The Congregational Development Department engages in conversation with Episcopal congregations within the diocese and offers personalized guidance and tools to support each congregations’ growth as healthy, vibrant, local expressions of Jesus Christ’s love in the world.
Each congregation in our diocese is an intricate tapestry of resources, history, people, and circumstances that woven together define their church culture and current situation. All congregations have room to grow both in membership and in spiritual depth; however, navigating this process can at times feel less like creating a work of art and more like wandering a maze.
The Congregational Development Department is here to guide our churches, helping church leadership research and discover the demographics of life in their city, the challenges facing their congregation, and the unique areas of success in their church. Members of this department will help church leaders frame a plan to grow into a healthier, more vibrant place of worship and community and can provide coaching and support throughout the process. Each plan is unique and tailored to capitalize on the gifts, people, and resources in each specific congregation.
A wide variety of resources and tools have been researched and cultivated by Congregational Development to address the wide variety of need in our congregations. These include survey and analysis tools like Holy Cow CAT assessment and RenewalWorks, community outreach tools like asset mapping and walkabouts, and guidelines for formation and leadership development.
The Department is actively building communal resource portals using an online tool called Basecamp. Within these online communities, people from all over the diocese can access shared resources, ask each other questions, and share their own resources with others. These resource portals are a great way to connect with our wider church family and hear great ideas from around the Diocese.
The Congregational Development Department is comprised of over a dozen lay and clergy volunteers and staff throughout the diocese. Contact Archdeacon Mike Besson, at mike.besson@dwtx.org, to start the conversation.
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