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ABOUT THE PROJECT
In 2023, The Society for the Increase of the Ministry (SIM) and Trinity Church Wall Street discovered a mutual interest in hosting grassroots conversations as both organizations entered further into learning and serving roles exploring what could be achieved at this moment in The Episcopal Church’s effort to reshape paths to leadership.
Walk into the Future is a collaborative two-year project, undertaken by SIM in partnership with Trinity Wall Street, bringing together stakeholders across the Church on the topic of ministry discernment. The project includes both leaders already engaged on these issues as well as those interested in beginning their exploration. The project is carried out in three phases over two years: Gathering Information, Listening Sessions, and Walk into the Future Visioning Session 2025.
Phase I of the project, Gathering Information, began in February 2024 with the distribution of digital questionnaires to diocesan bishops, canons supporting ministry discernment processes, and members of Commissions on Ministry. The questionnaires were sent by email to diocesan bishops and offices, aiming to collect data on current practices and processes involved in the discernment process for ordained ministry in The Episcopal Church. We continue to gather responses to the questionnaires and strongly encourage everyone to participate.
You can view the contents of each questionnaire through the links below:
If you would like to submit a response but are having trouble locating the emails with the links, please email us at info@walkintothefuture.church
Phase II of the project, Listening Sessions, began in October 2024. During this phase, SIM will gather a spectrum of Episcopalian voices sharing their stories of participation in the discernment process for ordained ministry. We are inviting all members of the church whose lives have touched, or been touched by the ordination process to share their unique experiences and journeys. Episcopalians can sign up to share their stories live on Zoom or self-record and submit them on this website.
Phase III of the project, Walk into the Future Visioning, is an in-person dialogue and visioning session. This three-day convening will take place later in 2025 where SIM will present the reports and analysis from the first two phases of the project. During this time, the participating teams will move through a process of story-telling & listening, discernment of common and divergent themes coming through their stories, exercises for identifying and releasing what is no longer working & allowing new ideas to emerge. Following a practice called Walk Into the Future, the teams engage innovation practices in design studio to reimagine the future. The session will conclude with teams presenting their blueprints for the future.