Ridley Scholarship applications due June 20

Through the great generosity and charity of Miss Roberta Ridley, an endowed trust was established many years ago to provide financial support for continuing education for qualified members of the Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Southern Virginia and for residents of Southampton County and the City of Franklin. Scholarships are based on academic excellence and financial need. In addition to the application forms and transcripts, students also submit tax records for themselves and/or their parents, a copy of the FAFSA Student Aid Report, and letters of recommendation from the clergy of their parish. Applications are due by June 20 or consideration for the fall semester. Click here for more information and application forms. 

Report from Province III Synod

Scott Norris elected vice president; Joyce Douglas elected to Provincial Council   

The Province III Synod meaning was held April 25 in Martinsburg, WV. The Rev. Frederick Walker and Andrea Morgan were in attendance as deputies from Southern Virginia. Joyce Douglas and Scott Norris were also present.

Scott Norris is a member of the ad hoc committee formed last year to formulate a proposal for revitalizing our Province, which was presented at this meeting. In addition, Norris was elected to fill the vice president position that would became vacant when Bishop Mike Klusmeyer was elected President.

Under the Ordinances of Province 3, the members of the Provincial Council are elected by the Synod and need not be Synod deputies. Our deputies selected Joyce Douglas to be our Provincial Council member, and her selection was approved by the Synod.

eFormation: A conference on ministry is a digital world

Is your congregation getting serious about its online presence, or hoping to take it to the next level? Would you like to learn with other ministry practitioners using technology in faith formation, communication, and other ministries?

 

If so, jump-start your learning with hands-on training and big-picture inspiration at e-Formation 2016. Join our supportive learning community June 6-8 at Virginia Theological Seminary near Washington DC for just $289 or by webinar for just $89. Limited Spanish interpretation and inexpensive evening programing in Spanish and in English are also available.

Explore the full program,  webinar schedule, and registration options  at  eformationvts.org. You can join the conversation using #eform16.

Lay Eucharistic Ministry 101 and other new courses from ChurchNext

ChurchNext has just launched three new courses. For those interested in training and working in Eucharistic Ministry in a congregational setting, Lay Eucharistic Ministry 101 offers training in the practicalities of offering the chalice to communicants, but also offers a great deal more. Another new course, How to Become a Christian, discusses the journey towards becoming a Christian and practicing Christian faith. Finally, there's a very inspiring course, My Church is Not Dying: finding Hope in the Mainline Church, offers a sobering and practical view of just how well poised mainline churches are to address the spiritual needs of a new generation.

ChurchNext is a website where you can learn from expert teachers in scripture, liturgy, and important Christian topics. Students can interact in a safe, online environment that's convenient, engaging, and affordable. Classes are available for both groups and individuals.

2016 Episcopal Health Ministry Conference September 15-17 at St. Christopher's Church in Carmel, IN

"Love Your Neighbor as Yourself" - the 2016 Episcopal Health Ministry Conference - will be held September 15-17 at St. Christopher's Church in Carmel, Indiana. Keynote speaker will be the Rev. Melford E. (Bud) Holland Jr. Holland has been assisting groups and individuals to understand more fully the complexities of transitions and their gifts and assets to work effectively within them. He was involved in the early organization of National Episcopal Health Ministries. He has worked with dioceses, the wider church, urban to suburban congregations, and groups that were seeking to discover new ways in their work, and individuals seeking to strengthen their vocations. Click here for more information and registration.

Zumba keeps the kids at Jackson-Feild Behavioral Health Services moving

On any given Monday or Wednesday afternoon, the gym at Jackson-Feild Behavioral Health Systems is practically alive. The music is loud, and the beat is heavy. What is it? It's ZUMBA!

Darlene Reed, a licensed Zumba instructor and a personal fitness instructor whose studio is in South Hill, is teaching the boys and girls at JFBHS, and they are loving it! With an average class size of 20, Darlene allows the participants to choose the music and spend the first 15 minutes warming up. After that, it's all high energy, intense physical activity that builds strength, encourages motion, and improves posture all while having fun.

"I'm very impressed," Darlene says, "with all the students, especially the boys. It's not often that I have guys in my classes, and it's very gratifying to see how much they enjoy the music and dance."

She loves what she is doing in getting the kids and staff up and moving to burn 600 calories with cardio and toning. Her goal is to have them become healthy and fit.

 

News from The Episcopal Church

General Convention 2018: July 5-13 in Austin, TX

The General Convention Office has announced the nine legislative dates for the 79th General Convention of The Episcopal Church: Thursday, July 5 to Friday, July 13, 2018.

General Convention 2018 will be held at The Austin Convention Center,  Austin, Texas (Diocese of Texas).

"The Joint Standing Committee on Planning and Arrangements and the General Convention Office are already hard at work to plan and enhance our meeting In Austin for the 79th General Convention," noted the Rev. Canon Dr. Michael Barlowe, Executive Officer and chair of the committee. "Building upon the successful innovations in Salt Lake City, and guided by the evaluations we received, the Committee is excited about our meeting in 2018."

The Episcopal Church's General Convention is held every three years, and is the bicameral governing body of the Church. It is comprised of the House of Bishops, with upwards of 200 active and retired bishops, and the House of Deputies, with clergy and lay deputies elected from the 109 dioceses and three regional areas of the Church, at more than 800 members.

Campus ministry grant applications accepted for 2016-17 academic year

Applications are now accepted for grant proposals for the 2016-2017 academic year from dioceses, parishes or community colleges/colleges/universities for new as well as current campus ministries in higher education institutions located throughout The Episcopal Church.

"These grants are intended to provide funding for an Episcopal ministry (or ecumenical ministry with an Episcopal presence) in a diocese, congregation or community college/tribal college/university campus who are doing or seek to do ministry with young adults on and off college campuses," explained the Rev. Shannon Kelly, Episcopal church Missioner for Campus and Young Adult Ministries.  "The proposals for grants are meant to assist in the start-up of new ministries or the restart of dormant ministries for young adults on and off college and university campuses."

Click here for more information and to submit a proposal. Applications must have the approval of the diocesan bishop and must be submitted online. Deadline for submitting proposals is May 23.

Three new deacons in Southern Virginia

Jan Brown, Genevieve Nelson and Linda Ricker were among the nine deacons ordained on Saturday at Christ Church, Glen Allen. They are the first class of graduates of The Deacons' School, a collaboration between the three Episcopal dioceses in Virginia - Southern Virginia, Southwestern Virginia, and Virginia -to form future deacons of the Episcopal Church. The Rev. Jan Brown is from Bruton Parish, Williamsburg and will be serving at Bruton Parish. The Rev. Genevieve Nelson is from Ascension, Norfolk, and will serve at Good Shepherd, Norfolk. The Rev. Linda Ricker is from St. Luke's, Powhatan, and will serve at St. John's, Chester.

Spring Clergy Day May 3 at Chanco

2016 Spring Clergy Day will be Tuesday, May 3, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Chanco on the James Program will be "Loving the Addict in the Pew: The Journey to Wholeness" presented by Jan M. Brown and Cindy Barnes. What if we believed addiction was really a disease? How might we respond to those who are struggling in our midst? This presentation will assist clergy in defining addiction, understanding recovery, and knowing their role in ministering to families as well as the individuals themselves. Click here for information and registration. Deadline for registration is April 24.

Digital ministry conference June 6-8

This year webinar access is available to much of the e-Formation Conference and the cost to attend online is just $89. Get more information and register here. The full conference program is available here. Webinar participants will also receive access to the recordings after the conference ends at no additional cost.

eFormation is an ecumenical conference on ministry in a digital world. It's an excellent opportunity for lay leaders and clergy, especially those involved in faith formation and  communications ministries. You can participate in person on the Virginia Theological Seminary campus or via live webinar. The conference is June 6-8.

Fairy Godmother celebrates 10 years of helping Jackson-Feild students

For the tenth year running, The Fairy Godmother program at Collegiate Schools in Richmond recently helped residents of Jackson-Feild Behavioral Health Services shop for prom outfits at no cost to the girls and boys.

 

Founded in 2006, the Fairy Godmother program has provided prom outfits to more than 350 residents. Their mission is to provide a special high school prom experience for children whose circumstances would otherwise exclude them from attending a high school prom.

 

Throughout the year, Collegiate students collect donated prom attire and conduct fundraisers to purchase supplemental items needed to complete an outfit. They also solicit donations from individuals, corporations and foundations in support of their effort. They store the items in a SmartBox provided by the owner of the local franchise, Bryan Bostic, and on April 8 the box was transported to the JFBHS campus for the day.

 

The Collegiate students met with JFBHS residents and helped them select the right outfit for the prom which will be held in May. Based on the smiles and laughter throughout the room, everyone had a wonderful time shopping for prom. For ten years now, these special volunteers from Richmond have provided not only the clothing to make prom special, but they have helped the children at Jackson-Feild feel valued and important.

 

GraceInside seeking part-time prison chaplain

GraceInside (Virginia's State Prison Chaplaincy Ministry) will soon have a part-time prison chaplain opening. It is a 25-hours-per-week position at River North Correctional Center in Independence (Grayson County), VA. Position will be vacant as of July 1.  However, we would prefer the new chaplain to begin on or near June 1 to have time to shadow the current chaplains and take all of the mandated state training. Click here for more information. 

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry calls for prayer for Ecuador

Presiding Bishop and Primate Michael B. Curry has called for prayers for the people and Dioceses of Ecuador following a devastating earthquake on April 17. Two dioceses of the Episcopal Church are located in Ecuador: Litoral Ecuador led by Bishop Alfredo Morante; Central Ecuador led by Bishop Victor Scantlebury. A magnitude-7.8 earthquake hit the South American country on Sunday, April 17.  News reports indicate the death toll is over 200 people with 2500 injured.

The following is the message Presiding Bishop Curry sent to the bishops and people:

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Please know that your brothers and sisters throughout the Episcopal Church are praying for you. We will be with you during this time and in the days ahead. You are not alone. May the love of God embrace and strengthen you.

Earth Day resources

Click here  for online resources, lesson plans for children, and bulletin inserts and other items assembled by The Episcopal Church for understanding and honoring Earth Day, April 22 by congregations and individuals. Among the resources:

• A bulletin insert on Earth Day, ideal for congregational use. 
• Creation Justice Ministries, centering on Care for God's Creatures and includes ideas for hosting an Earth Day Sunday.
• Earth Day Sunday with information about biodiversity and faith through Creation Justice Ministry's #EarthDaySunday Resource 
• Earth our Garden Home: Creation Care Lessons for Children and Wild Faith: A Creation Care Curriculum for Youth, a curricula ideal for summer and fall, developed by Cynthia Coe of the Diocese of East Tennessee, an Episcopal Church Mark V fellow, the curricula are ideal for Sunday school and teen discussion groups.
• Learn about Environmental issues and the Anglican Communion through a video from Episcopal News Service
• Receive information about The Episcopal Church's environmental advocacy efforts through the Episcopal Public Policy Network (EPPN)

For more information, contact Jayce Hafner, Episcopal Church Domestic Policy Analyst, at jhafner@episcopalchurch.org.