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A 'Sparkplug' for St. Clement's, Rancho Cordova
By Sophie Smal, Communications Coordinator
This Thursday night,
Bishop Barry will lead a
Celebration of New Ministry for t
he new priest-in-charge at St. Clement's, Rancho Cordova, the Rev. Kenn Katona. But Katona, born into a Roman Catholic family, said he initially didn't like attending church.
"I made a deal with my parents that if I got confirmed, I could stop going to church, which I did. I didn't darken the doors of a church until I was 19 years old, when I asked a girl out on a date. She said yes - but only if I'd go to church with her,'" said Katona.
This became his first exposure to an Episcopal church, St. David's in Pittsburgh, where he had moved.
"The liturgy was familiar, so I was comfortable with that, but the church just had an excitement and this feeling of being alive that I hadn't experienced before," Katona said.
A year later, he started travelling the country and doing short-term mission work in several cities. Additionally, he spent time in Mongolia, where he lived in a yurt on mountain with no running water or electricity for two months.
Although he started feeling called to the priesthood, "I felt like God said 'You need to let that go for now; you're not ready for (the priesthood) yet.' And so, I let it go," Katona said.
Continue reading...
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THE SEARCH FOR OUR NEXT BISHOP
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Bishop Search Listening Sessions Set
; More Dates to Come
The Bishop Search Committee has decided to use the yearly Congregational Leadership Conference dates as listening sessions. Listening sessions help aid the Committee in creating a bishop search profile. Everyone in the diocese is urged to attend a listening session close to them. Additional listening sessions will be held, with the dates to be determined.
Please save the date for these listening sessions:
February 10: Incarnation, Santa Rosa
February 24: St Alban's, Arcata
March 10: St. John's, Roseville
More dates and locations coming soon!
***
Our Bishop Search Committee
Front row, from left: Mary Davy, Rosemary Braxton, Rev. Canon Tina Campbell, Rev. Kate Sefton, A. "Scotty" Hodges, Catherine Mace
Middle row, from left: Rev. Rod Davis, Rev. Matt Warren, Erika Trez, DonnaJo Woollen, Rev. Dr. Pamela Dolan, Kirk Bone
Back row, from left: Rev. Todd Bruce, John Ochoa, Jim Sargent, Bob Pritchard, Rev. Sean A. Cox, Rev. Jeanne Forte
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FROM THE OFFICE OF THE BISHOP
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Bishop's Partnership Appeal
During this Advent season, Bishop Barry Beisner has invited us all to consider a gift for the Church we love, joining with the Episcopal Foundation of Northern California for the 2017 Bishop's Partnership Appeal.
You can donate to the Appeal anytime through
online giving.
To see a list of diocesan ministries you can support, click here.
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Anti-Racism Training Jan. 27 at Faith, Cameron Park
The first 2018 Anti-Racism Training will be 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 27, at Faith, Cameron Park. This year's event will be facilitated by leaders from the Kaleidoscope Institute and provides an opportunity to come together as congregational leaders to learn how to help our worship communities appreciate and welcome the great diversity of people among us and around us, and to develop tools to work against the forces of racism in our world.
Anti-Racism Training is required for all who are engaged in ministries of governance (diocesan boards and commissions, as well as vestries and mission committees) and licensed lay ministers.
This event is free, and lunch is included, but registration is required. Please register by Jan. 22, 2018, here.
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Transitional Diaconate Ordinations - Jan. 20
On Saturday, Jan. 20, at 11 a.m.,
Lisa Biersch Cole,
Jana Mauck Branson,
Grant McNeill Bakewell Jr. and
Thomas Robert Gartin will be ordained t
o the Sacred Order of Deacons by Bishop Barry Beisner at Trinity Cathedral, Sacramento.
Your prayers and presence are requested; a reception will follow. Clergy: white stoles.
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New Ministry Celebrations
All are invited to attend these events; clergy: red stoles.
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Bishop's Visitation Schedule
- Dec. 24 - Trinity Cathedral, Sacramento
- Jan. 7 - St. Michael's, Fort Bragg
- Jan. 21 - St. George's, Carmichael
- Feb. 11 - St. John's, Lakeport
- Feb. 18 - St. Michael's, Anderson
- Feb. 25 - St. Paul's, Crescent City
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2018 Bible Challenge: Start a New Study Group at Church
The 2018 Bible Challenge will kick off in the new year with resources, encouragement, and events for starting a new Bible Study in your congregation. Whether you're starting your first Bible Study or a Bible Study for a new group of people, you can begin thinking about who you might invite to participate in the transformative experience of reading the Bible together, and stay tuned for more information in the coming weeks!
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Martin Luther King, Jr. Youth Weekend of Service and Overnight at Grace Cathedral, San Francisco
Join youth (Grades 6-12) from around Northern California at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco for fun, reflection and action in honor and application of the teachings and life of Dr. Marin Luther King Jr. Gather, worship, play games, dive deep, make friends, enjoy food, and march! Youth: register here; adults register here.
When: Sunday, Jan. 14, 5 p.m. to Monday Jan. 15, 1 p.m.
Where: Grace Cathedral, 1100 California Street, San Francisco
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Pathways Early Registration Deadline Extended to Jan. 15
Just a reminder that if you or someone in your parish is planning to attend
Pathways,
June 24-30 at Sonoma State, please register sooner rather than later! The early registration discount of $50 has been extended through Jan. 15, 2018. If cost is holding you back from attending, please contact
the Rev. Sarah Quinney.
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Living Well Through Lent 2018
Living Compass' Lenten guide for 2018 is now available for purchase through pre-order only.
Designed for use as an individual reflection or for group study, this guide provides a foundation for seeking a deeper experience of love and Lent, an experience that will help prepare us for the true meaning of Easter.
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NEWS & EVENTS IN AND BEYOND OUR DIOCESE
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St. Timothy's, Gridley, Celebrates Its 60th Anniversary
By the Rev. John Harris
The pews were overflowing at St. Timothy's, Gridley, on Dec. 10, when Bishop Barry Beisner visited to celebrate the Holy Eucharist, and help mark the congregation's 60th anniversary.
The Bishop confirmed one individual, and received two others. He also presided at a baptism, and blessed the recently renovated Church Yard.
The first service for the congregation was on Nov. 10, 1957, in the chapel of a funeral home. Early parishioners talk about Sunday School in the coffin room! The congregation was formally enrolled as a mission of the Diocese on April 30, 1958.
Eventually, the present church building was constructed at the corner of Magnolia and Jackson Streets, and dedicated in 1961.
St. Timothy's was a pioneer congregation in establishing and growing what has come to be called Total Ministry in this diocese, and was a founding member of the Valley Episcopal Ministry, a Sacramento Valley Cluster. St. Timothy's now functions as a single Total Ministry congregation with its own "locally grown" priest and deacon. The renovation of the church yard began in 2016, and was completed early this year.
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Working Together to Serve a Diverse Community
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Deacon Cindy Long and
the Very Rev. Mary Hudak at
St. Michael's, Carmichael.
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By the Ven. Gary Brown
As one drives by, St. Michael's Episcopal Church and its school appear to fit comfortably within their Carmichael neighborhood. The church itself was originally started as a mission by the then-growing St. Matthew's Episcopal Church when the Arden-Arcade area was being developed during the prosperous era following WWII. Even though the areas surrounding St. Michael's neighborhood have gradually become less affluent, tied to the closure of a large military facility, the church and school continue to thrive and have become examples of Christian service to the community.
In a reversal of fortune, St. Michael's has recently joined with St. Matthew's, whose neighborhood is now home to immigrants and the working poor, as a partner in mission. Dynamically service-oriented in nature, St. Michael's is not merely a safe haven for its parishioners and their families; it is also a model for a loving Christian response to a chaotic and changing world.
(Continue reading...)
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Donations Still Needed as Fire-damaged Communities Rebuild
In mid-October, as fires were still raging across Northern California, Molly's Revenge, a Celtic trio featuring an assortment of flutes, bagpipes, strings, a vocalist and Irish dancers, called the Rev. Cliff Haggenjos of St. John's, Roseville, with some good news: The date of Dec. 10 had opened on their schedule, and they wondered if the church would be interested in hosting their Winterdance show.
December is an unusually busy time for clergy, and knowing that Bishop Barry was scheduled to visit a week later, at first Father Cliff was hesitant to say yes. But, after briefly praying and listening for the Holy Spirit, he realized that the event could quickly be turned into a benefit for fire relief.
(Continue reading...)
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Calling All Singers in the Diocese for Annual Choir Festival
The 31st Annual Diocesan Choir Festival
will begin promptly at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 27, and conclude with a public Evensong at 4 p.m.. Contact Canon David Link at
[email protected]
for more information. The form to sign up is here.
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Bell maker Bill Meeks hoists a newly cast, one-ton bell into the Trinity Cathedral belfry in San Jose, Calif. The church's chime dates back 137 years and is being converted into a 24-bell carillon. Read the story
here.
Photograph by Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group
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CDSP Offers Winter Courses
Church Divinity School of the Pacific, Berkeley, is offering some short courses next month at the seminary as well as longer-term online courses for all interested in furthering their theological knowledge. For more information, go to their
website.
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From the Episcopal Church
Applications are now accepted for the 2018 United Thank Offering (UTO) grants.
The focus for the 2018 United Thank Offering grants is Becoming the Beloved Community: Racial Healing, Reconciliation and Justice.
UTO grants are awarded for projects that address human needs and help alleviate poverty. Applications are due March 2, 2018. More information is
available here
.
Other news:
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We will not have an e-News next week - Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! The next e-News will publish Jan. 2, 2018.
Please send any news items by Wednesday the week before publication to
[email protected].
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THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Making Disciples, Raising Up Saints & Transforming Communities for Christ
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