The Pathways to Vitality Initiative in collaboration with the Episcopal Church Foundation (ECF) is happy to share the following schedule of free webinars. ECF's FREE webinars are a great way to get your congregational leadership teams engaged in the strategic, leadership, and financial topics that are essential to the health of your congregation.
 The Rev. Dr. Carol Pinkham Oak, Diocese of Maryland, will guide the development of curricula for the Pathways Pilot Parishes’ 2017 workshop series, according to Melissa Hickman, Pathways to Vitality Program Director.
 Monday, March 27 at Waycross Conference Center Do you worry about making ends meet each month? Do you have an emergency fund? Do you rely too much on your charge cards? Are you confident that you will have enough money to retire? Is your approach to your financial wellness summarized by this statement — Hope for the best; expect the worse; and be pleasantly surprised? If you have answered YES to any of these questions, the 2017 Clergy Conference will empower you to take charge of your personal financial wellness. Lisa Brown, CPA and MBA, will help clergy understand the basics of a strategic household budget drawing upon the insights gathered during her work with Ministerial Excellence Fund applicants.  Lester Freeman, Fidelity Investments, will help clergy understand key investing concepts, common investment types, how to select a mix of different investments, the benefits of investing in a 403(b) and how to choose an investment approach.
TO REGISTER, please visit https://waycrosscenter.campbrainregistration.com/ or call Kim Christopher at (317) 926-5454 ext. 310.  Erin Hougland has been called as the Pathways Priest for the Diocese of Indianapolis. Erin is a seminarian in the Diocese of Indianapolis. We are very excited to have her joining the Pathways project. She begins her full time ministry on June 1. The Pathways Priest will serve three congregations for eight months each, helping them learn and apply the concepts and practices taught in the first year of the Pathways Priest and Congregations program.
Applications to be one of those congregations are available through the diocesan and Pathways websites, or by contacting Canon Bruce Gray.  Bishop Catherine Waynick and Canon to the Ordinary, Bruce Gray, recently announced the appointment of Good Samaritan (Brownsburg), St. Alban’s (Indianapolis), St. John’s (Speedway) and Trinity (Lawrenceburg) as the Pathways to Vitality Pilot Parishes.
The goal of the Pathways’ Pilot Parish initiative is to assist these congregations in achieving enhanced sustainability by identifying their unique ministries, building vital congregational teams and developing practical financial and administrative skills. Funded by Lilly Endowment Inc., representatives from the Pilot Parishes will have an immersive learning experience consisting of an opening retreat, a series of workshops and small group meetings over the course of 18 months starting this summer. “This peer-learning model is based upon action and reflection providing participants with the opportunity to intentionally integrate lessons into their congregational lives,” according to Rev. Dr. Carol Pinkham Oak, Pathways Curricula Consultant. The central-Indiana Pilot Parishes also will host a curate residency program for Diocesan postulant, Erin Hougland, according to Canon Gray. “This residency program will provide Erin with priestly formation and leadership opportunities giving her the confidence and skills necessary for future parish ministry.” According Pathways Program Director, Melissa Hickman, the lessons learned from the work of the Pilot Parishes may be adapted and enhanced for other congregations in the future. “We believe the experiences of these parishes will help the Diocese create more transformative programming that supports sustainability, vitality and innovation in our congregations and in our diocese.” |
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