The doors open at 8:30 for registration and our program starts promptly at 9:00am. All participants must sign into Eventbrite individually and then register for ONE morning workshop and ONE afternoon workshop only.
We are welcoming Emily Keniston, who is the Director of Faith and Formation in the Diocese of Maine as our keynote speaker. She will be talking to us about the idea of formation beyond the pandemic.
This will be a day full of interesting and engaging workshops that will hopefully get you excited about the possibilities of what you can be doing in your own church! Come, learn and connect with Episcopalians from around the diocese, while envisioning what the future can look like! Lunch will be provided.
Workshops to choose from:
MORNING SESSIONS-Choose one
Vestry 101-Are you a new Vestry member? This workshop will give you the basics of how a vestry works and what is the role of a vestry in the church. Morning session only.
Formation - This workshop is with our Keynote speaker Emily Keniston, learn about new trends and strategies for your church after the pandemic.
Bishop's meeting with Wardens-Wardens of churches to meet with the bishop for open discussion.
Churches, Communities and Beyond- Listen to a panel discussion with an opportunity for Q& A from Church Leaders across the state who have started ministries in their neighborhoods, like Laundry Love and URI Rhody outpost and more. Learn how to engage you church in the community around your neighborhood.
How to be a Welcoming Community-Fresh ideas for welcoming newcomers and making it easier for newcomers to become part of the community.
AFTERNOON SESSIONS-Choose one
Fiduciary Checklist-This workshop is for Treasurers, vestry members or any persons who has fiduciary responsibilities.
Formation - This workshop is with our Keynote speaker Emily Keniston, learn about new trends and strategies for your church after the pandemic.
Churches, Communities and Beyond- Listen to a panel discussion with an opportunity for Q& A from Church Leaders across the state who have started ministries in their neighborhoods, like Laundry Love and URI Rhody outpost and more. Learn how to engage you church in the community around your neighborhood.
How to be a Welcoming Community-Fresh ideas for welcoming newcomers and making it easier for newcomers to become part of the community.
New Social Media Platforms-Learn about new social medial platforms and ow to take advantage of existing platforms to make the most of your social media presence.
About our speaker:
Emily Keniston is a lifelong Episcopalian and serves as the Director of Faith Formation in the Episcopal Diocese of Maine, with a focus on the work of justice as formative Christian practice. She holds B.A.s in Human Communication and International Relations, a master’s degree in Teaching and Learning, a Certificate in Lifelong Christian Formation and is currently enrolled in an M.Div. program at Bexley Seabury Seminary. She studies the intersection between human development theories and faith formation and is curious about how the Church supports both. Emily is wife to Garrett and Mom to four kids and a feline fur baby.
Finding (and Sharing!) God in the World Now: Keynote Address
We are learning to live in our world, and with each other, in new ways as the acute phase of the pandemic wanes and we grapple with what we've learned. God has been with us, is still with us and continues to be with us. But what do we do now? We see many of our past practices won't serve us well into the future, but it's challenging to know how to respond faithfully to God as our Sunday attendance wanes and fewer young people want to participate in church. This plenary will explore current data about the Church now, how Episcopalians are responding, and will remind us to draw close to God, especially in times of uncertainty, as that is often where we meet our greatest hope.
Workshop:
What Church Really Means: What Episcopalian Community is all about
There may have been a time when sharing about Christian life felt easy and natural in American culture: lots of folks understood some of the foundations of Christian faith, and participation in a Christian community was common. The times when we could use "cultural currency" to describe and share Christian life are almost entirely gone in 2023, and now we wonder how we can share our faith with each other, in the Church, and with those outside it. Using what we know about neuroscience and human development, we can map formation and ecclesiastical practice onto more commonly understood societal constructs to better communicate who we are and what we do both with ourselves, inside the church, and with folks outside it. This workshop will weave story, research and conversation into building better ways to share what "church" really is and why it matters.
Sponsored by the Congregation Development Commission
