Diocesan Convention is less than a month away! We are thankful to St. Anne's Episcopal Church in Warsaw for hosting us this year. All Diocesan Convention related information may be found at ednin.org/conv. Here are a few highlights.

Pre-Convention Deanery Meetings

Deaneries are to elect one lay person to Diocesan Council. Central deanery to elect dean this year.

• Eastern Deanery - held meeting on Sunday, September 29
• Central Deanery - Sunday, October 6, 4 p.m. (Eastern); Contact Mtr. Jen Fulton or Canon Michelle for Zoom details.
• Western Deanery - Wednesday, October 9, 7 p.m. (Central); Contact Fr. Rob Rhodes or Canon Michelle for Zoom details.

Friday Evening (10/25)

Join us for a lively evening of drinks, appetizers, evening prayer, and workshops as we gather for fellowship before conducting the business of the diocese. We have some lovely workshops lined up. All are welcome, including guests. There is no fee. 

• Welcome reception 5 pm EDT | Holden Evening Prayer 6:15 pm EDT | Workshops 7 & 8 pm EDT
• Sign-up for worship & workshops by 10/18. 
• Join the choir in leading Friday evening worship and singing an anthem for Saturday. Practice begins at 3 pm on Friday.

Saturday (10/26)

We are pleased to welcome the Rt. Rev. Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows, who will join us and Bishop Doug for our Holy Eucharist on Saturday morning. Bishop Doug will deliver his Diocesan Convention address during the sermon. The business meeting begins after worship.

• Registration from 9 am EDT | Holy Eucharist 10 am EDT | Business Meeting 11:30 am EDT
• Nomination Biographies for 2025 Diocesan Leadership (Thank you to the current nominees for their willingness to serve! Nominations may also be made from the floor with permission of the person being nominated)
• No resolutions were pre-filed. The report from the Wawasee Resolution (2023) will be presented.
• Guests, Retired clergy, and Non-parochial clergy may now sign-up to attend.
• Exhibitor sign-ups are also open.
• Please email Canon Michelle to request a vegetarian lunch for Saturday.
• All Committee and Ministry Reports, along with the Treasurer's Report, have been posted to the website.
• As an act of creation conservation, will you consider bringing your own coffee and/or water container? Coffee and water will be provided (of course!).

We hope to see you all there, for Friday, Saturday, or both. 

Contact Missioner Michelle with any questions or suggestions. We can't wait to see you in Warsaw on 10/25 & 10/26!

The planning committee for the investiture of Presiding Bishop-elect Sean Rowe has released a batch of resources to aid Episcopalians in hosting local watch parties during the churchwide virtual event at 11 a.m. ET on Nov. 2.

The service will be livestreamed on the event webpage as well as The Episcopal Church’s Facebook page.

As previously announced, this simpler, scaled-down service to welcome our 28th presiding bishop is ordered around a smaller carbon footprint and increased churchwide virtual engagement. A prelude showcasing the rich mosaic of The Episcopal Church will kick off at 9:30 a.m. ET with a video “roll call” of dioceses.

For those planning local watch parties, customizable invitations and promotional graphics are now available for download. A media kit with photos, biography, and statements by Bishop Rowe is also available—as are FAQs. Children’s activities will be added to the webpage in the coming weeks.

The space-limited, in-person component of the service will take place at the Chapel of Christ the Lord in The Episcopal Church Center in New York City—with diverse representation from around the church.

“The Holy Spirit continues to move and groove throughout The Episcopal Church, inviting us to respond anew to God’s call to be agents of transformation and reconciliation,” said the Rt. Rev. Deon Johnson, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Missouri and chair of the investiture planning committee. “As we prepare to gather virtually in a few weeks to witness Bishop Rowe’s investiture in a service unlike any we have seen in the past, we remain grounded together in our church’s rich traditions to joyfully proclaim God’s love in Christ to the world.”

Those with questions may email info@episcopalchurch.org.

Submission provided by The Episcopal Church Office of Public Affairs.

Video from The Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana submitted to be played as part of the Roll Call of The Episcopal Church prior to the investiture of Presiding Bishop-elect Sean Rowe.

The Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations has put together several resources and ideas for how we can help everyone eligible vote faithfully. Getting souls to the polls isn’t just about casting our own vote but helping everyone eligible vote faithfully. We can empower every voice in our congregations in this work. There are A LOT of resources, ideas, and ways to act captured on this page. Doing election engagement well does not mean taking on everything there is to do and being overwhelmed. Effective election engagement begins with looking at what your community’s needs are, what resources, skills, and interests you and your church have, and then proceeding based on how that capacity can help meet those needs.

For some, this may be offering your parish as a polling site, for others it may mean election worker recruitment. For many it’s persistent messaging in newsletters and bulletin boards, for others it’s organizing child care on voting days. Whatever your path, we hope you are inspired to do more as a faithful Episcopalian modeling healthy and constructive civic engagement. All election engagement work must be non-partisan, and please heed local laws, election details, and Episcopal safe church practices as you promote voting.

• 2024 Vote Faithfully Engagement Toolkit - This guide is like a “where to start” guide. The revised Vote Faithfully Toolkit provides instructions and resources for effective “get out the vote” strategies in your context. Resources for worship are also included.
• Communications Toolkit & Bulltein Inserts for Election Engagement - This communications toolkit, in English and Spanish, features six Sundays of bulletin inserts and ready-to-go graphics for social media and newsletters to make it easier for you to plug election engagement into your church’s communications. Use these graphics, bulletin inserts, and other printable and electronic material to help your church be of service in your community for the 2024 election. Sharing accurate information is critical. The goal is to lift up voting as a responsibility and opportunity to engage in a constructive way in our communities, as a means of living our faith as Episcopalians. Each bulletin insert focuses on a different aspect of voting. Included in the toolkit is a “how-to” document to help make posting that much easier.  
• October 6th National Voter Education Week 
• October 13th Why Does Voting Matter? 
• October 20th Misinformation in Campaigns 
• October 27th Vote Early Day 
• November 3rd Vote Faithfully Sunday
• Civil Discourse Training - Equip yourself for more constructive political conversations using Make Me an Instrument of Peace: A Guide to Civil Discourse, the From Many, One campaign, and more. Help bridge partisan divides, learn from others, and enlarge the sacred space for debate. 
• Misinformation, Disinformation, Fake News: Why Do We Care? - As Christians, we are not called to a life of half-truths and deception. We are called to follow a God who is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). The Prayer Book also teaches that among our duties to our neighbors is “to be honest and fair in our dealings” and to “speak truth, and not mislead others by our silence.” (pg. 848) Let us therefore examine our own conduct to limit the spread of deceitful information and call upon our leaders to work towards the same. Learn more and equip yourself to recognize and overcome misinformation in this critical resource.

Gathering in person one Saturday a month at the Wawasee Retreat Center in Syracuse, the EDNIN School for Faith and Ministry will offer both academic courses and practical training. The materials have been created by the Iona Collaborative at Seminary of the Southwest and will be led by local facilitators. Whether you are a lay person pursuing spiritual and intellectual enrichment, someone engaged in the process for ordination, or an ordained person seeking to continue your education, you are welcome to become a part of ESFM! Register by October 10 in order to receive log in credentials in time to prepare for class. Late registrations will be accepted, but may not leave enough time for adequate preparation.

As you start the new programattic year, please verify all required volunteers are up-to-date in their Safe Church certification. The diocese is hosting three-hour training sessions this fall for those needing to be certified. Please click the link below to pre-register. Contact Missioner Cindy Spice at safeguarding@ednin.org with any questions.

October 12 at 2 p.m. (Eastern) 

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIkdOCsqTMpEtWPhTl0HsTSMtGCSZE_zxBZ

In the Footsteps of St. Francis & St. Clare: A Pilgrimage to Assisi

April 29 – May 9, 2025

“Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon. Where there is doubt, faith.”

-The Peace Prayer of St. Francis

If you’re still considering, we still have room. Join us for an interactive, informational session with the trip leaders.

Free Info Session on Zoom:

Oct. 21st, 7pm ET

Register here for info session.

Information continues to be available on: 

• Our EDNIN Diocesan Assisi page, with links for more information and Bishop Doug's reflections
• The Shalem Assisi page, with cost details and a "Contact Michelle" button to request the registration link from Shalem.

In early August 2024, historic St. Augustine’s in Gary celebrated with 100 direct descendants of a founding member of the parish. Mrs. Anna Foster Washington, an educator, is recognized as the foundress of St. Augustine’s. In the 1920s, Mrs. Washington and other African American Episcopalians found themselves restricted to afternoon services by the rector of Christ’s Church, Gary’s main parish.  In order to establish their own mission in 1927, segregation necessitated that they charter as a Colored Episcopal Mission. Mrs. Washington suggested the name of her alma mater and St. Augustine’s was created. The mission was established in a dilapidated building at 19^th and Adams formerly known as the San Antonio Italian Mission. St. Augustine’s would move into their current architecturally significant church building in 1958.

The officiant for the celebratory services was Mrs. Washington’s great grandson, Rev. Charles Graves IV, rector of Christ Church in Shaker Heights, Ohio. Rev. Graves IV, a member of the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church; is a graduate of Hampton University and Yale Divinity School. The service was enriched by music from jazz musician Billy Foster. A reception and lively discussion occurred in the undercroft afterwards. Stories were shared and parishioners shared with their guests a current milestone; St. Augustine’s admission into the 2023-24 Indiana State Historic Marker program. St. Augustine’s is the first Episcopal parish in the state to receive the designation. Installation of the historic state marker is pending.

Submission provided by Paula M. DeBois, St. Augustine's (Gary)

2024 Fall Clergy Retreat

Date: October 14, 3 p.m. - October 16, 1 p.m.

Where: Lindenwood Retreat and Conference Center

Cost: $75

Registration is closed.

Save the Date

2025 Spring Clergy Retreat

Date: TBD

Where: TBD

2025 Fall Clergy Retreat

Date: October 13-15, 2024

Where: Lindenwood Retreat and Conference Center

Access to the great Stewardship Ministry resources of TENS, The Episcopal Network for Stewardship, is again available for your use thanks to our diocese’s purchase of a TENS membership.

Click here to access this year’s TENS annual pledge campaign. When prompted, enter this year’s password:  Ephesians5:2  (Please note, this is case sensitive, and there are no spaces.) 

The TENS theme this year is “Walk in Love,” an invitation to recognize the gratitude and joy we have for God and our community that lead us to share our stories, our journeys, and our gifts. Note:  NOW is the time to organize your Annual Giving Campaign committee and start planning your success! 

To help you deepen your stewardship formation, TENS offers free webinars on basic best practices and deeper topics. The TENS Resource Library is full of teaching tools, liturgical practices, and practical tips for making the most out of your faith-based fundraising. All the articles are free to download and use in your ministry.

You can also sign up for TENS monthly newsletter to keep you apprised of upcoming trainings, opportunities, and inspiration for your mission and ministry.

May your Walk In Love be fruitful ~

Linda Buskirk

Faithful Stewards Commission representative

The Reunification Discernment Committee requests your prayers as it continues its work. Click here for options from which to choose.

Action Alerts

The Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations (OGR) identifies opportunities for Episcopalians to participate in our democracy. Click this link to find an action alert that you are passionate about and send a message to your members of Congress.

Click here to read the Province V October newsletter.

Province V is thrilled to announce the addition of a new network!

All Children and Youth Ministers

This is open to ALL who work with children or youth: clergy or lay, volunteer or paid. ALL are welcome to share ideas, resources, and inspiration. 

If you have questions, you can reach out to Carmen Piggins (MI), Convener of this network, or Heather Barta, Coordinator of Province V.

Carmen Piggins cpiggins@edomi.org or provinceVcoordinator@gmail.com

Mark your calendar for these Zooms dates

Thursday, October 10, 3 PM ET / 2 pm CT

Thursday, January 16, 3 PM ET / 2 pm CT

Thursday, April 3, 3 PM ET / 2 pm CT

Thursday, June 5, 3 PM ET / 2 pm CT

The Agrarian Ministry Certificate will be a new, hybrid program with the Stevenson School of Ministry and the Procter Center. Its purpose is to prepare church leaders to teach, lead, and inspire their faith communities to steward the land in a way that is faithful to our call as disciples of Jesus.

Brian Sellers Petersen of the Faithful Agrarian and Jerusalem Greer of the Procter Center, co-founders of the Good News Garden Movement, will convene the certificate program.

This certificate combines online convenings, a directed final project, and an in-person retreat at the Procter Center. Learn more.