Volume 25, January 20, 2021 |
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The Bishop’s Institute for Ministry and Leadership was established in 2015 in the Episcopal Diocese of Florida to provide opportunities to develop lay and clergy leadership in the Diocese; to prepare candidates for ordination to the vocational diaconate and the local priesthood; to prepare candidates for licensed lay ministries and to be a focus for the continuing education for laity and clergy alike. |
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New Year
January marks the start of a new year. It is also the month of my birthday (January 25th). Both a new year and a birthday month make me acutely aware of time. Indeed, as I get older, the existential question, ‘What is Time?’ becomes acute.
The month January takes its name from the Roman god Janus, the god of ‘openings’ and the god of ‘gates’. And as the god of ‘openings’ he was prayed to at the start of any new undertaking. Above all, he was the protector of the archway through which the army marched out to war.
Many of us have great expectations that 2021 will be a better year in light of the difficulties and challenges of 2020. Yet we don’t really know what 2021 will bring.
I saw a cartoon at the start of January that showed a man staring out his living room window. His wife, sitting on the sofa holding a newspaper, pauses to hear him say, ‘Now a ghastly South African strain of Covid and EVEN tougher restrictions. God, I miss 2020!’. Had he added to his words frustration with the distribution of vaccinations and our political and social unrest he would have got it about right.
In 1939, in the annual Christmas address the British monarch makes to the nation, King George VI spoke to his people mindful that, already engaged in war with Germany, their new year would bring many trials and challenges. He believed that they were fighting for the very survival of truth and justice. In that vein, he shared with them some of his favorite verse:
I said to the man who stood at the Gate of the Year,
"Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown."
And he replied, "Go out into the darkness, and put your hand into the hand of God.
That shall be to you better than light, and safer than a known way."
May that Almighty Hand guide and uphold us all.
The lines were by Minnie Haskins (1875-1957) who taught in the social sciences department of the London School of Economics. They came from a poem of hers called "God Knows", in a collection, The Desert, published in 1908. Neither poem nor author was previously well known.
January is the month in which we celebrate the feast and season of Epiphany, the season of hope in which we proclaim Christ as ‘the Light of the World’.
This Epiphany season I am taking my turn in one of our churches, alongside their clergy, teaching Paul’s letter to the Galatians. Paul’s letter has one over-riding message, as one Christian apologist has so aptly put it: ‘For Paul there was only one reality, grace, and it was by way of surrender to that grace that all men must come.’ The grace of God in Christ is the foundation of our freedom. Christ has set us free for freedom itself as over-against all the earthly powers, plagues and broken promises that hold us enthralled and enslaved.
Pray that in this Epiphany season, and throughout 2021, we may experience all the more and ever anew, that grace of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Douglas Dupree
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O LORD GOD, who gavest to wise men of old a glorious star to lead them to the Christ: Grant that we whom thou hast given a yet more glorious sign, even his holy Cross, may follow and be led by it the whole way to our salvation and thy heaven: through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.
*”By a Star the Wise Men knew him, and this was a sign given of the Lord, heavenly and glorious. He would not have a star to be on the foreheads of his believers as a sign, but a Cross”. St Augustine of Hippo
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Making Meaning Through Our Story |
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A Leadership Success Story |
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Article by Dale Beaman, MPH, PCC, Executive Coach & Leadership Development Expert
Developing leaders in our Diocese is an important pillar for expanding growth and evangelism. With the tremendous leadership talent residing in our own Diocese, we want to share our own success stories that inspire hope and new possibilities.
For this article, I interviewed The Rev. Canon Beth Tjoflat, the vicar for St. Mary’s and Canon for Urban Ministry for the Episcopal Diocese of Florida. You will learn ways that she has continued to reach people during these unprecedented times along with some leadership insights that she has gained through her ministries.
Mtr. Beth is particularly well-known in our Diocese for her innovative urban ministry, Church Without Walls, now an integral part of St. Mary’s.
The Rev. Canon Beth Tjoflat founded the Church Without Walls Ministry in 2012
This inner-city ministry is known as a beacon of light in the community. The mission is to encounter and share Jesus by building community “with the least” among us. Beth felt deeply called to outdoors ministry and to serve the poor.
Mtr. Beth shared, “The Church Without Walls street ministry has been a valuable way to learn how to strip away everything that we may love about church that is not essential. We are able to get to the heart of the Gospel and share it in ways that bring meaning to peoples’ lives. It might just be sharing scripture along with the bread of life and fruit of the vine on a rolling tabernacle cart.”
“Because of the pandemic, giving is down in many churches. The pandemic has required us to think about the necessities for ministry. Our mantra has become … Is it a preference or do we need to do this? We want to preserve what is essential.”
The Rev. Cn. Beth Tjoflat is a “Meaning Maker.” In her chaplaincy, she trained herself and others in “meaning making.” This work guides people in crisis to discern the meaning of their experience and discover where God is in all of their life. Her vision for St. Mary’s is to provide a residence for lay and ordained ministers or those considering ordination to come for discernment and connect with social service agencies to do ministry in the urban community. The church also has plans to create a nurturing space for retreats where groups including missions and vestries can come to reflect on how God is working in their lives and ministry. This work connects with her calling to own and express her gifts and help others to do the same.
Our Story is our greatest asset. Beth has learned that connecting people to their personal story is a vital part of supporting them in finding meaning in their lives. In giving voice to their story, they discover their passion, gifts, and legacy. Prior to becoming ordained, she worked as the Chair and Chief Development Officer at Mayo Florida. She rarely had to ask for money. She was passionate about helping people tell their story and share a vision that connected them to their legacy and financial gift. Her work has always had a pastoral edge - this has never changed.
She also says, “People in the pews are itching to do something that matters, especially with the pandemic where people feel disconnected. People are looking for things that are relevant. Our role as clergy is to help people connect with their gifts and build confidence to express them.”
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Frequently I hear people say how much they miss the wider fellowship their church provides when we are all together, young and old, gathered around the altar. Missing the physical gatherings in church includes for many of us in the Diocese gathering at our Camp and Conference Center.
Our guest quiz setter this month is, lawyer and Jacksonville civic and lay church leader, Doug Milne. He has set some very fine and informative questions about Camp Weed and Cerveny Conference Center.
Allison +
QUESTIONS
CAMP WEED
Questions set by Doug Milne
The Diocese of Florida's Camp Weed and Cerveny Conference Center is nothing short of a treasure. A place which has meant a great deal to many, young and old, for nearly 100 years. You couldn't find a single institution which has provided more life-enriching opportunities than "dear ol' Camp”.
Q. Has Camp always been where it is today, in Suwanne County?
Q. What are some names associated with Camp's early history?
Q. Who was Camp named for? What about the Conference Center?
Q. What about the Celtic Cross?
Q. What are examples of events, besides camping, which are provided at the Camp, and the Conference Center?
Q. How many cabins are there, and how many campers can enjoy the camp at one time?
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THE BISHOP’S INSTITUTE FOR MINISTRY AND LEADERSHIP
Presents for the Episcopal Diocese of Florida
A 2021 course to prepare laypersons for the Bishop’s License for
Lay Pastoral Care Minister
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What is a Licensed Lay Pastoral Care Minister (LPCM)? Title III: Ministry
Canon 4: Of Licensed Ministries, Sec. 1 (a) allows that “a confirmed communicant in good standing or, in extraordinary circumstances, subject to guide- lines established by the Bishop, a communicant in good standing, may be licensed by the Ecclesiastical Authority to serve as Pastoral Leader”.
This course will be idea for a lay person who is already serving or plans to serve in some area of ministry in their parish or in an outreach program of their parish that involves working with others who may turn to them and ask for support. The course is designed to assist lay persons in establishing a spiritual presence; making visits in the home, hospital, facility, or hospice; companioning rather than fixing and knowing appropriate boundaries in listening and responding to others. The course is designed to familiarize the lay person with the pastoral resources of The Book of Common Prayer and to find the spiritual resources open to them in Scripture, prayer and worship.
How long is the Bishop’s License valid? Upon successful completion of the course, the person is Licensed by the Bishop for a period of 5 years and may be renewed. The license may be renewed based on the performance of the ministry by the person licensed, continuing education in the licensed area, and the endorsement of the Member of the Clergy or other leader exercising oversight of the congregation in which the person is serving.
Time frame for these courses: The LPCM course will be taught from February – December 2021 with July off.
Where and when: One class is held per month on a Saturday from 9.30 a.m. – 3p.m. (with lunch provided) at the Diocesan Office, 325 North Market Street, Jacksonville, 32202 in the Milam Room. Safety protocols (temperature check, masks and social distancing, etc) will be in effect. The Saturday dates are: February 20; March 20; April 17; May 15; June 19; August 21; September 18; October 16; November 20 and December 4.
How many modules are to be completed for the Bishop’s License? There are ten modules that includes an introduction to pastoral care and a course evaluation at completion. The BCP pastoral offices are an integral part of the course as is worship and centering prayer a regular feature of the course lessons, seminars and practicums. A link to the syllabus is found at the end of this article.
The Tutors. The course designer and lead tutor is Laura Magevney, JD, M.Div. (Vanderbilt University). Laura has advanced CPE chaplaincy training and served for more than a decade as a full time Christian education coordinator. She is a member of St Mary’s Church, Springfield and is a candidate for ordination to the priesthood.
Other tutors are drawn primarily from within the Diocese. They include the Dean, Kate Moorehead and Marsha Holmes who led pastoral care at Christ Church, Ponte Vedra for a goodly number of years.
Cost: The cost per student is $350 for the course and includes the cost of the student worksheets; handouts; additional printing; tutors’ honorariums and expenses; lunches and any other costs to the Bishop’s Institute. Limited scholarships are available. The overall fee may be made in up to four installments, i.e. with a down payment of $50 by January 25, 2021 with registration and the remainder by October 1, 2021. NB Prospective students might ask their Rector or Vicar for their respective church to sponsor them for the course or part of it.
Safeguarding. A licensed LPCM must complete and comply with the guidelines for the Safeguarding God’s People and Safeguarding God’s children programs. Contact Mrs Sue Engemann at the Diocesan Office for details.
Endorsement by the applicant’s Rector, Vicar or Priest-in-Charge is required for enrollment in the course. The endorsing clergy person affirms that the applicant is an adult in good standing in the parish and that he or she endorses the applicant for this ministry. This is necessary because the Licensed lay pastoral care minister serves under the direction and at the discretion of his or her parish clergy leader.
Application form. To receive an application please email Mrs Sue Engemann: sengemann@diocesefl.org. On completing the application form please return it to Mrs Engemann by email attachment or by mail to: Mrs. Sue Engemann, Episcopal Diocese of Florida, 325 N. Market Street, Jacksonville, Fl 32202.
Further questions. If the applicant or the applicant’s clergy should have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact either Mrs Engemann (email listed above) or the Rev. Canon Douglas Dupree: ddupree@diocesefl.org or either by telephone: (904) 325-1328.
Click here for the syllabus and a full description of the course and for the required reading list.
Click here to register for this course.
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SPRING CLERGY RETREAT
Camp Weed and Cerveny Conference Center
February 18-19, 2021
In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength. Isaiah 30.15
In place of the regular Spring Clergy Conference that takes place each Lent with a schedule, program and speakers, Bishop Howard, after weighing where we yet find ourselves at the start of 2021 remaining vigilant and cautious in the light of Covid, has decided to follow the pattern set for the Fall Clergy Conference 2020 and offer the invitation for clergy to simply come away for 24 hours to the peace and quiet of Camp Weed for rest and fellowship without an agenda: simply rest, enjoy one another’s company and enjoy good food prepared by Chef Ed.
Attendance is entirely voluntary for those who might like to come. The registration cost is below. The Camp has assured us that CWCC is able to provide a clean environment in the bedrooms and in the conference rooms and dining hall.
The physical distancing protocols, face masks and temperature check on registration will be observed during this clergy quiet time retreat. On Friday clergy will have an opportunity to re-affirm their ordination vows and have their stock of Oils blessed by the Bishop.
The cost per person is $140 that includes the social hour, all five meals and a single room for Thursday night. You may register for Thursday or Friday only for $24 each day (and that includes lunch and afternoon or morning coffee). Some scholarship money is available on request from Bishop Howard if a priest or deacon would like to attend but the cost is prohibitive to either the individual or his or her church. To register go to Camp Weed website: http://www.campweed.org/ or contact Gina Hoover, Administrator at Camp Weed: 386 364-5250 or regina@campweed.org
SPRING CLERGY RETREAT
February 18-19, 2021
SCHEDULE
Thursday, February 18, 2021
10 a.m.-12 p.m. --- Registration
12-1 p.m. --- Lunch in Varn Hall
1-6 p.m. --- Free time*
6 p.m. --- Evening Prayer
6:30 p.m. --- Social gathering on the Terrace
7 p.m. --- Dinner in Varn Hall
Friday, February 19, 2021
7:30 a.m. --- Morning Prayer in Young Room
8 a.m. --- Breakfast in Varn Hall
9-11 a.m. --- Free time
11 a.m.- 12 p.m. --- Holy Eucharist w/ Clergy re-affirmation of vows and Blessing of Oils
12-1 p.m. --- Lunch in Varn Hall
*Bishop Howard will be available for individual meetings with clergy during the afternoon. You can make a reservation with him by email in advance or at lunch on February 18th.
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