Repair to Shoreline of Camp Wright
We are delighted to report some good news for Camp Wright. Julia Connelly, Director of Camp presented a report at the 152nd Diocesan Convention highlighting significant damage to the shoreline. The projected cost for repair was astronomically high. Further damage over the winter and spring, as well as the need to shift fundraising goals due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, increased the urgency for an immediate, albeit temporary repair of the bulkhead and the area behind it. The good news is that Camp Wright, through a generous donation, was able to complete this temporary repair. The repair, which cost approximately $20,000, should last several years while we prepare for the full revetment project and provides a safe environment to all visitors to the camp.
Camp Wright and the diocese are deeply indebted to Holy Trinity Parish, Oxford, for funding the cost of the entire project. Once again Reverend Kevin Cross and the faithful of Holy Trinity Parish have defined in a tangible way what it means to be faithful stewards of the bounties of God’s grace. Camp Wright remains a vital part of our diocesan life and missional witness. It continues to minister to God’s children in the front line of Christian formation and evangelism. Camp Wright’s preservation should remain in the forefront of diocesan missional endeavors.
On behalf of the diocesan family, I wish to extend sincere appreciation to Fr. Kevin and Holy Trinity for this good will gesture of financial assistance. Equally, we recognize the diligent and hard work of Julia, Camp Director, and the Camp Wright Staff and Committee for continuing the wonderful legacy that is Camp Wright in the Diocese of Easton.
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Bishop’s Pastoral Letter
Regarding the Easton Episcopal Fund (est. March 31, 2010)
In early September, the Bishop released a Pastoral Letter to our membership regarding the status of our Easton Episcopal Fund and the hard work of our Board of Managers. In case you missed it, below is a short excerpt from the letter or link to the Full Letter here.
On behalf of the BoM, I wish to share some good news and invite the diocese to join us in our celebration and thanksgiving. The dedicated and sustained work of the BoM has resulted in a recovery of our investment funds. As of now our investment funds have returned to approximately twenty-nine million dollars ($29,000,000). This means that our congregations who have invested with the EEF can continue to count on the income from their investments to assist them with carrying out their mission of love in the world. I also want to take this opportunity to offer thanks to God for this enormous blessing.
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Bishop's Spotlight
The Bishop did his first in-person visitation, since the onset of the Pandemic, on the 30th of August to St Mary the Virgin in Pocomoke City. He was pleased to see how organized the church was in their attention to the Covid 19 regathering protocols. “This place is safer than Walmart," said one of the parishioners. Last Sunday, Bishop San attended a collaborative Zoom Worship with St. Pauls Trappe, St. Philip's Quantico and St. Paul's Hebron.
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Thank you for your continued support of the mission and ministries of our Diocese. |
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More from the Office of the Bishop |
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Wardens & Treasurers' Conference
The Bishop's Office is hosting a Zoom Conference for Wardens and Treasurers in the Diocese of Easton on Thursday, September 10th from 1:00pm - 3:00pm.
Register in advance by clicking here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. If there are any questions you hope to have answered please email them ahead of time so that we can use the time as effectively as possible. Send emails to lynn@dioceseofeaston.org. We will answer as many questions as time allows.
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Diocesan Apportionment and Budget for 2021
The Bishop's annual letter regarding apportionment and budget for 2021 has been mailed to each parish. Part of this letter is excerpted below, or you can find the full letter here.
"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples,
if you have love for one another.”
(John 13:35)
My beloved sisters and brothers in Christ,
I write to you once again as fellow baptized disciples of Jesus working to fulfill the divine commission to, "go out into all the world and make disciples". We are very mindful of the truth that we serve God's mission through initiatives that promote and sustain the work of faith formation in the lives of God's faithful. This focus includes our common obligation to respond in loving, caring and just ways to the needs of our neighbors and the world beyond the Eastern Shore of Maryland.
However, because of the COVID-19 Pandemic, everything has changed. Everyone has had to make significant adjustments to life, and our churches are no exception. They continue to devise new ways of worshipping, fellowshipping and ministering. It is impressive to see the remarkable and imaginative ways they have responded to this global crisis!
We have been blessed by the gift of virtual technology offered by the likes of 'Saint Zoom' and its sidekick 'Saint Facebook Live'. We have much to be thankful for in this period of heightened uncertainty because we have all, in more ways than one, risen to the challenges we are facing. We have come to experience in new and comforting ways the love of Jesus and, love and care for neighbor and loved ones. There is the renewed appreciation for the sacred space church family holds in our everyday lives. One lesson I have learned in all this 'cloud of fear and uncertainty' is that life and God's Blessing shouldn't be taken for granted anymore! We ought to hold each other up in prayer and mutual affection.
As your bishop, pastor and friend, I hold you in high praise for the selfless manner in which our diocesan family, across the Eastern Shore, has conducted itself. Even more so, I am extremely proud and honored to be your servant in Christ on this journey together. We are confident that by God's guidance and sustaining presence we will safely navigate this invisible enemy. And win the battle with Jesus as our Lord and Savior.
However, operational budgets have had to be significantly adjusted to reflect the adverse ramifications of doing ministry during a pandemic. Continue Reading.
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Formation Resource from the Agape Ministry
In our last eNews we mentioned the successful Zoom Camp that the Agape Ministry held in July. The Camp included a box mailed home with contents to match four zoom sessions (can be held consecutively or weekly). To view and use the resources developed for the Camp click here.
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Diocese of Easton Safeguarding Revisions
The Safeguarding requirements have been revised to reflect a shift in training to an online environment. Be sure to read through this document to become familiar with the revisions (which are also outlined on our safeguarding webpage). Each church/organization is responsible to keep their Safeguarding Certifications up-to-date and a listing on file. Everyone in active ministry should be certified/re-certified through the six-step process every three years, including clergy.
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Called to Ordained Ministry?
Collaboration with the Iona Collaborative
This program was designed to afford these gifted people the opportunity to fulfill their lifelong dream to serve Jesus as an ordained clergy person. It is designed for individuals who would serve the church on a part-time basis while holding their substantive secular work. Read more here.
Interested individuals are encouraged to contact your parish clergy or the bishop’s office to begin a conversation and to fill out the attached application form.
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Camp Wright has space for outdoor services and picnics the last two weekends of September, contact Julia Connelly Zahn for details and to reserve space. Our online store is up and running!
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St. Mary Anne's, North East, What Kind of Person Joins Education for Ministry (EfM)?
1. A person who desires to heed God’s call to be a minister to all people.
2. A person who desires to look deeper in the Bible and bring it’s teaching into today’s world.
3. A person that believes that God has a plan for them.
4. A person who desires to move on in their journey with God.
5. A person who enjoys fellowship and fun
Are You That Person?
EfM will be beginning at St. Mary Anne's Church this Fall on Zoom, Monday evenings at 6:30 pm. This will allow participants from all churches in the diocese. If you have a desire to know more about Education for Ministry (EfM), or would like to join please feel free to email Carol Weisel (weisel1@gmail.com) or Bob Doyle (bob.doyle72@gmail.com)
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Good news from Sister Teresa Irene, Episcopal Carmel of Saint Teresa
Dear Community and friends,
Some of you have been attending our Community Compline service on Zoom for the last few months. It has been a spiritual help for many of us and we have decided to invite a few of our friends to join the group. We meet at 8:00 pm on Thursday nights. If you haven't prayed Compline with us before know that you would be very welcome to join us.
A second piece of news is that I will be leading a Zoom class on The Way of Perfection. This is the book that Teresa of Avila wrote at the request of her Nuns. They had asked her to write down her teachings especially about prayer.
The class will meet for an hour once a week and it is important that everyone be there every week. We will determine the best time for the class depending on what works best for those of you who wish to participate. The book usually takes at least a year to work through. We take breaks when the group agrees a break is necessary.
I am glad that Zoom will allow us to come together to hear what Teresa would say to us as members of Episcopal Carmel. Carmelites refer to Teresa as "Our Holy Mother" and so she is. Please consider if you are being called to join this class. If you have participated in The Way of Perfection class before you are welcome to join this Zoom class. You will have much to add to the discussion I am sure.
Please let me know ASAP if you would like to join this group. I will let you know when the class will start when I hear from those who are interested. I am excited to be working through this amazing book again.
Blessings on each of you. You are important to us.
Sister Teresa Irene
410-658-6736- Monastery
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St. Paul's, Centreville is partnering with Christ Church, Kent Island in the Episcopal church's program "Sacred Ground". "Sacred Ground" is a film and readings based dialogue series on race, grounded in faith. Small groups are invited to walk through chapters of America's history of race and racism, while weaving in threads of family story, economic class, and political ad regional identity. "Sacred Ground" is part of "Becoming Beloved Community", The Episcopal Church's long-term commitment to racial healing, reconciliation, and justice in our personal lives, our ministries and our society. This series is open to all. Please contact Rev Mary to register. |
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POST YOUR EVENT!
Send an email with a short description plus links or attachments to Joanne. Churches are also encouraged to add joanne@dioceseofeaston.org to their local enews.
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"We are happy to share the beauty of the land, the quiet of the church, the warmth of the Retreat House spaces with everyone, regardless of religion or spiritual practice."
Come and visit anytime to experience this peaceful place where God is always present. All are welcome to join us for quiet days, prayer times, programming, and worship services that are offered throughout the year. See our calendar for programs and special events.
Here's what's coming up at the Retreat House. Click the button's below for dates and times.
Day's End Evening Meditation Listen, breathe, be still. A peaceful way to move into your evening.
Wisdom Circles - Prayerful Listening for Spiritual Guidance A Wisdom Circle is a group of 8-12 people who gather to learn, tell stories, listen and pray about a particular subject. Within the safety of the circle, we practice a way of being that connects us in spirit, drawing us within for a deeper experience.
Autumn Quiet Days: Embracing Possibility
Advent Quiet Day
Weekly AA Meetings are now on Zoom.
A Peaceful Walk: The Retreat House gates are always open. Please come for a visit soon! Throughout the COVID crisis, the Retreat House property has remained open to individual visitors. Now, small groups of up to 10 people are welcome to enjoy the beauty of the grounds for outdoor meetings, walks, meditations, or even to have a picnic.
Check out our "tree rooms!" Gather under the Lindens, Magnolia, Pin Oak or Crape Myrtle. We'll supply the seating! (Stadium chairs are in the gazebo.)
As always, please wear masks when you are near others, and help yourself to hand sanitizer, wipes and bug spray provided in the gazebo.
For more information, call (410) 364-7069, click the button below or contact Francie Thayer.
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Pastoral Concerns
We pray for continued healing and comfort for the following people and their families:
Continued prayers for Father Bryan Glancey, Vicar, St. Andrew's, Hurlock. Rev. Kevin Cross, Rector, Church of the Holy Trinity, Oxford. The Rev. Pete Stanton. Larry Samuels, spouse of Deacon Candidate, Peggy Samuels. Art Leiby. Becky Richardson. Weasie Kamihachi.
We pray for the repose of the soul of the following people and for comfort, courage and strength to their families: Evelyn Pilgrim, mother of Chris Sabas, Deacon Candidate. Kilmer Rickards, wife of the Ven. Reese Rickards.
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Diocesan Prayer Calendar
Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost (September 13th) We give thanks for the witness of God’s people at Christ Church, I.U., Worton, and for the faithful service of the lay leadership.
Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost (September 20th) We give thanks for the witness of God’s people at Old Trinity,
Church Creek, and St. John’s, Cornersville, and for their Rector, the
Rev. Dr. Dan Dunlap, and his spouse, Donna.
Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost (September 27th) We give thanks for the witness of God’s people at St. Alban’s,
Salisbury, and for their Wardens and Lay Leadership.
For additional weeks, please visit our website.
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Communication from the
Office of the Presiding Bishop
Presiding Bishop Michael Curry to preach on ‘Day 1’
Presiding bishop and primate of The Episcopal Church
The Most Rev. Michael B. Curry, presiding bishop and primate of The Episcopal Church, is the featured preacher September 13 on “Day 1” with host Peter Wallace, the nationally broadcast ecumenical radio program also accessible online at Day1.org and by podcast. He has preached on the program numerous times since 1990.
Curry was installed in 2015 to a 9-year term. Previously he served as Bishop of the Diocese of North Carolina for 15 years and earlier served churches in North Carolina, Ohio, and Baltimore. A graduate of Hobart College in New York, he received an M.Div. from Yale Divinity School with additional studies at Princeton Theological Seminary, Wake Forest University, the Ecumenical Institute at St. Mary’s Seminary, and other institutions.
His sermon “Not Just Me, But We” is based on John 13:12-15, 34-35, the story of Jesus’ washing of the disciples’ feet. He then gives them the commandment to love one another. “The command to love God, neighbor, and self is not new. It wasn’t new then, or now. Jesus made it the centerpiece of his message but it wasn’t new,” Curry says. “So, what’s new?” Read more here.
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New Way of Love resources support building an intentional small group ministry The Episcopal Church continues to offer new resources for congregations interested in following the Way of Love as a way of life by starting small group ministries. New resources include the Building an Intentional Small Group Ministry information packet, an infographic, video compilations, and social media graphics.
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As COVID-19 upends traditional worship models, Episcopal churches go beyond buildings As the COVID-19 pandemic drags on, it is clear that what many in The Episcopal Church thought at first would be a temporary disruption – a few Sundays away from church and then a joyous return to normalcy – is now the new normal. While some churches have resumed in-person worship, either outdoors or with limited capacity, most are primarily relying on online worship for the foreseeable future.
Despite the horrific toll it has taken, the pandemic has also offered an unprecedented opportunity. As churches reset and adapt, there are hints of what a successful new normal might look like.
“Let’s not just hunker down. Let’s innovate,” Atlanta Bishop Rob Wright told Episcopal News Service. “We see that people are really [focused] on getting Communion back and getting into the buildings again, but we feel like now’s the time to accelerate innovation. We feel like COVID, in all of its loss and grief and hardship, has also created an opportunity for us. And so what we’re worried about is not wasting this moment.” Read more here.
2020-2021 Conant Grants awarded $94,079 to fund theological education
Eleven grants for a total of $94,079 have been awarded through the Conant Grants from The Episcopal Church for the 2020-2021 academic year.
Conant Grant funds are provided for the improvement of seminary-based theological education. Specifically, the grants are directed for the support of research, writing and course development undertaken by faculty members at the recognized Episcopal seminaries in the United States. The funds are derived from a trust fund established by William S. and Mary M. Conant in 1953. Recipients have been notified that implementation of their grants must conform to any and all regulations related to COVID-19 that may exist at the time of implementation. Read more here.
Executive Council awards Episcopal Church Constable Fund Grants
$209,500 to fund mission initiatives
At its June 2020 meeting, the Executive Council of The Episcopal Church approved the recipients of the Constable Fund Grants, totaling $ $209,500 for nine projects.
Province III – Understanding Substance Abuse: Grounded in faith, this training helps individuals and faith communities to reflect critically on the current state of substance use and addiction, to prepare to minister as Recovery Allies and/or Rapid Response Teams, and to be Christ present for those struggling with substance use. Province III will be working with Bexley Seabury Seminary to develop the training and materials for the program. $7,500 Read more here.
This is NOT Sunday School launches in September
Even if we can’t physically worship and learn together, we can still draw closer to Jesus Christ. That’s the aim of a new learning experience called “This is NOT Sunday School.” This free, weekly online resource is intergenerational, making it a perfect tool for families and people of all ages. “Being away from church doesn’t mean we can’t continue learning about God at home,” said Melissa Rau ECF’s Staff Liaison to Forma and co-organizer of This is NOT Sunday School, “This is a dynamic opportunity for families to grow together in faith, especially around this terrific, weekly offering.” This is NOT Sunday School is coming from the Faith@Home team, which is a collaboration between Forma and Forward Movement to offer free Christian learning resources. Read more here.
Episcopal Youth Event canceled/EYEx planning underway
The Episcopal Church Department of Faith Formation, in collaboration with the 2020 Episcopal Youth Event (EYE20) planning team and Episcopal Church leadership, announced today that the Episcopal Youth Event (EYE) will not be convened this triennium due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“I recognize and share the deep disappointment this holds,” said Bronwyn Clark Skov, staff officer for Youth Ministries. “During the next year, our office will focus on discerning and implementing creative and meaningful support for youth ministry and leadership formation. Undoubtedly, new models for ministry are emerging and God is calling upon us to unite and respond.” Read more here.
Celebrate the Season of Creation, Thru October 4, 2020
Episcopalians are invited to join churches around the world in celebrating the Season of Creation; a time for people of faith to renew their relationship with God and all creation through celebration, prayer, and action. The Season’s roots rise from the Orthodox Christian tradition; the World Council of Churches was instrumental in making the special time a season, extending the celebration from September 1 until St. Francis Day, October 4. The Episcopal Church Office of Creation Care offers Season of Creation and St. Francis Day Resources to help plan.
“The Season of Creation invites us to think deeply about our ecological, economic, and political ways of living, and to work towards justice and right relationship with God’s Creation,” says the Rev. Melanie Mullen, director of Reconciliation, Justice, and Creation Care, “We are thrilled to participate in this global effort.” Read more here.
Reopening in a New Reality: Leading a Hybrid Congregation
9/16/20 1:00pm-2:00pm
Webinar Summary: Explore ways to restart in-person worship and other ministries, without abandoning the gains (and the people) of our online presences. Read more here.
United Thank Offering 2021 Annual Grants, Two grant cycles offered
Application deadlines: February 26, 2021
The United Thank Offering (UTO) Board is pleased to announce the availability of their 2021 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 2021, the focus is Recovering with Love and Gratitude: An Episcopal Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Local Contexts.
The United Thank Offering will accept applications in two categories, Sustaining Ministries and Innovative Ministries, at two different funding levels through two granting cycles. The criteria for each category are different. Applicants must demonstrate concisely how the project directly supports the recovery effort. Read more here.
Introducing For People, a conversation about finding and holding on to faith in the midst of the challenges of an ever-changing world.
Join Bishop Rob Wright – spiritual leader to the more than 50,000 people in the 117 worshipping communities of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta – each week at the crossroads of faith and life as he draws inspiration from the life of Jesus to answer 21st-century questions. For People is Faith for Real Life. New episodes released each Friday. Listen Now
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