Right now GOL is a snowball rolling faster and faster downhill, gathering momentum and energy with every turn of the sphere. Each conversation makes us move a little bit faster and each relationship builds on the success before it. 

On November 18th we announced that GOL was awarded a $200,000 leadership grant from Trinity Wall Street and today I can share that Church of the Heavenly Rest in Abilene, TX has committed $10,000 to kick start the grant work. This generous gift, in honor of GOL's founder the Rt. Rev. Claude Payne, has allowed us to begin work growing the Network of Networks this fall ahead of receiving the funds from Trinity Wall Street. We have already engaged Learning ForTE! to lead the discovery process around our future community portal and will be ahead of our original timeline when work on the grant officially begins in January.

Additional gifts of time are being offered as I have had the privilege of speaking with the Dioceses of Wyoming, the Iona Collaborative, Bishop Dean Wolfe and Rev. Don Compier with the Bishop Kemper School for Ministry, and other key players in building the new bivocational clergy network for GOL. 

Nominations to the Lay Gathering pilot event this coming June are flying in as we've received over 70 nominations from around the nation. Our goal of having 100 nominations for creative, hope-filled, proven lay leaders for consideration for the pilot program is within reach.

As we gather more snow on our trajectory to growing a more vibrant and interconnected community of faith leaders in the Episcopal church, the momentum is growing and the Holy Spirit is in our midst. 

During this Advent season I invite you to embrace this momentum alongside us; register for a Gathering in 2022, nominate a lay leader, and contribute to our Annual Fund. Each of these snowflakes of support brings us closer to our goals to impact the mission and growth of the church. I am thankful for each and everyone one of you and for taking this wild ride with us.

Blessings,

Haley Bankey
Executive Director, Gathering of Leaders
haley@thegatheringofleaders.org

The Missionary Church After Christendom

(Gatherings: Alabama, Oregon)

The era when “everyone” knew the Christian story, the church held a position of public respect, and Sunday mornings were reserved for worship is ending. The church is losing influence, power, and the social expectations that maintained our institutions and budgets. How will we, as leaders, respond to this transition out of hope and courage rather than fear? What can we learn for this new reality from voices in the church who have modeled perseverance, maturity, faithfulness, and innovation from a place of cultural marginalization? What do we need to retain at our core; what do we need to cast off; and what do we need to adapt in order to proclaim the gospel and form disciples in this new reality?

Racial Reconcilation and Discipleship in the Missionary Church

(Gatherings: Philadelphia, Virtual September)

Our Presiding Bishop has called us into a deeper understanding of the relationship between evangelism and racial reconciliation. It has been said that Sunday morning is the most segregated time in America, because our worshipping communities often reflect the dividing lines of race rather than the unity of Christ’s Body or the glorious diversity of God’s creation. We wish to explore the connection between discipleship, mission, and racial reconciliation. Continuing events in our nation make this work all the more urgent. We understand ourselves, as Christians, to be called to reconciliation. How does making disciples facilitate and celebrate racial reconciliation in our particular contexts? How are the church’s legacies of racial division and racial healing affecting your work of evangelism and mission? What signs of hope do you see? Within the context of the Great Commission, what roles do confession, repentance, forgiveness and reparation play in the work of racial reconciliation within ourselves, our congregations and the Episcopal Church?

PARTICIPANT DIRECTORY: Those who have attended at least one Gathering have access to search our directory for other Participants by name, church affiliation, city, or state. Travelling somewhere and want to meet up with some GOLers? Give it a search! Try out the Directory here.

PARTICIPANT ONLY FACEBOOK GROUP: One of the main ways our participants connect and collaborate with one another is through our private Facebook group. If you have attended at least one Gathering, and are not yet part of the group, please email haley@thegatheringofleaders.org to get setup.

SUGGESTED READING LISTS: At each Gathering we collected suggested readings from our participants that deal directly with our annual theme. Click the themes for access to the most current suggested reading list: Racial Reconciliation and for Unity & Division. 

SHARED RESOURCES: During each Gathering we record the peer-learning presentation (with permission) and upload them to our participant portal.  For all presentations from our Racial Reconciliation year and Unity & Division, log into our website and search.

SEMINARY DEBT REDUCTION GRANTS: Through GOL's partnership with the Episcopal Church Foundation, grant funds have been made available to participants in the Gathering of Leaders network to reduce individual seminary debt. The grants must be used to make loan payments above and beyond the normal repayment/amortization schedule (i.e., principal) and will be awarded on the basis of financial need and the demonstrated capacity to manage debt, handle day-to-day finances, and plan for the future. Grants will range from $3,000-$5,000 and will be paid in one lump sum. Learn more and apply.