 |
The
Episcopal
Diocese of Louisiana
EDoLA News for July 2017
|
|
Announcements from the Bishop's Office
|
|
|
|
|
Diocesan Youth Coordinator News
|
|
|
|
The Rev. Jane-Allison Wiggin-Nettles
|
|
by the Rev. Canon John Kellogg, Canon Missioner
Our diocesan youth coordinator, Annie Jung, has accepted a full-time position as a School Based Therapist with Capital Area Human Services, providing mental health counseling services for students in Baton Rouge, and will be stepping down from her diocesan position. Those of you who have worked with Annie know that she has been an incredible leader for our diocesan youth program. Her creativity, strength of character and deep spirituality were gifts to this diocese. I am indebted to Annie for her service and hope that you will take the opportunity to thank her for undertaking this important work.
The Rev'd Jane-Allison Wiggin-Nettles has been named our new diocesan youth coordinator. Mother Jane-Allison serves as the chaplain at Christ Episcopal School, Covington, and brings a wealth of experience to this position. She will be working part-time for the diocese to help lead the Diocesan Youth Leadership Committee and plan weekend retreats. I am excited to work alongside her --- welcome, Mother Jane-Allison!
|
|
|
|
Happening #79 Registration is Open
What is Happening? Happening is a youth-led spiritual formation weekend designed for high school teens. It is an amazing experience that changes the way you think about yourself and your faith.
Who can attend Happening? Happening is open to ALL current 9th through 12th-grade teenagers of any denomination who have not participated in Happening in the past.
|
|
|
|
Upcoming Diocesan Events:
August 4-6 Addiction Recovery Retreat at the Solomon Episcopal Conference Center More information here
August 17 Stewardship Resource Day: Planning for Your Future & Legacy at St. Margaret's, Baton Rouge
More information here
August 24 Stewardship Resource Day: Planning for Your Future & Legacy at St. Martin's, Metairie
More information here
August 25-27 Happening #79 at the Solomon Episcopal Conference Center.
Registration and information here
September 12 Stewardship Resource Day: Keynote presentations from TENS Conference at Trinity, Baton Rouge
More information soon
September 13 Stewardship Resource Day: Keynote presentations from TENS Conference at St. George's, New Orleans
More information soon
September 16 Caffeinated Church Conference. A workshop for all those (paid and volunteer) involved with or interested in church communications and technology. Registration will open in August.
October 6-8 Senior High Rally at the Solomon Episcopal Conference Center.
Registration will open in September.
October 25 Clergy Day at All Saints, River Ridge.
More information soon.
November 3-4 Diocesan Convention.
More information here
|
|
|
|
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
|
|
|
Episcopal Youth Event 2017
|
|
|
|
Follow the 79th General Convention
The 79th General Convention of The Episcopal Church will be held in Austin, Texas, from July 5-13, 2018. Follow the news here:
General Convention website
|
|
|
|
News from Around the Diocese
|
|
Follow the news & reflections from around the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana by
clicking here.
|
|
St. Francis Episcopal Church Begins Reconstruction
From the Livingston Parish News
David Gray | July 7, 2017
|
|
|
|
[Photograph by Bishop Thompson] The Rev. Corky Carlisle, interim rector of Trinity Church, New Orleans, presents a check to St. Francis on behalf of Trinity to assist in the reconstruction.
|
|
DENHAM SPRINGS -- When the St. Francis Episcopal Church was first erected 40 years ago, its initial purpose was to serve as a temporary site until a bigger, more grand building could be built on the church's five-acre lot.
It took nearly four decades, but the plans for that building are finally being drawn up.
The St. Francis Episcopal Church, nestled at the corner of Maple Street and Kay Drive in Denham Springs, recently began its long-awaited reconstruction process following the Great Flood of 2016.
The first phase of the rebuild officially started on Monday, June 26, when renovations on the 1,600-square foot administrative building got underway.
|
|
|
|
Do You Really Know What You Think You Know --- About Stewardship?
by Debbie Hudson, Congregational Consultant for Stewardship
When I was teaching high school biology, there was a six week unit on "sex education". This was a topic that always generated a great deal of excitement! You can imagine my surprise when one of my students seemed very bored - to the point of not even opening the book. I discreetly walked over to his desk and quietly asked him if he was feeling "uncomfortable" with the topic. His reply was, "I already know everything there is to know about sex." I assured him that since the textbook contained 134 pages on this topic alone, that he would gain additional knowledge by reading the chapters.
Stewardship is a topic that many people feel they understand and know. But if we consider the number of books written about it, and the number of conferences/workshops that yearly discuss it, do we really know all that much about it?
If you would like to learn more about stewardship, I'd like to recommend a short work, "God First: A Tithing Catechism", written by the Episcopal monk, Brother Tobias Stanislas Haller, BSG. His work is accessible by simply going to the website of The Brotherhood of Saint Gregory,
http://gregorians.org, where under "Order Publications" you will find an available online link in Adobe Reader (PDF) format -free of charge.
|
|
|
|
August Recovery Retreat for Those Who Are or Want to Be in Recovery
by Chris Martin -co-convener Addictions Recovery Ministry
For the past 3 decades, during the first full weekend in August, men and women who are in recovery or who have a desire to be in recovery have gathered for a recovery retreat, most recently, at the beautiful Solomon conference center in Robert. The
upcoming retreat on August 4-6 will be led by Brother Kevin Kriso, OFM with the theme of recovery as a road from being restless, irritable and discontented to trusting God, cleaning house and helping others. Bro. Kriso is an experienced facilitator, with degrees in theology and counseling psychology who lives in an active contemplative Franciscan community in Western NY and works mainly with college students.
Two years ago at the August recovery weekend, Linda and Lance Armstrong facilitated a moving and meaningful retreat discussing how many of the principles and practices dis
cussed in the Book of James became part of the actual 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous as a design for living a happy, joyous, and free life. Some examples presented are:
- Do not speak evil against another ... There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor? ( James 4:12) Step 1 and our powerless and inability to manage our own lives.
- "Submit yourselves therefore to God ...and draw near to God" (James 4:7-8) -- Step 3 and turning our will and our lives over the care of God as we understood God.
- Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger, for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore, put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. (James 1:19-21) --Steps 6-7 where we are preparing for and then humbly ask God to remove our shortcomings/defects of character.
- "Show me your faith apart from your works and I will show you my faith by my works... that faith apart from works is useless" ( James 2:18-20) -- Steps 8 and 9 where we make direct amends to those we have harmed for we are saved not by good works, but for good works. Also, Step 12 as we continue to practice these principles in all our affairs.
- If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach..." ( James 1:5)-Step 11 and the concept of Godly wisdom as we seek through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
Working the 12 steps of AA can assist us in solving problems and help us to further grow and develop our spiritual maturity so we can live the kind of lives that God intended us to live; loving Him with all we have and loving our neighbor as ourselves. We welcome all to join us on this spiritual journey towards wholeness.
|
|
|
|
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 August:
What can we do to ensure that God's message is heard today? What can we do to show God's love, share our faith, to serve others, and to invite others to be a part of the Church? There is one easy way - hit the share or retweet button. This month and going forward, share posts from your church, the Episcopal Church, the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana, and /or your favorite clergy person. You never know who you might inspire.
|
| [Photograph and caption from St. Margaret's Episcopal Church Facebook Page] Fr Tommy had the honor to preside and preach at two, 12 Step Eucharists during the Wild Goose Festival in Hot Springs, NC last weekend. Each year the summer festival is held on the sacred banks of the French Broad River. The "Celebration of Life in Recovery" liturgy from the Addictions Recovery Ministry of the Diocese of Louisiana was used, and people loved it! Hardly any bulletins needed to comeback with Fr Tommy since people wanted to bring them back home to their churches. The festival is a 4-day Spirit, Justice, Music and Arts Festival which is held every summer in NC and is attended by over 3000 people. We at St Margaret's are grateful for the work of the Addictions Recovery Ministry of the Diocese of Louisiana and our very own Bill LeBlanc for his recovery ministry at the local, diocesan and national levels. |
|
|
|
The Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana | 1623 Seventh St, New Orleans, LA 70115
|
|
|
|
|
