Recording—Walking the Way of Love Together: A Webinar for Small Congregations
- Steve Welch
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Presented by Mary MacGregor & Canon Jenni Faires • Facilitated by Steve Welch
Invite Welcome Connect – Small Congregations Series
Small congregations play an essential and Spirit-filled role in the life of The Episcopal Church. In the second webinar of Invite Welcome Connect’s Small Congregations Series, presenters Mary MacGregor and Canon Jenni Faires offered practical wisdom, encouragement, and tools for small churches seeking deeper connection, stronger community, and faithful, intentional ministry.
Together, they explored why people are drawn to small churches, how Invite Welcome Connect core values apply uniquely in small congregations, and what it looks like to nurture meaningful belonging in a world marked by isolation and loneliness.
Opening: Grounding in Prayer and Purpose
Mary MacGregor began the session with prayer, anchoring the hour in gratitude for God’s call and for the ministry of connection. She invited participants to see every action—welcoming, listening, empowering—as holy work that serves both visitors and long-time members.
Mary framed the webinar’s objectives clearly:
Review characteristics and realities of small churches
Revisit the core values of Invite Welcome Connect
Explore the epidemic of loneliness and the role of small churches in responding
Discuss why people choose small congregations
Teach the importance of holy listening
Introduce spiritual gifts as a tool for empowering laity
Highlight website resources especially suited to small congregations
Understanding the Landscape of Small Congregations
Canon Jenni Faires offered data and context to remind leaders that they are not alone:
65% of all churches in the U.S. are under 100 members.
Most Episcopalians, however, attend churches with more than 300 people.
The median Episcopal congregation worships 35 people per Sunday.
Most congregations under 100 have limited or no paid staff, relying heavily on lay leadership.
Many small congregations apologize for their size, Jenni noted—especially for “not having many children” or “not having multiple ministries.” She encouraged a reframing:
Instead of saying “We don’t have many children,” say “Children here are known, loved, and involved.”Instead of saying “We don’t have many ministries,” say “Our church is deeply committed to this mission, and if it inspires you, come join us.”
Small churches offer gifts that cannot be manufactured in larger ones: intimacy, deep relationships, adaptability, and shared life.
The Loneliness Epidemic and the Gift of Community
Mary drew from sociologist Brené Brown’s work to describe the “epidemic of loneliness” sweeping America. More people than ever work from home, shop from home, worship from home, and entertain themselves from home. Human connection is shrinking.
Small churches have an extraordinary opportunity:
People come to small congregations because they long to be known, valued, and connected.
When someone walks through the doors of a small church—often after first exploring online—they are seeking community. Mary emphasized that churches must intentionally welcome visitors and follow up with them promptly. A filled-out connect card left untouched sends the message: “You don’t matter.”
Three Types of Connection Every Church Must Offer
Jenni explained that people who visit churches—especially small churches—are seeking connection in three essential areas:
Spiritual Formation
Fellowship & Community Life
Ministry Beyond the Walls (Outreach)
If one of these is missing, visitors will often look elsewhere.
1. Spiritual Formation
This is the area most small churches overlook.Yet:
“Churches that are not offering any biblical or spiritual formation are not growing.”
Formation does not require clergy, PowerPoints, or complex curricula.Simple options include:
Lay-led Bible study
Book groups
Lectionary-based discussions
Using the Episcopal Church’s free Lesson Plans That Work
The key is consistency—providing something people can rely on.
2. Fellowship
Small churches excel at this, but Jenni encouraged thinking beyond coffee hour:
Monthly “dinner out” nights at local restaurants
Spiritual hikes using Meetup or local networks
Game nights
Intergenerational events
Trunk-or-treat or seasonal gatherings
The “empty chair” practice—leaving a symbolic chair in meetings to ask: Who could we invite into this circle next?
3. Outreach & Community Visibility
Effective outreach for small churches doesn’t require many ministries—just one strong, clear mission connection.
Jenni suggested two questions:
What are we already doing well that we can strengthen?
Does our community know we exist?
She offered an easy monthly rhythm: One internal event each month + one external event each month.
This keeps congregations balanced between caring for their members and engaging their communities.
Connection Begins with Holy Listening
Mary emphasized one of the most profound practices of Invite Welcome Connect: Holy Listening.
Too often congregations see newcomers as “volunteers we need to plug in.”But holy listening requires:
Meeting newcomers for coffee or conversation
Asking open-hearted questions about their life, their story, their faith background
Listening deeply without trying to “sell the church”
Building trust and relationship first
Craig Satterlee writes that holy listening enables us to encounter God in another person.It creates bonds far deeper than surface-level friendliness.
Empowering Laity Through Spiritual Gifts
Small churches depend on lay leadership—because most small churches have no or very limited staff.
Mary reviewed several spiritual gifts inventories available for free through the Invite Welcome Connect Toolkit, highlighting her favorite: Opening Your Spiritual Gifts (ELCA Women).
Spiritual gifts tools help:
individuals discern their God-given gifts
congregations better connect people to meaningful ministry
leaders see new possibilities for mission
new members feel known and valued
Some congregations do spiritual gifts workshops every few years for everyone in the parish—Mary’s own congregation included.
Practical Tools for Small Congregations
Mary closed with a tour of resources available in the Invite Welcome Connect Toolkit, specifically those helpful for small congregations:
Welcome Rite for Newcomers
Liturgy of Belonging
Core Church Assessment Tool
Spiritual Gifts Inventories
Holy Listening Guides
Greeters Ministry Guide (new!)
All tools are free to download.
Invite Welcome Connect On Demand & Upcoming Webinars
Steve Welch closed the session with updates:
Next Webinar: Invite (Evangelism) – January 21
Intro to Invite Welcome Connect: December 11
Register once for the series; recordings are emailed automatically
Invite Welcome Connect offers a robust On Demand training platform
Subscriptions available for dioceses or individual congregations
Includes video training, downloadable resources, and guided exercises
All details and free resources can be found at InviteWelcomeConnect.com.
Resources Referenced in the Webinar
(All links are live and publicly accessible.)
Invite Welcome Connect Resources
IWC Toolkit (free resources for Invite, Welcome, Connect)
Liturgy of Belonging (article + video)
Walking the Way of Love Together webinar slides
Episcopal Church Formation Resources
Lesson Plans That Work (children, youth & adult formation—free)
Evangelism 101 Resources (storytelling & training)
Referenced Tools for Connection
Meetup (for spiritual hikes & community gatherings)
Contact & Support
Invite Welcome Connect general contact Steve Welch – steve@invitewelcomeconnect.com
Small Church Support (Diocese of Southwestern Virginia) Canon Jenni Faires – jfaires@dioswva.org
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