Thursday, August 17, 2023

Grace & Gratitude is now Vitality

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

I hope you are well this summer and have had some time away for rest and restoration. Rest is critical for engaging ministry with enthusiasm, wisdom and faithfulness. I am grateful for the many ways we are experiencing God, bringing the beauty of life to people in our churches and communities.

Ray Jones

As we continue to partner in the work of nurturing and empowering the body of Christ for gospel ministry, we encounter daily the necessity of engaging congregational vitality. As we seek to center our work on this essential ministry, we are changing the name of this newsletter from “Grace and Gratitude” to “Vitality.”

Vitality is all about joining in what God is doing to bring life, love and justice into every community, relationship and person on earth. Yes, the work we are called to do together is this big! And this work is all about good news. Good news is not good because it leads to something else, like church growth. The good news of the gospel is simply good news because God loves the world and is working to make things right!

Evangelism Sunday is Sept. 17! These free downloadable PDFs offer a host of ideas to use with all ages and in a wide range of contexts, from personal devotion to community engagement to small groups or Sunday morning worship.

Download Resources

Television broadcast features 1001 New Worshiping Community leaders

Founders of Commonwealth Oakland joined a pair of scholars in the studios of KDKA, the CBS affiliate in Pittsburgh, to discuss a recent study of why people are leaving faith communities and what those communities might try to reverse the trend.

Office of Christian Formation awarded grant for $1.25 million

Our Office of Christian Formation plans to equip and support faith formation in households through multiple trainings, cohorts, retreats and resources developed over the next five years with funds granted by the Lilly Endowment Inc.