Saturday Workshops

Presenter: The Rev. Charles Graves, IV

Rector, Christ Episcopal Church

Shaker Heights, OH

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Embracing Diversity through Love, Discovery and Justice

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Jesus says both “Blessed are the Peacemakers” and “Blessed are those who are persecuted” (Matt. 5:9-10). Yet our calls to be reconciling peacemakers and liberators of the persecuted can be seemingly impossible to balance, and both can be deeply destructive without the other. The values of Love, Discovery, and Justice show us a scriptural path through our divisive times to embrace diversity and build community in Christ.

Presenter: Wendy Claire Barrie

Canon for Intergenerational Ministries

St. Mark's Cathedral, Seattle, WA

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Woven Together: Intentional 

Intergenerational Ministry

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Thriving congregations are woven together from many strands—across ages, experiences, and seasons of life—through worship, community, and shared practice. Grounded in current research and practical examples from Episcopal congregations large and small, this workshop explores what intentional intergenerational community can look like and why it matters for the formation and vitality of the whole people of God. Come with suggestions to share and dilemmas to solve and leave with creative ideas for strengthening relationships and making disciples among people of all ages throughout the church year.

Presenter:

Michelle Heyne, OA​

Order of Ascension (OA)  Sister,

8th Presiding Officer

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Oasis of Silence: A Taste of Benedictine Practice in a Noisy World

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Episcopal worship and practice. It’s also deeply

interwoven with the (often unspoken) cultural

assumptions and values of many Episcopal

parishes. It has much to offer as a practical and

transformative response to the challenges of

modern life.

 

In our time together, we’ll learn a bit about the

Benedictine Promise, which includes a spiritual

system of Stability, Obedience (Listening), and

Conversion of Life. We’ll have an opportunity to

reflect on how we already express the

Benedictine Promise and some practices we

might experiment with, either in the parish or

individually, to nurture our existing gifts and challenge ourselves to stretch. Most of our time

together will be spent in individual and small group reflection, rather than listening to the

presenter.

 

The session materials will include resources for at-home or parish-based follow-up.

Presenter: The Rev. Christian Anderson

Vicar, St. Mary's Episcopal Church,

Stuart, FL 

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Catch Fire: How Mission Fuels Spiritual Vitality and Growth

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Every healthy missional movement begins with a disruptive question:

• Who is not here?

• Why?

• Where are they?

• And perhaps most importantly: 

• Are we willing to go to them?

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In this interactive and practical workshop, we will start with that essential lens: shifting our focus from who is present to who is missing. Because the future of the Church is not found in perfecting what happens inside our walls, but in building meaningful relationships beyond them.

Together, we will explore how this one question has the power to reshape your church’s identity, priorities, and mission.

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Participants will be guided to:

• Identify who is not in the room: Name the individuals, groups, and communities your church is not currently reaching, and be honest about it.

• Explore the “why” behind the absence: Is it cultural? Generational? Socioeconomic? Theological? We will examine the barriers, both seen and unseen.

• Locate where they actually are: We will map your community and uncover where real life is happening: schools, neighborhoods, gathering spaces, and networks where relationships can begin.

• Learn how to go, not wait: Discover what it means to move from an attractional mindset to an incarnational one: showing up with humility, curiosity, and a genuine desire to listen before leading.

• Build relationships before programs: We will focus on presence over performance, connection over conversion, and trust as the foundation of any lasting missional impact.

• Redefine mission through a broader lens: Using the Wesleyan Quadrilateral (Scripture, Tradition, Reason, and Experience) we will challenge inherited assumptions and rediscover a fuller, more dynamic understanding of mission.

• Clarify your church’s identity and purpose: Before strategy comes identity. We will ground your missional efforts in who God is calling your community to be.

• Create a practical pathway forward: You will leave with clear, actionable next steps to begin engaging those who are not yet in the room and to cultivate a culture that continually asks this question.

 

This workshop is for leaders who are ready to stop measuring success by attendance alone and start measuring it by presence, relationship, and transformation.

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Because when you begin to ask, “Who is not here?" and actually go to them, the Church doesn’t just grow. It becomes the Church again.