THE REV. LES CARPENTER is a long-time parish priest who is also an improviser. He is a noted speaker on the connection between ministry, leadership, and pastoral care and how those intersect with the practice of improv. Les is the Rector of St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church in a Northwest suburb of Houston. He lives in Houston, Texas.

“Les Carpenter writes with vigor and infectious enthusiasm. What starts as a series of new techniques becomes a whole attitude to life. Improvisation is a way to live as a community, as a person, and as a church that opens up limitless possibilities for adventure and faithfulness.”—The Rev. Samuel Wells, Vicar, St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London, UK, and author of Improvisation: The Drama of Christian Ethics

“Scripture, Tradition, Reason . . . and Improvisation? Our churches need new skills, right now, and Les Carpenter is here to teach them with fresh clarity and copious joy!”—Shyla Ray Hungerford, Improviser and Instructor, and Originator of the Station Theater and the Trill Comedy Festival

“This book will help everyone who longs to find the mystery of God’s presence in everyday experience—both church insiders and those who care about the life of the Spirit set loose in the world.”—The Rev. Paul Fromberg, Rector of St. Gregory of Nyssa Episcopal Church, San Francisco,and author of The Art of Disruption: Improvisation and the Book of Common Prayer

“Faithful mission is always improvisational. When done right, we take God’s good news out into our communities and share in response to what our communities have first said to us. Les’s work on this subject is timely and critical.”—Jason Evans, Canon for Mission, Episcopal Diocese of San Diego