ECF NOTES We are pleased to share the Fall '07 edition of the Episcopal Church Foundation Newsletter, ECF Notes. We appreciate your feedback as we tell stories of our work with Episcopal congregations and dioceses, keep you up-to-date on our activities and new projects, and provide a fuller picture of what we do and why we do it. You can download a copy of ECF Notes here, or stay on line and read the articles below. If you are interested in learning more, please call us at 800-697-2858 or email all@EpiscopalFoundation.org.
	New Ways of Doing Church by Donald V. Romanik Most of us grew up in traditional parish settings: a church building with a parish hall, a full time clergy person, assisting clergy, and support staff. Churches were full. We had lots of children in Sunday School, an active Young People’s Fellowship, and organizations such as the Brotherhood of St. Andrew, Episcopal Church Women, and the Altar Guild. Members pledged generously and were willing to dig into their pockets for a capital campaign to expand facilities.>>>>>Read more
	Re-Visioning:  A Diocesan Approach to Campus Ministry by Rebecca McDonald The Diocese of Kansas is taking a new approach to college ministry which will not only lead to developing a presence on more college campuses throughout the diocese, but will also bring students into deeper relationships with local Episcopal congregations. Two new campus missioners, the Rev. Craig Loya and the Rev. Susan Terry, will lead these efforts by working collaboratively with peer ministers, student interns, and parishes.>>>>>Read more
	Hawiian Planned Giving by Matthew Freeman Hawaii may be a popular vacation site for much of the mainland, but in the Diocese of Hawaii, lots of work is afoot. Under the direction of Bishop Robert Fitzpatrick they are focusing their efforts on the much-overlooked issue of Planned Giving and the results seem likely to have excellent long-term gains.>>>>>Read more
	Congratulations to ECF Fellows Completing Fellowships in 2008 by Kelly Mistick The Rev. Christopher Griffen studies at the University of Chicago where he is completing a dissertation on at-risk, inner city youth. He is co-chair of a workshop on race and religion through which he "helps foster a community of scholars who have integrated religion and social justice into their work". He will complete his degree in spring 2009.>>>>>Read more
	Fostering Faithful Communities:  ECF's 2006 Annual Report The Episcopal Church Foundation is pleased to present the 2006 Annual Report, Fostering Faithful Communities.  ECF's mission is to strengthen the leadership and financial capabilities of Episcopal congregations, dioceses, and related organiations to pursue their mission and ministry.>>>>>Download
	ECF is Grateful for the Generous Support That Helps Us Continue Our Work Through generous financial support our donors help us strengthen the leadership and financial capabilities of congregations and dioceses so they can achieve their potential..>>>>>Donate
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New Ways of Doing Church
by Donald V. Romanik

Most of us grew up in traditional parish settings: a church building with a parish hall, a full time clergy person, assisting clergy, and support staff. Churches were full. We had lots of children in Sunday School, an active Young People’s Fellowship, and organizations such as the Brotherhood of St. Andrew, Episcopal Church Women, and the Altar Guild. Members pledged generously and were willing to dig into their pockets for a capital campaign to expand facilities.

This model remains a reality in some places, but the Episcopal Church, like all mainstream denominations, is experiencing a shift in how communities of faith gather for worship, education, fellowship and outreach. Most congregations are small. Of the 7,600 Episcopal congregations in the U.S., nearly 60% have 100 or fewer people in worship on Sunday. Only 19% of congregations have more than one clergy on staff, and 27% of parish clergy are part time. Episcopalians tend to be older than the general population with 27% over age 65 as compared to only 12% of the U.S. population.

In response to these shifts, the Episcopal Church and others are looking at new ways to connect with members and invite new people into a relationship with Christ. Whether called the "emerging church movement", "home churches" or "foyer groups", non-traditional models are attempts to bring church to people rather than people to church. In addition to or in lieu of Sunday morning services, Episcopalians gather in homes, coffee shops and even bars for worship, study, and fellowship. More Episcopalians are living out their faith through outreach projects rather than bible study or coffee hours. Laypeople play a critical role in organizing and leading communities of faith, with clergy serving in sacramental and teaching roles.

This may not be the church we grew up in, but we should not be afraid of new ways of expressing ourselves as people of God. Society has changed over the past 50 years and the church needs to adapt to continue to be relevant. While the parish structure is not going away any time soon, parishes, as we know them, will look different in the years ahead.

The mission of the Episcopal Church Foundation is to strengthen the leadership and financial capabilities of the church. In order to do that, ECF needs to respond to changing needs and provide resources and assistance to congregations struggling with new ways of doing church. We welcome your thoughts on how we can help you pursue mission and ministry in our changing world and our changing church.

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Re-Visioning:  A Diocesan Appraoch to Campus Ministry
by Rebecca McDonald

The Diocese of Kansas is taking a new approach to college ministry which will not only lead to developing a presence on more college campuses throughout the diocese, but will also bring students into deeper relationships with local Episcopal congregations. Two new campus missioners, the Rev. Craig Loya and the Rev. Susan Terry, will lead these efforts by working collaboratively with peer ministers, student interns, and parishes.

College ministries provide spiritual and social resources for students, many of whom are living away from home for the first time. In Kansas, ministries focus activities in five areas:

In an effort to appeal to students, they are exploring new models of working with parishes. For example, a parish might designate Sunday evening services for students, while in other instances members of the congregation join students on campus for a meal. Last summer, a group of individuals and members from several congregations raised funds to send a group of peer ministers to Kenya. Students posted blogs, and since their return, have been sharing their experiences with sponsoring parishes. Importantly, students and parishioners are discovering ways to connect with one another.

Historically, there have been active campus ministries at the University of Kansas and Kansas State University. Since implementing this new approach, ministries have been started at Emporia State University and Johnson County Community College and plans are underway to expand to additional locations.

Ensuring that financial resources are available to maintain and expand the work of Kansas’ campus ministries is an ongoing process. The diocese has provided both financial and leadership support, however, it will be important for the campus ministries to actively undertake stewardship activities and develop a network of supporters.

In the spring of 2007 Anne Ditzler, Assistant Director of Giving Services for ECF, made a campus visit to work with Craig and Susan to help develop a Year 1 plan, and offer direction about what they need to be taking into consideration over the next 3-5 years. "Anne’s visit was hugely helpful," said Craig Loya. "Because she has worked with other campus ministries, she understands our challenges, but also shared her experience and learning." ECF provides annual giving and other fundraising services to help sustain and strengthen campus ministries.

Beyond a traditional annual appeal to raise funds for campus ministries, Craig and Susan have begun two unique fundraising initiatives. Since Kansas football is an enormously important part of campus life, Canterbury House at KU has been selling parking spaces at home games, which has proved to be successful. They are also preparing to sell re-usable grocery bags featuring the campus ministry logo at some congregations and at the diocesan convention. Efforts such as these not only generate funds, but can help spread the word about the important work they are doing.

Campus ministries in the Diocese of Kansas are on their way to living into their vision of connecting college students with Episcopal congregations in communities throughout the diocese. ECF’s services, including consultation and the Campus Ministry Stewardship Session conference call series, are available to help.

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Hawaiian Planned Giving
by Matthew Freeman

Hawaii may be a popular vacation site for much of the mainland, but in the Diocese of Hawaii, lots of work is afoot. Under the direction of Bishop Robert Fitzpatrick they are focusing their efforts on the much-overlooked issue of Planned Giving and the results seem likely to have excellent long-term gains.

The Diocese of Hawaii has its parishes, camps and Episcopal schools spread over the five large islands that make up the 50th state. To instill a sense of shared education and goals over these natural divides, the Diocese created a Planned Giving Commission, staffed spearheaded by Diocesan treasurer Peter Pereira. This commission will not only gather information and educate the Diocesan parishes and missions, but evaluate the potential for a possible capital campaign.

Last year, the Planned Giving Commission in the Diocese of Hawaii formally began partnering with the Episcopal Church Foundation, beginning with a visit from Natalie Guthrie, the Assistant Director of Giving Services. Natalie’s visit involved a day of planned giving training, which included the basics of life income gifts and bequests, structure and policy advice, recommendations and best practices for marketing, ; and role playing various scenarios. She trained the Planned Giving Commission and the Planned Giving Field representatives.

Since then, Peter Pereira and the Planned Giving Commission has taken steps to prepare the Diocese for success. They’ve engaged in their own ongoing training internally, and been in constant communication with the Foundation, to provide insight from the outside on their progress. They have signed up for the Marketing Subscription Service, and had marketing materials mailed to every congregation in the Diocese. Pereira himself has begun regular meetings with potential donors, to discuss the possibilities of bequests and planned gifts.

Most recently, the Foundation and the Chancellor helped to create review and update a thorough set of Gift Acceptance Policies for the Diocese, focusing on the opportunities to receive property as gifts. Charitable Lead Trusts appear to be a great opportunity for the Diocese as their efforts increase, and policies such as these will provide vital guidance, to shield the Diocese, and their generous givers, from unfavorable tax issues and liability. This gift acceptance policy is now readily available on their website, as well as links to Foundation resources for parishes in the Diocese.

"We’ve set the stage for everything to be available next year," said Pereira. "Next year we will be seeing more gifts." He noted that the next step for the Commission is to focus on raising the confidence and skills of his field people as they make appeals at the parish level. The Planned Giving Commission will also be arranging with local attorneys to do a wills seminar and educate people on the different planned gift vehicles available

Planned Giving isn’t a quick fix; it takes long-term vision and patience. As the Diocese of Hawaii continues to deepen its knowledge and increase its activity, the Episcopal Church Foundation will continue serve as a partner, to foster resources and service new gifts.

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Congratulations!  ECF Congratulates Fellows Completing Their Fellowships in 2008
by Kelly Mistick

The Rev. Christopher Griffen studies at the University of Chicago where he is completing a dissertation on at-risk, inner city youth. He is co-chair of a workshop on race and religion through which he "helps foster a community of scholars who have integrated religion and social justice into their work". He will complete his degree in spring 2009.

The Rev.Mark McInroy will study at Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg in Germany this year to research the subject of his dissertation, Splendor Invisible: The "Spiritual Senses" in the Theological Aesthetics of Hans Urs von Balthasar. He will complete his dissertation and receive his doctorate from Harvard Divinity School this spring. He says, "In addition to developing my own scholarship, I continue to grow as a teacher." Mr.McInroy will seek an academic position in a university or seminary.

Mr. Christopher Wells will complete his thesis, Under the Sign of the Word: The Sacramental Christology of Thomas Aquinas as Beginning and End and receive his doctorate at the University of Notre Dame this spring. His dissertation focuses on a "historical study of the spirituality of St. Thomas Aquinas with a view to retrieval." Mr.Wells plans to seek a seminary teaching position.

Ms. Regina Walton attends the University of Boston and was recently ordained to the deaconate. She will complete her dissertation in the Spring of 2009 and undertake exams for doctoral work in 2007-2008. Her dissertation will focus on 17th century religious poetry. Ms.Walton continues to discern whether she will work in a parish or the academy following the completion of her degree.

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