Welcome to Episcopal Village
Ancient wisdom proclaims 'It takes a village to raise a child.'
What if this truth were applied to the church? What if the church took the responsibility of raising young emerging churches or new fresh expression ministries in their neighborhood, diocese, and nation?
Episcopal Village is being created in order to provide the space for such a village approach to exist. There are young emerging missions and mission stations beginning to sprout all over the Episcopal Church, so the opportunity to raise these children is at hand.
Episcopal Village is a wholistic, grassroots initiative for emerging mission development, support, training, fund-raising and grant awarding for the Episcopal Church.
We have learned from President Obama and other community organizers that grassroots fundraising builds community and ownership. Grassroots fundraising is an egalitarian approach that is sustainable and empowering for all people regardless of race, class, age, orientation, culture or gender. With a series of small donations by a large constituency, movements are born and transformation happens.
Within the United States there are over two million Episcopalians. We are wondering, imagining and anticipating what could happen if every Episcopalian donated $1 or more to seed fund new emerging ministry start ups. What if we invited ecumenical giving to this village? What if every Episcopalian would step forward and take part (according to their means and ability) in cultivating new growth within the body of Christ and helping to launch a new missional movement in the Episcopal Church... You can help plant a new church or ministry for a dollar ($1.00) or more! Will you join us?
We are very much in need of and seeking out support from others in the Episcopal Church (diocesan Bishops, Foundations, Endowed Parishes, 815....) who are wanting to invest in the future of our church. The average Episcopalian is around 62 years old. The average American ciitzen is around 32 years old. There is a huge gap that needs to be bridged and the kairos for this is now. A large part of the solution is to cultivate, seed fund and plant new and fresh expressions of church that are 'native' to emerging postmodern culture.
We are hopeful that emerging leaders within the Episcopal Church will be trusted with financial resources to seed and cultivate new emerging ministries that will reach out to today's generations 'peer to peer.'