News Detail

This issue's theme is Pledging & Stewardship.  Featured articles include: 

Lessons from an annual giving campaign, by David Posteraro, junior warden of Trinity Cathedral, Cleveland, OH.

Don't inspire guilt, deliver hope, by Emilia Allen, 2009-2010 Relational Evangelist at Emmanuel Church, Boston, MA.

Model high standards of intentional giving, by the Rev. Laurel Johnston, Stewardship Officer for the Episcopal Church.

This issue of Vestry Papers also suggests resources for pledging and stewardship including:

• Finding Hope in Hard Times, Seven Spiritual Practices:  A Faithful Stewards Guide is a helpful booklet produced by the Office of Stewardship of the Episcopal Church.
• The Episcopal Network for Stewardship (TENS): TENS is an assoication of church leaders who understand, practice, and proclaim God's call to generosity.  TENS provides training, encouraging, nurturing, and supporting of the ministry of stewardship at every level.

We are pleased to announce that in October 2010, Vestry Papers will reach even more people when it becomes a free website dedicated to vital practices for leading congregations.  The new website, ECF Vital Practices (www.ecfvp.org), will include the Vestry Papers articles upon which our readers rely, practical resources for parish leaders, a lively blog where readers can share ideas and experiences, and examples of congregational practices submitted by leaders like you.

The website, which will be free and open to all, offers even more oppourtunities to create community and foster learning about congregational issues among not only vestries and rectors, but all laypeople and clergy who lead congregations. 

In the coming weeks, we will also be in touch via the email address we have on file to tell you more about ECF Vital Practices (www.ecfvp.org), to invite you to submit news and samples of your congregation’s best practices and programs—and to let you know about the online celebration of the website launch!

If you’d like to give us a new email address or provide us with an email list of your congregation’s leaders, please email Miguel Escobar. In the meantime, if you have questions please call ECF at 800-697-2858.