Congregational Development
Grow Church:DCDI is our congregational development training program in the Diocese of West Virginia, offered in partnership with Diocesan Church Development Institute. This ministry will teach models for interpreting the culture of each congregation, invite lay and clergy participation to address the needs of their community with fresh eyes, build on the strengths already present, and develop future planning and programs around shared values.
What is DCDI?
The Diocesan Church Development Institute (DCDI) is a leadership training program focused on developing the spiritual community and organizational life of congregations. It equips leaders to serve their congregation through a highly integrated training experience that engages participants in the issues and dynamics that they face as leaders. DCDI is a program for clergy and lay leaders who desire to transform their congregations by making them stronger, healthier, more deeply rooted in Anglican Spirituality, more responsive to God, and more effective in their communities.
DCDI provides the foundation for Grow Church, and we will tailor their program to meet the specific needs of the Diocese of West Virginia.
Who does it impact?
Individuals – in spiritual formation, expanding self-awareness, leadership skills, and ability to work in teams
Congregations – in defining clarity of purpose, encouraging healthy dynamics, and intentional development
Diocese – in providing a common theory base, along with the tools and skills of congregational development that build a critical mass of healthy congregations.
Grow Church is for laity and clergy alike. Individuals, whether lay or clergy, are welcome to sign up; we particularly encourage congregations to send teams to Grow Church so that participants may share their learning together and have a deeper impact in their parish.
What does the Grow Church program look like?
Grow Church is a two-year program that gathers four times per year (eight times over two years) for overnight meetings. Programming kicks off Friday morning and runs through Saturday midday, with participants departing in the early afternoon following lunch.
Each overnight event will focus on forming participants as a community and as members of the Diocese of West Virginia, teach congregational development skills, and offer opportunities for continued spiritual formation and worship.
Learning modules focus on topics including parish dynamics, trust development, understanding and addressing conflict, faith sharing and evangelism, spirituality and the Daily Office, and more. As participants continue in the program, they’ll take the skills they’ve learned in Grow Church and apply them by undertaking projects designed to address specific needs in their home parishes.
What is the cost of Grow Church?
For 2024-2025, Grow Church costs $750 per person. This includes all materials and meals for participants at the four yearly gatherings. New this year: the price also includes overnight accommodations for three of our gatherings; individuals are responsible for their own accommodations for the first weekend. Checks may be made payable to the Diocese of West Virginia with “Grow Church” in the memo. Please note: the full cost of the Grow Church program is approximately $50,000 and is significantly subsidized by the Diocesan budget. Some scholarship funds are available through the Diocese; we encourage congregations to help offset costs for participants whenever possible.
What are the dates and locations for Grow Church 2024-2025?
October 4-5, 2024, at St. Matthew’s, Charleston (attendees responsible for overnight accommodations)
December 13-14, 2024, at the John XXIII Center in Charleston
February 28-March 1, 2025, at the John XXIII Center in Charleston
May 2-3, 2025 at the John XXIII Center in Charleston
For more information about Congregational Development, please contact The Rev. Canon Jordan Trumble.
