Small Church Corner
Updated Preparation Program for Pastoral Leaders
Many small and rural Episcopal churches in Colorado rely upon the dedication of lay people authorized as Pastoral Leaders to lead services. To find out what Pastoral Leaders do and what’s involved in becoming one, please go to Becoming a Pastoral Leader in the Episcopal Church.
What Makes Small Churches Thrive? From Episcopal Parish Network
This video offers insights from three leaders of small (ASA less than 100) congregations. Some fine insights and examples are included.
Click here to view the video.
Province VI Online Gathering for Small Churches
Every diocese in Province VI (Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming) of the Episcopal Church has small churches, many of them located in remote, rural regions. As President of the Province, Bishop Kym has encouraged congregations to take part in a monthly online gathering to share resources and offer mutual support. Meetings take place the first Tuesday of each month at 6:30 pm. Zoom meeting number: 883 6099 2637, passcode: 750827.
What We’re Reading Now
The Celebration of Smallness by Samuel J. Wylie is considered essential reading for anyone concerned about small and rural church ministry. And it’s a quick read! A downloadable pdf version is available here.
Ways the Small Church can Expand its Outreach
We’ve heard a number of ways small and rural churches are reaching out to their communities in new and reasonable ways. This downloadable handout lists recent ideas for churches to consider duplicating — or improvising!
Podcasts about Small and/or Rural Church Ministry
Find a podcast that suits your interests! You can peruse older episodes for topics that interest you or follow new ones as they are available.
Service Music for Free or Low-Cost
This website lists volumes of music that can downloaded for playback during a church service. All hymns from the church’s Hymnal can be found under “Hymnals” and “English” and “1982.”