In Common is an opportunity to share with one another our hopes for building bridges and getting to know our neighbors. EHF, congregations, and community partner organizations will share resources and approaches that can help congregations understand their communities better, identify their communities needs and assets, and take action for positive transformation. InCommon is a chance to meet others across the diocese, learn about EHF’s focus areas with congregations, share stories and lessons learned, and build relationships for future work.
Church members, lay leaders, staff, and clergy from across the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, along with key community partners, are invited to attend!
Host: The Episcopal Health Foundation
Date: Friday, March 2, 2018 3:00pm – 8:00pm
Saturday, March 3, 2018 8:30am – 3:00pm
Location: Ascension Episcopal Church
2525 Seagler Rd, Houston, TX 77042
Cost: FREE! – Registration is required.
Space is on a limited, first-come, first-served basis. Registration closes on February 19.
Meals are provided. Hotel accommodations will be provided for those traveling to the meeting for Friday, March 2. Childcare and Spanish interpretation are also available. Please request during registration.
In Common is organized into three tracks of workshops:
- Holy Currencies: Learn about Holy Currencies, a model for creating engaged, missional and sustainable ministries with the Rev. Dr. Eric Law. This track will help you understand how to use Holy Currencies to develop an idea for a new ministry, and then turn it into a plan that you can implement. The series of workshops will also prepare you to submit an application for EHF’s next Holy Currencies incubator group in April.
- Racial Reconciliation: Did you know that many congregations in the diocese are actively involved in racial reconciliation in their communities? Meet them and learn about what they are doing, what support EHF offers to get the work going, and how you can get involved. We will also be joined by Constance and Dain Perry, who are national Episcopal leaders on Racial Reconciliation, as well as racial equity leaders the Rev. Dr. Matthew Russell and Cleve Tinsley IV from Project Curate.
- Community and Civic Engagement: Learn strategies for supporting locally-led action to improve your community. EHF’s Community Engagement staff and partner groups will provide an overview of basic approaches to community organizing and civic engagement, and demystify the work and correct misconceptions. These workshops will show you how to get involved at the local level or participate in EHF’s diocesan-wide community engagement work. We encourage those who are unfamiliar with community organizing work to learn how this approach can bring communities together while avoiding politicization of issues.
A key skill in any community work is learning the fundamentals of community engagement. EHF will offer a one-hour Approaches to Community Engagement (ACE) Training. The training teaches participants why these fundamental skills are critical to successful initiatives and what good community engagement looks like. It also explains the steps to effectively build community relationships and respond to concerns and issues that typically arise.
To get the most out of this conference, we encourage you to bring a team from your congregation and explore multiple tracks. If you are unsure about who should come or what is the best fit for your congregation, feel free to contact EHF to discuss.
Visit the In Common event page for more information
