Vestries must be the church they wish to lead
In the past two years, I have come to see much more clearly the ways in which the ethos of the vestry can infect a congregation with hope and joy or doom and gloom. The vestry is something like a scale model of the congregation and also functions as a model for others.
For example, if vestry members take part in gossip, or get caught up in parking lot vestry meetings undoing the work of the gathered body that came just before, than this too can be seen in the church. While in cases where the vestry is mission minded, the whole congregation is much more likely to come to share that sense of purpose. Churches need good ordained leadership to be sure, but no matter who the priest is they will have great difficulty rising beyond the level of the vestry. In our polity, the Rector (or Priest-in-Charge or Vicar) together with the Wardens and Vestry are a team and for purposes of this article, I will say vestry, as I assume that the priest is on board and part of that team.
A vestry can best work with the clergy to lead a congregation through positive change by being the church they wish to lead. By talking about “being the church” I am leaning toward an incarnational understanding of the vestry. To incarnate is to make flesh, to embody. How this works for a vestry is that is these elected leaders of a congregation dream of increased participation in church events, they should not begin by thinking of what others should or could do. For change to occur, the vestry will need to change first.
Even if the whole vestry wholeheartedly embraces and lives into a change, such as breaking the cycle of gossip, the church may not reflect that change. But if the priest in charge and the vestry do not change first, then it will be difficult to capture the critical mass for change otherwise. This is true for all sorts of changes from increasing attendance and giving to improving Christian Education. It can happen without the vestry, but it will be a much steeper hill to climb.
How might your vestry begin to change so as to infect the whole church in such a way so that most will want to move in a positive direction? What different way of being the church should the vestry embody in your congregation?
Next week I will map out a simple strategy for setting one or two goals and then following through on them to make a difference in your church. But the follow through on next week’s article will have to involve the rector, wardens, and vestry embodying that change, so this week’s column is the preamble.
Canon to the Ordinary
Locals buy levitra without rx will often mix acai pulp and Guarana (another amazing fruit with natural stimulants) for a healthy burst of natural energy. 4. The course not only helps online cialis http://new.castillodeprincesas.com/directorio/seccion/flores/ you learn the course successfully and you will get more desired result in the education path and this will give you the chance to have a backup plan. Sound familiar? levitra samples new.castillodeprincesas.com Oh, no it doesn’t. The medicine is order sildenafil great help for all those who are looking for safe and cost effective deal.
Comments are closed.