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The Dio Log -
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news & events in
the Episcopal Diocese of Maine
since 1999
Volume 20, Number 22
~ November 16,
2018
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The story of God's people challenged, enlightened and delighted the participants of the Miqra Fall Youth Event - both as they encountered it in their reading of the entire Bible, and as they uncovered it in their own lives.
Click here to see more of their reflections.
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What's New in the Episcopal Church in Maine
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for the victims of and those threatened by the wild fires in California.
the family and friends of the
Rev. David Van Dusen of South Brooksville, Maine, retired priest, upon his death in October. His
obituary may be found here.
family and friends grieving the recent death of
Ms Jane Newland, widow of the late
Rev. Robert Newland.
a Happy Thanksgiving and safe travels over the coming holiday to all
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Bishop Quest update: Candidates for 10th Bishop of Maine announced
A provisional slate of candidates who will stand for election as 10th Bishop of Maine at a special convention on February 9, 2019 has been announced. Visit the Bishop Quest website to learn about these candidates listed below:
- The Rev. Kenneth H. Brannon, Rector of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Sun Valley, Idaho
- The Rev. Thomas James Brown, Rector of The Parish of the Epiphany in Winchester, Massachusetts
- The Rev. Canon Anne Mallonee, Executive Vice President and Chief Ecclesiastical Officer of The Church Pension Group, New York, New York
- The Rev. Rachel Taber-Hamilton, Rector at Trinity Episcopal Church, in Everett, Washington
- The Rev. Canon Janet C. Waggoner, Canon to the Ordinary, Transition Ministry Officer and Administrative Officer for the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth, Texas.
You will have an opportunity to attend the "
Walkabout" gathering events in Bangor, Augusta and Portland the weekend of January 18 - 20.
The Electing Convention will be held on Saturday, February 9, 2019 (snow date: Saturday, February 23rd) at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, Maine.
Resources for story sharing
Sharing stories is natural for humans... It's simple... It builds community within our churches and is a great way to share our faith with friends and family. And it's not divisive because we rarely get into arguments about an experience. No wonder resources are popping up everywhere. Here are some good ones:
Our Story in God's Story is a workshop on story sharing created by the
Rev. Nancy Moore and used at Spring Training 2018. You could adapt it for an adult forum at your church.
The Living Local: Joining God teams from
St. Mark's in Waterville,
St. Paul's in Brunswick and
St. Andrew's in Newcastle developed questions to stimulate conversations during coffee hour and among parishioners. The provocative questions ranged from the fun (What was your weirdest job?) to the profound (Where have you noticed God?). They'd be happy to tell you more.
For a deep, twenty minute experience of sharing, look at the Living Local
Story Sharing Experiment used last year at a Diocesan Council meeting. In it, people meet in pairs to tell about a time when you were aware of the presence of God.
If you want a strong, multi-week experience, check out
Sacred Stories. It provides an opportunity for small, intimate groups to share their spiritual journeys - to tell their stories and to listen to others as they tell theirs. The article was written by
Rev. Audrey Delafield at
St. Alban's in Cape Elizabeth.
If you have other ideas to share, or questions about these resources, contact
Jane Hartwell.
Journeying the The Way of Love Advent curriculum
This Advent, the Episcopal Church invites congregations, dioceses, and communities of faith to await the coming of Christ by moving through the first two chapters of the Gospel of Luke.
Advent curriculum:
Journeying the Way of Love
Journeying the Way of Love is a new, four-week Advent curriculum pegged to readings and themes from the Sunday lectionary. Sessions are designed for use during the Christian formation hour offerings at churches and ministries exploring the Way of Love.
The curriculum and advent calendar can be downloaded
here
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Advent Curriculum:
Preparing to Become the Beloved Community
Advent is a season of preparation; a time to prepare our hearts and communities for the coming of Christ, the Almighty God who came among us poor and homeless, a stranger and a child. This journey is framed around the four quadrants of the labyrinth: Telling the truth about our churches and race; proclaiming the dream of the beloved community; practicing the way of love in the pattern of Jesus; and repairing the breach in institutions and society. Groups are invited to "walk" sections of the labyrinth each week in Advent, engaging in scripture, reflections, and activities.
The curriculum may be downloaded
here
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Walking in Welcome: an Advent series with Episcopal Migration Ministries
Episcopal Migration Ministries and the Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations are hosting a series of three one-hour webinars, Walking in Welcome: An Advent Series with Episcopal Migration Ministries on December 5 at 4 pm, December 13 at 4 pm , and December 18 at 12 pm. Read more about the programs in the series
here. Registration is required. If you or your congregation are interested, please
register here. For more information, contact Allison Duvall at
advuall@episcopalchurch.org.
Diocesan Cycle of Prayer
The Cycle of Prayer through the rest of 2018 can be downloaded
here and is posted below:
The congregations of
St. Peter's, Bridgton
St. Ann's, Windham
For the children of the world
9 December ~ Advent 2
For St. Elizabeth's Jubilee Center in Portland
For all immigrants and refugees and the ministries that serve them
16 December ~ Advent 3
The congregations of
St. Barnabas', Rumford
St. Luke's, Wilton
Christ Church, Gardiner
For those grieving the loss of a loved one this holiday season
23 December ~ Advent 4~ Christmas Eve
The congregation of
St. Dunstan's, Ellsworth
For all Episcopalians engaged in The Way of Love and Presiding Bishop Michael Curry
25 December ~Christmas Day
Oh God, you make us glad by the yearly festival of the birth of your only son Jesus Christ. For peace on earth
31 December ~ Christmas 1 ~ The Holy Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ
For Trinity Jubilee Center, Lewiston
For postulants and candidates for Holy Orders and the Commission on Ministry
For the slate of candidates for Bishop of Maine and their families
More coming. Stay tuned!
Tired of divisive conversations?
Wonder how can you foster substantive but civil conversations around difference that will improve where you live? St. Anselm College Professor Deb McCarter will share how her community (Goffstown, NH) is creating brave spaces for courageous and civil conversations across race and culture. The "Creating Brave Spaces" webinar is offered by Province 1 on Tuesday, November 20 from 7:30-8:30. (It was postponed from 11/13, so some of the dates in the registration materials are wrong.) Register and find out more
here.
Clergy safe church training
Clergy serving in the Diocese of Maine are required to maintain current (within 4 years), Safe Church Training Parts A and B. Safe Church Training is available electronically by visiting
www.episcopalmaine.org and using the alpha index "S" to navigate to the Safe Church Training page. Please mail your certificates to: The Episcopal Diocese of Maine, Attn: Barbara Martin, 143 State Street, Portland, ME, 04101, for inclusion in your clergy file.
United Thank Offering survey
The United Thank Offering Board has launched a new membership database to help better track and support parishes, dioceses, and coordinators throughout the UTO membership structure. They want to learn more about what is happening on the ground, so they've created a survey to learn more about your experience leading and participating in UTO.
Please click on this link to fill out the survey. They will collect responses until December 1, 2018.
Diocesan office winter weather policy
A reminder to everyone that the Diocesan Office (Loring House) in Portland will be closed when the Portland School District closes due to weather conditions. Check for
school closures here. Even when the office is closed for a weather event, diocesan staff members are still 'at work' and you can feel free to email or call 207-772-1953.
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Upcoming in Maine and Beyond
Episcopal Committee on Indian Relations Meeting Nov. 17th
The next meeting of the committee will take place on Saturday, November 17, 11 AM to 1:30 PM at St. James' Episcopal Church, Old Town.
Sacred Music Concert in Falmouth Nov. 18th
A concert of sacred music, cantatas by Dietrich Buxtehude, Henry Purcell, organ prelude in E last major by Bach, presented by adult choir, children's choir, violins and handbells. Sunday, November 18, 4:00 PM at Church of Saint Mary, 43 Foreside Road, Falmouth ME. FMI contact
Bruce Fithian.
Old Fashioned Christmas Fair in Portland Dec. 1st
Enjoy an Old Fashioned Christmas Fair at Trinity Episcopal Church, 580 Forest Ave., Portland, ME on Saturday, December 1, 2018 from 8:30am to 1:30pm. Read more here
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