Welcome to the Vital + Thriving Initiative.

Formed in partnership with the Episcopal Diocese of California, this initiative is about coming alongside congregations as they discern the shape of their own vocation and call within their community. Using the tools and skills of Human Centered Design, we’ll engage congregational leaders and the congregation itself in a multi-stage design thinking process of listening, reflecting, and discerning their distinctive story: Who are we? Where are we now? We’ll provide seed funding for experiments to help the congregation discover new things by trying new things. We want to help churches deepen their existing connections to their neighborhoods, forge new relationships with neighbors, and collaborate with individuals and groups already working for justice in their community. We hope to develop congregations that are truer to the vision of Jesus, and to identify opportunities for new expressions of church.

Please check back in Fall 2021 for more updates as we launch our pilot cohort of congregations.