Why reinvent the wheel?
With so many churches doing exciting and inspiring work, Nancy Davidge’s role with the Episcopal Church Foundation’s Vital Practices initiative, has her on the prowl for new and innovative success stories in local congregations.
Nancy says the big theme is reaching out – and in this interview tells us about how some congregations are finding new life by reaching right outside their doors.
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Synopsis
Nancy Davidge says she’s got the best church job going: to chronicle the best practices of growing congregations. Her Vital Practices initiative shares those stories in a myriad of different ways. Here are my notes from the interview:
Vestry Papers Takes to the Web
It’s been a staple of Episcopal congregations for years – and today The Vestry Papers are not only new and dynamic – but expansive. On their new website there are more resources than one could read in a year.
It’s All About Reaching Out
Nancy says one common denominator in the congregations she profiles is sincere and creative outreach. Whether planting a community garden with prison inmates or developing a liquid candle wax business, vital congregations reach outside themselves.
Looking for Ways to Connect
The next iteration of Vital Practices may be using Foursquare, Google+ or other online applications to help people connect and share the stories and the resources that are building healthy congregations.
About Nancy Davidge
Nancy Davidge is the editor of ECF Vital Practices (www.ecfvp.org), a ministry of the Episcopal Church Foundation; president of Episcopal Communicators (www.episcopalcommunicators.org); and principal of The Davidge Group, a strategic marketing and communications firm focusing on both audience development and messaging and media. Davidge has received over 30 Polly Bond Awards, most recently Award of Excellence for Website and Award of Excellence for her Blog. Davidge worked marketing and communications positions for the Girl Scouts regional and national health care companies before making a career shift to educational institutions including Episcopal Divinity School where she served as director of marketing and communications for eight years before joining the Episcopal Church Foundation in 2010.
Books Nancy Recommends
The Vestry Resource Guide
Coaching Yourself to Leadership – Ginny O’Brien
Speaking Forth – Religion Communicator’s Council
Sponsors I Mentioned
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Please correct the leader on this article: “With so many churches doing *exiting* and inspiring work, Nancy Davidge, and her role….” I believe the point of the article is the positive EXCITING word being done, rather than the observation that people are leaving the churches in droves.
Otherwise, looking forward to hearing the insights presented.
Hi Ron-
Thanks for this – Nancy’s got some great stuff to share -