Small Church Voices Newsletter | |
From the Iona Collaborative
"There are no big holidays during Ordinary Time, but life in the Spirit is not ordinary. Amazing things are happening." - Laura Alary
I've been thinking about this quote from Breathe: A Child's Guide to Ascension, Pentecost, and the Growing Time (2021, Paraclete Press) these last few weeks. The beginning of June brought us the bold, fiery movements of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and now, as the summer days grow warmer, we shift into the long, green "growing" season of the church. How is your faith community growing in this time, friends? Might it be through building connections in your neighborhood? Or, maybe by deepening your spiritual lives with communal practices? What about the discernment of the next, right, faithful steps as a congregation? I pray that you take some time in this green season to consider where you are, and where you are growing as God's beloved.
In this issue of Small Church Voices, we celebrate some growing of our own! The Iona team has added a new member! We also celebrated another year together with the gathering of many of our bi-vocational leaders at our Annual Retreat earlier this month, and we're sharing a new way to access our Congregational Resources. Finally, we've got an innovative and inviting Sunday morning resource for you in Living Stories Sermons. As a recent workshop participant, I'm a believer! Read on for more!
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Christina C. Gordon
Communications Manager, Iona Collaborative
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| | Welcome, Aneya Elbert, to the Iona Team! | | | | |
Aneya Elbert has joined the Iona Collaborative team as the new Program Manager and Digital Communications Specialist for Continuing Education and Congregational Support. A gifted graphic artist and thoughtful experience designer, Aneya brings deep expertise as both a spiritual director and a church staff member.
Many of you may already know Aneya through her work with Thriving Bi-Vocational Congregations churches, where she has served as a trusted spiritual director. We're delighted to have her in this expanded role and look forward to even more of you getting to know her in the months ahead.
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More About Aneya:
Aneya Elbert is a spiritual director and communications minister with a deep commitment to creating meaningful and engaging experiences of spiritual formation. She serves part-time at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in College Station, Texas, and with the Iona Collaborative, where she integrates her gifts in spiritual direction, hospitality, and communications. Aneya is passionate about helping others encounter spiritual practices in ways that are both accessible and transformative. Outside of her work, she enjoys adult ballet, home renovation projects, and the joy of being a new grandmother. Her group's spiritual direction gathering last fall brought together Episcopal lay leaders from across the country — ranging from New Hampshire to Hawaii — for shared reflection, encouragement, and soul care.
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Earlier this month, the Iona Collaborative hosted our Annual Retreat at Camp Allen, and what a joy it was to gather again in the beautiful Piney Woods of East Texas.
Forty bi-vocational leaders from across the country came together for three days of study, rest, and renewal.
This year’s retreat was truly one for the books!
John Lewis and Jane Patterson led the Biblical Interpretation track with "Lifting the Veil" on the Apocalyptic Perspective. Jana Milhon-Martin of the Center for Lay Chaplaincy guided the Pastoral Care track with Cultivating a Pastoral Presence in Times of Uncertainty. And Iona’s own Rebecca Hall, Aneya Elbert, and Janet Davis launched our first Spiritual Renewal track with Nurturing Our Spiritual Well-Being.
From worship and workshops to fellowship and celebration, the retreat was an incredible time of connection and encouragement, recognizing all that our leaders and their communities have accomplished over the past year.
Save the Date for 2026!
We’d love for you to be part of it next time, so mark your calendars now:
Annual Retreat 2026 | June 1-4 | Camp Allen
We hope you’ll make plans to join us!
| | Members of the Spiritual Renewal retreat track select images for reflection and sharing. | | Annual Retreat participants Becky Sparks, Vicki Knipp, and Regina Hurley relax between sessions. | | Biblical Interpretation retreat track leaders, John Lewis and Jane Patterson, and track participants. | | |
Beautiful music filled the Chapel at Camp Allen
as the Spiritual Renewal retreat track
explored a variety of spiritual practices.
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Kay Boman-Harvey and Regina Hurley
walk the indoor labyrinth inside the
Chapel at Camp Allen.
| | Jana Milhon-Martin from the Center for Lay Chaplaincy and her Pastoral Care retreat track members. | | Annual Retreat participants Ashley Cook and Tania Wilkes check in with each other on a break. | | At the end of a retreat day, it's always nice to sit outside and celebrate together! | | New Congregations Page on Iona Website | | The Congregations page of the Iona website has a new look and is chock-full of free resources for your church! Browse through eight categories of materials, from Creation Care and Preaching to Church History and Pastoral Care, and more! You'll find a variety of studies for individuals and groups, retreat resources, podcasts, and videos. We will be adding to this catalog regularly, so check back often! | |
Featured Resource for May | | |
Living Stories is a collaborative preaching model designed with small churches in mind. Instead of relying on a single preacher to deliver a polished sermon each week, Living Stories invites the whole congregation into the work of interpreting scripture together. The Gospel reading is enacted with simple, tactile materials—like fabric underlays and wooden figures—and followed by open-ended wondering questions that invite reflection and response from all who are present.
This approach is especially helpful for small congregations where preaching responsibilities are shared among clergy, lay leaders, or rotating volunteers. It requires only basic materials, a prepared script, and a willingness to facilitate rather than lecture. Communities using Living Stories often discover that this method brings new energy and depth to worship, fosters meaningful participation, and makes sermon leadership more sustainable and spiritually nourishing for everyone involved.
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Want to Know More?
Join an upcoming online workshop to experience the process as a collaborative partner in sharing a sermon!
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Upcoming Workshops
July 29, 1 pm Pacific / 4 pm Eastern
August 27, 2 pm Pacific / 5 pm Eastern
Register Here: Workshop Registration
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We want to celebrate YOU!
Drop us a note using the link above, and share with us your good news! Include pictures, and you might see your faith community in this newsletter and/or on our social media pages!
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Need IT Support? Email us!
Should you find yourself needing help with password resets, setting up user names, etc.,
please email us at our new Iona IT support address: support@iona.ssw.edu
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