ECCT WEEKLY ENEWSLETTER
March 12, 2019
 Episcopal Church releases "Sacred Ground" dialogue series; discuss online March 19 with Katerina Brown

From The Episcopal Church: " Sacred Ground is a film- and readings-based dialogue series on race, grounded in faith. Small groups are invited to walk through chapters of America’s history of race and racism, while weaving in threads of family story, economic class, and political and regional identity. The 10-part series is built around a powerful online curriculum of documentary films and readings that focus on Indigenous, Black, Latino, and Asian/Pacific American histories as they intersect with European American histories.

"Sacred Ground is part of Becoming Beloved Community , The Episcopal Church’s long-term commitment to racial healing, reconciliation, and justice in our personal lives, our ministries, and our society. This series is open to all, and especially designed to help White people talk with other White people. Participants are invited to peel away the layers that have contributed to the challenges and divides of the present day – all while grounded in our call to faith, hope and love."

You can learn more in an online discussion Tuesday, March 19, 7:30 - 8:30 p.m with Katrina Browne, creator of Traces of the Trade , about the Sacred Ground curriculum. More info and register (free) here. The web conference is part of a monthly series hosted by Province 1's Cultural Competency and Multicultural Awareness Task Force.
From the blog : Rest and Retreat at Camp Washington
by ECCT Digital Storyteller Alli Huggins
In the deep of winter, which for Connecticut is February, it can feel tough to find time for rest. Winter is the time to work hard and accomplish so much that come summer, we can take weeks of vacation. Perhaps it is the cold. If we take any time to pause we may freeze; so we keep moving to keep warm; or perhaps it is the busyness of the liturgical or holiday traffic-jam in the winter.

Whatever it is, the reality is that taking retreat or rest has become such a rarity that it requires announcement and reward. We put up out-of-office messages stating that we are on retreat, taking a day off, taking a sabbath, and we are met with congratulatory messages. “Good for you taking time off… when you return, please do this and that.” Or, “A well rewarded break. Kudos!” It seems that retreating or resting has become such a rarity that it requires a reward. But, it is essential, nay it is biblical, to incorporate retreat and rest into your weekly life. The desire for an extended vacation is a reaction to the deprivation of rest from our common lives.

On March 1, I drove the delightful snowy drive from New Haven to Camp Washington for a 24-hour retreat, one overnight. Among many programs,  Camp Washington  offered a one-night  Deep Winter Retreat for women led by Sheryl Fatse and Jojo Keane. 

ECCT's Digital Storyteller Alli Huggins is using a blog site, episcopalct.blog , to share her stories and those from others. ECCT podcast episodes are linked, as well. You can search archives and submit story leads. Contact her at storytelling@episcopalct.org
Storytelling as a Spiritual Practice: Afternoon workshop for women, March 31

The Women’s Ministry Network is sponsoring an event on Sunday, March 31 from 2-6 p.m. at Ch rist Church Cathedral, Telling Truth and Listening Deep: Storytelling as a Spiritual Practice, with Valerie Tutson, nationally renowned storyteller (and native of New Milford, CT). The event is open to all those who identify as women. Valerie will teach par ticipants the art of storytelling and guide them through a process of helping them tap into their own stories. $10/person; babysitting can be arranged. Register and more details here .
Sign up NOW for a Region Confirmation for your group!

If your parish has a group preparing for Confirmation this spring and you're interested in a Region confirmation service, make sure you've registered for a date and a place. Some are already full - some are waiting for you to sign up. Here's the current list , prepared by Senior Administrator, Office of the Episcopate, Alison Hollo. Call her to reserve your space, 203-639-3501 ext. 112; ahollo@episcopalct.org
Episcopalians join 63rd Annual UN Commission on the Status of Women, March 11 - 22

The 63rd session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW 63) is meeting in New York City March 11 to March 22 with representatives of member states, UN entities, and NGOs from all regions of the world including delegates from the Anglican Communion and The Episcopal Church. This year's Province One delegate is Charlotte Healy, a youth member of Trinity, Southport. She's posting on Instagram @charlotteatuncsw and Episcopal_CT is sharing her posts.

Link here to The Episcopal Church public affairs announcement with more info on the event, links to its priority themes, the Presiding Bishop's statement, list of of staff and delegates, and more.
ECCT PODCAST
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!!
New Episode (#39), Mar.8, 2019 : A conversation with Lois Frankforter, ECCT parishioner, lawyer, President of Girls Friendly Society/USA (and a local chapter), girls' varsity lacrosse coach; and a 2018 delegate to the UN Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW) meeting this week in NYC. We talk about UNSCW.
ECCT IN THE NEWS
Email Karin if your parish or worshiping community has been featured in non-ECCT media/news!

Christ & Holy Trinity, Westport was in the news for a fire that broke out in the church's kitchen. Though it didn't take long for firefighters to put out the fire, there was a lot of smoke damage. Westport News March 7 (with photos) ; WTNH March 6
EVENTS, ANNOUNCEMENTS, & REMINDERS
Don't miss it! Annual Spring Training & Gathering (for laity and clergy) April 27 in Berlin CT - Registration is open
This year's event will be held Saturday, April 27, 2019 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Berlin High School, 139 Patterson Way, Berlin, CT.

Workshop details in booklet here.

Info, links, and resources also on this web page.

It's a day in the spring to gather with lay and ordained Episcopalians in CT for training (aka workshops) in various parish ministries as well as workshops that can help deepen your personal spiritual life. A print mailing was sent to parishes on February 8; special edition 2/21 eNewsletter on the day is here.
Upcoming Clergy Events

Way of Love and other Lenten resources available in English & Spanish

The Episcopal Church released Life Transformed: The Way of Love in Lent and Easter , a list of resources from partnering organizations and churches. Three specific resources include Adult Forums, Quiet Days, and "Test Kitchen." Other resources include: Lent Madness, Sermons that Work for Lent, Ashes to Go, and more! Spanish and English resources available. Click the image on right.

  • Click here for a 20-minute podcast interview with "Way of Love" resource developer Jerusalem Greer (from 3/1/19)
"Way of Love" on ECCT social media this Lent

Join the Episcopal Church in Connecticut on social media as we embrace the  Way of Love this Lent. Each week ECCT will focus on one word of the  Way of Love : turn, learn, pray, worship, bless, go, and rest. There will be video reflections each Wednesday, as well as prayers and intentions throughout the week. Be sure to follow us on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram (especially IGTV – Instagram TV) to participate. Brought to you by ECCT Digital Storyteller Alli Huggins.  
Annual "Faith Behind Bars and Beyond" Forum (prison ministry) to be held March 30

The 10th Prison Forum, presented by the ECCT Ministry Network Faith Behind Bars and Beyond, will be held Saturday, March 30 from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Christ Church Cathedral, 45 Church Street, Hartford.

PRESENTERS: Sister Tesa Fitzgerald, CSJ, executive director of Hour Children , an organization dedicated to breaking the cycle of intergenerational incarceration, will be the keynote speaker. The afternoon speaker will be Lawrence Bartley, communications associate at The Marshall Project , a nonpartisan nonprofit news agency that "seeks to create and sustain a sense of national urgency about the U.S. criminal justice system."
ADDITIONALLY: In addition to speakers, and a video shown during Lawrence Bartley's forum, there will be a panel discussion with returning citizens and their families and a Q & A following each panel discussion.
REGISTRATION: Register online here. The $10 fee includes your lunch, and beverages and snacks offered throughout the day.
PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS: Can provide brochures and similar.
WEBSITE WITH FULL DETAILS AND CONTACT : Link here .
WHAT'S HAPPENING AT CAMP WASHINGTON?
Upcoming events at Camp Washington:

  • March 29, Bishop's Book Study, with Bishop Laura Ahrens, discussing The Cloister by James Carroll
  • April 5-8, Icon writing workshop, with Kara Nelson
  • May 5, Open House for summer camp programs


Summer Camp programs include: Mini-camp (ages 5-10); Children's Camp (ages 7-12); Teen Camp (ages 12-16); Wilderness Adventure Camp (ages 7-12 and 12-16); and Service Leadership Camp (ages 13-16). Registration is open. More info and links here .
Camp W ashington is the official Camp and Conference Center of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut (ECCT) and a resource for Christian development and spiritual formation for followers of Jesus. Camp Washington is located on 300 acres in northwestern Connecticut and organizes and/or hosts retreats, conferences, and events throughout the year and offers a full summer camp program. It is a place of “acceptance, joy, and renewal for all God’s people.”
WHAT'S HAPPENING AT
CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL?
Dean Kelly Brown Douglas will be at Christ Church Cathedral on May 11. Details and register here .
Upcoming events at Christ Church Cathedral

  • March 23 (Sat. 7 pm): Cuatro Puntos Concert: The Curve, with Iraqi musician/composer Ameen Mokdad
  • March 24 (Sun. 2-6 pm) Storytelling as a Spiritual Practice (Sponsor: ECCT Women's Ministry Network)
  • March 30 (Sat. 8:30 am. - 2 pm) Faith Beyond Bars & Beyond Prison Ministry Network's annual forum
  • April 11 (Thu., 7 pm): Cuatro Puntos Concert: Sounds of Persia with Iranian santur master Dariush Saghafi and composer Reza Vali
  • April 16 (Holy Tuesday) Annual Clergy Renewal of Vows
  • April 20 (Holy Saturday) Region Confirmations - Easter Vigil
  • May 5 (Sun. 10 am) Mariachi Eucharist
  • May 11 (Sat., 9 am-2 pm) Dean Kelly Brown Douglas, "What it means to be a Church in 'Make America Great Again' Times" (details and register here)
  • May 19, 50th Anniversary celebration for couples married 50 years or more
Christ Church Cathedral is the gathering place for the entire Episcopal Church in Connecticut and the seat of its bishops. It is “Connecticut’s Cathedral” as all Episcopalians in CT are members of the Cathedral. From our Cathedral we are called and empowered to participate in God’s mission in our local neighborhoods. In this its centennial year, our Cathedral is opening its doors in new ways to neighbors near and far.
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.

  • March 13: Spiritual Practices for a New Missional Age, The Commons
  • March 15-16 ROC gathering, Ivoryton
  • March 15-17, Deacon Formation Retreat, Rhode Island
  • March 17, Racial Healing, Justice, and Reconciliation Ministry Network event: Caribbean Mass w/Steel Drum Band (10 am, St. Luke's New Haven)
  • March 19, Missional PIC Gathering, The Commons
  • March 20, COM meeting, The Commons
  • March 21, New Call meeting; Standing Committee Mtg., The Commons
  • March 22-23, Postulants & Candidates Retreat with the Bishops, at Camp Washington
  • March 26, Convention Planning Team
  • March 29, Bishop's Book Discussion at Camp Washington: The Cloister, by James Carroll
  • March 30, Faith Behind Bars & Beyond Ministry Network event, Prison Ministry Forum (public)
  • March 31, Women's Ministry Network event, Afternoon with Valarie Tutston (2-6 pm, Christ Church Cathedral)

Bishops' Visitation Schedule:

  • March 12-15, House of Bishops Meeting
  • March 24: Bishop Ahrens - Calvary, Stonington; Bishop Douglas, Trinity New Haven
  • March 24: Holy Landers' Dinner for registered 2019 pilgrims
  • March 31: Bishop Ahrens, Our Saviour, Plainville; Bishop Douglas, Christ Church, Stratford

Ministry Network meetings (ECCT-wide) (events listed above) (see more on this calendar )
  • March 12, Climate & Environmental Min. Network Mtg. (4:30 pm, St. Stephen's, E. Haddam
  • March 13, Brotherhood of St. Andrew's Mtg. (7 pm, St. John's, Vernon)
  • April 2, Lecture sponsored by Omega Group, Grace & St. Peter's, and SC Region (7 pm Grace & St. Peter's Hamden) "Engaging the Christian Faith for the Care of Creation"
Parish & Region events

Please visit this calendar for details on these parish and Region events not listed in the Camp, Cathedral, Ministry Network, or ECCT events above. To add an event, please fill out this form .

Listed March 12-31: "White Privilege: Let's Talk" discussion series; interfaith film series; series on mass incarceration; sacred chant workshop; lecture with Dr. Katherine Grieb; Faith on Fire w/Lonnie Lacy; Station of the Cross; Purpose-Driven Life series; Lenten Quiet Morning; Courage & Faith presents Peter Enns; St. Patrick's Day dinner; barbershop chorus; Bible study; Memory Cafe; Durafle Requiem; SC fundraiser dinner; Polish dinner; healing service; NC Leadership Mtg; NE Region crafting as spiritual practice; "Way of Love" practices; Family Bowl Event; New College, Oxford concert; New World Trio concert.

Selected event this week: The Other Side Book Club at Trinity, Torrington "reads and discusses books (both fiction and non-fiction) that encourage us to look at life from a different perspective." This month: Sunday March 31 from 7-8:30 p.m. to discuss the book Educated: A Memoir, by Tara Westover, who was born to survivalists in Idaho. Next month they'll discuss: Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive .
Sign up for Region Newsletters from eNews

All Region Missionaries will soon start to use an ECCT staff common account in Constant Contact for regular newsletters, so you can sign up right now to receive your Region's newsletter when it launches. These will replace the current ones being published.

The Region Missionaries will do their best to ensure that current subscribers are carried over to the new system but just to be sure (and in case you weren't on that subscriber list), you can subscribe now. Click on "Update Profile" at the footer of this enewsletter or go here and update your newsletter preferences. Sign up for any newsletter you'd like to receive and you can change your subscription at any time.
Safe Church Training - Spring schedule starts in March

All Safe Church Trainings (Comprehensive Basic and Lay Recertification) can be found on our website.

Important note for clergy only:

ALL clergy must attend one Mandatory Clergy Professional Development Day in 2019. These include Safe Church Recertification. Date options (link on them to register): Thu., April 11 in New Canaan; Tue., May 14 in Thomaston; and Sat. June 15 in Vernon.

OPEN POSITIONS - WE'RE HIRING!
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. 

ECCT staff positions:

ECCT is seeking three Region Missionaries to serve the Northwest Region, Southwest Region, and South Central Region (one Region Missionary per Region). Visit www.episcopalct.org for information about the Regions, from structure and boundaries to stories and imagery. Please note: the needs and priorities of the Regions and the particular talents and skillsets of the candidates will take precedence when matching candidates and Regions. 


ECCT is now accepting applications for the Racial Justice Resource Coordinator, the position created out of the 2018 Annual Convention and whose tenure is concurrent with the “ Season of Racial Healing, Justice, and Reconciliation .”


Parish and Camp pos itions:


For open Clergy positions please click here .