to create a plan, these five best practices will help you reach your goals. The resources that follow are far from exhaustive. Each of the resources listed have their own resources as well! We will be offering trainings to support the resources and have ongoing support to help you. You are invited to step on up and start to craft your own plan and resource implementation. The good news is, every single one of these resources, programs, and missional practices has ample amounts of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, generosity and FUN. Enjoy the work God has given us to do and the people who journey with you! Spiritually Vital Churches: Best Practice Principles DIOCESAN CHURCH DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE 
DCDI - Training clergy and lay leadership across the diocese in church development best practices grounded in our Anglican Spiritual tradition.
The Rev. Elisabeth Tunney is DCDI Program Director and rector of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Patchogue |
