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Church Leaders Reflect on Hybrid Ministry

Look to Share Findings with Wider Church

Most of us distinctly remember that last pre-pandemic church service in March, 2020. After a long period of exclusively online worship, many parishes have adopted a hybrid ministry model, incorporating online and in-person congregations. 

While pandemic ministry has been challenging, it has also been a time of great opportunity and creativity. We collectively learned to integrate digital technologies with brick-and-mortar ministries into a new way of being church. 

To harness the lessons learned and help lead the Church into the future, the Rev. Tim Schenck and the Rev. Stacy Williams-Duncan have created a community of learning and practice to reflect on and experiment with hybrid ministry. 

This innovative program is a partnership with LEAD, TX, and Learning Forte’s Digital Ministry Initiative and is funded by a leadership grant from Trinity Church, Wall Street. 

Leaders for Hybrid Futures: A Community of Practice will continue to draw out a spirit of creativity and innovation while providing a supportive community for participants. The group will share its findings and innovations through regular reflections, thereby helping to educate and empower congregational leaders throughout the wider church.

Program co-facilitator, the Rev. Tim Schenck, said, “As faith communities in the midst of a pandemic, we’ve moved away from triage mode and are finally able to engage in some genuine reflection. The next step is intentionality and, through our work together, we hope to share some best practices and innovative thinking as we live into what’s next.”

The Leaders for Hybrid Futures Fellows are: 

The Ven. Laurie Brock – Rector, St. Michael the Archangel Episcopal Church, Lexington KY

The Rev.  Becky Coerper – Rector, St. James’, Skaneateles, NY

The Rev. Canon Gar Demo – Rector, St Thomas, Overland Park, KS

The Rev. Bradley Dyche – Rector, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Stephenville, TX

The Rev. Dr. Amsalu Geleta – Senior Pastor, Christ Lutheran Church, Baltimore, MD

The Rev. Noah Herren – Pastor, St Luke Lutheran Church, Atlanta, Ga

The Rev. Matthew James – Pastor, Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, Racine, WI

The Rev. Eric Murray – Pastor, Saint Andrew Lutheran Church, Franklin, TN

The Rev. Jeremy D. Scott – Pastor, Church of the Nazarene, Hanover, MA

The Rev. Casey Shobe – Rector, Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration, Dallas, TX

The Rev. Dr. Rick Swanson – Rector, St. John’s in the Mountains, Stowe, VT

Program facilitators are the Rev. Tim Schenck, rector of the Episcopal Parish of St. John the Evangelist in Hingham, MA, and the Rev. Stacy Williams-Duncan, CEO of Learning Forte and Rector of Little Fork Epsicopal Church in Rixeyville, VA.

About Learning Forte

Learning Forte is a ministry development company with specialized expertise in change management and hybrid community development. We help faith communities and faith-adjacent organizations craft authentic responses to digital disruption and social change. Using our research-informed processes, we leverage learning & media design and educational technology to guide clients as they strategically embrace hybrid ministry opportunities, increase internal capacity, and align resources, practices, and mission. Learningforte.com 

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