SARASOTA – A healthy and vital congregation is the goal each of every vestry in Southwest Florida. To that end, the 2012 Diocesan Vestry Retreat, set for Saturday, May 5, will embrace the subject of revitalizing current congregations while it plants the seeds for a next generation of church members.

With the theme “Revitalizing & Planting,” the conference this year will include two noted leaders in the field of church revitalization and planting, namely Bob Honeychurch of the Episcopal Church Center and demographer Chuck Salter of MissionInsite. At the retreat, which will be focused on practical information, attendees will learn:

• How each vestry in the diocese can put together an accurate snapshot if its wider community and translate that information into plans for mission and growth
• How emerging models for congregational development can be used to build up existing congregationsHow the Diocese can create “synergy” when it is simultaneously revitalizing existing churches and planting new communities of faith
• What key financial metrics are critical for a successful growth strategy.

Future focused thinking

The conference will address mammoth changes in demographics that are occurring in Southwest Florida. In 2019, when the Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida celebrates its 50th anniversary, the population of the counties of the Diocese will surpass 5 million and the “average” Southwest Floridian will be in her (not his) mid-40’s. The Hispanic population will exceed 1 million, roughly equal to population of those 65 years of age or older. By 2019, church membership will have little in common with those who remembered the Second World War or the Great Depression.

The Diocese sees its role as enabling, facilitating and assisting with these changes. Bishop Smith, addressing the 2011 Diocesan Convention, said:

One of the functions of diocesan program is to be a resource for the congregations... Today I want to provide multiple resources to each congregation to spark richer “holy conversations” to generate mission planning and implementation.

At the time, Bishop Smith invited all congregations to begin the work of local analysis and study. In order to make that happen, he provided demographic assistance from the research firm MissionInsite, and committed the Diocese to providing the expertise, resources and staffing to assist parishes in their planning. As a continuation of that message, the Vestry Retreat will offer two expert speakers.

They are:

• Bob Honeychurch, Missioner for Congregational Vitality with The Episcopal Church Center. He began this ministry in 2008. His blog, the Vital Church may be accessed at http://vitalchurch.blogspot.com, where you will find that a vital church is a community of faith which invites people to become passionate followers of Jesus Christ, creates opportunities for personal and corporate transformation, and equips individuals for Gospel mission in the world.
• Chuck Salter is president of MissionInsite, a company formed to provide church demographic resources to individual churches and denominations. Chuck is a Clergy Member of the Florida Conference (United Methodist Church) where he has served as a church planter. He will assist vestry members in learning how to create a demographic snapshot and potential paths of mission for each congregation.

The retreat is free to vestry members in The Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida. The Vestry Retreat will be held at the DaySpring Episcopal Conference Center. Registration and breakfast begins at 8 a.m.; the workshop starts at 9 a.m. and will conclude by 4 p,m. Lunch is included. Please register online at https://dioswfl.org/digital_faith/events/3151754. Any questions, please contact Tana Sembiante at (941) 556-0315.