Small Church Voices Newsletter

From the Iona Collaborative

Advent is a season of preparation and anticipation, but of course, it is also a natural time to reflect on the year that is coming to a close. 2024 has been so special for us at the Iona Collaborative. And that is true in no small part because of you. We've had the opportunity to meet so many of you in person this year—not only at our Spring and Fall retreats for bi-vocational congregations and at our Summer retreat for bi-vocational leaders; but also at General Convention (thanks to all of you who stopped by our booth to say hello!) and in our travels across the country. Looking back, the view is nothing short of incredible. All over the Church, small congregations are sustaining vibrant ministries that are truly Good News for the communities they serve. We are so proud to support and celebrate your important work; we look forward to walking alongside you in 2025 and for years to come. Keep on shining, small churches! Your resilience, agility, community spirit, and creativity teach us all how to be the Church the future needs.

The Rev. Nandra Perry, Ph.D.

Director, Iona Collaborative

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Wrapping Up a Beautiful 2024

Is your church overwhelmed with the paradox of wanting to faithfully worship and follow Jesus while also embodying the reality of tired leadership? Are you finding that both your leaders and parishioners are expressing or exhibiting signs of exhaustion with tasks or events that used to feel life-giving?

Our Spiritual Tools for Bi-Vocational Congregations workshop introduces tools and practices based on spiritual direction techniques that help leadership teams find a sustainable path forward that is also spiritually nourishing. Far from giving you more work to do, we hope to equip you with techniques that help you do the work you are already doing while drawing closer to God and each other.

Interested in learning more? Join us for one of two Q&A sessions in January!

Click the links below to register:

Workshop Q&A I: Wednesday, January 15, 2025 at 6:30pm CT

Workshop Q&A II: Thursday, January 23, 2025 at 4:00pm CT

Who should attend a Q&A session to learn more?

Lay leaders or clergy from any church currently being led or plans to be led...

By part-time clergy
By lay leaders
By non-stipendiary clergy
By clergy with more than one church
By locally-formed clergy

Any Canons or diocesan staff curious about the workshop.

This workshop is generously funded by the Lilly Endowment, Inc., and is part of our

Thriving Bi-Vocational Congregations program at the Iona Collaborative at Seminary of the Southwest.

Featured Resource: Iona Collaborative Podcasts

Take Iona with you on the go!

The Iona Collaborative has ventured into podcasting, and we are thrilled to share two of our previous Continuing Education courses in this new format! Check out Preaching Mark in Lectionary Year B with The Rev. Jane Patterson, and "Under the Boot" or "In the Belly": Mark and Luke vs. Empire with Professor Greg Zuschlag on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Like, Subscribe, and Share, Friends!

Listen on SoundCloud

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Listen on Spotify

Submission Opportunity!

Seminary of the Southwest’s literary and arts journal, Soul by Southwest, is now accepting entries for its Spring 2025 issue. The mission of the journal, published by the seminary’s Center for Writing and the Arts, is to celebrate the movement of the creative spirit within our beloved community. For the Spring ’25 issue, we invite works that engage the broad theme of belonging — that engage the questions What does it mean to belong (or not)? Where do I belong? and How can we offer belonging to others? As always, we welcome submissions on any other topic or theme, as well.

Submissions will be accepted through Friday, January 31, 2025, and are open to writers and artists of all ages and proficiency levels. Please share this invitation with your friends and communities! You can read the guidelines, find out more, and submit your works here.

Want to See Your Church in This Newsletter? Reach Out Here!

Is your congregation celebrating something special?

How about a new initiative or ministry?

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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