ECCT Weekly eNews
June 12, 2018
Three-Day Connecticut River Pilgrimage, July 12 - 15, 2018
Join guides Mark & Lisa Kutolowski, leaders of the 2017 River of Life Connecticut River pilgrimage, for a three-day paddling pilgrimage down the Connecticut river from North Walpole River Access (just south of Bellows Falls, VT) to Barton Cove boat ramp (just outside of Turners Falls, MA) from July 12 - 15. Cost of the 3-day pilgrimage is $350 per person. This fee covers professional 24-hour per day outdoor & spiritual guide service, all food + potable water, campground fees, communal gear, basic medical kit, River of Life Prayer Booklet, and River of Life pilgrimage hat.

Application deadline is Friday, June 2, and a maximum of 10 paddling pilgrims will be accepted on a first-come first-served basis. Click here for the application .
We want to hear from you: Region Needs Assessment eSurvey

Since 2014, the Episcopal Church in Connecticut (ECCT) has been taking creative steps to respond to the changing world around us. These have included changes in governance and structure: Regions, Region Missionaries, Ministry Networks, and a Mission Council. More recently we have been working on ways to describe what makes a parish in this new missional age, and what spiritual practices are hallmarks of those parishes. 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.
Pastoral Conversation with Episcopalian Members of the NRA, June 16 at Christ Church Cathedral
Bishops Ian T. Douglas and Laura J. Ahrens of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut invite Episcopalian members of the National Rifle Association and other Episcopalian owners of firearms in Connecticut to a pastoral conversation about how best to address the epidemic of gun violence in the United States.

June 16 at Christ Church Cathedral, Hartford at 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Information on the flyer 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 .
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.
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! Register before June 15 to get the early bird discount rate of $65. 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 be sure to check out our website for the latest information about this year’s Convention. Watch the video!
Annual Convention Banquet: Trivia Night
 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 from church history to popular culture--from the arcane to the downright silly. Get together your friends from around the church and register today.
What's happening in the Regions:
(links and the top item listed on each Region's web page, if any)

Northwest Region ( webpage , Facebook page )
  • Check the Facebook page for details!
North Central Region ( webpage , Facebook page / group , enewsletter sign-up )
  • Click here to view the North Central Region Event Calendar
Northeast Region ( webpage , Facebook page / group )
Southwest Region ( webpage , Facebook page )
South Central Region ( webpage , Facebook page , blog )
  •  Hiking with the Rachels, dates available here.
Southeast Region ( webpage , Facebook page )
  • June 17,12:30, 66 Union St., New London Mass Incarceration: A Faithful Response
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.

Episode 12 is now LIVE! We talk with the Rev. Ranjit Mathews!

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 .
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.
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.
Bishop's Book Study June 19:
Obstacles to Joy
The next book study, led by the Rt. Rev. Laura J. Ahrens and held at Camp Washington, 190 Kenyon Road in Lakeside, will be next Tuesday, June 19, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Lunch (optional) follows. The book is "The Book of Joy" and the discussion June 19 will be on obstacles to 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 o n this page .

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 12, Convention Planning, The Commons
  • June 14, Provisional Priest in Charge Gathering, The Commons
  • June 16, Nominees, Postulants, & Candidates Gathering with COM, The Commons
  • June 16, Pastoral Conversations with Episcopalian Members of the NRA, Christ Church Cathedral, Hartford
  • 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

BISHOPS' VISITS:

  • June 17, Bishop Douglas, Grace/St. Peter's, Hamden
  • June 24, Bishop Ahrens, Emmanuel, Weston
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 16, Tag / Bake Sale, Church of the Epiphany, Durham
  • June 16, Stewardship Workshop, St. Mark's, Storrs
  • June 16, Guided Labyrinth, Church of the Good Shepherd, Orange
  • June 16, Eucharistic Visitor Workshop, St. John's, New Milford
  • June 17, Healing Service, St. Philip's, Putnum
  • June 24, Former Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams with the Magdalene College Choir, Cambridge, St. Luke's, Darien

REGION MEETINGS & EVENTS:
  • June 14, Hiking with the Rachels, Seth Low Pierrepont State Park Reserve, Ridgefield
  • June 16, Stewardship Workshop - St. Mark's, Storrs
  • June 23, Northwest Region Convocation, White Memorial Conservation Center, Litchfield

MINISTRY NETWORK MEETINGS & EVENTS:
  • June 12: ECCT Racial Justice & Reconciliation Ministry Network meeting at The Commons at 6:30 pm.
  • June 20, New Haven Young Adult Network, Dinner and Conversation after Archbishop Rowan Williams lecture, Olives and Oil, New Haven