Let’s get real.
Our church is getting smaller, older, less powerful, and less rich. We’ve seen the numbers. We’ve read the articles. It can be hard to know where hope fits into that picture.
But hope is our calling as Chrstians.
And I can’t think of a better season than Advent to celebrate the hope embodied by the Iona Collaborative. It’s important to be clear about where that hope lies. Hope does not arrive through strength or scale, but through faithfulness. The power of small that we champion is not wishful thinking. It is not denial, and it is not a matter of trying harder with less.
We believe in the power of small because God does.
Small church living teaches us this Gospel truth again and again.
- Show up.
- Share what you have.
- Trust God to do the rest.
This is Christian hope in a nutshell. It is simple, but far from easy.
Christian hope requires practice, and our mission at the Iona Collaborative is to equip and support small churches and their lay and ordained ministers with robust formation curricula that connect education and practice, as well as continuing education courses from trusted teachers and trainers. Our research-backed resources, designed with small church congregations and their leaders in mind, offer tools for trailblazing toward a future and into a world that needs Christian hope more than ever.
This year, we invite our Iona network of faith leaders, congregations, and ministry partners to continue this work of celebrating, preaching, and proclaiming the Gospel of Hope.
Join us in this holy work, and help carry Christian hope into the year ahead.
Rev. Nandra Perry, PhD
Director, Iona Collaborative
Vicar, St. Philip’s Episcopal Church | Hearne, TX
