Webinar Overview:
Episcopal Spiritual Life Survey
& RenewalWorks
March 12, 2012
Introduction & Prayer
• Led by the Rev. Jay Sidebotham
– Rector, Church of the Holy Spirit
• The Rev. Scott Gunn
– Executive Director, Forward Movement
• The Rev. Clarence Langdon
– Bishop’s staff, Episcopal Diocese of Chicago
• Eric Arnson
– Research advisor & REVEAL co-originator
Today’s Purpose
• Why this matters!
• Explain the post-survey process
• Provide insights and lessons learned from
other churches
• Make sure the ‘pilot mindset’ continues
• Be a shared resource
Work in Progress!
• Webinar is a new resource, so may not be
perfect
• Do welcome feedback—positive or
constructive—throughout the entire process
• Keep improving the product and process
“Please be patient,
God is not finished with me yet.”
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Why This Matters
• Spiritual Hunger is very evident in our culture
– Addressed in the right way?
• Need to open the door for people to have
personal knowledge and experience of the
beautiful faith heritage we know formally and
corporately—but often not personally
– Says Brian McLaren
Spiritual Life Assessment
• To discern where we are going when we have
not asked where we presently are, is an
operational definition for being lost.
• Profile
– Mission: Reinvigorate the Church
– Access to 6,600 Episcopal Churches; 121 Dioceses, 16 Conferences
– Deeply respected, autonomous & nimble
– Content library spanning 75 years, editors/writers
– Instant 501(c3) status for giving, separate budgets & reporting
– Full digital and traditional publishing; website, creative
– Office space and full ‘back office’ capabilities
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Message from the Bishop
• Link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnPToPDKJ_o&sns=em
Phases
4. Episcopal Expansion (now)
3. Episcopal Pilots—15 Churches (2010)
2. Episcopal Incubator—Church of the Holy Spirit (2009)
1. RevealWorks—Willow Creek (2003, still going strong)
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The Episcopal Survey
• Have or are in the process of taking
• 26 Episcopal Churches have
• 1,700 other churches have taken the nonEpiscopalian version
• Originally developed at Willow Church
• Painstakingly revised by Episcopalians
– More later
Survey Results
• Are a ‘Snapshot’ or point in time.
• Serves as a baseline
Church Archetypes
• After studying 1,700 churches, clear patterns
emerged
• Are eight archetypes
• Based on spiritual health, not demographics
or church-o-graphics
• Is helpful to understand what other chuches
‘like yours’ are doing
RenewalWorks: Why this Approach?
• Originally developed by WildWorks, a
Christian consulting group specializing in
transforming ideas and processes
• Optimized by twenty churches in 2007,
working with the WCA
• Re-tooled and further customized by 12 pilot
Episcopalian churches, in conjunction with
CHS and Episcopal Diocese of Chicago
General Construct
• Four sessions:
– 1. Spiritual Formation
– 2. Survey Findings and Conclusions
– 3. Applying Best Practice Principles to your Church
– 4. The Plan and Guiding Metrics
• Each session starts with Scripture & Discussion
• Is Homework, most pre-reading
Workshop Team Composition
• Modeled after a Search Committee
• Lay led—a must
• Clergy, Rector in particular, must not guide
– Nor back seat driving
• Need a separate time-keeper
• Plus a separate scribe
– That gets notes and follow-up done
Helpful Hints
• Encourage a bit of hospitality 15-20 minutes
before each workshop starts
– A number will not know each other
• Start and end each sub-section promptly, even
if not completely finished
• Post the key elements of each session to
demonstrate progress and be a reference
• Keep a ‘parking lot’ flip chart for unanswered
questions, suggestions, follow-up
More Lessons Learned
• Make sure ALL the voices are heard
– Set as an expectation, then prompt
• Make differences a value
– Will be different viewpoints, especially on ‘growth’
• Do fewer things, well
– Will try to do too much
• Close with a reassuring and encouraging prayer
Be Prayerful
• Let the Spirit be heard
• Come back to scripture
• OK to reflect
Be Intentional
• Healthy Churches have healthy congregants
• This process will open many eyes
Is Evolutionary
• Not revolutionary
• Make change a positive value
• Rooted & Restless
We will HELP!
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Through the webinars
Weekly Q & A
Blog posts
Shared best practices
•Questions?
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Concluding Remarks & Prayer
• Led by the Rev. Jay Sidebotham
Thanks!
• Next session: March 19th at 2pm CDT
• Focus will be Workshop 1