Quick Links to Diopa Website
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Have you seen our Bishop's Blog "A Shepherd in the Field"?
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A Pilgrimage to Ascension, Parkesburg
Part III
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Noah Bullock, Exec. Dir. of Cristosal to Speak on Victims
Displaced by Violence in Central America
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Today 1 in every 113 people globally is now either an asylum-seeker, internally displaced or a refugee - a level of risk that surpasses all precedent, including World War II. While global attention has gone to the largest war zones - Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan - the deadliest region in the world is far closer to home. Last year there were 17,500 violent deaths in Central America's Northern Triangle (NTCA) - El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, and an estimated 1 million people displaced by violence in the NTCA and Southern Mexico in 2015. There is now an urgent need to not only offer protection to those fleeing this violence, but to upgrade existing humanitarian and human rights mechanisms to address these new forms of conflict (www.cristosal.org).
As part of our Outreach ministry, the Central American Migrant and Refugee Commission of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania is glad to host a live presentation by Noah Bullock. Mr. Bullock is the Executive Director of Cristosal, an Episcopal human rights organization based in El Salvador, leading regional efforts to protect and advocate for victims forcibly displaced by violence in Central America. Recently, Noah presented at the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, Turkey and at the NGO consultations with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Geneva.
Come hear from a regional expert about what is driving violence and migration in Central America, and what we and the Church can do to make a difference. Noah Bullock's talk will take place Sunday, September 18 at 3:00PM EDT at St Paul's Episcopal Church, Chestnut Hill, PA
(
http://stpaulschestnuthill.org/
).
- Please note corrected link below -
Noah's talk will be simulcast live on the internet and can be accessed at:
You will have an opportunity to post questions to Noah and his Staff.
- This Sunday -
September 18, at 3:00 P.M.
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Canons Deming and Wamsley Begin Sunday Visits
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The Rev. Canon Nancy James Deming (second from left) resumes Sunday visits and is pictured here with the Celebrant the Rev. Philips (center) and Mrs. Philips (left) and the organist Rays Koshy and Mrs. Koshy (on right) of St. Mary's Church, Bainbridge St., Philadelphia. The Rev. Canon Deming and the Rev. Canon Shawn Wamsley are each offering to make Sunday visits, joining worship, meeting with vestries, and preaching and presiding. Starting in October, these visitations will continue the work that Bishop Gutierrez has begun in his pilgrimages.
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Resource Materials Available for Parishes
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Christ Church and St. Michael's Aulenbach House at 29 W. Tulpehocken Street, Germantown, currently houses the Diocesan Ministry Resource Center and Audio Visual Resource Library. The Center is now open weekdays from 9 AM to 12:30 P.M. for interested people to pick freely by appointment only from a variety of books, videos, and other resource materials for parish use or other use as considered appropriate. The Resource Center is on the second floor of Aulenbach House so those picking up materials should be prepared to transport whatever materials they choose down a flight of stairs.
There is a wealth of storybooks and other resources for children's ministry, adult formation, spirituality, congregational development and more. Please call 215-844-7274 to make an appointment with Ms. Sheila Mitchell during open hours.
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Episcopal Church Women These Past Ten Years
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At the annual meeting in 1998 the Episcopal Church Women voted to suspend the existing bylaws and to use a steering committee with a minimum of five women for its administrative operations. The employed secretary continued to be in the office two days per week at that time.
The roles of Convener/Presider/Scheduler, United Thank Offering Coordinator, Treasurer and Secretary are the traditional ones. The communications with the Bishop and others of the Church House Staff initially was the charge of the fifth person. She is the one to pick up the unpredictable.
Tasks addressed by the committee are United Thank Offering, distribution of income from the endowment funds, on-going communications with National ECW, Province III ECW, parish ECW groups whatever the configuration, and assuring participation of four delegates in the Triennial Meeting. Worship, mission, fellowship and advocacy were the structural parts of the by-laws and the committee continues this vision.
Legacies from our foremothers direct us to make grants in four categories - Domestic Mission, Overseas Mission, Indian Hope Mission, and Black Colleges of the Episcopal Church and one specifically to CPC (Church Periodical Club). Generally a combined mission fund and board fund are used in the Diocese of Pennsylvania. Guidelines for these requests follow.
Each year the Steering Committee of the Episcopal Church Women of the Diocese of Pennsylvania distributes the legacy gifts of our foremothers. One of the designated categories is Domestic Mission. These grants remain in the Diocese of Pennsylvania. An extended statement about this is on the Diocese of Pennsylvania webpage.
Each request must be no more than a single page, be accompanied by a simple budget and signed by the parish priest.
- Any specific project/program is considered.
- One thousand two hundred dollars is the maximum grant.
- Assets-Based Community outreach is the primary ministry.
- The intentional inclusion of each deanery by the committee will reflect the diocesan structure.
- No grant money is for food.
Requests received by March 31st will be considered this spring.
Requests may be submitted electronically at ecw@diopa.org or by USPS c/o St. Luke's Germantown, 5421 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia PA 19144, attn: Betty Berry-Holmes.
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Church Farm School Selects New Interim Director of Admission
Michael Foster Comes to CFS from the Hoosac School in New York
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Church Farm School
, the private boarding and day school for boys in grades 9-12 based in Exton, PA, announces the hiring of Mr. Michael Foster as Interim Director of Admission. In this role, Foster will work with the school's Admission team and administration to advance its 99-year-old mission of providing boys of "ability and promise" with substantial financial access to its college preparatory education. Foster comes to Church Farm School most recently from the Hoosac School, where he served as Director of Admission and Financial Aid and Dean of Student Life.
"Mr. Foster has truly enjoyed the leadership and administrative roles he has taken on in other schools and we know he will hit the ground running at CFS, with able support from the admission office and numerous other faculty, staff and students who have been instrumental in bringing the best and brightest young men to Church Farm School," says Head of School The Rev. Edmund K. Sherrill II. "I'm excited to join a college preparatory school with such a worthwhile and meaningful mission," adds Foster.
For the past six years, 100% of Church Farm School students have been accepted to four-year colleges and universities, many with substantial scholarships. In 2015, the school had both a QuestBridge Scholar (attending Princeton University) and a Gates Millennium Scholar (attending Swarthmore College).
About Church Farm School: The Church Farm School prepares a diverse group of boys with academic ability and good character to lead productive and fulfilling lives by making a college preparatory education financially accessible. Located in Exton, PA, the school serves nearly 200 residential and day students in grades 9-12 through its rigorous and engaging academic, athletic and extracurricular programs. Learn more about our mission at
www.gocfs.net.
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Stephen Ministry Introductory Workshop Offered at
Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields
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Want to learn to be an active listener and reach out to others in a Christian way?
On Saturday, October 1, 2016, The Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields will host a
Stephen Ministry Introductory Workshop from 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
Registration begins at 8:00 a.m., and refreshments will be served. The half-day workshop consists of three sessions designed both to enhance participants' caregiving skills and to help congregations explore ways to expand their caring ministry.
"The needs for care in our congregation and community are much more than the pastors could handle alone," said Leni Windle, one of 15 Stephen Leaders who oversee St. Martin's Stephen Ministry. "So we enrolled in the Stephen Series in 2005 and have been equipping our members to provide quality one-to-one Christian care for the past 11 years."
The workshop is sponsored by Stephen Ministries, the St. Louis-based Christian training organization that has been providing congregations with training and resources for Christian caregiving since 1975. The workshop will be led by Justin Schlueter, a trained Stephen Minister and Stephen Leader who serves as a key member of Stephen Ministries' research and writing team, where he is involved in the development of new books and materials.
In the first session of the workshop, "Ministering to Those Experiencing Grief," participants learn about the grief process-the stages of grief and how to minister to people in each of those stages. They'll gain the skills and confidence to better care for individuals who are
grieving.
"Stephen Ministry helps our members fulfill their Christian calling to love one another," said The Rev. Jarrett Kerbel. "Loving and caring for people isn't just the pastor's job-all Christians are called to minister to one another. We really look forward to this workshop as a way of helping others become aware of this calling."
The second session provides an introduction to the Stephen Series, a system of lay caring ministry through which congregation leaders can equip members to provide one-to-one Christian care to people in need. Since 1975, more than 12,000 congregations representing more than 170 denominations have implemented the Stephen Series.
Over the past 11 years, more than 20 members of St. Martin's have undertaken 50 hours of training to become Stephen Ministers; 15 of them are currently active. Each meets weekly with someone who is experiencing a life crisis or challenge, such as the death of a loved one, divorce, hospitalization, the loss of a job, loneliness, or relocation.
"Being a Stephen Minister has been a blessing to me," said Windle, who has been a Stephen Minister for two years. "I have grown so much spiritually through the experience of seeing God work through me to touch the life of my care receiver."
The final session of the workshop explains "How to Care in a Christian Way." Participants learn what makes Christian caregiving unique and how they can use resources like prayer, blessings, and Scripture in their caring for others.
The cost of the workshop is $15 per person or $50 for a group of four or more from the same congregation. For more information, or to register to attend the Stephen Ministry Introductory Workshop at Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, please contact Stephen Ministries at: (314) 428-2600. You can also register online at
www.stephenministry.org/workshop
.
"I encourage people to attend," said The Rev. Jarrett Kerbel. "Participants will go home with practical ministry skills and an excellent understanding of how they can organize the members of their congregation for caring ministry through the Stephen Series."
The Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields is located at 8000 St. Martin's Lane, Philadelphia, PA 19118. Find them online at StMartinEC.org or call 215-247-7466.
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Words of Faith: Life Requires Decision, Commitment, Trust In God
By The Rev Sally Franklin
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One of the marvels of life is the transformation of the fuzzy worm-like caterpillar into a delicate and beautiful butterfly.
The process begins as the caterpillar spins a cocoon, encasing itself away from the world. Through this process of metamorphosis, all that is the caterpillar dissolves. Then all the cells reform into a new being. The caterpillar, the creature limited to the ground, dies. The butterfly, the beauty able to fly with the breeze, is born.
This is transformation.
St. Paul teaches that when we follow Jesus as our Lord, our lives are transformed. In his Second letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul writes, "So if anyone is in Christ there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see everything has become new." Paul is saying that once we belong to Christ, life is different. We are raised to new life in Christ. We belong to Christ. We share his life. Consequently the old life has died. Therefore our minds, now formed by the life of Christ, must be different. Our priorities must be different. Our actions must be different.
As different was a caterpillar is from a butterfly.
But this is often not easy for us. This problem, however, is not new. Throughout the scriptures we hear stories of people refusing to put away the old and to allow God's life to become their priority. In the Gospel of Luke we read the story of a man who comes to Jesus asking him to settle an argument between the man and his brother over property. Jesus responds by refusing to take sides and then tells a story about a man whose crops produce abundantly, so abundantly that he didn't have a barn large enough to store all his bounty. So the man decided to build larger barns so that he would have such abundance saved up, that he could retire. He could "relax, eat, drink, be merry."
But then the voice of God spoke to the man:
"You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?" This man had chosen to place his trust - his faith - in his possessions, not in his relationship with God. By doing so he was worshiping another god - his
things.
We also are tempted to put other things in the place of God. But in Baptism, we die to those old ways of living. We turn from all the forces and desires that threaten to separate us from God. We turn to Jesus Christ, accepting him as our Lord and Savior, placing our whole trust in his grace and love. And then we promise to follow and obey him. In Baptism we die to everything that separates us from God: evil, malice, anger, greed, slander. We are then reborn. We are raised to faith, love, honesty, generosity.
This life is not easy. It's often contrary to the world around us. This life requires decision, commitment, trust in God. This life means making a conscious decision to turn from the ways of the past and to follow the ways of Jesus. But we do not do it alone. God's Holy Spirit is given to us in Baptism, making it possible to live transformed lives, lives that bring honor and glory to our Lord.
I remember a time of turning in my life. Over 20 years ago I was living in Charlotte, working as an accountant. I was starting to discern a call to ordained ministry. But to be honest it scared me. I was in a field that was fairly rewarding financially. I wasn't sure I wanted to give up that security. And I knew seminary would be expensive. So I simply kept going to Church and putting off making a decision. Then one day at Church, I heard the story of the man who built bigger barns. Suddenly, I realized that
I was that rich man. I was piling up things, looking to them for security, not trusting God to provide. That night I became serious about discerning God's call in my life.
When we trust God, our lives are transformed. We are able to be faithful witnesses so that others will see Christ through our lives. We are able to love so that through our lives God's love is revealed. We are able to share the abundance that we have received in our lives so that God's work is done in his world. This is what it means to be a new creation.
This is what it means to fly like a butterfly.
Read more here: http://www.heraldonline.com/news/local/community/fort-mill-times/article101433197.html#storylink=cpy
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Making Ordinary Saints
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Our presiding bishop, Michael Curry, when he was here, encouraged us to return to our roots and live into the depths of the spiritual tradition that we have inherited. To help us to do that, I invite you to register for a conference in two weeks time, with Richard Foster and his son Nathan. It will be an excellent opportunity to encourage us as clergy and laity in our spiritual journeys as we listen in to a conversation about growth in spirituality between father and son.
The conference will be hosted by Church of the Good Samaritan on Friday evening and Saturday the 23rd and 24th September. It costs $70 ($50 for students) and includes lunch and a copy of Nathan Foster's book. Registration and further details are online at Renovare's website:
I hope that many of us will be able to come and bring others along from our churches to learn and grow,
with blessings as we build the Kingdom of God together.
The Very Reverend Richard Morgan
Rector, Church of the Good Samaritan
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Applications being accepted for UTO Young Adult, Seminarian Grants
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Applications are now accepted for the 2017 United Thank Offering grants: 10 grants of $2500 for young adults (ages 19-30); and 10 grants of $2500 to seminarians (no age limit).
The focus of the grants is
Evangelism and Reconciliation.
The United Thank Offering is a ministry to promote thankfulness and mission in the whole Church. Known worldwide as UTO, the United Thank Offering awards grants for projects that address human needs and help alleviate poverty, both domestically and internationally in the Episcopal Church.
Young Adult Grant Process
- Young adults, ages 19-30, should submit their applications to their diocese for screening and selection.
- The bishop will select one application per diocese. The diocesan office will submit its choice by Friday, November 4 at 5 pm Eastern to utoapps@episcopalchurch.org
- A bishop's signature is required on the application. Applications without a bishop's signature will not be accepted.
- Young Adult Grant applicants will be notified of the status of their application following Executive Council Approval in January 2017.
Seminarian Grant Process
- Seminarian grant applications are intended for start-up costs of new ministries, not for the continuation of ongoing ministries.
- Seminarians must hail from one of the accredited seminaries of The Episcopal Church listed here or from the Commission for Theological education for Latin American and the Caribbean (CETALC).
- Seminarians should submit their applications to their dean for screening and selection.
- The dean will select two applications per seminary. The dean's office will submit its choice by Friday, November 4 at 5 pm Eastern to utoapps@episcopalchurch.org.
- The dean's signature is required on the application. Applications without a dean's signature will not be accepted.
- Seminarian Grant applicants will be notified of the status of their application following the Executive Council meeting in January 2016.
More information
For more information contact the Rev.
Heather Melton, Missioner for the United Thank Offering.
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Education for Ministry
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Have you ever considered a formal study of the things which inform your baptismal covenant? Many EfM seminar groups will be reforming or starting in the fall and now is the time for you to consider if this program is for you. The current texts are portrayed in the attached link.
For more information contact:
Alan Lindsay, EfM Coordinator for the Diocese of Pennsylvania
Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania
3717 Chestnut Street, Suite 300
Philadelphia, PA 19104
215-627-6434 x127 or alanl@diopa.org
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