After a deeply thoughtful discernment process, fifteen congregations have been invited to join the inaugural cohort of Holy Ground for Whole Communities, a three-year diocesan initiative that weaves together ministry, ecology, justice, and community engagement.
The response to this new program has been overwhelming in the very best way. Nearly 20% of our congregations applied — a remarkable sign of God’s transforming work among us and the growing desire to imagine our land, buildings, and ministries as sacred gifts entrusted for the flourishing of all. Each application carried a unique expression of vocation, calling, and readiness. What we witnessed was not just interest — but Spirit-filled momentum.
And while fifteen congregations will begin this journey in 2026, we are equally grateful for the two congregations who discerned a faithful choice to defer to Cohort 2. Their early commitment means that next year’s cohort is already taking shape, laying the groundwork for a rhythm of learning and transformation that will unfold across our diocese year after year. Their “not yet” is its own form of readiness — an affirmation that the Holy Ground movement is larger than a single cohort, a single year, or a single expression of ministry.
As Program Manager for HGWC, it has been one of the deepest honors of my ministry to write and send these acceptance letters. I will admit, I shed tears — holy, hopeful tears — as I pressed “send.” To share this news is to glimpse a future in which our diocese lives more fully into God’s mission: loving our neighbors, stewarding creation, and renewing our communities with imagination and courage.
In a world marked by uncertainty and fragmentation, this work is a blessing — a reminder that God is still doing something new among us. We are invited to participate. We are invited to hope.
This initiative is made possible through the generous support of the Lilly Endowment and through the partnership of Plainsong Farm & Ministry, Partners for Sacred Places, and our amazing diocesan staff.
To the fifteen congregations beginning this transformative journey: welcome.
To the two who are waiting with intention for Cohort 2: your readiness strengthens the whole.
To the congregations considering applying for future years: we are excited to welcome you when the time is right.
To the whole diocese: may this moment remind us that hope is contagious, and that renewal is already unfolding among us.
I am grateful — for the privilege of walking this path, for the joy of this work, and for the bright horizon we are approaching together.
In gratitude,
Jess
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Dr. Jess Kidder
Program Manager, Holy Ground for Whole Communities
Episcopal Diocese of the Great Lakes