Bishop Shannon has urged congregations across the diocese to undertake the process for examining their future vitality and sustainability outlined in A Manual for Congregations in Discernment: A Resource for Congregations Facing an Uncertain Future.
“I ask that you consider your current ways of life as God’s gathered people in your local communities and how—and whether—these ways of life will continue into our future,” she wrote in a letter to the diocese in 2022. “This process of discernment of vitality and sustainability is a way for you to ask timely and critical questions about the future of your congregations.”
The process outlined in the manual is designed to help congregations discern whether they find themselves in a time of crisis, a time of transition, or a time of building on a strong foundation and planning for the future.
For further information, contact the Rev. Canon Susan Ohlidal.
Phone: 802.391.7127.
