June 21, 2023 | Volume 13, No. 25

Youth delegation headed to EYE

The Episcopal Youth Event, EYE, is the second largest regular gathering of the Episcopal Church. Held every three years, this event is for youth in grades 9-12, and brings together youth, youth leaders, clergy, and bishops (including Bishop Logue) from all over the Episcopal Church. And the Diocese of Georgia will be there!

The diocese will be proudly represented by 16 youth and 4 adults, and 1 bishop in Maryland, ready to learn more about themselves, each other, and the Church. The Diocese of Georgia group has members from Augusta, Savannah, Cochran, Valdosta, Griffin, Thomasville, Waycross, and Albany. In conversations leading up to this trip, many youth mentioned how they're excited to experience the larger Church.

Joining Canon Joshua Varner as adult participants are Communications Manager Liz Williams, Jody Grant from Our Savior in Martinez, and the Rev. Shayna Cranford from Trinity in Cochran. Williams is excited to take this group of youth to Maryland this year, especially as this group has varying degrees of involvement in diocesan youth programs. "I always love having the opportunity to show teenagers how big the Episcopal Church really is, outside of their experience in their hometowns and at youth events. It's fun to see them really grasp the expansiveness of their church community," said Williams.

The event begins on July 4 and will end on July 8. Your prayers and well wishes are welcome!

AlertMedia test message

The diocesan office will conduct a test run of the AlertMedia system on Thursday morning at 10:00am. This is the best way for diocesan staff to immediately reach our congregation leadership and clergy in the event of a natural disaster.

The message will go out via text and email to clergy and wardens. If your parish has not updated the information for 2023 yet, click here for the Google form.

Join RJGA for July book discussion

On Thursday evenings in July, Racial Justice Georgia will be hosting a Zoom-based discussion series of Melissa Fay Greene's Praying for Sheetrock--a gripping account of the struggle for civil rights in McIntosh County, Georgia.

The book can be ordered through Amazon, Indiebound, and Barnes & Noble. Reading schedule and Zoom link will be in next week's From the Field.

Register for Family Camp!

Spots are still available Family Camp at Honey Creek! Families of all ages and sizes are invited to spend a weekend at Honey Creek doing all the fun Honey Creek summer camp activities - Chapel, swimming, arts and crafts, and, of course, s'mores.

Held July 14-16, the weekend will offer time for fun, rest, and relaxation for all ages. For more information, contact Canon Varner at jvarner@gaepiscopal.org.

To register visit gaepiscopal.org/youth.

Episcopal Cursillo Ministry National Conference

The national commission for the Episcopal Cursillo Ministry presents the first annual conference since 2019, Come to the Holy Hill. The conference will take place September 21-23, 2023 at Virginia Theological Seminary. To view all conference details, including the schedule and workshop sessions, visit episcopalcursilloministry.org.

Any cursillistas or fourth day group like Walk to Emmaus are welcome and encouraged to attend. Can't wait to see you there!

Across the Diocese

Holy Comforter Martinez and Our Savior Martinez held a joint Vacation Bible School.

St. Anne's in Tifton sent a group of youth and adults on a mission trip with the Appalachia Service Project. This week they are serving in Tennessee.

Youth from the Augusta Convocation enjoyed a day paddling on the Broad River.

Christ Episcopal Church in Dublin participated in the annual Pride events.

The Rev. Joe Bowden and his friends blessed a prayer shawl for a much-loved parishioner during a service at Church of the Good Shepherd in Augusta.

Communications Manager Liz Williams attended the Gathering of Leaders conference in Chicago this week, where she found some of her fellow Episcopal Communicators were also participants. Pictured l-r: Katie Clark, Canon for Communications for the Diocese of Maine and Director of Communications for the Diocese of New Hampshire, Kjerstin Besser, Associate Program Director of Adapative Ministries and Communications at the Episcopal Church Foundation, Katie Sherrod, Communications Director for St. Luke's in the Meadow in Fort Worth, TX, Liz Williams, and Jeremy Tackett, Senior Manager for Creative Services and Digital Evangelist for The Episcopal Church.

Upcoming Events

Summer Camp at Honey Creek

Family Camp: July 14-16

Register at gaepiscopal.org/youth.

Funeral for the Rev. Judy Jones Keith

August 5 at 11 a.m.

Bishop Frank Logue will officiate and preach the funeral for the Rev. Judy Jones Keith at St. Thomas in Thomasville. Clergy are encouraged to to vest in cassock, surplice, and white stoles.

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.



Diocesan Convention

November 9-11, 2023

Registration will be open this summer.

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.   

June 25 - July 1

In our diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for our congregation in Pooler, St. Patrick’s. We also pray for our ecumenical partners, especially Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Garden City and Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Port Wentworth. In our companion diocese of the Dominican Republic, we pray for St. Mary, Full of Grace (Santa María Llena de Gracia) in Mao. 

July 2 - 8

In our diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for our congregation in Richmond Hill, St. Elizabeth of Hungary. We also pray for our ecumenical partners in Richmond Hill, especially Spirit of Peace Lutheran Church and St. Anne’s Catholic Church. In our companion diocese of the Dominican Republic, we pray for St. Mary the Virgin (Santa María Virgen) in Monte Llano. 

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 make his visitation to Grace in Waycross on Sunday. He will join the Diocesan Council via Zoom on Tuesday evening.

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

Picture: Bishop Logue with the altar party at St. James in Quitman, the Rev. Jim Elliott, the Venerable Yvette Owens, and Pam Guice.

Communications Manager Liz Williams returns from Chicago today from the Gathering of Leaders conference.

Canon Lasch is celebrating and preaching at St. Thomas Isle of Hope in Savannah on Sunday. She is attending the Diocesan Council Zoom meeting on Tuesday evening.

Canon Varner will be at Honey Creek on Friday to help wrap up Camp Sts. Joseph and Mary. He will be attending the Diocesan Council Zoom meeting on Tuesday evening.

The office has instituted summer office hours of closing at noon on Fridays.

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.

Three couples at St. Philip's in Hinesville celebrated their wedding anniversaries by reaffirming their wedding vows! Pictured l-r: Jack and Suzanne Stephens, Jeff and Michelle Ricketson, and Leonel and Monica Marulanda with the Rev. Jose Vilar and Lay Eucharistic Minister Michael Leonard.