The topic for the next set of Zoom gatherings will be our bishop search. Bishop Price will be joined by members of the Standing Committee to talk about our search process, the diocesan-wide survey and next steps. Mark your calendar!

Churches that need help with equipment or consulting for live streaming or other IT needs to assist them in offering their services and meetings virtually should contact the Rev. Canon John Johanssen in the bishop's office, at jjohanssen@diosohio.org.

A reminder that congregations should fill out the Annual Reporting Form immediately after their annual meeting, or no later than April 1. This form includes contact information, lay leadership, ministry leaders, facilities information, human resources and financial information that is essential for the bishop's office to better serve our congregations. The form can be accessed on the Resources page of our website. (Scroll down to Forms)

Churches that wish to participate in the Mission Share Incentive Plan to receive a rebate on their 2021 Mission Share must meet the deadline date of April 1 to be eligible.

Training consists of viewing a short video, then attending a full-day workshop. Advance registration is required. BEFORE REGISTERING for the workshop, you must watch one of the pre-training videos available on the DSO Learning Portal in the Anti-Racism pre-training section. You will be asked for feedback on the video you watch on your registration form.

If you are unable to make this training, please visit the Absalom Jones Center for Racial Justice and Healing in Atlanta for online training, which currently is also accepted as official training for our diocese. No in-person training is available at this time.

Ohio House HB 99 permits schools to arm staff with only eight hours of safety training. How to testify this week: The House Criminal Justice Committee is again debating a bill that would drastically reduce required safety training to only eight hours of concealed carry training for teachers and staff to carry loaded guns in schools. Current Ohio law requires 728 hours of approved basic peace officer training or 20 years active duty as a peace officer. Because children of color are disproportionately treated as severe discipline risks in American schools, this policy is especially dangerous for them if teachers react with a fight or flight response.

The hearing is this coming Thursday, March 25. Testimony has to be submitted by 11 a.m. on Wednesday to become part of the public record. Citizen concerns did influence some committee members last year to not advance the previous bill, SB 317, and could help stop this bill again. Read here for instructions on how to submit testimony and more background on the bill.

Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87620914172

See our webpage for more info.

Guest speaker: Michelle Synder of Soul Shop: Faith Based Suicide Prevention

Project Resource is the stewardship formation offering of the College for Bishops. At a time when many of our resources, both denominational and ecumenical, in this area are contracting, Project Resource has proven success in being an effective and enduring set of practices for changing the culture of giving in congregations.

Being good stewards of the bounty God has placed in our hands has been our struggle from the earliest days of the Church. But if we have learned anything from the past year, it is that we cannot continue to do what we have done before. We must learn contextually appropriate strategies that reflect the diversity of our beloved community. We must learn to do a new thing. Project Resource is that new thing.

Project Resource teaches us to consider not how to raise money in our congregations, but why the bounty God has given us is not flowing where it needs to and what we can do to remove the barriers that keep it from serving the Kingdom. Stewardship that emerges from a deeper understanding of our own narratives and contexts is by its nature agile and responds to the needs of the community as it changes and grows.

Contextual, nimble, and adaptive ministries are the way forward for our congregations. Project Resource is that ministry in the area of stewardship.

Project Resource has been training ministry teams in the Episcopal Church since 2015 and continues to provide interactive, practice-oriented, research-based formation in the hope that every individual and congregation may both explore its money narratives and, when appropriate, establish healthy new ones. In doing so, congregations find themselves in right relationship to the bounty of God’s love and free to use that bounty in the service of God’s mission.

An online conference is being held in Spring 2021 for six consecutive Sundays (begins two weeks after Easter):

Sundays, April 18 to May 23, Online via Zoom

2 to 3:30 p.m. PT / 3:00 to 4:30 pm MT / 4:00 to 5:30 pm CT / 5:00 to 6:30 pm ET

Cost is $450 for a team of 3 participants; $125 for each additional participant.

For more information and to register, please visit Project-Resource.org/spring2021.

In addition to the many wonderful offerings happening around the diocese, Christ Church Cathedral would like to welcome you and your families to our Holy Week and Easter services. Services will be held both in person and online, so you can choose the worship experience that is right for you. All are welcome! Details available at cincinnaticathedral.com.

Christ Church Cathedral is located at 318 E 4th Street in downtown Cincinnati. For more information, news and events, visit cincinnaticathedral.com.

Please join us for the Virtual Annual Meeting of the Society of St. Simeon and St. Anna on Tuesday, April 20, 2021 on Zoom

10 a.m.: Welcome and Morning Prayer

10:30 a.m.: Induction of New Members

While we are still unable to be together in person for this very important event; we want to gather virtually to accept our newly inducted members and honor our existing members. Register in advance for this gathering here.

If you need assistance using Zoom, please contact Ann Sabo at asabo@diosohio.org or by calling 513-421-0311. We hope to see you there!

For more information and to register, go to https://cmep.org/event/women-peacemakers-webinar/

Next Connections: A Year in Isolation

The Spring 2021 issue of Connections will center on the theme, A Year in Isolation: Stories of Loss, Resilience and Hope. Do you have a story to share? Submission deadline for this issue is April 9.

Submissions for Connections must include a name, phone number and contact email for verification. We reserve the right to edit material submitted for publication. A full two-page spread article with art is approximately 1200 -1400 words, a single page is approximately 600 words. Pictures must be high-resolution .jpeg files (minimum 300 dpi) sent as separate attachments, not embedded in a document file.

For questions or to submit items for publication, contact Connections editor Julie Murray at jmurray@diosohio.org.

Follow the latest news of The Episcopal Church at Episcopal News Service: https://www.episcopalnewsservice.org

Ascension & Holy Trinity, Wyoming

Bethany School

Diocese of Southern Ohio

Grace Church, College Hill

St. Paul's, Oakwood (Dayton)

St. Barnabas, Montgomery

See all job opportunities at https://episcopaliansinconnection.org/job-opportunities/. Need a job posted? Send your information to communication@diosohio.org.