United Thank Offering Now Accepting 2017 Grant Applications Looking to fund or staff a startup ministry? UTO is now accepting applications for grants that meet this year’s theme: The Jesus Movement. The application deadline is Friday, March 3, 2017, at 5:00 pm EST. Learn more and download the necessary forms online at http://www.episcopalchurch.org/page/uto-grants. For additional …
The Miracle at St. Barnabas By Blanche Cooper In late October we were surprised by a call from a new friend of St Barnabas who was wondering whether the congregation could match a $2,500 donation to the Outreach Fund. As chairperson of the Outreach Committee I was initially hesitant as we had so recently raised …
Diocesan Council Ratifies New Grants & Loans Committee New Team to Streamline, Simplify Access to Diocesan Funds By Tom Eshelman Bishop Ely has appointed the newly formed Grants and Loans Committee of the Diocese and the members were approved at the December 17 meeting of the Diocesan Council. The members are Tom Eshelman (chair), Canon …
Christ Church Discovers Local Mission through Centers of Creativity Discernment process unites church and community In the past five-plus years at Christ Church-Montpelier, discernment has been at the heart of all major decisions, and it’s a discernment process that revolves around what the Rev. Paul Habersang calls Centers for Creativity. He defines Centers of Creativity …
Local Mission Approaches Make Meaningful Progress Dramatic Presentation Demonstrates God’s Process at Work Local Mission Approach has been described as “God’s Process at Work,” “the Jesus Movement in Vermont,” and “a documented process of discernment, planning, acting and reflecting,” but the question for many Vermont congregations seeking to identity and articulate their own Approach is, …
What Is a Local Mission Plan? A Local Mission Plan is a process of discerning and planning, acting and reflecting. The process is created out of a congregation’s observations, learning, insights, and prayers about what God is doing and creating in the local context—the wider community outside of the church. A Local Mission Plan is …
Mission at Work: A Theology of Local Mission Approaches in the Diocese of Vermont Q: What is the mission of the Church? A: The mission of the Church is to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ. (Book of Common Prayer, page 855) Mission is God’s process at work. A …
Where do you see God at work in the world? There are the obvious places, of course, with which one might be familiar: soup kitchens, food shelves, homeless shelters; but what about the less obvious situations? Kids hanging out in the mall together? Community connection at the local farmer’s market or coop? Annual Town Meeting? …
7/15/2015 Zion, Manchester is taking the conversation outside church walls. Beginning Tuesday, July 7, the parish is hosting weekly Tuesday night “Galatians and Guacamole” conversations. Promoted by word of mouth and the parish Facebook Group, the six-week program is being held at nearby restaurant Gringo Jack’s and led by the Rev. John Mitchell. Using the …
6/16/2015 On June 13th, over one hundred members of the Episcopal Church in Vermont gathered at Trinity Church, Rutland for a Convocation. This was an opportunity to share some of the decisions and directions this year-long consultation “Becoming More Missional” has provided. The program was broken up into two parts, both of which are available as …