25 - Proclaiming the Dream, a virtual gathering, 11:30 a.m.

26 - A Concert for the Human Family, 5:30 p.m.

29 - Deadline for proposed resolutions

1 - Webinar: Shelby Giving, 12 p.m.

9 - Diocesan Council, 9 a.m.

12 - Webinar: The Road Ahead: Getting the Most from Your Health Benefits, 12 p.m.

14-16 - Fall CoM gathering

19 - Fall Clergy Day, 10 a.m.

29 - Nominations submission deadline; Annual Commission reports due

We will gather on Zoom for time together – including music, a keynote by Stephanie, and space for story sharing and dreaming together. Stephanie will share from her new book, The Church Cracked Open, and explore with us how we can embody beloved community and find new hope even in the midst of change and disruption.

Please visit our convocation page for links and updates on these opportunities as they become available.

For another opportunity to hear and be in dialogue with Canon Spellers, be sure to attend the Concert for the Human Family at Christ Church Cathedral on Sunday, Sept. 26!

Watch a behind the scenes video with the creators of the Concert for the Human Family!

From Canon Spellers: "We're more excited than ever to gather with our diocesan family and neighbors at 5:30 p.m. Sunday at Christ Church Cathedral for the Concert for the Human Family. A partnership between the Cathedral, the Diocese and the Episcopal Church, the concert is an inspiring collaborative between award-winning musicians and church leaders who believe in the power of music and storytelling for the sake of Beloved Community. 

We've got a discount code for folks who were planning to attend the convocation and now want tickets to Sunday's Concert for the Human Family. Enter the code FAMILY and you'll get the group discount price, no matter how many tickets you're purchasing."

Sept. 29: Requested date for nominations for diocesan office; Deadline for resolutions to be considered by convention

Oct. 29: Deadline for nominations for diocesan office; Deadline for Annual Commission Reports

Nov. 3: Pre-convention meeting via Zoom, 6:30 p.m.

Nov. 13: 147th Convention via Zoom, 9 a.m.

Proposing resolutions is a key way for the people of the diocese to discuss and reflect upon issues in the church and beyond.

All proposed resolutions must be submitted by Sept. 29 (45 days prior to convention, and just 8 days from today). The Resolutions Committee will meet that following week to review the resolutions. Those submitting resolutions are expected to attend (or have a representative present) the pre-convention meeting on November 3 at 6:30 p.m. (Zoom meeting)

You can find the form to propose a resolution for consideration at convention here.

Contact resolutions chair Jim Heathcote at 937.446.2108 or jimheathcote1@gmail.com with questions.

Get involved and make a difference in the life and decisions in our diocese: Prayerfully consider standing for election to a diocesan leadership position at our next convention.

In this video, Diocesan Council 1st Vice President David Thomson talks about running for diocesan office and the importance of broad representation on our governing bodies.

If you have any further questions about any of the positions or the nomination process, please contact Nominating Committee chair Jon Boss at jbboss@fuse.net.

Find all convention information and forms at our convention website, dsoconvention.org, or find the convention link at the top of the diocesan website.

12 to 1 p.m.

Register in advance for this webinar here. 

As the outreach arm of the diocese, Episcopal Community Ministries uses the power of our collective community to help fund local outreach ministries who are in the best position to assess and respond to neighborhood needs.

Every donation to ECM contributes to the well-being of communities all over Southern Ohio, at every level of human need, from food and clothing to jobs and homes.

In addition to personal donations, ECM tries to get involved in other fundraising opportunities in the diocese to involve those who may not yet be familiar with our mission. This fall, we have two such opportunities:

All are invited to study Canon Stephanie Speller’s new book The Church Cracked Open. We will meet on Zoom from 6-7:30 p.m. every Thursday in October (7, 14, 21, 28)

Click here to purchase the book from a local Columbus bookstore

Click here to purchase the book from a local Cincinnati bookstore

Click here to purchase from Amazon

Sometimes it takes disruption and loss to break us open and call us home to God. It’s not surprising that a global pandemic and once-in-a-generation reckoning with white supremacy―on top of decades of systemic decline―have spurred Christians everywhere to ask who we are, why God placed us here and what difference that makes to the world.

In this critical yet loving book, the author explores the American story and the Episcopal story in order to find out how communities steeped in racism, establishment, and privilege can at last fall in love with Jesus, walk humbly with the most vulnerable and embody beloved community in our own broken but beautiful way.

The Church Cracked Open invites us to surrender privilege and redefine church, not just for the sake of others, but for our own salvation and liberation.

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 and 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.

The ten-part series is open to all, and especially designed to help white people talk with other white people. Participants are invited to peel away the layers that have contributed to the challenges and divides of the present day – all while grounded in our call to faith, hope and love. The first session begins Sept. 26.

More information and registration here

For questions, contact Rev. Michelle Dayton at revmichelledayton@gmail.com or Gayland Trim at gaylandtrim@hotmail.com.

Some resources for following this tornado of news can be found here. Please let both your federal and state senators and representatives hear from you!

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Music Live at Lunch, Christ Church Cathedral's weekly concert series, is celebrating its 50^th year! Music Live at Lunch will feature the performers listed below in September. These free concerts are presented on Tuesdays at 12:10 p.m. Patrons may bring their own lunch or purchase one at the cathedral. 

September 28: Lieto String Quartet – Classical music

October 5: Jacob Martin (oboe) – Classical & contemporary music

October 12: Clark & Jones Trio – Celtic music

October 19: Rebecca Culnan (violin) – Classical music

October 26: Transatlantis (formerly Frenchaxe) – French Café music

Canticles: Magnifcat and Nunc dimittis in B Minor – T. Tertius Noble

Anthem: The Lord is My Shepherd – Charles Villiers Stanford

FREE Retreat for young adults and college students October 8-9 at Procter Center. We invite you to join us for a restful break to discover the joyful presence of God when we play. More information and sign up here.

Province V of the Episcopal Church is a wonderful networking resource to connect with Episcopalians from the Midwest who share interest in a same ministry area. Province V News also has information about webinars and other events of interest.

[Episcopal News Service] Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, in his Sept. 21 sermon during the opening day of the fall House of Bishops meeting, recalled a recent conversation with a fellow bishop about planning for The Episcopal Church’s future. Such conversations typically look ahead to the coming years, Curry said, “but in pandemic time, we can barely think a month ahead of time.”