It may be the best kept secret in North American Christendom… The Congregational Resource Guide. It’s a 10-year-old publication packed with thousands of useful articles – a free gift, says director Martin Davis, for your church.
The CRG is a Lilly Endowment sponsored venture that amalgamates every useful church article, program curriculum, worship guide – you name it – into one place. And every day Martin and his staff scour the landscape looking for more. Be blessed by this introduction to a truly useful resource compiled by a man who’s passionate about helping congregations like yours.
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Synopsis
The CRG is a 2,300 piece (and growing) collection of helpful resources for congregations. It’s split into 6 categories and is highly searchable – so chances are you can find what you’re looking for. In this interview Marty takes us for a tour and tell us how we can use, and contribute to, this one-of-a-kind resource that’s bound to have something for you.
The Six Categories
Martin teases out the CRG’s 6 categories, (Care, Discover, Engage, Lead, Manage, and Worship) and describes what kinds of information the guide offers.
Keeping it Current
Every day Martin keeps track of 450-500 blog posts – pulling down only those most relevant and current to his users. Also, one of his staff puts together a free weekly email, a weekly blog called Soul Food for Thought, that offers reflections on current events based as they relate to faith.
Not a Substitute for Your Own Creativity
Martin is a strong believer in entrepreneurship – and believes the CRG is best used to inspire your imagination to dream up an adaptation, or a brand new idea based on his resources.
About Martin Davis
Martin Davis is director of the Congregational Resource Guide and a graduate of the University of Chicago Divinity School. He spent many years as a reporter. At National Journal magazine, he covered the faith-based initiative in the early days of the Bush Administration, as an editor for Philanthropy magazine, he interviewed some of America’s leading donors and told the stories of their greatest successes. Before coming to CRG in 2009, he wrote for an education reform group in Washington, D.C. His works have been widely published in outlets like the Washington Post, New York Daily News, and National Journal. He has brought to the CRG his passion for passing along vital information. Following the model of “resource consulting” developed by the Indianapolis Center for Congregations, the CRG marries context and content so that visitors not only find the resource materials they need to further their work, but also discover the richer conversations around those materials and how others have put them to use, successfully.
Resources Martin Recommends
Fumbling – Kerry Egan
getreligion.org
stateofformation.org
Sponsors I Mentioned
Virginia Theological Seminary is the largest Episcopal Seminary in the U.S., forming men and women for leadership in the church. In addition to the MDiv, Anglican Studies and DMin degrees are their Masters of Arts degrees with a fous on Theological Studies, Christian Formation, Religion & Culture, and Biblical Interpretation. Check them out at vts.edu.
