The Rev. Leyla King, Canon for Mission in Small Congregations for the Episcopal Diocese of West Texas, sits down with guests the Rev. Kevin Diehl, Rector of St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church in San Francisco, the Rev. Suzanne Smith, Rector of Grace Episcopal Church in Alvin, Texas, and Ed Carrette, Community Missioner also at Grace Church with Rev. Smith.

Kevin describes how St. John's, a small church in the Mission District of San Francisco, has partnered with the Gubbio Project to provide essential services to the homeless population in their neighborhood, transforming their sanctuary into a vital community resource. Suzanne and Ed share how Grace Church, facing declining membership, reinvented itself as a church that says "yes" to community needs. They describe how a simple blessing box evolved into a thriving weekly mobile food pantry, serving thousands of people in their community.

The conversation explores the importance of:

• Embracing a "reckless openness" to community needs: Both churches emphasize the importance of being open to new opportunities and willing to take risks to serve their communities.
• Building strong partnerships: Kevin and Ed highlight the crucial role of partnerships with other organizations, such as the Gubbio Project and local food banks, in amplifying their impact.
• Integrating faith and action: The guests discuss how their faith in God and commitment to the mission of Christ inform their community service, with examples such as incorporating liturgical elements into their food pantry ministry and viewing community service as an integral part of their discipleship.
• Overcoming internal resistance: The conversation addresses the challenges of overcoming internal resistance within the congregation, such as fear of change and concerns about financial sustainability.

This episode offers practical advice and inspiring examples for small churches seeking to make a lasting impact on their communities.

Episode Links:

• Grace Episcopal Church, Alvin
• The Episcopal Church of St. John the Evangelist, San Francisco
• The Gubbio Project

Credits:

Music Credit: I Love to Tell the Story, Benjamin Grove, keyboard

Podcast produced by Polymnia

In this episode of the Small Churches Big Impact Collective, host the Rev. Rebekah Hatch, Canon for Lay & Ordained Vocations in the Episcopal Church in Connecticut, speaks with the Rev. Candice Combs, pastor of New Life Lutheran Church in Dripping Springs, Texas - a unique congregation that worships exclusively outdoors.

Rev. Combs shares how New Life, a congregation focused on grace, discipleship, children, and creation, has found its own unique expression of faith. By embracing an outdoor worship space, the congregation has cultivated a deeper connection with nature and fostered a sense of community that values resilience, flexibility, and the inclusion of all God’s people.

The conversation explores how this unique worship style, grounded in a deep respect for creation, informs New Life's understanding of social justice. Rather than focusing solely on external activism, New Life prioritizes building a just and inclusive community within the church itself, fostering trust and understanding among its members and within the New Life community.

This episode offers a refreshing perspective on how small churches can find innovative ways to live out their faith, demonstrating that social justice begins with cultivating a just and welcoming community within the church itself.

Key Takeaways:

• Unique Worship Style: New Life's outdoor worship fosters a deeper connection with nature and cultivates a sense of community resilience.
• Focus on Inclusion: The congregation prioritizes inclusion and welcomes all people, emphasizing grace and understanding within this community of faith.
• Justice as Community Building: New Life recognizes that building a just and inclusive community within the church is a foundational step towards addressing social justice issues beyond the church walls.
• Embracing Vulnerability: The outdoor worship setting encourages vulnerability and a deeper connection to the natural world, fostering a sense of interconnectedness and compassion.
• Creative Approaches to Ministry: New Life demonstrates that small churches can find innovative and creative ways to live out their faith, adapting to their unique context and embracing new possibilities.

Episode Links:

• New Life Lutheran Church of Dripping Springs
• Wild Church Network
• Church of the Wild: How Nature Invites Us Into the Sacred, by Victoria Loorz
• Upwild.org - the joint ELCA/Episcopal Wild Church in Michigan
• thebtscenter.org/guides-for-lectio-terra: the practice of listening for the voice of the sacred in nature

Credits:

Music Credit: I Love to Tell the Story, Benjamin Grove, keyboard

Podcast produced by Polymnia

In this episode, the Reverend Allison Sandlin Liles, Vicar of St. Stephen's in Hurst, Texas, sits down with the Reverend Dr. Elizabeth Mae Magill, pastor of the Small Church Collaborative which includes Rindge Congregational Church in Rindge, New Hampshire and Ashburnham Community Church in Ashburnham, Massachusetts. Liz shares her experiences leading two “micro-congregations” and building a collaborative ministry with a neighboring church of a different denomination.

Liz emphasizes the importance of prioritizing community engagement, including identifying local needs and organizing community-based ministries. Drawing on community organizing principles—a set of strategies that empower communities to identify and address their own issues, such as grassroots mobilization, building power, and developing leadership—Liz has successfully empowered her congregations to become agents of change within their communities.

Liz’s success in addressing social justice issues is evident in her work on racial justice and LGBTQ+ inclusion. In Rindge, New Hampshire, she facilitated community conversations on racial justice, leading to the formation of a local group dedicated to addressing racial inequities. In Ashburnham, Massachusetts, she championed the display of a rainbow flag at the church, sparking a community conversation about LGBTQ+ inclusion and leading to the creation of a support group for LGBTQ+ seniors.

Faced with limited resources and declining membership, Liz found innovative ways to engage her community, such as organizing community meals, utilizing social media for outreach, and collaborating with existing community organizations.

This episode offers valuable insights for pastors, church leaders, and anyone interested in exploring innovative and impactful models of small church ministry.

Episode Links:

• Ashburnham Community Church in Ashburnham, MA
• First Congregational Church in Rindge, NH
• Five Loaves, Two Fish, Twelve Volunteers: Growing a Relational Food Ministry by Elizabeth Mae Magill
• Living Stones Partnership

Credits:

Music Credit: I Love to Tell the Story, Benjamin Grove, keyboard

Podcast produced by Polymnia