WEEKLY ENEWS

August 29, 2017

The Commons will be closed Monday, September 4, for Labor Day. 
eNews will publish Wednesday instead of its usual Tuesday.

Map from The Weather Channel
The Episcopal Church in Connecticut is working 
on response to Hurricane Harvey flooding disaster 

Rain from what's left of Hurricane Harvey continues to fall heavily across Southeast Texas, and some areas could see up to 50 inches - that's more than 4 FEET - of rain before the storm's remnants move on toward the end of the week.

In a story Monday in The New York Times, J. Marshall Shepherd, director of the atmospheric sciences program at the University of Georgia, said the storm continues to draw moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, so "you've got this stream of moisture firehosing into the Houston region." He added, "This could go down as the worst flood disaster in U.S. history."

Harvey hit squarely on The Episcopal Diocese of Texas' 77,379 members. The Diocese is headquartered in Houston and its 49,489-square-mile territory begins east of Corpus Christi and San Antonio and extends to the Louisiana border, north nearly to Dallas and Fort Worth, and south to the Gulf of Mexico.

The Episcopal Church in Connecticut will publish a special edition eNewsletter later this week with up-to-date information about the church's disaster response, including ways to volunteer and donate. 

For now, visit Episcopal Relief & Development's website to donate to the Hurricane Harvey Fund. 

In a letter posted on the diocese's website and Facebook page Sunday, the Rt. Rev. C. Andrew Doyle, D.D., the ninth bishop of Texas, thanked everyone for their prayers, and asked that those continue. The diocese, he wrote, will develop a strategy and response but will wait until the danger is passed before implementing anything, to stay out of the way of rescue operations.

"Truly this storm has brought all of us to our knees, and our only recourse is to join King David in his plea for mercy: "Save me, O God, for the waters have risen up to my neck" (Psalm 69:1), he wrote. Read more from the Diocese of Texas here.
"All Saints" tells story of refugees 
at an Episcopal Church in Tennessee 

Several Connecticut movie theaters are showing "All Saints," based on the true story of a group of Burmese refugees who helped save an Episcopal church in Tennessee.
 
The movie, which opened Thursday, stars John Corbett as Michael Spurlock, the new pastor of All Saints' in Smyrna, Tenn. He was told to close the small church and sell its property, but when a group of Anglican refugees from Burma (now Myanmar) attend the church and ask for help, he questions whether he should.
 
Theaters in Plainville, Manchester, and Trumbull have showings scheduled at least through tomorrow.
 
Connecticut has its own connections to Burmese refugees. The Rev. Steven E. Hulme, rector of St. John's Episcopal Church in Niantic from 1971 to 1998, was the founding executive director of the Karen Emergency Relief Fund, Inc. in Burma. 

Between 1998 and 2013, the fund raised more than $750,000 for humanitarian aid to refugees along the Thailand-Burma border. Hulme, who was a leader in refugee resettlement during his tenure at St. John's, is today its rector emeritus.

Read more about the movie here and about the Rev. Steven Hulme here.
 
John Corbett, right, stars as Michael Spurlock. Photo credit: Affirm Films
Shelton parish seeks tables

Church of the Good Shepherd, Shelton, is looking to acquire 10-12 six-foot tables, for free. 

If your parish has tables you'd like to give away, contact their junior warden, Diane Goodman, goodmanlr@aol.com or call 203-954-7362. 

United Thank Offering celebrates its founder 
with sermons, articles, birthday party, and contests

The United Thank Offering is celebrating the 165th birthday of its founder, Julia Chester Emery, with a September celebration that includes two contests for congregations and dioceses.
 
She spent 40 years as secretary of the Women's Auxiliary to the Board of Missions and, in 1921, published "A Century of Endeavor: A Record of the First Hundred Years of the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America."
 
In a news release from The Episcopal Church, Sandra Squires, UTO board president, said, "...we want to invite you to spend September focused on the importance of gratitude and grit, as exemplified in the life of Julia Chester Emery, culminating in a birthday party on Sunday, September 24."
 
I n addition to inviting a special offering during September, the UTO has put together resources to help groups who wish to sponsor a birthday party, including children's sermons, sample bulletin announcements and newsletter articles, sermons, decorations, weekly videos, and more.
 
UTO is offering a prize for photos and videos of the birthday celebrations; tag them on Instagram (@UnitedThankOffering) or post them to Facebook. A second contest recognizes the parish and diocese that contribute the most to the UTO Ingathering. Click here for resources and information.
The Rt. Rev.
Stephen T. Lane.
Maine's bishop to retire in 2019

In a letter to the people of his diocese Thursday, the Rt. Rev. Stephen T. Lane, the ninth Bishop of Maine, announced plans to retire in June 2019, when he will be 70.
 
Lane was ordained in 1978 and was consecrated as bishop coadjutor of Maine in May 2008. He succeeded the Rt. Rev. Chilton R. Knudsen in 2008. Lane is vice-chair of The Episcopal Church's Joint Standing Committee on Program, Budget, and Finance, and is a member of Bishops for a Just World.
 
In his letter, Lane wrote the Standing Committee has begun preparing a transition plan and will present a resolution concerning discernment and transition at the diocese's 2017 convention.

  "This announcement initiates a long and careful process. I invite all Maine Episcopalians to take part, through prayer and discernment, and by continuing the faithful work and worship that are going on all over the diocese," he wrote. "I ask your prayers, and promise you mine, as we make this journey together."
Can't travel? Check out  these online educational programs

The Episcopal Church Foundation sponsors free Webinars on many different topics, including funding and missions. Check out the schedule here , and below are details on some upcoming Webinars.  
  • A September 19 Webinar, "Finding Your Missional Voice," uses information from the 2017 National Gathering to discuss ways congregations can start to think about engaging locally.  The Rev. Alan Bentrup, co-founder of Missional Voices and a curate at St. Mary's in Cypress, Texas, is presenting the free Webinar, which runs from 7 to 8 p.m. and is designed for lay leaders, clergy, seminarians, and others. Click here for information and to register. Registration closes at noon of the day before the Webinar.
  • Do you have trouble talking about money with your congregation? In another free Webinar, "Preaching About Money," a panel of church leaders will discuss the challenges of preaching about faithful financial discipleship. Scott Gunn, the executive director of Forward Movement, is the facilitator for the Tuesday, September 26, webinar, which runs from 7 to 8 p.m. Register here. Registration closes at noon on Monday, September 25.
And Church Next, an online forum for Christian learning, recently launched several new courses for individuals and groups.
 
  • Pastor and stand-up comic Susan Sparks offers insights into seeing humor as essential to the spiritual journey in "Faith and Humor."
  • And Pastor Jaime Haith, developer of The Hope Initiative, leads participants through scriptures aimed at helping caregivers in "Courage for Caregivers."
For each course, the cost for non-subscribers is $10 for individuals or $15 for groups; this includes online access to all course content for three months. Find the courses here.
 
Next month, Churck Next is offering a free class, "Faithful Dissent: Loving Our Way Into a Brighter Tomorrow with Ed Bacon and Stanley Hauerwas."
 
Bacon is the retired rector of All Saints' Episcopal Church in Pasadena, Calif.; Hauerwas is an ethicist. According to the class description, Bacon believes "Christians should be at the cutting edge of social protest." Hauerwas, however, believes "Christians best shine their light by living faithful lives, as people distinct from the world."
 
The course will be available online from September 11 - 25. Register here. 

Reminder: Audits/financial reviews of 2016 parish financial reports  and processes are due Friday!

General Church and ECCT canons require the reviews. Timely completion and submission is a prerequisite for parishes going through clergy transition and, beginning this year, is a requirement for recognition of parishes that are in good standing.
 
Please contact Karolyn Nicolaides ( knicolaides@episcopalct.org , 203-639-3501, ext. 134) if you would like to receive a list of accountants/accounting firms that have performed audits or financial reviews for other ECCT parishes. 
 
Please note:  Parishes with total revenues exceeding $500,000 annually are required to have full audits performed by a Certified Public Accountant. Parishes with total revenues less than $500,000 can have a review of agreed upon procedures performed by an Independent Public Accountant.
NYC workshop addresses gender lens investing 
as tool for social change

Joy Anderson, a member of St. Stephen's, East Haddam, will lead "TOOLKIT for Gender Lens Investing" in New York City on Thursday, September 28 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
 
Anderson is president and founder of the Criterion Institute think tank. The institute uses finance as a tool for social change, with a focus on gender and church work.
 
According to the Criterion Institute's website, gender lens investors "can begin to assess the impact - positive, negative, or none at all - that potential investments have on women and girls." The institute expects workshop participants to come away with a better understanding of the systems of finance and strategies for leveraging them as a tool for social change.

Register here for the workshop; $305.97 cost includes lunch. Read more about gender lens investing here.

The Rev. Dr. Malloy
Liturgy Symposium  coming soon to 
C hrist Church Cathedral in Hartford

Save the date of Saturday, September 30 for a Liturgy Symposium at Christ Church Cathedral. 

The morning plenary session will be offered by the Rev. Dr. Patrick Malloy, noted scholar and liturgist, currently serving at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City. 

Workshops on a variety of subjects will be offered. More info and registration  here. 
Social Media Sunday 2017 (#SMS17) is September 24!

Get ready to pick up your digital devices for Social Media Sunday (#SMS17), September 24.
 
This event started in 2013 at Trinity Episcopal Church in Tariffville as a way for pa rishoners to use devices to share their life of faith with the digital world. 
 
It has since grown to include Christians and people of faith everywhere. 

Join this Facebook group  for resources to help your parish community prepare. 

And if you don't believe your church needs to be online, check out this blog by David Hansen, a pastor with a Lutheran church in Texas.

Be the church online!
Region-Based Discernment Groups begin again this fall

Do you know anyone asking what God might be calling them to do next?

Another round of Region-Based Discernment Groups will begin in the fall. ECCT started the groups, which are open to anyone, in January.
 
If you know someone who is interested in the ordination process, wondering about making a life or career change, or just feeling called by God, please let them know about the groups. 
 
The groups focus on discernment in the broadest sense, drawing on resources from around The Episcopal Church. Those who might be discerning a call to Holy Orders are welcome to participate.
 
Click  here for more information, or to contact Molly James, the Dean of Formation, or one of the group leaders.
Represent The Episcopal Church at the 62nd Session 
of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women

Women and men ages 15 and up are welcome to apply to represent The Episcopal Church/Anglican Communion at the 62nd Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women from March 12-23, 2018. The application deadline is Friday, September 15.
 
Read more here and apply here .
Chicago course for church leaders exploring Latino ministry

Registration is open for the October session of the Episcopal Latino Ministry Competency, a course on cultural competency for Latino ministry designed for diocesan staff, clergy, lay leaders, and seminarians.
 
The nine-day course - $2,200 double occupancy, $1,600 single occupancy, or $1,400 for commuters - takes place at The Nicholas Center, St. James Commons at St. James Cathedral, in Chicago. Learn more here and register here.
RenewalWorks 
parish program overview 
at St. Mark's in New Canaan

Clergy and lay leaders are invited to hear the Rev. Jay Sidebotham of RenewalWorks discuss the program, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, September 29, at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in New Canaan. This ministry of Forward Movement tailored 10 years of research into the key characteristics of flourishing congregations to the Episcopal tradition. Attendees will learn what to expect if they bring RenewalWorks into their churches, and will have a chance to ask questions.
 
The program is $15 and includes lunch. Registration is required. Click here to learn more about RenewalWorks, or here to register.
Still Accepting Election Nominees for 2017 Convention

We're seeking nominations for positions on the Standing Committee, to be elected at this year's annual convention. 

We need two lay persons and two clergy persons to serve 3-year terms, to do the important work of our Standing Committee in the life of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut. Nominations are due by October 6. Learn more and submit your name for election here. 
General Convention Official Youth Presence 
applications due by November 1

High school students who want to take part in the General Convention Official Youth Presence have until November 1 to apply. Interested students must complete an online application with essay questions and need a non-family member to complete an online essay nomination form; the committee will contact the nominator by email.
 
Contact Bronwyn Clark Skov, Episcopal Church director for Formation, Youth, and Young Adult Ministries, at 646-242-1421 or bskov@episcopalchurch.org with questions. Click here for the application.
Positions Open
 
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.  
Clergy only:
Announcements & Reminders

The parish/worshiping community survey for the ECCT database is live. Click
here to read the related documents. Thanks so much to the following churches that completed their survey since last week's announcement: St. Paul's, Fairfield, St. John's, West Hartford, and Grace Episcopal Church, Broad Brook.
 
Registration is open for the 2nd Annual Youth Festival (grades 8-12) at Camp Washington in M orris on September 9-10.  Camp starts Saturday morning at 10 a.m., continues with food trucks, music, and more Saturday evening and finishes Sunday with brunch and a 1 p.m. pickup.  Registration is $25. Scholarships are available but space is limited, so register  here  today.
 
Garden party & book signing at St. Mark's Church in New Canaan on Wednesday, September 13, from 5 to 7 p.m. Meet Brian Sellers-Petersen, author of "Harvesting Abundance: Local Initiatives of Food and Faith," which features the Gospel Garden at St. Mark's. 

The Rev. Alexia Salvatierra will lead a faith-rooted organizing workshop on September 15 and 16 at the Barbara C. Harris Camp and Conference Center in New Hampshire. Space is limited to 40 people. Cost is $75, which includes the program, materials, three meals and refreshments, and double-occupancy lodging, or $50 without the lodging. Register here.

Save the dates of September 15-17 for the centennial celebration of Camp Washington
Camp Washington Logo
Guest arrival and opening reception at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 15, followed by dinner. Main event Saturday Sept. 16, full day of Camp activities. 

Lunch at noon; Holy Eucharist at 2 p.m. followed by celebratory dinner; 7 p.m. evening camp and campfire. Sunday Sept. 17 Morning Prayer at 9 a.m. followed by brunch and cookies. Register here. 
Events coming up soon 

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.
  • Today, Conversation on Evangelism, Christ Church Cathedral, Hartford
  • Thursday, Finance Committee meeting, The Commons 
  • September 4, The Commons is closed for Labor Day
  • September 5, Clergy Day, Camp Washington, Lakeside
  • September 7, Recently Ordained Clergy meeting, The Commons
  • September 7, Faithful Futures, The Commons
  • September 9, Leadership Gathering, The Commons
  • September 12, Convention Planning Team, The Commons
  • September 12, Resolution 4 meeting, The Commons
  • September 13, Faith & Order meeting, The Commons
  • September 14, Missional Priest Gathering, The Commons
  • September 14, Women Clergy Breakfast & Book Study, St. Andrew's, Meriden
  • September 15 - 16, Living Local: Joining God, The Commons
  • September 15 - 17, Deacon Formation Retreat, Holy Family Retreat Center, West Hartford
  • September 15 - 17, Camp Washington Centennial Celebration, Lakeside
  • September 19, Priesthood Mentor gathering, The Commons
  • September 20 - 27, House of Bishops, Alaska
  • September 21, Fresh Start meeting, Camp Washington, Lakeside
  • September 26, Convention Planning Team, The Commons
  • September 27, CT General Convention Deputation meeting, The Commons
  • September 28, Celebration of New Ministry/the Rev. William Burt, St. John's, North Haven
  • September 28, Standing Committee, The Commons
  • September 28, Faith & Order meeting, The Commons
  • September 28, Resolution 4 meeting, The Commons
  • September 29, Renewal Works overview, St. Mark's, New Canaan
  • September 30, Liturgy Symposium, Christ Church Cathedral, Hartford
BISHOPS' SUNDAY VISITS
  • September 10, Bishop Ahrens, Christ Church, Roxbury
  • September 10, Bishop Douglas, Trinity/St. Michael's, Fairfield
P ARISH EVENTS:

A complete calendar of parish events is available here. 
Hosting an event?  Please submit parish events  here .  Reach out to the specific parish for event updates, specific locations, and further details. Regular worship services including season-specific will not be listed below.

  •  November 14, Hospital Healthcare Chaplains Ministry Network, The Commons, Meriden
Ministry Network meetings and events are on this calendar. Please submit all Ministry Network ("MN") Events via this form.) 
 
 
UPCOMING SAFE CHURCH TRAININGS:
 
The fall 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 recertification, 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.
 
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
  • October 14, Old St. Andrew's, Bloomfield
  • October 21, Christ Church, Ansonia
Option 2 - hybrid program with online training plus shortened live follow-up
  • September 6, St. Mark's, Mystic, 6:30 - 9 p.m.
  • September 9, St. Paul's, Darien, 9 - 11:30 a.m.
  • September 16, Church of the Holy Spirit, West Haven, 9 - 11:30 a.m.
  • September 23, St. Paul's, Bantam, 9 - 11:30 a.m.
  • October 17, St. Michael's, Naugatuck, 6:30 - 9 p.m.
  • October 26, St. James', Farmington, 6:30 - 9 p.m.
  • October 28, St. Timothy's, Fairfield 9 - 11:30 a.m.
  • November 20, St. John's, Vernon, 6:30 - 9 p.m.
Recertification Training for Lay Persons
For lay ministers who attended a full day of basic safe church training three to five years ago
  • September 27, Trinity Church, Tariffville, 6:30 - 9 p.m.
  • September 30, Trinity Church, Newtown, 9 - 11:30 a.m.
  • October 16, Christ Church, Pomfret, 6:30 - 9 p.m.

EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN CONNECTICUT
PARTICIPATING IN GOD'S MISSION


290 Pratt Street ı Box 52 ı Meriden, CT 06450 ı 203-639-3501