is the Canon to the Ordinary, which involves being an assistant to the Bishop, working in congregational development, assisting congregations with transitions in clergy leadership, and working with communications, clergy conferences, and a variety of diocesan ministries. Before joining the diocesan staff she served at St. John’s Cathedral. She's a former journalist, a mom and grandmother and enjoys photography, travel and outdoor activities. Kristi Philip
is the Canon to the Ordinary, which involves being an assistant to the Bishop, working in congregational development, assisting congregations with transitions in clergy leadership, and working with communications, clergy conferences, and a variety of diocesan ministries. Before joining the diocesan staff she served at St. John’s Cathedral. She's a former journalist, a mom and grandmother and enjoys photography, travel and outdoor activities. Congregational Development
Growth requires clear vision and willingness to change
I don’t really know much about statistics, having avoided that class through four years of college and three years of graduate school. But I still find them fascinating. l love odd statistical bits and pieces like the observation that the use of drums in worship seems to be related to church growth.
I mentioned that correlation [...]
Congregational Development
Growing churches have clarity about mission
Got growth?
That’s a question that came up in this column earlier this year after the Faith Community Today (FACT) study was released. That study looked at more than 14,000 churches, synagogues, temples and mosques in the United States. The Episcopal Church was a participant in that study and Kirk Hadaway, director of research for the [...]
Congregational Development
Lessons learned from a near death experience
Remember those opening scenes of ABC’s Wide World of Sports, “the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat?”
Now those old clips remind me a bit of Tom Pitzer’s Bloomsday experience back on May 6. Pitzer finished Bloomsday, Spokane’s annual 12K race, with a respectable time for a physically-fit 68-year-old who walked and jogged it [...]
Congregational Development
Learning to grow our congregations, naturally
The thermometer had just hit 104 degrees when Canon Holladay Sanderson and I drove into Vancouver, WA, in July for a three-day training session on Natural Church Development (NCD). The improvised classroom in the worship space at Cascade Park Baptist Church, though, was cool and comfortable as we settled in with eight others for a [...]
Congregational Development
St. Mark’s offers ministry in time of tragedy
Once in a while I notice a sign in one of our churches that gives a clue about how that church sees itself in the community. Something like “Love Spoken Here,” or “Servants’ Entrance.”
A few weeks ago, St. Mark’s, Moscow, opened its heart to its town and practiced servanthood in some poignant ways in the [...]
Congregational Development
Have you unified your diocese today?
Have you unified your diocese today? Of all of our diocesan mission imperatives, unifying the Diocese may be the most interesting challenge.
There is a lot of diocesan geography in eastern Washington and north Idaho (or was that east Washington and northern Idaho?). There are deaneries where you can drive for hours between congregations. We have [...]
Congregational Development
Living passionately in our daily routine
I was tearing through the exhibit hall towards the end of General Convention in Columbus, OH, last summer, a woman on a mission. I was searching for a book for a group of women who gather each week to share reflections and offer prayers. They had just finished “The Cup of Blessing,” by Joyce Rupp [...]
Congregational Development
Plan-do-evaluate-plan-do-evaluate…
For most of us, the subject of restructuring Diocesan Council is about as exciting as watching paint dry. But the restructuring that is going on right now could have some much more exciting possibilities for the Diocese.
Diocesan Council, with elected and appointed members from across the Diocese, functions a bit like a vestry or bishop’s [...]
Congregational Development
When saying you want to grow isn’t enough
In 10 years of working with congregations, I’ve never met a church that didn’t want to grow. These were all sincere wishes, I’m sure. But sometimes just saying you want to grow isn’t enough. It takes a few other things..
One of those things is motivation. Growth usually doesn’t happen unless we make some effort. Another [...]
Congregational Development
Resolutions of different sort have impact on whole diocese
Have you made any New Year’s resolutions yet? Many of us are wrestling with those traditional resolves to eat less and exercise more; to clean out those overstuffed closets and corners of the basement; to read more good books.
But let me suggest a few resolutions of a different sort. These have to do with those [...]
