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Fall is Here!
by Ashley Graham-Wilcox
Cue the White Stripes.
As predicted, summer has been anything but slow. Between an epic road trip with my 12-year-old, volunteering at an Episcopal summer camp in northern Michigan, and reconnecting with people from Idaho to New York, my To-Do list — rudely — did not get any shorter. If anything, it got longer, because every mile and every conversation kept generating new ideas.
I only worked about 65% of my standard hours this summer, so there's some irony in adding to the list instead of clearing it. But this kind of creative rejuvenation is exactly what I needed heading into the second half of the year. It just doesn't manufacture the time to get both old and new stuff done.
So here's a transparent look at the August 1 To-Do List of an over-traveled (and, yes, over-caffeinated) church communicator, aimed at both task (taking care of my responsibilities) and maintenance (taking care of myself).
| | SEEKING PODCAST PARTICIPANTS | |
Help Us Find Young Adults With Big Questions
Search History is a new bilingual documentary podcast -- through Caffeinated Church's Storytelling Initiative -- from Religion News Service and Iliff School of Theology, following young adults (18–25) as they wrestle with real questions about faith, identity, purpose, and belonging. We're not looking for polished testimonies — just people living inside real questions. Participants get a stipend, equipment, training, and mentorship. If you know a young adult who fits, send them our way.
| CHURCH COLLABORATION MEETING | | |
When Everything is "Urgent"
Wednesday, August 12 | 10:00 AM PT / 11:00 AM MT / 12:00 PM CT / 1:00 PM ET
Church communicators and administrators often live in a world where every request feels immediate, important, and last-minute. How do you navigate competing priorities, unrealistic timelines, clergy and staff expectations, and the emotional labor of trying to keep everything moving? Together we’ll share practical strategies for setting healthier workflows, clarifying priorities, and reducing unnecessary communication panic.
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Realm User Group
Thursday, August 20 | 9:00 AM PT / 10:00 AM MT / 11:00 AM CT / 12:00 PM ET
Join us for a time of sharing, troubleshooting, and honing our Realm skills in support of our missions and ministries. Hosted by Janey Griggs Salazar, Administrative Assistant and Benefits Coordinator for the Episcopal Church in Colorado.
| | ADMINISTRATORS' CAFE ROUNDTABLE | |
The Never-Ending Inbox
Thursday, August 20 | 10:00 AM PT / 11:00 AM MT / 12:00 PM CT / 1:00 PM ET
Between clergy requests, volunteer questions, and the fifteen things marked "urgent" before 9am, your inbox can start to feel like a second job. How do you decide what gets answered right away and what can wait? Do you use folders, flags, or just a prayer and a scroll? Let's swap the systems, shortcuts, and boundaries that actually help — and commiserate about the ones that don't.
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Technology Isn't Your Ministry. But It Still Matters.
Wednesday, August 26 | 10:00 AM PT / 11:00 AM MT / 12:00 PM CT / 1:00 PM ET
Most church leaders didn't enter ministry to think about passwords, phishing emails, or software vendors. Yet technology quietly supports nearly every part of ministry.
This session approaches technology as an act of organizational stewardship. We'll cut through the jargon, identify common challenges, and explore practical ways to reduce risk without becoming IT experts.
You'll leave with simple frameworks, practical worksheets, and greater confidence in your church's technology. No technical background required.
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Backstage, Not Frontstage: A Practical Framework for AI in Congregational Life
Thursday, September 3 | 11:00 AM PT / 12:00 PM MT / 1:00 PM CT / 2:00 PM ET
Most church leaders have already used AI, and many feel uneasy about it. This workshop offers a framework for deciding where these tools belong in ministry and where they don't, addressing the environmental and ethical questions honestly along the way. We'll work through real congregational scenarios and leave with concrete next steps. This expert-led workshop is led by the Rev. Peter Levenstrong, an Episcopal priest, a writer, and a stubborn believer that things get better when more people help make them. He serves as Associate Rector at St. Gregory of Nyssa Episcopal Church in San Francisco.
| | Also Coming in September: A 3-part series on AI, led by Katie Allred. Save the dates for September 8, 15, and 22 at 10:00 am PT / 11:00 am MT / 12:00 pm CT / 1:00 pm ET | | CHURCH COLLABORATION MEETING | | |
The Church Calendar Is Not a Strategy
Wednesday, September 9 | 10:00 AM PT / 11:00 AM MT / 12:00 PM CT / 1:00 PM ET
Many churches fall into the habit of promoting every event equally and wondering why people stop paying attention. How do we move from simply announcing things to communicating with greater intention and clarity? We’ll discuss audience fatigue, prioritization, messaging strategy, and how churches can better align their communications with mission rather than just maintaining a crowded calendar.
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This Week's Creative Prompt:
Pick one piece of upcoming content and ask: "Would this make someone curious, or just informed?" Rewrite it for curious.
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This Week's Refill & Rest:
You probably spent time this week finding the right words for someone else.
Take five minutes today and write something just for yourself — a note, a list, a prayer, a rant, whatever needs to come out. It doesn't have to be good. It just has to be yours.
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