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Gather a team to participate in a new workshop series geared at preparing the ground to grow your congregation in Advent, Christmas and through the year. Participants will leave these sessions feeling hopeful and more energized about their church.  

When the program is over, participating parishes will have learned and implemented basic practices that encourage newcomers to visit--and come back. These are

  • An ability to talk about their unique Christian and Anglican identity—who they are and what they do
  • Redesigned or refreshed website and social media presence
  • Effective greeting, including a newcomer-friendly coffee hour
  • Refreshed worship, focussing on one or two elements: music, word, space, children, technology, or bulletins
  • A practical way to orient and incorporate newcomers
  • Applied these learnings to a special Advent or Christmas service  

Who can participate?

  • Parishes with an average Sunday attendance 70 or fewer with a desire to grow in numbers and spiritual depth
  • Parishes that are open to changing, adjusting, modifying, and experimenting with their website, coffee hour, greeting, and worship
  • Parishes that can gather a team of at least four members (including the priest)
  • Team members who are ready to lead with new ways of doing things and share their enthusiasm, and who can commit time and energy to this undertaking. The team does not need to be limited to elected leaders; there should be some overlap with parish council, but motivation and interest are more important than elected position.
  • Team specialists: some parishes will have members who are interested in only one workshop. As long as there is a core team of no fewer than four people who can attend all four workshops, then extra members are welcome to attend specific workshops.  

Workshop dates

Saturdays 9:30am -4pm

  • September 22
  • October 20
  • November 24
  • January 12, 2019

Application process Parish teams can apply to participate in this program, which will be limited to ten parishes. To apply, contact Tasha for more information. We will want to hear about how your parish is ready for this project. Is there broad internal support for the changes that this program is likely to bring about? What is the process by which you have generated support for this undertaking? 

Fees Participating parishes will commit a minimum of $500 towards projects arising from the workshops. These funds will be met with a matching investment from the Diocese of $500, for a total of $1,000 for each parish to use towards membership growth initiatives.

Resources
Parish Development