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Register Now for the Acolyte Festival in Tifton
Acolytes from across the Diocese will gather in Tifton for the Acolyte Festival at St. Anne's Episcopal Church on Saturday and Sunday, August 11-12. The time will be framed by worship, music, and play.
Arrive on Saturday morning, August 11 between 9-9:30 a.m. Bring your vestments for Sunday and a congregational banner for Sunday's festival procession. Come prepared to sleep on the floor Saturday night by bringing a camp mattress or an inflatable mattress, sleeping bag, toiletries, and clothes to change into for Sunday morning.
We will be offering multiple different training opportunities for Acolytes of every age from Grade 3-12. Those breakout sessions will take place during Saturday morning and early afternoon. They will include instructions on how to swing a thurible, how to serve at the Altar, what all the different vestments are and mean, and lots more! Saturday late afternoon will be a fun activity, and we will join in St. Anne's Sunday worship service on Sunday, August 12.
Congregations who send a group of Acolytes also register and send adults who are willing to engage with the activities and with the Acolytes throughout the weekend!
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2 Samuel 11: 1-15
Psalm 14
Ephesians 3: 14-21
John 6: 1-21
or
2 Kings 4: 42
Psalm 145: 10-19
Ephesians 3: 14-21
John 6: 1-21
Go
here for the full text.
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The 197th Convention of the Diocese
The apostles and the other people in the early years of the Jesus Movement referred to themselves as "The Way" as they followed Jesus who was and is "the way, the truth, and the life." When the Diocese of Georgia gathers for its 197th convention this November 8-10, the theme "The Way Forward" signals that we too see the path forward is along that same way of our crucified and risen Lord. Alongside passing a budget, electing persons to diocesan committees, and the rest of the business of the diocese, we will consider how to be faithful to "The Way" in our worship and through our stewardship of all that God has entrusted to us.
Accommodations
While you may arrange your room on your own, we recommend the following hotels where we have reserved a block of rooms at a discounted rate for the Convention:
Hilton Garden Inn
101 Front Street Albany, GA 31701
229-888-1590
Double = $129.00/night Single = $129.00/night
Cancellation of any room reservation must be made 72 hours prior to arrival or the one night deposit will be forfeited.
Merry Acres Inn
1500 Dawson Road Albany, GA 31707
229-435-7721
Single-king = $92.00/night Double 2 queen = $92.00/night Apartment suite = $225.00/night
Cancellations must be made 24 hours prior to arrival to avoid being charged for one night stay.
Hampton Inn
2628 Dawson Road Albany, GA 31707
229-405-2000
Single-king = $109.00/night Double 2 queen = $119.00/night King studio suite = $139.00/night
Cancellation of any room reservation must be made 72 hours prior to arrival to avoid being charged for one night stay
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Nominations Sought for Diocesan Elections
The 197th Convention of the Diocese of Georgia is charged with electing persons to serve on the Board of the Corporation, Diocesan Council (at large), Disciplinary Board, Sewanee Trustee, and Standing Committee. Liz Williams of All Saints Thomasville is once again serving as our Nominations Chair.
While nominations for all offices remain open, by the canons of the Diocese, until the floor of convention, submitting a nomination as soon as possible will assist the Diocese in publicizing the nominees in advance of the meeting.
Nominees must also send a digital version of a headshot photo to our Director of Communications, Anna Iredale, at
airedale@gaepiscopal.org. For an example of the brief biography needed by nominees, see last year's convention book:
Convention Book 2017
The Board of Officers is charged with the oversight of the investments and disbursements of those funds entrusted to it through wills, deeds, and other trust instruments. The board meets quarterly. The person elected at the 2018 Diocesan Convention will serve through Convention 2025.
Diocesan Council (1 Lay Person, Deacon, or Priest)
Council's responsibilities are to carry out the policies, programs and directions of Convention; to deal with contingencies as they arise; and to assist the bishop in developing the ministry of the diocese. It carries out the duties of Convention between Conventions. Council generally has four overnight meetings a year in various parts of the diocese. The person elected at the 2018 Diocesan Convention will serve through Convention 2021.
Disciplinary Board (3 Lay Persons & 2 Deacons or Priests)
Once known as "The Ecclesiastical Trial Court," the Disciplinary Board of the Diocese of Georgia is vested with jurisdiction to hear and determine all proceedings in which a priest or deacon has been charged with one or more offense specified in the canons of the Episcopal Church. It meets only when necessary. Two lay persons and 1 clergy person for a term of three years. Persons elected at the 2018 Diocesan Convention will serve through Convention 2021. Those rotating off the board are eligible for re-election.
Sewanee Trustee (1 Lay Person)
The board meets in Sewanee, TN, early in October each year. The two laypersons and one priest who serve on the board from the Diocese of Georgia are to represent the university to the diocese. This year, convention will elect one lay person will be elected for a three-year term to serve through Convention 2021. Val Crumpton, whose term expires in 2018 is eligible for nomination.
Standing Committee (1 Lay Person & 1 Priest)
The Standing Committee is the bishop's Council of Advice. In the absence of a bishop, the Standing Committee would act as the Ecclesiastical Authority for those purposes declared by General Convention. The Standing Committee must approve all ordinations and any financial indebtedness of parishes. It usually meets four times a year, often with the Commission on Ministry, and in various locations throughout the diocese. One lay persons and one clergy person for a term of four years. Persons elected at the 2018 Diocesan Convention will serve through Convention 2022. Those rotating off are not eligible for re-election.
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Your tithe letter is going into the mail
Senior Wardens and priests in charge of churches will be receiving tithe letters shortly naming the tithe for 2019. In 2011, the Diocese voted in convention to cut the asking of 75% of churches by moving from four tiers of 10%, 12.5%, 15%, and 17.5%, to a tithe for all congregation. That canonical change
set the tithe as 10% of the average of the three previous year's Net Operating Income as reported on the annual Parochial Report.
Tithe letters must be signed and returned to our Canon for Administration Katie Willoughby. Appeals must be filed by September 15 so Diocesan Council may review them at its September meeting.
If you have not received a tithe letter by August 10, please contact Canon Willoughby at
kwilloughby@gaepiscopal.org
or (912) 236-4279.
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The Rev. Michael Chaney preaches in the Episcopal tent during a noon Eucharist.
EpiscoTent a Spiritual Hub in Wild Goose Festival
 The Diocese of Georgia was well represented at the annual Wild Goose Festival last week, held in Hot Springs, North Carolina. The four-day Spirit, Justice, Music and Arts Festival gathered over 4,000 people from across the country for deep conversation, worship, fellowship, singing, dancing, and feasting. Sixteen laypersons and clergy from the diocese attended this year and assisted with worship, sessions and hospitality at the tent. Musicians from Savannah and Albany led a Beer & Hymns session, and Deacon Leeann Culbreath led sessions on the diaconate and immigrant detention.
This year the team from Georgia joined other Episcopal dioceses and groups to sponsor the Episcopal Tent, as a spiritual and social hub at the festival. The festival will be held next year from July 11-14 at the same location. Those with questions or interest in attending can get information online at www.wildgoosefestival.org.
Some of the Diocese of Georgia group in the Episocpal tent at the Wild Goose Festival.
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Register now for the Fall Clergy Conference
 You may now register online for the Fall Clergy Conference. In response to requests, we moved the conference back by one day to start on Monday, September 24. We will start promptly at 5 pm in the Chapel with Evening Prayer, which will set the tone for the retreat. We will end with lunch on Wednesday, September 26.
Rates will be the same as the Spring Conference: Lodge 1 (single) $262; Lodge 1 (double) $171 ea.; Lodge 2 (single) $240; Lodge 2 (double) $160; Chapin Cottage $154; Hunt Cottage (full); Camping/commuter $98.
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Community of St. Joseph
Supporting Ministry with Homeless Persons
The Diocese of Georgia's ministry for and with homeless persons in Savannah continues to thrive after a transition in leadership from the founding pastor, the Rev. Jamie Maury. Our Missioner for the Community of St. Joseph, Kevin Veitinger, is in his second month in the call. He says, "It is fairly safe to say that the needs of this community are great and at times complex, but here are some basic ongoing needs that we can always take in and are happy to come pick up from you." Ongoing needs are:
- Clothing (including shoes, and unused socks and underwear)
- Bikes. Even if they need some TLC they can be repaired
- Tents (3 or 4 person) and sleeping bags
- Day bus passes
Veitinger adds, "We always feed our friends before worship. Most Sundays we do so by purchasing McDonald's. The Broughton Street store has been gracious to us in extending us a deep discount, but it remains a large budget item."
He asks churches, small groups, Sunday Schools, or even individuals to adopt a Sunday and help us with food. You can donate the cost of our McDonald's for that week or better yet you can bring food and join the community for worship on Sunday mornings. Breakfast is at 8 AM with worship at 8:30.
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The Loose Canon
Evangelism of, by, and for the Church
Perhaps we are, as Episcopalians, rightly bothered by the idea of evangelism. While Jesus constantly told everyone, even the most unlikely people, that the Kingdom of God had come near, he never did anything that looked like an evangelism program. The early church likewise seemed to think the Good News of Jesus was something one caught and how to make that happen wasn't something they taught. Like a laugh that proves so infectious that everyone around is soon smiling and laughing, the joy of knowing the love of God as revealed in Jesus was never meant to be one more thing to do.
This is why I was pleased by the Evangelism Charter for the Episcopal Church which is not a program, but something that flows naturally from a life of faith. The three components are evangelism of the church, by the church, and for the church.
Evangelism OF the Church
The idea is that I don't start with anyone but me. I have to get the Good News of Jesus in my bones first. To live into that, our Presiding Bishop Michael Curry offered The Way of Love, Seven Practices of a Jesus-Centered Life. This is a pattern of life that begins with continually turning toward God, repenting of our sins and changing our lives, and moves on through reading scripture, prayer, and worship before moving out to bless others and go beyond our comfort zone, only to return to rest. In the process of private and corporate prayer and reading scripture, the Church itself gets the Good News anew.
Only after I catch the infectious joy of Jesus can I in any way share it with others, so sharing the Good News starts here.
Evangelism BY the Church
 This is what our Baptismal Covenant means when we are asked, "Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ?" and we respond, "I will with God's help." Our way of sharing the Gospel can be through the works of mercy Jesus called us to in feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and those in prison and so on. What we often refer to as outreach fits within sharing the Good News. But we also need to add our words to the example, so that the prisoner knows we came to visit out of our love for Jesus.
Pictured here are parishioners of St. Paul's Albany distributing food in their church parking lot.
Forget every idea of talking to strangers about Jesus. No one is asking you to go door to door handing out
Forward Day by Day. The best way to share your faith is simply not to hold back when you are having conversations with close friends, family, and co-workers in times of crisis and doubt. It may be a friend facing a parent going into Hospice care or a co-worker whose child died in a car accident. No matter how it happens, the Holy Spirit can use you if you will just be open, honest, and know better than to pretend to have all the answers. Because you do know that Jesus has gotten you through the tough times in your life and you shouldn't hold back when talking to someone you care for who is groping for answers to questions that matter. Sure, invite the person to church. But first, just be honest that your faith in Jesus makes a difference to you in dealing with these problems. That is all there is to sharing faith in Jesus.
Evangelism FOR the Church
 When we do invite new people in, the church is always changed, made more fully itself. People new to the faith have that infectious passion that comes with new love and so they always transform a church. Evangelism is not just something that changes someone else. This Good News also makes a difference for those of us who share it.
Pictured here are two parishioners hugging at the peace following confirmations on Easter at St. Anne's Tifton.
 The Evangelism Charter
peace,
Frank+
The Rev. Canon Frank Logue
Canon to the Ordinary
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Being Church in a Small Town has Many Benefits
Bainbridge Public Safety posted on their Facebook Page how their Fire Chief came to the rescue of a beloved member of their community. As their Facebook post put it, "St. John's Episcopal Church has been a part of the Bainbridge community for 150 years. It's 'the little white church with the red doors where everyone is welcome.'"
Last Sunday, church member Rosemary Wilcox volunteered to ring the bell for the 10:30 service, and she rang it well. Not knowing her own strength, she pulled too hard on the rope and actually flipped the bell.
Fortunately, in the word of their report online, "B
ainbridge is not just a small town, but is also a strong southern community where people still help one another."
Bainbridge Public Safety Fire Chief Doyle Welch responded to St. John's call for help. He brought his trucks and men to Broughton Street then Chief Welch climbed into the bell tower, and was able to flip the heavy bell back into its correct position. In thanks for the helping hand,
Chief Welch was named an honorary bell ringer at St. John's.
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The congregation joined their rector, the Rev. George Muir, in praying for Ranie Neisler as she leaves to study full time as a seminarian at Sewanee in preparation for ordination to the priesthood. Neisler has served the church since 2016 as their Coordinator of Youth Ministries. During that time, she also served as Mission for Columba House, Augusta, the Diocese's center for young adult ministry in the city.
The Rev. Jim Said, Rector of St. Augustine of Canterbury Augusta, prays for couples married 50 years or longer during their Sunday Eucharist this past Sunday.
Each Third Friday of the month, the Community of St. Joseph, our ministry with and for homeless persons in Savannah, holds a morning service at the Emmaus House Ministry in the Parish Hall at Christ Church Savannah. The "offering" is the talents of the community. Here, Steve and Daniel sing for those gathered for breakfasts.
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Prayers for Weekly Liturgies
Our one-year prayer cycle combines prayers for every congregation in the Diocese of Georgia with prayers for our ecumenical partners and for our Companion Diocese of The Dominican Republic. The 52 weekly prayers are available in one document
found here.
July 22-28
In our diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for our congregation in St. Marys, Christ Church. We also pray for our ecumenical partners in St. Marys, especially Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church. In our companion diocese of the Dominican Republic, we pray for the congregations in Puerto Plata Jesus the Messiah (
Jesús Mesías) and St. Francis of Assisi (
San Francisco de Asís).
July 29-August 4
In our diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for our congregation on St. Simons Island, Christ Church and Holy Nativity. We also pray for our ecumenical partners on the island, especially Lord of Life Lutheran Church and St. William's Catholic Church. In our companion diocese of the Dominican Republic, we pray for The Church of the Nativity (
La Natividad) Salcedo.
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Diocesan Office Update and News
Bishop Scott Anson Benhase
is on vacation His full schedule is available
here.
The Rev. Canon Frank Logue will preside and preach this Sunday at St. Paul's, Albany.
The Rev. Canon Joshua Varner will preside and preach this Sunday at Epiphany, Savannah.
The Rev. Kevin Kelly, Rector of St. Michael and All Angels, Savannah, will officiate at the Thursday noon service at Diocesan House.
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Share your news in From the Field
Send your news, events and photos to
so we can feature them in upcoming issues of From the Field. Deadline for submissions each week is Monday at 4:30 PM.
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Reserve Time at Saluda Clergy Cottage Today!
To reserve time, please fill out and email/mail the reservation form found
here.
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Acolyte Festival
Saturday and Sunday, August 11-12
St. Anne's Tifton
Grades 3 to 12
To register, go
here.
Quiet Day Retreat
Saturday, August 11
9 AM to 2 PM
Church of the Holy Comforter
473 Fury's Ferry Road, Martinez
Information: 706-210-1133
administrator@holycomforterchurch.org
Open House and Blessing
Diocesan House
4 PM, Thursday, August 23
18 E. 34th Street
Ordination to the Priesthood
The Rev. Bunny Simon Williams
August 25 at 11 AM
Church of the Good Shepherd, Augusta
Happening #101
September 14-16
Honey Creek
Grades 10-12
For information, go
here.
Project Resource Training with the Bishop
Southeast Convocation
Holy Nativity, St. Simons Island
September 22
9:30 AM to noon
Fall Clergy Conference
September 24-26
Honey Creek
To register, go here:
http://bit.ly/FallClergyConference2018
Conflict Management
October 1-5
Honey Creek
Project Resource Training with the Bishop
Albany Convocation
Christ Church, Cordele
Saturday, October 27
9:30 AM to noon
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Serious Fun
Campers in costume strike a serious face to go with their mustaches as Camp St. Joseph and Mary wrapped up at Honey Creek. Summer Camp is over after another Best Summer Ever.
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where you can watch past videos and subscribe to get updates when new videos are posted.
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