"I left the conference with more a feeling of hope for the future and tools with which to make it
happen. Many, highly-involved, and thoughtful people participated."
"The workshop on mergers and closings was the best!"
"The opportunity to think through these issues with other motivated and creative people was
terrific."
"I was impressed by all of the activity and thought regarding necessary church building
changes including closings and alternative uses of space."
"I really liked the small step idea. It focused our attention on actually taking action."
"For me it was Tom Ely's presentation on how a Diocese can move toward green that was most
useful. All the speakers were good and it was all useful. Thanks for organizing this. Timing is
right."
"I was impressed by the inclusive participation -- from the congregational level, diocesan level
and on up. I was also pleased at the ecumenical participation of the ELCA and Disciples of
Christ."
"Bud Cederholm and Steve Pierce's workshop was worth the trip. The sharing of real church
experiences and documents was extraordinary. It was an example of a well thought out and
prepared presentation."
From "Recasting Building Assets," Diocese of Iowa
"The overall process has been very useful, providing a structure and the motivation for parish
leadership to guide important reflection in preparation for calling clergy, as well as in making
capital expenditure decisions."
"You all have done a great job helping rather diverse groups at the same time. It is hard work
and with the travel you have on top of it, it is exhausting. Thanks for all your insight and
energy."
"I have found the whole process interesting and exciting. I am hopeful and optimistic about the
outcome for St. Anne's. We could not have accomplished this on our own. Having the support
and guidance of ECBF and the community of other parishes has made this attempt at making
change move forward unlike all the stalled attempts of the past. There is an energy behind this
I have never seen before."
"I felt very comfortable at the meeting and feel that Julie and Sally were very relaxed during
the meeting. But I feel that YOU did a BANG UP JOB."
"I am still excited! I very briefly reported to the Bishop today about the honesty and transparency of the group and how quickly we got there when so many didn't know each other before
Friday."
