Join St. Paul's, Benicia, on Sunday, Aug. 19, at their 8:45 a.m. service as they celebrate the 20th anniversary of their community food program, St. Paul's Community Meal. You may also join St. Paul's at one of their service meals on Aug. 22, at 4:30-6 p.m.

What began as a small program known as "Feed My Sheep" has now expanded to serve 125-150 meals every week, three weeks out of the month. St. Paul's kitchen underwent a remodel, from a standard church kitchen to a commercial kitchen, which St. Paul's said they couldn't have done without the many organizations and individuals' hands that contributed both time and money to accomplish.

"The 20th anniversary of the founding of St. Paul's Community Meal is an important ministry milestone, and for us all. Certainly this is more than just a local accomplishment in the life of a single congregation, and the community it serves; it is a profound reminder to all of us of what is possible when committed individuals discern a call to follow Jesus into the neighborhood, and invite others to join in that response," Bishop Barry Beisner said.

If you plan to join St. Paul's on Aug. 19 and/or Aug. 22,  please RSVP to JoAnn Souza at (707) 745-0307 or by email at [email protected].

A prayer from Bishop Barry for the diocese:

"Most Gracious God: 
Hear our prayer for all whose lives are impacted by this crisis. 
Shield and deliver all emergency responders; 

give wisdom and guide those in authority; 

watch over all who have been forced to evacuate, and all who wait with uncertainty. 

Comfort those who mourn great loss. Help those who wish to help 

to be patient and effective in compassion. Bless us all, and help us trust in you. 

In Jesus name we pray, Amen."

For the latest information on the wildfires, please check the  Cal Fire site frequently.

You may donate online to our  Diocesan Disaster Relief fund here.   Choose "Disaster Relief" from the drop down options.  The link to donate is also here:  https://secure.accessacs.com/access/oglogin.aspx?sn=159790

F or decades, Camp Noel Porter has been a sacred place for families, young adults, youth, and children. As camping programs have changed, the  Camp Noel Porter board and the Board of Trustees have prayerfully decided that it is no longer possible to hold camp programs on this site. It is time  to say goodbye to this summer camp ministry, remembering the spirit-filled gifts that we have received 

here. The time has come to "pass it on" as our camp-song reminds us. 

 

To honor this beloved ministry, Bishop Barry Beisner invites you to a day of memory, celebration, connection, prayer, and song on Saturday, Sept. 1, from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.  If you plan on attending, we ask that you please RSVP here by this Friday, Aug. 10.

 

This event is free, and dinner will be provided. An agenda of the day is below.

 

2:00 p.m.  Visit the camp, arts/crafts, ping-pong, connect with old friends

4:00 p.m.  Eucharist at the Outdoor Chapel

5:00 p.m.  Dinner provided

6:00 p.m.  Campfire

7:30 p.m.  Closing prayer and closing song, "Pass It On"

 

Thank you all who submitted the Certificate of Lay Delegates form for this year's convention.

Resolutions for Convention are now being accepted and  may be proposed by any person with seat, voice, and vote; the Board of Trustees; Standing Committee; Commission on Ministry; Diocesan Institutions; Vestries; Mission Committees; and Committees of Convention. 

The Bishop's full 2018 visitation schedule is available here. 

LEVN is moving to Sacramento, and they need your help! This is an incredible undertaking that fulfills the vision of Jocelynn Hughes, the outgoing Pastor and Executive Director of LEVN. Her faith in the future of LEVN brought us to this point, and now we need to come together in community to bring the program officially over the causeway and furnish the homes of LEVN volunteers for the 2018 - 2019 program year. 

Your donation of time, household items, or money will help ensure the continued success of this program and help provide a comfortable home for the volunteers who are creating a new life and intentional community in Sacramento. For more information on how to donate, please c heck out the LEVN moving page.

The St. Matthew's Center is a project of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern California, based in Sacramento. It is an effort by the Episcopal Church in this region to ascertain and meet the needs of a diverse and somewhat underprivileged community in the North Sacramento area. To this end, the campus of an existing Episcopal Church is being converted into a center for outreach to the surrounding neighborhood, while still hosting a small, active congregation. While this project is still in development, it already hosts a food bank, a preschool, and an ESL facility.

 

The Center is seeking an individual who can assume the day-to-day management of the Center, as well as strategizing community outreach, fundraising and future growth in the services provided by the Center. The individual chosen to be Executive Director will also need to be able to maintain and manage relationships with and among the existing projects and congregation (which are largely self-managing and autonomous), as well as working with and reporting to the Center Committee. (The Committee serves as a Board for the Center, under the Episcopal Diocese.)

 

View a complete job description.  Applications will be accepted through Aug. 17.  Please submit a cover letter and resume to [email protected] . 

Are you tired of listening to voices that divide us? Ready to celebrate our common humanity in all its wonderful diversity? 

Join Karen Lawler, OEF, the members of St. Mary's, Elk Grove, and representatives of the City of Elk Grove Multicultural Commission  on Aug. 19, at 5:30 p.m. at the Morse Park Labyrinth as we celebrate the gifts of the diverse cultures in our community. We will walk the sacred path together, sharing reflections about our desire for unity, an end to hatred and violence and deeper understanding between us all.

 

As part of our commitment to racial justice, St. Mary's in Elk Grove offers these labyrinth walks quarterly in a public park, leading prayer and reflections on issues of systemic injustice and violence which tear at fabric of our community. This is an interfaith service. We welcome your presence in body or in spirit. For those who wish to join us through virtual presence please see the links on the Facebook event.