The. Rev. Charles Todd Marries

On Saturday, July 4, the Rev. Charles Todd married James Weaver at The Collegiate Church of St. Paul the Apostle in Savannah. The Very Rev. William Willoughby presided with the Rev. Kevin Kelly preaching the homily. 

A small group was gathered in person, with a larger viewing through a livestream. 

New Mask Making Ministry Takes Off

Cam Mathis is ready to hand out masks!

As we've ventured further in the time of COVID-19, a new mask ministry has started at St. George's, Savannah. St. George's members Claudia Griffis and Debbie Shumans have made many masks for both kids and adults. Volunteers  have given them away to those coming to the food trucks that park at St. George's. 

Paycheck Protection Program Update

The following information is pulled directly from the Small Business Administration (SBA) website on the latest updates to the PPP Loans from the CARES Act. There are still funds available for application. For questions, please reach out to Canon Easterlin at  [email protected].

 

The PPP Applications have RESUMED: 

 

The Paycheck Protection Program resumed accepting applications July 6, 2020, at 9:00 AM EDT in response to President signing the program's extension legislation. The new deadline to apply for a Paycheck Protection Program loan is August 8, 2020.

 

The latest application form is here.

 

FAQs for religious organizations can be found here.

 

Basics of the PPP UPDATED: 

 

The loan will be fully forgiven if the funds are used for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities (due to likely high subscription, at least 60% (changed from 75%) of the forgiven amount must have been used for payroll):

 

• PPP loans have an interest rate of 1%
• Loans issued prior to June 5 have a maturity of 2 years 
  Loans issued after June 5 have a maturity of 5 years
• Loan payments will be deferred for six months
• No collateral or personal guarantees are required
• Neither the government nor lenders will charge small businesses any fees

 

Forgiveness Application UPDATED (June 16th  2020):

 

Forgiveness is based on the employer maintaining or quickly rehiring employees and maintaining salary levels. Forgiveness will be reduced if full-time headcount declines, or if salaries and wages decrease. The loan forgiveness form and instructions include several measures to reduce compliance burdens and simplify the process for borrowers, including:

 

• Options for borrowers to calculate payroll costs using an "alternative payroll covered period" that aligns with borrowers' regular payroll cycles
• Flexibility to include eligible payroll and non-payroll expenses paid or incurred during
  the 24-week period (updated from 8 weeks) after receiving their PPP loan
• Step-by-step instructions on how to perform the calculations required by the CARES Act to confirm eligibility for loan forgiveness
• Borrower-friendly implementation of statutory exemptions from loan forgiveness reduction based on rehiring by June 30
• Addition of a new exemption from the loan forgiveness reduction for borrowers who have made a good-faith, written offer to rehire workers that was declined

 

Forgiveness application form can be found here.

 

Instructions for the application can be found here.

Observing Copyright for Congregational Music

As many congregations continue to offer online worship opportunities, clergy and lay leaders need to be careful to observe copyright laws around music that is streamed online. Any music that is still protected under copyright law can only be streamed with permission, and, despite the myth that still makes the rounds, owning copies of the Hymnal 1982 does not grant permission, either to reproduce words or music or to stream music online.

 

For many congregations seeking permission for streaming or reproduction of words or musical notation the easiest solution is to purchase a license from one of several music licensing companies. The Diocese currently holds licenses from two companies, CCLI and OneLicense. Each of these companies offers scaled fees based on congregation size, so their licenses remain affordable even for smaller congregations. Once the licenses are purchased, specific language is to be included indicating composer, copyright holder, and the license company and specific license number. In addition, congregations need to report their usage through the company's online reporting mechanism as songs are used.

 

Ultimately, copyright is a matter of justice, intended to ensure that musicians are paid fairly for their work. Please take the time to ensure that your congregation is in compliance so that composers can be paid appropriately, and can continue to write music for us to enjoy in years to come!

Please contact Canon Joshua Varner at  [email protected]  with questions.

Worship with the Diocese of Georgia on Sundays

This Sunday, we will stream Morning Prayer at 10 a.m. from Good Shepherd, Swainsboro, with music from other Episcopal Churches in the diocese. The Sunday service will continue at least through Labor Day.

These liturgies are stored on both 

The Diocese of Georgia's Facebook page 

The Diocese of Georgia's YouTube Channel.

Find Livestream Worship 

There are a lot of options each day for Episcopalians in the Diocese of Georgia to worship online and now they are listed in one place. The Livestream Services calendar tells the time, location, and which liturgy the congregation offers for the whole Diocese. Click the image above or this link: Livestream Services Calendar.

Around the Diocese - Flat Frank Edition

Begun by the Rev. Melanie Lemburg and the Rev. Aimee Baxter at St. Thomas, Savannah,
it was a fun way to stay connected and celebrate the ordination and consecration of Bishop Logue.
Flat Frank has had quite a few adventures this summer!

Just like Bishop Logue, Flat Frank loves a good hike!

Bringing the Fire to a Screen Near You

Alumni of Youth Programs in the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia formed a virtual choir to sing Light the Fire for diocesan online services.