ECCT Weekly eNews
June 19, 2018
Presiding Bishop Michael Curry's Statement on Family Separation at US Borders

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry released a statement on family separation at the US borders , joining other faith leaders stating, "As religious leaders representing diverse faith perspectives, united in our concern for the wellbeing of vulnerable migrants who cross our borders fleeing from danger and threats to their lives, we are deeply disappointed and pained to hear this news." The Office of Government Relations for The Episcopal Church offers action steps for folks interested in defending the access to asylum for immigrants and against the separation of families at the US borders.

The three action steps are:


There is also an extensive list of resources for defending the temporary protected status, DREAMers, and all immigrants. Here is a video from Presiding Bishop Curry about immigration .
Bishop's Decision Affirms Reconciliation Process

Citing the words of the parish’s patron saint, the apostle Paul, in his Second Letter to the Corinthians, the Bishop of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut reminded the leaders of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Darien that we are all reconciled to God and one another in Christ Jesus.

The Rt. Rev. Ian T. Douglas, Bishop Diocesan of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut, visited St. Paul’s Episcopal Church on Mansfield Avenue in Darien, Conn., at 6 p.m. on June 14, 2018 to deliver his decision regarding the vestry’s request to end their relationship with their duly and unanimously elected priest, the Rev. Canon George I. Kovoor, over disagreements in understandings of the church, Episcopal identity, and leadership style. No indication had been made regarding the content of the Bishop's decision in advance of the June 14 meeting. The Bishop concluded that “maintaining a relationship between the two parties going forward is the faithful way to live into our unity as the Body of Christ.” The godly judgment came after eight months of working the "Title III process" (as described in the canons of the Church) and affirms Canon Kovoor as their rector. Both rector and vestry were directed to take part in specific reviews and/or training to facilitate reconciliation. Those present for the June 14 meeting, which did not include current vestry members, affirmed the Bishop's decision and some spoke of their time together that evening as healing.

Tensions rose two days before Bishop Douglas' visit when some other lay leaders hired a locksmith in an attempt to lock out Canon Kovoor from the church, effectively attempting to take over the church. Police were called, and eventually the locksmith left without changing the locks. Link here for the full media release on the June 14 meeting. Link here for the June 12 media release.
THERE WILL BE NO ENEWS
JULY 3 or JULY 10

There will be no regular weekly eNews on Tuesday July 3 or Tuesday July 10, as Alli will be serving as an ECCT lay deputy to General Convention in Austin, Texas from July 3 - July 13. However, Karin Hamilton, Canon for Mission Communication and Media has a DAILY eNewsletter that is all things ECCT/Connecticut at General Convention. Daily reports by email from General Convention will automatically go to all subscribers of the weekly enews from July 3-14. Others can sign up to receive just the GC reports from a  link on this page  - check the box for "General Convention 2018." An archive of the GC newsletters will be on ECCT's website page for General Convention,  here . Here is a link to Karin's first Pre-General Convention eNews, the next will come out June 27.

If you have a particular resolution you are interested in tracking through General Convention, please contact Karin Hamilton .

We ask for your prayers for our deputation, bishops, youth, and all ECCT folks heading down to Austin, TX for General Convention. We also ask your prayers for the whole Episcopal Church as we gather to conduct the business of the Church for the next triennium, join in fellowship, and most importantly worship God together. Pray for God's guidance and prayerful consideration, and for a strong breeze as it will be July... in Texas...
Episcopal Church in Connecticut dinner at GC-79 in Austin, July 8!

Join other ECCT folks attending the 79th General Convention in Austin for a time of food and fellowship at a famous Austin BBQ restaurant, Stubb's Bar-B-Q, 801 Red River St., Austin, TX. Please purchase tickets via Eventbrite. July 8, from 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Tickets are on a first-come, first-served basis, as space is limited. Tickets are available here.
2018 Camp Washington Summer Camp Schedule:
   
Fees for 2018 Season: one week camps - $575; two week camps - $1300; MINI camp - $275; MINI day camp - $300
Children's Camps (ages 7-12)    
  • One week: July 1 - 6       
  • Two weeks: August 5-17      

MINI Camp (ages 5-10)
  • Camp 1: July 15-17    
  • Camp 2: July 18-20   
  • Day Camp: 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m, July 16-20   
​ Teen Camps (ages 12-16)   
  • One week: July 8-13  
  • Two weeks: July 22- August 3     

Wilderness Adventure Camp, July 15-20
  • Track 1 (ages 7-12)
  • Track 2 (ages 12-16)

Service Leadership Camp (ages 13- 16), July 15-20
Full schedule details, registration, etc. at www.campwashington.org
Convention Corner:
Register for Convention
Registration is now open for the 2018 Annual Convention, on October 26 & 27 at the Mystic Marriott in Groton, CT! More information in the Call to Convention available 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). The Call to Convention was mailed earlier this month. ALL and updates and information after that will be online and sent by email. 
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, and check out our website for the latest information. Watch the video!
Trivia Night Banquet
 It's a battle of wits and useless knowledge at Convention on Friday night! Over dinner, compete with your team for unique prizes by answering trivia questions. Get together your friends from around the church and register today.
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. 


For open Clergy positions please click here .
Announcements & Reminders
Please continue to fill out the parish/worshiping community survey for the ECCT database - and be sure to update it with 2018 delegates to Annual Convention!!

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. Thanks so much to the following churches that completed their survey since the last announcement: St. Paul's, Riverside; Church of the Holy Trinity, Middletown; Grace Church, Old Saybrook.

Dadsode 13 is now LIVE! We celebrate Father's Day! We talk with the Revs. Adam Thomas and Matt Lindeman.

Check it out: Coffee Hour at The Commons , or on iTunes , Google Play , and Stitcher !

If you have any ideas for show topics or know of an interesting individual/ministry happening in ECCT, send us an email .
We want to hear from you: Region Needs Assessment eSurvey

Last November at our Annual Convention, ECCT passed the resolution, "Assessing Our Resources for God's Mission," which ​called for a Region Needs Assessment. Over the past two months a capable, compassionate team from the consulting company we hired,  CCS , has been conducting interviews with a limited number of parishes, leadership groups, ministry networks, and individuals. In order to hear from the widest possible audience, CCS has prepared a survey so that everyone will have an opportunity to participate in ECCT's Region Needs Assessment.  Please click here to link to the survey.   For more info about this project, ​ link here.
Bishops Book Study, today!

The next book study, led by the Rt. Rev. Laura J. Ahrens and held at Camp Washington, 190 Kenyon Road in Lakeside, is today, June 19, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Lunch (optional) follows. The book is "The Book of Joy." The next book study in the series, on July 17 (same book), will focus on the eight pillars of joy. These events are for laity and clergy who love to read. Register from a link on this page. Link here to a flyer for the event.
Tomorrow, June 20 is World Refugee Day!

Join IRIS, Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services on June 20 for their #WorldRefugeeDay Festival in Downtown New Haven at Trinity on the Green! More information and tickets available on Eventbrite .
New Haven Young Adults Gathering, June 20 at Olives and Oil after Rowan Williams lecture

Young Adult folks 21+ are welcome to join the New Haven Area Episcopal young Adult Network for a dinner and conversation at Olives and Oil following the former Archbishop of Canterbury the Rt. Rev. Dr. Rowan Williams lecture at Trinity-on-the-Green, New Haven on June 20. More information on the flyer here .

Former-Archbishop Williams will also visit Saint Luke's, Darien with the Magdalene College Choir on June 24. Eucharist at 10:00 a.m. and Evensong at 4:00 p.m.
The Order of the Daughters of the King (DOK) Triennial June 20-24 in Austin, TX

The "first wave" of visitors is about to hit Austin, with the Triennial meeting of the Order of the Daughters of the King set for June 20-24. General Convention and ECW Triennial follow in early July. Attending from ECCT are, from left, Nora Brown, Jennie Dixon, and Donna Ricketts. All are from the long-standing Frances Cornwall Chapter, based at St. Monica's, Hartford. Jennie is the DOK Assembly Rep from ECCT. Read more about DOK on their website here.
Christ the Healer Church, Stamford to close; final service June 22, all welcome

The congregation of the Episcopal Church of Christ the Healer, located at 20 Brookdale Road in Stamford, after long deliberations, discernment, and prayer, has decided to dissolve as a parish and close on July 31, 2018. It will hold its final service on Friday, June 22, 2018 at 7 p.m. The Rt. Rev. Laura J. Ahrens, Bishop Suffragan of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut, will celebrate the Eucharist and preach. All are welcome. Read a full news article on our website here .
Save the Date: June 24 -- EfM Graduation

The 2018 Education for Ministry Graduation ceremony is scheduled Sunday June 24 at 2:30 p.m., hosted by St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church, 4670 Congress Street, Fairfield, CT. This year’s graduates are from EfM groups meeting at Church of the Epiphany, Durham, St. Timothy’s, Fairfield, and St. James’s West Hartford. Contact Ron Ward for more information.
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.

  • June 19-20, Church Pension Group Wellness Event for Clergy, Cromwell
  • June 21, Church Pension Group Wellness Event for Lay Employees, Cromwell
  • June 21, Aging & Life Planning Committee, The Commons
  • June 21, Standing Committee, The Commons
  • June 22, Christ the Healer Closing Service, Stamford
  • June 23, Northwest Region Convocation, White Memorial Conservation Center, Litchfield
  • June 24, EfM Graduation, St. Timothy's, Fairfield
  • June 27, 49ers Gathering, The Commons
  • July 3-13, General Convention of The Episcopal Church, Austin, TX
  • July 4, THE COMMONS WILL BE CLOSED
  • July 8, ECCT dinner at General Convention, Stubbs BBQ, Austin, TX

BISHOPS' VISITS:

  • June 24, Bishop Ahrens, Emmanuel, Weston

Bishop visitations will resume in September.
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.

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

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

  • June 24, Former Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams with the Magdalene College Choir, Cambridge, St. Luke's, Darien
  • June 24, St. John the Baptist day, Christ and the Epiphany, East Haven
  • June 27, Free summer Carillon Concert, St. James', Danbury
  • June 27, Rector's Book Choice: My Spiritual Practice by Rachel G. Hackenberg and Martha Spong, St. John's, Essex
  • June 27, Evening prayer vigil agains gun violence, St. Timothy's, Fairfield
  • June 30, Parkville Classics presents Musical Friends: Baroque, Grace Church, Hartford
  • July 1, Four Seasons Plus summer concert, Emmanuel, Killingworth

REGION MEETINGS & EVENTS:
  • June 23, Northwest Region Convocation, White Memorial Conservation Center, Litchfield

MINISTRY NETWORK MEETINGS & EVENTS:
  • June 20, New Haven Young Adult Network, Dinner and Conversation after Archbishop Rowan Williams lecture, Olives and Oil, New Haven
  • June 28, Hispanic Ministry Network Meeting, The Commons, 10:00 a.m.