Together, we are the body of Christ ~ transforming people from members into disciples, moving more deeply into God's call to life and ministry, and extending our mission beyond the status quo.
Discipleship | Discernment | Development
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Coming up:
Bishop Russell's Advent message video will be delivered to your inbox on Saturday, November 30.
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Sunday, December 1, is the first day of Advent, and time to prepare for the coming of Christ. If you are looking for ways to enrich your spiritual life during the Advent season, here are some resources:
- Journeying the Way of Love offers four sessions to be explored by moving through the first two chapters of the Gospel of Luke.
- Episcopal Relief & Development Advent Toolkit: provides tools and inspiration to help you plan, construct and host an Advent campaign to support Episcopal Relief & Development through Gifts for Life.
- AdventWord: for the digital savvy; people post their reflections on their respective social media pages, tagging AdventWord on the platform. From there, AdventWord shares and reposts on each site – amplifying the prayers during this holy season.
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Listening to the Truth: Reflections from a Pilgrim to Equal Justice Initiative's Legacy Museum and Memorial for Peace & Justice
by Sonja Crawford
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“What will God do with us when we have listened to the truth?”
What a profound query woven through scripture. "Pilgrimage", a sacred journey taken with an intent to encounter God, is an opportunity to wrestle with such questions.
An outgrowth of EJI’s years of legal work representing the poor, marginalized, and wrongly condemned, is a museum and memorial that have gained international acclaim. These spaces are designed to factually educate and as sacred areas to encounter truth. As I prepared for pilgrimage to the EJI sites the theme of truth kept resurfacing. Jesus tells us that He is the Truth, that knowing the truth brings freedom, and that the Spirit will guide us into all truth. In Genesis, we learn our brokenness, and need for reconciliation, resulted from believing a lie. Truth is clearly connected to life-giving; lies, to bondage and death.
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THE POINT: A New Episcopal Young Adult & College Ministry
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With the support of the Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast, Holy Cross in Pensacola has worked to establish a new Young Adult and College Ministry out of the University of West Florida campus for all young adults (age 18-30). The group, known as The Point, meets each Tuesday evening at 7 p.m. for dinner, fellowship and meaningful conversation. They also gather for weekend service projects and fun. They have played baseball with the Miracle League, picked up trash from our beaches, and held a cookout at the beach. If you are or know a young adult who would be interested in exploring and expanding his or her faith, please contact Katie Diamond at 850-384-6780!
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St. James takes a Holy Hike
by Brad Moore
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With temperatures in the 60’s and a clear azure sky this past Saturday was a perfect autumn morning for the first St. James Episcopal Church Holy Hike. A Holy Hike is a practice of worshiping God in the beauty of the outdoors immersing ourselves in what John Muir called God's "first temples”. Seventeen church members met at the Wehle Forever Wild day hike trailhead near Comer. Hiking through forest and meadows the group was lead by Reverend John Coleman, who stopped during the hike to read scripture and praise God for beauty of creation. On several stops Brad Moore talked to the group about nature topics such as long leaf pine forests, gopher turtles, raptors and other local birds. After a mile and a half of hiking the group went back to the Wehle center and celebrated Eucharist followed by a picnic lunch. The hikers were grateful for an amazing day; for the beams of sunlight that shone through the forest canopy like stained glass; for the gentle breezes that caressed the meadow; for all the creatures that our Lord has created to fill our earthly cathedral.
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The Good Book Club for Epiphany 2020
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Once again, we are happy to announce our participation in the Good Book Club during Epiphany 2020, January 6 through February 25. Bishop Russell will be doing short video reflections for each week’s readings on the Book of John. In the past, videos have been used by congregations to supplement their adult Bible study classes, groups have used them for their own book clubs, and individuals have used them as a spiritual practice throughout the season of Epiphany. Videos will be posted and shared each Thursday prior to the week’s reading. We invite you to participate along with us.
If you would like information on how to use the videos for group study, contact our diocesan coordinator for the Good Book Club, Sally Crenshaw at
crenshs@cox.net; she will be happy to help.
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Beckwith Summer Camp dates and rates released
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Summer camp is one of those experiences that no child should ever miss. Dates for 2020 and new tiered pricing are now available. Registration opens on December 2.
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Rooted in Jesus Conference January 21-24, 2020
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Please join Bishop Russell and many others from our diocese in Atlanta, Georgia on January 21-24 for the Rooted in Jesus Conference, a collaborative effort of Episcopal Church Foundation, Missional Voices, Forma, Episcopal Evangelism Society, Forma, Forward Movement, Episcopal Preaching Foundation, Diocese of Atlanta, Evangelism Matters, and of course, The Episcopal Church.
Tracks reflecting the various aspects of discipleship will be offered: formation, mission, stewardship, evangelism, preaching, leadership, and communications, or you can chart your own course from our long list of workshops, panels, and plenaries.
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DIOCESAN EVENTS, OPPORTUNITIES & RESOURCES
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WORKSHOP | Becoming Beloved Community: Sacred Conversations
Sponsored by the Commission on Racial Justice & Reconciliation
Saturday, December 7 | 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Trinity Episcopal Church, Mobile
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Join us for an interactive workshop which will provide insights into the causes and effects of racism. We explore unconscious bias, prejudice, white privilege, and ways to work together to Become The Beloved Community. This offering is required for those in parish leadership (such as vestries) and at the diocesan level (including serving on commissions, committees, agencies, boards, etc.). It also qualifies for 8 hours of clergy training/education for those who complete the day course.
The event is limited to not more than thirty (30) participants. There is no fee to participate but it requires the commitment to be engaged the full day.
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YOUTH - EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES
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Happening #56 will be held February 14-16, 2020 at St. Paul's, Daphne. Staff training will be January 17-19. Cost is $60. Scholarships are available.
Happening is a spiritual retreat weekend for teenagers in grades 10, 11, 12, led by teenagers under the direction of adult clergy and lay leaders. It is a highly memorable, special experience with the purpose of bringing young people into a fuller relationship with Jesus Christ and to a deeper level of commitment and apostleship.
Youth who have attended Happening before are invited to apply as Youth Staff. Adults are welcomed to volunteer as well and are asked to contact Happening coordinator, Addie Boyd-Quina at
addiequina@yahoo.com.
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Episcopal Youth Event will be July 7-11, 2020 at University of Maryland
(updated location)
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The
Episcopal Youth Event is a triennial event offered to youth throughout the Episcopal Church. Over 1000 individuals (high school students, adult mentors, and bishops from around the church) gather and live on a college campus for the entirety of EYE20. The week is spent in worship, large group presentations, youth-led small group sessions, workshops on a variety of topics, and time to hang out and meet people from around the world.
Details are in the packet linked below.
Deadline to apply is December 15.
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CHURCH & COMMUNITY EVENTS
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Click the links for event details. To submit an event for publication consideration,
COMPLETE THIS FORM.
November 30
December 6
December 7
December 8
December 13
December 14
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December 1
Visitation at Good Shepherd, Mobile
December 4-6
Provincee IV Bishops & Spouses Gathering
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December 8
Visitation at St. John's, Mobile
December 10-13
Coach Training
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Please join your prayers with others in our common witness as the Episcopal Church in the Central Gulf Coast
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December 1
St. Andrew's by the Sea, Destin
December 8
All Diocesan Commissions, Committees, and Coordinators
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December 1
Bay County Jail, Panama City
December 8
Calhoun County Jail, Blountstown
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A newsletter for youth ministry leaders
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A newsletter for church
leadership
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How to submit items for publication in the
Coastline
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Due dates for submission are the 1st and 3rd Fridays of each month. The
Coastline will be published on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month.
There will only be one issue of
Coastline
in December. It will publish on December 11. Article submissions are due by December 6.
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