January Newsletter

Episcopal Diocese of Northwest Texas

January 2018 Issue No. 304

It's ordination time in the diocese!

Bishop Mayer will ordain three new deacons and one priest this month. Please keep them in your prayers as they begin their ministries. We would like to introduce them to you.

Alvin Stofel

Alvin Stofel, originally from Floydada, Texas, grew up mostly unchurched due to the distance from his home to any church. As an adult, he became active in another denomination for twelve years. In 1989 he joined St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church and fell in love with the liturgy and the theology of the Episcopal Church. Alvin is married to Podi Stofel and they have three grown children and five grandchildren.

When asked to define his ministry and impetus, Alvin stated that he, “chooses love over hate. I love Jesus, the Episcopal Church and people.” Alvin was unable to ignore the call to ordained ministry even though he tried. He finally answered the call to discern for holy orders four years ago. He enrolled in the Education for Ministry (EfM) studies offered at St. Stephen’s at that time and began following the path to the diaconate. He is now in year four of EfM and year three of the diocesan School of Ordained Ministry. Alvin is overwhelmed by all that has been gained from both these courses of study…a great amount of church history as well as Christ’s love. He stated he feels a debt of gratitude to the other students and mentors for helping provide such a wonderful education.

Alvin will be ordained to the vocational diaconate at 6:30 PM on January 23, 2018 at St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church, Lubbock. He will serve the NW Texas Diocese mainly at St. Christopher’s, but with Alvin’s enthusiasm and energy we are sure we will see him ministering in many places! Alvin’s ministry focuses on love and acceptance of all people, as well as promoting a healthy lifestyle and healthy choices through diet, exercise and discipline.

Karen Boyd

Although originally from Los Angeles, Karen was raised, educated and married for the first time in northern Utah. Karen and her husband moved to Phoenix, AZ where her daughter, Emily was born. Her marriage ended in divorce and she raised her daughter as a single parent while working as a nurse in the fields of Gynecology-Oncology and End Stage Renal Failure. It was while she lived in Arizona that she felt the call to seek God and was led to the Episcopal Church, “much like cows in a chute.” Karen immediately felt she was home.

Soon after she was received into the Episcopal Church, she felt a call to ordained ministry. During this time, Karen met the man who would become her husband and after caring for her mother until her passing, she moved to Abilene to marry James Boyd.

It was after her move to Abilene that she began to pursue holy orders and began to attend the School of Ordained Ministry through the Iona Collaborative at St. Paul’s on the Plains in Lubbock. Karen is in her third year and will graduate in May of 2018. She feels her experiences in SOM have enriched her faith and have been incredibly instrumental in her formation. She has been blessed by the community, both other students and mentors.

Karen will be ordained to the vocational diaconate at Church of the Heavenly Rest in Abilene on January 30, 2018 at 6:30 PM.

Karen and James have four children, five grandchildren, three dogs and three grand-dogs.

Courtney Jones

Courtney Jones is a Texas Panhandle native. She was born and raised in Amarillo, and graduated from Amarillo High School in 1999. Courtney went on to earn her bachelors degree in biology at Baylor University in 2003. She has been an educator for the past 14 years, and currently works as an instructional coach and anatomy teacher at Boys Ranch High School.

Courtney grew up as a self described “church nerd“ in a different denomination. From an early age she showed a love for scripture and a penchant for asking the sorts of theological questions that sometimes landed her in the hallway outside of the Sunday school classroom. Though she grew up in a denomination that did not allow women to be ordained ministers, the church of her youth still helped her find other ways to serve. As a middle-schooler she founded a youth-lead service organization at her church known as the “A-Team" (Action Team). She spent her summers in high school and college working as a camp counselor at Hidden Falls Ranch, a Christian activity camp located in Wayside, Texas.

As an adult, Courtney had a hard time finding a welcoming church and spent a while "wandering in the wilderness." She was introduced to the Episcopal Church in 2007 by her then partner, now wife, Michele England. Despite being raised in an atheist household, Michele found herself drawn to the warmth and openness of the Episcopal Church after having been invited by neighbors to visit. Courtney and Michele attended St. David's in Austin for several years.

The pair moved into our diocese in 2012, and immediately became deeply enamored with life and worship at St. Andrew's, Amarillo. At St. Andrew's Courtney and Michele have been involved in EfM, youth Sunday school, a J2A mission trip and pilgrimage, and have been a part of several outreach projects. Courtney also currently serves as the clerk for the vestry.

Courtney was invited to discern a call to ordained ministry in 2014, and has been attending the diocesan School of Ordained Ministry. She will be ordained to the vocational diaconate at St. Andrew's on Saturday, January 27th at 10:30 AM.

Courtney and Michele live in Amarillo with their two very good dogs and occasionally decent cat.

Becca Kello

Rebecca Ruth Kello will be ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Mayer on January 18, 2018 at Christ Episcopal Church in Bowling Green, Kentucky where she currently serves as Associate Rector and Chaplain to the Episcopal Campus Ministry at Western Kentucky University. She was ordained to the transitional diaconate on June 14, 2017 at Church of the Heavenly Rest, Abilene.

Becca has a Bachelor of Science degree from Freed-Hardeman University and a Master of Divinity from Abilene Christian University. During her time in Abilene, she began attending Heavenly Rest and entered the process for holy orders. Once she received her MDiv, she relocate to northern Virginia to attend Virginia Theological Seminary to obtain a Diploma in Anglican Studies. Upon graduation she was called to Christ Episcopal, Bowling Green.

Although longer living in Northwest Texas, Becca is still canonically resident at this time and dear to the hearts of all who came to know her over the last few years. We miss her infectious smile, but know that God will bless her ministry in the Blue Grass State.

Youth News

It is the new year and the youth have two retreats planned to get together with others from around the diocese as we serve others, play, eat, worship and hang out with new and old friends. One will be held in January and another in March. Don’t let your youth miss out on these opportunities.

January 12-14 will find the youth in grades 6th - 12th gathering at St. Paul’s in Lubbock for a weekend of service and learning (and yes, we will have some fun, too). We will learn what it means to be discriminated against. We will serve those who are without, we will make place mats for a prison ministry, and we will cook and serve our brothers and sisters in Christ who are struggling with food insecurity.

March 23-25 will be our Spring Fling for the youth in 2nd through 5th grades. We will gather at St. Christopher’s in Lubbock for a weekend learning about the Lord’s Prayer. Why do we say it? What does it mean? Why say it at all? How does it impact our daily lives? Invite your youth to join us as we explore this prayer we say every Sunday.

What about Summer Camp, you ask…

Summer Camp is fast approaching! Mark your calendars for Camp Quarterman which will be held June 10-16 in Colorado and Camp Quarterman Jr. which will take place June 24-30 at Ceta Glen near Happy Texas. Camp Quarterman is for youth in grades 7-12 and Camp Quarterman Jr. is for youth in grades 2-5. Youth in 6 ^th grade may choose either camp. Forms will be mailed to each church soon and will be uploaded to Facebook and the diocesan website.

Please help us connect to the youth in our diocese by encouraging them to attend one of our weekend retreats or summer camp.

If you have questions about any of the planned events, please contact Renee Haney, Diocesan Youth Coordinator at 806-445-3667, or email her at nwtxyouth@suddenlink.net.

An Epiphany House Blessing

by Elizabeth Thames

A number of years ago, while living in San Diego, I came across a beautiful custom. On the Sunday nearest Epiphany, the priest would bless a large basket of chalk at the conclusion of the service. As we all exited the church, we could take a few pieces of chalk and a small sheet that contained a house blessing with an explanation of what to write on our doors. The liturgy was a way of marking the front doors to our homes to ask God’s blessing upon those who live, work, or visit throughout the coming year. In Exodus, the Israelites marked their doors with blood so that God would pass them by thus preventing the death of the oldest male in the household. This chalk house blessing service reminded us of God’s continual presence and blessing on our homes and lives for the coming year.

Recently I thought back to that simple, yet very meaningful house blessing. I searched the Internet for the history of the act and was intrigued that this is an old custom throughout Christendom which has begun to see a resurgence. The website Building Faith, published by the Center for the Ministry at Virginia Theological Seminary, has an article on this practice with a liturgy that can be used at home or at church. The full article, with liturgy, can be read here. The article states the blessing is normally done on either January 5 or 6, but it could also be a wonderful family activity for New Year's Day.

I will be marking my home this year to remind myself that in my going out and coming in each day I carry the light of Christ and my home should be a place of sanctuary and peace to all who enter it. Even after the chalk fades away with the west Texas wind, the act of praying for God’s presence and guidance will help me remember whose I am and what I am called to be.

May God bless all of us in this new year.

Be Prepared...Save a Life

The Episcopal Church Foundation Vital Practices featured a blog recently entitled Be Prepared; Save a Life part 2. The article was the second written this year by Richelle Thompson, a lay person in the Diocese of Southern Ohio, who has witnessed the life-saving value of having an AED (automated external defibrillator) in their church. Emergencies can happen anywhere. Being prepared can mean the difference in life or death.

The full article can be read here .

Be a Part of Missional Voices Gathering 2018

by The Rev. Jill Walters, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Amarillo

Last Spring, Bishop Curry challenged the Diocese of Northwest Texas to discern how God is calling us to share God’s love in the world. As we figure out how to answer this call, we must consider how the church is changing and what the world needs from us. This presents us all with exciting opportunities to engage and reach out to people in our community in new ways.

At St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Amarillo, we are going to participate in the Missional Voices Gathering 2018 in April to help us learn about innovative, loving, transformative mission. Of course, like most of us in the diocese, we don’t have the resources to send a lot of people to Indianapolis in April.

However ...Missional Voices is willing to give us the information to live stream the sessions so that we can “take part” without traveling. I have contacted them and they are willing to help whomever wants to live stream any or all of these events in their parishes for FREE! We plan to set up a screen so that people can come and go for the events they’re interested in. You could also live stream from a computer. If you’re interested in live streaming this event at your own parish, email missional voices for additional information. Their email address is contact@missionalvoices.com.

Here’s some additional information from the Missional Voices website ( www.missionalvoices.com ): “Missional Voices began with a simple question: What if God is up to something really big and global but it can only be discovered through the small and local? It was through the exploration of that question that Missional Voices was born… a gathering for the sake of reimagining church and transforming neighborhoods.

Missional Voices exists to help turn the Church inside out. We aim to connect church leaders, students, entrepreneurs, artists, community organizers, non-profit leaders, church planters, and everyday innovators in The Episcopal Church and Anglican Communion – anyone pursuing the mission of God in their context.

Our Mission:

To be a hub of conversation about reimagining Church and transforming neighborhoods, inviting lay and clergy leaders to listen, experiment, and share their knowledge.

Our Vision:

M VNG [Missional Voices National Gathering] will provide a dynamic mix of participatory environments, insights from seasoned leaders, and rich storytelling. Every aspect of the organization will be intentionally designed to engage, encourage, and empower innovative, missional practitioners as they go about practicing the way of Jesus. We seek to convene a diverse cross-section of leaders to meet new colleagues, learn from one another, and be reinvigorated to join in God’s mission of reconciliation and renewal for the very particular place they call home.”

2018 United Thank Offering Grants

United Thank Offering (UTO) is known worldwide and is one of the oldest ministries of the Episcopal Church. All offerings submitted from the blue boxes are given out as grants.

Applications are now available for the 2018 United Thank Offering Grants. In 2018, UTO is inviting all churches to embrace the JESUS movement to heal racial divisions within parishes and dioceses and to work toward "Becoming Beloved Communities.

United Thank Offering will accept grant applications for:

Start-up costs of a new ministry not a continuance to the existing program
Seed money for start-up positions either full or part-time for a new ministry

United Thank Offering will not fund :

Project site/programs for two consecutive years
Capital campaigns or debt reductions
Deferred maintenance (repairs or upgrades to the physical plant or facility must be tied to the specific ministry or project of the current application)

Applications, guidelines and helpful hints are available on-line to assist you with the writing of the grant.

Applications are due in the Diocese office on or before February 16, 2018, and should be sent to ethames@nwtdiocese.org . Contact Cindy Olive, our Diocesan UTO Coordinator for more information. She can be reached at cindy@olivepetrol.com .