Vital Congregations
Our primary mission for the Diocese and the diocesan staff is to promote congregational vitality. We believe that every congregation – be it rural or urban, modest or resourced, small or large – can be vital and sustainable. We can say this, first, because this vitality is Christ’s promise to us, that we would have life and have it abundantly.
Yet, this emphasis on vitality is not merely a pious truism. We have studied congregational vitality nationally and in our Diocese. We currently support vitality through leadership training, coaching, consulting, and granting at both a smaller, experimental level and a larger level for proven strategies.
Check out a recent vitality story from St. Paul’s in Holdenville, HERE.
Vital Signs Infographic
Through our research with the Congregational Vitality Assessment, we have identified twelve signs of vitality, as shown in the infographic below. We are developing vital practices to grow vitality in our congregations based on these Vital Signs.
Vitality Support
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The Congregational Vitality Assessment (CVA) is a survey tool created by a partnership between the Episcopal Church Foundation and Faith X. We use the CVA to help our congregations assess vitality while simultaneously providing essential diocesan-wide data. Nearly 90% of congregations voluntarily participated in our first CVA assessment from 2021-2023. From those findings, we have learned that many of our diocesan congregations have strong evidence that our Vital Signs and vitality are widespread, regardless of attendance, budget, or clergy leadership.
The second CVA assessment will begin in the Fall of 2024. For more information contact Canon Steve or Kate Bond.
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Through our research with the Congregational Vitality Assessment, we have identified twelve signs of vitality, as shown in the infographic above. We are developing vital practices to grow vitality in our congregations based on these Vital Signs.
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Our Vitality Granting Program supports congregations in building relationships in our neighborhoods and finding God in our daily lives. Since 2022, we have awarded over 45 grants across the Diocese for a range of projects, both small and large. Experimental Vitality Grants encourage congregations to attempt a small-scale experiment. The Large Vitality Grants are for those who have engaged in vitality work, including a variety of experimental activities, and are ready to take the next step with a larger project.
Apply for a Vitality Grant HERE.
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Vitality Training takes on many forms in our Diocese. Our central vitality training program is Faithful Innovation. In partnership with Luther Seminary, we have trained over 50 people, lay and ordained, in Faithful Innovation practices. This program invites us to discern God's mission in our lives, our communities, and our churches.
The Ministry Partners
The Ministry Partners work alongside congregations to promote congregational vitality. We aim to empower our congregations, clergy, and laity.
Our Ministry Partners:
The Rev. Canon Stephen Carlsen Canon for Congregational Vitality
Kate Carney Bond Director of Faith Formation and Discipleship
Susanna LeMasters Director of Communications
Teresa Phares Children and Youth Coordinator & Camp Director at St. Crispin's Summer Camp
The Rev. Jeff Huston Chaplain at Oklahoma State University
The Rev. Blake Woods Chaplain at the University of Oklahoma
We are the Episcopal Church in Oklahoma.