Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana
The  Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana

EDoLA News for August 2017
Volume 11, Issue 8
Announcements from the Bishop's Office
HURRICANE HARVEY 2017: WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP ?



Robert W. Radtke, President of Episcopal Relief & Development

Starting on Sunday, as the scope and devastation of Hurricane Harvey became apparent, my email box began to fill with some version of: "What can I do to help?" I praise God for these emails.

When we see images of people suffering, we want to do something. That's understandable. As Christians, we are called to seek and serve Christ in all people and never more so than in times of crisis.

For those still in the midst of the disaster, please follow the advice of your local authorities. Take care of yourself and your loved ones. Otherwise, you won't be able to help anyone else later on. 

For those of us observing and praying from afar, it's important to remember that this is a marathon and not a sprint. In addition, the tricky part is responding in a way that is timely and appropriate. Understanding the phases of a disaster can be useful in determining how you can help.

Most disasters have three distinct, if sometimes overlapping phases: Rescue, Relief and Recovery...  Continue reading here






Follow the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana Facebook page as we share stories from the Harvey affected dioceses and the work of our churches as they are responding to the disaster.
Upcoming Diocesan Events:



September 5 at 6 p.m.
 Celebration of New Ministry: Installation of the Rev. Chris Capaldo as Rector of the Episcopal Church of the Holy Communion
Holy Communion, 58040 Court St, Plaquemine
More information: www.edola.org/event/capaldo
 
September 9 at 10 a.m.
 Ordination of the Rev. Liz Embler-Beazley to the Sacred Order of Priests
St. Paul's, 6249 Canal Blvd, New Orleans
More information: www.edola.org/event/ordination-liz-embler-beazley/
 
September 12 from 10 a.m.- 1:30 p.m.
 Stewardship Resource Day: Keynote presentations from TENS Conference
Trinity Church, 3552 Morning Glory Ave, Baton Rouge
 
September 13 from 10 a.m.- 1:30 p.m.
 Stewardship Resource Day: Keynote presentations from TENS Conference
St. George's, 4600 St. Charles Ave, New Orleans
 
September 16 from 8:30 a.m.- 4 p.m.
 Caffeinated Church Technology Conference
St. George's, 4600 St. Charles Ave, New Orleans

October 6-8 
Senior High Rally at the Solomon Episcopal Conference Center. 
Registration will open in September.

October 25 from 10 a.m.- 2 p.m.
Clergy Day
There will be time in the afternoon to talk with CPG about the changes in property insurance. Clergy are invited to bring one representative from their congregation.
All Saints, 100 Rex Dr, River Ridge


November 3-4 
Diocesan Convention
St. James, 205 N Fourth St, Baton Rouge 
Upcoming Bishop Visitations:  Click here for the schedule
The Community Mission Appeal - or CMA -  is dedicated to taking our diocese's mission beyond the physical walls of our churches. One hundred percent of the gifts received through CMA will go directly to churches in the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana in the form of grants to support the development and continuing strength of mission work. 

News from The Episcopal Church
The Good Book Club



Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles
August 16, 2017
Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry has offered an invitation to Episcopalians and all Christians to join the more than 25 partners presenting the Good Book Club, an opportunity for reflection and prayer.
The Good Book Club is a churchwide program that invites the reading of the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles during the liturgical seasons of Lent and Easter 2018.  Led by Forward Movement,  www.forwardmovement.org the Good Book Club readings begin the Sunday prior to Ash Wednesday (February 11, 2018), and finish on Pentecost (May 20, 2018).
The Good Book Club, the Presiding Bishop said, provides an opportunity to "read, mark, learn and inwardly digest the Holy Scriptures."  He noted that "The Gospel of Luke tells the story of Jesus" while "the Acts of the Apostles tells the story of those who followed in the footsteps of Jesus."
He concludes, "I hope you'll join me."
The video is available  here in English and with Spanish subtitles  here
Dioceses, congregations and organizations are encouraged to post and share the video and resource links.
Resources
Resources for the Good Book Club are available here  www.goodbookclub.org including daily readings.
Spanish resources and information are available here.   http://clubbiblico.org
  Stay up-to-date by following The Good Book Club on Facebook here.  www.facebook.com/thegoodbookclub
News from Around the Diocese
Follow the news & reflections from around the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana by clicking here.

Clergy Transitions



The Rev. Edward Thompson  has been called to serve as the associate rector of Trinity Episcopal Church, Galveston, Texas beginning September 1. He has served as the priest-in-charge of All Souls and St. Luke's, New Orleans. 


The Rev. Robert Beazley  has been called to serve as the associate rector and school chaplain of St. Andrew's, New Orleans. He is a 2016 graduate of  the School of Theology at the University of the South, Sewanee. He and his wife, the Rev. Liz Embler-Beazley moved to New Orleans in May.

The Rev. Peter Kang will leave Grace Church, St. Francisville, in mid-September. For over two years he has served as the associate rector for youth and family ministries.  




Follow up

The Rev. Andrew Thayer celebrated his first Holy Eucharist as rector of Trinity, New Orleans, on Sunday, August 6. View photographs here.


Ministry Reflections
August Recovery Retreat 

by Julie Green, Addictions Recovery Ministry

The Addictions Recovery Ministry of the Diocese of Louisiana held its 34th Coed retreat at Solomon Conference Center on August 4-6, 2017. The facilitator was Br. Kevin Kelsey of the Franciscan Order. There were about 30 in attendance. All seemed to thoroughly enjoy their weekend.
 
We would convene each session with wonderful music. During free time we were offered spiritual direction, Reiki, a dream workshop, or just a walk around their beautiful grounds. Morning and evening prayer, a Eucharist incorporating the 12 steps and a Taize service were also held.
 
Br. Kevin led us with humor and grace to explore the 12 steps. He told us his story and spoke about powerlessness, defects of character, fearlessness, cleaning house, prayer and grace and service to others.
 
The conference center offers delicious meals, comfortable rooms, a lake for fishing or nature walks through the surrounding woods. The new sidewalks made the center even more handicapped accessible than in the past. Their ministry of hospitality is a gift to our diocese.
 
If anyone is in recovery, living with someone in recovery or just interested in what recovery is all about, these workshops can be a boost to you.  The annual women's retreat is scheduled for Jan. 12-14, 2018 and the next Coed retreat is to be held August 3-5, 2018.  Scholarships are available if someone is limited in resources as we want anyone who needs access to this ministry to be able to attend.
 

More information about the Addiction Recovery Ministry can be found here.

One goal of the Congregational Consultants for Communication & Technology is to inspire all Episcopalians to share the Good News of the Kingdom of God through social media. When posting, use one or more of the hashtags:  #jesusmovement ,  #EDoLA , #Episcopal , and your church name. 
Challenge for the month of September: Participate in Social Media Sunday on September 24, 2017

Social Media Sunday is the day set aside for Christians everywhere to use digital devices intentionally to share their life of faith with the world. Below is some advice from the Acts 8 Movement on how to participate in Social Media Sunday. 

Proclaim 
1. Tell your network something you love about your faith community. 
2. Tweet highlights from the sermon, discipleship programs, and/or Bible study. 
3. Mention on social media some great ministry you are involved in with your church. 
4. Make a cover image that reflects your faith. 
5. Share every video Presiding Bishop Curry makes on every platform you're on. 

Engage 
6. Like and share others' posts about God and church. 
7. Friend and follow others in your church and diocese. 
8. Check in on social media every time you come to church. 
9. Use the hashtag #episcopal to find other Episcopalians on Twitter or Instagram. 
10. Post a photo of you with some of your favorite church friends at cofee hour. 

Invite 
11. Post the times of your church's service on social media and invite your friends to join you.
12. Invite your friends to message you their prayer requests and commit to praying for them.
13. Share a picture of your child doing something at church and mention how proud you are.
14. Share a picture of the inside of your church so people can see how beautiful it is. 
15. Take a picture of your priest in vestments in the church before, during or after the service to introduce him/her to your network. 

 
15 Ways to Use Social Media to Proclaim the Love of God  This is an offering of the Acts 8 Movement. Proclaiming Resurrection in the Episcopal Church - http://www.acts8movement.org


Photo of the Month
[Photograph from St. Matthew's Episcopal School Facebook Page] Watching the August 21 solar eclipse at St. Matthew's, Houma. 


More News on the EDoLA Blog:

  
The Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana | 1623 Seventh St, New Orleans, LA 70115
(504) 895-6634 | [email protected] | www.edola.org
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