UPDATED DECEMBER 2019
UPDATE 12/04 - Advent Retreat in Spanish, Scheduled for 12/07, POSTPONED until after Christmas
LAST CALL: INVITATION TO SERVE OUR REGION TOGETHER
Help support the Footwear With Care's
2019 BOOT PARTY | DEC 7, 2019
By providing 25 personal care kits.
Your parish's contribution will help 
the North Central Region serve 500 people
Items can be dropped off at Our Cathedral in Hartford
& St. Alban's, Simsbury and Trinity, Portland.
Items MUST be received by December 5th .
WE ARE ALSO LOOKING FOR 20-30 VOLUNTEERS
For Dec. 7th from 9 am - 11 am, 11 am - 1pm, or 9 am - 1 pm. No experience necessary. Everyone wishing to help will be trained. To sign up to participate/contribute items click here or email Bonnie Matthews at bmatthews228@comcast.net
Help support Streetfire Ministry's
2019 CHRISTMAS PARTY | DEC 21, 2019
By providing hand knit/crocheted hats
Trinity, Portland's knitting group was well on track to complete 150 hats and scarves for the Christmas Party. A few weeks ago the weather turned cold and members of the homeless community were in need of hats. Living in the spirit of abundance Trinity gave away most of their hats, and are busily knitting to make up the difference so everyone who needs a hat at the Party gets one.
LET'S HELP THEM MAKE THEIR GOAL OF 150 HATS!!
Contact Marjorie Barrett at 860-342-2417
CHANGE: The North Central Region Leadership Team will have their final team meeting for 2019 on Dec. 4 at 6 PM at The Winged Bear in Simsbury (775 Hopmeadow Street, Simsbury). At 7 PM we will be joining the community for a HYMN SING! Our spring meeting schedule will be announced soon. If you are interested in joining a meeting please contact our Convener, Trish Leonard at gmakhc@cox.net or our Region Missionary at eflinn@episcopalct.org .  
Addition Workshop Planning for NC Region: Faith Behind Bars and Beyond is committed to having Addiction Workshops in all 6 regions of ECCT. We are willing to make this commitment because 88% of CT inmates self-identify as having an addiction when they enter prison. The other reason is that even thou gh most of our parishes host at least one AA or NA group, the people in our pews know very little about these programs. If you would like to be part of this planning process, please be in touch with Ellen Adams, Deacon (Chair of FBBB) at 860-374-3537.
St. Monica's Warming Center: St. Monica's, Hartford is looking to start a warming center for women and children to shelter during the No Freeze time (Dec. 1 - Mar. 21). They are reaching out in hopes that other congregations may have some folks interested in assisting with this ministry. We would house 10-12 people at St. Monica's from 6pm-7am. Each night 2 volunteers are needed on site in addition to staff persons. If you are interested in partnering with St. Monica's, please reach out to Rev. Tracy Johnson Russell, Rector at St. Monica's at tjr5683@gmail.com .  
POSTPONED UNTIL AFTER CHRISTMAS - Retiro de Adviento en español , Sábado 7 de diciembre de 2019 8:30 – 1:00 (almuerzo a la 1pm) Deacon Ema Rosero-Nordalm, Líder Iglesia del Buen Pastor | 155 Wyllys Street, Hartford. Cuidado de niños (para niños de 3-8 años) La Anunciación copyright 2009 Janet McKenzie www.janetmckenzie.com . Utilizado con permiso. María, la Madre de Dios afirma nuestro caminar para amar, crecer y servir al mundo con la abundancia de nuestros dones y talentos
12/13 - Posadas Celebration: Come celebrate the Posadas early with us at the Cathedral! 6 PM - 8 PM. What is the Posadas you ask? Las Posadas, (Spanish: “The Inns”) is a religious festival celebrated in Mexico and some parts of the United States between December 16 and 24. Las Posadas commemorates the journey that Joseph and Mary made from Nazareth to Bethlehem in search of a safe refuge where Mary could give birth to the baby Jesus. 
12/19 - Homeless Persons' Memorial Vigil: Church of the Holy Trinity, Middletown
from 4 PM – 7 PM. Please join us in solidarity with local friends and neighbors to honor and remember those who have experienced homelessness in our community and who lost their lives in 2019. Help us fight to end homelessness through your presence, generosity, and advocacy. This Memorial Service & Candlelight Vigil will take place at the Church of the Holy Trinity at 381 Main St. in Middletown, with a Community Dinner to follow at St. Vincent de Paul Middletown. For more information, please contact Kasey Harding, Director of CHC's Healthcare for the Homeless at HardinK@chc1.com or (860) 347-6971 ext. 3914.
02/06 Faithful Futures: Resourcing Our Regions & Ministry Networks: All Region Leadership Team Members, Ministry Network Conveners & Members Join your Bishops, Canons, & Region Missionaries for an in-depth discussion of how we might use our common resources to help you and your ministries engage God’s mission more deeply. DON’T MISS OUT: we’re talking $$$ among our other shared assets! Details to come, but REGISTER TODAY & SPREAD THE WORD!  
Grant Opportunities
2020 Roanridge Trust grants available for leadership development in small towns and rural communities . Offered annually, Roanridge Trust Grants are used for the "training of town and country ministry and rural Christian workers” of The Episcopal Church. They support creative models of leadership development and training of the laity and clergy in small towns and rural communities across The Episcopal Church. Awards generally range from $5,000 to $20,000. Great for collaborative/region projects! Application deadline is December 13, 2019. For more info click here.  
United Thank Offering 2020 Annual Grants: The United Thank Offering (UTO) board of directors is pleased to announce the availability of their 2020 United Thank Offering Annual Grants. These grants are awarded for projects in The Episcopal Church and throughout the Anglican Communion, each year with a different focus. For 2020, the focus is Bless: Share faith, practice generosity and compassion, and proclaim the Good News of God in Christ with hope and humility. The application process opened September 6, 2019; application information and forms are available here .  NOTE: The ECCT deadline is Jan. 6 and must be submitted to Pamela Sola ( psola@episcopalct.org ) before then.  
Safe Church Training Opportunities in NC Region
Anyone planning to attend a training session must REGISTER ONLINE. REGISTRATION CLOSES 7 days prior to each training or when a session is full, whichever comes first, to allow time for the host parish and trainers to prepare accordingly. Click below for more information and to register. Safe training is done for 2019. For 2020 opportunities visit: https://www.episcopalct.org/ECCTCalendar/safe-church-trainings-all/

The intent of the Monthly Snapshot is to raise awareness of region gatherings, ministry network events, opportunities for parish collaboration, and invitations to participate in God's mission together! Each Snapshot looks two months ahead. For your announcement to be included in the next Snapshot be sure to contact our Region Missionary, Erin Flinn, by the last week of the month at eflinn@episcopalct.org