We need your help. We are assembling the best resources for ministry in the church relative to the COVID crisis. This is the ninth edition of the round-up. Thank you all for your support and for your readership. We want to turn our attention to how churches are dealing with the IMPACT and EFFECT of the Pandemic on the people [...]
Pentecost is, for many of us and our congregations, the Sunday (or season) in which we turn our attention to the person and work of the Holy Spirit. The reality, however, for many of the people in our pews, is that the Spirit is often conceived of as more like the Force from Star Wars than a distinct divine person. [...]
After several months of ministry in the midst of a pandemic, things are slowly beginning to shift. Some states have begun re-opening. Most states and churches are announcing and exploring phased stages of regathering. Communities are thinking about recovery and what the "next normal" will look like. By the way, there are two helpful images we have been hearing to [...]
We are two months into ministering during a pandemic. Some ACNA congregations have now regathered on Sundays for a few weeks. Others anticipate regathering over the summer or even waiting until the fall. The novelty of digital ministry has worn off, but we also see ongoing opportunities. Looking back at the past week, there were a number of ACNA webinars, [...]
Student ministry is best when it is embodied. Student ministry is the smell in the basement after you and a dozen teenagers played some active games. It’s the sound of voice cracks as unashamed 15-year-old boys sing to Jesus. It’s taking communion together at the end of a mission trip and laying hands on seniors to pray for them at [...]
Canoeing the Mountains: Christian Leadership in Uncharted Territory by Tod Bolsinger came highly recommended. Last year, I received a copy of the book from Archbishop Foley Beach. He had read it and found it so helpful that he sent each rector in our Diocese (ADOTS) a copy of the book. The premise of the book focuses on Christian leadership in [...]
I was glad to have our friend Ed Stetzer join us and provide some insight and clarity for the decision that many people in the church (Rectors, Bishops, and members of the Vestry) are going to have to make. The video replay is here (on The Evergreen Project Youtube Channel). It should be watched and replayed for all Vestry members [...]
Some days I sit in my armchair, wrapped in a blanket and catch myself dreaming––when we’re back… when things are normal… when… But then I do something wild and crazy like venture out of my house to get groceries, and it all comes flooding back. Normal is over. So what happens next as we move forward into some place we’ve [...]
During the stay-at-home-order, I was able to interview my wife Victoria, who is a grief counselor and who continues to provide support to clients during this crisis. Victoria Goebel, LMSW, is a Bereavement Counselor at Crossroads Hospice of Atlanta. She is a graduate of the Masters in Social Work program at the University of Georgia. What is grief? Grief is [...]
For reasons that only the Google gods know, the blog post I wrote last year on preaching a Mother’s Day sermon was a hit. However, it was written before the days of the new "abnormal," and now needs to be updated. But the question is still valid. “Should you preach a Mother’s Day sermon?” In a word, yes. This year, [...]
Are we at the beginning of the end? The end of the beginning? What is the new normal? Or, as Mark Cuban mentioned a few weeks ago, what is the 'new abnormal'? It is time for churches to come back together for worship? How? When? What is at stake? The primary conversation right now for church leaders is about the [...]
The decision about reopening churches for public worship is not an easy one. There are so many things to pray through and discuss with leaders and members. As the country begins to open up, what are the things that leaders and congregations should consider? How can we balance the desire to return to worship life as we knew it with [...]
It is now Eastertide and the quarantine orders have not been lifted nor has the spread and toll of COVID-19 been fully exacted: we are still living in the time of the virus. Some among us may have hoped that, by Doubting Thomas Sunday at least, we might have some clearer picture of “when we can return to normal,” but [...]
I previously wrote a post with some advice about how to move forward with video in this strange time. For several reasons, I decided to leave out the most controversial of my suggestions. I have seen others, including those on this website, suggesting that the ideal way of approaching the task ahead of us is by utilizing live video. I [...]
Ministry Dashboard Pastors operate with a default dashboard. In fact, the measurements on the dashboard will tell you a lot about the values of the church. Classic metrics were the so-called ABC's of attendance, buildings, and cash. Newer missional metrics might include adult baptisms, participation in groups, or service hours in our community. Right now, pastors feel like they are [...]
(Spoiler Alert: There are a few videos in this update [see below]. Watch them all on The Evergreen Project YouTube channel.) Last year, long before this COVID-19 pandemic, Archbishop Foley Beach sent every rector in ADOTS a recommended book. The book was Canoeing the Mountains: Christian Leadership in Uncharted Territory by Tod Bolsinger. We plan on offering a full review [...]
I grew up Southern Baptist and met my wife while working as a videographer at a summer camp run by Lifeway. My first real job was making videos and short films for worship at a large Bible church in Arkansas. When it became clear that Anglicanism was going to become my ecclesial home, I assumed that my love and passion [...]
We have come through Easter Week. Most churches and leaders are catching their breath and beginning to look ahead. Our resources this week focus on the Church Sustainable and encouraging stories from the field. Since our last resource roundup, it was announced that funding for the Payroll Protection Program of the CARES Act has run out of funds. Many feel [...]
It is easy to see why some would worry today about the durability of the Church in these days of coronavirus. Most every church is living through a perfect storm of problems, obstacles, and fear. First, the members of our congregations are besieged by bad news on the economic front. Twenty-two million (and more) people have been laid off in [...]
This is the third "COVID–19 Resource Roundup" (click here to view them all), collections of resources that are encouraging to the Body of Christ. Behind the scenes of worry and terror, our clergy are stepping up and doing new things in a new age. Their creative energy and passion are making these days effective for the Lord. Go to the [...]
The Evergreen Project is broadening its scope. Archbishop Foley Beach and Canon Alan Hawkins have tasked Canon David Roseberry and the Evergreen Project along with Canon Phil Ashey and the American Anglican Council to collect, create, and curate resources from around the Anglican church to help all of our congregations in the Anglican Church in North America through this time. [...]
Earlier this week, the Evergreen Project hosted a panel of Rectors from Anglican churches in the US and Canada to talk about how they are navigating online worship and plans for this coming Holy Week & Easter. The webinar began with greetings from Archbishop Foley Beach who prayed for our Rectors and joined us for the entire presentation. He even [...]
Quite a few new priests have never officiated a funeral. We have had many requests for a simple overview, and we reached out to Fr. Lee Nelson for such a post. We also include a funeral planning guide that can be used to work with individuals and families in planning. This post assumes the ability to hold a public funeral [...]
Churches all over the world are not holding public gatherings, and are moving their ministries to online or one-on-one ministry. They do this as an act of love, not out of fear. But we are not closed; we are more active than ever. Fear is understandable, and we should take this virus seriously. But we are not suspending public worship [...]
