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Sep 05, 2014 | Kevin Thompson

Searching Out Creative Ways To Grow Congregations

On August 30, people from all over the Episcopal Diocese of Texas gathered at St. Michael’s, Austin, to learn about innovative ways to grow congregations at the Building the Kingdom of God: Second Campuses and Creative Initiatives workshop.

 

Sponsored and hosted by the Greenfield Commission, a group of clergy passionate about evangelism and exploring creative ways to approach ministry, the workshop focused on the issue of second campuses and creative evangelical initiatives in congregations in the Diocese.

 

“It is about regularizing the expectation and conversation around second campus start-ups and taking risks,” said Mary MacGregor, Canon for Evangelism and Congregational Development for the Diocese. “I believe that this workshop was a great springboard for hearing what is happening in some of our churches.”

 

The workshop featured keynote speaker the Rev. Clay Lein, recently called as rector at St. John the Divine, Houston. An experienced church-planter, Lein encouraged the group just to get started, that “this work isn’t rocket science”.

 

Participants also heard first-hand stories from churches involved in pioneering creative methods, including; the establishment of Grace West, a second campus for Grace Episcopal, Georgetown; a second campus ministry starting out of St. Andrew’s, Pearland; and the formation of a second campus and school setting for Good Shepherd, Austin.

 

Responses to the workshop were so enthusiastic that plans are already underway to host the event in the Houston area in spring of 2015.