February 16, 2022 | Volume 12, No. 7

During the 2021 Diocesan Convention that met in November, delegates considered a package of changes to the Constitution and Canons of the Diocese. After passing two amendments and postponing a third, the Convention passed the resolution on a first reading. The proposed changes will come before the Convention this November.

Changes to the Constitution must pass in the same form at two consecutive Conventions in order to go into effect. The Canons of the Diocese, however, may be changed by any single Convention. At its January meeting, the Diocesan Council approved a plan for orderly consideration of additional amendments to the proposed changes. (pictured here: The Rev. Nick Roosevelt, Chair of the Task Group on Canonical Changes, addresses the 2021 Convention.)

Background

After years of piecemeal changes to the Constitution and Canons, the governing documents of the Diocese had some internal inconsistencies and an increased lack of clarity. To address these issues, Bishop Logue worked with the Diocesan Council to form a Task Group to conduct a thorough review. That Task Group reviewed not only our canons, but those of other Episcopal dioceses and the governing documents of other non-profits. The Task Group proposed changes to make the canons clean, flexible, and clear while also providing room for turnover in roles to include more people in the governance of the Diocese.

The changes were approved by Diocesan Council and recommended by the Committee on Constitution and Canons prior to consideration by the Convention. By design, none of the changes go into effect unless the entire package of changes is approved on a second reading at the Convention in 2022. Bishop Logue is appointing a Task Group to shepherd the process this year, allowing time for due consideration and a a way to propose additional amendments. The Constitution and Canons as voted on by Convention in 2021 can be viewed here.

The Constitution and Canons as voted on by Convention in 2021, with all changes tracked from the previous version, can be viewed here.

Propose amendments online

The Diocese will use a Google Form to facilitate the collection of proposed amendments to the Canons. Any member of the clergy or delegate to Convention (2021 delegates remain in effect until a congregation names new delegates) may propose an amendment using this form: Proposed Amendments to Canons.

If you have any questions, please contact Canon Loren Lasch at llasch@gaepiscopal.org.

Georgia Southern University's Armstrong Center is the venue for the 201st Convention of the Diocese of Georgia which meets November 10-12, 2022. The conventions of the Diocese are on a six-year schedule, meeting in each of the six Convocations of the Diocese in turn.

This year's convention returns to Savannah to meet in a new location on the south side of the city. The Diocesan Staff is working on hotel contracts and will release blocks of rooms in March.

Chrism Mass

During Holy Week Clergy will have an opportunity to renew their ordination vows at two Chrism Mass services in which Bishop Logue will also bless holy oils. Services will take place on Monday, April 11 at St. Anne's in Tifton and on Tuesday, April 12 at Trinity in Statesboro. Both services will begin at 10:30 am.

Please register online using this Google Form so that appropriate plans can be made: Click here to register

Save the date for the Spring Clergy Retreat 

May 9-11 at Honey Creek. The retreat will offer clergy a chance to gather together to rest, worship, play, and learn together.

As each day gets a little bit longer, our thoughts turn toward summer, even while it’s still cold. And this coming summer we are planning to return to our traditional Summer Camp Season! Registration is now open! Visit honeycreek.org/camps to register for the appropriate camp sessions!

• High School Camp (Completed Grades 9-12, & graduated seniors): June 12-18
• Camp St. Peter I (Completed Grades 6-8): June 19-25
• Camp St. Joseph & Mary I (Completed Grades 3-5): June 26-July 2
• Camp St. Joseph & Mary II (Completed Grades 3-5): July 10-16
• Camp St. Peter II (Completed Grades 6-8): July 17-23

We are actively recruiting college students and others who have completed high school to serve as Summer Camp Counselors. If you are or someone you know are interested in a summer experience that can be life-changing both for yourself and for the campers, apply now! The Staff Application is available online here: https://bit.ly/HoneyCreekSummerStaffApp

Have questions about camp? About serving as a counselor? Contact Summer Camp Director Karen Bell at karenmackenziebell@gmail.com or Canon Joshua Varner at jvarner@gaepiscopal.org.

Members of St. Paul's in Albany packed 22 Valentine's Day care packages to send to their college students.

Acolyte training in full swing at St. Thomas in Thomasville.

The Rev. Guillermo Arboleda with Minister Shavonne Williams during the panel discussion for the Clergy & Policing webinar on Thursday. Minister Williams serves as the Georgia Organizing Ambassador for Faith in Public Life.

Julius Ariail and Tom Carroll prepare to livestream worship from Christ Church in Valdosta as many congregations continue to offer worship online and in person.

The Episcopal Church has launched parochial reports for 2021 data. They are due by March 1^st, 2022. The report is one of two mandatory reports due annually, including audits in September. 

The Parochial Report is completed online at: https://reports.dfms.org. Beginning in January 2022, everyone will login into this site with a unique login (usually a church or individual's email) and password. Diocesan Office staff can reset the login information for a congregation if needed. Reach out to Maggie Lyons or Daniel Garrick for support as needed (mlyons@gaepiscopal.org and dgarrick@gaepiscopal.org). 

In order to complete this report, please gather attendance, membership, and financial information. If you are unfamiliar with the process of completing the parochial report, please visit the detailed website here.

There is a helpful webcast available here: https://www.generalconvention.org/pr-screencast-for-parish-users

Registration is now open for the Diocese of Georgia's new diocesan training school called Leading With Grace. Please sign up to participate by March 4, 2022. To register, click here.

A complete year consists of four weekends, each of which will begin on Friday evening at 5 PM and will finish at 3 PM on Saturday, interspersed with prayer, small and large group discussion and practice. LWG will take place in one year cycles in four different regional centers around the diocese.

• Augusta (St. Augustine’s)
• March 18-19 or 25-26, 2022
• May 13-14, 2022
• August 19-20, 2022
• Savannah (St. Peter’s)
• March 18-19, 2022
• May 13-14, 2022
• August 19-20, 2022
• Honey Creek (Waverly, GA)
• March 18-19, 2022
• May 13-14, 2022
• August 19-20, 2022
• Western Side of the Diocese 
• St. Annes Tifton on Mar 25-26, 2022
• Christ Church Valdosta on May 20-21, 2022
• St. Paul's Albany, August 26-27, 2022

All participants and trainers will meet for their final weekend October 21-22 at Honey Creek.

The cost per parish team is:

For a team of four the fee is $ 225              

For a team of three the fee is $ 200                  

For a team of two the fee is $ 175                     

For an individual the fee is $125

Those individuals that started CDI and finished only 2 weekends will be given first priority at registration and will owe 50% of the fees above. All fees will be invoiced to respective churches. Please sign up to participate by March 4, 2022. To register, click here.

We’ll consider together, “What does faithful leadership look like

at this moment in the life of the church?”

Happening #105 is on the schedule for March 4-6, 2022 at Honey Creek! This event, led by youth for youth in grades 9-12 and offers participants (called candidates) a chance to explore their faith together, and address deep questions of piety, prayer, grace, reality, and more. It is open to any young person in Grades 9-12 who has not yet attended a Happening. The Rector of Happening #105 is Mary Margaret Lemburg, of St. Thomas, Isle of Hope.

Registration for Candidates is available here: http://bit.ly/Happening105Candidates. The event begins on Friday evening and ends with a Closing Eucharist on Sunday afternoon.

More information is also on the Georgia Happening Website: www.georgiahappening.com.

As with all Diocesan Youth Events, we will adhere to the Diocesan policies requiring Covid-19 vaccination and testing in the week prior to the event for all participants and staff. In addition, to allow for some spacing, we are limiting the total number of Candidates and Staff to fifty people.

The Georgia Happening website, georgiahappening.com, is updated and will continue to be updated as we move closer to our Happening date! 

Remember the BEST is yet to come!

• When: April 1-3, 2022
• Who: Youth in Grades 7-9
• Where: Honey Creek!
• Cost: $125 per person

New Beginnings #57, a retreat for youth currently in Grades 7-9, is open for registration. This event is led by older youth, with adult support. In a time of increased anxiety and uncertainty, New Beginnings offers young people a chance to gather at Honey Creek offers young people a chance to step back from their daily lives and reflect on some of the big issues of life, such as Family, Peer Pressure, Friends, and how the Love God has for all of us is unconditional and everlasting. Participant Registration is available here: https://bit.ly/NB57Participants. 

Applications to serve on New Beginnings Staff are also available! Any youth who has attended either New Beginnings or Happening is eligible to serve on staff. Serving on staff includes a commitment to attend the entire weekend, and to attend the staff lock-in, which is scheduled for February 25-26, 2022. The staff application is here: https://conta.cc/3IT3C0C.

The Lead Teen for New Beginnings #57 is Jake Diamond, of Christ Church, Valdosta.

St. Thomas in Savannah is looking to hire a part-time facilities administrator. The Facility Administrator provides maintenance and upkeep for the buildings and grounds of St Thomas Episcopal Church, consisting of 4 buildings, a memorial garden, and various other gardens.  The Administrator reports to the Church Rector and Parish Administrator. This is a non-exempt salaried position, part-time, expected to be 10 – 15 hours per week on average, not to exceed 780 hours per year. Rate of compensation begins at $15 per hour commensurate with experience. To see the full job posting, visit the St. Thomas Facebook page. Interested candidates should email a resume to Amy Washabaugh at amyjo@stthomasioh.org.

Christ Church in Savannah is seeking an Administrative Assistant. This will be 12-16 hours per week, and includes the following:

• helping to develop and coordinate docents and the docent program
• Coordinate, train, and supervise the bulletin assembly team
• Meet parishioners or workers in the church as needed
• Assist with other administrative tasks as needed

This position will report to the Director of Administration. For more information, contact Catherine Gussler at cmgussler@gmail.com.

St. Peter's in Savannah is seeking NurseryAttendants. St. Peter’s Episcopal Church is a group of Christians enthusiastic about making a difference for others on Skidaway Island, in Savannah and abroad, which you can read about at www.saintpeterssav.org. If you are interested, please submit a resume and cover letter to The Rev. Kelly Steele, Priest-In-Charge at St. Peter’s at ksteele@saintpeterssav.org or 912-598-7242.

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 2022 one year prayer cycle is online here: 2022 Prayer Cycle.

February 13 - 19

In our diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for our congregation in Baxley, St. Thomas Aquinas and for our ecumenical partners in Baxley at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church. In our companion diocese of the Dominican Republic, we pray for the congregations in Bonao, especially St. John the Baptist (San Juan Bautista), and St. Nicodemus (San Nicodemo).

February 20 -26

In our diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for our congregation in Blakely, Holy Trinity, and for our ecumenical partners in Blakely, especially Holy Family Catholic Church. In our companion diocese of the Dominican Republic, we pray for St. Cornelius (San Cornelio) in Cabarete. 

Newly Revised 31-Day Prayer Cycles

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 9/25/2021)

Bishop Logue will make his visitation to St. Philip's in Hinesville on Sunday.

To view Bishop Logue's full visitation calendar, click here. (Updated 2/10/2022)

Canon Lasch will be celebrating and preaching at St. Patrick's in Albany on Sunday.

Canon Varner will be leading music at King of Peace in Kingsland on Sunday.

Liz Williams is meeting with the Episcopal Communicators conference planning team on Thursday.

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.

The Coble Family spent time at Honey Creek building another new gathering deck, this one in memory of the Rev. Ed Williams, Deacon, from St. Mark's in Brunswick. The family began the tradition of building new gathering decks in honor of their late son Daniel, who was involved in summer camp and youth programs at Honey Creek.