From the Office of the Bishop |
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Bishop’s Pastoral Directive
Suspension of In-Person Worship Indoors
The Bishop's latest Pastoral Directive went out to the Diocese yesterday and can be read in it's entirety here. Below is an excerpt taken from the full letter:
As I committed to do in my previous Pastoral Directive, the Diocese of Easton continues to daily monitor the progress of the virus in our respective jurisdictions, and the potential harmful effects it poses on the health and safety of our parishioners. The exponential and precipitous increase in cases continues unabated and should be disconcerting to everyone as it is to your friend and bishop. All twenty-four jurisdictions in the State of Maryland, including the nine within our Diocese, remain in the RED ZONE.
The Center for Disease Control, the World Health Organization and our diocesan medical and scientific advisors are counseling extreme caution coupled with extreme measures to combat the virus’ devastating advance in our area. The percentage of positive tests has surged – both with people showing symptoms and with those who are asymptomatic. Some of our churches have reported cases of infection in their congregations that necessitated the quarantining of other individuals with whom they gathered for in-person worship. This action is then compounded by the potential loss of income for any quarantining members who may be hourly or without sick leave.
Additionally, we continue to hear the pleas from health care professionals, first responders and local authorities who are calling on us to act responsibly and take personal and corporate precautions – to stay at home as much as possible, to avoid or restrict gatherings, and to wear masks, sanitize, and observe all health and safety protocols – to show care and concern for the well-being and welfare of friends and neighbors.
My beloved, as your friend and bishop, I feel it is my God-given obligation to ensure as many of us are around as possible to see the new year. We share in the excitement and optimism regarding the good news of a viable and efficacious vaccine to combat the lethal effects of this ‘global silent enemy.’ And we commit to collaborate with the good news on the positive effects of the vaccine to be a life-giving ‘game changer.’
To this end, I am directing the suspension of in-person worship and gathering in our church buildings from Sunday, December 20, 2020 – Fourth Sunday of Advent to Sunday, January 3, 2021, Second Sunday of Christmas inclusive. Hopefully and prayerfully, we will witness a drastic reduction in infection rates in our diocesan jurisdictions, so that we may be in a healthier position to resume in-person worship in our respective sanctuaries for the Season of Epiphany.
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Join Us for a Q&A Zoom
Regarding the Updated 2020 Parochial Report Filing
The Year 2020 is defined as the Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic. In recognition of the many notable adjustments churches are required to make to function effectively and respond appropriately in pandemic mode, the Episcopal Church has made some major revisions in the 2020 Parochial Report. The report is now 8 pages long gathering information on how the churches have been serving congregations in new and creative ways. The instructions are 25 pages long and are still being tweaked to address the prevailing realities.
We expect many of our churches will need some guidance in completing their 2020 Parochial Report. Please join us on January 6, 2021 from 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM on a special zoom event to review these changes and answer questions. Register in advance for this meeting by clicking here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
You are urged to take some time beforehand to review the new forms and view a video prepared by The Episcopal Church. You can find these by using the following link:
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Episcopal Diocese of Easton
Episcopate Stewardship & Accountability
St. Luke’s Gospel 13: 6-9
Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. So, he said to the gardener, “See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?’ He replied, “Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.”
The ethos or framework and fabric of the Jesus movement is fundamentally rooted and grounded in the aforementioned reference of Jesus. The Church of Jesus founded by the Holy Spirit on Pentecost over 2000 years ago is undergirded by this promise of new life and new beginning – God never surrenders God’s Church. The essence of the resurrection narrative was justifiably celebrated by the early church as profoundly demonstrative of the power and authority of God to conquer evil with the promise of hope and renewal.
As I enter the fifth (5) year of my episcopate in the Diocese of Easton and sixteenth (16) year of my consecration as bishop in God’s One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, the diocesan staff and I have outlined a stewardship and accountability of the ministry we dedicate our lives to serve. We invite you to read the full document linked here.
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Bishop’s Advent Reflection
Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (Luke 21: 28)
The holy season of Advent has begun, and while the secular world around us trivializes the coming birth of our Savior with garish displays of commercialism, we Anglicans/Episcopalians have a time-honored tradition of taking Advent seriously. As we await the birth of hope, Episcopal preaching for Advent focuses on repentance or metanoia, spiritual vigilance and waiting with a purpose, the call to serve, moral propriety, self-emptying or kenosis, spiritual identity with God, and immaculate conception. This season also witnesses the observance of World AIDS Day on December 1. This is the 32nd year since Worlds AIDS Day was established. Have we forgotten where the world community stood with this global pandemic and the fear and uncertainty attached with it?
Many years ago, in one of the dioceses that I served, I was rector of a large inner-city parish of over 700 members where a small percentage of our worshiping community was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS virus. Some of those were victims of drug addiction or recovering drug addicts, others were teenage mothers and victims of abuse of one kind or another. As with the scenario associated with most troubled inner-city parishes the poverty level was very high and the ministry of the missional church invariably responded to what was transpiring in the community.
I got to know Donna very well through frequent pastoral visits. She and her entire family were long time members of the parish. Donna was a single young mother of four young children; one of them was a paraplegic. She was in advanced stages of HIV/AIDS and her condition required frequent hospitalization. One particular hospital visit was mid-morning and the open hospital ward where she was a patient happened to be extremely busy with medical staff doing their morning rounds. The lack of privacy wasn’t conducive for pastoral counseling. However, in this brief moment even with all the distraction, I observed an unusual level of anxiety and restlessness in her demeanor. I had done enough hospital visitations to recognize that something beyond the usual was troubling her and concluded that under the circumstances it may be better to return at a more appropriate time. Read the full Reflection here.
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Thanks to generous donations from around the Diocese, the Agape Committee had lots of goodies to pack for the children enrolled in the Agape Ministry. The boxes arrived just in time for the Agape Virtual Christmas Party that included a fun Christmas tree craft, a "pop-up pageant", and a delicious make-your-own treat. Special thanks to the Ocean City-Berlin Optimist Club who covered the cost for gift cards in each box, to Emmanuel Chestertown for donating the cost of postage, to Linda Prochaska who continued her ministry of books for each child, to Peggy and Alan Selser for helping with money for boxes and additional stocking stuffers, and to the youth ministry at St. Peter's Salisbury who purchased and packed beautiful Christmas stockings and a mug with all the hot cocoa fixings. What an amazing treat it was to see the children's faces light up when they opened their boxes!
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Due to Covid 19 safety protocols, the Diocesan staff gathered for a virtual Christmas Party this week via Zoom. We celebrated the Christmas season with a delicious lunch, exchanged beautiful ornaments and shared fellowship and laughter!
Wishing you all a very
Merry Christmas!!
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Thank you for your continued support of the mission and ministries of our Diocese.
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Be on the Lookout for Holiday Scammers
We are once again entering into a sacred time for Christians, celebrating the birth of Christ. However, there are those for whom this time isn’t sacred, it is a time for scamming and taking advantage of others. Please know, your bishop will never send you an email requesting that you purchase a gift card. No matter whose name is on the email and no matter how official the email may look, if you receive such an email – do not respond to it, simply move it to the trash and throw it away. If you are ever in doubt, always call the office (410-822-1919) Please reference this article for more information. May you and your loved ones feel God presence during this Season of Christmas.
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Easton Episcopal Funds Update
Both the short and long term outlook for equities continues to be promising. Effective Covid 19 vaccines have been tested and are on track to approval; some have already been approved for use in the UK. While the full impact of these positives may not be felt for some time, we continue to believe that U.S. stocks will provide meaningful rewards over the long term. It is less likely that bonds will prove to be as rewarding. The Fed has said that it will keep interest rates low for some time. Rising interest rates are bad for bond prices.
Strategic Asset Ranges are determined by the Board of Managers’ long-term outlook for the stock and bond markets. Based on the current favorable conditions in the equity markets and the much less favorable short- and long-term conditions in the fixed income markets, the Board of Managers has elected to change its Strategic Asset Ranges.
The new Strategic Ranges for Equities shall be 50% to 75% from the previous 50% to 70%, and the new Strategic Range for Fixed Income shall be 20% to 50% from the previous 25% to 50% of total fund assets. Our current actual asset allocation is 70% for equities and 30% for fixed income.
As always, we continue to monitor markets closely and to make adjustments as necessary. From the Board of Managers.
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A Letter from the Church Pension Fund
We hope this finds you well during these challenging times. The Church Pension Fund Board of Trustees (CPF Board) has recently taken actions that relate to benefits under The Church Pension Fund Clergy Pension Plan (Clergy Pension Plan), The Church Pension Fund Clergy Post-Retirement Medical Assistance Plan (Medicare Subsidy Plan), and The Episcopal Church Lay Employees’ Retirement Plan (Lay DB Plan). Read full letter here.
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Sacred Ground Race Dialogue Circles Offered by ECCC
Join Julia Connolly (Camp Wright) or other ECCC (Episcopal Camps and Conference Centers) facilitators for a Virtual Sacred Ground Dialogue Circle. Each circle is an opportunity to learn and discuss race in America and the Episcopal Church, through bi-weekly gatherings and readings and films in-between. We use this guide. Over the last two years, ECCC has hosted four Circles: They are powerful, illuminating and challenging, and we are eager to begin again. As we continue to hear, self-work is an essential part of operating equitable, just, anti-racist organizations. We hope that you will prioritize this opportunity. Each Circle meets every-other week for 10 meetings. Meetings are 90 minutes, with about two hours of pre-work (films and readings) for each session. We ask that you commit to missing no more than one session. Click here for upcoming opportunities to participate
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Discount Tickets for
January Formation Conference
For Sunday School Teachers, Youth Leaders, Adult Formation Leaders & Others who Teach & Lead
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Province 3, in partnership with the Diocese of Easton, is excited to offer discounted tickets to the Forma21 Digital Gathering this January 26-28. The tickets, normally $130, are available for $50 on a first-come, first-served basis. The Province only has 15 discounted tickets left, so act now!!
To register yourself or others for these tickets please use this form.
“In a time such as this, how do we as leaders and individuals embody and rejuvenate our own Spiritual Practices, and then how do we lead this rejuvenation in our ministry context? This the core question we will be leaning into during Forma21 as we listen to wisdom-leaders and each other.”
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2021 Church Initiatives Grant Applications
Applications are now being accepted for the Diocese of Easton’s Church Initiatives Grant Program. Money is available exclusively to parishes and mission churches in the Diocese of Easton to undertake innovative programs and projects. The Grant Program is funded by investment returns from the Diocese’s St. Stephens Endowment Fund, a fund created with proceeds from the sale of St. Stephen's Church, East New Market several years ago.
This is the ninth year of the program’s existence. Last year three grants were awarded:
- St. Peter’s, Salisbury to provide start up funding for the St. Peter’s Choir School
- Shrewsbury Parish and La Sagrada Familia de Jesus for the development of the Shrewsbury Community Garden Site.
- St. Paul’s, Trappe to jumpstart their new outreach work to support needy families in their area.
Many grants have been awarded in all of our convocations over the years to support a wide variety of worthy initiatives. Some examples are:
- Trinity Elkton for computers to support Youth Sunday School, Adult Christian Education, and Food Pantry clients who are job searching, parishioners who do not have access to a computer, and for parish presentations;
- St. Paul’s Centreville to provide weekend meals to needy elementary school students;
- Christ Church Kent Island to fund a summer backpacks for kids program;
- Emmanuel Parish in Chestertown to help start an on-site afterschool program;
- Shrewsbury Parish to create a Kent County Coalition; and
- St. Andrew’s Mission in Hurlock to incorporate the Moveable Feast as part of its food bank program.
As much as $10,000 could be available to support community initiatives in 2020. The Church Initiatives Grants Committee is accepting grant applications now through February 4, 2021. Grant recipients will be announced at the Diocesan Convention with grants awarded in March 2021.
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153rd Diocesan Convention To Be Virtual
Saturday, March 6, 2021
Convocation Meetings will also be Virtual
Our next Convocation meeting will meet on Tuesday, February 9th at 7pm leading up to Convention. Zoom link was emailed to each congregation.
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A Call for Nominations to Service to the Diocese of Easton
One of the great joys and rewards of being an Episcopalian on the Eastern Shore is the opportunity to serve as leaders in the Diocese of Easton. Each year at our annual convention we have the privilege to elect our representatives to the Diocesan Council, Standing Committee, and the Board of Managers of the Trust Funds. In doing so, we help shape the future of our Diocese by electing clergy and lay leaders to these important offices. This process is central to maintaining the vitality of our Diocese. Read more here.
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Merry Christmas to everyone from CW!
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Give the gift of Camp Wright. Folks who Make a donation of $25 or more to our Scholarship Fund will receive a beautiful, handmade CW ornament for your Christmas Tree. These ornaments are crafted from a tree that fell on CW property this year. Featuring our logo on one side and the camp bell on the other, they will be lovely when used in July or December.
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HOLIDAY OUTREACH &
Happenings Around The Diocese
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Let us know if your church or parish will be collecting items or holding activities to benefit our local communities during the holiday season!! Our hope is for people to see what’s going on throughout our diocese and pitch in beyond their parish if they see a need they can fill. Send an email with a short description plus links or attachments to Beth Devenny to be included in our upcoming holiday season Enews.
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St. Paul's by-the-Sea, Ocean City, Advent Evening Prayer at the Log Cabin
The Rev. Penny Morrow will officiate a service entitled "Advent Evening Prayer at the Log Cabin," December 18 at 5:00 p.m. The service will be broadcast from her home via Facebook live on the St. Paul's by-the-Sea Facebook page. The first two services, conducted on December 4 & 11 are available for viewing on Facebook. This is the perfect way to end the week. Please consider joining us as we wait for our Savior.
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Christ Church, Easton The December issue of Tidewater Times Magazine has a feature article about John Coleman, of our contemporary choir, titled "Leading with Love."
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Trinity Cathedral, Easton, is offering a new 6-week bible study authored by renowned professor of New Testament & Jewish Studies Professor Amy-Jill Levine (pictured below). We will be led by Professor Levine on DVD and in her book The Sermon on the Mount: A Beginner’s Guide to the Kingdom of Heaven.
Participants will need to purchase the book ($12.99) Sermon on the Mount by Amy-Jill Levine and to read the Introduction (pages iv – xxiii) and Chapter 1 (pages 1 – 22) before the first meeting.
Also recommended, but not essential to the study, is the book Toward the Kingdom of Heaven: 40 Daily Readings on the Sermon on the Mount by Amy-Jill Levine ($10.99). This book contains additional stories, insights and lessons from the author, further illuminating the wisdom of Jesus’s most famous sermon.
Adam Hamilton, author of Christian books, writes “Amy-Jill Levine’s book is an essential guide to Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount. Professor Levine invites us to hear the Jewishness of Jesus’s words, to understand them in the light of the world to which he spoke them, that we might better understand how these words speak to us today. This is a terrific book!”
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St. Peter's, Salisbury Clothes Collection for Christian Shelter
St. Peter’s Sunday School and Youth Group are collecting items for children who are currently living in the Christian Shelter in Salisbury. Any fun toys, warm clothes and pajamas, hats and gloves would be appreciated. There will be a collection box by the elevator for during the week drop offs and a box near the parlor for Sunday drop offs. You can also ship items directly to the church address from online stores. Here are the children to shop for:
Baby girl 0-3 months- clothes or useful things like blankets, baby towels, bibs or toys
Boy 2 year old - 4T clothes or toys
Girl 2 year old - 2T clothes or toys
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POST YOUR EVENT!
Send an email with a short description plus links or attachments to Joanne. Churches are also encouraged to add joanne@dioceseofeaston.org to their local enews.
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Illumination
Saturday, December 19
6:00-8:00pm
Dress warmly for Hillsboro Luminaries Night! Stroll the neighborhood to see the hundreds of beautiful luminaries lining the streets. Then join us at the Retreat House for a guided candlelight labyrinth walk, a cup of hot cider by a crackling fire and the warm spirit of Christmas.
Please note: our gathering will be socially distanced. We ask that anyone who joins us wears a mask and maintains six feet of distance from anyone not in their household. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding as we seek to keep our community safe!
Here's what's coming up at the Retreat House. Click the button's below for dates and times.
Holiday Gift Ideas - Are you looking for a thoughtful gift to give this holiday season? Look no further! Give a loved one the gift of rest and retreat. Purchase a Retreat House gift certificate that can be used for Hermitage overnight stays as well as workshops or retreats. Contact us to purchase a gift certificate. We can deliver it by email or regular mail.
We are also excited to announce the The Retreat House Bookshop where you can check out our favorite books and help to raise funds for Retreat House programs! Orders are processed by Bookshop.org, and they donate 10% of the profit directly to The Retreat House. Look for more details in the next couple of days!
Women's Christmas, Wednesday, January 6
The Feast of the Epiphany is also known as "Women's Christmas." Originating in Ireland, it is a day of rest for women after weeks of preparing for Christmas Day. Inspired by Jan Richardson's Women's Christmas Retreat, we have created this nurturing retreat day just for you.
Please join us for this special retreat and time of spiritual relaxation. We'll read poetry (bring your favorites,) tell stories, do some journaling, pray and meditate together.
This is time for YOU. Bring your needlework, coloring or another project. Make a pot of tea, light a candle and settle in for a delightful afternoon.
Wisdom Circle: Seeing the Word An Advent offering Tuesdays in December
6:30-7:30 p.m.
Thursday, January 14, 9:30am-2:00pm
Winter Quiet Day with Julia Morris-Myers.
Thursdays, January 21 - February 18
Wisdom Circle: Creative Spirit, with Heather Hall, via Zoom
MARCH
Mondays, March 1-22
Seeing the Word: Women of the Bible, with Heather Hall, format
Day's End Evening Meditation Listen, breathe, be still. A peaceful way to move into your evening.
Pause
This Friday afternoon message is intended to give you a moment of reflection in the form of a poem, quote, and image. These messages will also be shared via email, in our social media and archived on the website. If you missed last week's edition, please click here to read it.
In-person AA meetings have resumed and will be meeting in St. Paul's Church, next door to the Retreat House at 22005 Church Street, Hillsboro MD 21641. Masks and social distancing will be required. Feel free to bring your own book and beverage. All meetings continue to be offered on Zoom per the Midshore Intergroup meeting schedule.
The Retreat House gates are always open.
Please come for a visit soon!
Quiet Time Away - Did you know that the Retreat House has overnight accommodations for Hermitages or personal retreats? Two separate "suites" with private entrances are available for one or more nights to enjoy silence, stillness, and time with God. Contact us by email for more information.
All are welcome at The Retreat House to take quiet walks among the beautiful old trees, to visit historic St. Paul's Cemetery, or enjoy a labyrinth meditation. At this time, we are not hosting indoor gatherings. Thank you for observing safety protocols while you are here, by wearing masks and maintaining social distance. Please stay safe and be well!
See our calendar for programs and special events. For more information, call (410) 364-7069, click the buttons below or contact Francie Thayer.
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Pastoral Concerns
We pray for continued healing and comfort for the following people and their families:
Please keep Lisa Webb in your prayers as she undergoes surgery this week.
Continued Prayers for Bishop San's sisters - Padmini (Paddy) Marray and Sandra Marray, both battling breast cancer. Bryan Glancey, Vicar, St. Andrew's, Hurlock. Rev. Kevin Cross, Rector, Church of the Holy Trinity, Oxford. The Rev. Pete Stanton. Larry Samuels, spouse of Deacon Candidate, Peggy Samuels. Art Leiby. Becky Richardson. Weasie Kamihachi. Erica Favreau & baby Abel.
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Diocesan Prayer Calendar
Fourth Sunday of Advent
(December 20th)
We give thanks for the witness of God’s people at All Faith Chapel, Tunis
Mills, and for their Priest-in-Charge, the Rev. Canon Patrick Collins, and
his wife, Loretta.
First Sunday after Christmas
(December 27th)
We pray for the Deacons who serve the diocese: Loretta Collins, Dick
Bunting, Sherry Snyder. We give thanks for the newly ordained Deacons:
Alisha King, Laura McCarthy, Lisa Webb, Stephanie Clayville, Barbara
Coleman, Chris Sabas, Andrew Cropper and Peggy Samuels. For our
retired Deacons: Reese Rickards, Penny Morrow, George Murray, Melody
Sutherland, Carol Callaghan and Don Whalen.
For additional weeks, please visit our website.
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Communication from the
Office of the Presiding Bishop
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Presiding Bishop Michael Curry’s 2020 Christmas message
Joy to the world! The Lord is come: let earth receive her King; let every heart prepare him room, and heaven and nature sing.
Perhaps like me, you’ve sung this hymn for years – in church, at home with your family, gathered with friends and neighbors. Perhaps you’ve sung it to yourself – in your car, on a walk, or quietly in the dark of night. Joy to the world!
While we may not feel joyful this year – as the pandemic of disease continues to bring sickness and death, when fear and mistrust – a darkness – threatens to overcome the light – we, as followers of Jesus Christ must bear joy to this aching world. We must shine light into the darkness. Joy to the world!
Like much in our lives, proclaiming joy is difficult work – also good and essential work – especially now. Though we mourn that which is lost in our lives, our families, and our communities – Joy to the world!
While we strive to pull up the twisted and thorny vines of hatred and bigotry and anger – Joy to the world!
Through streaming tears and gritted teeth – Joy to the world! – because God is breaking into our lives and into this world anew.
While this is a strange year, the ministry He gives us remains the same. We will prepare him room in our hearts by taking on the ministry Jesus demands of us: feed those who are hungry; welcome the stranger; clothe those who are naked; heal those who are sick; visit the prisoner. Love God. Love your neighbor. Sing joy into this old world. Prepare him room.
St. Luke writes of the first Christmas, “[Mary] gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” There, in the simplest bed, in the cool of the night, in a trough, in bands of cloth, lies the One for whom no room was made. And yet strangely, there lies the One whom not even the universe can contain.
Joy to the world! The Lord is come. In your hearts, in your homes, in your lives, prepare him room.
God love you; God bless you; and may God hold us all in those almighty hands of love.
The Most Rev. Michael B. Curry
Presiding Bishop and Primate
The Episcopal Church
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Ecumenical partners offer Advent message
Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop and Primate Michael Curry and the leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the Anglican Church of Canada and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada have joined together to offer an Advent message.
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Fourth season of ‘The Way of Love with Bishop Michael Curry’ podcast continues - Worshipping in the Black Church Tradition with the Very Rev. Kelly Brown Douglas Season 4, Episode 3 of The Episcopal Church’s podcast The Way of Love with Bishop Michael Curry, is now available. In this episode, Bishop Curry talks with the Very Rev. Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas, Dean of the Episcopal Divinity School at Union Theological Seminary. This audio comes from the 2020 International Black Clergy Conference, presented by The Episcopal Church’s Office of Black Ministries.
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National Cathedral tolls bell 300 times as United States passes 300,000 COVID-19 deaths
Washington National Cathedral on Dec. 15 tolled its bell 300 times, once for every 1,000 people who have died from COVID-19 in the United States, as another grim milestone in the pandemic coincided this week with the promise of hope offered by a vaccine.
“The climbing death toll from this pandemic seems disturbingly routine. How awful that is,” National Cathedral Dean Randy Hollerith said in a written statement.
“The Christian faith teaches that each person is a beloved child of God, and that my well-being is deeply connected to your well-being. We are not lone individuals free from responsibility; rather, we are dependent upon one another for our very lives and commanded to love our neighbors as ourselves.” Read more here.
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COVID-19 surge forces new suspensions of in-person worship as Episcopalians look to Christmas
Advent and Christmas services are among the most anticipated of the liturgical year. This year is no exception, but with COVID-19 cases spiking across the United States and worldwide, some Episcopal dioceses are suspending in-person worship – even if it means celebrating the birth of Jesus online. Read more here.
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Merry Christmas from the UTO Board and Staff!
Even in these trying times, we pray that you will find moments filled with joy, laughter, and hope—and be grateful.
Remember, you can still make a thank offering online through the end of the year by texting INGATHER to 41444 or visiting www.unitedthankoffering.org/give. 100% of all donations collected in 2020 will be awarded in the Spring of 2021 to support ministries addressing COVID-19.
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Living Church Foundation Launches Premium Sermon Resource
The Living Church Foundation is proud to announce the launch of The Living Word Plus, a premium version of its free sermon resource, The Living Word (TLW).
Every Monday morning, subscribers to TLW+ will receive a package of materials related to the lectionary readings for the coming Sunday. These resources are carefully curated by the editors of the Living Church, designed for preachers, teachers, and anyone seeking to read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest the Sunday lectionary readings. Read more here.
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Episcopal Relief & Development Launches New Online Prayer
On November 30, Episcopal Relief & Development launched a new online prayer experience. It is designed to provide a curated list of prayers to guide supporters in praying for significant seasons in The Episcopal Church, disasters and other events.
“The staff and partners of Episcopal Relief & Development first turn to prayer when a disaster strikes, and our online community responds with compassion and joins us when we post our prayers to social media,” said Sean McConnell, Senior Director, Engagement, Episcopal Relief & Development. “This tool offers a new way for our friends around the world to join us in a community of common prayers.”
Content will come from The Book of Common Prayer, and other sources such as the organization’s Anglican partners, ecumenical friends, Seminary Ministry Partners, staff members, theologians and spiritual leaders. Read more here.
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Online Advent calendar offers a glimpse into the lives of Holy Land Christians
There’s no better place to watch and wait for the birth of Jesus than the Holy Land.
Beginning on December 1 the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem (AFEDJ) will launch a Holy Land Advent calendar to offer a daily glimpse into the lives of Holy Land Christians and the humanitarian ministries of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem.
Start each day of Advent with a splash of joy by opening a door to a photo or a brief video and news from one of the Episcopal ministries in the region. Read more here.
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Teaching and Preaching: Churches Revisioning Unity in Christ through the Holidays Churches Uniting in Christ (CUIC), an ecumenical multi-lateral dialogue among ten Protestant faith communions in the USA announces the release of new, ecumenical resources for local congregations to utilize during the upcoming holiday season. Read more here.
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Looking Ahead: 80th General Convention Set for July 7-14, 2022 in Baltimore
A letter to Episcopalians from Presiding Bishop Michael B. Curry and President of the House of Deputies the Rev. Gay Clark Jennings.
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Save the Date SUMMA Theological Debate Summer Camp, July 20–28, 2021
The SUMMA Theological Debate Summer Camp brings together high school students from across the country to one of the largest and most beautiful college campuses anywhere – the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. By exploring life’s biggest questions through theological debate, we broaden students’ understanding of Christianity and its enduring power to speak the truth in love.
SUMMA Camp will be held July 20–28, 2021 at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee.
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CEEP Network Announces 2021 Digital Conference; Archbishop of Canterbury, Presiding Bishop among keynote speakers
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael B. Curry will be among the keynote speakers at the 36th annual conference of The CEEP Network, meeting digitally for the first time in 2021, according to Joe Swimmer, executive director.
Other keynote speakers at the March 3-5, 2021 conference will include Dr. Catherine Meeks, executive director, Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing (Atlanta); Darren Walker, president, Ford Foundation (New York); and the Rev. Sam Wells, vicar, St. Martin-in-the Fields (London).
“The CEEP Network is honored to present the most influential thought leaders in the church today to share their wisdom and insights on the future of the church in the context of the dramatic social and economic changes taking place in our country and around the world today,” said Swimmer. Read more here.
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Episcopal Relief & Development kicks off year-end match challenge to benefit global development programs
Episcopal Relief & Development launched the organization’s annual Year-End Match Challenge on Nov. 5. Thanks to a generous group of donors, all donations to the agency between now and Dec. 31 will be matched, dollar for dollar, up to a total of $765,000.
“As Episcopal Relief & Development has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic this year, we have remained fully committed to our ongoing development efforts,” said Robert W. Radtke, President & CEO, Episcopal Relief & Development. “This matching opportunity comes at a moment when it is deeply needed and I am immensely grateful to the generous donors who have offered it.”
The Year-End Match Challenge will benefit the organization’s Global Needs Fund, strengthening key programs in three priority areas: women, children and climate. Donations will enable work around the world with local partners, helping communities overcome poverty, hunger, disaster and disease. Matched gifts will also help as Episcopal Relief & Development continues to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic with financial and technical support in the United States and around the world. Read more here.
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‘Tell Me Something Good,’ a new web series from The Episcopal Church
Tell Me Something Good, a new web series from The Episcopal Church, highlights positive stories from around the church through conversations with a variety of guests. New episodes of Tell Me Something Good will be released every two weeks. Each episode is available for viewing on The Episcopal Church website here, on Facebook here, and on Instagram TV, @theepiscopalchurch.
Hosted by Jerusalem Greer, Episcopal Church staff officer for evangelism and the Rev. Marcus Halley, dean of formation of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut, Tell Me Something Good seeks, names and celebrates Jesus’ loving presence in the stories of people from all over the church, and invites everyone to MORE! Read more here.
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Showing Up for Each Other: Conversations with Episcopal Missionaries
The Episcopal Church Global Partnerships Office presents a new webinar series, Showing Up for Each Other: Conversations with Episcopal Missionaries, this November and December. Members of the Young Adult Service Corps (YASC) and Episcopal Volunteers in Mission (EVIM) will share stories and lessons they have learned through walking alongside partners across the worldwide Anglican Communion. Read more here.
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Preparing to Become the Beloved Community
curriculum revised for Advent 2020
New and updated Advent and Christmas resources for congregations, dioceses, and communities of faith are available, with additional resources coming soon. Available now: Preparing to Become the Beloved Community Advent curriculum; Way of Love Digital Invitation Kit; updated Journeying the Way of Love Advent calendar and curriculum; AdventWord 2020; Episcopal Migration Ministries Refugee Prayer Vigil. And be sure to sign up for daily Advent and Christmas emails. Find Advent and Christmas resources from The Episcopal Church here. Read more here.
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Sow Seeds of Resilience this Advent with Episcopal Relief & Development's Gifts for Life Catalog
This holiday season, Episcopal Relief & Development invites supporters and congregations to sow seeds of resilience in communities around the world by giving a gift from Gifts for Life, the organization’s alternative gift catalog.
Gifts for Life enables individuals and groups to transform lives in communities worldwide through the purchase of a wide range of gift offerings to support those communities. The 2020 catalog features new offerings such as the ONE THOUSAND DAYS OF LOVE package, which supports the organization’s campaign to expand its work with communities and families to help children up to age six so they can thrive and achieve their full potential. Read more here.
Episcopal Relief & Development Celebrates One Year of the ONE THOUSAND DAYS OF LOVE Campaign by Debuting New Digital Resources
Episcopal Relief & Development celebrates one year of ONE THOUSAND DAYS OF LOVE by debuting new digital Advent and worship resources, as well as other toolkits for churches and supporters to use together or individually. ONE THOUSAND DAYS OF LOVE is a three year, $3 million grassroots Church-wide fundraising campaign dedicated to expanding the organization’s global programs improving the lives of children up to age six. Read more here.
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Welcome to For People, a conversation with Bishop Rob Wright, spiritual leader to the more than 50,000 people in the 117 worshipping communities of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta. In this podcast, Bishop Wright meets listeners at the crossroads of faith and life to explore the challenges of an ever-changing world. Listen in to find out how he expands on his For Faith devotional, drawing inspiration from the life of Jesus to answer 21st-century questions. Listen Now
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