General Convention to consider special legislative resolutions on sexual harassment and exploitation
House of Deputies President Gay Clark Jennings has appointed a special committee that will draft legislation on sexual harassment and exploitation for this summer’s General Convention.
“In January, Presiding Bishop Curry and I called the church to examine its history and end the systemic sexism, misogyny and misuse of power that plague the church just as they corrupt our culture, institutions and governments,” Jennings said. “We asked Episcopalians to consider what roles each of us is called to play in the church’s collective repentance.”
A roster of the special committee is available on the House of Deputies website,
here
.
The officers of the Special Committee are President of the House of Deputies Gay Clark Jennings and the Rev. Ruth Meyers, Ph.D. and there are four subcommittees: theology and language; structural equality; Title IV (clergy disciplinary canons) and training; truth and reconciliation; and, social justice for women.
From Connecticut, the Rev. Molly F. James has been assigned to serve on the Title IV and training subcommittee.
The full House of Deputies press release can be found
here
.
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Call to action from Presiding Bishop
Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop and Primate Michael B. Curry has released a video calling for action to make this country safe. “We must make our country safe because all of us are valuable and we are all children of God.”
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Service of lamentation and remembrance for the victims of Parkland on March 14
- On Wednesday, March 14 at 7 p.m. Christ Church Cathedral in Hartford will hold a service of lamentation and of honoring the 17 victims of the Parkland school shooting. All are encouraged to attend and be with one another to pray and reflect.
- Details on this service included in a more comprehensive eNewsletter here.
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Women's Day Conference & invitation to CT's March For Our Lives in Hartford, March 24
- "Equipping and Empowering God's Women: A Way Forward" a conference celebrating International Women's Day, on March 24 at Christ Church Cathedral, Hartford. Program begins at 9:00 a.m. with worship to conclude at 12:30 p.m. Registration available here.
- After the Conference, all are invited to join the CT - March For Our Lives rally against gun violence. Folks will gather at the Cathedral and march to the State Capital building for the 1:00 p.m. rally. Information is available here.
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Civil Discourse: A Curriculum for Reflection, Consideration, and Discussion
The Office of Government Relations has developed a five-week Civil Discourse Curriculum, focusing on civil discourse and designed for reflection, consideration and discussion.
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The Civil Discourse Curriculum, available at no cost
here,
is a guide for discussions about politics, policy, and legislation, while strengthening our relationships with one another. The five-week program can be used during Lent or any time of the year. The Curriculum is designed for church groups, adult forums, campus ministries and youth groups (not recommended for younger than 14 years old).
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Registration now open for ECCT's Spring Training & Gathering, Saturday April 7
Register today
for the Spring Training & Gathering, a day of fellowship, learning, prayer and fun. All are welcome - people in the pews to vestry members to parish leaders and staff.
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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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What's happening in the Regions:
- Check the Facebook page for details!
- March 9, 7:00 p.m. - Community Discussion on Violence. Free Dinner & Music. Christ Church Cathedral, Hartford (Facebook Event here)
- A Lenten Day of Spiritual Engagement - March 17 - St. Peter's, South Windsor - Click for more info
- March 18 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Conversation, prayer, and fellowship at New England Brewing Co (175 Amity Rd Woodbridge CT).
- March 10, 9:00 a.m. –noon: “Resting in God: Exploring the Practice of Centering Prayer at St. James’ in New London; facilitated by Claire Rusowicz . Register by calling the parish office, 860-443-4989 ($15 requested donation)
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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.
- Music Director, All Saints', Wolcott
- Sexton, St. Paul's, Southington
- Director of Christian Formation for Children and Youth, St. Paul's, Southington
- Minister of Music, Church of the Holy Trinity, Middletown
- Nursery Caregiver, St. John's, Stamford
- Music Director, Christ Church, Trumbull
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 Holy Spirit, West Haven and St. Paul's, Riverside
!
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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Status of Refugees worldwide, in the U.S., and in Connecticut--March 11
Join folks from the Naugatuck Valley and South Central Region on Sunday, March 11 at 1:00 p.m. at Trinity Church, Seymour, 91 Church Street for a conversation with Chris George, the Executive Director of
IRIS: Integrated Refugee & immigrant Services
.
The afternoon conversation will include diving into the status of refugees worldwide, in the U.S., and here in Connecticut.
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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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Bishop's Book Study at Camp Washinton, March 20
Join others at Camp Washington on March 20 at 11:00 a.m., for an hour long book discussion, led by Bishop Laura J. Ahrens, with continued conversation over lunch. The book begin discussed is
Falling Upward by Richard Rohr
. The discussion is open to everyone, even if you have not read the book! Please
see this flyer
for more information!
There is no cost to attend, however, registration is required via
Eventbrite
.
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Adult Retreat with Sophfronia Scott, March 23 - 24
In this insightful program, novelist and essayist Sophfronia Scott will facilitate a weekend of reading, writing, and discovery, writing your own spiritual story.
More information and tickets available on
Evenbrite
.
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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.
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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.
- March 4-10, House of Bishops, Navasota, TX
- March 8, Finance Committee Meeting, The Commons
- March 8, Deacons Council Meeting, Zoom meeting
- March 9,-11, Deacon Formation Retreat
- March 13, Provisional Priest in Charge Gathering, The Commons
- March 13, Convention Planning Meeting, The Commons
- March 14, General Convention Deputation Meeting, Christ Church Cathedral, Hartford
- March 14, Service of Lament and Remembrance for Parkland victims, Christ Church Cathedral, Hartford
- March 15, Fresh Start meeting, The Commons
- March 15, Retired Clergy Meeting, The Commons
- March 15, Resolution 4-9 Work Group, The Commons
- March 15, Standing Committee, The Commons
- March 17, Leadership Gathering, The Commons
- March 20, Bishop's Book Study, Camp Washington
- March 20, Missional and Conditional Priests in Charge Gathering, The Commons
BISHOPS' VISITS:
- March 11: Bishop Ahrens, St. Jame's, Danbury
- 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.
- 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
- March 9, Come Walk the Way of the Cross, Grace, Hartford
- March 9, Art in the Abbey, St. James, Glastonbury
- March 10, Paschal Candle Making Workshop, St. Peter's, Hebron
- March 10, Centering Prayer Workshop, St. Peter's, South Windsor
- March 11, The Status of Refugees Worldwide, in the U.S. & in Connecticut, Trinity, Seymour
- March 11, Choral Music for the Soul: Faure Requiem, St. John's, West Hartford
- March 11, Celtic Vespers, St. Mary's, Manchester
- March 11, Choral Evensong, Trinity, Torrington
- March 13, Recharge your faith, Lenten invitation, Trinity, Wethersfield
- March 14, Duke University Chorale, Christ Church, Greenwich
- March 14, Blues in Lent, St. Mark's, New Canaan
- March 15, Lenten Compline, St. James;, Glastonbury
- March 16, Faith on Fire: Heather Sinclair, Christ Church, Greenwich
- March 16, Come Walk the Way of the Cross, Grace, Hartford
- March 17, Lenten Day of Spiritual Encouragement, St. Peter's, Wouth Windsor
- March 17, St. Patrick's Day Dinner & Irish Soda Bread Bake-off, St. John's, North Haven
- March 17, Polish Dinner, St. Peter's, Hebron
- March 17, Courage & Faith: Shane Claiborne, Christ Church, Greenwich
- March 18, Healing Service, St. Philip',s Putnam
- March 18, Prophets & Loss: The King David Story, St. Ann's, Old Lyme
- March 18, Journey of the Irish Harp, Trinity, Portland
- March 18, Tenebrae Service, Church of the Holy Advent, Clinton
- March 19, Bible Study: "Victory Garden," Holy Trinity, Enfield
- March 20, Recharge your faith, Lenten invitation, Trinity, Wethersfield
REGION MEETINGS & EVENTS:
- March 7, Southeast Region Clericus Zoom meeting (https://zoom.us/j/8391179709)
- March 31, North Central and South Central Region Confirmations
MINISTRY NETWORK MEETINGS & EVENTS:
- March 10, Food & Faith Ministry Network (NE Region) meeting, St. George, Bolton
- March 12, Faith Behind Bars & Beyond, Lenten series: Breathing Under Water
- March 14, Brotherhood of St. Andrew Meeting, St. John's, Vernon
- March 15, Holy Landers meeting, The Commons
- 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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