About the Office of the Bishop
The Ministry of the Bishop
The ministry of a bishop is to represent Christ and his Church, particularly as apostle, chief priest, and pastor of a diocese; to guard the faith, unity, and discipline of the whole Church; to proclaim the Word of God; to act in Christ’s name for the reconciliation of the world and the building up of the Church; and to ordain others to continue Christ’s ministry.
Bishop Lucas’ overarching personal values are to be a compassionate, transparent, non-coercive, and honest leader in the Episcopal Church in Colorado.
The Ministry of the Office of the Bishop
The purpose of the Office of the Bishop is to engage, equip, and empower God’s people to love and follow Jesus.
The Office of the Bishop plays an integral role in the life and ministry of the diocese, serving the mission of the Church by providing those resources that every congregation needs but cannot provide in and of itself, and by linking every congregation in the diocese with the life and ministry of the wider Church on a diocesan, national, and international level.
The Office of the Bishop for the Episcopal Church in Colorado supports churches, clergy, and lay leaders by offering hundreds of programs and ministries.
They also provide robust Congregational Resources for formation across different age groups and focus on reality areas like creation care, racial reconciliation, LGBTQIA inclusion, suicide prevention, and gun violence prevention. Other ministry program areas include Children & Youth Programs, Pilgrimage Ministries, Multicultural Ministries, Advocacy & Social Justice initiatives, Disaster Preparedness and Recovery, Advocacy & Social Justice ministries, and coordination with 14 Diocesan Institutions, among others.
Leadership resources, diocesan governance, ministry opportunities, and support for congregational and clergy transitions, including conflict resolution, mutual ministry reviews, bylaw reviews, property issues, vestry training and retreats are also available.
In the area of clergy and lay leader support, the office provides the discernment and ordination process, confirmations, confirmation prep, pastoral leader training, clergy gatherings, Youth Council leadership training, children and youth leaders abound retreat, annual convention coordination, resources and training for church communicators and administrators, treasurer training, stewardship training, database support, administration and finance resources, trusts and endowments support, grant coordination, eucharistic visitor training, liturgical resources, diocesan archives, and more.
The office also provides human resources support including hiring, health and dental benefits, safe church training, background checks, disciplinary process, supply clergy coordination, employment opportunities, and more.
The priorities of the staff in the Office of the Bishop are:
- To provide strategic leadership, training, & support.
- To share and expand resources for living out our baptismal covenant.
- To help churches look beyond their walls to serve, connect, and share Good News with their communities.
- To cultivate a culture of congregations that are lay-led and clergy-supported.
- To create collaborative environments for mission-sharing across the diocese.
- To empower churches to nurture and engage our diverse, multiethnic, & multicultural communities across Colorado.
The core values of the staff of the Office of the Bishop are:
- To hold one another individually and our work collectively in daily prayer.
- To encourage one another as siblings in Christ.
- To provide timely and effective resources to the clergy and lay leadership of the diocese to help them grow in faith and serve their congregations and communities in the Name of Christ.
- To inspire trust by being responsive and reliable servant leaders, conducting ourselves with integrity and transparency.
- To actively work towards a more diverse, just, and equitable world free from bias.