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The Dio Log
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news and events in
the Episcopal Diocese of Maine
since 1999
Volume 19, Number 1 ~ January 6, 2017
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Two of the three magi wait at St. Luke's Cathedral in Portland until
it's their turn to worship the newborn king.
Today's the day! Blessed Epiphany! |
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What's New in the Episcopal Church in Maine
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A collect for Epiphany
O God, by the leading of a star you manifested your only Son
to the Peoples of the earth: Lead us, who know you now by
faith, to your presence, where we may see your glory face to
face; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
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| We Three Kings Of Orient Are, Kings College, Cambridge |
prayers for...
the Rev. John P. Miller, 83, long time priest in this diocese who died on December 29. Ordained in 1957, John served in the Dioceses of Western Massachusetts and Connecticut in addition to serving as rector of St. John's, Bangor, from 1967 to 1981 and priest-in-charge of St. Andrew's now in Winthrop from 1996-1998.
He and his wife Deacon Barbara Miller, who died in 2013, continued to minister on Pawley's Island, SC, where they settled in 2004.
A service will be held on Saturday, January 28, at 11 a.m. at St. Mark's, Waterville. His obituary may be found here.
Condolences may be sent to the family in care of his daughter, Robin Johnson, 44 Boutelle Ave., Waterville 04901.
The funeral of Carter Taylor, the husband of the Rev. Mary Ann Taylor will be held today, January 6, at 4 p.m. at St. John's, Bangor. His obituary may be found here.
in the news
voices among us...
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Around the Diocese...
E.Y.E. national event for high schoolers - last chance to register
This is the last chance to register your teens for E.Y.E. - the triennial national Episcopal Youth Event. Maine's slots will disappear unless we register each teen in early January. Please consider sending all your high school teenagers. There'll be more than 1,000 youth from all over the U.S. and beyond on July 10-14 at a college in Oklahoma. The cost will be approximately $750 per teen, and we'll be flying together from Maine. Register and find more info at
www.maineyouth.org or contact Jane Hartwell at
jhartwell@episcopalmaine.org.
Living Local: Joining God
The first workshop for Living Local: Joining God will be on Saturday, January 21. The theme is "Step One: Listening to Learn." This workshop is for the guiding teams and clergy from the 13 participating churches, coaches, and the diocesan team. (Snow date is the following Saturday.) We'll be at Christ Church in Gardiner from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with coffee on at 9:30. Please bring a brown bag lunch. FMI contact Michael Ambler mambler@episcopalmaine.org or Jane Hartwell at jhartwell@episcopalmaine.org.
Grant funding available for your church's new or expanded ministry
At its meeting on December 2 and 3, Diocesan Council issued a call for the first round of New Initiative Fund grants in 2017.
Each congregation and organization in the Diocese of Maine is eligible to apply for funding to support new ministries or expanding existing ministries in new directions. Applications will be evaluated on the how closely they meet the Diocese's Seven Criteria for Mission.
All applications must be submitted to the online form by the end of business on Friday, February 17. Council will review applications at its March 4 meeting. Download this
application worksheet Word doc to use as a working copy of your application. Then cut and paste your responses at
www.surveymonkey.com/r/2017NIF-Round1.
More grant funding! This time from the BTS Center
The BTS Center (formerly Bangor Theological Seminary) invites Letters of Inquiry for its 2017 - 2018 Innovation Incubator program, which supports Cairn and Compass Projects that map the contours of today's religious and spiritual landscapes, mark creative paths for navigating them, and explore new ideas and insights for nurturing exceptional leadership in contemporary faith communities. Up to $70,000 will be awarded in total, and the application deadline is January 27, 2017. A link to the application portal and Letter of Inquiry guidelines are available on the
Innovation Incubator web page.
2017 UTO grant applications now accepted
The focus for the 2017 United Thank Offering grants is The Jesus Movement - evangelism, reconciliation, and following Jesus' way of creating loving, liberating, and life-giving relationships with God, each other, and all creation.
Applications must be submitted to Heidi Shott at hshott@episcopalmaine.org by February 17, 2016. Each diocese may submit only one grant application, so all applications must be reviewed by the diocesan UTO screening group. One grant will be recommended by Bishop Lane.
Please be in touch with Heidi or the Diocesan UTO Coordinator Sherri Dietrich at ssdietrich@gmail.com if you have any questions about the application process.
UTO ingathering resources may be found here.
A pilgrimage to Iona and Northumbria: Following the Celtic Saints
Maine Episcopalians are invited to join the Rev. Claudia Smith, rector of St. Francis, Blue Hill, on a Celtic pilgrimage in September 2017. Space is limited and reservation deposits are due by February 17.
"In Celtic spirituality many are finding the interconnectedness of God they are seeking. So come and join us in September 2017 on a pilgrimage to explore the history and experience the landscapes that formed this unique spiritual tradition. Celtic Christianity flourished in Britain from the arrival of Columba on the Island of Iona around 563, through heroic missionary work across modern-day Scotland and northern England, until the Synod of Whitby by 664. Our pilgrimage will follow in the footsteps of many of these Celtic saints."
Click
here for a full description of the trip, itinerary, and registration forms.
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Upcoming in Maine and Beyond
Registration open for February clergy retreat
All clergy are invited to attend the Annual Clergy Retreat, Feb 12-13-14, at the Samoset Resort in Rockport. Click
here to register. To reserve your room at the Samoset for the special rate of $103, please click
here or call 594-2511 and ask for the "Maine Episcopal" rooming block.
St. John's, Bangor, to commemorate MLK, Jr. on January 15
Our annual commemoration of the life and witness of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. will take place on
Sunday, January 15, at 4:00 p.m. at St. John's Episcopal Church.
The preacher will be the Rt. Rev. Stephen T. Lane, Bishop of Maine. Special music will be offered by the combined choirs from St. John's, All Souls Congregational, Destiny Worship Center and Bangor Area Children's Choir along with additional volunteer singers.
Anyone wishing to join with the St. John's choirs to learn the music should come to our rehearsals on Wednesdays, January 4 and 11, from 7 to 8 p.m. and on Sunday, January 15 at 2:30 p.m. Click on the image to enlarge the flyer.
One-Day Security Workshop for faith and community leaders at St. John's Catholic Church in Bangor, January 26
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland and the National Protection and Programs Directorate Office of Infrastructure Protection, within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, are hosting a one-day Security Workshop to enhance awareness of, and response to, an
active
shooter
event:
- Educating participants on the history of active shooter events;
- Describing common behavior, conditions, and situations associated with active shooters; and
- Fostering communication between critical infrastructure owners and operators and local emergency response teams. This course includes discussions of interoperability, communications protocols, and best practices for planning, preparedness, and response.
The event will also cover:
- Developing communication and incident plans for employees, parishioners, clergy, and members of a faith community;
- Emergency action plan development;
- Recognizing behavioral indicators; and
- Coordinating with first responders.
Download a flyer with more information and registration links. Space is limited so register before the January 24 deadline to guarantee a place.
Mid-Winter Music Workshop, January 28
Everyone who leads or loves music is invited to the diocesan music workshop on Saturday, January 28, (location in the Augusta area to be confirmed soon). In this workshop, we'll share the joy we all know as we sing together. We'll experiment with new songs. We'll also have time for conversation and collective sharing of best practices for rehearsals, communication, collaboration, etc. Workshop leader Thew Elliott says, "I hope we'll leave this time together feeling buoyed, affirmed, and more connected to each other as resources."
The program begins at 10 a.m. and ends by 3 p.m. Coffee starts at 9:30. Please bring your own lunch. (Snow date is the following Saturday.) The workshop is free, but please register by Wednesday, January 25, so we can make appropriate plans for supplies and space. Registration will open next week on the diocesan website. If you would like a registration link to be emailed directly to you, please contact Jane Hartwell at jhartwell@episcopalmaine.org.
BTS Convocation, "Course Corrections," January 30-31 at Congregation Bet Ha'am, South Portland
At this year's convocation, you will be:
- invited to find yourself in the complexities of Paul's story.
- equipped to respond to radical disruptions and to accompany others in times of disorientation and loss.
- guided in reinterpreting the sacred text of your life and expressing the truths discovered in the midst of change.
- encouraged to discern your own course corrections when the way ahead is not clear.
- challenged to look bravely, with others, into the blinding light of transformational change.
Registration is
$140. Optional lunch and dinner tickets are available as well.
Limited scholarship assistance is available for this event. If you are interested in a scholarship, please contact Alyssa Lodewick at alyssa@btscenter.org.
More information and registration materials, are available
here
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EPF to meet in Thomaston on February 4 - all are welcome
The Maine Chapter of Episcopal Peace Fellowship is holding its winter meeting on
Saturday, February 4
, at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church in Thomaston. We will gather at
10 a.m.
and meet through a simple potluck lunch until about
1 p.m.
On the agenda will be particular plans for sharing with the rest of the Diocese the November 2016 pilgrimage to Israel/Palestine. A subcommittee of EPF is also beginning work on addressing gun violence. The door is open to anyone interested in attending, so please join us. Snow cancellation will be announced to members via email.
Save the Date for Faith in Action: Maine Advocacy Days - March 27 and 28
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