Parish Vitality and Innovation
Almighty God, by your grace alone we are accepted and called to your service. Strengthen us by your Holy Spirit and make us worthy of our calling as servants and leaders of your church; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. AMEN.
Pathways’ Pilot Parishes Celebrate Immersive Learning Experience
All Saints (Indianapolis), Good Samaritan (Brownsburg) and St. Timothy’s (Indianapolis) recently celebrated the completion of the Pathways’ pilot year. Their work included a strategic planning retreat and six topical workshops.
The goal of the Pathways’ Pilot Parishes Initiative is to assist congregations to enhance their vitality and sustainability by:
Experienced and knowledgeable trainers/facilitators will conduct a series of six workshops and one retreat to provide the Pilot Parishes with concepts and skills for creating vitality and innovation in their congregations. Sufficient time will be built into the workshop schedule to ensure lessons learned may be incorporated into “real” congregational life.
Grounded in Prayer and Scripture
Prayer, scripture and reflection led by the Rev. Dr. James Lemler, Pathways Chaplain and Moderator, provided the foundation for the work. “We realized that technical skills are essential and they relate to issues of agency, healthy practices and inner work of leaders as well as the overall health of congregations,” said Lemler. “We grounded each learning experience with spiritual reflection to link adaptive inner work with technical skills.” For copies of reflections, visit: http://pathways2vitality.weebly.com/worship
Vitality Teams and Vitality Projects
Each Pilot Parish had a Vitality Team consisting of their clergy and lay leaders. Throughout the course of the pilot program, each parish’s Vitality Team utilized adaptive and technical skills to design and implement a Vitality Project to meet the unique ministerial needs of their congregations.
All Saints (Indianapolis), Good Samaritan (Brownsburg) and St. Timothy’s (Indianapolis) recently celebrated the completion of the Pathways’ pilot year. Their work included a strategic planning retreat and six topical workshops.
The goal of the Pathways’ Pilot Parishes Initiative is to assist congregations to enhance their vitality and sustainability by:
- Identifying and leveraging their unique ministries
- Building vital congregational teams of lay leaders
- Creating and implementing Vitality Projects utilizing practical financial and administrative skills
Experienced and knowledgeable trainers/facilitators will conduct a series of six workshops and one retreat to provide the Pilot Parishes with concepts and skills for creating vitality and innovation in their congregations. Sufficient time will be built into the workshop schedule to ensure lessons learned may be incorporated into “real” congregational life.
Grounded in Prayer and Scripture
Prayer, scripture and reflection led by the Rev. Dr. James Lemler, Pathways Chaplain and Moderator, provided the foundation for the work. “We realized that technical skills are essential and they relate to issues of agency, healthy practices and inner work of leaders as well as the overall health of congregations,” said Lemler. “We grounded each learning experience with spiritual reflection to link adaptive inner work with technical skills.” For copies of reflections, visit: http://pathways2vitality.weebly.com/worship
Vitality Teams and Vitality Projects
Each Pilot Parish had a Vitality Team consisting of their clergy and lay leaders. Throughout the course of the pilot program, each parish’s Vitality Team utilized adaptive and technical skills to design and implement a Vitality Project to meet the unique ministerial needs of their congregations.
How is vitality defined in a congregation?
Bishop Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows explains it in this way:
Vital congregations have conversations about things that matter.
They are clear about who they are.
They have heart and are all in.
Bishop Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows explains it in this way:
Vital congregations have conversations about things that matter.
They are clear about who they are.
They have heart and are all in.
All Saints: Data and Christian Formation Journey
All Saints’ Vitality Project was to develop meaningful formation opportunities for its congregation. Utilizing the Spiritual Life Inventory, there are two camps of Christian formation at All Saints, according to Lee Little, Vitality Team member.
“One group tends toward less spiritual depth and the other towards more spiritual depth. The opportunity for All Saints is to create Christian formation programming that targets the middle,” he said
“One group tends toward less spiritual depth and the other towards more spiritual depth. The opportunity for All Saints is to create Christian formation programming that targets the middle,” he said
Good Samaritan: Building from the Ground Up
Good Samaritan’s Vitality Project focused on building strong lay leaders and clearly defining the organizational infrastructure to support these leaders.
The congregation is at least 12 months ahead of schedule as a church plant, according to The Rev. Dr. Lesesne, Good Samaritan’s Church Planter.
“Because of the Pilot Parishes program and the work of our Vitality Team, we are building a lay leadership structure to create sustainability and to share the opportunities and challenges of our new ministry throughout our growing congregation,” he said.
The congregation is at least 12 months ahead of schedule as a church plant, according to The Rev. Dr. Lesesne, Good Samaritan’s Church Planter.
“Because of the Pilot Parishes program and the work of our Vitality Team, we are building a lay leadership structure to create sustainability and to share the opportunities and challenges of our new ministry throughout our growing congregation,” he said.
St. Timothy’s: Jesus feeds. We feast. We feed others.
St. Timothy’s Vitality Project consisted of strategies for helping the congregation know each other better, for exploring the congregation’s identity and for connecting with others beyond the walls of their church.
“We learned the value of risk taking, communications and pre-planning,” said Aimee Rose Formo, Vitality Team member. “If we trust each other and invest the time, something good will come of our efforts.”
“We learned the value of risk taking, communications and pre-planning,” said Aimee Rose Formo, Vitality Team member. “If we trust each other and invest the time, something good will come of our efforts.”
The Rev. Ben Wyatt, Pathways Priest
The Rev. Ben Wyatt, a native of Evansville, has been called as Pathways Priest. The position, funded by the Lilly Endowment as part of the Pathways to Vitality Initiative, provides a recent seminary graduate with the opportunity to serve three eight-month mentored rotations at congregations participating in the Pathways program. The current Pathways parishes are St. John's, Crawfordsville; St. Matthew's, Indianapolis; and St. Peter's, Lebanon.
Wyatt attended Yale Divinity School, where he earned his M.Div. in 2018 and his S.T.M. in 2019. He also holds a B.A. in physics and religious studies from Vanderbilt University. Most recently he served as assistant rector at Trinity Episcopal Church in Hartford, Connecticut. Before seminary, Wyatt lived in Nashville, Tennessee, and worked as an information security analyst at an insurance firm.
The Rev. Ben Wyatt, a native of Evansville, has been called as Pathways Priest. The position, funded by the Lilly Endowment as part of the Pathways to Vitality Initiative, provides a recent seminary graduate with the opportunity to serve three eight-month mentored rotations at congregations participating in the Pathways program. The current Pathways parishes are St. John's, Crawfordsville; St. Matthew's, Indianapolis; and St. Peter's, Lebanon.
Wyatt attended Yale Divinity School, where he earned his M.Div. in 2018 and his S.T.M. in 2019. He also holds a B.A. in physics and religious studies from Vanderbilt University. Most recently he served as assistant rector at Trinity Episcopal Church in Hartford, Connecticut. Before seminary, Wyatt lived in Nashville, Tennessee, and worked as an information security analyst at an insurance firm.
Looking Ahead
While the Pilot Parishes have completed a yearlong learning experience, their work has just begun. Our diocesan work has just begun as well. The lessons learned from the Pilot Parishes will be adapted and enhanced for other congregations in the future. If your congregation is interested in learning how to be a member of the next Pathways Parish experience, please contact Melissa Hickman, Program Director, at melissa.e.hickman@gmail.com
While the Pilot Parishes have completed a yearlong learning experience, their work has just begun. Our diocesan work has just begun as well. The lessons learned from the Pilot Parishes will be adapted and enhanced for other congregations in the future. If your congregation is interested in learning how to be a member of the next Pathways Parish experience, please contact Melissa Hickman, Program Director, at melissa.e.hickman@gmail.com