News from Michael Ambler, Canon to the Ordinary

The Rev. Cn. Michael Ambler, Canon to the Ordinary for the diocese recently announced he will bring this chapter of his ministry to a close so he can begin a new one with Restoration Laos!

Click here to read his letter to the diocese. 

Bicentennial Chalices and Patens

As we all know, there were significant changes to the planned celebrations of the Diocesan Bicentennial because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

But soon, the Bicentennial Chalices and Patens, specially commissioned for our celebration will be distributed to congregations across the Diocese! Please tuck them away until Sunday, November 20, 2022, when together the entire Diocese will observe a moment of dedication and thanksgiving. 

More information will be available soon and liturgical resources will be made available —and pictures of your congregation's dedication are welcome! 

If you happen to be near Loring House and could pick up the set for your congregation, and perhaps a neighbor, we'd appreciate the distribution assistance. 

For more information, or to arrange a pickup, please be in touch with Canon Barbara Martin .  

Resolutions Public Hearing and Forum

September 29, 2022

7:00 pm

Online via Zoom

We are excited to announce a public hearing and resolutions forum later this month! Come one and all to discuss and debate and refine the resolutions that will be presented at diocesan convention.

Did you submit a resolution? Be at this meeting! Are you interested in learning more about a resolution? Be at this meeting. Do you want to be part of refining a resolution? This is the meeting for you!

When resolutions are available for review, you will find them here on the website.  

Click here for the Zoom link for the meeting.

Meeting ID: 892 5961 1438

Nominations Deadline Extended

Consider whether you may be called to serve in any one of the open leadership positions listed below. Click here to learn more about each position.

• Treasurer (1-year term)
• Secretary (1-year term)
• Disciplinary Board - Lay (2-year term)
• Standing Committee - Clergy (3-year term)
• Standing Committee - Lay (3-year term)
• General Convention Deputation (four clergy, four lay to serve at GC 2024)
• Provincial Conference Clerical Deputy (2-year term)
• Diocesan Council lay representative (one from each of the six diocesan areas)

Nominate yourself or nominate someone else (check with them first, please!) by completing this form by end of day on September 23rd.

Town Hall Meetings are Coming Up! 

Save these dates for important convention-related Town Hall meetings!

It is important to note that Town Hall meetings take the place of pre-Convention hearings.

• Tuesday, September 27 (intro to convention/area caucus)
• Tuesday, October 4 (budget, rules of order, resolutions)
• Tuesday, October 11 (resolutions, consent calendar)
• Tuesday, October 18 (pre-convention preparation)
• Tuesday, October 25 (post-convention debrief and thanksgivings)

Are these meetings just for delegates? Nope! All are welcome at these learning opportunities!

All Town Hall meetings will run from 7pm to 8pm (with an optional Q&A at 6:30 for the October meetings) and the link to the meeting will be sent out the Saturday morning before the Tuesday meeting.

Watch for your invitation to Town Hall, it arrives in your email the Saturday before Town Hall. 

The Intersection of Racism and Christianity

Your Racial Justice Council here in the Diocese of Maine would like to invite you to two online opportunities to talk and learn about the intersection of racism and Christianity.

1) The Maine Council of Churches and The BTS Center is hosting an exciting online conversation with noted author and theologian Carter Heyward about her book, The Seven Deadly Sins of White Christian Nationalism: A Call To Action on September 21 from 4-5:30 p.m. The event is free and you can learn more and register here. Learn more about that event just below.

2) The Racial Justice Council would like to invite you to an online debrief of that presentation specifically for folks in the Diocese of Maine exactly one week after the event on September 28 at 4 p.m. We hope you'll bring a snack or some dinner and join us in sharing what we've learned, what we still wonder, and where we feel the Spirit moving us next. Please register for the debrief conversation here. (Please note you will need to register separately for each event.)

Questions? Please contact Emily Keniston, staff liaison for the Racial Justice Council. 

Join a Public Conversation with Carter Heywood

Wednesday, September 21

4:00 - 5:30 pm

Online

Offered by BTS and the Maine Council of Churches, the diocese is an event partner

The Maine Council of Churches and The BTS Center have invited world-renowned theologian and Episcopal priest, Rev. Dr. Carter Heyward (one of the “Philadelphia 11” women ordained in 1974, two years before the Episcopal Church authorized ordination of women) to lead us in a conversation about her upcoming book, The 7 Deadly Sins of Christian Nationalism: A Call to Action (Rowman & Littlefield, September 2022). Rev. Dr. Heyward will address the rise of white Christian nationalism and offer perspectives for moving forward with hope and action.

Bangor Theological Seminary Professor Emeritus of Christian Ethics, Rev. Dr. Marvin Ellison, will facilitate the online event on September 21 at 4:00 pm. Register here.

Download a flyer here.

Q&A Session for Iona Collaborative's "Thriving Bi-Vocational Congregations"

Wednesday, September 21 or Wednesday, October 19

7:30-8:30 p.m. ET  

The Iona Collaborative believes small communities can reflect God’s vision for a flourishing world.

Today’s culture of rapid change presents an ideal learning opportunity for bi-vocational churches to gain greater clarity about their unique callings. The Iona Collaborative encourages discernment by facilitating theological reflection on reimagined spiritual practices that lead to new life, both in the congregation and beyond the walls. Their five-year initiative, Thriving Bi-Vocational Congregations: Envisioning New Life in a Changing World, a three-phase program, will support congregations willing to identify and respond to their changing circumstances.

This program is about spiritual growth, not ASA.

Ideal participants for this program:

• Desire to grow spiritually as a congregation
• Dream about answering God’s call for their church and community
• Dare to be vulnerable and creative together

To learn more about this program, click here.

To register for the Q&A session for prospective participants, click here. 

Compline with Episcopal Peace Fellowship

Tuesdays in September

8:30 pm

Online

Please join members of the Maine chapter of the Episcopal Peace Fellowship (EPF) who will be leading EPF-National Compline at 8:30pm via Zoom on Tuesdays in September. Open to all and they hope you will join them!

Click here to join on Zoom.

Meeting ID: 817 7614 5441

Passcode: 863435

Preventing Burn Out: Tools for Clergy Transformation and Ministry Growth

Wednesday, September 28th  

3 p.m. ET

Presented by Episcopal Parish Network

Many of the most successful ministry leaders and parish leaders work longer hours and get less return on their investments of time and resources than they typically expect. In this season, as we move into the next phase of the pandemic and clergy are stretched more than ever, burnout is often the result. 

Many clergy persons grapple with:

• Feeling like you lack control over time, vision, or ministry.
• Inconsistent messaging, understanding, or follow through.
• Reactive instead of proactive responses to finances.
• Growth is happening, but can’t break through to the next level.
• Quick fixes that come and go, bringing little change with continued frustrations.

There are tools available to help clergy overcome and thrive. During this workshop our panelists will present a methodology to alleviate some of the pressure of these challenges and move into a more productive space. 

The Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) is a comprehensive set of tools proven in the business world to bring vision, traction, and health to any organization. Based on the work of Gino Wickman and his landmark book, Traction, EOS is a revolutionary but time-tested way of seeing true transformation and growth. Our panel lead, Preston Yancey is a certified EOS Implementer, but a priest first and foremost. 

As a priest, Preston has implemented these tools in parish and ministry settings, resourcing God’s people to do the work of building and flourishing the Kingdom of God. Joined by Jason Ingalls, Rector of Holy Spirit, Waco, who uses EOS in his parish, and moderated by Jerusalem Greer, Staff Officer for Evangelism for the Episcopal Church, you will learn how EOS could be used in your own ministry context immediately.

Panelists include:

• Jerusalem Greer - Staff Officer for Evangelism, The Episcopal Church; New York, New York
• Jason Ingalls - Rector, Church of the Holy Spirit; Waco, Texas
• Preston Yancey - Interim Campus Missioner, St. Lydia’s: The Episcopal Student Center; Waco, Texas
•  

For more information, and to register, click  here.

Communications Office Hours

Are you interested in a working session regarding technology, social media, or how to communicate your message?

These are all topics for discussion at CommsChat - aka Communications Office Hours. The discussion each week is guided by the questions of those who attend. This is a non-mandatory, come-if-you'd-like open discussion session with Canon for Communications, Katie Clark.

This week's CommsChat is on Thursday, September 22nd from 11 am - 12 pm.

Click on the "Register Here" button below if you'd like to attend.

Are you a creative type who also likes to keep things organized? St. George’s in Sanford is hiring a Communications and Administrative Assistant. This position is focused on print and digital communications along with some administrative assistance in the parish office. To see the full job description, click here. To apply, send a cover letter and resume to Rev. Lauren Kay.

St. James in Old Town is looking for a high school student or someone older to take care of the children on Sunday mornings. The compensation is generous! Contact Senior Warden Cass Wright via email or at 207-475-6830.

St. Bart’s in Yarmouth is seeking an organized, energetic, and creative part-time Youth Religious Education Leader to coordinate their youth ministry program. The leader will work 12-16 hours/week during the school calendar year with a salary ranging from $14,000-18,000 based on qualifications and experience. Click here for the complete job description. Please use this email address to apply.

Christ Church in Gardiner has an opening for a part-time, salaried Children and Youth Ministries Coordinator. The Children and Youth Ministries Coordinator is responsible for overseeing and implementing spiritual formation for children, youth, and their families. This is a salaried staff position for approximately 10 hours per week for 10 months a year. Read the full job description here. Applications will be accepted until September 30, 2022. Please include in the application: a current resume, 3 references with contact information, and a letter of interest for this position and email to the Rev. Kerry Mansir.

Love making music to glorify God and inspire worshippers? St. Philip's in Wiscasset is looking for a Music Director to play organ/piano and direct its choir. If interested, send your resume to the Rev. Tom Junkert or call 218-205-0420. The job description can be viewed here.

St. George’s, York Harbor is hiring a part-time communications-focused Administrative Assistant. Use your creative gifts to help them connect people and build community through print and digital media.They are excited to work with someone creative and curious about how to build greater connections in the community and tell their story through digital engagement. Click here for a full job description. To apply, email a cover letter and resume to the Rev. Ryan Mails.

St. David's in Kennebunk is seeking an experienced, technically-minded individual to contract to run their audio and video system to livestream and prerecord their worship services and other events. For more information, and to apply, please email  Cathy Zub, Parish Administrator.

Is your church hiring? Would you like us to share out the job description in the CLL (this email), the Dio Log, and/or the diocesan LinkedIn page? If so, let us know!

As a reminder, churches that are in the search process for a new clergyperson are listed on the diocesan website here.

Save these dates below! For the full events calendar, click here.

SEPTEMBER

23 Nominations Due

27 Clergy Day with the Bishop, Christ Church Gardiner

27 Town Hall: Intro to Convention / Area Caucus

29 Public Hearing and Resolutions Forum

OCTOBER

4 Town Hall: Budget, Rules of Order, Resolutions

11Town Hall: Resolutions, Consent Calendar

18 Town Hall: Pre-Convention

19 Diocesan Convention Registration Deadline

22 Diocesan Convention

25 Town Hall: Convention Debrief and Thanksgivings for the Town Hall Program