WEEKLY (spooky)NEWS

October 31, 2017

North Central Region hosted a "Night with the Saints" costume party at Christ Church Cathedral, Hartford Nuns, skeletons, clowns, and even a Pinterest board gathered for an evening of fun, karaoke, and treats at Christ Church Cathedral, Hartford. The North Central Region hosted their first "Night with the Saints" Halloween costume party last Saturday evening. "A great night at Christ Church Cathedral with the North Central region! A night filled with saints, dancing and fun!" Bishop Laura Ahrens reflected on the event, "Thanks to all who planned, decorated, participated, and cleaned up!" Take a moment to like the North Central Facebook page to stay updated with all their upcoming news!

Friends gather at Christ Church Cathedral for the NC Region's "Night with the Saints," photos from Bishop Ahrens

General Convention Applications: ECCT Youth Team, Official Youth Presence, and Young Adult Festival Planning Team There are three unique opportunities for young people to be involved in the 79th Annual General Convention of The Episcopal Church , July 5-13, 2018 in Austin, TX. High school students are encouraged to apply to be a part of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut Youth Team to General Convention . Four young people will travel to Austin, Texas with the ECCT General Convention Deputies, Bishop Laura Ahrens, Bishop Ian Douglas, and two youth leaders, the Rev. Rebekah Hatch, and the Rev. Curtis Farr. Applications are due by December 1. Applications are available here. The General Convention Official Youth Presence (OYP) at General Convention is also accepting applications for high school students. Jazzy Bostock of Hawaii shares in this video what it's like to be part of the Official Youth Presence at General Convention and invites you to apply. All applicants must identify a non-family member nominator who can complete an on-line essay nomination form by November 1. Applications and more information are available here. The nomination form is here.  Finally, applications are now being accepted for planning team members for the General Convention Young Adult Festival , held July 4 - 9, 2018, concurrently with General Convention. The Young Adult Festival is designed for young adults 18-30 years old to meet peers from across the globe, pray and learn together, engage in the church’s legislative process, and help discern God’s call for the Episcopal Church. Applications (available in English and Spanish) are due November 6.

Episcopal Church and United Methodists present full communion relationship At their October meeting in DC, The Episcopal Church-United Methodists Dialogue Committee continued to work on establishing a full communion relationship draft proposal entitled " A Gift to the World: Co-Laborers for the Healing of Brokenness (The Episcopal Church and The United Methodist Church, A Proposal for Full Communion) ." The committee issued a full communique after their meeting documenting what was covered in their meeting. The proposal mentioned above is not yet available . The Dialogue Committee will hold their next meeting on April 23 - 25, 2018 in Chicago.

Annual Renewal of Vows for Deacons: this Sunday, November 5 at Christ Church Cathedral, Hartford Join the Rt. Rev. Laura J. Ahrens, Deacon Bonnie Matthews, and the Deacons Council this Sunday, November 5 at Christ Church Cathedral, 45 Church St., Hartford for the annual renewal of vows for all ECCT deacons. The service begins at 3:00 p.m. with a reception to follow. The Rt. Rev. Barbara C. Harris, the first woman and first black woman to be ordained to the episcopate in the worldwide Anglican Communion, will be the guest preacher.

TWO remaining information sessions, register now! Learn about the proposed Budget of Convention. Register now to attend an info session. An overview of the budget process and proposed budget of convention will be presented by Louis Fuertes, Canon for Mission Operations & Finance, with either Bishop Laura or Ian present to facilitate discussion and answer questions.   A light dinner will be served. Please register through the Eventbrite link attached to each session. Tomorrow, November 1: (North Central Region) 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Trinity, Hartford: Register. November 8: (Northeast Region) 6 – 8 p.m. St Mark’s, Storrs: Register.

Convention Corner: Annual Convention, only 2.5 weeks away!! The 233rd Annual Convention is November 17 - 18 in Greenwich, CT. Read more  here .   A basic schedule of events is available here . Resolution, Reports, and Candidates Read each Resolution , Report , and about each Candidate online. *Note: some resolutions, reports, and information on candidates are not available pending Faith & Order Commission review. Regular Online Registration ENDS November 14 The regular registration rate is $85, the rate will increase to $100 as a walk-in on the day of convention. Please register today for Convention . Convention Choir We’re looking for singers from all over the Episcopal Church in Connecticut to take part in a massed choir at our Convention worship on Friday, November 17 from 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. at the Hyatt in Old Greenwich. Rehearsal will begin at 4:00 p.m. that Friday and singers are encouraged to bring choir robes from their home parish. If you are interested in joining the convention choir, please contact Jacob Street for details on music and other instructions.

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.  Organist, Calvary St. George's, Bridgeport Youth Minister, St. James', Farmington Music Director, Christ Church, Tashua Part-Time Pianist, Grace Episcopal Church, Broad Brook Part-Time Parish Office Assistant, St. Paul's on the Green, Norwalk Director of Music Ministries, St. Mary's, Manchester Organist/Director of Music, St. John's, North Haven ECCT is hiring a part-time Diocesan Property Manager   For open Clergy positions please click here . Clergy positions will no longer be posted in eNews.

Announcements & Reminders

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, Trumbull; St. Mark's, Bridgewater; Christ Church, Middle Haddam; and St. James', Higganum! Click here to read the related documents.

Connecticut's 12th Bishop Diocesan, the Rt. Rev. Arthur E. Walmsley remembered A requiem Eucharist was held for the Rt. Rev. Arthur E. Walmsley, 12th bishop diocesan of ECCT, on Oct. 27 at Christ Church Cathedral. Bishop Walmsley died Oct. 5 at his home in New Hampshire. More info here . Link to some photos from the service, and reception, here .

Please continue to donate to ERD; potential volunteers can sign up now Episcopal Relief & Development (ERD) is continually responding to the disasters in Northern California, Hurricanes Maria, Irma, and Harvey through local dioceses, and to earthquakes in Mexico through local church partners. ( Read more here. ) The assistance includes food and other critical supplies, housing and the storage of belongings. Please Donate to Episcopal Relief & Development

Upcoming interactive panel discussion from All Our Children: November 28 Join panelists Tamara Plummer, Asset Map Coordinator for the Episcopal Relief and Development Foundation and Ansel Sanders, President & CEO of Public Education Partners in Greenville County, SC for an interactive panel discussion on building partnerships with public schools. Learn how to name and claim the assets your community have that will help to build a partnership with the public schools nearby. The online panel through Zoom is from 2:30 - 3:45 p.m. Register here .

Advent begins Dec 3. Come to the Family Advent Day at Camp Washington! As your family awaits the coming of Christmas, spend an afternoon together preparing your heart and your home. Make an Advent wreath with greens selected from Camp Washington's campus, dip Advent candles, paint ornaments and more. The afternoon ends with worship and dinner together. Tickets begin at $15 and are available here .

Presentation at Christ Church Cathedral:  In Search of a Prophet, Kahlil Gibran: An Unparalleled Spiritual Guide for Our Times  by Paul-Gordon Chandler, Dec. 3   This free and open to the public event will be held at  Christ Church Cathedral  on Dec 3 at 2 p.m. Author Paul-Gordon Chandler will discuss the spirituality of Kahlil Gibran, the early 20th century Lebanese-American poet, artist, and mystic.  In Search of a Prophet  is a journey through the spiritual life of Kahlil Gibran, author of the bestselling book The Prophet. Capturing our imaginations and enriching our spirits, Paul-Gordon Chandler explores this beloved writer and artist, a mystic who sought to build bridges and tear down walls (description from Amazon.com).

National Episcopal Historians and Archivists (NEHA) 2018 Call for Papers 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, and more information available on their website .

IRIS' Annual Run for Refugees is Feb 4! Support refugees at the largest annual fundraiser for IRIS (Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services) , a refugee resettlement agency in New Haven, CT. IRIS helps refugees and other displaced people establish new lives, regain hope, and contribute to the vitality of Connecticut’s communities. Can't make the run but want to donate or support a team? You can do so here . Register here

Events coming up soon:

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. October 31, Convention Planning Team meeting, The Commons November 1, Region Budget Review, NC Region, Trinity, Hartford November 2, Recently Ordained Clergy meeting, The Commons November 2, Faithful Futures: Transition, The Commons November 5, Deacons Renewal of Vows & Church Street Eats Ministry, Christ Church Cathedral, Hartford November 8, CT General Convention Deputation Meeting, The Commons November 8, Region Budget Review, NE Region, St. Mark's, Storrs November 9, Women Clergy Breakfast & Book Study, The Commons November 9, Deacons' Council Meeting November 9, Celebration of New Ministry for the Rev. Matt Lindeman, St. Peter's, Milford November 10-11, Camp Washington Board Retreat, Camp Washington November 14, Convention Planning Team Meeting, The Commons BISHOPS' VISITS: November 4, Bishop Ahrens will celebrate the 150th Anniversary Celebration of Church of the Epiphany, Southbury November 5: Bishop Douglas will celebrate the 275th anniversary of St. John's, Stamford November 12, Bishop Ahrens, Grace, Hartford; Bishop Douglas, St. Mary's, Manchester November 19, Bishop Douglas will celebrate the 125th anniversary of St. Paul's, Southington December 3, Bishop Ahrens, Trinity, Lime Rock; Bishop Douglas, Grace, Newington

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. PARISH EVENTS: Regular worship services, including season-specific, will not be listed below.    November 1, Lunch & Lecture: Dr. Robert Emmons on Gratitude, Yale Divinity School November 2, All Soul's Requiem, St. Paul's On-the-Green, Norwalk November 2, All Soul's Requiem and dinner, Grace, Hartford November 4, Holiday Craft Fair, St. John's, North Haven November 4, Family Trivia Night, St. James', Danbury November 4, Concert: Golden Oldies, Trinity, Wethersfield November 4, Concert: Margarita Nuller, St. Mary's, Manchester November 5, "Mess after Mass," Grace, Hartford November 6, Faith in a New Millennium discussion, St. Paul's On-the-Green, Norwalk November 6, First Tuesday, Church of the Good Shepherd, Orange November 11, Autumn Leaves Fair, Christ Church, Middle Haddam November 11, Guided Labyrinth Walk, Church of the Good Shepherd, Orange November 11, 25th Annual Collin Bennett/Marcus Garvey Scholarship & Awards Banquet, St. Martin's, Hartford November 11, VA Service Day, St. Alban's ,Danielson November 12, Assisted and Independent Living Fair, St. John's, North Haven November 12, CODA Latin Jazz Trio Concert, St. John's, Vernon November 12, Vital Connections Through Music concert, Trinity, Portland November 13, Bible Study: the case of the Grateful Samaritan, Holy Trinity, Enfield REGION MEETINGS & EVENTS: November 1: SE Region: Clergy Gathering, Grace, Old Saybrook November 12, SE Region: Welcome Reception for SE Region Missionary, Grace, Old Saybrook MINISTRY NETWORK MEETINGS & EVENTS: November 3, St. Francis House MN: Urban Ministry & the signs of the times, St. Francis House, New London November 12, Holy Landers MN: Holy Land Pilgrim Reunion & Info gathering, St. Mark's Rectory, New Canaan November 14, Hospital Healthcare Chaplains MN meeting, The Commons

SAFE CHURCH TRAININGS:   The fall safe church schedule for laity is online   here . If you serve in a parish, you want to make sure your lay leaders attend safe church training or recertification, if required or recommended for them based on their position. You  must  register online; registration closes seven days before the session, or when it is full. Sessions with fewer than 10 people registered may be cancelled.   Comprehensive (Basic) Safe Church Training: For ordained and lay ministers who have not yet attended a training in Connecticut Option 2 - hybrid program with online training plus shortened live follow-up November 20, St. John's, Vernon, 6:30 - 9 p.m.

STAY CONNECTED