The Rev. Brad Purdom 
The Rev. Vincent Black 
Mary Ann Semple
Antoinette Taylor
Rita Rozell
Office for Congregations and Christian Formation
The Office for Congregations and Christian Formation exists to help you and your congregation grow in faith, health, and vitality. Our work is built on two principles:
2. We are most effective when we train and support lay and clergy leaders to do this work in their own congregations and settings.
If you are looking for help or resources to be more effective as a congregation in your ministries, worship, children and youth work, stewardship, leadership development, strategic planning, parish growth, or anything else related to the quality and depth of your congregation’s life and ministry, please call us.
2. We are most effective when we train and support lay and clergy leaders to do this work in their own congregations and settings.
If you are looking for help or resources to be more effective as a congregation in your ministries, worship, children and youth work, stewardship, leadership development, strategic planning, parish growth, or anything else related to the quality and depth of your congregation’s life and ministry, please call us.
About the Office for Congregations and Christian Formation
Office for Congregations and Christian Formation policy is set by the Congregations and Christian Formation Commission (CCFC), a Commission of the Diocesan Council. Members of the Commission come from all over the Diocese, and serve on a number of different task groups The current task groups are:
Lay Adult Christian Formation Task Group, Parish Children and Youth Task Group, Youth Event Task Group, Evangelism Task Group, Stewardship Task Group, Natural Church Development Task Group, College Work Task Group, Parish Leadership Development Task Group, and the Liturgy and Worship Task Group.
Congregations/Formation Resources
The Office for Congregations and Christian Formation exists to help you and your congregation grow in faith, health, and vitality.This office can assist with:
- Natural Church Development (NCD)
- Parish Christian Formation Planning and Programming
- Liturgy and Music Development
- Evangelism
- College Work
- Diocesan Grants for Congregations
- Diocesan Resource Center
- Youth Ministry Planning and Development
- Safeguarding God's Children
- Adult Formation
- Parish Strategic Planning/Vestry Retreats
- Parish Spiritual Retreats
- And More...
Congregations/Formation Grants
- Guide to Grant Applications
- Ministry and Growth Grant Application (formerly known as Mission Enhancement Grants) – Grants to enable parishes to respond to ministry and parish growth opportunities beyond their own means to fund. Applications reviewed monthly.
- Christian Formation Grant Application – Grants to enable parishes to offer adult Christian formation opportunities beyond its own means to fund. Applications reviewed monthly.
- Collge Work Grant Application - 2012-2013 School Year – Grants to congregations to help develop ministry to college students at nearby campuses. These are awarded annually, the deadline for the 2012-2013 school year is June 14, 2012.
- Aid for Operating Expenses Grant Application - 2013 Aid Cycle – Grants for operating expenses for parishes with NOI under $100,000 and/or in a Shared Ministry. The deadline for the 2013 grant cycle is May 2, 2012.
- Lay Continuing Education Grant – Grants to lay members of the diocese for the purpose of developing skills for ministry with their congregation and for mission to the world. Applications reviewed monthly.
What is Christian Formation?
Christian Formation is the intentional and life-long process of faith development, of growing in our knowledge and love of God, and of equipping individuals and congregations to carry on Christ’s work of reconciliation in the world.Christian Formation involves education for children, youth, and adults, and it includes experience, prayer, spiritual disciplines, and liturgy in deepening our understanding of what it means to be a Christian in the contemporary world. It is as much about transformation as it is about information.
