October 2019 Vestry Papers: Mobilizing our Assets for Mission
Dear Friends,
We often think of stewardship in terms of raising money, increasing membership or filling a void of some kind. However, when we think about the assets we already possess, our approach to stewardship changes from a mindset of insufficiency to one of plenty. In this issue we bring you ideas for using the existing assets at our disposal in new and transformational ways.
Are we open to new ways of being community? In An Audacious Spirit of Abundance, Sandy Webb shares the story of Church of the Holy Communion’s Audacity Fund and the projects it supported that led to a dramatic shift in the life of his church and community. This article is available in English and Spanish.
Have you considered what resources you might have hidden in plain sight? In Uncovering Hidden Treasure, Demi Prentiss narrates the experiences of different churches in finding and using their underutilized assets in powerful, missional ways.
What if the first step to growing is letting go of the past? In Nostalgia Is a Disease, Kirk Berlenbach suggests that what we need to be effective as a church is to free ourselves from the yoke of nostalgia, to look outwards to the community and redefine what a ‘successful church’ looks like in our unique context.
A church building is a gift that we must consider using to its fullest potential. In Putting Our Buildings to Work, David Robinson invites us to be open to all possibilities and lists ideas for transforming church spaces.
ECF has helped hundreds of Episcopal dioceses, churches, schools and church-related organizations organize, invest and grow their endowments and permanent funds. Our Endowment Management Solutions (EMS) program covers the complete spectrum of endowment needs from starting an endowment fund, to updating endowment policies, investing prudently and spending wisely. ECF’s commitment to responsible endowment management reflects our belief that endowments breathe new life into a congregation, make new ministries possible, spark creative outreach projects and ease the burden of long-term capital expenses. Learn more about ECF’s EMS program here.
To learn more about ECF and our programs, please visit our website.
Faithfully,
Charis Bhagianathan
Editor, ECFVP