Bishops' statement on the Immigration of Families
Friday, Bishops Ian T. Douglas and Laura J. Ahrens released a statement to the wider Episcopal Church in Connecticut regarding the Immigration of Families.
"
Jesus says, "Whatever you do to one of the least of these you do it me." (Matthew 25:40) The way we treat one another is a measure of our faithfulness as followers, as disciples, of Jesus. We cannot stand idly by as we hear the cries of the children and families on our borders who are seeking lives of health, wholeness, and safety in the United States. We thus welcome the President’s Executive Order reversing his policy of separating children from their parents on the United States/Mexican border.
Current debates over immigration in our country invite us to consider, as Christians and as Americans, what it means to be a neighbor. The young man asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” and Jesus told them the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). We know it well: A foreigner from Samaria reached out to care for the man beaten by the side of the road. It is a story of compassion, care, and hope.
" Continue reading the full statement
here
.
Episcopalians attending General Convention in Austin, TX will have an opportunity to
gather for a prayer service at a detention center
in Taylor, TX on Sunday, July 8. This gathering is in response to calls and conversations across the Episcopal Church for the church to act at their gathering in Texas.
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Episcopalians Gather at Christ Church Cathedral to Discuss Gun Violence
On Saturday, June 16, at 10:00 a.m., the Rt. Rev. Ian T. Douglas, Bishop Diocesan of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut (ECCT) and the Very Rev. Miguelina Howell, Dean of Christ Church Cathedral, gathered with Episcopalian members of the National Rifle Association (NRA) and Episcopalian gun owners who are not members of the NRA for a conversation surrounding the rising epidemic of gun violence in the United States. Bishop Douglas greeted the 17 individuals gathered at 10:05 a.m. and asked people who were non-gun-owners to dismiss themselves for the sake of creating a safe environment for gun-owners to share their concerns; four individuals left.
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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 t
omorrow, 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...
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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New opportunities for retired clergy and spouses
- The Retired Clergy Steering Committee (RCSC) is looking for persons who would like to serve as chaplains to the retired clergy and spouses in their Region. The application (linked here) includes more information.
- The RCSC with the Bishops will be overseeing grants offering financial assistance for ECCT retired clergy and their spouses. The application (linked here) indicates the categories and offers guidance as to the extent of the grants.
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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.
- Music Director & Organist, St. Thomas, New Haven
- Director of Religious Education, St. John's, West Hartford
- Music Director, Christ Church, Trumbull / Tashua
- Administrative/Communications Assistant, St. Matthew, Wilton
- Director of Children & Youth Ministries, St. Peter's, Cheshire
- Church School Director, St. Michael's, Litchfied
- Program Coordinator for Ministries to Young Families, Trinity, New Haven
- Director of Music Ministry, St. Mark's, New Canaan
For open Clergy positions please click
here
.
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Announcements & Reminders
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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: Trinity, Collinsville, St. Albans, Simsbury, and St. John's, Bristol.
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Ep
isode 14 is now LIVE! We sat with Ashley Makar, Leslie Koons, and Gladys Mwilelo from IRIS - Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services to talk soccer, very fitting for the FIFA World Cup!
If you have any ideas for show topics or know of an interesting individual/ministry happening in ECCT,
send us an email
.
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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.
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Hear our concerns: CT Gubernatorial Candidate Assembly Today, June 26
CONECT (Congregations Organized for a New Connecticut) is
hosting non-partisan candidate assembly tonight
, June 26 at St. James Catholic School Auditorium in Stratford. Seating starts at 6:15; assembly begins at 7 p.m. Five of the 2018 CT gubernatorial primary candidates are confirmed, others pending. Candidates will listen to CONECT member concerns about criminal justice reform, healthcare/mental healthcare, immigration/DACA, and gun violence, then offer their responses.
Parking information here
.
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Celebration of New Ministry:
The Rev. Tim Squier at Old St. Andrew's, Bloomfield on July 21 at 5:00 p.m.
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Journey into Stillness: A Contemplative Weekend at Mercy by the Sea Retreat and Conference Center, July 20 - July 22
The weekend will offer opportunities for communal prayer, chanting and a labyrinth walk, as well as personal time for journaling, artwork, reading, walking the beach or simply gazing out over the waters of the Sound. This weekend is for those interested in Centering Prayer as well as beginners and long-time practitioners. For more information, go to
our website
or call Rosemary Jones at 203.245.0401, ext. 114.
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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 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
- July 12, Missional & Conditional Priest in Charge Gathering, The Commons
- July 17, Donations & Bequests Board Meeting, The Commons
- July 18, Deacons Council Meeting, The Commons
- July 19, 49ers Gathering, The Commons
- July 19, Standing Committee Meeting, The Commons
- July 21, Celebration of New Ministry for the Rev. Tim Squier, Old St. Andrew's, Bloomfield
- July 24, College Chaplains Meeting, The Commons
- July 24, Retired Clergy Steering Committee, The Commons
- July 26, Property Committee Meeting, The Commons
BISHOPS' VISITS:
Bishop visitations will resume in September.
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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 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
- July 4, Free Summer Carillon Concert (Charles Semowich), St. James', Danbury
- July 9 - 13, Vacation Bible School, Church of the Good Shepherd, Orange
- July 9 - 13, Jubilation, St. James', Danbury
- July 11, Free Summer Carillon Concert (Gerald Martindale), St. James', Danbury
- July 15, Healing Service, St. Philip's, Putnam
- July 18, Rector's Book Choice: Fragmented Lives by William L. Sachs and Michael S. Bos, St. John's, Essex
- July 18, Free Summer Carillon Concert (Hans Uwe Hielscher), St. James', Danbury
- July 20-22, Carnival on the Green, St. John's, Niantic
- July 21, Chicken Barbecue, St. Peter's, Hebron
- July 21, Lobsterfest!, Trinity, Brooklyn
- July 25, Free Summer Carillon Concert (Amy Heebner), St. James', Danbury
- July 27, Hiking with the Rachels, Machimoodus State Park, Moodus
- July 28, Tag Sale, Grace Church, Old Saybrook
REGION MEETINGS & EVENTS:
- July 6, Northeast Region Men's breakfast, Grace, Stafford Springs
MINISTRY NETWORK MEETINGS & EVENTS:
- June 28, Hispanic Ministry Network Meeting, The Commons, 10:00 a.m.
- July 26, Hispanic Ministry Network Meeting, The Commons, 10:00 a.m.
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