Parish Outreach Guide

Reimagine Outreach. Together.

How do we move from vision to action?

A Parish resource to understand local needs, discern how to respond, and launch your outreach.

QUICK LINKS

VISION

Across the Anglican Church in North America, parishes of all shapes and sizes are asking the same questions:

> How do we move from vision to action?

> How do we do outreach that fits who we are and where we are?

> How do we invite our whole church—not just a few—into this work of justice and mercy and mission?

The Parish Outreach Discernment Tool was developed in response to those questions. Designed for clergy, staff, and lay leaders, this resource guides your parish through a reflective, prayerful process of learning, listening, brainstorming, and planning as a community. The goal is not just a new outreach program—but a shared understanding, renewed energy, and a clear, realistic path forward that your whole church can support.

This tool helps surface what God is already doing in your midst, equips your leaders to listen well, and supports your congregation in discerning a faithful next step—together. This is not a one-size-fits-all strategy. It’s a flexible process shaped by the Spirit and grounded in the life of your particular church and context.

HOW TO DO IT

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This guide is meant to give you a place to start as you discern how your parish will practice mercy and justice in your community. We encourage you to take walk through the steps with prayerful discernment. This is not a one-size fits all process, but it is a path that other ACNA churches have taken that has proven helpful and we hope it is for you!

BEST PRACTICES

  • If you simply identify one single person to lead this community, the health of the group will rise and fall on the health of the leader.

    When you create a small leadership team, everyone can share in the work. As you identify the initiatives your church will launch, you can invite “champions” on to the team to champion that cause.

  • It is so important to take into account the ways in which your congregation already cares about their greater community. Are there justice and mercy practitioners in your pews? What are they doing? Even if your church does not end up “championing” their organizations, how can you encourage and support them in the work they are doing?

    By hosting listening sessions, you are giving your community buy-in. This is key to long-term sustainable service.

  • Make sure the Champions that you invite to the team have a strong desire to serve in this particular way (immigration, food justice, prison ministry, etc.) The commitment of your Champions is the key to launching and continuing a strong Parish Outreach Ministry.

  • Encourage your leadership team and champions to commit to serving the church for one year (Sept-August). Offer a feedback survey at the end of the spring and ask if they want to recommit the following year.

TIPS & ADVICE

  • Do not feel the need to rush this process. Long term success depends on building a strong team and positive relationships with community partners. Proceed with prayer and as the Lord leads.

    We’ve provided you with a sample timeline of building out your Parish Outreach in a year. This might feel like a long time, but in our experience this is the minimum amount of time it takes to honor the discernment process and foster sustainable growth.

  • Build list of community partners, collecting info on type, location, volunteer capacity, etc. Consider overlap of listening session results and community partner details in order to find connections with high potential. Then reach out organizations to learn more about capacity for volunteers and interest in partnering with your church.

  • We have found that the power of parish outreach is community.

    One way to facilitate this is to create a chat group for leadership team and champions. Text, WhatsApp, and GroupMe are the most popular tools for quick messages, and Facebook groups work well too.

    Plan socials for your team to encourage collaboration and engagement. Mercy and Justice is FUN!

    Note: "Official" communication such as events and group opportunities for the entire church often also go out via email or more formal channels.

  • No one can do everything. Everyone can do something.

    A big vision is amazing! A single step forward is better. We too would love to see a large thriving ministry in your church. We'd also love to see even one person in your community cared for because of your intentional care.

    Start small. Then grow as God brings volunteers, resources, and opportunities your way.

Sample slides for justice and mercy initiative launch

Agenda for meeting with small groups to capture parish-wide input

Justice & Mercy development tool example

MINISTRY PARTNER

Church of the Cross, Boston

Church of the Cross is an Anglican church in Boston that meets right next to Fenway Park. The parish recently relaunched its Justice and Mercy initiatives and, in the process, created a practical, step-by-step guide for other ACNA churches looking to discern (or re-discern) how you do parish ministry.

We encourage you to check out their website below:

FAQ’S

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Need more help? Have a suggestion for this guide?
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