A MESSAGE FROM THE BISHOP
A Christmas Message from the Bishop
In this season of new light, I give thanks for each of you and for all that you do to illuminate the love of God, incarnated in the birth of Jesus. In him, you, too, are the light of the world, and the darkness can and will never overcome you.
DIOCESAN
Upcoming Ordinations
The Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr., Bishop of Ohio, will ordain Christopher M. Decatur and Noah M. Sutterisch to the Sacred Order of Priesthood in Christ’s One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church on Wednesday, January 6 at 7:00 p.m. The ordinations will be livestreamed on Zoom and the diocesan Facebook page.
Diocesan-Wide Christmas Services
The Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services will be posted on the Diocesan homepage and Vimeo page as soon as they are available. The recorded services will also be posted on Trinity Cathedral’s websiteat 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., respectively. Direct links for each service will be emailed as soon as the recordings are available to download.
Feeding Your Soul for the Journey
Feeding Your Soul for the Journey: Care for Self, Care for Community; Care for the World is a series of gatherings for laity. Participants may come to one, two, or all three gatherings. Care for Self will be offered on Sunday, January 17; Care for Community will be offered on Sunday, February 21; and Care for the World will be offered on Sunday, March 14. Each gathering will be from 2:00 - 3:30 p.m. via zoom. There is no cost, but please register by emailing Betty Kondrich at bkondrich@dohio.org. The registration deadline for the first gathering will be Thursday, January 14. The zoom link will be sent the Friday before each gathering. Feel free to contact Betty if you have questions or need more information.
Anti-Racism Trainings
Anti-Racism training is required for all individuals in elected and appointed Diocesan positions, and it is also open to all members of the Diocese. 

The Commission for Racial Justice will offer this two-day training on the following dates:
  • February 26 and 27- Zoom video conference (Friday and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. both days)
  • April 24 and 25 - Zoom video conference (Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. both days)

The cost of the training materials is covered by the Diocese of Ohio. You must commit to attending the full sessions and to doing the off-line work. Registration is required. For additional information please email the Rev. Margaret D’Anieri at mdanieri@dohio.org.
New Parochial Report Form
New materials for preparing the 2020 parochial report are now available. The first item is a video that walks through all of the submenus of the online site for filing the parochial report. If you have not used the website before, or would like a refresher of the website, you will want to look at this 25-minute video. It highlights what areas of the site are new, updated, or unchanged.  It reviews resetting your password and when to call your Diocesan office for assistance. The instructions for the 2020 parochial report have been released by The General Convention office of The Episcopal Church. To file your parochial report please visit: https://reports.dfms.org.
Imputed Income Letters
Almost all clergy have $150,000 of group-life insurance that is provided through the Church Pension Fund. The cost of coverage in excess of $50,000 is a taxable benefit. Letters detailing the tax reporting of these amounts were sent on Monday, December 7.
Form 1099-NEC
The IRS has developed a new form to be used to report payments to nonemployee contractors, such as lawn care providers, snow removal services, repairmen, supply clergy who do not receive a Form W-2, and other individuals or unincorporated business who receive payments of at least $600 in 2020. The form is due to the recipient and the IRS on February 1, 2021.  These payments were previously reported on Box 7 of Form 1099-MISC. The penalty for not filing a required form has been increased by $280 each.
PPP Loan Forgiveness
The AICPA has developed two tools to help with the application for PPP Loan forgiveness. The first is an Excel spreadsheet that walks through all the calculations required to prepare the application request. The second tool will actually determine which of the forgiveness forms is needed and prepare a signature ready application form based on the data entered.  
Los Amigos Episcopales Fundraiser
Due to COVID-19, Los Amigos Episcopales (LAE) will not be able to have its traditional Soup Supper fundraising event this fall. In lieu of this, LAE is conducting a fundraising appeal until the end of the 2020. Our main mission is to support the vocational, educational, social, and Humanitarian programs of the Anglican-Episcopal Diocese of El Salvador. LAE provides the sole support for one of four Montessori Schools run by the Diocese - La Davina Providencia. LAE also supports the Diocese's new Seminary with four seminarians to be ordained in early 2021. During the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic complicated by other natural disasters, we are proving funding to help the Diocese of El Salvador provide food security to parishioners. For more information about how you can donate to LAE, go to www.losamigosepiscopales.org.
Young Adult Grants
The Young Adult Ministry Grant, funded by the United Thank Offering (UTO) and distributed by the Diocesan Young Adult Task Force, is a new grant to encourage parishes, mission areas, etc. to experiment and take bold action to attract and engage young adults (19-30). Applications will be reviewed monthly, and funds must be used by May 2021. Members of the task force are available to brainstorm with you, and have included some ideas in the grant application.
Learn, Pray, Act
Resources from the Episcopal Church for addressing racist violence are available. This is a growing list of litanies, learning opportunities, and suggested actions and connections from across The Episcopal Church and beyond. There are links to some specialized resources on the Diocesan website. As you are thinking about how to respond in your parish and community, please be in touch with the Rev. Margaret D'Anieri, Canon for Mission, at mdanieiri@dohio.org.
PARISH
Donations for Your Neighbors Cloak at St. Luke's
St. Luke’s, Cleveland is seeking various items of clothing to help with Your Neighbors Cloak. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they can currently only accept certain items which are listed here on this flyer. Please contact the Rev. Barbara Maxwell at deacon.stluke.cleveland@gmail.com for more information. All drop-offs must be with a St. Luke’s staff member. Your Neighbors Cloak currently distributes clothing every Wednesday from 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. Volunteers are welcome to help distribute or sort clothing beginning at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesdays. All volunteers must wear a mask and gloves (these can be provided if needed).
Personal Prayer Time at Trinity Cathedral
Personal Prayer Time at Trinity Cathedral has been cancelled for the near future. An announcement will be made when it resumes.
St. Luke's Mobile Food Pantry
St. Luke’s, Cleveland is looking for volunteers to work their Mobile Pantry on Mondays. Please sign up online if you are interested in volunteering. 
Boar's Head and Yule Log Festival at Trinity Cathedral
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the 2020 Boar’s Head and Yule Log Festival will be celebrated virtually on Sunday, December 27 at 2:00 p.m. The celebration will be posted on their YouTube channel. The best of past Boar’s Head & Yule Log Festivals will be presented with video clips, photos, Festival history from the archives, special extras, and behind-the-scenes fun. The video will remain on YouTube for several days afterwards. A preview of the Festival is available now. More information can be found on the Boar’s Head and Yule Log Festival Facebook page . 
Job Openings
Director of Youth Ministries - St. Paul's, Cleveland Heights
View all job openings.
IN THE NEWS