Leaders Gather for the Annual Missional Planning Summit

On Saturday, June 13, ordained and lay leaders from across New England gathered at All Saints Cathedral for the Diocese's annual Missional Planning Summit — a day devoted to seeking the Lord's heart for His Church in our region.

The day began with worship and ended with a Eucharist. In between, ADNE's Chief Operating Officer, Josh Vanada, opened the working session by leading attendees through a prayerful and prophetic time of discernment, inviting churches to listen for God's vision, mission, values, and long-term direction for their communities. Bishop Drew then walked alongside church leaders, helping each congregation craft vision statements that are clear, compelling, and firmly anchored in the love, grace, mercy, and sufficiency of Jesus Christ.

In the afternoon, the focus shifted from vision to execution. Each church team translated their discerned vision into a concrete plan of action — practical next steps for living out God's calling in their local context.

The Summit was a powerful reminder of God's promise and His invitation to do more than we could ask or imagine. As churches across New England carry these renewed visions home, we give thanks for leaders willing to pause, pray, listen, and strategize for the work the Lord is doing and desires to continue among us.

Please join us in praying that the Lord would establish the work of our hands.

In their own words:

Bishop Drew: “It truly was one of the best summits we have led. Josh did a phenomenal job of pulling from our hearts the Lord’s bigger dream for His church - and getting that on paper so we can all see where we are going and how we each contribute.”

Rev. Canon Ben Guiffrida (ADNE Safeguarding Director and Rector, Church of the Apostles, RI): "This year our team from Apostles came to Missional Planning unsure what the Lord was going to say to us. As we spent time together ahead of the event and at the cathedral, what we discovered was that the Lord had been putting on our hearts a similar mission and vision. Working with the team from ADNE helped us to put words to what we were feeling. Looking ahead, we feel more prepared than in past years to do the work the Lord has prepared for us."

Rev. Dr. JP Llarazza (One Church, NY): “Missional Planning was a powerful, Spirit-led process that enabled our team to clearly define and align our vision, mission and values with our ministry goals. By creating a concrete 12-month plan in conjunction with a long-term 10-year vision, it will undoubtedly serve as a long-term tool to maintain our team’s unity and collaboration in participating with Jesus on his mission. We left super prepared to lean into the vision and mission God has given us. Thankful for Josh and the team!”