Summer is still in full swing, but September is closer than it feels. Once Labor Day passes, schedules will fill back in, programs will ramp back up, and Sundays will start filling in again. For many congregations, fall is the single most important season for welcoming newcomers—and your Invite Welcome Connect team will be at the center of making it count. The weeks between Labor Day and All Saints' Day represent a remarkable window of opportunity. People who have been away—w

Five books for the slower season—classic and new thinking on evangelism, hospitality, and belonging Summer gives congregations a little more breathing room, which makes it a good season to fill the shared shelf in the church office (or your own nightstand) with fresh thinking. Below is Invite Welcome Connect's own foundational text, alongside four newer titles from Church Publishing and Forward Movement, written by Episcopal and mainline leaders wrestling with exactly the que

Request a download of the full report What do Episcopalians and mainline Protestants really believe about evangelism, hospitality, and belonging—and how does what they believe compare to what their congregations actually practice? Invite Welcome Connect spent a season of listening to find out. The full report is now available for download at invitewelcomeconnect.com. The gap, it turns out, is significant—and instructive. Across more than 700 survey responses and five facili

By Steve Welch, Executive Director Creator God, Holy one, Maker of love and source of joy: We give you thanks for the infinite variety of your creation. We bless you that we are fearfully and wonderfully made, and that we are your beloved rainbow tribe. Grant us the courage to tell our truth, to honor ourselves, to love our neighbors, and to share your grace with a world aching for healing. We pray because of Jesus, who shows us the way. Amen. —From “Pride Sunday Prayers of t

By the Rev. Chris Harris, Sr. Associate Rector, Christ Church Cranbrook, Mich.; Invite Welcome Connect Board member If your congregation longs for deeper connection across the generations, here is a simple, no-cost, scalable practice that is powerful: pair children with older adults as prayer partners. Intergenerational Prayer Partners embody the heart of Invite Welcome Connect by creating natural pathways of belonging across age groups—the very kind of relationships resear

We're listening to you In every season of ministry, there comes a moment to pause, to listen, and to lean more deeply into the wisdom of the community we serve. This is one of those moments. At Invite Welcome Connect, we believe that the work of hospitality, belonging, and evangelism is never finished—and never done alone. It grows and deepens through shared experience, honest reflection, and faithful imagination. That’s why we’re inviting you to be part of an upcoming series

There are many good ideas in the life of a church. Many experiments. Many approaches. But greeting?Greeting is not optional. It is one of the few true constants in the ministry of Invite Welcome Connect. Greeting is where welcome becomes real.

Across the country, something quietly transformative is happening in congregations of every size. It doesn’t arrive with fanfare or flashy programs. It begins with a shift in culture, a reimagining of what it means not just to open the doors—but to truly invite, welcome, and connect. At the heart of this movement is Mary Foster Parmer, founder of Invite Welcome Connect, who is currently facilitating immersive workshops in communities nationwide. Mary is helping churches buil

The free, online assessment tools from Invite Welcome Connect help congregations gauge the strength of their ministries in real time. Invite Welcome Connect has announced the availability of a suite of free, online assessment tools designed to help congregations strengthen their ministries of invitation, hospitality, and connection. The Invite Welcome Connect Assessment Tools provide congregational leaders with practical, accessible resources for reflecting on how their churc

We are sometimes so wrapped up in the beauty and holiness of Lent that we may take these seekers for granted.

Every healthy ministry has a beginning. And every healthy ministry, no matter how long it has been active, needs regular moments of renewal. That is especially true for ministries focused on invitation, welcome, and connection. Whether your congregation is just beginning to explore Invite Welcome Connect or has been practicing this ministry for years, there is spiritual wisdom in returning to the basics. Like gardeners tending their soil before planting, congregations flouris

Invite Welcome Connect has released a significant new resource for small congregations: Google Forms versions of the Invite Welcome Connect assessment tools , thoughtfully edited to better serve the realities of small churches. The Invite Welcome Connect team will walk through how to copy, customize, launch, and interpret the results in a new webinar on Feb. 4 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern The new digital assessment tool automatically collates responses from the congregation and help

Every Ash Wednesday, churches around the world participate in Ashes to Go, a ministry that brings church to the streets, offering moments of grace at bus terminals, coffee shops, church driveways, shopping malls, wherever busy people gather. The Rev. Emily Mellott, rector of Trinity Episcopal Church in Moorestown, NJ, and one of the founders of Ashes to Go, discusses the power of that ministry and how it aligns with the principles of Invite Welcome Connect.

Lent invites us to slow down, reflect, and ask deeper questions about who we are and who God is calling us to be. For congregations looking for a thoughtful, practical group activity during this season, the Invite Welcome Connect Group Study Guide offers a rich and engaging option for small groups, ministry teams, and whole congregations. You can find the Study Guide on our website anytime under the Free Resources menu or by visiting this page . A Seven-Session Journey of

Small Congregations Series: Steps for the Future Manageable, meaningful steps into a more connected future Wednesday, January 21 | 2:00–3:00 p.m. Eastern | Webinar Register Now

On February 1, 2026, Invite Welcome Connect On Demand will begin using a new access code for churches and dioceses that subscribe. This is a routine update. Most people will not need to do anything right now.

Every diocese that subscribes to Invite Welcome Connect On Demand receives more than a library of videos, guides, and tools. They receive a welcome . As part of every diocesan subscription, Executive Director Steve Welch offers a live, online introduction to the Invite Welcome Connect ministry and to the On Demand resources themselves . These sessions are designed to help diocesan leaders, clergy, and lay leaders understand not just what the resources are, but how they can