Congregational Vitality

Every church and mission, whether small or large, is important. The goal of the new Minister for Congregational Vitality is to grow churches in strength, vitality, and joy-filled ministry. The collaborative effort between the Rev. Shirley Smith Graham and diocesan churches to boost Congregational Vitality will extend across the diocese, from the mountains to the waterways, from DC to Richmond. This work will help congregations see themselves clearly and describe their vital signs and markers for thriving. We will develop a shared language to support congregations in realizing their full potential and finding ways to collaborate with one another. We will also assist churches and their leaders in discerning their current call as a congregation, specifically within the context of their neighborhoods, and in developing meaningful relationships with the Church. If you’d like support or coaching, call or email the Reverend Shirley Smith Graham.

Collaboratively Building a New Ministry of Congregational Vitality

Across our diocese, we’re building a new ministry. This is a big change, so we’re using a change process to help us. This one is called the Listening- Action-Reflection process. We’re now in the Listening phase: most of the Listening Sessions with the churches have been completed by visiting each region’s meeting. We just have Potomac, Northern Neck, and West Richmond to go. These sessions are giving us rich information, which we’ll use to plan a series of actions to resource and support congregations. We’re also building a definition together of what we need this ministry to be (below). After acting, we’ll be sure to reflect on what’s worked well and what’s still needed so that we can continuously improve and adapt to this dynamic world we’re part of. Stay tuned for information about the new Committee for Congregational Vitality that will help Rev. Shirley in this work. And a big Thank you! to all lay and clergy leaders who have already participated in the Listening Sessions.

Working Definition: Ministry of Congregational Vitality in the Diocese of Virginia (1/23/2025)

The driving purpose of the Ministry of Congregational Vitality is to help churches of all sizes be faithful, skillful, and joyful congregations that love Jesus, grow disciples, and embody justice. Our approach is to empower and equip lay persons and clergy at the church level as well as providing diocesan-wide opportunities for learning, collaboration, and support.

Churches will be encouraged in an arc of ongoing development that helps them live into their vocation. Among others, activities may include clarifying their missional purpose, engaging prayerful discernment of their church’s vocation matched with abilities and potential, leveraging energy and passion, building skills for decision-making and navigating conflict, enhancing transformational ministries, discerning and practicing evangelism, improving the incorporation of new members and leaders, powerfully reconnecting with their neighborhoods, neighbors, and other churches in their region to develop ecosystems of mutual interdependence, managing change, matching their human assets to their physical assets for inspired and sustainable ministry, and encouraging restorative rest and sabbath. (See Markers for Thriving Churches.)

Since the church’s context for doing ministry is important, churches will be encouraged to deepen relationships with their neighborhoods as well as other Episcopal communities where faith is nurtured, such as schools, college ministries, camps and conference centers, young adult communities, groups of young families, and adult living communities.

To help our churches be resourced for this endeavor, we will collaborate with other related organizations of our diocese, such as the Virginia Episcopal Real Estate Partners, Diocesan Missionary Society, Trustees of the Fund, Church Schools of Virginia, the Episcopal Church Women and programs such as St. Phoebe’s School for Deacons as well as organizations external to our diocese such as the College for Congregational Development, other congregational development communities, and Episcopal seminaries. We will also coordinate with related ministries such as Discipleship, Stewardship, Vocations, and Racial Reconciliation and Justice.