Congregational Resource Day 2012 

Get Ready for a brand new format for Congregational Resource Day for the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts

New venue:  MassBay Community College, Wellesley

 Keynoter:  The Rev. Tom Brackett, Missioner, Church Planting, Ministry Redevelopment and Fresh Expressions  of Church, Episcopal Church Center

Changing things up this year from our usual format of multiple workshops, this year we have a keynote speaker with us to talk about the changing look of churches and how we position ourselves for growth and health and ministry going forward.  Participants are then invited to participate in 1 of 7 in-depth workshops on topics to help us change, grow deeper in our faith and mission, and reach out in ministry to our communities and the world.  Then bring it all back together for in-depth sharing and networking with others as we look to the next steps and continuing resources to promote healthy parishes and engaged Christians.

Bring a team from your parish with participants from the vestry, Sunday school teachers, stewardship committees, outreach and mission committees, youth leaders, parish musicians, welcoming committees, parish communicators, EFM participants, young adults, building & grounds committee, parish administrators, confirmation mentors, and adult education committees. There is something for everyone and everyone is welcome!  In fact - bringing a team is so encouraged that after the first 4 people -- EVERYONE ELSE GETS A DISCOUNT!  Bring a team to bring back new ideas, tools and a new vision for your parish.

Our seven exciting workshops are described below.  For those who have difficulty with online registration, or for those who want a handout for the event, CLICK HERE and print out the workshop descriptions which include a mail-in registration form at the end.  These can be sent in with a check for those who cannot use online registration.  An Event Poster for printing and display is available here. 

Please share this information with others in your church.

Registration at the link below includes the capability of signing up an entire team from a parish under one registration.  Just be sure to have everyone's lunch and workshop choices before signing them up or the registration might time out before you are finished.  

 Registration is now closed.

You are welcome to join us on Saturday, however because of catering, you will need to bring your own lunch. 

Register Now! 

WORKSHOPS

WORKSHOP #1 -- What is God’s crazy dream for you and your community?

"Has it become harder for your church to do all the things it used to do? Are you discouraged by the realization that your parish needs to adjust to the many changes taking place in the lives of people in the communities it serves, but don’t really know how? Does your congregation feel that they have lost their former vigor?  Do you have some new ideas that might help but getting the green light to go ahead is hard?  This workshop allows you to experience ways of getting unstuck from the shoulds, demands, and even fears that are keeping us from living into God’s crazy dream for us. Take home ideas and a method to do this in your congregation.

Facilitators include a diverse group of leaders and experienced diocesan coaches and consultants who call themselves “Consultants for Tomorrow's Church,Today"

WORKSHOP #2 --  Explorations in Faith Formation for Tomorrow’s Church

Does your church have a great children’s program but then you find youth and their families leaving at middle school?  Do you have a hard time recruiting Sunday School teachers and getting parent’s involved in the faith formation of their children?  Do adults in the parish say they want Bible Study but then don’t show up to the program that you spent hours preparing for?  Does your faith community always assume that faith formation has to happen on the church property? Come join us for a discussion of how education and formation in the church is changing, and needs to change going forward.  We’ll look at the best research on the subject, explore some new models and uncover some of the reasons for change.

Facilitators:  Amy Cook, Missioner for Education, Formation & Discipleship and Dr. Julie Lytle, Digital Evangelist and Theological Educational Consultant at M3, Executive Director at Episcopal Province of New England (Province I)

WORKSHOP #3 -- Liturgy, Music and Community Worship:  spending our time well together

Wondering how to revive a tired liturgical practice?  Would you like to introduce new music and liturgical formats into your service?  Do you think that emerging worship is only done with guitars and so you will never try it?  Have you tried to make changes in your worship service and had problems?  Come to a workshop that helps get to the root of why we worship and how to make our services more engaging and authentically from the community.  This panel of music and liturgical leaders from three very different worship styles will give you principles and tools for making your service the best it can be.  Learn what makes for good communication between priest and musician, and learn the questions we should always be asking when planning worship.  This workshop offers practical helps such as how to initiate change, theological context, and expands thinking in what we can consider our Episcopal traditions.  Organists, choir directors and church musicians especially invited.

Facilitators:  The Rev. Matthew Cadwell, rector, Emmanuel, Wakefield; Isaac Everett, Minister of Liturgical Arts at The Crossing, Boston and author of The Emergent Psalter; The Rev. Holly Antolini, rector, St. James’, Cambridge; and Pat Michaels, Minister of Music at St. James’, Cambridge

WORKSHOP #4 -- “See, I am doing a new thing…”: Tools and Skills for Digital Ministry

Perhaps you have tried setting up a Facebook page for you church, or have worked at updating the look of your website and haven’t seen much of a response.  Or perhaps you want your church to use social media and don’t know where to start.  This workshop will explain some of the tools churches use and help us think theologically about how Christians can communicate the love of Christ through social media. We will explore the differences between broadcast media and social media, help participants become familiar with different social media tools, discuss best practices for clergy online and assist in crafting a digital media strategy for your community. This workshop is appropriate for all levels of familiarity with social media.

Facilitators:  The Rev. Moses Sowale, Missioner at Grace Chapel (Episcopal/Anglican ministry) Brockton and The Rev. Laura E. Everett, Executive Director, Massachusetts Council of Churches

WORKSHOP #5 -- Becoming the Body of Christ:  Living as an Inclusive and Welcoming Church

Paul used the image of the body to help teach the people of God about the importance of every member being valued as a critical part of the whole. This workshop will move beyond surface issues related to cultural competency and towards a deeper strategy for understanding ourselves and others as an interdependent and multicultural community of disciples of Christ. We will introduce a guiding framework and a series of practices for churches prepared to become more deeply inclusive, welcoming and reflective of their responses to the existing and growing richness and diversity of the church. The guiding question: What might we need to examine (theologically, personally and practically) in our worship, witness and service in becoming a healthy, inclusive, loving and justice driven body of Christ?

Facilitators:  The Rev. Dr. Lisa R. Fortuna, Urban Resident, Christ Church/ Iglesia San Juan, Hyde Park; Katie Ernst, Minister for Mission, the Crossing, Boston; and the Rev. Karen Montagno, Director of Congregational Resources and Training, Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts

WORKSHOP #6 -- Equipping Leaders for a Transformative Church

Wondering how to share what you love about your church without sounding too preachy?  Are you looking for a way to grow your own confidence in your faith? Learn how to tell the story of God at work in your own life and in your community so that your church can be an authentic and impactful actor in your community.  Take back new skills for your church to help your parish reach out to the neighborhood around you and deepen the faith of those within.

Facilitator:  Duncan Hilton, Director of Programming, LDI (the Leadership Development Initiative)

WORKSHOP #7 -- Introducing "New Dollar/New Partners" - a program for expanding your building's ministry

Do you feel your church buildings could be put to better use in the interests of your mission and ministry?  Do you wish you had more people from the community coming in and out of your doors?  Do you need to learn how to evaluate your buildings’ strengths and weaknesses and what you can do about them?   Would it be helpful to have some funding for your church from community partners?

If so, then come join Tuomi Forrest, from the non-profit organization, “Partners for Sacred Places” (PSP), who will offer some answers to building-renewal and building-use questions you might have, as you prepare to meet the needs of your parish in the years to come.   “New Dollars/New Partners” is a program which Partners has successfully offered in several Episcopal dioceses and other denominations around the country.  At Resource Day, Tuomi will present this new way of thinking about your buildings, where the focus is on finding new community partners in order to advance both evangelism and financial well-being.   Tuomi also will invite you to join, with other parishes, a larger, five-part program that will run throughout the 2012-13 program year and which the diocese largely is underwriting.  Come hear the details and see if it’s what you need!   If the PSP module sounds inviting, but you need more information, you can look to www.sacredplaces.org and/or be in touch with Libby Berman, Canon for Congregations, at lberman@diomass.org.

Facilitator:  Tuomi Forrest, Executive Vice President, Partners for Sacred Places