Announcements

The Office of the Bishop will close at noon on Tuesday, November 24, for the Thanksgiving holiday. The office will reopen on Monday, November 30. May blessing follow blessing, and your heart be filled with thanksgiving!
COVID-19 Guidelines for Worship
Distance
Important Update: The State of Louisiana continues in Phase 3 of the plan to reopen businesses and public spaces. Based upon the Governor’s Phase 3 proclamation, as well as the most recent guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and the Louisiana Department of Health. Click here to view the updated Guidelines for Churches in the Diocese of Western Louisiana until further notice.

Stay in the know of the latest updates to diocesan and state guidelines by visiting the COVID-19 resource page on the diocesan website. Check back frequently as we will be updating this page as new developments occur.
Diocesan Staff Continue to Work from Home
Due to the continued rise in COVID-19 infection rates, the diocesan team will work from home. This is a small, but big change in keeping staff members safe and doing our part to slow the spread of the virus.

Diocesan Staff are remotely checking office voicemails twice a day during regular business hours. They also remain accessible via email and online meeting platforms.
Diocesan Events
Save the Date!
Virtual Diocesan Convention
February 20, 2021

This year has brought many changes to how we gather. To continue the best practice of protecting our neighbors, the 2021 Diocesan Convention will be held completely online. We understand that this is a big adjustment. But not to worry! The diocesan staff will be here to support you along the way. Stay tuned for details!
Around the Diocese
What Gratitude Looks Like
A big thank you from two of the 50 residents of Central Louisiana who received flood clean up kits containing supplies purchased with donations to our Hurricane Relief Fund!
Online Giving
Hurricane Relief Fund
Donations will directly assist churches, diocesan ministries/organizations, and local communities affected by Hurricanes Laura and Delta.
For Congregations and Diocesan Ministries
Online giving remains available! The diocese is providing this service during the COVID-19 pandemic to help you stay connected to your congregation by providing financial support directly to it. When you give through this site, we will send your gift to the church that you designate. You can also give a gift to the Diocese so that the Bishop can respond to critical needs in Louisiana and beyond from his ministry fund. Know that we love you and that you remain in our prayers. Stay well. And thank you for your generosity!
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Outside the Diocese
National Cathedral’s Interfaith Prayer Service takes America on Journey from Grief to Hope


On Nov. 1, with the most turbulent U.S. election in recent memory two days away and the COVID-19 pandemic causing widespread suffering and death, thousands of Americans tuned in to Washington National Cathedral's virtual...

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www.episcopalnewsservice.org
Resources
Advent Resource Hub
The journey into the mystery of the Incarnation, Jesus, the Word made flesh, begins with Advent. In the four weeks leading to Christmas, we slow down and make time to be still and reflect on God’s loving presence. This year, Advent starts on Sunday, November 29th.

Below you will find resources for individuals and faith communities to prepare anew to receive God’s love made manifest in Jesus Christ. Check back each week to discover something new!
Prayer Cards
Home devotions deepen our faith by inviting God into our everyday lives and reflecting on God’s actions in the world. As you begin putting together materials for Advent, you might find a use for these prayer cards from My Faith, My Life. Written specifically to be used during this liturgical season—over dinner, before bedtime, in the car, or just anytime—these cards are ready to download and print, back to back and cut into four. Versions available for children, teens, and adults.
Digital Resources
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A variety of digital Advent resources compiled in one list provided by Vibrant Faith. Some of these resources have not been published yet, but they are annual resources so check-in throughout November to find the 2020 versions.
Bishop Owensby's Latest Blog Post
It's a Gift

Hardly a day goes by that my maternal grandmother doesn't come to mind. She's been gone a while now. And yet I clearly remember coming home one night from a philosophy lecture to hear the news that she had died unexpectedly. I slumped into a...

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jakeowensby.com