April 2024 Digital Workshops from Episcopal Parish Network
The Episcopal Parish Network (EPN) is an active network of parishes and cathedrals across the country and around the church. EPN offers a variety of online workshops that are open to all. Here's a look at their learning opportunities in April of 2024:
Earth Day 2024: The State of Climate Advocacy
Monday, April 22 @ 3:00pm EDT
Join Episcopal Parish Network on Earth Day for a special conversation about corporations leading in climate advocacy and those impeding progress. Climate experts from InfluenceMap, an independent data analysis think tank, will join EPN partner Church Investment Group to discuss how the partisan advocates and fossil fuel interests are directing money and energies to undermine climate transition policy and ESG investing .
Kendra Haven, the Director of Special Projects and Cleo Rank, a Senior Policy Analyst from InfluenceMap will engage JoAnn Hanson from Church Investment Group in this timely conversation about companies working to make a difference and those actively working to undermine climate policy. Together the panel will discuss how trade associations are often used to impede action on climate change and the implications for investors.
Don't miss this opportunity to learn about the current state of climate action and how your parish can act on this information. #EarthDay #
Panelists include:
- Kendra Haven - Director of Special Projects, InfluenceMap; New York, New York
- Cleo Rank - Senior Policy Analyst, Influence Map; New York, New York
- JoAnn Hanson - President, Church Investment Group, Tuxedo Park, New York
Power of the Small Church
Tuesday, April 30 | 3:00pm EDT
The death of the small Episcopal Church has long been predicted. We know that urban and suburban parishes are thriving, but our parishes and missions often struggle in rural or exurban communities. While this trope is easy to repeat, it isn’t the whole story. And, importantly, we must recognize that our unique Episcopal witness is critical to these communities just as it is in our biggest urban parish context.
In 2019, Grace Episcopal in Alvin, Texas was withering on the vine; and, yet the remaining faithful congregants sought to bring hospitality while meeting the needs in their community. Knowing this reservoir existed, we determined to undertake the brave work of listening to our community. Creating a blessing box outside Grace was key to this and what this blessing box told us was our neighbors were hungry.
Four years later, and after discernment and work internally and with our community, Grace partners with over twenty organizations and ten local churches to bring a mobile food pantry to the grounds of Grace every week. We’ve given away over two and a half million pounds of food to over 50,000 people in Brazoria County, a food desert and food insecure county in Texas. We have expanded our food ministry which now includes an in-house pantry, a blessing box filled to capacity four times a day, a blessing refrigerator and a microwave warming station for our unhoused population.
Grace is a 50-member church. We knew we couldn’t do it alone. Partnering with other churches has strengthened and helped to sustain this work. Rather than competing, churches, acting as partners, joined together, so that care for our community was enlarged and made stronger. The community of Alvin has been changed by the radical grace, love and hospitality offered by this multi-church and community run food-ministry.
Join our panel to learn more about how this parish secured its ministry and preserved our expression of the gospel in this community.
Panelists include:
- Suzanne Smith - Rector, Grace Episcopal Church; Alvin, Texas
- Ed Carrette - Community Missioner, Grace Episcopal Church; Alvin, Texas
- Susie Credeur - In-House Pantry Manager and shopper, Grace Episcopal Church; Alvin, Texas
- Mindy Robertson - Compassion Ministry Coordinator, The Harbor Church; Friendswood, Texas
- Lela Hoffman - Catholic Daughters of the Americas, St. John the Baptist Catholic Church; Alvin, Texas
Effective Mission Outreach Strategy: Structure, Implementation & Evaluation
Wednesday, May 1 | 3:00pm EDT
Parish ministry is centered around sharing the gospel - both in our community and to our community. Over many years, faithful leaders create mission statements and, out of those proclamations, build programs to implement the mission.
How does one know that these mission statements are compelling and that outreach efforts created based on these mission statements are accomplishing the goal of sharing the gospel in the context of our unique Episcopal witness? During this workshop, our experts will answer these questions among others:
- Is your parish's outreach structured to fulfill your parish’s call to mission?
- Whether your parish provides resources (volunteers, building space, leadership) or makes financial contributions to others ministry, is your process transparent?
- Do your parishioners understand your mission and outreach?
- Is your mission and outreach equitable?
Together, the panelists will provide insights and ideas on how to review your parish’s outreach initiatives and ensure your work has the greatest impact. The review will include defining your parish’s outreach objectives and the role of your mission/outreach committee. Our panelists will also suggest an approach through which community partners are identified, and how requests for support from those partners are assessed. Finally, the panel will review the vestry’s role in evaluating program impact - on your parish and your community partners.
Panelists from parishes across the country will provide diverse examples of these ideas in practice.
Panelists include:
- Marshall Ginn - Principal, Capital Philanthropy, Parishioner, Christ Church Georgetown; Washington, District of Columbia
- Phil Hooper - Rector, St. Anne’s Episcopal Church; West Chester, Ohio
- Laura Konitzer - Director of Mission and Outreach, Christ Church; Charlotte, North Carolina
Additional panelists to be added
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