Bishops' letter on Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School shooting
Dear Companions in Christ in the Episcopal Church in Connecticut:
We are writing in the wake of Wednesday's shooting at the Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. We have connected with Bishop Peter Eaton of the Diocese of Southeast Florida and have offered our prayers and assistance as a diocese who has, sadly, experienced, a similar tragedy here in Connecticut.
Here is a statement and call to action from Bishops United Against Gun Violence
- a network of over seventy Episcopalian bishops committed to overcoming the scourge of gun-violence in our country. Bishops Douglas and Ahrens are founding members of Bishops United Against Gun Violence, and Bishop Douglas serves as a co-convener of the network. We commend the statement from Bishops United Against Gun Violence and encourage participation in its recommendations for reflection and action.
Faithfully in the peace of Christ,
The Rt. Rev. Ian T. Douglas The Rt. Rev. Laura J. Ahrens
Bishop Diocesan Bishop Suffragan
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Registration now open for ECCT's Spring Training & Gathering, April 7
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Join Episcopalians from across the Episcopal Church in Connecticut for a day of fellowship, learning, prayer and fun. All are welcome - people in the pews to vestry members to parish leaders and staff. Please register early, over 300 people participated last year!
Saturday, April 7 from 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. at Lincoln Middle School, Meriden, CT
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Register early for the Connecticut suicide prevention conference, May 1 in New Haven
The 2018 Connecticut suicide prevention conference titled
Inspiring Hope: Coming Together for Suicide Prevention
, will be May 1 at the Omni Hotel in New Haven. There is no fee to attend the conference. Continental breakfast & lunch will be provided. Registration is required and the event will fill up early.
Please register today!
In addition to keynote and plenary presentations by national speakers
Dr. Michael Hogan
, National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, and
Dr. DeQuincy Lezine
, American Association of Suicidology, attendees will have the opportunity to hear from a Survivors' Panel, attend one of five inspiring and helpful workshops, network, and visit interactive Jordan Porco Foundation
Fresh Check
booths and several vendor tables.
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Resources including discussion questions, daily meditations, and videos are available
here
. Join the discussion on social media throughout #ECCT by commenting on our daily and weekly (Saturday afternoon) posts. Be sure to follow ECCT on Facebook (
link here
) and Twitter (
link here
) to participate!
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Faithful Futures, March 1 - Building Revival:
Workshop on Reimagining Church Facility-Use
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On Thursday, March 1 at 6:30 p.m., a panel of leaders from four ECCT parishes will share stories about the ways their building, parking lot, or green space have helped to both generate income and support God’s mission in the larger community.
Breakout sessions on creative facility-uses will follow. Learn from other parishes’ risks, parish successes and challenges. Gain inspiration from their facility-use stories and consider what might be effective in your own community.
Please register today via
Eventbrite
. Participation is limited to 5 attendees per parish. Registration is free. Questions? Contact
Lize Bickley
.
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Annual Mission Conference: March 3
Talks: International Mission; Disaster Relief; Local Mission PLUS: How-to's & networking
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Join the Companions in Mission Ministry Network on March 3 from 8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. at St. John's, West Hartford for GO!
The day will begin with Dwelling in the Word, followed by three short talks, concluding with an o
pportunity to network and attend two sessions on equipping for mission.
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What's happening in the Regions:
- Check the Facebook page for details!
- St. John's, Vernon Music Series Presents: Elqui Trio, Music of South America - March 4 at 4 p.m. - Click to see poster
- February 24 - 2018 Southwest Region Winter Convocation - Saint Paul's, Fairfield | Click here to register
- March 18 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. come join Christians from around the South Central Region for conversation, prayer, and fellowship at New England Brewing Co (175 Amity Rd Woodbridge CT). Hungry for fellowship, community, and a taste of craft beer? So are we! Come and be fed; come and share community; come and see.
- February 24, 2018: Joan Phelps and Rachel Thomas will lead a quiet morning at St. Ann's, Old Lyme. From 8:30am - 12:30pm. "Bread for our Journey, in Lent and in Life." Call St. Ann's to register: 860-434-1621 or email.
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Job openings may be found
here on the website
. NOTE: Applicants will be able to submit their resume and cover letter to the contact person directly from the ECCT website, if that option is chosen by the person submitting the position for posting.
For open Clergy positions please click
here
.
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Announcements & Reminders
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Please continue to fill out the parish/worshiping community survey for the ECCT database
A survey was launched in July 2017 to provide robust data on parishes, along with policies and procedures to make some of that data available for direct collaboration among parishes and worshiping communities.
Thanks so much to the following churches that completed their survey since the last announcement:
Church of the Epiphany, Durham and Christ Church, Ansonia
!
Would you like to see the beta version of the "expanded parish directory" that this data helps to produce? We have not heard from all parishes yet and there is more data cleanup and directory formatting that we're addressing. Also, FYI, data on clergy is pulled from a separate database. Comments welcome.
Click here for a PDF.
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Parochial Reports due March 1!
ECCT parish vestry members, admins, and clergy may
find the report here
, each parish must log in with the UEID and PIN that has been mailed to the parish office.
- NEW SESSION: Feb 26 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
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Register for Evangelism Matters Conference
Don’t miss the registration for the next
Evangelism Matters
, an Episcopal Evangelism Conference on March 15 - 17 in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, for anyone excited to learn about sharing and growing loving, liberating, life-giving relationships with God. Registration is available in English
here
. Para registrarse en español, haga clic
aquí
.
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Happening, a spiritual weekend for teens,
March 16-18
Happening is a renewal weekend for teenagers in grades 10 – 12, a weekend full of fun, games, sharing, surprises, and a time of spiritual renewal & empowerment. Teens worship, play, sing, & talk about God’s place in their lives.
Please contact
George Roberts
if you have questions or are interested in registering. The cost for the weekend is $150 and you can register
here
.
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Equipping and Empowering God's Women: A Way Forward
Conference, March 24
Join the Women's Ministry Network for a conference celebrating International Women's Day, March 24 at Christ Church Cathedral, Hartford. The program begins at 9:00 a.m. and will go until 1:30 p.m. What's to be expected: panelist speakers, conversations, workshops, Eucharist, and lunch. The Rev. Winnie Varghese, the Priest for Justice and Reconciliation at Trinity Wall Street, will preach - All are welcome.
More information here
, registration now open
here
.
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Monastic Immersion Program at SSJE
Interns are single men and women (age 22-30), who desire a time of vocational discernment, spiritual reflection, or a period of sustained service that is slightly off the beaten path. Interns live in the Monastery Guesthouse in Cambridge, MA, join the Brothers in daily worship, and assist with various aspects of the community’s ministry of hospitality. Interns also engage in robust theological and personal reflection guided by Brothers and meet regularly with spiritual directors from the SSJE community.
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Events below are coming up in the next few weeks:
ECCT OFFERINGS:
The ECCT calendar is located
here
. It allows you to filter events by category and includes a subscribe link at the bottom of the page. Specific details including locations, times, etc. will also be found there.
- February 21, Commission on Ministry, The Commons
- February 22, Fresh Start, The Commons
- February 22, Resolution 4-9 Work Group, The Commons
- February 22, Standing Committee, The Commons
- February 24, North Central Region Convocation, The Commons
- February 24, Southwest Region Convocation, St. Paul's, Fairfield
- February 26, Parochial Reports 101, The Commons
- February 27, Convention Planning, The Commons
- February 28, Faith & Order, The Commons
- March 1, Recently Ordained Clergy, The Commons
- March 1, Faithful Futures: Building Revival, The Commons
- March 2-3, General Convention Youth Team, Camp Washington
- March 4-10, House of Bishops, Navasota, TX
BISHOPS' VISITS:
- February 25: Bishop Ahrens, St. Mark's, Bridgeport
- March 4: Bishop Douglas, Church of the Epiphany, Southbury
- March 11: Bishop Ahrens, St. Jame's, Danbury; Bishop Douglas, Church of the Epiphany, Southbury
- March 18: Bishop Ahrens, Trinity, Milton; Bishop Douglas, Church of the Holy Spirit, West Haven
- March 25: Bishop Ahrens, Trinity, Hartford; Bishop Douglas, St. Barnabas', Greenwich
- April 1: Bishop Ahrens, St. James', New Haven
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All Parish, Region, and Ministry Network events are posted on
this calendar
.
Below are the upcoming events for the next two weeks. Hosting an event? Please submit
ALL
parish, Region, and Ministry Network events
using this form
,
you may select as many categories that apply to your event as needed. Please indicate which region your event is in by selecting the appropriate region category.
Reach out to the specific parish for event updates, specific locations, and further details.
PLEASE check to see if your event is already on the calendar before you submit it.
PARISH EVENTS:
Regular worship services, including season-specific, will not be listed below.
- February 21, Blues in Lent, St. Mark's, New Canaan
- February 21,Celtic Evening Prayer Service, St. Stephen's, East Haddam
- February 21, Listening For God, St. Stephen's, East Haddam
- February 23, Stations of the Cross and Benediction, Grace, Hartford
- February 24, Lenten Quiet Morning, St. Ann's, Old Lyme
- February 25, Polyphony Concert, St. Francis, Stamford
- February 25, Choral Evensong, St. John's, West Hartford
- February 25, Dinner & a Movie, Dirt!, St. John's, Vernon
- February 25, Healing Service, Holy Trinity, Enfield
- February 27, Recharge your faith, Lenten invitation, Trinity, Wethersfield
- February 28, Blues in Lent, St. Mark's, New Canaan
- March 2, Men's Breakfast, Grace, Stafford Springs
- March 2, Come Walk the Way of the Cross, Grace, Hartford
- March 3, Concert with Ars Longa de la Habana, Christ & Holy Trinity, Westport
- March 4, Pipes Alive! Concert, St. John's, West Hartford
- March 4, Cookies and Characters, Grace, Hartford (yum...)
- March 4, Elqui Trio, Music of South America, St. John's, Vernon
- March 6, Recharge your faith, Lenten invitation, Trinity, Wethersfield
- March 7, Yale Youth Ministry Institution Lunch & Lecture, Yale Divinity, New Haven
- March 7, Blues in Lent, St. Mark's, New Canaan
REGION MEETINGS & EVENTS:
- February 21, Southeast Region: Clericus, St. Mark's, Mystic
- February 24, North Central Region Convocation, The Commons
- February 24, Southwest Region Convocation, St. Paul's, Fairfield
- March 2, Northeast Region Leadership Team Meeting, St. John's, Vernon
- March 31, North Central and South Central Region Confirmations
MINISTRY NETWORK MEETINGS & EVENTS:
- February 26, Faith Behind Bars & Beyond, Lenten series: Breathing Under Water
- March 3, Companions in Mission Ministry Network Conference: Go!
- March 5, Faith Behind Bars & Beyond, Lenten series: Breathing Under Water
- March 24, "Equipping and Empowering God's Women: A Way Forward" Women's Ministry Network Conference
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SAFE CHURCH TRAINING:
The spring safe church schedule for laity is online
here
. If you serve in a parish, you want to make sure your lay leaders attend safe church training or re-certification, if required or recommended for them based on their position. You must register online; registration closes seven days before the session, or when it is full. Sessions with fewer than 10 people registered may be cancelled. Questions? Contact
Deb Kenney
.
Comprehensive (Basic) Safe Church Training
For ordained and lay ministers who have not yet attended a training in Connecticut
- Option 1 - full day, includes lunch
- April 14: St. Michael's, Litchfield - Register here
- Option 2 - hybrid program with online training plus shortened live follow-up
- March 8, 6:30 - 9:00 p.m.: Christ Church Cathedral, Hartford - Register Here
- March 17, 9:00 - 11:30 a.m.: St. David's, Gales Ferry - Register Here
- March 20, 6:30 - 9:00 p.m.: Christ Church, Pomfret - Register Here
- March 24, 9:00 - 11:30 a.m.: St. John's, West Hartford - Register Here
- April 18, 6:30 - 9:00 p.m.: St. John's, Stamford - Register Here
- April 26, 6:30 - 9:00 p.m.: Christ Church, Easton - Register Here
- April 28, 9:00 - 11:30 a.m.: St. Peter's, Hebron - Register Here
- May 19, 9:00 - 11:30 a.m.: Christ Church, Roxbury - Register Here
- May 22, 6:30 - 9:00 p.m.: St. Mary's, Manchester - Register Here
Recertification Training for Lay Persons
For lay ministers who attended a full day of basic safe church training three to five years ago
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