WEEKLY ENEWS

March 21 , 2017

 
Camp Counselors Needed in the Dominican Republic

If you are a teenager (or the parent of a teenager) between the ages of 14 and 18, currently enrolled in high school, and an active member of your church, we are interested in hearing from you. This summer, a group of students will be chosen to represent the Episcopal Church in Connecticut in the Dominican Republic for nine days. While there, we will be coordinating crafts and games for a Vacation Bible School at Iglesia Santa Margarita, a mission in Santo Domingo. This will be the 10th year of this program.
All that is required is a desire to work with younger children, some Spanish language background (one year of high school Spanish is preferred, but not required), and an interest in visiting a third-world country.You will need to submit an application along with an essay detailing your experiences working with children, your involvement in your parish, and why this mission opportunity is of interest to you.

The cost per person for the trip is about $1450. We ask each youth counselor and his/her parish to split $1250 of that cost. The remainder is being offset by expected grants and donations. Please apply by April 30, 2017. Applications received after that date will be considered on a space available basis. Download the application  here . For more information please contact Alan McCollom.
  
  
Around God's Table: A Liturgical Festival

Around God's Table, happening May 6-7, is a weekend of worship and workshops centered on the sacred art of liturgy designed to bring all lay youth and adult worship leaders (Acolytes, Vergers, Chalice Bearers, Lectors, Ushers, Greeters, Altar Guilds, Choirs and more) together for fellowship, mutual learning, and sharing of best practices. 

Attendees of Around God's Table will have the  opportunity to explore subjects such as worship planning, music, and the use of incense. 

Around God's Table is a collaboration of Christ Church Cathedral and Camp Washington. Find more information, including registration and workshop descriptions, at campwashington.org. 
 
Report from Leadership Gathering & Mission Council
Leaders from St. John's, Bristol make a presentation to the Mission Council. 

On Saturday, March 18 the four leadership groups in ECCT met together in the morning to consider and discuss what it means to be a parish/Body of Christ/as Episcopalians in Connecticut. In the afternoon, the Mission Council voted on loan revision terms for a parish, received financial reports, heard updates on property and 2016 Convention resolutions, and approved five environmental stewardship grants. 

For news report click here.
This Week!  Trinity Institute 2017: Water Justice 

Learn more about water justice and how to address it with faith-based action. This week, March 22-24, St. Paul's, Wallingford; St. John's, Vernon; St. Paul's, Riverside; and St. Ann's, Old Lyme will serve as Partner Sites for Trinity Institute's 46th annual theological conference and livestream the conference taking place in NYC. 

Sessions will be held Wednesday evening, Thursday morning and afternoon, and Friday morning and afternoon (this varies by site). Speakers include Senator Barbara Boxer, Maude Barlow; Archbishop Winston Halapua; Katharine Hayhoe, Ph.D.; Christiania Pepperd, Ph.D.; and Archbishop Thabo Makgoba.

Holy Land Connections 2017

In accordance with Diocesan Convention  Resolution #5 - Our Holy Land , ECCT is offering Holy Land Connections, a compilation of  Lenten materials about the peoples, promise, and history of the Holy Land. 

Resources for Week 4 of Lent: 
  • Video reflection from Bishop Laura Ahrens (transcript available in PDF and Word) 
  • Prayers of the People for Fourth Sunday in Lent (PDF and Word) 
A complete list of the 2017 Lenten Prayers of the People is available here as a PDF or Word document. A list of all the Holy Land Connection Lenten resources provided is  on this page. 
Lenten Devotionals, Retreats, and more!
 
A working list of materials that may be helpful for your spiritual practice this Lent:
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.  
To submit a job opening to be included here, please  fill out this form. Jobs will be reviewed and then posted in the weekly enews and posted on the website.   
Announcements & Reminders
Camp Washington Logo

Making Space for Silence: Lenten Retreat, March 31-April 1, Camp Washington. An introduction to contemplative prayer presented by Br. Robert L'Esperance, Society of St. John the Evangelist. More information, including registration, here . 

The Yazidi Genocide and IsraAID's Response, April 2, St. James, New London. Join representatives from IsraAID and The Connecticut Coalition for Yazidi Relief as they discuss atrocities perpetrated by ISIS and how IsraAID is assisting those affected. Learn more here.
 
Spring Training and Gathering, April 1, Meriden.  The 2017 Gathering will take place Saturday, April 1 at Lincoln Middle School in Meriden from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Check out  the  2017 Workshop Booklet  containing information about all of the workshops. Online registration has closed. You can still attend, however. The fee is $35 payable at the door.  

"Rumi and the Path of Divine Love Tradition in Islam," April 21-22, Mercy by the Sea Center.  Mercy Center will be hosting a weekend retreat with Omid Safi, Director of the Duke Islamic Center, centered on the work of the 13th century Persian poet commonly known as Rumi. The workshop "will explore Rumi's mystical poetry in ways that challenge commonly held notions of Islam and Muslims." For more information, including registration, visit the  Mercy Center website
. 

Faith Behind Bars & Beyond Forum, April 22,  Christ Church Cathedral, Hartford .  The ECCT Ministry Network Faith Behind Bars & Beyond  presents their ninth annual conference: " Prisons as Asylums: The Mentally Ill and Incarceration ."  The conference will feature a panel of formally incarcerated men and women and will emphasize how faith communities can participate in the healing process.  The keynote speaker is Dr. Craig Burns, Chief of Psychiatric Services for the  Connecticut Department of Correction . Register  here.

Bishops United Against Gun Violence Conference Chicago, April 20-22, Chicago, IL.  Join Bishops United Against Gun Violence  for "Unholy Trinity: the Intersection of Racism, Poverty and Gun Violence." The conference will include an ecumenical panel of speakers including pastors, scholars, artists and community leaders.  Find more information (including registration)  here .

Missional Voices National Gathering/Conference, April 21-22, Virginia Theological Seminary .  The conference will include keynote presentations, panel discussions, and "incubator" sessions where people can begin thinking about what God is doing in their neighborhoods and how they can participate in God's mission there. More details are available here .

Annual Meeting of the Episcopal Church Women (ECW) in Connecticut, May 4.  The ECW in Connecticut will hold their 136th annual meeting at the Aqua Turf Club in Plantsville, Connecticut. The Rev. Kim Jackson of All Saint's Episcopal Church, Atlanta, will speak. Lunch will be provided. Please reserve your place by Monday, April 17, by mailing a check of $20 payable to ECW of CT to Patricia Chappell, 31 Parkview Road, Wallingford, CT, 06492. 

The River of Life: Connecticut River Pilgrimage, 
May 31 - July 9. 
This is a 40-day trip on the Connecticut River. Churches in this region have partnered with  Kairos Earth, as well as local, statewide, and regional organizations along the Connecticut River, to organize the first-ever pilgrimage along the length of the river.  The pilgrimage is open to anyone. Learn more  here . 

When Dancing Turns to Mourning: Worshiping God in the Face of Violence, June 13-15, Yale Institute of Sacred Music. This is an ecumenical conference for pastors and lay leaders hosted by the Yale Institute of Sacred Music Congregations Project. More information available here. 

National Episcopal Historians and Archivists Conference, June 20-23, St. Michael's Church, NYC.  The theme this year is Immigration, Going Out and Coming In: Ministries, Transitions, and Change in the Episcopal Church.  The conference will feature papers, presentations, workshops, keynote and luncheon speakers, tours of historic sites, varieties of worship in our Episcopal tradition, music and fellowship. For more, visit the NEHA website.

New Community Clergy and Lay Conference July 19-22, Navasota, TX.  Registration is now open for the popular  Episcopal Church New Community  Clergy and Lay Conference at Camp Allen in Navasota, TX. The theme is Affirming Life, Liberty and Justice. Sponsored by the Episcopal Church Ethnic Ministries Offices, the New Community Clergy and Lay Conference is a gathering of Asian, Black, Latino/Hispanic and Native American clergy and lay leaders that will provide a safe place to explore mission in ethnic ministries, share resources, best practices, hopes and dreams, needs and concerns, suffering and joy in the context of being the New Community." Register here.   
 
Upcoming grant deadlines: 
Due March 31: Advisory Council on the Stewardship of Creation info here .
Due April  1: Sustainable Development Fund grant applications: info here.
Events coming up soon
Events below are coming up in the next few weeks:
 
REGION & 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.
BISHOPS' SUNDAY VISITS 
  • March 26, Church of the Good Shepherd, Shelton (Ahrens); Christ Church, Waterbury (Douglas)
  • April 2, Christ Church, Bethany (Douglas); St. Peter's, Monroe (Ahrens)
PARISH EVENTS: A complete Parish Events Calendar 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. Season-specific regular worship services will not be listed below.

  • Faith Formation Network Meeting, March 23, The Commons  
  • Healthcare Chaplains Network Gathering , May 18, Manchester Memorial Hospital. More information, including registration,  here . 

  • Community Gardens Ministry Network Meeting, April 30, Grace Church, Old Saybrook. An informational meeting and garden tour for those interested in learning more about the Common Good Garden and its partnership with the Shoreline Soup Kitchens and Pantries. Questions: gracechurcholdsaybrook@gmail.com.

UPCOMING SAFE CHURCH TRAININGS: 

Hybrid Basic Comprehensive: 
  • April 26, 6:30 - 9:00 p.m., Christ & Holy Trinity, Westport (register here)
  • April 29, 9:00 - 11:30 a.m., St. Peter's, Milford (register here)
  • May 2, 6:30 - 9:00 p.m., Trinity, Brooklyn (register here)
  • May 13, 9:00 - 11:30 a.m., Trinity, Newtown (register here)
Full day: 
  • June 10, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Christ Church, Ansonia (register here)

EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN CONNECTICUT
PARTICIPATING IN GOD'S MISSION


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