JUNE 6, 2017 
Clergy, Conversation and Community

By Sophie Smal, Communications Coordinator 
 
On May 23-25, clergy of all ages, minstries, congregations and walks of life came together at The Bishop's Ranch, for what  the Ven. Gary Brown, deacon at  Emmanuel, Grass Valley,  described as "definitely one of the better clergy conferences."

From left: The Rev. Dr. Ann Hallisey, Dr. Ellen Davis, The Rev. Suzanne Guthrie
The keynote speaker was Dr. Ellen Davis of Duke Divinity School who spoke on the Old Testament and how to preach it in a way that is relevant to our lives today.

Besides listening to Davis, other activities included fellowship and prayer, which Brown stated he enjoyed.  "I like the fellowship and getting to mingle. You don't really get the chance to do that much at convention; you spend most of your time at a table with people from your own church.

"I feel like I'm treated like a colleague there, and the other deacons are, too. We are coming together as a team (with the priests) - this is an evolution that's very welcome. There's a lot less focus on the structure in this diocese and more on our common mission. I like that."

Bishop Barry Beisner is proud to share that the clergy took an offering for Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM) and gave a total of $1,011. 

"Our recent Clergy Conference was an important time of being nurtured spiritually and challenged intellectually, of affirmation of our faith and strengthening of the bonds of our communion. I pray that we will all be better servant leaders for this experience, and I look forward to next year's conference, which is set to be May 22-24," Beisner said.
FROM THE OFFICE OF THE BISHOP
New Clergy Gather for a 'Fresh Start'

The diocese's Fresh Start program is a two year cycle and is required of all new clergy and clergy new to positions in the diocese. The program is designed to support clergy and promote collegial relationships among clergy and diocesan leadership. 

The idea is to create a safe environment for clergy to address transition issues and strengthen relationships so that ministry together is a 'fresh start'.  Starting this year, one big change to the program was that deacons were included in the gatherings.

And since both priests and deacons participated, the Rev. Pam Gossard, deacon at Christ Church, Eureka, said she got a great sense of diversity because of the "gender differences, various age groups and experiences."

To read the rest of the story, click here.
Upcoming Ordinations

Ordinations to the Sacred Order of Deacons

On Saturday, June 10, at 11 
a.m., Mary Heller Taggart and Donna Lynn Arellano will be ordained to the Sacred Order of Deacons by Bishop Barry Beisner at Trinity Cathedral, Sacramento, at 2620 Capitol Avenue. Your prayers and presence are requested. Clergy: red stoles, please.

Photo: The School for Deacons class of 2017, from left, Stephen Tiffenson, Nan Slavin, Mary Heller Taggart, Bertram Nagarajah, Donna Lynn Arellano, and Jennifer Nelson.

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Transitional Diaconate 

On Saturday, June 24, at 11 a.m.,  David Gilman Rickert will be ordained to the Sacred Order of Deacons by Bishop Barry Beisner at Trinity Cathedral, Sacramento, at 2620 Capitol Avenue. Your prayers and presence are requested. Clergy: red stoles, please.
Bishop's Visitation Schedule 

Bishop Beisner will be visiting the following congregations in June & July:
For the Bishop's full 2017-2018 visitation schedule,  click here.
NEWS & EVENTS IN OUR DIOCESE
Pilgrimage Prayers Requested

A multigenerational group of 17 pilgrims, including Rector Sean Cox, from Faith, Cameron Park, are in Honduras until June 12. Please pray for safe travels and a successful vacation Bible school experience.
Incarnation 100 Bike Ride - June 10

The Incarnation 100 is a great event for avid and recreational cyclists alike. Not only does the event include biking, but other activities include a wine pull and a raffle. The event will start at Incarnation, Santa Rosa, this Saturday, June 10.  More information can be found at  the Incarnation 100 website

So far, the event has 125 riders registered!  Online registration will be open until June 9, as well as i n-person registration June 9-10 at Incarnation.
The Belfry Awarded Grant from the Episcopal Church

Congratulations to  Pastor Jocelynn Hughes for receiving  $5,000 from the Episcopal Church for  The Belfry  at  UC Davis!

According to Hughes, the grant will help expand The Belfry's process of becoming a  "Reconciling in Christ" community and will promote safe spaces on campus for  members of the LGBTQIA and other marginalized communities. 

Additionally, the grant will allow a young adult intern to work through The Belfry's  LEVN program and work with the LGBT Center, Cross Cultural Center, and the AB540 Center on campus to build relationships with students and share their "Reconciling in Christ" community.  The university is also moving toward implementing a "Spirituality Center" on campus. 

To see the Episcopal Church's full media release, click here.
Photo from Camp Galilee's website
Summer Nurses Needed

Camp Galilee, on the Nevada shore of Lake Tahoe, is looking for registered nurses to volunteer for one or two week-long camp sessions, ranging from mid-July to early August. 

Benefits include room and board, as well as one full campership. For more information, click here. For any questions, please contact Program Director  Chelsea Arcaris.

Abraham's Path - July 16

St. Paul's, Benicia, invites you to come down for what they hope will be an interesting and enriching experience, including a wonderful Middle Eastern nosh and speakers on experiencing pilgrimage to the Holy Land, on Sunday, July 16, from 2 to 5 p.m. More details to come.

Men's Ministry Workshop - Sept. 16

St. Augustine's, Rocklin, is hosting a one-day workshop, designed to inspir e, invigorate, stimulate and enrich the different groups of men's affiliations of the Episcopal Church in the Sacramento area. As of now, the event is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 16, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.  For more information, please contact Robert Shonk .

Fall Convocations - Oct. 14

The convocations of the seven deaneries of the Episcopal Di ocese o f Northern California will occur on Saturday, Oct. 14. For times and places , click here .
Resources in the Fight Against Gun Violence

The audio of the "three-note" presentations and the "three-note" panel discussion from the recent Bishops United Against Gun Violence are now online, as are the texts of the talks by the Revs. Kelly Brown Douglas and Julian DeShazier and the remarks by Bishop Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows.  You will find the links on the right shoulder  of this page.

The Rev. Marcia Tyriver, deacon at  St. Patrick's, Kenwood, has pulled together a listing of legislation being considered both statewide and nationally that could further gun violence or that would make us safer. You may contact her at marciatyriver@sbcglobal.net for more information.
NEWS & EVENTS BEYOND OUR DIOCESE
Upcoming Events from DioCal

On June 15, the Diocese of California will host a Pride Evensong at Grace Cathedral , beginning at 5:15 p.m. Following the service, a panel will discuss the history of ministry for LGBTQ+ people in the Diocese of California. A reception will follow at 7 p.m. For more information on the event, click here Admission is free; however, participants are asked to RSVP on Facebook . For more information, please contact Sara Yoe .

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Grace Cathedral is also celebrating the Summer of Love and its values of peace, love and  community with a fun-filled sampler of events to inform and inspire, on June 11, 22, 23.
News from the Episcopal Church

Episcopal Church
Changes to the Church Pension Fund are coming on Jan. 1, 2018. The changes were designed to "create more modern plans that address the realities of a changing Episcopal Church, while ensuring that each pension plan remains financially sustainable." For the Episcopal News Service's full story,  click here.

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Applications are now being accepted for the position of Missioner for Black Ministries as part of the Presiding Bishop's staff. For more information, click here or contact  a member of the Episcopal Church Human Resources Team at hrm@episcopalchurch.org . The deadline to apply is July 19.
 Aug. 4-6: 4th-6th graders are invited to spend the weekend at Christ Church Cathedral in Houston for the Intermediate Urban Mission Retreat. Activities include a campus scavenger hunt, sleeping over in the tree house youth space and more. For more information,  click here
In the Next Few Months


I f you have a news story or event of interest to others in the diocese, please contact Sophie Smal, Communications Coordinator at communications@norcalepiscopal.org Interim Communications Director Lori Korleski Richardson will be away until June 19.