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Church innovation Insider • Apr 2022

4/8/2022

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🔥 1 big thing: Doubling down on Generation Z

​What’s new: One of TryTank’s strategic priorities for this year has been figuring out how the church can best engage with members of Generation Z. 
  • Now, TryTank has gained access to a sophisticated ethnographic research tool to better understand younger people.
  • The technology will allow for digital diaries of participants in their mid-twenties.
  • This means the studied volunteers will be able to record their thoughts and more during their days. And we hope to see how they are experiencing their spirituality.
  • Diaries have rarely been used in the study of religion but can provide deep insights into the lives of the participants. 
Why it matters: For the most part, young people are not coming to church. In particular, Generation Z has no interest in organized religion having become the “nones” we hear so much about.
  • But they are seeking to make spiritual sense of their lives and of their world.
  • If the church can figure out how they do this, then we can figure out how to meet them there.
What's next: We anticipate that we will begin using the new technology soon to then continue the study based on the early results.

✝️ 2. Quick experiment uses SMS to deepen Holy Week

The big picture: With so much going on in the world and so much data coming to us at once, we wanted to use a way to interrupt us during Holy Week so that we can experience it deeper.
How it works: This Holy Week (from Palm Sunday, April 10, to Easter Sunday, April 17), subscribers will receive text messages in real-time so they can walk with Jesus during his final days. 
  • When we say ‘real-time’ we mean it! Some text messages will arrive early in the morning or late at night as we walk with Jesus and experience the events leading to His death and resurrection. 
  • As folks read the texts, our hope is that they’ll live the Easter story as if it were happening right now, in the moment.
Why it matters: Faith formation happens in “macro” and “micro” moments.
  • “Macro” moments are the ongoing faith formation efforts of a congregation such as preaching every week.
  • “Micro” moments are the smaller interventions that encourage us to go deeper in our faith.
Go deeper: If we can create simple programs that can be implemented by multiple congregations, micro formation efforts could then be easily shared by many congregations.
  • This experiment was created and implemented in about six hours.
  • By the end of the day, two dioceses had agreed to get the word out to their congregations and members.
Anyone can sign up, so feel free to text HOLYWEEK to (833) 629-0176. And share with friends too!

​🕹️ 3. [update] Metaverse experiment moving on to next phase

We asked the Rev. Sean Steele, the experiment manager for our metaverse church experiment, to update us on how things are going. Here’s his note:
The Web3 Abbey team recently completed their “beta” experiment in the metaverse.  
  • For 5 consecutive Mondays, the team led a specifically designed liturgy that included music, prayers, breathing, scripture reading, and community discussion.   
  • Each service lasted one hour with an average of 14 people in attendance.
  • These services were not open to the public, and those in attendance only learned about them through direct inquiry.  This was intentional because the leadership team wanted to work out any issues before opening the community to the public.  
  • Feedback from those who participated was largely positive as people really appreciated the intentionality of the space, as well as the rhythm of the liturgy and the depth of the conversations.  Constructive feedback almost always revolved around technical issues.
What's next: For the next stage of the experiment, the leadership team will open the service to the general public and begin advertising on social media and other spaces.  '
The bottom line: If you are interested in learning more about the community or leadership team, please email them HERE.  

🙏 4. [update] La Misa in English experiment starting

We asked Brother Luis Hernandez Rivas, the experiment manager for our La Misa in English experiment, to update us on how things are going. Here’s his note:
Big picture: La Misa in English is an exciting new experiment that aims to serve second and third-generation Latinos.
  • Research shows that they are sensitive to their culture but prefer their information in English.
Go deeper: The experiment aims to create a worship and fellowship experience in English, with music in Spanish and opportunities for the celebration of Latin American traditions.
By the numbers: Currently we have 4 congregations enrolled (3 from the Diocese of San Diego and 1 from the Diocese of Missouri) with others in discernment.
  • The enrolled congregations are in varying phases with us as they prepare for this new adventure.
What's next: One of them is launching their service this week! Exciting!

🔊 5. [update] Evangelism experiment making friends

We asked Rev. Ken Kroohs, the experiment manager for our Easter Evangelism experiment, to update us on how things are going. Here’s his note:
So much excitement!  The best part of this experiment has been the enthusiasm and excitement in people seeking to reach out to new people. 
  • So many fantastic efforts are underway with people exploring more effective ways to interact with their community. 
One key is beginning with the questions people have: 
  • What’s a “Mundy”?
  • Why call it “Good” Friday?
  • Why wash feet in church?
  • “what are Stations of the Cross?.
Why it matters: While these things may seem normal to us, to those for whom the church is new, they are strange practices.
  • So we created, some 2-3 minute videos that seek to open the conversation by starting with such questions. 
  • We then move on to building relationships by invitations to activities like ‘Stations’ and requesting prayers online.  (Resources available.)
The bottom line:  Our theme has been that those who do not know us are “Not shadowy figures drifting past but friends with names and faces.”

🌟 6. [update] Evangelism cohorts

​Seeing the success we have had by having walking alongside congregations as they try evangelism experiments, TryTank partnered with The Episcopal Church to train more mentors to expand the effort.
  • We asked Jerusalem Greer, the staff officer for evangelism in the Office of the Presiding Bishop, to update us on how things are going. Here’s her note:
On March 30, forty evangelism catalysts gathered on Zoom for an Evangelism Mentor Training.
  • The training was led by the Rev. Carol Pinkham Oak, D.Min. from Thriving in Ministry of Virginia Theological Seminary.
  • During this two-hour training, potential mentors were given tools and resources for peer-to-peer mentoring within a ministry context.
  • After the training, participants were invited to join the Evangelism Mentor Cohort process, which will match mentors to ministry cohorts who are preparing to launch an evangelism action, such as Invitation Sunday, in the fall or winter.
What's next: Jerusalem tells us that more information about these cohorts and how to join will be made available in early summer.

😊 7. [update] Bigger churches can help smaller churches

What’s news: Our recent Prayer School experiment allowed folks from around the country to join a class from Grace Church in Oklahoma.
Why it matters: Many smaller congregations cannot regularly offer classes to their members to help them grow in faith.
  • TryTank’s 1730 Project is all about creating resources for congregations to thrive even if they are small. (There are 1730 Episcopal congregations with 29 or fewer on a Sunday.)
  • Larger congregations offer many faith formation classes all the time.
  • The pandemic showed that we can have hybrid offerings for those present “in person” and others online.
Go deeper: For the most part, experiment participants reported that they were able to feel part of the class and found the content fruitful for their faith.
What's next: How might we create a directory where larger congregations can add faith formation classes they are willing to offer to the wider church? Then smaller congregations could offer the classes to their members.
  • If someone wants to help set this up (with TryTank picking up the costs), simply drop me a NOTE.

🎨 8. TryTank is looking for an illustrator!

For an upcoming experiment, TryTank is in need of an illustrator. Have you always wanted to see your doodles and cartoons published? This could be your chance!
  • If this might be you, send some drawings (of anything!) to Fr. Lorenzo HERE.

🦙 9. One fun thing…the Order of the Llama

​Recently, Fr. Lorenzo traveled across the pond to lead multiple workshops on innovation and to help church leaders invest in experimentation using the TryTank model.
Catch up quick: The trip included stops in Edinburgh, Scotland as well as Norwich and London, England.
  • In all, there were a total of 23 hours of presentations to multiple audiences.
  • Also, innovation hubs will be set up in all three areas. (An innovation hub aims to foster innovation in regional ways.)
Those who followed Fr. Lorenzo on Facebook were able to see him and his “emotional support llama” as they went along.
  • The folks in Scotland thus created an “Order of the Llama” to identify those who are willing to try and go places to seek where the Holy Spirit may be leading us as a church.
Fr. Lorenzo’s thought bubble: While this is an amazing honor, we now need to figure out how to get more members of the order. I get to see many amazing people doing creative things all the time…which is exciting.
Stay tuned for more on the Order of the Llama.
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church innovation insider • Mar 2022

3/4/2022

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📓 1 big thing: Training new evangelism mentors

What’s new: TryTank is teaming up with the Department of Evangelism in the Office of the Presiding Bishop to train 20 Episcopal evangelism catalysts as Evangelism Mentors. 
  • Once trained, the Evangelism Mentors would commit to mentoring an evangelism team, made up of leaders from smaller congregations who have completed the Evangelism 101 or Embracing Evangelism courses and have a desire to take their ministry of evangelism further. 
Why it matters: We know that mentoring for evangelism works. TryTank has now conducted three experiments where a cohort of congregations is guided through the process of evangelizing by a mentor.
  • In most cases, the results have surpassed even optimistic expectations.
  • We want to take this to a new level by being able to train more mentors to do the same. 
Go deeper: The two-hour mentor training will be on March 30 at 1 p.m. EST. In exchange for this free training, we will ask the new mentors to help mentor one upcoming evangelism experiment cohort.
  • The bottom line: You do not need prior experience in mentoring or coaching, just an open mind and heart. 
What's next: For more information, reach out HERE. To register for the training, go HERE.

🎵 2- A 3D, 360-degree concert to teach gospel music

​What’s new: Before the pandemic, TryTank had teamed up with the Gospel Choir from the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas in Philadelphia for a teaching tour. 
  • The tour stops were to have a concert and a masterclass for the local diocese on how to add more gospel music to worship services.
  • The pandemic paused the tour and the experiment for two years.
Why it matters:  Unfortunately, many Episcopal churches are hesitant to use Gospel music either because they are not familiar with it or unsure of how to play it “right.”
Go deeper: In thinking about how to revive this experiment, new opportunities arose. 
  • Technology now allows for fascinating new ways that will also allow the concert to reach more people than the tour could.
  • One of those is a 3D, 360-degree concert. If a viewer has VR glasses they can turn and watch different singers and the sound they hear is of that of whom they are watching. 
  • If you don’t have the VR glasses, you can still experience the concert (and the turning feeling and sound) in 2D.
  • You can see a sample HERE.
The bottom line: The concert and masterclass will be filmed in the late Spring and made available soon thereafter. Stay in-tuned! 🤣🤣 

​🔥 3- Web3Abbey holds first-ever Episcopal service in the metaverse

We asked the Rev. Sean Steele, the experiment manager for our metaverse church experiment, to tell you all how it went at the first Episcopal worship event in the metaverse. Here’s his note:
  • It was a beautiful evening in the metaverse on Monday, February 28th at 7:00 pm CST when 22 people gathered for Web3 Abbey’s first-ever worship service.  
  • The community celebrated a vigil service for the feast of St. David with a specially curated liturgy.  
  • Our time together included music, prayer, centering breathing, silence, scripture reading, community discussion, a common confession, and a benediction.   
The bottom line: Feedback from the service was overwhelmingly positive barring a few technology glitches and expected discomfort with the new space and technology.
Big picture: The Web3 Abbey team hosted the service in a specially designed outdoor space on the AltSpaceVR platform that included ample space for worship, conversation, and fun.  
What's next: They plan on meeting in the space on Monday evenings throughout the month of February at 7:00 pm central.
If you are interested in learning more please join their discord server HERE or simply come on Monday evenings, room code is RBR302!

👂4- Listening Project experiment will soon have results

Big picture: The Listening Project, launched in 2019,  aimed to find out:
  • What makes an effective parish leader?
  • What is the secret to parish growth?
  • How do some leaders just get “it”?
As you can imagine, it is hard to pinpoint real answers to these questions and find a replicable proof of concept. But we’re TryTank, so we’re gonna try!
Last year, TryTank teamed with the experts at Learning Forte to take a deep dive into the “Listening Project” interviews and to try to discern a pattern that might prove to be something that could be replicated elsewhere.
Learning Forte’s chief researcher, Dr. Deborah Coe, has served as the head of research for two major denominations is leading the LF! staff through the process of coding the interviews and looking for answers that emerge.
  • Do all these leaders eat oatmeal in the morning?
  • Are all these leaders born on a Tuesday?
  • Are most of these leaders left-handed?
The bottom line: This research will help us identify patterns and seek proofs of concepts to help answer these questions and more. 
What's next: In the coming weeks, Learning Forte will prepare a detailed research report to present to TryTank their findings.  And you know we’ll have an update for you here.

🇬🇧 5- TryTank is headed to the United Kingdom

From March 14 to 25, TryTank’s director, the Rev. Lorenzo Lebrija (that’s me!) will be headed to the U.K. to talk about innovation in the church.
Why it matters:  At TryTank, we want to teach anything we have learned in doing this work to others so that they too can try stuff out. 
Go deeper: The trip will involve three stops: Edinburgh, Norwich, and London. At each stop, workshops will teach TryTank’s three-step framework for innovation and encourage new styles of church.
  • In Scotland, TryTank is also helping the Church of Scotland and the Scottish Episcopal Church how to set up their own version of an innovation lab.
  • The London workshops are through HeartEdge and one (on new frameworks to use post-covid) is open to the public through Zoom.
One fun thing: Be sure to follow me on Facebook to see what I and my emotional support llama are up to!

❤️ 6- Sometimes, we are reminded why we do this work

We are currently in the third phase of our evangelism experiment. Many of our congregations had their first opportunity to see results this past Tuesday for Shrove Tuesday. 
On Wednesday, we were sent a message that a member of the evangelism team for Trinity Church in Mt. Airy, NC (a small rural congregation) sent to the other members of the team.
Here it is, unedited (CPS is Child Protective Services): 
Guys, I really love my church, and aside from that, I’m actually proud of my church. I don’t feel like I’ve been able to say that at any other point in my life - aside from maybe the Wesley foundation at some points in college. Tonight we had a hotdog and marshmallows roast at riverside park. It was to celebrate Shrove Tuesday. Traditionally they have had a pancake supper at the church, but with Covid, crowding into a tiny building wasn’t a good idea, so we took it to the park, and since Tuesday night is also youth group night, the youth came too 😬 and I invited their families. We had rich and poor people, drug users and non-drug users, people who have spent years and years in prison and people who have never run into the law, LGBTQ and heterosexual people, white people and black people, refugees, immigrants, and natives, homeschoolers, public schoolers, school dropouts, people who are working on their GED and teenagers suspended from school indefinitely, young and old people, republicans abs democrats, church members, and no church members, foster families, adoptive families, CPS workers and the families served by CPS and kids taken away from their families by CPS, white-collar, blue-collar and unemployed people, and on and on. And we had a good time and it was amazing and special. The darkness is scary and overwhelming, but I saw the kingdom of God at the park last night.

🍎 7- It’s not too late for Prayer School

If you want to watch or listen to Prayer School, you can still do so. Just go HERE to find the resources, audio recording (great for the car), and video recordings.
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CHURCH INNOVATION INSIDER • FEB 2022

2/4/2022

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🚨1 big thing: Episcopal Pulse reveals important weaknesses (and strengths)

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The results from the first Episcopal Pulse survey show that a significant majority of the church feels we are struggling in the areas of evangelism and discipleship/formation.
Why it matters: The Rev. Ken Howard, director of FaithX and experiment manager for the Episcopal Pulse experiment tells us: 
  • When I saw the results of our first Episcopal Plus Micro-Survey, the song that immediately came to mind was “Dance Band on the Titanic” by Harry Chapin.
  • “We’ve hit the iceberg, but our music is great!”
  • The fact that we most struggle with both parts of Jesus’ Great Commission is concerning but not a great surprise. After all, “Evangelism feels” feels like the “E-word” to most Episcopalians. 
Yes, but: Perhaps it’s not yet time to pack up our tents and go home. There may be hope in the finding that our congregations do a pretty decent job of outreach to the neighborhoods they serve.
  • What if we could think of evangelism not as pressuring someone to convert, but simply as living our relationship with Jesus out loud among our neighbors?
  • We might get a little more traction in the Evangelism department.
  • After all, neither Jesus (nor the Apostle Paul) never uttered the literal word “convert.”

First-ever Episcopal worship in the metaverse is Feb 28

What’s new: Web3 Abbey, the experimental Christian community in the metaverse, will host the first-ever Episcopal worship service in the virtual world later this month.
Why it matters:  During a recent webinar about the church and the metaverse, futurist Bob Johansen made the point that the metaverse is the next iteration of the web. And that it is coming like a wave.
Go deeper: Last September, a new kind of missionary came to be in the Episcopal Church (and the Holy Hermits in Australia) as several members of the clergy and laypeople began to explore the church in the metaverse.
  • The team has spent months figuring out virtual reality (VR) technology, the different spaces in the virtual world, and how a church might function there.
  • The first worship service is Monday, February 28, 2022, at 7:00 PM CST
  • To join in or to learn more contact the team HERE.
🔔The Episcopal News Service just ran a story on Web3 Abbey. You can read it HERE.

Office of Latino Ministries takes over “El Librito de la Misa”

The Office of Latino Ministries of the Episcopal Church has agreed to take over the “Librito de la Misa Episcopal.” 
Go deeper:  The Librito was the outcome of the “Spanish Missalette” experiment from TryTank.
  • It sought to save a few hours per week of the clergy who lead Spanish-language services by providing everything they need in one booklet. 
  • There were more orders than the available 10,000 initial print run.
  • So far, the participants who have reported have told us that they are saving 1 to 6 hours a week.
Why it matters: Clergy are overworked and can use the extra saved time for other pastoral matters. Or, hopefully, some self-care.
Our thought bubble: Thank you to the Rev. Anthony Guillen and the Rev. Samuel Borbon, who are such willing partners with the work of TryTank!

New experiment to explore spirituality of young adults

Wha't’s new: Try Tank is undertaking an experiment in cultivating deep relationships.
  • In partnership with The Retreat House in Hillsboro (MD), this experiment seeks to invite young adults with varying faith backgrounds into one-on-one or small group conversations to explore their spiritual longings.
Why it matters: It is a form of evangelism that leads from a listening heart rather than trying to persuade or direct.
Big picture: We plan to share our findings widely through a report that captures the longings heard in conversation.
Then, out of these learnings, the experiment team will come up with possible experiments to engage with young adults. Stay tuned!

New offering for smaller congregations: Prayer School

As part of the 1730 Project which aims to help smaller congregations thrive, TryTank offers an online class aimed at their members. 
Why it matters:  smaller congregations usually cannot offer robust classes to their members. So, what if we could offer a class where smaller congregations can invite their members?
Go deeper: Prayer School is a workshop that will help participants form their habit of prayer by drawing on liturgical disciplines. It is an introduction where participants will learn:
  • A healthy theology of prayer
  • To support a daily prayer time
  • To read scripture systematically throughout the year
  • Contemplative techniques of prayer
  • About the tradition of the Daily Office and liturgical calendar
  • About how liturgy helps us mature in Christ
The bottom line: To sign up to offer the resources, you need to register as one of our 1730 Project congregations. You can do so HERE.

​The third phase of the evangelism experiment focuses on Easter

TryTank has launched the third phase of its very successful evangelism experiment.
Do you ever wonder if the shadowy figures drifting past your church can become friends with names and faces?  That’s what our current experiment is testing. 
  • Can we use social media and other avenues to introduce ourselves to strangers and then build a relationship that leads to spiritual conversations and maybe attendance?
 People love to hear answers to their questions: 
  • What is Lent? 
  • Pancakes?
  • Why burn palms? 
  • Would people attend a short service for burning the palms? 
  • Why smudges on people’s foreheads? 
The bottom line: To jump in or get access to the resources, reach out to the Rev. Ken Kroohs, experiment manager, HERE.

​🙏 The Virtual Preaching Monks are back for Lent

The Virtual Preaching Monks launched last year as part of TryTank's1730 Project experiments.
  • The Brothers of the Society of St. John the Evangelist (SSJE) provided sermons for the Advent season.
  • 484 congregations (and some individuals!) signed up for the resource.
Why it matters:  As a whole, the Episcopal Church has significantly more smaller congregations than larger ones. The 1730 Project aims to help them thrive.
What's next: The Brothers of SSJE will offer a sermon series for Lent. If you'd like to use this resource, sign up to be “in the know” about the 1730 Project HERE.

​Who wants to try this?

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Someone out there, try this: the iScanner app uses AI technology to snap a picture and quickly count things for you. You can see a short video of it in action here.
  • Could it count how many people are in church on Sunday?
  • Try it out, and let us know how it goes.

Finally...

One fun thing: Last fall, we tried to build a “Pop-up Monastery” in a mall during the holiday season. In the end, five malls turned us down. 😭 So, this year, we are starting early. Does anyone know the owner or a manager of a mall who might welcome the monastery?? Let me know HERE.
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Church Innovation Insider • JAN 2022

1/6/2022

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1 big thing: TryTank Experimental Lab is now three years old

Big picture: When TryTank Experimental Lab launched on Jan 1, 2019, who could have predicted what the next few years would bring to the world and the church? As a joint venture between two seminaries, TryTank itself is an experiment in working together.
There have been some successes (Alexa skill, Latino Ministry in a Box, video action alerts, evangelism events, the virtual preaching monks, and more!), and some failures (spin church, “drunk bible,” cleaning monks,  prayer puppets, and more!). 
Why it matters: Being able to own successes and failures hopefully allows TryTank to model how to be the church in the world today.
Here are some of the highlights of our 2021:
  • Presented webinars on leadership, becoming a hybrid congregation, mission clarity, cultural intelligence, foresight for the church, and faith in the future.
  • Began experimenting with creating a church in the metaverse and worked with the Diocese of Washington on a digital confirmation program.
  • Together with the office of Latino Ministries, began to roll out Latino Ministry in a Box. Also began the work of launching La Misa in English experiment in three dioceses. 
  • Gathered about 5,000 responses to the Covid 19-Church 21 Impactsurvey and registered more than 1,000 volunteers for the upcoming Episcopal Pulse micro-surveys.
  • Began in-person work to re-imagine youth ministry by holding a design thinking workshop with youth.
  • The Blessing of the Animals evangelism experiment had 15 congregations participate. One congregation (with 60 ASA) had 50 new neighbors stop by. One congregation even had a spontaneous baptism! 
What's next: The strategic priorities for TryTank in 2022 are:
  • Latino ministry
  • Smaller congregations
  • Youth and Young Adults
The bottom line: We still have many ideas and energy to try them!

Coming next week: “Church in the Metaverse”

What's next: Next Friday is the premiere of the latest Faith in the Future conversation. Noted futurist Bob Johansen, a distinguished fellow with the Institute for the Future, will join a small audience from around the church to imagine the church in the metaverse.
Go deeper: Our guests will be joined by an expert on Teilhard de Chardin, philosopher, theologian, and priest, who will help us compare the metaverse to de Chardin’s concept of the divine milieu and the noosphere.
Yes, but: Other practical voices will join the discussion to assess the implication for the church at large…especially those who are at the margins and may lack access to technology.
To view the conservation when made available on January 14, click HERE.

Experiment update: Evangelism Theater

Here’s an update on the evangelism theater experiment. The experiment — which was delayed because of Covid-19 — aimed to create a theatrical experience in a church that members could invite their friends for a night of fun.
Why it matters:  We know that people have no problem inviting a friend to the theater but aren’t as likely to invite someone to join them at church. We wondered what would happen if we made theater at the church. 
By the numbers: The show (Baking with Bertha) took place on Friday, Dec 10 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in the Carondelet neighborhood of St. Louis, Mo. The goal was to get church members to invite their friends. And they did!
  • The rector reports that some 2/3 of the audience that night were friends invited by church members to attend.
  • Four visiting guests filled out “more information” cards at the event.
  • One new family was present the following Sunday to worship with the congregation.
The bottom line: The experiment worked, showing that if a congregation offers something for members to invite their friends, they will.

Experiment update: BOTA ➡️ INFACT ➡️ Easter Evangelism

Here’s an update from the Rev. Ken Kroohs, the experiment manager for the Blessing of the Animals (BOTA) experiment, which led ( ➡️) to the Involving New Friends After Christmas (INFACT) experiment:
BOTA:  Over 400 new people connected with nine participating congregations through the Blessing of the Animals! 
  • Conclusion – people are willing to take a small step in our direction if we make it easy, they feel safe, and it is about a topic of their interest.
  • Many other people did not attend but got to know these churches. 
  • We don’t yet have good numbers on how many people are staying in contact. 
INFACT: Involving New Friends at Christmas Time has been successful both in immediate results and teaching us how best to proceed. 
  • Even with COVID, several churches reported meeting new people electronically or in person. 
  • Interestingly, the Blue Christmas services generated the most interest. 
What's next: We have seen great results from experiments focused on reaching out to new people—many people connected with various churches. 
  • Along the way, we learned some lessons about what works and what falls flat on its face! 
  • So, we will take those lessons and re-design the process to focus on the time from now to Easter. 
  • Our goal is to connect with new people with the intention that some will be our Friends at Pentecost (F@P). That does not necessarily mean attending services. It means we are building a relationship with them. 
If you would like to join us in this work, let us know HERE.  

More than 10K Spanish-language missals distributed

Big picture: If you ask, most clergy will tell you that the bulletin takes a few hours of their time each week. We asked, what if they had that time back?
We created a Spanish-language missalette that included the Eucharist from the Libro de Oracion Comun (Book of Common Prayer). 
  • It is called, El Librito de la Misa Episcopal.
  • We offered it for free to congregations in exchange for their response to our evaluation survey. Before too long, all 10,000 copies were spoken for. 
For TEC dioceses in other countries, we had a certain number of copies made in-country. 

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Church Innovation Insider • DEC 2021

12/3/2021

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1 Big Thing: Virtual Preaching Monks a smashing success

Big picture: When the Virtual Preaching Monks experiment was launched last month, TryTank expected a few dozen congregations to take part. Instead, as of this writing, 460 congregations have signed up to use this resource, representing more than 22,000 people on an average Sunday.
What's next: Based on this success, the monks from the Society of Saint John the Evangelist have committed to offering a similar resource during Lent. They will cover:
  • Ash Wednesday
  • The Sundays in Lent
  • Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday
  • Good Friday
  • The Great Vigil/Easter Day.
The bottom line: To stay informed about this and other resources offered for smaller congregations, be sure to sign up HERE.

HeartEdge USA forming peer learning cohorts around the 4 Cs

Big picture: With the support of TryTank, HeartEdge USA is forming a peer-learning cohort in support of the HeartEdge model of congregational renewal.
Go deeper: This small group is for those ready to begin experimenting with a group of other excited leaders while learning from each other. The cohort will meet have 9 monthly meetings over a year facilitated by a mentor and will be a place for:
  • incubation of ideas
  • implementation
  • accountability
  • and reflection on lessons learned
The bottom line: To quickly implement and advance the HeartEdge approach in your congregation, join this cohort. TryTank is covering the expenses, but space is limited, so click HERE to apply today. 

Faith in the Future to host a conversation about “Church in the Metaverse”

What's next: In January, noted futurist Bob Johansen, a distinguished fellow with the Institute for the Future, will join a small audience from around the church to imagine the church in the metaverse.
Go deeper: Our guests will be joined by an expert on philosopher, theologian, and priest, Teilhard de Chardin who will help us compare the metaverse to de Chardin’s concept of the divine milieu and the noosphere.
Yes, but: Other practical voices will join the discussion to assess the implication for the church at large, especially those who are at the margins and may lack access to technology.
To view the conservation when it’s made available on January 14, click HERE.

Looking for signals of the future

Big picture: Part of TryTank’s work relates to foresight, the ability to spot signals and drivers of change to then develop plausible futures.
Go deeper: Think of a driver of change as a big wave.
  • It will be seen and it will move things in a certain direction.
  • In the mid-1990s, for example, the internet was that wave.
A signal is a real vision of the future today.
  • Using the wave analogy, a signal would be a surfer on the wave.
  • In the mid-1990s, the signal would be a little start-up called Amazon. When you first saw it you asked, “is that the future of how we’ll buy books?”
Why it matters: As you look out into the world today, what are some signals of the future, especially of the church?
Where have you seen the church of the future today? If you have some answers, let us know HERE. 

Experiment update: Episcopal Pulse

Here’s an update from the Rev. Ken Howard, the experiment manager for Episcopal Pulse: “We have made significant progress toward the 2022 kick-off of the Episcopal Pulse Experiment:
  • Recruiting Volunteer Survey Respondents: 1,037 people have committed to responding to our regular micro-surveys within 24 hours at a frequency of at least once per week over a 6-9 month period.
  • Recruiting an Advisory Panel: 15 people have agreed to serve on our advisory panel, making recommendations for survey themes and questions.  
  • Representative Diversity: Both groups were selected with the intention of creating a representative cross-section of the denomination.
  • Kick-Off Date: We expect the first surveys to go out in early January.”

Experiment update: Christmas Evangelism

Here’s an update from the Rev. Ken Kroohs, the experiment manager for the Christmas Evangelism: “It’s going great!  The churches’ enthusiasm, energy, and commitment are inspiring and contiguous!
  • This experiment’s goal is to build long-term relationships with new people that can make true evangelism possible.
  • The 30 participating congregations are being provided with resources and training.  For example, they received a list of possible social media posts each week.
  • They received training on using Facebook ads as well as 9 non-social media outreach techniques.
  • The final, and most important phase is communicating with a new person once they have shared their contact information. 
Our thought bubble: If you would like access to the resources let us know HERE.  

Prayer Puppets experiment seeks the wisdom of the crowd

Big picture: Last year, we wondered how we could bring Christian formation closer to home. Our solution, and then experiment, was to create a Christian version of Sesame Street. And thus were born the Prayer Puppets.
We created three episodes and tested them on a streaming platform where the conversion rate (from those who landed on the website to subscribe for a dollar) was around 8% which is very high.
The bottom line: We figured if people were willing to pay to subscribe, they’d be even more likely to subscribe to a free YouTube channel. We were wrong. Of some 29,000 times that our 15-second ad was seen only 43 subscribed.
What's next: So now this experiment is stuck. Here is the question: what would you do with the Prayer Puppets? Click HERE to submit your ideas.

You are now reading our newsletter experiment

Looking for market study participants

Big picture: TryTank is looking for ten active members of the clergy to be interviewed about professional and executive education for clergy. 
Why it matters:  In an ever-changing world, clergy are often called to take on tasks that they were not trained for in seminary. At the same time, there is new learning about leadership, finance, and other fields that affect ministry.
Go deeper: Selected participants will commit to a 20-30 minute interview. For their time, you will receive a $25 Amazon gift card. 
To apply to be a participant, send us an email and you’ll hear from us soon.

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