Christmas Message from the Bishops
Love came down at Christmas, love all lovely, love divine;
love was born at Christmas: star and angels gave the sign.
Worship we the Godhead, love incarnate, love divine;
worship we our Jesus, but wherewith for sacred sign?
Love shall be our token; love be yours and love be mine;
love to God and neighbor, love for plea and gift and sign.
-Christina Rossetti Hymn #84
The blessing of Christmas is Emmanuel, God with us, the gift of Jesus Christ! We worship God at the manger, rejoicing in the love of God that fills the stable on this holy night. God showers God’s blessings upon us in this simple setting, and our hearts are filled with joy, wonder and hope.
As we celebrate this joy-filled season and rejoice in the gift of Christ’s birth, may our prayer also include the desire to share the love and hope of Jesus with the world. Engaging our neighborhoods, let us explore new and life-giving ways to share the gift of Jesus with others. Filled with God’s love and hope, may we journey forward to reveal love incarnate with the world.
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Welcome Don Dupont!
ECCT staff at The Commons is pleased to welcome Don Dupont, our new Property Manager for the Episcopal Church in Connecticut. In light of the retirement of Dave Desmarais, effective mid-January, Don will be joining the staff at The Commons this week to work closely with Dave for a smooth transition.
In 2010, Don sold his company housing business archives and storing records, a company he literally built from the ground up--including the building itself! Don still works closely with former employees building and maintaining archival storage systems and units.
Don has enjoyed working on all types of projects from his woodworking shop at his home, including everything from building furniture to completely renovating houses. Don is excited to join the staff at The Commons and "to make a seamless transition from the highly-regarded Dave Desmarais and the legacy he has created here at ECCT."
When he is not covered in sawdust, Don enjoys refereeing basketball games and going on long walks with his dog, C.C. and his wife, Theresa.
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A message from Bishop Clarence N. Coleridge
"
I express my gratitude for all the priests and lay persons of the Diocese of Connecticut on their kind expressions of sympathy for me on the
death of my wife, Euna
. I received a large number of cards, phone calls, and letters of sympathy, and many of you turned out for her memorial service at Christ Church Cathedral on December 2.
"Euna accompanied me on virtually all my Sunday visitations to parishes. She came to know many priests and their spouses and they to know her.
"Our children, Cheryl and Carolyn, and I are extremely grateful for your many sincere gestures of sympathy on this, our painful loss. Our heartfelt thanks to our bishops and to all of you."
--The Rt. Rev. Clarence N. Coleridge, 13th Bishop Diocesan, resigned (retired)
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Advent resources:
If you know of a great resource, please email
Alli!
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Episcopal Church Young Adult Service Corps: Applications accepted for 2018-2019 placements
Applications are now available for the Episcopal Church Young Adult Service Corps (YASC). Young adults (21 - 30 years old) are encouraged to apply.
Currently YASCers are serving throughout the Anglican Communion, working alongside partners in administration, agriculture, communication, development, and education. They are serving in Brazil, Costa Rica, England, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Africa and Tanzania.
The application deadline is Friday, January 12, 2018. Information and instructions for the application are
available here
. YASC blogs are available to read
here
and videos are available here.
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National Episcopal Historians and Archivists (NEHA) 2018
NEHA
is now accepting proposals for papers to be presented at the 2018 Conference held in New Haven, CT. Presentations are made on a voluntary basis. Presenters are allocated 15 minutes for a paper and 5 minutes for questions.
Proposals are due
January 31, 2018.
Guidelines, possible topics, & more information available
here.
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The 2018 NEHA Conference: In Remembrance of Thee: The History of Reconciliation in the Episcopal Church will be August 7 - 10 at Trinity, New Haven. The keynote speaker will be Barbara Lau, Director of the Pauli Murray Project at Duke University Human Rights Center. The luncheon speaker will be C.K. Robertson, Canon to Presiding Bishop Michael Curry. Learn more about the conference and read the bios of the speakers on
NEHA's website
.
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December 21 is National Homeless Persons' Remembrance Day
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Mark your calendars for the upcoming Ordination to the priesthood:
- Tomorrow, December 20: the Rev. Stacey Kohl at St. Mark's, Mystic, 6:30 p.m.
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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.
- Camp Director, Trinity, Southport
- Sexton, Trinity, Southport
- Property Manager, St. Paul's, Fairfield
- Youth Minister, St. James', Farmington
- Music Director, Christ Church, Tashua
For open Clergy positions please click
here
. Clergy positions will no longer be posted in eNews.
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Announcements & Reminders
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The parish/worshiping community survey for the ECCT database is live.
Thanks so much to the following churches that completed their survey since last week's announcement:
Trinity, Newtown and Grace Church, Old Saybrook
!
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THE NEXT ENEWS WILL GO OUT JANUARY 3, 2018
The Commons: ECCT offices will be closed December 25 - January 2
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ECCT Podcast: We want your input!
ECCT is starting a podcast for some lively (we hope) theological conversations, interviews, teachings, and sermons.
Before we head out on this path we'd like to hear from you. Who and what do you want to hear (or not hear)? What could we call it? Thoughts, advice, etc.? Email
Karin Hamilton
.
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Camp Counselors are needed for the 11th annual Dominican Republic mission trip,
June 30 - July 7, 2018
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This summer, a group of high-school students will be chosen to represent ECCT in the
Dominican Republic
for nine days.
Deadline for submission is December 31, 2017. Please submit an application along with an essay detailing experiences working with children, involvement in your parish, and interest in this mission opportunity. For application forms and more information, please contact Alan McCollom at
amc0126@mail.com.
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eFormation Flagship Gathering: January 12-13, 2018 at Virginia Theological Seminary
This
Friday and Saturday gathering
at Virginia Theological Seminary will feature speakers and workshop leaders from all over the church to discuss topics such as: Digital Literacy, Faith Formation in the 21st Century, Money and Media, and more!
Register today!
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Two upcoming grant deadlines:
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The Jack Spaeth Care for Creation Grant
The mission of the Jack Spaeth Care for Creation Environmental Grant is to encourage innovation and to empower members of the ECCT to educate, witness, & invite change in our congregations and communities with the goal of embracing a global vision of climate justice and preserving and celebrating God's creation.
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Companions in Mission for Publishing and Communication
The focus of this grant is on all forms of publishing and communications. This could mean development of a web site, purchase of computers, purchase of mobile phones & phone time for remote areas, publication of school books and, publication of hymnals and prayer books in a local language.
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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.
- December 20, the Commons will be closed from 12:30 - 2:30 p.m.
- December 20, Ordination to the Priesthood: the Rev. Stacey Kolh, St. Mark's, Mystic at 6:30 p.m.
- December 21, Standing Committee Meeting, The Commons
The Commons will be closed December 25 - January 1,
there will be no regular weekly eNews on December 26.
BISHOPS' VISITS:
- January 7, Bishop Douglas, St. Peter's, Oxford
- January 14, Bishop Ahrens, St. James', Preston; Bishop Douglas, St. Francis', Stamford
- January 21, Bishop Ahrens, St. Stephen's, Ridgefield
- January 28, Bishop Douglas, St. Andrew's, Madison
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All Parish, Region, and Ministry Network events are posted on
this calendar
.
Below are the upcoming events for the next two weeks. Hosting an event? Please submit
ALL
parish, Region, and Ministry Network events
using this form
, you may select as many categories that apply to your event as needed. Please indicate which region your event is in by selecting the appropriate region category.
Reach out to the specific parish for event updates, specific locations, and further details.
PLEASE check to see if your event is already on the calendar before you submit it.
PARISH EVENTS:
Regular worship services, including season-specific, will not be listed below.
- December 22, After "Thoughts & Prayers": Actions for Peace, St. Andrew's, Milford
- Rest up for the weekend...
January events:
- January 7, Pipes Alive! St. John's, West Hartford
- January 7, Special Needs Grace 2 Go Worship, St. Timothy's, Fairfield
REGION MEETINGS & EVENTS:
- None scheduled at this time, please check the calendar.
MINISTRY NETWORK MEETINGS & EVENTS:
- None scheduled at this time, please check the calendar.
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