October 4, 2017

Serving the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania
3717 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104
www.diopa.org          215-627-6434
Articles In This Issue
Quick Links to Diopa Website
Parish Events
Wellness
Safe Church Training

Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Visit our blog View on Instagram
#diopacomeandsee
#diopalove


Discipleship Matters Conference


REGISTER NOW

SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE!


If you have registered 
or would like to register for the Discipleship Matters Conference, and are in need of a scholarship, please contact J.D. Lafrance at  jdlafrance@diopa.org .

The Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania and
The Rt. Rev. Daniel G. P. Gutiérrez is
sponsoring the
Discipleship Matters Conference

Helping leaders create a culture of discipleship
in their congregations and community.

Please  register  for what promises to be a remarkable experience
at St. Thomas' Church, Whitemarsh
The conference is being brought to you by 
Forward Movement  and  RenewalWorks .


This national conference will experience Christian formation for discipleship, scripture engagement, habits of daily prayer, serving the poor, and sharing the Good News. Building upon the very successful Evangelism Matters conference in Dallas in November 2016, this conference will offer keynote presentations, workshops, and networking time, and will be undergirded with Eucharist and the Daily Office.

The  Diocese of Pennsylvania  will be well represented at the conference with several of our clergy participating in plenary sessions and workshops.



The Rt. Rev. Bishop Gutiérrez, celebrant and preacher






Engagement with Scripture 
and  How Pilgrimages and Mission Trips form Disciples
The Rev. Marek Zabriskie, Rector, St. Thomas' Church, Whitemarsh




Joy in Confession
The Rev. Dr. Hillary Raining, Rector, St. Christopher's, Gladwyne, PA






Evangelism by Listening

The Rev. Jarrett Kerbel, Rector, St. Martin's, Philadelphia





Dioceses Shaping Disciples
The Rev. Canon Betsy Ivey, Diocese of PA moderating panel with the Rev. Canon Rob Droste, Diocese of NJ and the Rev. Canon Frank Logue, Diocese of GA




Discipleship as the Foundation for Evangelism
The Rev. Canon Shawn Wamsley, Canon to the Ordinary, Diocese of Pennsylvania





Bring a group!  Small groups attending from the same parish get one free registration, with four paid attendees. Email Jason Merritt to arrange your free registration at jmerritt@forwardmovement.org .


If you are interested in volunteering,
contact Emily Given at 215-233-3970 ext.126 or 
given@stthomaswhitemarsh.org .
Greeters, wayfinding assistants, and registration helpers are needed for one
day or for the whole conference.




Upcoming Diocesan Events


Benefit Event in Support of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem

The Rt. Rev. Daniel G. P. Gutiérrez, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania, The Very Rev. Judith A. Sullivan, Dean, Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral, The Philadelphia Committee, and The Board of Trustees of the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem cordially invite you to a Benefit in Support of Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza, a medical ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem. Special Guest Speaker: The Rev. Canon John L. Peterson.

Friday, October 6, 2017 from 6 PM - 9 PM at the Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral.  READ MORE.

Looking ahead:

An Evening with the Episcopal Bishop of Cuba
A dinner and event hosted by the Rev. Marek Zabriskie and prepared by Chef José Garces in honor of Bishop Griselda of Cuba on October 20, 2017. Bishop Gutiérrez and his wife Suzanne and Bishop Frank Griswold and his wife Phoebe will also be attending!

Diocesan History Committee Second Annual Fall Forum
Signs of the Times: Discovering the Present in What Remains of the Past: St. Luke and the Epiphany and Washington Square West 
on  Saturday, October 14, 2017 from  9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at  Church of St. Luke and The Epiphany.

Diocese of Pennsylvania Men's Work Project: Beautification of Grace Epiphany Church Grounds
The Men of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania invite you to join us in helping to beautify the grounds of Grace Epiphany Church in Mt. Airy on October 28.

Clergy Spiritual Retreat with Rev. Megan McKenna
We are exploring exciting offerings and one of them is the Clergy Spiritual Retreat featuring the Rev. Megan McKenna.

Bishop Gutiérrez Invites You to the 2017 Clergy Conference
I would like to invite you to join me at the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania's Annual Clergy Conference at the Grand Hotel in Cape May, New Jersey.


Diocesan Staff Celebrates Bishop Gutiérrez's Birthday!


  
Staff Celebrates Bishop's Birthday




St. Thomas Celebrates Octavius V. Catto With Service

by Samaria Bailey


     The African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas honored Octavius V. Catto, one of America's oldest Black activists, and an ancestor of their church, with a special morning worship service on Sunday.

    The service was St. Thomas' first time reserving a service to celebrate Catto, a martyr, who, among other struggles, fought for Black men's right to vote and desegregation in Philadelphia.

    "This is our fist time at St. Thomas actually designating a Sunday in which we remember the life and ministry of Octavius V. Catto," said the Very Rev. Canon Martini Shaw, St. Thomas' Rector. "And it's being done this year to connect it to the actual unveiling by the city of Philadelphia. We felt it was most fitting that his life and ministry within St. Thomas be uplifted at the same time."

    Catto's life lessons and freedom were the focus of the service, which included the singing of hymns "We Shall Overcome," and "Marching to Zion" and a children's homily in which youth answered questions about fairness and justice.

    Arthur Sudler, Director of the St. Thomas Historical Society, reflected on Catto's life and how his activism intersected with his spirituality.

    "He was involved in the Equal Rights League," he said. "He was involved in the Negro Convention Movement and he was also involved in the attempts to desegregate Philadelphia streetcars. [And] the cause of him being assassinated was his role in ensuring the passage of the 15th Amendment, which gave Black men the right to vote. The major thing is, as a member of St. Thomas, he was a very spiritual person. We believe in what are called the five marks of mission and one of those is to challenge unjust structures within society and that's exactly what he was doing. He was challenging these unjust structures of society in order to make the work of the Church, the work of Christ. And so that says to us, he understood the transformational power of Jesus Christ both in his life and the need to have it enacted in the world."

    Mayor Jim Kenney also spoke at the service, stating that although such a gesture is long overdue, he is proud to be in office as Catto is memorialized by the city.

    "The more I read about [African-American history], the more I wonder why I never knew about it," he said. "They don't want people to know African-Americans did wonderful things in our city. It's ironic he will be the first monument to an African-American on public space in the city's history. Something's wrong with that. I'm so proud to be involved with this and see this come to fruition. When I saw him yesterday ... tears were glistening in my eyes...My children and grandchildren need to know who Catto was.

    Dorothy Archey, St. Thomas' church school superintendent, said in order to continue his legacy, she plans to infuse lessons on Catto and other Black history in the church school classes, especially for youth.

    "It's all about teaching Christian values," she said. "I want to [introduce] some of our leaders and tie it together with folks like Catto, and let them see how important all of it is around Christ."



United Thank Offering Grants Available for Youth in the Diocese




UTO Young Adult Grants for ages 19-30  are available for youth in the Diocese. The Grants are due November 3 in the UTO New York Office. The Diocese ECW/UTO committee will review the grants to assist in the selection process, therefore all applications must be received by Celeste Fisher in the Bishop's Office by 5:00 p.m., October 20, 2017 via email:  cfisher@diopa.org . This is the time to be creative, think outside the box and submit a grant.

The UTO Board and Staff are happy to announce that we are now accepting applications for Young Adults and Seminarians. Below are the materials for Young Adult applicants, the materials for seminarians have been sent directly to the seminaries but are also available online at  www.episcopalchurch.org/uto

Invitation Letter
Young Adult and Seminarian Grants Focus and Criteria
Young Adult Grant Application
Young Adult Grant Application - Bishop Endorsement Form

Please let us know if you have any questions or need any assistance with the application process.  Please note that we'll be offering webinars in October to answer any questions folks might have about the process or to assist anyone having to discern which application to submit.  Please join us on October 10 or 11th at 8 p.m. Eastern time at https://zoom.us/j/8140408194

We'll send out the information again in our October E-Newsletter.

Thank you for sharing this information in your diocese and for supporting young adults in their discernment and growth as church leaders.

Sincerely,

The Reverend Canon Heather L. Melton 

Staff Officer, The United Thank Offering | The Episcopal Church | 917.771.3366


Church Farm School Volunteers Are Ready to Help!


100 Years of inspiring young men to live productive lives of service!
 
As the Church Farm School in Exton, PA prepares to celebrate its Centennial (1918-2018), our students, faculty and staff want to thank you for your generous support of our mission over the past 100 years by bringing our community to you! If you need help with parish or community projects, our students and faculty want to lend a helping hand with light clean-up or building projects any Saturday or Sunday during the school year. Call us at 610.363.7500 to set up a time and let the outstanding Church Farm School boys plant, paint, clear, demolish, construct or otherwise enhance your presence in the community. Thank you for supporting us, as we celebrate our Centennial.



SERVING THE DIOCESE: Diocesan Committees 2017
A Renewed Call to Serve


Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

At Convention 2017, we will elect new members to serve on Diocesan Committees. The
Commission on Clergy Compensation and Employee Benefits (CCCEB) , the Nominations Committee , and Disciplinary Board are still actively seeking members. If you, or someone you know, is interested in becoming a member of a Diocesan Committee, information can be found on the Convention page on the Diocesan website: http://www.diopa.org/diocesan-convention-2017/.

Most of the Nominations Committee's meetings are conducted via conference call, easing the burden of travel, and enabling us to be as geographically diverse as possible.

The Nominations Committee's mission is to be inclusive racially, culturally, by gender and gender identity, and by age. We encourage you to participate in building and strengthening our Diocese, and in representing the breadth and diversity of our many parishes and deaneries.

Candidate biographies can be submitted electronically. For information, please see the Nominations page:
http://www.diopa.org/convention-2017-nominations/

CURRENTLY SEEKING:

COMMISSION ON CLERGY COMPENSATION AND EMPLOYEE BENEFITS: CCCEB - 2 clergy; 2 lay
NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE - 3 clergy; 2 lay
DISCIPLINARY BOARD - 3 clergy; 1 lay

In Thanksgiving,
The Nominations Committee: Cordelia Biddle (chair), Betty Berry-Holmes, Lionel Broome, Jane R. Cosby, Rev. Nancy Dilliplane, Rev. Amanda Eiman, Marcia Hinton, Rev. Catherine Kerr, Rev. Jeffrey Moretzsohn, Liz Wendt, Very Rev. Deirdre Whitfield


The Diocese of Pennsylvania is 
Now Receiving Contributions from AmazonSmile



Do you use Amazon? If so, then you can support our Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania earn extra income by shopping through AmazonSmile! 

AmazonSmile is a website operated by Amazon with the same products, prices and shopping features as Amazon.com. The difference is when you shop on AmazonSmile, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible products to our Diocese. Getting started is simple.

1) Go to smile.amazon.com

2) You will be asked to select an organization. 
Please select The Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania .  

3) Add smile.amazon.com to your bookmarks so that you always come back to the same site.  

That's it! It may not sound like much but if it were to take all your online shopping and multiply it by everyone in our Diocese it can really add up. Please make sure to spread the word and ask your friends and family to select The Epsicopal Diocese of Pennsylvania as their own AmazonSmile charity as well. Please remember, only purchases made through AmazonSmile will be eligible.

Just go to:  https://smile.amazon.com/ch/23-1352108 and shop on Amazon's website like you normally would. Make sure to save the link in your favorites for easy access when shopping in the future.  





Diocese of Pennsylvania T-Shirts


What's there not to love?

Check out DIOPA's
awesome new shirts!


The #diopaLOVE T-shirts were so popular they were all claimed within 48 hours! Another order has been placed and we will be getting more. If you are still interested in a T-shirt, don't worry! Just contact Kristen Kelly at 215-627-6434 or through  kristenk@diopa.org  and she will contact you once they are in!

Kristen is taking orders now. If we don't have the size you want she will order more at a later date.



A Message from Bishop Gutiérrez Regarding the 2018 Diocesan Budget





 CAMINOS: Our Road Together


The Office of the Diocese of Pennsylvania is pleased to announce the publication of our new magazine "CAMINOS: Our Road Together".

 
 
While this magazine will be published online, it is also available in a print format for anyone who does not have internet access.  If you know someone in your congregation who cannot receive it electronically, please send us their name and address and we will be sure to send them a hard copy version.
 
In order to have the best viewing experience, once you click on the link below, put your cursor under the image of the magazine cover.  A timeline will appear. Click on the square at the far right of the timeline and the issue can be read full screen.  Once you are viewing it full screen, clicking on the arrows at the far right or left will turn the pages forward or backward.
 

We want to help tell your stories.  If you would like to submit an article for publication, please contact Henry Carnes at  henryc@diopa.org  and he will be glad to assist you.





Servant Year is On!


"Are you called to serve?"

Our new Servant Year Corps Members have answered this question with an unabashedly faithful  "YES"!   This DioPA ministry is an intentional faith-based community where young adults give of themselves while faithfully discerning where they are being called in their lives.  On August 19th , six members will arrive to begin their year of service among us. As we get closer to August look for Introductions to our members right here.  We are excited for people to get to know them and their many talents and gifts.

Members in this urban missionary like program receive full-time volunteer positions at a partner site, monthly stipends, housing, health insurance, meals and public transportation tokens.  Servant Year is a supportive community that includes regular spiritual direction and formation.  It is perfect for new graduates who want to "give back" before they start their career; want a break in between college and graduate school; or need a little extra time to discern where their life is calling them after plans change or do not materialize as expected.

If you know of a college graduate who sounds like a good fit for this ministry please have them contact servantyear@diopa.org

This program is not limited to Episcopalians.  But for those young adults who grew up in the Episcopal Church,  Servant Year can be the next step in maturing their faith and discerning their call to ministry, whether that is ordained or lay.  Thank you for your help in finding those being called to  Servant Year .  

For more information contact Jan Berry Schroeder at 215-621-8315 or jans@diopa.org , or the Rev. Canon Betsy Ivey, Director of the Offices of Family and Young Adult Ministry at bivey@diopa.org . Please feel free to explore our websites as well: Servant Year Philadelphia and  The Episcopal Service Corps.   

Where are YOU being called to serve?



DIOPA Resource Guide

                     The DIOPA Resource Guide is here!

We have heard your suggestions, compiled them, and we would like to present the DIOPA Resource Guide: a directory of information about the Diocese of Pennsylvania, and how we can best serve you. We encourage you to explore the website at  http://www.dioparesourceguide.com/ .

This website is designed to continue to capture information that is useful and relevant to all members of the Diocese. Please continue to submit your suggestions. Contact J.D. Lafrance at  jdlafrance@diopa.org   or use our online form:  https://diopa.wufoo.com/forms/cant-find-something/ .



DIOPA Deanery Calendar



Our DIOPA Deanery Calendar is fully operational and available to capture and disseminate your event information - diocesan wide! It's the place to post parish events in each deanery and can be found on www.diopa.org at the bottom right of the home page under Calendars. It's a read-only site, with information being posted by an administrator in your deanery. Call your parish office to have your administrator post an event you want to share.



Video Invitation to Join the Bishop's Bible Challenge!

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

As another part of my promise to better serve you, I am pleased to present another major initiative from the Offices of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania. This Bible App will help us all to feel connected, provides a platform for participating in the Bishop's Bible Challenge, and perhaps most importantly is a powerful tool for you to read or hear the Word of God in 1,000 languages. With the Bible App, many now have access to the word of God in their primary language. Reading the Bible together as a diocesan community will have a life changing effect. The importance of Christian people using Holy Scripture as a foundation for daily life is hard to overstate. Who we are as the People of God flows directly from our worship, doctrine, and liturgy, which are all rooted in Scripture. To know the Bible better, is to know ourselves as the People of God better, to know our mission to the world better, and to know our faith better. We are here to help and to serve you, and this mobile app is another important step in showing the kind of innovation and emphasis that is placed on equipping our congregations to build the Kingdom of God.

The Rt. Rev. Daniel G.P. Gutiérrez
XVI Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania


The Bishop's Bible Challenge leads us through the entire bible in a year's time. Not only will you find the daily reading and meditation rewarding, but you will be joining in community with hundreds, possibly thousands, of fellow Episcopalians in our diocese. While this may seem like a daunting undertaking, as the Bible tells us "Fear Not", for there are many ways to connect!
You can download The DIOPA Bible in a Year App from iTunes, Apple App Store, and Google Play. To download the mobile application, go to the "App Store" icon on your iPhones or the "Google Play" icon on your Android Phone and search for "DIOPA" or "DIOPA bible." It is a self-contained way to participate and has everything you need including a link to the registration page, the Bible readings for each day, an online link to the Bible in audible and readable forms and daily reading or listening selections that will help everyone to read the same selections each day.
 
* If you don't want to use the app, register to participate at our online registration site:  https://diopa.wufoo.com/forms/bishops-bible-challenge/
 
* If you do not use a computer or smart phone simply call the Offices of the Diocese at 215-627-6434 to register and receive a Bible Study Packet; or contact your Priest for these materials.

* Join our online Facebook group at < DIOPA Bishop's Bible Challenge>. This is where you can post your own testimonies on the readings. These responses can be written or use your phone or camera to take a picture that reflects your response to the reading. Include a brief description and post with the hash tag #wordon and #diopabbc. Check the group page or the hash tags to see what other participants are saying!

* Information and resources regarding The Bishop's Bible Challenge can be found online:  http://www.diopa.org/bishops-bible-challenge/

The important thing to know is that you are not alone in this and you cannot mess this up! If you miss a day of reading, or a week for that matter, just jump back in to the schedule because there is no wrong way to do this. If you'd rather not read, the Bible App will play the day's selections in a dramatized audio format for you to listen.

So let's come together as a diocesan family and build the Kingdom of God -praying together, worshipping together, studying together - in this the "come and see" diocese. #diopalove #diopacomeandsee #wordon #diopabbc - there are multiple ways to connect!


Online Staff Directory


Visit our new "Staff Directory" page on the diocesan website to see photos, bios, and job descriptions 
of the current staff of the Offices of the Diocese of Pennsylvania.





Download our Diocesan Mobile App "DIOPAConnect"


Dear Brothers and Sisters,

As part of my promise to better serve you, I am pleased to offer a major initiative from the Offices of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania. This mobile directory app will help us all to feel connected, provides useful information about parishes, and enables us to have one more important way to stay informed about everything going on in our wonderful Diocese. We are here to help and to serve you, and this mobile app is an important step in showing the kind of innovation and emphasis that is placed on equipping our congregations to build the Kingdom of God.

The Rt. Rev. Daniel G.P.  Gutiérrez
XVI Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania

To download the mobile application go to the "App Store" icon on your iPhones 
or the "Google Play" icon on your Android Phone  and 
search for "DIOPA" or "DIOPA mobile directory."

Let us know how DiopaConnect works for you. 
 User feedback helps us to tailor our applications to better meet your needs.