Small Church Voices Newsletter

From the Iona Collaborative

Welcome to the inaugural issue of Small Church Voices!

Here at Iona Collaborative, we believe in the power of small. Through our Lilly-funded Thriving in Bi-Vocational Ministry and Thriving Bi-Vocational Congregations Programs, we are learning so much from the small-church leaders and congregations in our cohorts about how to adapt, travel light, and use what we have to share the Gospel in our rapidly changing world. We think everyone should hear this good news!


We are launching Small Church Voices to celebrate all the exciting ways small congregations and their leaders are innovating for the Church of the future. Every month, we will feature inspiring stories from small-church leaders or congregations in the Iona Collaborative network. We'll also spread the word about upcoming opportunities for conversation and continuing education through Seminary of the Southwest and share some small-church resources you can use right away. We hope you and your small-church friends and colleagues will join us on this new adventure. Please forward this newsletter widely and send us your own stories about the power of small. 


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Ministry Spotlight: Peggy Cromwell

They say it’s tough to preach to the hometown crowd, but at St. Nicholas Episcopal Church in Maumelle, Arkansas, Peggy Cromwell is doing just that.


“St. Nicholas is my home church. I left when I went into my Iona training in 2013. I was gone for almost 10 years. They supported me, would see me in town, and check in on me. Some are close personal friends. Every time they saw me, they said, ‘When are you coming back?’"


Peggy & her spouse, Liz Adams @ Central AR Pride Parade


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The St. Nicholas congregation at the local 4th of July celebration. Bottles of water are handed out to those enjoying the festivities every year.

Peggy in the pulpit at St. Nicholas Episcopal in Maumelle, AR on the first Sunday of Advent,

December 3, 2023.

Featured Resource

The Rev. Nathan Jennings, Professor of Liturgics and Anglican Studies & Director of Community Worship at Seminary of the Southwest shares how to use Morning Prayer as the primary service on a Sunday morning. Click the link below or the image to the left to watch the video.


Using Morning Prayer for Sunday Morning Worship

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