302.256.0374

Parish Communications Conference 2026
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Parish Communications Conference 2026

302.256.0374

Parish Communications Conference 2026
Home
|
Parish Communications Conference 2026

Friday, March 27, 2026
9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Christ Church, Dover

Come ready to learn, share, and get inspired.
Together, we’ll elevate the ways we
communicate the Good News.

conference, lunch, snacks — $25
brought to you by the communications team
in the Episcopal Church in Delaware

Registration Here

SPEAKERS:

Mary Grace Donohoe
New York

Dustin Jesudason
Texas

Parish Communications Conference 2026

We’ll work in real time, building a campaign from scratch — whether it’s a fundraising appeal,
marketing push, pledge drive, or a “we really need to fix that” campaign — live and together.

The learning will be practical, hands-on, and designed for the realities of parish life.
Plus, you’ll take home a ready-to-use template to kick off your own campaign.

Core Skills in Action:

  • Design and run a complete fundraising or communications campaign from start to finish

  • Understand church-friendly CRM and database options

  • Track gifts, measure progress, and report clearly along the way

  • Create a realistic communications timeline that matches your parish’s actual capacity

  • Write strong, consistent campaign messaging in an authentic parish or rector voice

  • Use AI tools (Gemini and ChatGPT) responsibly to brainstorm ideas and draft campaign content

Register Here

Tools You’ll Use:

  • CRM systems—what they are and how churches use them to manage relationships and giving

  • Mass email platforms such as Mailchimp and Constant Contact for effective campaign communication

  • Brand basics, including using your parish’s existing brand or the diocesan brand when helpful

  • Canva, for creating on-brand graphics, generating QR codes, and making giving easier

  • ChatGPT and Gemini, to brainstorm ideas and draft emails, letters, slogans, and campaign messaging

  • Adobe Firefly, for image generation and creating compelling campaign visuals

But, wait ... there's more

Table Topics:

Small-group conversations where you can ask specific questions, troubleshoot challenges, and learn directly from experienced practitioners.

  • Livestream
    Bring your questions. Your glitches. Your “why isn’t this working?” moments. Sit down with a livestream expert and get practical guidance tailored to your parish.
  • Social Media
    Not sure which platform fits your church? We’ll talk honestly about what works — and what may not work as well anymore. Some strategies that carried us through COVID don’t always reach people the same way today. Join the conversation and explore smarter, more sustainable approaches with a social media expert.
  • Canva
    Using this graphic tool already — or just looking forward to getting started? This is your chance to ask questions about design, templates, branding, and making the most of this free and powerful tool for parishes.

Strategy Lab:

The Strategy Lab will be a focused session to raise your toughest communication questions and talk through practical solutions with experienced leaders and colleagues.

Featured Speakers / Trainers

Mary Grace Donohoe
New York

Mary Grace (or MG) is a strategic communications expert with over nine years of experience managing traditional and digital communications for faith-inspired nonprofits.

As the Communications Manager for Strategy, Positioning, and Partnerships at Episcopal Divinity School, she leverages over nine years of experience to ensure communications is more than a series of tools and tasks, but rather essential to mission and vision for a more just world. Central to her work is elevating voices excluded and undervalued by the church and reaching emerging audiences with cutting edge theological education offerings.

MG oversees program publicity, public relations, social media, and the brand and voice of EDS and its leadership, and collaborates closely with her colleague in communications, Dustin Jesudason.

Mary Grace previously served as Communications Manager for the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island and for Religions for Peace International, a representative multi-religious organization with a presence in nearly 100 countries. She previously consulted with Red Letter Christians, a national movement at the intersection of Jesus and justice. She holds a B.A. in Political Science/International Relations and Religious Studies from Stonehill College.

Dustin Jesudason
Texas

Dustin is the Communications Manager for Digital Media and Stakeholder Engagement at Episcopal Divinity School. He helps advance communications by shaping strategy and managing content across digital platforms, events, and internal and external channels.

Dustin oversees the website, monthly newsletter, multimedia, and the YouTube channel, as well as leads promotion and technical coordination for in-person and livestreamed events. He works closely with leadership, the board of trustees, the programs team, and coordinates alum communications. His role ensures mission is communicated clearly, creatively, and consistently and collaborates closely with his colleague in communications, Mary Grace Donohoe. 

Dustin served as the Director of Communications/Creative Director at Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church in Houston, TX for the eleven years. He also serves on the board of Episcopal Communicators. Prior to working in the Episcopal church, he worked in media relations in the oil and gas industry, as well as in fundraising and development for the Houston Methodist Hospital Foundation and the Menil Collection. He studied video production and computer information systems management at Houston Christian University.

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