July 28, 2017

Serving the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania
3717 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104
www.diopa.org          215-627-6434
Articles In This Issue
Quick Links to Diopa Website
Parish Events
Wellness
Safe Church Training


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Presiding Bishop Curry Offers Homily at the UBE Eucharist 
at the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas


The highlight of this year's joint meeting of the Union of Black Episcopalians (UBE) and the African Descent Lutheran Association (ADLA) was a standing room only service celebrating 225 Years of Black Presence and Church Leadership that coincides with the 225th Anniversary of the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas. The Diocese of Pennsylvania was blessed and privileged to host this event.

We give thanks to The African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas and the Church of the Holy Communion for hosting our worship services and look forward to many years of mutual cooperation as we go forward. It was a blessing to the Diocese of Pennsylvania and provided a platform for national visibility of all of the good work that is being done here in the name of Christ.





Bishop Daniel G.P. Gutiérrez, Lutheran Bishop Claire Burkat, the Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, Elizabeth Eaton, and Father Martini Shaw joined Presiding Bishop Michael Curry in leading worship that filled the nave and continued into the Great Hall at St. Thomas.








This was the first joint meeting of the UBE and ADLA and participants quickly found ties that united them based in their parallel experiences. Worship was rich and inspirational from Sunday night Eucharist at the Lutheran Church of the Holy Communion and building in spirit to Tuesday night's Eucharist at St. Thomas.







Bishop Curry's homily was based in scripture, our church history, the Black Experience in the USA, and the challenges we face going forward. The musicians and choir rose to the occasion and the congregation caught the spirit and was clearly inspired by the liturgy and message that Bishop Curry shared.



For those who attended it was a night to be remembered for years to come and was as thought provoking as it was inspirational. To a person, we all felt the presence of the Holy Spirit among us and left knowing that God has done so much that has enabled us to come this far and will give us strength to face the challenges ahead.







The Rev. Jo Ann Jones Joins the Staff at 
Church of the Redeemer, Bryn Mawr


Church of The Redeemer, Bryn Mawr will have a new Associate Rector beginning August 1, 2017. Rector the Rev. Peter Vanderveen has asked the Rev. Jo Ann Jones to join the staff, and she has gladly accepted the call. 
 
Jo Ann was ordained to the transitional deaconate at the Philadelphia Cathedral this June, after graduating from General Theological Seminary, and though she is a recent ordinand, she has a long and distinguished history within the Diocese of Pennsylvania. She has been a member of the African Episcopal Church of Saint Thomas for several decades, serving as both a vestry member and a rector's warden. In addition, she served the Diocese, the Episcopal Church, the community as a member of the Diocesan Standing Committee, a Lay Delegate to General Convention, and a member of the board of Episcopal Community Services. Most recently, while studying at GTS, she was for two years a part-time intern at Saint David's in Wayne. 
 
Jo Ann was raised in Baltimore and graduated from Swarthmore College and the University of Maryland School of Law. She spent most of her professional life practicing law within the City of Philadelphia, concentrating in public housing. 
 
Jo Ann proved to be sharp and insightful in her interviews, and she showed a clear command of both our posted job description and the expanse of The Redeemer's many programs described on our website. She was impressed with the formation work we have begun and is eager to help further develop the full range of our formation and mission/outreach opportunities. Jo Ann's own ordination and late vocation is the culmination of a calling that she patiently pursued in various forms for many years. Her attention to her own responsibility in discipleship informs her sense of what formation is and should be. She brings with her a deep knowledge of urban issues and a thoroughly grounded sense of how to actively engage issues of importance to the church. My goal, as always with a multiple clergy staff, is to form a team that is diverse and complementary, so that collectively we can give voice and effectively respond to the needs and hopes of the whole congregation. Jo Ann will help us do that. 
 
The expansion of this position from half-time to full-time provides us more and better opportunities for program development and growth. I am delighted that Jo Ann comes to us with such a broad array of experience, skill, and knowledge of the Diocese and the greater Philadelphia area. I hope that you will warmly welcome her to The Redeemer.  
 
Peter
 
The Rev. Peter Vanderveen, Rector
Church of the Redeemer, Bryn Mawr



City Camp Eucharist and Dinner



You Are Invited!
Bring your Family and Friends

and gather with the staff of City Camp 
for our  annual

THANK YOU! Eucharist and Dinner
for those who volunteer and support City Camp  

Saturday, July 29, at 5:30 pm  
at 
St. Luke's Episcopal Church
5421 Germantown Ave
Philadelphia PA 19144


Holy Eucharist 5:30pm 
The Rev. Canon Shawn Wamsley, Canon to the Ordinary, 
preaching and presiding

Dinner 6:30pm in St. Barnabas Hall

Please RSVP to the Rev. Cn. Betsy Ivey by Wed, Jul 26 at bivey@diopa.org
 


High School Youth Group Members Join to Repair Homes
by Chris Barber


The Good Neighbors team prepares the ground for a new sidewalk.

Families whose homes are in need of repair but cannot afford the cost have a friend in Good Neighbors and the summer Youth Workcamp.
Founded in 1991, Good Neighbors is a faith-based nonprofit organization based in Kennett Square that helps fix up homes that badly need help to make them warmer, safer and drier. During the summer, the group hosts a camp for high school students who are engaged in the repairs for what is often the hottest week of the year.
This year, high school youth group members from the Episcopal Church of the Advent, Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Newark, Garage Youth Center, Grace Fellowship Church, Hockessin United Methodist Church and Presbyterian Church of Kennett Square joined for the project that was headquartered at the Avondale Presbyterian Church last week.
Each day the 54 of them divided up into groups and put their efforts into work at five different locations from Oxford and West Grove to New Castle, Delaware.
The work is heavy and the kids involved learn skills like applying siding, constructing out buildings, painting, roofing and cement work, all the while overseen by adults who are experts in those particular fields and familiar with building codes.
While it appears to involve a lot of effort and dedication, the young participants say they enjoy it and are uplifted by the results.
Cynthia Thorngate, 18, is back for her fifth year and was busy applying siding at the Oxford site on New Street. She is a graduate of Avon Grove High School on her way to Albright College in the fall. "I keep coming back. Looking at the homeowners' faces. It's so pure," she said.
Not only does she feel enriched by helping others, but said she has also learned to use tools. "I've even installed a bathroom," she said.
When she tells her friends back at school, "People think it's super cool," she added.
Many of the people the group helps are elderly and have neither the money nor the physical energy to make the repairs on their homes. That was the case on the house on New Street in Oxford where the volunteers were dispatched to replace the front sidewalk, replace the bathroom floor, remove a collapsing "three-season" room, paint the exterior, and fix the roof.
Church of the Advent Family Ministry Associate Rev. Gregory Wilson, who was helping to oversee the Oxford project on Thursday, said the front room that was crumbling had become so unstable that it was forcing the whole house to lean on its foundations. The group removed it and put the remains in a large dumpster that was parked out front.
In the back, another group was digging up old blocks of concrete from failing tool sheds and building a new one. It almost had the appearance of an old-fashioned barn raising.
Katie Griffith from Avon Grove High School and her friend Avery Jones from Unionville High School learned how to use a visual leveler to ensure the proper placement of the new tool shed.
In the front yard, the volunteers were digging the foundation and creating the structures in preparation for pouring cement to make a new walkway.
The members of the Good Neighbors Youth Work Camp spend the week bedded down and fed at the Avondale Presbyterian Church, and they shower at the Jennersville and Kennett YMCAs daily after work. Every morning before they go to the sites, they have a safety meeting. Then on Wednesday afternoon they go tubing on the Brandywine Creek.
On Tuesday night they had a dinner with the owners, and on Friday they had their wrap-up banquet. The meals are provided by a committee of women from the church every day.
In the evenings they share experiences, and at the end have a dedication service.
Safety principles are strongly enforced, and so is a responsibilities agreement signed by the youth. They agree, among other things, to "be diligent to immerse themselves in group and individual devotions, prayer and discussion."
Fred Burns, who was on the board and is now the camp coordinator, said this: "Volunteering is a blessing in many ways - to yourself and to the people who need the work and receive it," he said.
The homeowner recipients do not pay for the work or supplies, and Good Neighbors often receives building materials at discounted prices or even free as contributions. 
In the weeks following the encampment, the youth are invited to compete in an essay contest describing their experiences. The winner receives $500.
Also, after the summer project is over, the adult volunteers and staff of Good Neighbors continue their work throughout the year.




Diocese of Pennsylvania Polo Shirts and T-Shirts


DIOPA Polo's are here!

We're so excited to announce that the polo shirts were so popular they were all claimed within 48 hours! Kristen is currently compiling another order that will be placed on Monday. If you haven't contacted her yet and want a polo, please do so before 12 noon on Monday, July 31st to be included on the next order! Sizes small up to and including 2XL are available and we have the option of grey, navy, or black. Polo's are $16.00 per shirt. Contact Kristen Kelly at 215-627-6434 or  kristenk@diopa.org  to make sure you are included on the next order!

First come, first serve!



What's there not to love?

Check out DIOPA's
awesome new shirts!


The #diopaLOVE T-shirts were so popular they were all claimed within 48 hours! Another order has been placed and we will be getting more in on Monday, July 31st at the latest. If you are still interested in a T-shirt, don't worry! Just contact Kristen Kelly at 215-627-6434 or through  kristenk@diopa.org  and she will contact you once they are in!

Kristen is taking orders now. If we don't have the size you want she will order more at a later date.



Veteran's Mental Health Training

Veterans Mental Health Training

August 26, 2017
8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral
11-19 South 38th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Coffee and breakfast will be provided.


As the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania continues its movement to address the mental health needs of veterans and be a spiritual safe space in the community, we are hosting a Veterans Mental Health First Aid Training on August 26, 2017. The training will be led by a veteran from the Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health. The training will provide us with knowledge and tools to support veterans and their families who may need or seek help. The training aims to:
  • Break down the stigmas associated with mental illness
  • Reach out to those who suffer in silence and are reluctant to seek help
  • Let veterans know that support is available in their community
  • Provide community resource information
  • Make mental healthcare and treatment accessible to thousands in need

This training is free to all. Please register online at this link:









~ SAVE THE DATE! ~

Friday, October 6, 2017
6:00 pm to 9:00 pm

The Rt. Rev. Daniel G. P. Gutiérrez,
Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania

The Very Rev. Judith A. Sullivan,
Dean, Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral
&
The Philadelphia Committee of AFEDJ

Invite you to a Benefit Event in Support
of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem
             Special  Guest Speaker
ThRevCanoJohn L. Peterson


Supporting the Al Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza

An excellent 4 min. video of the Al Ahli Arab Hospital is linked below. This hospital is in Gaza and an institution of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem and the Middle East. First hand interviews give us an excellent picture of the near insurmountable challenges in the devastated part of the Diocese.


On October 6, Canon John Peterson, who has a long working relationship with the Diocese of Jerusalem and the hospital will speak at a Benefit for the hospital at the Episcopal Diocesan Cathedral on 38 th street adjacent to the Penn Campus. Refreshments will be served from 6-7 with accompanying music by the Arab Music Ensemble and program from 7-9.

The Philadelphia Committee of the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem is organizing the event. The invitation above is issued by The Rt. Rev. G.P. Gutiérrez, Dean Judith Sullivan and the Board of AFEDJ.
 


 
Sustaining the Christian Community in the Middle East
with
Supper *  Art Exhibit  *  Music

Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral
23 South 38th Street, Philadelphia 19104
 
 C ontact person: the Rev. Judith Beck   judithtb938@gmail.com




ECW Grant Requests


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, perishables and travel.
 
Question or conversations: Shirley Smith, Presider - 215-887-9448  granny7sm@gmail.com  or Amy Lancaster, Treasurer - 215-348-9654  grahamlancaster@pil.net
  
Requests received by September 30 will be considered for fall.
  
Requests are to be submitted electronically at  ecw@diopa.org or by USPS c/o ECW: Domestic Grants, Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania, 3717 Chestnut Street, Suite 300, Philadelphia, PA 19104.





A Message from Bishop Gutiérrez Regarding the 2018 Diocesan Budget





Diocesan Ordination Summer 2017





 CAMINOS: Our Road Together


The Office of the Diocese of Pennsylvania is pleased to announce the publication of our new magazine "CAMINOS: Our Road Together".

 
 
While this magazine will be published online, it is also available in a print format for anyone who does not have internet access.  If you know someone in your congregation who cannot receive it electronically, please send us their name and address and we will be sure to send them a hard copy version.
 
In order to have the best viewing experience, once you click on the link below, put your cursor under the image of the magazine cover.  A timeline will appear. Click on the square at the far right of the timeline and the issue can be read full screen.  Once you are viewing it full screen, clicking on the arrows at the far right or left will turn the pages forward or backward.
 

We want to help tell your stories.  If you would like to submit an article for publication, please contact Henry Carnes at  henryc@diopa.org  and he will be glad to assist you.






Summer Bible Challenge

Heard the word?
Staycation  or  Vacation
The Bible Challenge Continues!
 

 
SEND US A PHOTO OF YOUR
SUMMER BIBLE CHALLENGE
 
Camping, Fishing, Rowing, Throwing Strolling, Cooking, Hiking, Biking Flying, Cruising, Playing, Praying Sailing, Swimming, Running, Sunning .
 
Let's see where the challenge goes - Post to the Facebook Group Page or email jdlafrance@diopa.org



Diocesan Communications Conference for Congregational Development

Social Media, Video Production and Website Design Videos



Servant Year is On!


"Are you called to serve?"

Our new Servant Year Corps Members have answered this question with an unabashedly faithful  "YES"!   This DioPA ministry is an intentional faith-based community where young adults give of themselves while faithfully discerning where they are being called in their lives.  On August 19th , six members will arrive to begin their year of service among us. As we get closer to August look for Introductions to our members right here.  We are excited for people to get to know them and their many talents and gifts.

Members in this urban missionary like program receive full-time volunteer positions at a partner site, monthly stipends, housing, health insurance, meals and public transportation tokens.  Servant Year is a supportive community that includes regular spiritual direction and formation.  It is perfect for new graduates who want to "give back" before they start their career; want a break in between college and graduate school; or need a little extra time to discern where their life is calling them after plans change or do not materialize as expected.

If you know of a college graduate who sounds like a good fit for this ministry please have them contact servantyear@diopa.org

This program is not limited to Episcopalians.  But for those young adults who grew up in the Episcopal Church,  Servant Year can be the next step in maturing their faith and discerning their call to ministry, whether that is ordained or lay.  Thank you for your help in finding those being called to  Servant Year .  

For more information contact Jan Berry Schroeder at 215-621-8315 or jans@diopa.org , or the Rev. Canon Betsy Ivey, Director of the Offices of Family and Young Adult Ministry at bivey@diopa.org . Please feel free to explore our websites as well: Servant Year Philadelphia and  The Episcopal Service Corps.   

Where are YOU being called to serve?



DIOPA Resource Guide

                     The DIOPA Resource Guide is here!

We have heard your suggestions, compiled them, and we would like to present the DIOPA Resource Guide: a directory of information about the Diocese of Pennsylvania, and how we can best serve you. We encourage you to explore the website at  http://www.dioparesourceguide.com/ .

This website is designed to continue to capture information that is useful and relevant to all members of the Diocese. Please continue to submit your suggestions. Contact J.D. Lafrance at  jdlafrance@diopa.org   or use our online form:  https://diopa.wufoo.com/forms/cant-find-something/ .



DIOPA Deanery Calendar



Our DIOPA Deanery Calendar is fully operational and available to capture and disseminate your event information - diocesan wide! It's the place to post parish events in each deanery and can be found on www.diopa.org at the bottom right of the home page under Calendars. It's a read-only site, with information being posted by an administrator in your deanery. Call your parish office to have your administrator post an event you want to share.



Video Invitation to Join the Bishop's Bible Challenge!

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

As another part of my promise to better serve you, I am pleased to present another major initiative from the Offices of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania. This Bible App will help us all to feel connected, provides a platform for participating in the Bishop's Bible Challenge, and perhaps most importantly is a powerful tool for you to read or hear the Word of God in 1,000 languages. With the Bible App, many now have access to the word of God in their primary language. Reading the Bible together as a diocesan community will have a life changing effect. The importance of Christian people using Holy Scripture as a foundation for daily life is hard to overstate. Who we are as the People of God flows directly from our worship, doctrine, and liturgy, which are all rooted in Scripture. To know the Bible better, is to know ourselves as the People of God better, to know our mission to the world better, and to know our faith better. We are here to help and to serve you, and this mobile app is another important step in showing the kind of innovation and emphasis that is placed on equipping our congregations to build the Kingdom of God.

The Rt. Rev. Daniel G.P. Gutiérrez
XVI Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania


The Bishop's Bible Challenge leads us through the entire bible in a year's time. Not only will you find the daily reading and meditation rewarding, but you will be joining in community with hundreds, possibly thousands, of fellow Episcopalians in our diocese. While this may seem like a daunting undertaking, as the Bible tells us "Fear Not", for there are many ways to connect!
You can download The DIOPA Bible in a Year App from iTunes, Apple App Store, and Google Play. To download the mobile application, go to the "App Store" icon on your iPhones or the "Google Play" icon on your Android Phone and search for "DIOPA" or "DIOPA bible." It is a self-contained way to participate and has everything you need including a link to the registration page, the Bible readings for each day, an online link to the Bible in audible and readable forms and daily reading or listening selections that will help everyone to read the same selections each day.
 
* If you don't want to use the app, register to participate at our online registration site:  https://diopa.wufoo.com/forms/bishops-bible-challenge/
 
* If you do not use a computer or smart phone simply call the Offices of the Diocese at 215-627-6434 to register and receive a Bible Study Packet; or contact your Priest for these materials.

* Join our online Facebook group at < DIOPA Bishop's Bible Challenge>. This is where you can post your own testimonies on the readings. These responses can be written or use your phone or camera to take a picture that reflects your response to the reading. Include a brief description and post with the hash tag #wordon and #diopabbc. Check the group page or the hash tags to see what other participants are saying!

* Information and resources regarding The Bishop's Bible Challenge can be found online:  http://www.diopa.org/bishops-bible-challenge/

The important thing to know is that you are not alone in this and you cannot mess this up! If you miss a day of reading, or a week for that matter, just jump back in to the schedule because there is no wrong way to do this. If you'd rather not read, the Bible App will play the day's selections in a dramatized audio format for you to listen.

So let's come together as a diocesan family and build the Kingdom of God -praying together, worshipping together, studying together - in this the "come and see" diocese. #diopalove #diopacomeandsee #wordon #diopabbc - there are multiple ways to connect!


Online Staff Directory


Visit our new "Staff Directory" page on the diocesan website to see photos, bios, and job descriptions 
of the current staff of the Offices of the Diocese of Pennsylvania.





Download our Diocesan Mobile App "DIOPAConnect"


Dear Brothers and Sisters,

As part of my promise to better serve you, I am pleased to offer a major initiative from the Offices of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania. This mobile directory app will help us all to feel connected, provides useful information about parishes, and enables us to have one more important way to stay informed about everything going on in our wonderful Diocese. We are here to help and to serve you, and this mobile app is an important step in showing the kind of innovation and emphasis that is placed on equipping our congregations to build the Kingdom of God.

The Rt. Rev. Daniel G.P.  Gutiérrez
XVI Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania

To download the mobile application go to the "App Store" icon on your iPhones 
or the "Google Play" icon on your Android Phone  and 
search for "DIOPA" or "DIOPA mobile directory."

Let us know how DiopaConnect works for you. 
 User feedback helps us to tailor our applications to better meet your needs.