September 17, 2019
Global Climate Strike
Friday, September 20
Our house is on fire — let’s act like it. We demand climate justice for everyone.

Every Friday for the past year, students around the world have been walking out of school to stand up for climate action. On Friday, September 20, three days before the UN Climate Summit in NYC , young people and adults around the world will hold a strike to demand transformative action to address the climate crisis. 

People of faith – including Episcopal bishops – will take part in the Global Climate Strike by walking out of work or school, stepping out of their routines, and, in rallies, marches, and prayer vig ils, joining together to call for swift, bold action on climate justice.

Here are some local events on September 20th:

  • Boston: The largest climate strike in Massachusetts will take place in Boston. Local youth urge everyone in western Massachusetts to head to Boston if they possibly can. 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., beginning with a march from City Hall to the State House. To RSVP, visit Boston Climate Strike's Facebook event pageClimate Action Now of Western Mass is posting updated information and organizing buses and carpools. Bring a group from your church!


  • NorthamptonClimate Emergency March for a Just Future will start with a march at 4:30 p.m. from Sheldon Field, Northampton, followed by a rally at 5:00 p.m. at City Hall. This event is co-sponsored by our Social Justice Commission; if you can’t make it to Boston, please consider coming to this one.





Diocesan Convention registration is open!
THE 118TH DIOCESAN CONVENTION

​SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2019

Early bird registration until October 22.

Registration is open for Small Church Summit 2.0
September 28, 2019
South Hadley, MA

Based on conversations and suggestion cards from the first Small Church Summit, we are continuing the conversation in hopes of you being able to offer inspiration to each other! Come for some further inspiration via Ted talks, examples from our own parishes, and deeper conversation with one another. 

Rooted in Jesus conference gathers church in 2020
Episcopal orgs coming together for this special 4-day event!

It’s time for the Episcopal Church to come together as disciples of Jesus and take a bold new step into the next decade. Let’s spend four days together, talking about discipleship in all its forms including leadership, evangelism, formation, preaching, communications and much more – so we can go out and be the Body of Christ together. Come and be a part of this first-of-its-kind Episcopal Conference: Rooted In Jesus 2020. Join us in Atlanta, Georgia from January 21-24, 2020!
 
Early bird registration ends September 30. Sign up today.

Way of Love podcast begins second season today
Season 2 of The Episcopal Church’s  podcast   The Way of Love with Bishop Michael Curry , returns September 17. These weekly conversations, featuring Bishop Curry, podcast hosts Kyle Oliver and Sandy Milien, and a variety of guests, explore living a life committed to living the way of God’s unconditional, unselfish, sacrificial and redemptive love.

Each episode of Season 2 focuses on one of the seven  Way of Love Practices for a Jesus-Centered Life : turn, learn, pray, worship, bless, go, and rest, with a focus on living these practices every day.  


Safe Church Registration is Open
Our Safe Church Officer, the Rev. Tanya Wallace, has scheduled the following dates/locations for upcoming Safe Church workshops:





Creation Care
Social Justice Commission
Beloved Community Commission
Resources & Workshops
October 8, 2019
Springfield, MA

Tools for the Chaos:
Wise Leadership in Changing Times
Tools for the Chaos, a o ne-day workshop for clergy & wardens, draws on the systems wisdom of Edwin Friedman and Margaret Marcuson as well as the adaptive leadership insights of Ron Heifetz.

Rev. Barbara Lemmel, who is ordained in the New England Conference UMC, is t he workshop leader .

September 19-20, 2019
Windsor, CT

Anti-Racism Workshop
With   Resolution 2018-A045   General Convention reaffirmed the mandate for all clergy to receive anti-racism training. Those who attended our Clergy Conference in May have satisfied that requirement.

This training in CT is a great opportunity for those who were unable to be present at our diocesan training.

September 25, 2019
Worcester, MA

Healing Moral Injury: Pathways to Peace for the Soul
Bishop Fisher will be in attendance at a workshop on moral injury, its causes, and ways to heal from it.

Participants will learn about what moral injury is and why it is so debilitating, the causes of moral injury, and pathways to healing from moral injury. 

September 27, 2019
Amherst, MA

Radical Aliveness and Belonging:
Exploring the Intersections of Spirituality and Social Change
Join us for a dynamic afternoon of conversation exploring the landscape of engaged spiritual practice and action for social change.

The Radical Aliveness and Belonging Symposium  is inspired by the life and work of  Br. David Steindl-Rast,  a 93-year-old Benedictine Monk known as the “grandfather of gratitude” and one of the most important figures in the modern interfaith dialogue movement. Br. David will be traveling from Austria to participate in the symposium.

September 30 - October 2, 2019
Wilmington, NC

Leading for Discipleship Conference
Leading for discipleship in Episcopal congregations can be challenging. It can feel lonely. With that in mind, we hope you will join us for a gathering of clergy and lay leaders, especially appropriate for those who have participated in the RenewalWorks process.

We will come together for deeper learning about discipleship, as we support each other in the effort to build cultures of discipleship in the Episcopal Church.

October 3-5, 2019
Avon, CT

2019 Faith Formation Symposium
Vibrant Faith is pleased to announce the 2019 Faith Formation Symposium on  Effective Practices & Promising Innovations in Faith Formation .

News from our Congregations
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