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May 18, 2022 | Volume 12, No. 20

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Honey Creek gears up for Summer Camp Season

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After a hiatus of two years, we are so excited that Honey Creek's Summer Camp will be returning in June! This summer we have three sessions. They are:

  • High School Camp (completed Grades 9-12), June 12-18
  • Camp St. Peter (completed Grades 6-8), June 19-25
  • Camp St. Joseph & Mary (completed Grades 3-5), June 26-July 2

Registration for all sessions is open now at http://honeycreek.org/camps/


Summer Camp is a chance to spend even more time there. Each session will have at least two Spiritual Directors, a great camp staff, and our returning Camp Director and New Beginnings Coordinator, Karen Bell. If cost is a concern or if you have any questions, please contact Canon Varner at jvarner@gaepiscopal.org.


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In addition, if you are a graduating senior or already in college, we still have a few spaces available for our Summer Camp Staff. Your commitment begins with our staff training week, which starts Sunday June 5 and ends with the conclusion of Camp St. Joseph & Mary. Summer Staff are paid a stipend and all food and lodging expenses are covered. Most importantly, serving on staff is an incredible way to make a lasting impact on young people. If you are interested in serving on staff, fill out the application here: https://bit.ly/HoneyCreekSummerStaffApp.


Lastly, we are happy to be offering a weekend of Family Camp again. This will take place July 8-10, and will be staffed by Canon Loren Lasch, Canon Varner, and Karen Bell, among several others. At Family Camp families of all types can come and stay in the lodge rooms together, and engage in worship, camp play, music, games, and more!


Registration for Family Camp is available here: https://bit.ly/2022FamilyCamp.


Summer is almost here! Sign up for camp or family camp, and apply for staff now!

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A famed evangelist left Georgia in disgrace

As we approach the bicentennial of our founding in 2023, we will share the story of the Diocese of Georgia. This week we remember John Wesley and his exit from Georgia.

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Though his legacy as the founder of the Methodist movement has born so much good fruit for almost three centuries, John Wesley’s ministry in Georgia went catastrophically wrong. Wesley arrived to a Savannah that was still a village of just two hundred houses. In less than two years, a 44-person grand jury, making up a significant percentage of the population, would approve a 10-count indictment against their idealistic minister.

 

John had been felled by a rigid faith and a broken heart. One colonist described John’s spiritual leadership as “religious Tyranny.” To make matters worse, John had fallen for Sophia Hopkey who he tutored in French on the ship from England and continued to see regularly. She even nursed the pastor through a fever. But John became convinced that marriage would get in the way of his ministry and he told the apparently equally infatuated 18-year old that he could not marry until he accomplished his mission to the Indians. Wesley’s words did not strike the young woman as the words of a soul mate. Sophia married William Williamson. John’s diary on the day he heard the news says only, “Could not pray. Tried to pray—lost—sunk.”

 

The pastor excommunicated Sophy a few months later citing “falseness and inconsistency of life,” creating a stir in the gossipy colony. Nine more charges flowed from his rigid religiosity.

 

Wesley wrote, “I shook off the dust of my feet, and left Georgia, having preached the Gospel there with much weakness indeed and many infirmities, not as I ought but as I was able.” He added, “This have I learned in the ends of the earth, that I am fallen short of the glory of God, that my whole heart is altogether corrupt and abominable.”


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We know that in the fall of 1738, less than a year after he left Georgia in disgrace, John Wesley found his life transformed by grace. He heard someone read Martin Luther’s introduction to Paul’s letter to the Romans at a meeting he had attended unwillingly. He would write that as he heard the words “describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ…I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.”

 

Wesley who had afflicted others with a rigid approach to religion was surprised by the grace of a God who knew John’s heart was altogether corrupt and abominable and yet loved the imperfect parson anyway. John would go on to travel a quarter of a million miles on horseback, delivering more than 40,000 sermons, and founding the Methodist Movement boasting 541 preachers and 135,000 members in his lifetime. There are 80 million Methodists around the world today who have found their hearts warmed by the grace John Wesley experienced.



Pictured above: The monument of John Wesley in Reynold Square in Savannah; John Wesley preaching on his father's grave on June 6, 1742 

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Deadline for EYCS scholarships May 31

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Register for Happening!

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Registration for Happening #106 are now live!


Happening #106 is on the schedule for August 12-14, 2022 at Honey Creek! This event, led by youth for youth in grades 9-12 and offers participants (called candidates) a chance to explore their faith together, and address deep questions of piety, prayer, grace, reality, and more.


It is open to any young person in Grades 9-12 who has not yet attended a Happening. The Rector of Happening #106 is Jake Diamond of Christ Episcopal Church in Valdosta.


To register, click here.

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REMINDER: Spot the Scam

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We've received notification that a profile that looks like Bishop Logue on social media has been sending messages that, at first glance, look like a valid message from the bishop. Please double check profile/usernames when looking at a message on social media. Additionally, the bishop would never solicit funds through social media messages. If you have any questions, contact the Diocesan Office.

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Across the diocese

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What happens when Episcopalians, Lutherans and Missionary Baptists get together? Well, the same thing that happens when any people of goodwill gather, they share their stories and they break bread - sounds like Eucharist! Bryan Neck Missionary Baptist, Spirit of Peace Lutheran and St. Elizabeth Episcopal churches are spitting distance from each other in Richmond Hill. They gathered for a fellowship meal last month with one item on the agenda, “share stories with each other.” That is what they did at their first Come to the Table of Grace meal!

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The Sunday after Easter has been know as Under Sunday due much smaller numbers in attendance. This year, Christ Episcopal Church Valdosta decided make it a real Under Sunday--UNDIE Sunday--with a collection of new children's and women's underwear to be donated to The Haven, a women's shelter. When women and their children come to the shelter they bring very little with them and underwear is usually something that is forgotten.

Pictured: John McRae, Christ Church coordinator, and Michelle Girtman Director of the Haven

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The Rev. Glenn Palmer at Holy Comforter in Martinez presents Emerson Saunders with his God and Me scouting medal.

St. Augustine volunteers served 85 meals May 14 during the Community Meal hosted at Christ Episcopal Church in Augusta. A mobile vaccine clinic was on site for guests who wished to get vaccinated and will be at future Community Meals to offer its services to members of the community.  

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Diocesan Council met at Church of the Annunciation for the first in-person meeting in two years. Their regular meetings have been over Zoom. They will move to a new schedule of two in-person meetings and two Zoom meetings per year.

Nancy Benson, the Director of the Day School at St. Thomas in Thomasville celebrates her retirement after serving for 34 years. She was awarded the Deacon's Award in 2016.

Pictured: the Rev. Wallace Marsh, current Rector, Nancy Benson, Dwayne Varas, immediate past Rector, and Rick Buechner, Interim Rector and current Priest Associate.

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The Rev. Aaron Brewer, at center in clericals, joins other community leaders in the ribbon cutting for a memorial in Camden County to those who died from COVID-19. King of Peace, which he serves as Rector, is a bronze sponsor of the memorial.

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St. Thomas Isle of Hope in Savannah celebrates their graduating seniors on Sunday.

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Bishop Logue preaching at Epiphany in Savnanah. They currently meet at Front Porch Improv for services each week.

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Job Positions Around the Diocese

St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Darien is seeking a part-time organist for Sunday worship and special occasion services. Hymns and service music are typically from the 1982 Episcopal Hymnal. There is also a Tuesday evening rehearsal requirement with the choir, all to total approximately 3-4 hours per week. Candidates should be familiar with an organ with 2 manuals and a pedal clavier, be music literate, and be willing to work collaboratively with the Rector and Music Director. Pay will be commensurate with experience. Interested parties should email their resume to standrew@darientel.net.


The Church of the Good Shepherd in Augusta is searching for a Director of Student Ministries. A resource size parish with a pre-pandemic ASA of 500, The Church of the Good Shepherd is seeking a full-time youth minister. The DSM has responsibility for all aspects of youth ministry and Christian formation for parish youth from middle school through high school, which includes Sunday School, Youth Group, mission trips, and other youth activities. A detailed job description can be found here. For further information, please contact the Rev. Ted H. Clarkson, Interim Rector at tclarkson@goodshepherd-augusta.org or call (912)230-9388.


King of Peace in Kingsland is looking for a part-time organist/piano player for the 10:00am Sunday service and special occasions. The musician will work with the music team in selecting appropriate hymns for the service and rehearse with the choir one day a week. Please contact the Rev. Aaron Brewer at abrewer@kingofpeace.org or (912)510-6100 for salary and additional information.

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Prayer for Weekly Liturgies

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 2022 one year prayer cycle is online here: 2022 Prayer Cycle.  


May 15 - 21

In our diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for our congregation in Jesup, St. Paul’s. We also pray for our ecumenical partners in Jesup, especially St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. In our companion diocese of the Dominican Republic, we pray for Mount of the Transfiguration (Monte de la Transfiguración) in Jarabacoa. 


May 22 - 28

In our diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for our congregation in Kingsland, King of Peace. We also pray for our ecumenical partners, especially St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Folkston. In our companion diocese of the Dominican Republic, we pray for the congregations in Jimaní, especially St. Paul the Apostle (San Pablo Apostól), St. Titus (San Tito), and St. Ignatius (San Ignacio). 


Newly Revised 31-Day Prayer Cycles

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 3/1/2022)

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Diocesan Office Update and News

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Bishop Logue is at the Diocese of Virginia's Roslyn Conference Center in Richmond this week for the Living our Vows Program. The 3-year program for new bishops is often referred to as "Baby Bishop School." Having started the program after his election and before ordination, Bishop Logue will graduate from the program this Friday. This Sunday, he will make his visitation to St. Paul's in Jesup.



To view Bishop Logue's full visitation calendar, click here. (Updated 4/4/2022)


Pictured: Bishop Logue with bishops who were elected in 2019, with two bishops from Australia and one from Uruguay elected in the same year.


Canon Varner will be in Valdosta on Friday and Saturday for the Happening staff lock in.



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.

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Lord, hear our prayer

Parishioners at Epiphany light candles as the congregation moved into the Prayers of the People.

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