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AUGUST 29, 2017 
Summer of Episcopal Love: Youth Lead the Way  

By Lori Korelski Richardson, Interim Communications Director

For some, it was a full summer of participation in several youth events offered by our diocese, other dioceses and the larger Episcopal Church. For some, it was summer camp, either at Camp Living Waters
in Humboldt County (see story here), St. Dorothy's Rest, Bishop's Ranch or Camp Galilee on Lake Tahoe. The diocese provided 37 camperships to help kids deepen their formation as Christians.

But the youth have much to say about the blending of faith and fun, and learning how to lead others to make a difference in this fast-changing world.

"Attending Pathways for the past two years has opened my eyes a lot more to what is going on daily in our local, national, and global community," said Giovanna Zampa, a parishioner at St. Paul's, Benicia. " I learned so much that I wouldn't ever see in my history books." 

"At the end of the week both years, we did something called a Media Museum. This included fold out presentation boards with different subjects, such as gender inequality, environmental injustice, LQBTQ+ issues, and refugee rights. On these boards there were articles, photos, and infographics. In addition, we watched videos and mini-documentary things throughout the activity with interviews and personal experiences. We were encouraged to leave post it notes on the boards where we wrote our ideas and thoughts. When reading about such heavy subjects, it was comforting to write about my feelings about certain matters, without starting arguments, and knowing I was in a safe space to do so," she said.

In 2015, Kevin Briggs wasn't sure he was even had a place at the Episcopal table, or wanted one. Continue reading...
FROM THE OFFICE OF THE BISHOP
You Say You Want a Resolution? Forms Due Friday


There are  two  r esolution forms, both of which must be sent to Elizabeth Vang via email, and to  the Rev. Betsy Monnot via email, by this Friday, 
Sept. 1.   Resolution forms and more information are available here. 

To those of you who completed and submitted your Certificate of Lay Delegate forms - thank you!  Please note: filling out your Certificate of Lay Delegate forms does  NOT  count as registration. The registration deadline for 2017 Diocesan Convention is  Oct. 2 ; you may register  here .
Bishop's Visitation Schedule 
  • Sept. 3 - Good Shepherd, Cloverdale
  • Oct. 1 - Trinity Cathedral, Sacramento 
  • Oct. 8 - St. Peter's, Red Bluff 
  • Oct. 15 - St. John's, Petaluma
  • Oct. 22 - Christ the King, Quincy 
  • Oct. 29 - St. Luke's, Auburn 
The Bishop's full 2017-2018 visitation schedule is available  here.
FAITH FORMATION
Bishop's Book, Fall 2017: 'Seeking God'

Bishop Barry Beisner has selected "Seeking God: The Way of St. Benedict " by Esther de Waal as this fall's Bishop's Book. Join us in reading this excellent primer on incorporating contemplation and prayer into everyday life.

A discussion guide for book groups is here.

Join Bishop Barry online for more discussion this fall: Sunday, Oct. 15 at 7 p.m and Thursday, Nov. 30 at 7 p.m.  Registration and more information is available here. 

Questions? The Rev. Anne Clarke, Lifelong Christian Formation Coordinator, would love hear from you. You may contact her via email at [email protected] or via phone at 916-442-6918, ext. 215.
Invest in the Future: Conference for Christian Educators 

An ecumenical gathering of lay and clergy, staff and volunteer leaders in all kinds of Christian formation ministries, Pneuma is a time of refreshment, collaboration, and learning from each other about innovative and time-tested ways of ways to grow in faith. Sign up for PNEUMA 2017, Oct. 9-12 at Bishop's Ranch; register soon to get your choice of accommodations. 
 
The guiding center this year is "Gather Around the Fire: Faithful Conversations in Heated Times." Workshops include "Homegrown VBS," "Hosting Pastoral Meetings in a Digital World," and many more. 
 
Scholarships are available; contact the Rev. Anne Clarke, Lifelong Christian Formation Coordinator, at [email protected].
Center for Bible Study, Antelope, Offers 2 Courses for Fall 

Center for Bible Study presents "Beginning Hebrew" with biblical scholar Kristin Ball on 
Fridays, 4-5:30 p.m. Sept. 15-Nov. 3, and 
"Spiritual  Practices: Preparing to Worship in the Beauty of Holiness", l ed by the  Rev. Suzanne Guthrie,  a priest and former CDSP v isiting pr ofessor, on Tuesdays, 7-8:30 p.m.  Sept. 19-Nov. 21, both at  St. Andrew's, Antelope. Both classes are $100 for the entire course; the "Spiritual Practices" first class is free. Register online here.
Advanced Godly Play Training - Oct. 6-8 in Oakland

Advanced Training is for Godly Play administrators, teachers, and clergy who have already been certified at a Core Training and have spent a few years leading Godly Play. It is an amazing time to retreat, re-calibrate your practice, and reconnect with others in the Godly Play circle. Sign up  here.
 
The event will be held at First Presbyterian of Oakland on Friday, Oct. 6 from 1 p.m. to Sunday, Oct. 8, ending at 5:30 p.m. Scholarships are available; please contact the Rev. Anne Clarke at  [email protected]  for more information.
NEWS & EVENTS IN OUR DIOCESE
Celebration of Life for Deacon Suzanne Tavernetti

The Rev. Suzanne Tavernetti died Aug. 24 after having open heart surgery.  She served as a deacon at Faith Church, Cameron Park. Her memorial service will be Friday, Sept. 1 at 11 a.m. at Faith.
 
God of all good things, we pray for Suzanne Tavernetti and for those whom we love but see no longer. Grant to them eternal rest. Let light perpetual shine upon them. May her soul and the souls of all the departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.  Amen.
St. John's, Roseville, Blesses a Special Pair of Twins

Earlier this month,  St. John's, Roseville, had two very special visitors, along with their families.  Said the Very Rev. Cliff Haggenjos: " We received a surprise visit from Eva and Erica Sandoval, the cojoined twins who were separated last year (during the surgery they were wrapped in two of our prayer shawls). What a joy to see them. Also, we collected 49 backpacks with supplies for children in need in our community. We are blessed!"
Green on Extended Tour of Diocese of Honduras

The Very Rev. Daniel Green, rector at St. John's, Petaluma, and dean of the Russian River deanery,  arrived in Honduras on July 17 accompanied by his family, and they spent the following month traveling and studying Spanish in Honduras and Guatemala.  His family returned on Aug. 15. The Rev. Green has been under the wing of the Episcopal Diocese of Honduras, visiting schools, churches and social development projects associated with the diocese.  He will return to the states on Sept. 5. Please keep him in your prayers as he travels.

With students in the computer lab at La Epifania Escuela Bilingue, Villanueva, Honduras, the Very Rev. Daniel Green says: "I had fun talking with all the classes about the Episcopal Church and life in California, fractions, agriculture, Excel, and other topics. My takeaway message to them: if I can learn Spanish, you can learn English, so keep at it!"
St. George's, Carmichael, Helping Afghan Refugees

By Lani Marks Hahn and Merle Crawford,  parishioners at St. George's, Carmichael

"In Afghanistan I lived in fear every day that I would be killed because I worked for the United States military for 13 years."  

These were the words of Maqbool, one of the Afghan refugees that St. George's Episcopal Church in Carmichael, California has tried to help. He told some of our parishioners, "My wife's brother was killed by the Taliban because he was a policeman." Continue reading...

More information about work with refugees is available here.
New Priest-in-Charge  at Holy Trinity, Nevada City

The Rev. Bradley Helmuth becomes Priest-in-Charge of Holy Trinity, Nevada City, effective Oct. 30.   Helmuth has been an associate priest at Holy Trinity since his ordination immediately after the Sierra convocation in October 2012. He serves as a hospice chaplain in the community as well.
Coming Up 

Don't miss some of the best speakers in this diocese - discussing such diverse topics as justice, human trafficking, Cursillo, discipleship and prison ministry, will be at a one-day workshop at St. Augustine's, Rocklin , hosted by the St. Augustine Chapter of the Brotherhood of St. Andrew.  The event will be Saturday, Sept. 16 , from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Tickets are $15 and include breakfast and lunch; contact Robert Shonk at [email protected]  or at 916-599-1218 for more information or to register.
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The second annual Women's Prayer Day is coming soon;  t his event is perfect for women who are interested in learning how to deepen their spiritual life and draw closer to God. There is no cost to participate. Continental breakfast and lunch are provided. F or more information and to sign up for the Saturday, Sept. 30  event at Mercy Center in Auburn, click here .

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Trinity Cathedral will be  hosting an art show with the theme "Light Out of Darkness" from Oct. 3-26. More information is available here. For any questions, please contact the Rev. Dr. Pamela Anderson at [email protected].
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Mark your calendars: next year's Pathways will be held in Sonoma county, with day trips to pilgrimage sites, from June 24-30, 2018!
NEWS & EVENTS BEYOND OUR DIOCESE
Help Houston Recover from Hurricane Harvey

Episcopal Relief & Development staff is coordinating with the dioceses of Texas, West Texas and Western Louisiana on potential assessment and response efforts.

"Our brothers and sisters in Texas now need our help," Presiding Bishop Michael Curry said in  an update on the organization's website. "Our support (is a) reliable way to do that, not just in the short term, but for the long haul."

Episcopal Relief & Development need your help, too. Please go to their website and give as much as you can as soon as you can. This link will take you directly to the Harvey donation page. To read more about the hurricane and how the Episcopal Church is responding, click here.
Free Online Course 'Faithful Dissent' - Sept. 11-25

"Faithful Dissent: Loving Our Way into a Brighter Tomorrow" with Ed Bacon,  author and former rector of All Saints' Episcopal Church in Pasadena, CA, and Stanley Hauerwas, a Duke University ethicist, is open to all online, for free. All you need to do is register by Sept. 10 here and faithfully attend the single, 45-minute course anytime during the two-week period.

"We live in increasingly divisive times," says Bacon, "As Christ's reconcilers in the world, we are called to act in ways that bring Christ's love for the marginalized into the public sphere." Bacon, the retired rector of All Saints' Episcopal Church in Pasadena, California, led his congregation to take political action on many issues. This contrasts with ethicist Stanley Hauerwas' who says dissent is primarily a stance Christians take in opposition to the world. "Christ calls us to be witnesses," he says, "this is how the world knows it's the world."

This course is free thanks to the generosity of The Episcopal Church, Forward Movement, FORMA, Duke Divinity School and ChurchNext.
It's Never Too Late for Summer Camp Fun

Camp Wise is a four-day experience that invites those age 60+ to co me and experience highlights of a summer camp program with peers.
 
Attending camp provides everyone an opportunity to experience the healing that can occur by being in nature. Camp also is a place where participants can meet new
people, play and try new things, such as arts & crafts, archery, drama, canoeing, swimming, fishing and hiking.  

Camp Wise is Sept. 11-14 at St. Dorothy's Rest at the beautiful Camp Meeker. For more information and to register, click here.
Sisters of the Transfiguration Return for Fall Retreat  

Sisters Teresa Martin and the Rev. Diana Doncaster from the Community of the Transfiguration in Cincinnati (and formerly of Eureka) are offering a retreat at  St. Dorothy's Rest in Camp Meeker Sept. 22-24, with an optional rest day on Sept. 21. Deadline for registration is Sept. 1, with final payment due by Sept. 15. Limited scholarships are available.
 
Cost is $300, including a $50 non-refundable deposit. Private room, add $15 per night. Optional extra day of relaxation on Thursday is $125. 

To register, send a check, made payable to The Society of the Transfiguration, for the deposit to  Mrs. Virginia Pankoski, 2440 Hillsdale Rd., Meadow Vista, CA 95722.

St. Dorothy's Rest is hilly and rugged, with steep stairs and no handicap access. Please bring a flashlight, comfortable clothes and sturdy shoes. 
News from The Episcopal Church

Registration is now open for the October session of the Episcopal Latino Ministry Competency, an innovative nine-day intensive course designed for diocesan staff, clergy, lay leaders, and seminarians to learn cultural competency for Latino ministry. 

The course will be held at St. James Commons in Chicago on Oct. 15-24.  A future offering will be held at Bloy House in Southern California on June 10-19, 2018.  The course will be taught by seminary faculty, lay church leaders, and clergy with extensive experience in Latino and intercultural ministry.  The course will be conducted in English. Bilingual faculty will interpret as needed. 

More information is available here; r egistration is due by Sept. 29.

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Other news:


I f you have a news story or event of interest to others in the diocese, please contact Sophie Smal, Communications Coordinator, at [email protected].  Interim Communications Director Lori Korleski Richardson will be away until Sept. 18.