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Resources for Congregational leadership

Welcome! This congregational development web presence offers resources for liturgy and music and many helpful topics on congregational life. Click on any of the colored text to visit that resourse.

Summer Collegiums

Applications are now available for the Summer Collegiums, a project in support of small congregations at Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia. Clergy (and their spouses or partners) from 25 small churches of all Christian denominations are invited to spend nine days at Virginia Seminary for encouragement, education, rest and renewal. All expenses, including travel, books, meals, lodging, child care at home and pulpit supply, are paid by a grant from the Lilly Endowment.

The theme of the Summer Collegiums this year is Leadership in the Small Congregation. Our keynote speaker will be Alice Mann, a prolific writer on congregational ministry, and John Bell from the Iona Community in Scotland will join our worship team for the conference.

The dates for the Summer Collegiums are June 23 – July 1, 2010. Application forms are on our website, www.vts.edu/education/collegium, or will be sent in the mail by emailing SummerCollegium@vts.edu or by calling 703-461-1760. Applications must be postmarked by December 15, 2009, to be considered.

Liturgy and Spirituality Resources

• Episcopal Chruch Center Office for Liturgy and Music
• The Cener for Liturgy
• The Process of Lectio Divina “Listening Prayer”
• Innovative Worship Resources
• Anglo-Catholic Liturgical Resources
• Weekly Guide for Daily Prayer
• The Divine Hours – A complete guide to the ancient practice of fixed-hour prayer
• Sermons That Work

Supply Clergy List

Colors of the Church Year and Seasonal Dates

The Church Year begins with Advent in November/December.
This is YEAR B of readings in the Revised Common Lectionary.
Year A: 2004-2005, 2007-2008, 2010-2011
Year B: 2005-2006, 2008-2009, 2011-2012
Year C: 2006-2007, 2009-2010, 2012-2013
The Dates of the Church Year, RCL Year B, 2008-2009

Revised Common Lectionary: Years A, B and C

Resources and Reflections on Worship

What is Liturgy? Evangelicals and Liturgical Worship
Essay on the growing trend of evangelicals toward liturgical worship, with a summary of its seven main elements.
The Prayers of the People
The theological basis for the liturgy of the “Prayers of the People,” with an example.
Teach Us to Pray: Public Prayers for Services of Worship
Short article introducing the need and value of written prayers for public worship, with a menu to a range of model prayers for use in worship.
Word and Table: Reflections on a Theology of Worship
An examination of the theological basis for the renewed emphasis on “word and table” as the structure for Christian worship in some historically low-church traditions; the balance of word and table in worship.

Small-Church Growth Strategy Handbook

A dynamic set of tools designed to affirm and strengthen vitality in small-membership churches (generally those with an average Sunday attendance of seventy or less). Small-membership churches represent approximately half of all Episcopal congregations. [download here]

Bishop William Willimon Leadership Papers

Ten rules of leadership that are particularly applicable for pastors who serve congregations where people are resistant to change. [download here]

Learn about your personality

Take a modified Myers-Briggs Personality Inventory by [clicking here]

Learn about your spiritual gifts

Take an on-line survey by [clicking here]

Explorefaith.org is dedicated to providing information, thoughts and insights about God, faith and spirituality.