The Transition Committee has begun its work to welcome a new Bishop Diocesan. Chaired by Carlo Uchello of St. Luke’s Alexandria, the Committee has formed a number of subcommittees to arrange different aspects of the transition.
Next Steps
The Search Committee plans to release the slate of candidates in late March 2022. Following the petition period, the Transition Committee will hold Meet and Greet sessions with the candidates throughout the Diocese in mid to late May 2022.
The Electing Convention will be held on June 4, 2022, and the consecration and ordination of our new bishop diocesan, with Presiding Bishop Michael Curry presiding, will be held at 11:00 a.m. on December 3, 2022.
The Transition Committee’s early planning work is taking into account the possibility that COVID restrictions may still be in place for many of the scheduled milestones in the transition process and that alternatives to in-person meetings might be necessary. Additional details will be provided as the Committee’s work proceeds.
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A Garden of Hope
St. Andrew’s Garden of Hope in Arlington has been awarded the 2021 Golden Radish Award by the Friends of Urban Agriculture. The annual award celebrates those who work to support urban agriculture and social-safety-net efforts in the community. The Garden of Hope was established 13 years ago by St. Andrew’s parishioner Priscilla Carey, who also started the USDA’s Plot Against Hunger garden on the Washington Mall.
Every year, Garden of Hope volunteers cultivate and donate 1,000 to 2,500 pounds of produce. The garden expanded a few years ago to include an orchard of fruit trees. In 2021, the garden, orchard, and volunteers grew more 3,694 pounds of fruits and vegetables, all for area food pantries. Read more.
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Shrine Mont Camps 2022 Registration Underway |
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Shrine Mont Camp 2022 dates are here! From art to sports to exploring the great outdoors, this year's camps will include both new activities as well as beloved camp programs and traditions. And with two sessions of Family Camp, there's something for everyone. Tell your church this is a summer they won’t want to miss. For more information, visit www.shrinemontcamps.net for dates, rates and programs.
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Registration Now Open
The Diocese of Virginia, in collaboration with Virginia Theological Seminary, will be hosting new Sacred Ground Circles in late February. Sacred Ground is a sensitive, prayerful resource that creates space for difficult but respectful and transformative dialogue on race and racism, holding at its center a vision of Beloved Community -- where all of God’s children are honored, protected, nurtured and flourish. The registration link for our upcoming Sacred Ground Circles can be found here. If you are interested in learning more the program, contact the Rev. Dr. J. Lee Hill, Jr., diocesan Missioner for Racial Justice and Healing.
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Lenten Storytelling
Weeks of March 6 through April 3
Lent is less a season to observe and more a walk to walk. Bishop Porter Taylor's next online series is intended to help us discover how we can consciously walk the way of Lent. Each week participants will focus on one of the readings from the Lenten lectionary for the upcoming Sunday. This is not a Bible study; this is a community sharing how they have walked and are walking the Lenten pilgrimage by engaging weekly themes embedded in scripture and in selected poems for Lent and Easter. There will be one track for lay and one for clergy. Times for sessions will be announced soon. If you wish to join the class, email Anita Lisk and indicate whether you are lay or clergy . Read the full class description
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Letters of Inquiry due February 11
Guidelines for Bishop’s Appeal Grants and PJL Small Church Revitalization Grants are now available. Letters of Inquiry for both grants are due February 11. Bishop’s Appeal Grants award up to $2,000 and PJL Small Church Revitalization grants award up to $5,000. This year, priority will be given to proposals that focus on relieving immediate needs brought on or exacerbated by the pandemic. Questions? Contact Stephanie Gurnsey Higgins.
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Diocesan Planned Giving Resources |
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It’s a new year, and time for a fresh look at your future. If you have questions about legacy giving and how you can make a difference for your congregation and your family, the Diocese has resources to assist you. Check out our branded website, that has information on specific gift vehicles, and our free e-newsletter. If you have any questions, please contact Stephanie Gurnsey Higgins.
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Aisha Huertas, diocesan Minister for Missional Engagement, has resigned from her position to become Director of Diversity and Justice Initiatives for The Climate Reality Project, the environmental advocacy organization founded by former Vice President Al Gore, focusing on climate change education and climate solutions. Aisha completes her work in the Diocese on January 14. During Aisha’s six-year tenure on diocesan staff, she oversaw advocacy efforts for racial, environmental, and economic justice reforms; domestic and international missions; and supported churches in their ministries related to outreach, multicultural ministry, creation care and racial justice and healing.
“I am grateful for Aisha's passion and for the unique perspectives she brought to our staff,” said Bishop Goff. “I wish her every blessing in her new ministry and look forward to the ways our paths will cross in the years to come.”
All inquiries related to racial justice and healing initiatives should be directed to the Rev. Dr. J. Lee Hill, Jr.. We will soon share staff contacts for Aisha’s other ministry areas.
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Monday, January 17 is Martin Luther King Day. St. James's, Richmond will host a live reading of the "Letter from Birmingham Jail" at 10:00 a.m. on the steps of the church. Seven readers will give voice to the letter, including parishioners from St. John's and St. Philip's, Richmond; the Rev. Dr. J. Lee Hill, Jr., diocesan Missioner for Racial Justice; and Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney. One of the most important texts of the American Civil Rights Movement, the Letter was written by Dr. King in 1963 after he was arrested for protesting the treatment of African-Americans in Birmingham. In the event of inclement weather, the reading will take place inside St. James's Church where attendees must be masked and distanced. See event details.
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Historic Marker to be Dedicated to Archdeacon Neve |
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A roadside historic marker to commemorate the work of Archdeacon Frederick W. Neve will be dedicated on Sunday, January 23 near St. Paul’s Church, Ivy. From 1890 to 1940, Neve established over 30 missions, schools, and clinics in the Blue Ridge Mountains, rural Ivy, Batesville, and Crozet. The public is invited to the 11:30 a.m. ceremony. All are invited to attend St. Paul's 10:30 service prior to the event. Lucia & Charles Bakewell, Larry Lamb, and David Wayland headed the project to honor Archbishop Neve.
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The
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