WEEKLY ENEWS

March 28 , 2017

Spring Training Updates and New Workshop!

Spring Training & Gathering is coming up this weekend and we have a few updates for anyone interested in attending.

Online registration is now closed. You may register at the door. We have about 50 spaces left. First come, first served. Walk-in registration is $35.

Dr. David Olsen will be offering a workshop, "Saying No to Say Yes." This workshop is "designed to help vestry members and lay leaders better understand and implement healthy boundaries aimed at creating healthy parishes."

This year will feature a brand new workshop, SANCTUARY 101. Many of our neighbors fear deportation or the forced separation of family due to recent changes in how immigration laws are being enforced. In response, faith communities are seeking ways to ensure these neighbors are treated with dignity and respect. Join us for this conversation (or just listen) to what some in ECCT are doing as they seek to fully live into their baptismal covenant. This conversation will be facilitated by lay and ordained leaders including an immigration attorney.

Find the updated workshop booklet, schedule, and classroom assignments on the Spring Training webpage .
Mockingbird Conference 2017 

Do n't miss this unique fusion of theology, pop-culture, humor, and story-telling, all centered on the subject of grace. Mockingbird is holding its 10th anniversary conference April 27-29, 2917 at the parish of Calvary-St. George's in Manhattan, NYC.

Mockingbird is "a ministry that seeks to connect the Christian faith with the realities of everyday life in fresh and down-to-earth ways." The ministry was started in 2007 for young adults in Manhattan, particularly those who felt "burned by the Church" and its offices moved to Christ Episcopal Church in Charlottesville VA in 2010, a lthough there is no official denominational affiliation or tradition.

Speakers at the conference include will include Fleming Rutledge, Oliver Burkeman, Simeon Zahl, Sarah Condon, Aaron Zimmerman, Nicole Cliffe, Jacob Smith, David Zahl, and others. ECCT's Duo Dickinson of Trinity on the Green, New Haven, is a contributing author to Mockingbird's website and will also be speaking at the conference. 
 
For details and to register, visit the website. 
New Food Pantry Opening at St. Michael's, Litchfield

This month, St. Michael's Parish in Litchfield will join the ranks of Episcopal churches providing much-needed food assistance to Connecticut communities.  The pantry is slated to open on Saturday, April 22, in their Parish Community House.

The pantry will be open the third Saturday of each month from 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. and will welcome all affected by food insecurity issues. No registration required. To begin, they'll collect non-perishables, and they plan to eventually accept fresh food items as well, with the goal of providing wholesome, nourishing food to neighbors in need.  For more information, contact the Rev. Deacon Amy Reichman . 
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 5 of Lent: 
  • Video reflection from Jiries Elias of Jerusalem Peacebuilders (transcript available in PDF and Word) 
  • Prayers of the People for Fifth 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

Nominations are now being accepted for Episcopal Church positions, committees, and boards that will be elected during the Next General Convention. More information 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.  

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.

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. Th e keynote speaker is Dr. Craig Burns, Chief of Psychiatric Services for the  Connecticut Department of Correction . Register  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. Print copies of the invitation, and RSVP form, were mailed to every parish.

Around God's Table, May 6-7.  A weekend of worship and workshops centered on the sacred art of liturgy designed to bring all lay youth and adult worship leaders together for fellowship, mutual learning, and sharing of best practices.  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 . 

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. 
 
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.
Due April 10: Young Adult and Campus Ministry 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.

 

  • March 29, Celebration of New Ministry, the Rev. Shariya Molegoda, St. Andrew's, Madison
  • March 30, CT River Pilgrimage Planning Group
  • April 4, Transitions Consultants Meeting
  • April 4, Convention Planning Team
  • April 4, Clergy Conference Planning
  • April 5, Deacon's Council Meeting
  • April 6, Recently Ordained Clergy Meeting
  • April 7, Faithful Futures- Sustainability 
  • April 7, ECCT Visions Training (for people in the ordination process)
  • April 7, Retired Clergy Committee 
  • April 8, Hispanic Ministry Retreat (Retiro de la Red Ministerio Hispano)
  • April 8, Province 1 Synod
  • April 11, Renewal of Ordination Vows
  • April 13, Women's Clergy Breakfast
  • April 14, Good Friday, The Commons is closed 
BISHOPS' SUNDAY VISITS
April 2, Christ Church, Bethany (Douglas); St. Peter's, Monroe (Ahrens)
April 9, Trinity, Wethersfield (Ahrens); St. Andrew's, Kent (Douglas) 

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.
  • March 31, 30 Hour Famine, St. John's, Bridgeport
  • April 1, Food Drive, St. Michael's, Litchfield 
  • April 1, Chanticleer Concert, Christ & Holy Trinity, Westport
  • April 2, Pipes Alive! Concert, St. John's, West Hartford
  • April 2, Oboe Duo Agosto Concert, St. John's, Vernon
  • April 2, Yazidi Genocide Presentation, St. James, New London 
  • April 2, Healing Service, Holy Trinity, Enfield
  • April 2, Lenten Sacred Music, St. Michael's, Litchfield 
  • April 4, 3 p.m., Social Justice and Advocacy MN Monthly Meeting, The Commons 
  • April 30, 3 p.m., Community Gardens Ministry Network Meeting, Grace Church, Old Saybrook
  • May 18, 10 a.m., Healthcare Chaplains Ministry Network Gathering, Manchester Memorial Hospital. More info, including registration,  here . 
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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