Stirrings of the Spirit was a three-year strategy, 2013–2015, for the Episcopal Church in Vermont to discern where the Spirit was calling us through exploring new understandings and expressions of what it means to follow Jesus in a rapidly changing world.
Stirrings was all about creating exciting and innovative models of church:
- strengthened formation and development of lay leadership;
- new expressions of clergy leadership and partnership;
- experiments innovations, and new expressions within liturgy;
- exploration of the church’s role in the public square;
- enhanced understandings of what mission, outreach, discipleship, and baptismal ministry look like for Vermont Episcopalians in the 21st century.
Stirrings of the Spirit was about collaboration, partnership, “trying on” new ways of being and doing. Stirrings was about risk and faith, about realities and dreams, about ancient and new. Use the resources and links on this page to see what we tried and did.
During this three-year initiative, The Church in Vermont affirmed to support our congregations with few, if any, limits on how they wanted to do God’s work and carry out God’s mission. Beginning in 2015, we are Becoming a More Missional Church, in large part because of the Stirrings of the Spirit initiative.
The 2013-2015 Stirrings Leadership Team was…
Jimmie Sue Deppe, Episcopal Divinity School; Paul Habersang, Montpelier; John Hartman, Bethel;Ken Hitch, Essex Junction;
Laura Hunter, Wilmington; Mary Lindquist, Brattleboro; Susan McGarry, Middlebury; Paul Moberly, Brattleboro;
Sherry Osborn, Charlotte; Lisa Ransom, Waterbury; Diane Root, Greater White River Area; Susan Taylor, Randolph;
and Susan Ohlidal, Canon for Ministry Development.
Support for Stirrings was received from The Alleluia Fund, Province One Growing God’s Mission Grant Award, and our Council Resolution on funding Stirrings.