September 13, 2023 | Volume 13, No. 37

Church Post Christendom: Lay Ministers' Conference to explore the 'what next'

In December the next Lay Ministers' Conference will be held at Honey Creek. This year the topic, The Church Post Christendom, will give leaders the opportunity to explore what the Church looks like now and how it will need to evolve for the future. What does church mean in a world where Christianity is no longer the dominant cultural cornerstone? How do we, as lay leaders, continue to be the hands and feet of Christ is an ever changing world?

Participants will be able to engage in multiple discussions around their own ministry, where they've seen success, and the hopes and joys of being a lay minister. There will also be time to rest, relax, worship together, and enjoy simply being together at Honey Creek! 

The retreat will be led Dr. Scott Bader-Saye, the Academic Dean and Professor of Christian Ethics at the Seminary of the Southwest, and enjoys teaching the next generation of leaders for the church, both lay and ordained.

The event begins with Evening Prayer at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, December 1 and ends at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 2. Registration is available here. You may choose to register for a single or double occupancy lodge room. If you choose double occupancy, be sure to name your roommate in the registration.

Contact Joshua Varner, Canon for Program and Liturgy at jvarner@gaepiscopal.org  or Communications Manager Liz Williams at lwilliams@gaepiscopal.org with any questions about this conference.

Essential Pre-Meeting for Convention Delegates

We will hold an online meeting for all clergy and convention delegates that will begin the work of our annual meeting, with presentations not repeated as part of the convention. The Canons of the Diocese call for a Convocation Council meeting and in recent years these have met via Zoom. The purpose is to elect convocational representatives to Diocesan Council, but the Bishop and staff has used these meetings for smaller group discussion on matters coming before the convention.

In response to the work of a Task Group of Diocesan Council that worked on our diocesan convention, the Diocese will hold a single online meeting for everyone who will attend the convention, with break-out rooms for the convocations.

"I appointed a Task Group with experience in a number of other dioceses to reflect on our patterns and offer ways to improve our annual convention," Bishop Logue said. "We are making the change to a single pre-meeting this year, so the work happening before convention will pernit us to shorten the in-person meeting in future years. This should allow us to broaden the potential delegates to include those whose work schedule has not allowed them to participate."

When: October 5 from 5 pm-6 pm

Where: Zoom

Who: All Clergy and Convention Delegates

Participants will hear the presentation of the budget as well as other important convention information that will not be repeated in the convention itself. This change will allow us to shorten the convention in future years.

A Zoom link will be sent out as the meeting date gets closer.

Youth Presence at General Convention

Applications are now open for the General Convention Official Youth Presence 2024!

Episcopal teens ages 16-19 are invited to apply to become part of the 81st General Convention's Official Youth Presence, a group whose members have seat and voice in the House of Deputies and can testify at hearings before and during the summer 2024 convention. Up to two youth from each of the church’s nine provinces will be selected to participate in the Official Youth Presence from June 20-28, 2024, in Louisville, Kentucky. Youth who are selected must also attend orientation and training in Louisville from Feb. 16-19. The Episcopal Church budget covers travel, lodging, and meals for those attending orientation and General Convention.

The deadline to apply is November 17. For more information or questions, contact Liz Williams at lwilliams@gaepiscopal.org. To read the full article from The Episcopal Church, including how to apply, click here.

Convention 2023

Nominations

The following committee positions are open for nominations. To be included in the printed convention booklet, nominations must be submitted by October 10. Nominations are open until they are closed on the floor of convention and will continue to be updated in From the Field and online until November 8.

This year's Nominations Chair is Ms. Katie Grant from Church of the Good Shepherd in Augusta. Photo: Episcopal Day School in Augusta where the convention will meet this year.

Board of Officers of the Corporation – 1 lay person

Church Disciplinary Board – 2 lay persons & 1 clergy person

Diocesan Council – 1 lay person or clergy

Standing Committee – 1 lay person & 1 priest

Trustee of the University of the South – 1 clergy person

To view the full job descriptions, click here.

To make a nomination, click here.

Once nominated, nominees will need to fill out the nominee form that can be found here.

Biographical information and photo must be received by October 10 to guarantee inclusion in pre-conference printed materials.

Additional Information

For lodging information, click here.

To register, click here. *Please note that each delegate needs to be registered individually with separate email addresses and cell phone numbers.*

Across the Diocese

The Rev. Scott Mithen, Deacon instructs the acolytes at St. Thomas in Thomasville during an acoltye training session.

The Rev. Kimberly Dunn at Saint Paul's in Augusta was the guest for Meet Saint Paul's class with the younger students (left); The altar party at St. Augustine of Canterbury in Augusta.

Parishioners at Christ Church in Savannah enjoyed Neighborhood Parties as a fun way to meet fellow church goers in their area.

Bishop Logue with those baptized, confirmed, and received at Holy Nativity on St. Simons Island.

Christ Church in Valdosta held their annual Ministry Fair.

Members of St. Cyprian's in Darien enjoyed celebrating their Feast Day.

Andrew's first day on the job as an acolyte with the Rev. Glenn Palmer at Holy Comforter in Martinez.

Baby Mary Alice is the fifth generation of the Youngner family to be baptized at St. Mark's in Brunswick, wearing booties worn by her grandfather, mother, aunts and uncles for at least 75 years.

Upcoming Events

Daughters of the King

Fall Assembly

When: September 15-16

Where: Honey Creek

Participant Registration

St. Anna Alexander Pilgrimage

When: September 22-24, 2023

Where: Pennick, GA

To register, email racialjusticega@gaepiscopal.org.

Conflict Transformation Workshop for Clergy

When: September 25-29, 2023

Where: Honey Creek

To register, click here.

For more information contact

the Rev. Becky Rowell at browell221@gmail.com.

New Beginnings #60

When: October 20-22, 2023

Where: Honey Creek

Participant registration here

Happening #108

When: November 17-19, 2023

Where: Honey Creek



Candidate registration here



1Book1Diocese

For Advent, we will read and discuss Everything Happens for a Reason (and other lies I have loved) by Kate Bowler

Discussion Guide for Advent

In Lent 2024, we will read and discuss The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness by Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz.



Clergy Conference

Fall Clergy Conference: October 2-4

The Fall Conference will be a deep dive into the Gospel of Mark with the Very Rev. Cynthia Briggs Kittredge, a New Testament scholar who is Dean and President of the Seminary of the Southwest. This is to prepare us for preaching Year B of the lectionary, with its readings from Mark's Gospel. The conference will be held at Honey Creek.

To register, click here.

Diocesan Convention

When: November 9-11, 2023

Where: Augusta

To register, click here.

Lay Ministers' Conference

This conference is intended for any lay person in the Diocese who is in any active ministry in their congregation. Led by Dr. Scott Bader-Saye, the Academic Dean and Professor of Christian Ethics at the Seminary of the Southwest, this conference will focus on the ministry of the laity, including its joys and challenges especially over the past two years. It will frame our various calls in the context living them in a world in which "Christendom" is no longer the dominant culture (if it ever truly was!).

When: December 1-2, 2023

Where: Honey Creek

Click here to register.

If you would like to have your submission considered for From the Field, it needs to be sent to Communications Manager Liz Williams (lwilliams@gaepiscopal.org) by noon on Tuesday.

Our one-year prayer cycle combines prayers for every congregation in the Diocese of Georgia with prayers for our ecumenical partners and for our Companion Diocese of The Dominican Republic.    

The 2023 one year prayer cycle is online here: 2023 Prayer Cycle.   

September 17 - 23

In our diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for our congregations in Savannah, especially St. Paul the Apostle and St. Bartholomew’s Chapel. We also pray for our ecumenical partners in Savannah, especially the Catholic congregations of St. Frances Cabrini and Saints Peter and Paul as well as St. Paul’s Lutheran Church. In our companion diocese of the Dominican Republic, we pray for Christ the Savior (Cristo Salvador) in Santiago. 

September 24 - 30

In our diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for our congregation in Swainsboro, Good Shepherd. We also pray for our ecumenical partners in Swainsboro, especially Holy Trinity Catholic Church. In our companion diocese of the Dominican Republic, we pray for Emmanuel (Emmanuel) in Santiago. 

31-Day Prayer Cycles - Revised February 28, 2023

We also offer 30-day prayer cycles for those who wish to pray daily for the clergy and clergy spouses: Diocesan Prayer Cycle and Clergy Spouses Prayer Cycle. (Updated 2/28/2023)

Bishop Logue will be at Washington National Cathedral on Saturday to serve as a co-consecrator for a friend, the Rev. Carrie Schofield-Broadbent, who will become the Bishop of the Diocese of Maryland. On Sunday, he will make his visitation to King of Peace in Kingsland in the morning and St. Thomas Aquinas in Baxley in the afternoon.



Photo: Bishop Logue with the Rev. Wiletta McGowen, Deacon, and the Revs. Kit Brinson and Joe Bowden at the closing Eucharist of Cursillo #127 at Honey Creek.

To view Bishop Logue's full visitation calendar, click here. (Updated for 2024 - 6/20/2023)

Canon Lasch is attending the Province IV Canons/Transitions Ministers' Meeting in Mobile, Alabama, which concludes today.

Canon Easterlin is on vacation until September 13.

Canon Varner is on sabbatical.

The best way to reach a staff member is via email as we will always get back with you promptly in many cases and in 24-72 hours when working on more pressing matters. Staff e-mails can be found here with a list of responsibilities so you know who to contact for what.

You may also reach diocesan staff by phone at (912) 236-4279.

The staff of New Beginnings #60 held their staff lock in at Our Savior in Martinez, led by Lead Teen Garrett Grant.