ECCT WEEKLY ENEWSLETTER
September 5, 2018
The Commons welcomes Chrissy!

Christina "Chrissy" Shingler joins the staff at The Commons as the Assistant to the Rt. Rev. Laura J. Ahrens, Bishop Suffragan. Chrissy is a native of Connecticut and previously worked at a health organization in New Haven in the accounts payable office.

Chrissy comes from a long background in non-profit work, which she is excited to return to in this role within the Episcopal Church in Connecticut. She was raised Unitarian, which she appreciates and says it has given her a broader understanding and acceptance of all religions and traditions. Chrissy is looking forward to "digging in and positively impacting the church, community, and co-workers" wherever and whenever she can.

When she is not at The Commons or taking trips up to Maine, Chrissy volunteers for a nonprofit serving military veterans and families here in Connecticut. She is also a backup singer for a rock band (how cool is that!). Chrissy lives in Yalesville with her son and two dogs.

Chrissy is an avid watcher of Jeopardy and also tries out every year. Her fun fact that she uses for her Jeopardy interviews is that she is teaching her dogs Gaelic.

Welcome Chrissy to The Commons! You can reach her at cshingler@episcopalct.org.
Social Media Sunday is coming up: September 30, are you ready?
Thank you, Diocese of Georgia for the video above!
Social Media Sunday, started by ECCT's very own Carolyn Clement of Trinity, Tariffville, encourages folks to take their phones and tablets out and share the love online while at church!

Possible ideas:
  • Use #ECCT and #SMS18 in all your posts
  • Snap a church-wide selfie
  • Tweet take-aways from the sermon
  • Check-in on Facebook from church
  • Set up a tech-help desk at coffee hour
  • Follow you church and ECCT on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

Find new ways to share the Gospel on social media. If you have a great idea and want to share it, tag #ECCT and let us know! Or email Alli.
ECCT PODCAST
Welcome to Season 2!

On this episode, Karin and Alli are joined with the Revs. Kevin Olds (St. Timothy's, Fairfield) and Katy Piazza (Emmanuel, Weston) to talk about the new worship service they’re planning to launch fall 2018, “Special Grace."

Listen to the episode and others at Coffee Hour at The Commons , or on iTunes , Google Play , and Stitcher !
Know of an interesting individual or unique ministry in ECCT? Maybe something going on at your parish, or someone there? Let us know!!
CELEBRATIONS & ORDINATIONS
Click image for service times and more information
EVENTS, ANNOUNCEMENTS, & REMINDERS
Parish/worshiping community survey continues
P lease update with 2018 delegates to Annual Convention and other changes

A survey was launched in July 2017 to provide robust data on parishes, along with policies and procedures to make some of that data available for direct collaboration among parishes and worshiping communities. Access is given to people whose own names are entered; see policies here. Thanks so much to the following churches that completed their survey since the last announcement: Christ Church, Pomfret; Trinity, Portland; St. Andrew's, Milford; St. Michael's, Litchfield.

Click here to read the related documents. Most recent version of expanded parish directory here , using survey data combined with separate clergy database info.
Youth Festival at Camp Washington, THIS WEEKEND!! September 8 - 9

Registration is now open for the 3rd Annual Youth Festival at Camp Washington. Festivities begin Saturday morning, September 8 and conclude with brunch on Sunday, September 9.Cost of the weekend is only $30. R egister today to secure your spot . Grades 8-12.

Save the Date: October 5 - 7 will be Camp Washington's PRIDE high school retreat .
New Online Bible Study beginning this fall

ChurchNext, part of Forward Movement , will host 3 new live-streaming Bible studies beginning September 12 on Wednesday evenings 8:00 - 9:00 p.m. Topics include: Bible and Racial Justice, Heretics in Good Company, and Bible and Evangelism. Bible studies are free to subscribing ChurchNext congregations, dioceses, and individuals who purchase a $9/month ChurchNext subscription. Find out more and sign up at  www.churchnext.tv.
Two workshops by author Dr. Peter Steinke at Trinity, Vernon, September 14

Dr. Peter Steinke will lead two workshops on September 14, each titled after one of his new books.  Teaching Fish to Walk  will be in the morning and  To Make a Difference  will take place after lunch. Cost: $35 for each session; includes a copy of the book; $60 to attend both sessions; includes both books. Register here . Questions about the venue: Tim Oslovich . Questions about the workshops: Dr. Steinke .
Bishop's Book Discussion with Bishop Laura Ahrens at Camp Washington, September 18

Join Bishop Laura Ahrens to discuss Waking Up White by Debbie Irving , Chapters 1 - 5. Discussion begins at 11:00 a.m. and is open to everyone, no cost to attend, however a $10 donation is encouraged to cover the cost of lunch. Please register at campwashington.org or call 890-567-9623.
Grant Deadline for Sustainability Development Fund, October 1

The Millennium Fund is now known as The Sustainable Development Fund and provides funding for mission projects. The Fund varies from year to year but typically ranges from $40,000 - 45,000. The sponsoring group must be a parish or organization in good standing of the ECCT. Learn more about the criteria and download the application here .
A Contemplative Approach to Spirituality & Sexuality, Oct. 4 in Sewanee, Tennessee

The Beecken Center offers a day-long workshop to discuss sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity at St. Mary's parish in Sewanee, Tennessee. The workshop will focus on healthy and honest conversation around spirituality and sexuality, as well as provide tools for participants to engage in discussion around sex, sexuality, and spirituality. Learn more and register for the workshop here .
Camp Washington's PRIDE Weekend, October 5 - 7

This retreat weekend open to all LGBTQ+ youth and allies, will feature workshops, food, music, guest speaker Tony Ferraiolo, Certified Life Coach and public speaker, and more! Cost $150, register today at campwashington.org/pride.
Love God, Love Neighbor, Episcopal Migration Ministries Conference, October 11 - 13

Registration is now open for “Love God, Love Neighbor,” a three-day training course, sponsored by  Episcopal Migration Ministries , for clergy and laity that is designed to equip Episcopalians to be advocates, allies, and ambassadors for refugees and the ministry of refugee resettlement. October 11-13 at Christ Church Cathedral, Louisville, Kentucky. Information and registration are available  here . 
Register today for the next Discipleship Matters Conference

Register for the Discipleship Matters Conference, October 15 - 17, 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina. This national conference series explores Christian formation for discipleship, scripture engagement, habits of daily prayer, serving the poor, and sharing the Good News. The conference will offer keynote presentations, workshops, and networking time, and will be undergirded with Eucharist and the Daily Office. More information here .
ANNUAL CONVENTION
October 26 - 27 at Mystic Marriott in Groton, CT
Reminder: Resolutions and Nominations, are due by September 14 contact Adam Yates
Register for Convention
Registration is open for the 2018 Annual Convention, on October 26 & 27 at the Mystic Marriott in Groton, CT. More information here or on our website . Hotel registration is separate.
Submit your delegates' names
Submit the names of your elected delegates and alternates using the ECCT parish survey ( link here , or email Matt Handi for more information). 
Annual Convention: Something New
Something new is coming to Annual Convention this year, and we want you to be a part of it! Learn about why we’re making these changes in this first video in a series. Watch the video!
Trivia Night Banquet
 It's a battle of wits and useless knowledge at Convention on Friday night! Get together your friends from around the church and register today.
ECCT CALENDAR
Events below are coming up in the next few weeks
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.

  • September 6, Faithful Futures: Stewardship, The Commons
  • September 8, Leadership Gathering, The Commons
  • September 11, Convention Planning
  • September 13, South Central Region Budget Review
  • September 14 -16, Deacon Formation Retreat
  • September 15, Celebration of New Ministry for the Rev. Curtis Farr, 10:30 a.m., St. Paul's, Fairfield
  • September 18, Bishop's Book Discussion at Camp Washington
  • September 18, Provisional Priest-in-Charge Gathering
  • September 18, Celebration of New Ministry for the Rev. Deborah Meister, 6:30 p.m., St. Luke's, Glastonbury
  • September 18, Northwest Region Budget Review
  • September 19, 49ers Gathering

Bishops' Visitation Schedule:

  • September 9, Bishop Ahrens: L'Eglise de L'Epiphanie, Stamford; Bishop Douglas: St. James, Winsted
  • September 16, Bishop Ahrens: Grace, Broad Brook; Bishop Douglas: St. Monica's, Hartford
  • September 23, Bishop Ahrens: St. Mark's, Storrs
  • September 30, Bishop Ahrens: All Saints, Cornwall; Bishop Douglas: St. Albans, Simsbury
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. Please indicate which region your event is in by selecting the appropriate region category.   Contact specific parish for updates, locations, and details.

PLEASE check to see if your event is already on the calendar before you submit it.

Parish:
Regular worship services, including season-specific, will not be listed below.   

  • September 8: From 50s to Now Concert, Trinity, Wethersfield
  • September 8: Harvest Fair, Christ and the Epiphany, East Haven
  • September 9: Community Block Party, St. John's, West Hartford

Region-wide:


Ministry Network:

  • September 5: Hiking with the Rachels, Hopeville Pond State Park, Griswold
Safe Church Training:

All Safe Church Trainings (Comprehensive Basic, and Lay Recertification) can be found on our website. We will no longer be listing each training in the eNews. Please find & register for trainings on our website .
OPEN POSITIONS
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. 


For open Clergy positions please click here .