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Brothers and Sisters of the Diocese,
We are now halfway through Eastertide, and my heart continues to overflow with joy and gratitude for the profound significance of this glorious season. The resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ fills us with hope, renewal, and the assurance of God's steadfast love. Let us share this joy with one another and with those around us, spreading the message of Christ's resurrection and the promise of eternal life.
This past weekend was a joyous occasion filled with love and excitement as Adam Hunter was ordained to the Order of Priests! With great anticipation, I look forward to another day full of love and excitement this upcoming weekend. Lord willing, the Reverends Drew Knowles and Andrew Gray, from Oak Forest, will also be ordained to the Order of Priests. Alongside these ordinations, we have several other exciting events happening across the Diocese in the weeks and months ahead, including an Evangelism Life Weekend in Louisiana, Confirmations at various churches, the Women's Gathering, Soul in the City, and various VBS opportunities. Each of these occasions is a moment of celebration, a testament to God's continuous blessings and grace upon us as a church family. May the joy of the Holy Spirit fill each gathering, inspiring us to live out our calling as disciples of Christ.
We are also looking ahead to the last week of June for the election of a new Archbishop of the ACNA during the Conclave of the College of Bishops as well as the gathering of members from all over the nation to the Provincial Assembly. There is a great delegation of lay and clergy members of our diocese attending the Assembly. In recent weeks a number of you have asked about the process of electing an Archbishop. While much of a Conclave of the College of Bishops is confidential, I have included a short summary of what is generally the process HERE that may help you understand it better. Please continue to pray for the College of Bishops as we seek to discern whom from the 30 Diocesan Bishops the Lord has prepared and anointed for this next season of the Church as Archbishop. Archbishop Foley’s call to this prayer is HERE.
May the joy of Eastertide fill our hearts and homes, inspiring us to live with faith, courage, and compassion, always seeking to bless those around us.
In His peace,
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Christ Our King Baptism Celebrations
Eastertide started off with a BANG at Christ Our King! An infant, an eight-year-old, and a family were baptized!
Recently, Christ Our King enjoyed a Women's Fellowship Luncheon and is looking forward to their annual Pentecost party!
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Spring brought glorious wildflowers to Trinity's campus along with gifted teachers, Deacon Shelly Sorem and Anthea Kotlan, who contributed anointed teaching during a time of rich fellowship at Trinity's Women's Retreat: "A Spiritual Makeover". It was a wonderful gift. Click HERE to learn more about the event and how you could host "A Spiritual Makeover Quiet Day".
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The construction of the Family Life Center at Trinity Anglican is quickly transforming from "Scripture on the Studs" (left photo) to a building with classrooms, a nursery, a kitchen, and a parish hall (right photo). The projected completion date is in late summer. It's an exciting time for the church! | |
On Palm Sunday, the congregation enjoyed singing from the Children’s Choir and, on Easter Sunday, the children enjoyed a sermon tailored just for them. | | |
Trinity’s Altar Guild dedicated a Tabernacle in honor of two founding members who celebrated their 90th birthdays - Del Hendricks (center) and Shirley Boleman (right). Both served as heads of Trinity’s Altar Guild for a number of years. | |
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Recently, Good Shepherd hosted The Jefferson Corale for a spring concert, "Shakespeare in Love". | |
Back in March, some of the men of Good Shepherd Church in Metairie, LA were craving red meat, so they got together to scratch that itch! | |
Apostles Houston - From Palm Sunday Praises to Cajun Crawfish Boils | |
At Apostles, Palm Sunday began with a glorious time of prayer and reflection before the processional with palms to begin their service. On Easter Sunday, they joyfully celebrated the baptisms of 4 children into the family of God!
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Last weekend, Apostles enjoyed some Cajun cuisine with a churchwide Crawfish Boil Dinner! | |
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Apostles just finished a 4-week confirmation class in preparation for Bishop Clark's visit on May 5th. They recently had a visit from Dn. Lisa Schwandt, teaching on Anglican distictives.
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In Case You Missed It - St. Lydia's Anglican Church | |
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There's a new church plant in Lafayette, Louisiana, St. Lydia's Anglican Church. The church planters, Fr. Adam Hunter and his wife, Holly, have faithfully prayed and worked with Bishop Clark and Canon Jon Beadle (Canon for Church Planting) over the last several months. Everyone is excited about the continued missional presence in the Lafayette area and look forward to seeing what the Lord has in store for St. Lydia's.
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St. Timothy’s had a beautiful Holy Week, starting with their annual Palm Sunday procession. On Holy Wednesday, they were blessed with an original dramatic rendition of The Farewell Discourse. Parishioners played the roles of Mary Magdalene and Jesus' apostles acting out their reaction to His words. On Holy Saturday, they celebrated the blessing and lighting of the new Paschal Candle before the ancient Easter Vigil, finishing with the first Mass of Easter. Easter Sunday was glorious, including, the always anticipated, Easter Egg Hunt between services. | |
Eastertide at St. Timothy's has included a Junk in the Trunk sale, a monthly Ladies Night Out, and an Annual Ladies’ Spring Tea, which was lovingly served by the men of St. Timothy’s. They also entered a partnership with a local Junior High School through an organization called Loving Houston which helps churches serve local schools. They have been slowly growing into this new ministry, which has included providing candy treats and cookies for the teachers and staff plus altar flowers for the office areas. | | |
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HopePointe held a Stations of the Cross service each day of Holy Week. Check out some of the Stations of the Cross artwork created by some of their talented parishioners. | |
On Holy Saturday, families gathered to decorate for Easter morning. The kids enjoyed the fun of an egg hunt! | |
Easter Sunday was full of celebration and worship! | |
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Grace Anglican Welcomes The Rev. Frankie Rodriguez
Grace Anglican recently welcomed Fr. Frankie Rodriguez to their ministry team. Fr. Frankie is a bi-vocational priest who will assist Grace Anglican on Sundays and holy days. His spiritual gifts include a pastor's heart and a passion for the proclamation of the gospel!
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The Beauty of the Easter Vigil at Oak Forest Anglican Church
Oak Forest enjoyed their first Easter Vigil, which included a visit from Bishop Clark!
Reminder: Lord willing, the Reverends Drew Knowles and Andrew Gray of Oak Forest will be ordained to the Priesthood on May 4th.
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Nolley Memorial in Jena, Louisiana | |
Palm Sunday included the "Children's Moment with Miss Pam," where kids discussed Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey and the crowd shouting and praising with Hosannas to the Son of David! | |
It was a glorious Easter morning as Nolley celebrated the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ with a sunrise service held outside. | |
Eastertide brought the blessings of Baptisms as well as affirmations. Praise be to God! | |
Register Today for the DWGC Women's Gathering - May 31-June 1 | |
Join ladies from across our Diocese (May 31-June 1) at St Timothy’s Cathedral for their annual women's gathering. Ladies will enjoy worship, prayer, teaching, and fellowship. This year's keynote speaker is Jenny Noyes, Executive Director of New Wineskins Missionary Network. Her teachings will center around the Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes. They are also excited to welcome back worship leader, Natalie Johnson! Natalie serves at Grace Anglican in Katy. This is an event you won't want to miss!
Questions? Email Anthea Kotlan, Women's Ministry Coordinator: womensministry@dwgc.org.
This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
(Psalm 118:24 ESV)
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I Am N – The Voice of the Martyrs - May 8 (Virtual Event)
St. Timothy's Cathedral will host a virtual event in the Parish Hall, I Am N, on Wednesday, May 8, from 6:45 – 8:00 pm. This virtual event will bring us firsthand stories of Christians who have been persecuted throughout the world and we will hear about how the Lord is making Himself known in this persecution. All are invited to attend. We will listen and offer prayer for these faithful servants and those persecuted for their faith in Christ. Holy Eucharist will be celebrated at 6:00 pm along with dinner.
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Jon Guerra at Oak Forest - May 16
Oak Forest Anglican is hosting Jon Guerra for an evening of songs and storytelling on Thursday, May 16th at 7:30 pm.
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VBS at HopePointe -
June 10-13
HopePointe will host VBS 2024: "Lost & Found", June 10-13. They will take a journey through the land of the lost things and discover the amazing treasure of being found by God and helping others find Him too! HopePointe encourages their families to invite their neighbors, sports teams, families, friends, and co-workers.
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VBS at St. Timothy's -
June 17-21
St. Timothy's invites kids, ages 3 – 12 years old, to join them for this summer’s VBS 2024: ROAR!, June 17-21. Registration is now open at StTimothysAnglican.org.
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YOUTH RETREAT - Soul in the City 2024: Who I Am - July 7-13
Soul in the City is a unique opportunity for youth to participate in God's kingdom work in Houston, serving alongside one another at worksites and in various not-for-profits and ministries. Past outreach activities have included working with food pantries, homeless ministries, home renovations, and special needs centers.
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VBS at Apostles Houston -
July 22-25
Apostles is thrilled to announce the return of Apostles VBS after a 4 year hiatus! They are looking forward to hosting many precious kids to teach them about the love of Jesus and the incredible good news of the gospel!
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SAVE THE DATE
DWGC Men's Retreat - Oct. 18-20
| Gentlemen, mark your calendars for the annual DWGC Men's Retreat at Trinity Pines Conference Center on October 18-20. Stay tuned for more details in the months ahead! | |
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Call to Prayer from Archbishop Foley Beach
Archbishop Foley Beach is calling on the members of the ACNA to set aside each Wednesday or Friday (or both) to spend time in prayer (and fasting for those who are able) from now until June 20th. Read the full letter here.
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Sexuality, Singleness, and Marriage Cohort - Begins May 15
The Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics is presenting a six-session online cohort starting on May 15, Sexuality, Singleness, and Marriage: How God's Design Points All of Us to Jesus's Love. Led by Sam Allberry and Rebecca McLaughlin, both renowned authors, speakers, and apologists for the Christian faith, this cohort promises insightful discussions. Registration is open until May 2nd, and all sessions will be recorded and available for streaming or download to registered participants. Use discount code "GROUP50" when registering.
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Newly Released Book by Fr. Sam Allberry - God's Go-Togethers: A Celebration of God’s Design for People
Author, Fr. Sam Allberry (one of DWGC's Canon Theologians), offers a thoughtful look at the biblical design for people. God’s Go-Togethers serves as a helpful foundation for explaining why God created men and women as a special pair to complement each other, both within marriage and beyond.
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Student Leadership Network: Learning Cohort - Begins May 21
The Student Leadership Network of Next Generation Leadership Initiative is hosting a learning cohort for youth leaders. This cohort will offer ready-to-use resources and group coaching that focuses on equipping and sending out young leaders. Registration is required to join this cohort!
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Disaster Response Trips:
June 9-15 and August 11-17 to Rolling Fork, MS AND
August 25-31 and September 1-7 to Clarksville, TN
Volunteers are needed in Rolling Fork, MS, to aid in long-term recovery after the March 2023 tornado, and in Clarksville, TN, for recovery after the December 2023 tornado. ARDF is partnering with Rolling Fork Rising (RFR) and The Fuller Center for Housing, respectively, to support these efforts. DWGC has significant disaster response infrastructure and experience, making it well-equipped for such missions. Let's demonstrate our readiness and mission-mindedness by volunteering today!
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The 15th Anniversary Provincial Assembly will be held from June 25-28 on the campus of Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA. The event will feature speakers, worship, and breakout sessions on a wide range of topics. To learn more click HERE. | | | | |
