What is So Special About the College for Congregational Development (CCD)? 

By: The Rev. Canon Giulianna Cappelletti Gray

This question was on my mind when I accepted my new position on Bishop Jennifer’s staff as Canon to the Ordinary for Congregational Development and Leadership in March. While I had done lots of work and training with related content, I was uninitiated in the College for Congregational Development (CCD) universe until this summer when I took a deep dive into three weeks of CCD in three different locations.

In this article, I will share a little about my learnings about CCD and highlight several key takeaways that have convinced me that the College for Congregational Development is a valuable tool for us who are seeking to build up the Body of Christ in our local contexts. 

Learnings about CCD

The College for Congregational Development (CCD, sometimes referred to as “The College”) was developed in 2007 in the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia (a region covering the western portion of Washington State). CCD incorporates organizational development and congregational development theories, models, and best practices into a training program for lay and clergy leaders to support the vitality of churches of all sizes and contexts. CCD strives to offer tools to assist congregations in being faithful, healthy, and effective.

The content is organized into two intensive week-long trainings that are interactive, remarkably low-tech (think large pieces of paper and markers) and wrapped in a pattern of daily prayer. The College for Congregational Development’s Year A Curriculum focuses on the spiritual life of the leader and community. In contrast, the Year B Curriculum focuses more outwardly and includes site visits to area congregations. 

Key Takeaways

I was privileged to attend CCD Year A as a participant in Seabeck, Washington, this June as they were rolling out the most recently updated version of their curriculum. The time we spent in plenary sessions, small group conversions, and during meals provided rich opportunities for connection around shared ideas and hopes about how God has been showing up in our lives and the Episcopal Church in various places around the country. 

A few weeks later, I attended CCD Year B on the other side of the country in the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland. I was grateful to have had the opportunity to learn the Year B content, which was greatly enhanced by the stories shared throughout the week by members of congregations that are urban and rural, large and small, and widely diverse. 

I came to appreciate the College for Congregational Development after my fast track through Year A and Year B early this summer. However, I began to really love the program as I walked through our own Year B, which we hosted here at the Waycross Camp and Conference Center from July 21st to July 26th, 2024! 

When we hosted CCD Year B in the Diocese of Indianapolis last month, I saw powerful things happen. Groups of clergy and laity had time together to share meals, listen deeply to one another’s stories, and dream together of new hopes for how their churches might faithfully move into the challenges and opportunities of the future. 

Join us for CCD in 2025

Each week-long experience of the College for Congregational Development invites participants into a collaborative learning environment infused with curiosity, including the wisdom of all in attendance. Rather than assuming leadership skills are for only those who embody specific roles, the program is built on a conviction that all people can become mature practitioners of congregational development. Facilitation skills and tips for creating and maintaining healthy small groups are taught to each person in attendance at CCD. 

While individuals are welcome to attend the College for Congregational Development, congregational teams are encouraged to register for CCD together as small groups. This model’s brilliance is that it provides teams with tools and dedicated time to work together on shared interventions, which they will then take back to their home congregations. Teams work together on shared goals, and the time is ideally one of rich preparation for project work that will continue in our local contexts once CCD is over. 

CCD truly is a training program for all ministers in the church, which means it is for all baptized. Part of our call as Christians is to keep learning and to keep growing. I am delighted that the Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis has committed to offering this program. 

As we open our registration for Year A of the College for Congregational Development, please consider registering yourself and a small group from your local community in our program in July 2025. If you would like more information about CCD, please contact me. I will be happy to answer any questions you may have and put you in touch with other CCD practitioners who can tell you more about this program and how it is helping them make an impact in their home congregations!