Registration for Diocesan Council, February 15-18 in Waco, is now open here. Those who register before December 31 will receive a $25 discount per registrant. If your church has a late date for the annual meeting, you can register the number of delegates and alternates in advance and supply the names later. Contact Gail McGuire at 713.353.2114 or 800.318.4452 for instructions.

Separate registration forms for visitors and clergy spouses, as well as sign-ups for Council volunteers, will be posted soon.

Our blocks of rooms at the Marriott and Hilton near the Convention Center are full. Additional discounted rooms are available now, but will go quickly.

November 10 is the deadline for nominations. November 15 for Resolutions and proposed changes to the Constitution and Canons. For more information about Council, including accommodations, nominations and more, visit epicenter.org/council.

Drawing on ancient religious practices and the latest research on “moral injury,” the Episcopal Veterans Fellowship is building a community of healing and reconciliation for military veterans. Read more  here.

Episcopal Health Foundation leaders have released a five-year “big picture” plan that targets specific outcomes needed to address the root causes of poor health in Texas. Read more about the new strategic plan  here.

Dr. Alan Strong, director of music at St. Andrew’s, Bryan, presents “150 Years of Organ Music: An Organ Recital Celebrating the 150th Anniversary of St. Andrew’s” on November 17. Learn more here.

Garmon Ashby, faculty at Episcopal High School and director of music at St. Thomas the Apostle, Nassau Bay, was given the honorary title Fellow of the Royal School of Church Music for his contributions to church music at a ceremony at Canterbury Cathedral in October. Learn more here.

More than 30 churches were affected and hundreds of parishioners, as well as tens of thousands of our neighbors. Relief work may take 3-6 months, but the long-term work of the Diocese will be recovery. Find out how you can help  here.

The Diocese of Texas is hosting the General Convention of The Episcopal Church, July 5-13, 2018 in Austin, Texas This triennial convention is responsible for conducting the business of The Episcopal Church, and we need your help. Sign up to let us know you would like to volunteer for General Convention. Volunteer shifts are available from June 29 to July 13. If interested, go to our Facebook page and click the Sign Up button to have first pick of shifts when registration opens on January 6, 2018.

The annual Open Enrollment period for health benefits is from Monday, October 23, 2017 to Friday, November 10, 2017. There is one remaining Open Enrollment meeting to provide important Information and Plan Updates. These meetings will be held at the Diocesan Center (1225 Texas St. Houston, TX 77002) on Thursday, October 26 at 10 a.m. for all to attend. We will also conduct a simultaneous webinar for those unable to attend. Instructions for attending the webinar are located on the Diocesan Benefits webpage. Some important changes will take place for 2017, so it is imperative that someone from each church or institution attend a meeting or webinar. For more information, please contact Zee Turnbull at zturnbull@epicenter.org.

The theme for the 2018 Episcopal Diocese of Texas College Retreat is "Don't Tell Me What To Do". Join the fun, January 26-28, 2018 at Camp Allen for worship, workshops, and relaxation as you learn how to navigate the many conflicting messages about who to be, how to live, what to major in and much more. More details, updates, and a registration link can be found here.

The Church Leadership Conference is an annual gathering of vestry members and congregational leaders for practical learning, reflection and formation. The 2018 Conference is on March 2-4, 2018 and registration is now open. Speakers and presenters will address core needs in strategic leadership, financial planning and creative communications. For more information and to register, click here. 

The Church needs leaders who are entrepreneurial, collaborative, adaptive, diverse and spiritually trustworthy. While we still need to identify those among us who are called to ordination, the Diocese of Texas encourages all Christians to seek their particular call. The discernment process in the Diocese is designed to give greater access to explore ministry in many forms through an initial Discovery Retreat for those who want to serve God in a new way. Participants learn a theological model for vocation that gives them a framework for their own discernment. They explore a variety of Christian vocations, have time for personal reflection and prayer and learn about the canonical processes for ordained ministry in the Diocese. Consider participating in the December Discovery Retreat to see where God is calling you to serve. Registration for the Discovery Retreats is on the Camp Allen website. For additional information, please contact the Rev. Victoria Mason or the Rev. Francene Young. Learn more here.

You can now download the 2018 clergy compensation calculator or the 2017 calculator. Direct any questions regarding clergy compensation to Allison McCloskey, diocesan controller.