Our strategy moving into the future.

Partnerships: We will strengthen our existing partnerships with the Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation and Offender Aid and Restoration, and be alert to new partnerships and opportunities through the Episcopal Public Policy Network. We should follow on policy work being done by our partners instead of attempting to undertake de novo policy efforts. We will partner with the Consortium of Endowed Episcopal Parishes (CEEP) and take part in a pilot program for testing a new parish learning resource for Racial Justice and Reconciliation in the late fall. We will also be open to new, additional partnerships.

Education: We will commit to offering opportunities for education throughout the year for our adults, youth, and children. Clergy and lay leaders will continue to present Adult Formation topics on racial justice and extend invitations to topical speakers. We will create a fund to be used for formation activities focused on racial justice, named for the enslaved person(s) associated with TFCE. This fund could be used to support a yearly speaker event commemorating Juneteenth. We will partner with the Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation to participate in yearly Juneteenth Commemoration activities. TFCE staff and clergy will support the formation of book clubs for interested congregants. Our church will also participate in the Sacred Ground initiative of the Episcopal Church. Our archives ministry will commit to ensuring that People of Color associated with our church’s history are represented in our church tour materials and brochures.

Community: We will create and pay for a banner or series of banners to be placed on church property that makes clear our church’s stance on loving our neighbors as ourselves, striving for justice and peace among all people, and respecting the dignity of every human being. We will continue to support and actively participate in community racial justice events. We will look to strengthen our relationship with more diverse Episcopal congregations and continue to support Rock Christian leadership during this time of physical separation. We will prayerfully consider how we can broaden the diversity within our own congregation. Finally, we will expand an existing fund to offset tuition costs at the Falls Church Episcopal Day School to ensure that our children are exposed to more diversity at an early age.

Ministry/Leadership: We will establish a racial justice ministry with strong lay leadership to ensure it is sustained and successful for years to come. We will commit to identifying future vestry leaders that will be passionate about racial justice. We will commit to ensuring that our vestry reflects the diversity of our congregation and community. Additionally, the vestry and staff of TFCE will commit to yearly diversity and implicit bias training.

Images: We will commit to including images that are more diverse when promoting and advertising church programs and projects.

Prayers: And finally we will pray so that our prayers have feet and arms and eyes and hands!