Diocesan Day of Service

Saturday, May 4, was a Day of Service in Southern Virginia. Congregations took part in a variety of service projects in their communities. Pictures from some of the day's events can be found on our Facebook page.  If you have pictures from your project, please send them to aturner@diosova.org so that they can be included.  

Emmanuel, Cape Charles, members spent their Day of Service doing work for their local library. They also provided brownies for the Brownie Walk Brownie during International Migratory Bird Day at the Eastern Shore National Wildlife Refuge.

Members of St. Paul & St. Andrew, Kenbridge, spent the day clearing an historic community graveyard.

Petersburg churches teamed up to provide a Day of Service to the HOPE Center in Petersburg. The center provides a variety of assistance to community residents.  

All Saints', Virginia Beach participated in the Day of Service for the Ministry of the Baptized.  Through their Jr. Warden, they secured from the City of Virginia Beach the address of a home that was about to be condemned, and with the owner's permission undertook the clean-up of her front yard.  A very tired and wet crew felt revitalized by this opportunity to minister to a citizen in need.

The congregations of Convocation II (Virginia Beach) assisted Good Samaritan, Virginia Beach, with their annual Spring Community Day as part of the Diocesan Day of Service. The day was all about "Building Safe Communities," and there were a variety of city agencies and services there, along with lots of food and entertainment. Over 2,000 people from the neighboring community attended the event. Virginia Beach Mayor Will Sessoms was also there.

Saturday morning seven people from St. John's, Chester, participated in the Day of Service by building four kitchen tables for CARITAS clients transitioning from homelessness to permanent housing.  CARITAS is a Richmond organization which seeks to meet the immediate needs of the homeless for food and shelter and to provide help with job skills, drug rehabilitation, and housing to break the cycle of homelessness.

Convocation III (Norfolk) churches held their Day of Service in April. They came together to perform much needed maintenance and repairs at the ODU Canterbury House.

Integrity hosts screening of "Love Free or Die"

Integrity will hold a screening of "Love Free or Die" on Tuesday, May 21, 7:30 p.m., at St. Aidan's, Virginia Beach. "Love Free or Die" is a documentary about the Episcopal Church's first openly gay bishop, the Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson. Admission is free. All are welcome! Contact Integrity for more information, integrityvb@gmail.com.

Godly Play training coming in August

A Godly Play training is planned for Saturday, August 3, 8:30 to 2, at St. Martin's, Williamsburg. Kathleen Capcara will lead this training. We would like to hear from you what aspects of the training you need the most. Go to our Formation in Southern Virginia group on Facebook and let us know.

Ridley Foundation accepting scholarship applications

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. Applications are due by June 20. Click here for more information and application form. 

2013-2014 Youth Ministry events and resources now online

Youth Ministry events and resources for the 2013-2014 program year are now available on our website, www.diosova.org/youth. The new materials include the 2013-2014 Youth Ministry Toolkit, applications, forms, and other resources. There's also a full calendar of upcoming events for youth.

Jackson-Feild residents share their talents

By Tod Balsbaugh, Jackson-Feild Homes 

The children at Jackson-Feild Homes have been assisting the residents of Emporia Manor and Greensville Manor in Emporia, Virginia by making a variety of gifts and delivering them to residents once a month.Theresa Hicks, Program Coordinator, initiated this effort last fall. She wanted to instill a sense of community service in the Home's residents. The residents have made such items as Halloween cup cakes, decorative wreaths, snowman candy canes, Valentine centerpieces and their most recent gifts of butterfly treat bags. When delivering these gifts, Hicks encourages the children to interact with the residents. In doing so, both children and residents are enriched and changed. Through the simple act of being kind, the boys and girls are instilled with a sense of pride. The children look forward to the next trip where they can share their lives and talents with others.

Bishop Vache Scholarship applications being accepted

Applications for the C. Charles Vache Scholarship are now being accepted. Applications are available on our website. The Bishop Vache Scholarships provide funds to assist low-income and minority college students in the Diocese of Southern Virginia. First year students as well as returning college students are welcome to apply. Scholarship awards range from $1000 to $5000 per academic year. Applications must be postmarked by June 30. Notifications will go out by July 15, and awards will be made by August 1.

Diaconal Ordination Exploration Program application deadline is May 15

The deadline for applications to the Diaconal Ordination Exploration Program in the Diocese of Southern Virginia is May 15.  Applicants will interview with the Commission on Ministry for postulancy in the fall of 2013. Those granted postulancy will receive formation and training in the new cross diocesan school for deacons. The school is a joint effort of the Episcopal Dioceses of Southern Virginia and Virginia. For more information, click here.

ECW Annual Spring Meeting will be May 18

The ECW Annual Spring Meeting will be held May 18 at Christ Church, Danville. For further information and registration, please to go ECW News & Events page on the diocesan website.

News from Mission of the Holy Spirit

By Keith Josey, Chaplain

 

Thank you for your continued support of the Mission of the Holy Spirit; it is through caring individuals like yourselves that lives are being changed. I would like to take a moment to share with you some of the amazing accomplishments that have occurred over the past several months. 

 

Our most recent achievements have been the development of a Monday evening GED program and a teenage health and wellness class. We have had several adult students take and pass the GED test. Our teens look forward to coming out and learning about health and nutrition as well as participating in exercise class and enjoying a healthy meal.    

 

Since September, we have enjoyed helping our young people with their academic studies through our enrichment and tutoring program. Thank you to all the volunteers who assist in supporting the educational needs as well as providing meals for our Tuesday and Thursday evening programs. The average attendance is around 25 children and adolescents for each program, and we have seen a steady increase in their overall progress in school.    

 

We have increased our community outreach and evidence of its effectiveness has been shown in the steady rise of our attendance on Sunday. As our worship service has grown, our adult members are requesting additional services such as Bible study. To meet that need, we have begun a community conference call Bible study on Wednesday evenings. This is turning into a huge success as each week more adults are calling in and listening to a lesson that is reshaping their lives. None of this would be possible without the support of individuals like you and the support of our local churches. As we move forward, it is vital that you continue to support the Mission of the Holy Spirit.

We have partnered with the Yes! Dare2Dream! program, a faith-based initiative program that allows many of our members to become trained group facilitators in areas like career development, abstinence, and self-esteem. As we begin to market these programs to the community and draw more young people to the Mission, we will need additional support from you and our partner churches. Our goal is to find positive ways to impact the lives of the families we serve and move them forward.   

Your gifts go directly towards the improvement of our programs and the changing of people's lives. We are counting on you to assist our efforts to relieve the stressors that our families go through by connecting them to a strong faith community, and continuing to offer hope through our quality programs. Thank you!

Learn more about Mission of the Holy Spirit and how you can support their ministry here. 

here.

Diocesan news from Episcopal Relief & Development

By The Very Rev. Keith Emerson (St. Paul's, Suffolk) Diocesan Coordinator for Episcopal Relief & Development

During the first quarter of 2013, congregations throughout the Diocese of Southern Virginia contributed $13,548.80 to Episcopal Relief & Development. $4,789 was designated for Hurricane Sandy relief with the remaining amount donated to the general fund. I am grateful to the following congregations and groups for their gifts:

• Church of the Advent, Norfolk
• Eastern Shore Chapel, Virginia Beach
• Emmanuel Church, Hampton
• Emmanuel Church, Virginia Beach
• Emmanuel Church, Cape Charles
• Grace Church Women, Yorktown
• Old Donation Church, Virginia Beach
• Church of the Redeemer, Midlothian
• The Diocese of Southern Virginia
• St. James' Church, Warfield
• St. John's Church, Hampton
• St. Martin's Church, Williamsburg

Episcopal Relief & Development has launched a new website. You can find it at www.episcopalrelief.org. It provides great information about various projects and efforts as well as helpful resources you can use in the parish. Donating is easier than ever. Please check it out and share the site with friends.

Leadership Program for Musicians announces 2013-2014 classes

The new Leadership Program for Musicians (LPM) program year begins September 13-14. LPM is a national program for church musicians, "trained" musicians AND enthusiastic amateurs - choir members, clergy, Music & Worship Committees, and anyone who loves church music. This year's courses are: Liturgy and Music: Foundations for Christian Worship;  Principles of Choral Leadership; Teaching New Music to the Congregation; and Philosophy of Church Music.  Take all four courses or one at a time. Register before September 1 and save $50. Click here for details and registration information.

Volunteer Program for churches seeking to participate in Hurricane Sandy recovery

Volunteers are the key to recovery and renewal for communities along the East Coast devastated by Hurricane Sandy. Episcopal Relief and Development and the Dioceses of NY, New Jersey, Long Island & Easton, MD have set up a Volunteer Program to help your church participate in that recovery. The Volunteer Program is structured to provide a deep, meaningful experience that take volunteers beyond just having a hammer in their hand to a place of better understanding how service, learning and reflection can truly transform all involved. Through this opportunity of community service volunteers have a chance to effect change in their own lives while serving the vulnerable along the Eastern Seaboard.     

We have added a Hurricane Sandy Recovery page to our website to help the churches of Southern Virginia learn more about the Volunteer Program and to connect with each other in planning trips to assist with recovery. If your church is planning to participate in the program and would like to invite individuals to join you, we will post your upcoming trip on our website. After you return, we invite you to share your story and pictures to encourage others to join in this effort. 

Convocation II Day of Service: Community Day at Good Samaritan, Virginia Beach

Convocation II churches are joining with Good Samaritan, Virginia Beach, in presenting a Community Day on May 4 from 1:00 to 5:00pm for the neighborhood surrounding Good Samaritan. The Western Bayside section of Virginia Beach is a community in which many residents are struggling day to day and that has one of the higher crime rates. Neighborhood churches - Good Samaritan, Enoch Baptist and Heritage Methodist Church - have come together as the Western Bayside Churches United in order to better reach out to their neighbors in need. Together they hold a Community Day in May and again at the end of August. City agencies - police, health, and family services - and agencies providing financial assistance are all on hand. The churches provide free food and entertainment for the children. The event requires many volunteers; the fall Community Day drew 3,000 people from the neighborhood. For more information about the Community Day, contact the Rev. Wendy Wilkinson, wendywilk54@verizon.net, or Carol Buckalew, cbuckalew@cox.net.

Convocation III work day at ODU Canterbury Center

Convocation III churches are planning a work day at the Old Dominion University  Canterbury Center, Norfolk, on Saturday, April 20, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Click here for the event flyer. We hope to see lots of parishes represented! Jobs range from very simple to slightly more complex, but nothing requiring exceptionally high levels of skill. Some require getting up on ladders, others don't. There's lots of landscaping to be done, too, for those who want to dig in the dirt. And we'll need at least one team to help with snacks/lunch for the workers.

This will be such a huge help to Canterbury Center--making the property look much sharper and saving it a lot of money in its maintenance budget. The Canterbury Center has spent well over $30,000 on big-ticket deferred maintenance items since August, so every bit of donated skill and labor and materials to fix the little things is invaluable.

If your parish is planning on sending a group, please have someone call the Rev. Gillian Barr, ODU Canterbury Chaplain, so she can make sure there are enough supplies and supervisors, 757-351-4513. Workers should wear sturdy shoes, and bring work gloves if they have them. Additional gear will depend on which project(s) your team would like to focus on.

Thank you so much for your support of the Canterbury Center!

Belizean beaches, Holy Cross hard work and spiritual sentiments

By William Lee, William & Mary Canterbury

"Toes" by Zac Brown band plays in my headphones, over which I've pulled my cowboy hat, as I and 23 other Canterburians ride the Water Taxi from mainland Belize to the island of San Pedro where Holy Cross Anglican School is located. Fifteen hours of travel total to our beachside lodgings and hammocks. All last semester, Canterbury raised $14,000 (which equaled $28,000 in their currency) to buy the materials to build a palapa, an outdoor classroom with a thatched roof, and reflective paint for some of the roofs of the school.

The actual work consisted of painting the roof of the main school building so as to cool down the classrooms, constructing the palapa, and moving sand in wheelbarrows from one side of the school to the other to reclaim the land on which the palapa was being built from the surrounding mangrove swamp. Most days we also got to spend some time in the classrooms with the kids, play games with them, talk, avoid being pushed over by eight or nine five-year-olds all excitedly hugging you at once. Something that stuck in my mind was a quote that Lydia, a missionary at the school, shared with us from a book that she had been reading: "Only the rich measure poverty in possessions." I certainly witnessed the truth behind this. Several members of the group received gifts from the children they befriended who had nothing; some of the gifts were very sentimental for us and for them.

Those connections we made are what really made the trip as emotionally overwhelming as it was. Not just with the kids, but with each other too. After nightly Compline, most of the group would go and sit on the dock and hang out and inevitably have a D&M (deep and meaningful conversation). We became an incredibly cohesive group; we couldn't go to dinner in groups of fewer than eight, and three was the minimum number needed to be in any group going somewhere. I was warned that the trip would have a powerful emotional effect, I didn't realize how much until we left.

During one of our last dock conversations, someone asked, "What was the most emotional experience you've had this trip?" I'm not normally an emotional person, but this question took me awhile to come up with a clear answer. The more I thought, the more experiences I came up with. Everything from a sense of accomplishment as I watched my effort translate directly to progress on the palapa, to worry as I waited to hear whether the Town Council would permit us to continue work and frustration at being unable to finish what we started. I guess that means we have to go back now. From excitement the first time I walked into a classroom, to sadness at having to say goodbye to new friends. From the aliveness I felt while watching the sunrise, to the tiredness I felt while watching the sunset (both were gorgeous). The short answer I gave was the frustration of leaving a job unfinished and the difficulty I had leaving the kids at the school with whom I had bonded. The long, and probably more accurate, answer I came up with after reflecting more on the trip is "the entire thing." For the first time in a long time, I felt like the work I was doing had meaning, and it felt good. I had a sense of real contentment about where I was in my journey.

United Thank Offering Spring Ingathering

By Rosalyn Neal, UTO Coordinator
As we enter into the Spring Ingathering time for United Thank Offering, we might take the time to look into a few of the examples of Grant giving throughout the world. The following is just a sample of the Grants List from 2011:

• $18,700.00 to the Diocese of Pittsburgh for Youth Arts and Film Project, a project of Neighborhood Youth Outreach Program at St. Stephens Episcopal church in Wilkinsburg, Pa.
• Grant of $8,000.00 to the diocese of Southwest Florida for Solving Homelessness in the Florida Keys through Empowerment Programs.
• Grant of $40,000.00 to the Diocese of Colombia toward purchase of a used dwelling to construct a chapel, Mission Cristo Rey in Quibdo.

Our Offerings can, and do help in more ways than we can ever imagine. This is why it continues to be so necessary that we keep our Thank Offerings coming during the Ingatherings. April is already here, and now begins our Spring Ingathering time! Hopefully, you will continue to respond and give as generously as you have in the past.

As promised, a new Diocesan UTO Coordinator is taking the reins, and your Parish Contact UTO Coordinator will work with your parish, as always, to receive the Ingathering Collections. Your church Contact Person or Coordinator or Representative for United Thank Offerings should then send a check representing the total collections from Ingathering, to the new Coordinator: Ms. Joyce Douglas, 4608 Coronet Avenue, Virginia Beach, VA 23455.

Thank you for all the support you have given during my short term as Diocesan Coordinator, and I do leave with sincere regrets. Other responsibilities dictate, however, that I relinquish this position. I am most confident that Ms. Douglas will serve you and our Diocese with great competence and enthusiasm. 

Sustainable landscapes for churches

God's Earth Ministry (GEM), a Peninsula-based interfaith creation care association, is hosting a lecture on Sustainable Landscapes for Churches at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Hampton on April 21 at 2:00 p.m.  Diane Rosilius, an award winning certified Landscape Designer and Horticulturist, will be speaking on "Sustainable Landscapes for the Church: A Guide On How to Work With the Environment to Improve It, Not Destroy It."  This talk will teach how churches can work with the environment, not against it, when designing landscapes, columbaria and social areas.  We hope that you can join us, and spread the word on to others you think should be interested. It's free and open to anyone!

Chanco Open House

Visit us on Sunday, April 7 from 1 to 5 pm (394 Floods Drive, Spring Grove, VA 23881) and meet our new Executive Director, take a tour of our property, learn more about our camp programs and fly along a zip line if you dare! All our welcome, no charge. Bring a friend! (Remember you receive a $50 tuition discount for every new registered camper you refer to us!) We hope to see you on April 7!

Take the Chanco Challenge! Anonymous donor will match up to $30,000

Chanco is pleased and blessed to report that we have been offered a donation of up to $30,000 to match funds raised in our Restoration Fund this year!  Chanco is seeking to execute the complete exterior renovation of Conference Center lodges B and C among other major property renovations and is challenging our friends to prayerfully consider matching their Annual Fund donation (still needed for scholarships and to offset operating costs) with a donation to our Restoration Fund where this year your dollar will have double the impact!  Make your donation by April 16th and the Chanco Board can move forward with Lodge renovation plans for this summer! Checks should be made to Chanco on the James with Restoration Fund in the memo line and mailed to Chanco at 394 Floods Drive, Spring Grove, VA 23881.  Thank you for your support - you are making a difference in Chanco's future!

Province 3 ECW Annual Meeting April 27-28

The Province 3 ECW Annual Meeting will be held April 27-28, in conjunction with the Province 3 Synod Meeting, in Martinsburg, West Virginia. The ECW and Synod will enjoy joint meals, worship and time for both entities to work, conduct business, and enjoy fellowship. Click here for more information and a registration form.

Easter: 50 Days of Fabulous

From the folks that brought you Lent Madness... 50 Days of Fabulous. This blog site is a way to engage the season of Easter beyond just one day. Each day of the Easter season is a day to celebrate rebirth, light, resurrection, surprise, joy, and the triumph of life over death. In the daily reflections, based on scripture, saints, art, music, and whatever else inspires contributors, readers will be invited into this amazing party that is the Feast of the Resurrection. Each day also has a response. Our faith is not a faith of reading something and thinking, "How nice." Our faith is a faith of proclamation, action, prayer, and response. Easter implores us to proclaim the resurrection, and this site will offer you some simple, profound, and even quirky ways to do so. Bloggers include our own the Rev. Penny Nash of Bruton Parish, Williamsburg and a couple of clergy folks who used to serve here in Southern Va - the Rev. Maria Kane and the Rev. Megan Castellan. Go to www.50days.org.

Easter message from the Presiding Bishop

Rejoice, rejoice and sing, rejoice and be glad... for earth and heaven are joined and humanity is reconciled to God! (From the Exsultet, BCP, p. 286-287)

As the Lenten season ends in Easter rejoicing, note what has been wrought in you this year.  A remarkable cross-section of America has been practicing Lenten disciplines, even some who are not active Christians. There is a deep hunger in our collective psyche to re-orient our lives toward life and light, healing and peace. We share a holy hunger for clarity about what is good and life-giving, and we yearn to re-focus on what is most central and important in life.  

Easter celebrates the victory of light and life over darkness and death. God re-creates and redeems all life from dead, dry, and destroyed bones. We are released from the bonds of self-obsession, addiction, and whatever would steal away the radical freedom of God-with-us. Our lives re-center in what is most holy and creative, the new thing God is continually doing in our midst. Practicing vulnerability toward the need and hunger of others around us, we have cultivated compassionate hearts. We join in baptismal rebirth in the midst of Jesus' own passing-over.   

The wonder of the resurrection is upon us once more. May we embrace God's ever-new life with every cell of our being, every yearning of our soul, and every muscle of our will. Christ is risen, death is vanquished, humanity is restored to holy and creative relationship with God's ongoing and eternal liveliness. Praise God who brings light out of darkness, life out of death, and newness out of the stale and moribund. Alleluia! Christ is risen!

The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori

Message available on the web here. 

Have you "liked" us on Facebook?

Our diocesan Facebook page is getting lots of traffic these days. We now have over 800 followers. Are you one of them? If not, drop by  www.facebook.com/diosova and see what you're missing. In addition to advance notice of upcoming workshops and conferences, links to resources, and news from our churches, you can follow the adventures of diocesan Comptroller Nancy James and her dog Jake as they visit every church in Southern Virginia this year. On March 27,  you'll also be able to follow the community Stations of the Cross led by St. George's, Newport News, as it happens, 6 to 7:30 p.m. 

Registration open for Safe Church classroom training

Numerous Safe Church classroom training opportunities are now open for registration, including:

• April 27 at Holy Trinity, Onancock
• April 27 at Bruton Parish, Williamsburg
• July 27 at Christ & Grace, Petersburg
• August 10 at St. George's, Newport News
• August 17 at Epiphany, Danville
• September 21 at Grace, Norfolk

For a complete list of all Safe Church classroom training, go to the Workshops, Training & Events page of our website. 

Don't miss it! Register now for our 2nd Annual Stewardship Conference on June 8

Mark your calendar for our June 8 Stewardship Conference to be held at St. Martin's, Williamsburg. You said you wanted stewardship information for smaller churches and more about planned giving and we listened! Our two keynote speakers for this conference will be the Rev. Timothy Dombeck, Canon to the Ordinary, Diocese of Arizona, speaking on Stewardship for Smaller Parishes, and Jim Murphy, Executive Program Director of Episcopal Church Foundation, who will address Planned Giving/endowments/legacies. Participants will also get to take part in hands-on breakout sessions. Click here for more information and online registration.

Financial & Administrative Best Practices Workshop

Join us on Tuesday, May 21 at Grace Church, Yorktown for a day designed especially for your church's financial and administrative personnel. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn, ask questions, share your experiences, and connect with your colleagues in other churches. Topics will include: employment issues, benefits, taxes, audits and internal controls, property insurance, and more. Registration fee $20 (includes lunch). Click here for more information and online registration.

Vice Chancellor Gordon Tayloe uses his new iPad in continued service to our Diocese

At our Annual Council in February, we recognized Gordon Tayloe for his many years of service as Diocesan Chancellor and, as a token of our appreciation, presented him with an iPad. In a note of thanks to Bishop Hollerith and our Diocese, Gordon said, "I was very much humbled by the reception of the Council and presentation of my iPad at the 121st Annual Council by you and on behalf of the Diocese. I had expected to be recognized, but I had no expectation of the warmth and extended ovation that was accorded me. Then topping it all off, the gifting to me of the iPad was overwhelming."

Gordon is continuing to serve as one of our Vice Chancellors and his new iPad is helping make that possible. After a few lessons with Communications Officer Ann Turner, Gordon is using the iPad to draft and edit legal documents and manage email correspondence, among other things.  

"I thank you and the many wonderful brothers and sisters in Christ with which I have had the opportunity to be associated and to have served the last ten years. Despite some "maturity" issues, I very much look forward to continuing to serve in the future. Thank you again my Bishop and friend, the clergy and congregations of our Diocese for so graciously honoring me."

Save the date! Stewardship Conference on June 8

Mark your calendar for our June 8 Stewardship Conference to be held at St. Martin's, Williamsburg. You said you wanted stewardship information for smaller churches and more about planned giving and we listened! Our two keynote speakers for this conference will be the Rev. Timothy Dombeck, Canon to the Ordinary, Diocese of Arizona, speaking on Stewardship for Smaller Parishes, and Jim Murphy, Executive Program Director of Episcopal Church Foundation, who will address Planned Giving/endowments/legacies. Participants will also get to take part in hands-on breakout sessions. More information and registration coming soon!

James Solomon Russell Feast Day celebration

James Solomon Russell Feast Day Celebration will be held Sunday, March 24 at 3 p.m at St. James', Emporia (609 Halifax Street, Emporia). The Rev. Dr. Grady Powell, Rector Emeritus of Gillfield Baptist Church in Petersburg, will preach. The Very Rev. Christopher Cunningham and the Rev. Dr. Joseph Green will be co-celebrants. The offering will go to support the placement of an historical marker near the birthplace of James Solomon Russell and to support Saint Paul's College. Please make all checks payable to James Solomon Russell Fund and send to: Dr. Angela M. Parker, P. O. Box 184, Lawrenceville, VA 23868.  

Born into slavery on a Virginia plantation in 1857, James Solomon Russell rose to become one of the most prominent African American pastors in the post-Civil War South. As a minister, educator, and found of Saint Paul's College in Lawrenceville, he played a major role in the development of educational access for former slaves in the South and within the Episcopal Church.

Diocesan-wide Day of Service on May 4

The Commission on Ministry Committee on Formation for the Ministry of the Baptized (the MOB) has decided that we need to help folks better understand lay ministry. Our focus is to be a resource for lay people who feel called to something even if they don't yet know what that means for them. Baptism is what makes us ministers. Living out our baptismal promises - how we share the Good News of God's love with our words and actions - is our ministry. The MOB is inviting each of you to participate in a Diocese-wide Day of Service on the first Saturday of May. We are asking each Parish to choose a project in your community that will be a concrete example of God's love for all of His children. We hope that this Day of Service will help you do a little out of the box thinking. You may partner with other parishes, maybe even develop a project for your convocation. Please have someone in your parish let us know (at  khwootton@meckcom.net) about the project you have chosen so that we can share and celebrate the work that we are doing. 

House of Bishops offers a Word to the Church: Godly leadership in the face of violence

The House of Bishops, meeting in retreat in Kanuga Conference Center, Hendersonville, NC, has offered a Word to the Church, "Godly Leadership in the Face of Violence."  

"Our time together has brought us to a new place of recognition with respect to how violence infects, and affects, our lives. We have considered how the reality of violence in our world, our society, our churches, our homes, and ourselves alienate us from God and each other. And we repent that we have too often neglected to challenge violence of every kind and pursue peace and reconciliation." 

"As bishops of The Episcopal Church we embody a wide variety of experiences and perspectives with respect to firearms.  Many among us are hunters and sport-shooters, former members of the military and law-enforcement officers.  We respect and honor that we are not of one mind regarding matters related to gun legislation.  Yet we are convinced that there needs to be a new conversation in the United States that challenges gun violence.  Because of the wide variety of contexts in which we live and our commitment to reasoned and respectful discourse that holds together significant differences in creative tension, we believe that The Episcopal Church can and must lead in this effort."

Click here to read the Bishops' message. 

Middle School Lenten Lock-in a big success!

 

On Friday, March 1, youth from 5 Episcopal churches (Eastern Shore Chapel, Galilee, Old Donation, St. Aidan's, Virginia Beach, and St. John's, Chester) gathered for an evening of friendship and fun.  There were lots of games, a liberal amount of laughter, some disappearing snacks, creative worship and some colorful prayer. A great time was had by all but the leaders could have used a little more sleep! Plans are being made for future convocation youth activities.

7th Annual Canterbury Gala a smashing success!

By Caitlyn Darnell, William & Mary Canterbury

On February 2, Canterbury hosted a fundraising black-tie Gala at the Alumni House of The College of William and Mary. Good food, a good time, and good company were had by all in attendance. The dance floor was alive with couples dancing to the sultry sounds of the William and Mary Wham Bam Big Band, including the Rev. John Kerr twirling an assortment of beautiful young Canterbury women.

The silent auction was replete with exquisite items, including many works of art and vacation packages. The attendees got a break from guarding their silent auction bids with a serenade by The Cleftomaniacs, a very talented William and Mary a capella group.

Altogether, Canterbury raised over $9,000. The sum of the money will be donated to Holy Cross Anglican School in San Pedro, Belize, the site of our Spring Break mission trip this March. We will be using the funds to build a palapa, an outdoor thatch-roof classroom in which the children can enjoy breezy classes. We thank each and every one of you for attending and/or donating to our cause. We sincerely appreciate your support and hope to see you again at next year's event 

CE-Net hosts Digital Missioner Kyle Matthew Oliver

CE-Net invites you to join them on April 18 when they host Kyle Matthew Oliver. Oliver is the Digital Missioner and Learning Lab Coordinator for the Center for the Ministry of Teaching at Virginia Theological Seminary. He specializes in helping churches try out new models for faith formation in our digital, connected world. In this session, Oliver will work with the idea of a "faith formation network" to help you think about how your congregation can take Christian formation into their lives beyond Sunday morning. This presentation will be particularly relevant for youth leaders, clergy and anyone working with formation or communications. You can learn more about Oliver's work here.

Join Ce-Net on April 18, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Hickory Neck, Toano. Lunch will be provided for a $7 fee. RSVP to Lynn Farlin, lfarlin@ascension-norfolk.org if you plan to attend. 

Annual Council offering benefits homeless ministry

The offering at the closing Eucharist of this year's Annual Council was $1,773. The offering was designated to St. Paul's, Newport News, in support of their programs that assist people who are homeless and in crisis. A Safe Place is a weekday morning walk-in program that welcomes, on average, 200 guests each week who are homeless or substandardly housed. Five days a week, St. Paul's welcomes homeless and low-income adults to shelter, peer counseling groups, and the opportunity to attend to basic human needs. St. Paul's offers basic toiletries; laundry, telephone, mail service, current magazines and newspapers; a place to rest; a place to meet social workers and other support service personnel; and short-term storage for belongings. The Episcopal Church has designated St. Paul's as a center for Jubilee Ministry.

Ridley Foundation Board meets at Ridley Farm

The Ridley Foundation Board members began their recent meeting with a tour of the farm Roberta Ridley left to the diocese for charitable purposes back in the early 50s. It is near Boykins, Virginia. The board will distribute nearly $100,000 in scholarship grants this year to college or seminary students who live in our diocese and maintain a minimal grade point average.

Photo: Samantha Vincent-Alexander, Sharon Coles-Stewart, Connie Jones, David LaSalle, Bob O'Hara, Vee Pitman, David Teschner and Staff Liaison, Nancy James. Also pictured are Harrell Turner, Forest Consultant and Michael Mann, Farm Manager.

Jackson-Feild Homes honored by Virginia Senate

Jackson-Feild Homes was presented a senatorial resolution by the Virginia State Senate. The patron for Senate Joint Resolution #275 was Senator Louise Lucas. Delegate Roslyn Tyler was the sponsor in the House of Delegates.Recognizing the contributions that Jackson-Feild has made and for being a national leader in the service of traumatized children, the resolution called to attention the fact that Jackson-Feild has been a guiding light and source of inspiration for the development of new and best-practices in the treatment of boys and girls.Traveling to the Capitol for the presentation of the resolution were Executive Director Tricia Delano, Residential Counselor Katrice Bagwell, and residents Anwanatta H. and Bessema G. Following the presentation, the group was taken to the floor of the Virginia Senate for formal recognition.

Photo: Residential Counselor Katrice Bagwell, Executive Director Tricia Delano, Senator Lucas, Delegate Tyler, and residents Anwanatta H. and Bessema G.

ECW President and Board members installed

ECW President Barbara Taylor

Episcopal Church Women elected Barbara Taylor, a member of St. Francis, Virginia Beach, as the 40th ECW Diocesan President at the ECW Fall Annual Meeting.  The Very Rev. David Teschner, rector at Christ and Grace, Petersburg, installed Barbara at the October 20 meeting hosted by Christ and Grace.   Other board members installed are: First Vice President, Nancy Sands, Christ Church, Danville; Second Vice President, Katherine O. Patterson, Christ and Grace, Petersburg; Corresponding Secretary, Louise Boss, Christ Church, Eastville, Parliamentarian, Priscilla Salle Condyles, Manakin, Midlothian; Communication Chair, Helen Sharpe-Williams, Grace Church, Norfolk and Church Periodical Club Director, Mary Lou Miller, St. Aidan's, Virginia Beach.

                                

On March 2, Barbara presided at her first ECW board meeting held at Christ Church, Eastville, on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Plans for her two- year term in office are to continue ECW's tradition of charitable outreach and giving through annual scholarships for high school students and seminarians in our diocese, the United Thank Offering, the Church Periodical Club and an outreach project approved by ECW members' diocese wide.

ECW Day of Reflection 2012

"The purpose of the ECW is to assist women of the Episcopal Church to carry on Christ's work of reconciliation in the world and to take their place as leaders in the life, governance and worship of the church," Barbara said. "As president of the ECW of the Diocese of Southern Virginia, I pray I will meet that challenge. My predecessors have inspired and encouraged me. My college motto, "To be, to know, to do" has also encouraged me to serve and worship."

Barbara received her Bachelor of Science degree from Russell Sage College in Troy, NY. A retired registered nurse, she worked for 32 years in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Barbara and her husband Herbert settled in Virginia Beach in 1998. They have been married 33 year and have one daughter, Adrienne Michelle.

Wherever Barbara has worked or studied, she has been active in the Episcopal Church. She has sung in the choirs, worked with the ECW and is an Education for Ministry graduate. Now, as a member of St. Francis Episcopal Church in Virginia Beach, she has served as secretary of the parish ECW and serves as a Lay Eucharistic Visitor and a Lay Reader.

Barbara began her service on the ECW Diocesan Board as the Prayer and Worship Chair, moving on to Student Work Chair, then first vice president and now president. "I have learned much and I have received a lot of support and encouragement. I'm looking forward to seeing and meeting many of you at our meetings. Our Spring Annual Meeting is May 18 at Christ Church in Danville."

How energy efficient is YOUR church?

Did you know that a building or manufacturing plant can earn ENERGY STAR certification just like your refrigerator? An ENERGY STAR certified facility meets strict energy performance standards set by EPA and uses less energy, is less expensive to operate, and causes fewer greenhouse gas emissions than its peers. St. Andrew's, Newport News, participates in the Energy Star program "We have used the benchmarking tool associated with this program since 2009 and have qualified for an Energy Star for the last three out of four years," said Bob Lord of St. Andrew's. "Working for an Energy Star makes us better stewards of God's bounty while freeing up resources to support the rest of our mission." You can learn more about the Energy Star program here.   

Ecumenical community facing major changes

35th Anniversary celebration at Holy Apostles', Virginia Beach

Holy Apostles', Virginia Beach, is our diocese's ecumenical community with Episcopalians and Roman Catholics together in the same congregation. It is the only community of its kind anywhere and they are now facing some major changes in the way they worship.

Last November, Bishop Francis DiLorenzo of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond told Holy Apostles to "bring its liturgical celebrations into conformity with the Roman Catholic Church."

In a statement released last week, DiLorenzo suggested other forms of liturgy, would allow Catholic and Episcopal members to worship together. Celebration of the Eucharistic liturgy continues to be separate. "As the shepherd of the Diocese of Richmond, it is my prayerful desire that this ecumenical community at Holy Apostles continues and flourishes," the statement said.

Bishop Hollerith expressed his obvious concern over how the requirements of the Roman Catholic Church regarding the liturgy would affect the life of the community. He also said that, from the Episcopal side of things, we have much to lose. "We will respect the Roman Catholic requirements because Holy Apostles' is a precious community and should be preserved."

Holy Apostles' was established in 1977 and Catholic and Episcopal clergy performed services according to each tradition and shared leadership of the community. The Episcopal and Catholic congregations prayed together before separating for the Eucharist. Participants say that this has allowed families in ecumenical marriages to worship together and strengthen their community.

Last week, Bishop DiLorenzo, accompanied by members of his staff, and Bishop Hollerith, accompanied by the Rev. Canon Ed Tracy, met with congregational leadership, including the clergy. Congregational leaders outlined what has been done since November to comply with the directives and to assure Bishop DiLorenzo that they have been working faithfully to do what was required of them while also trying to avoid pastoral trauma to the congregation. Bishop DiLorenzo assured them that he is aware of potential pastoral consequences and desires that they be as minimal as possible. The community has more work to do to bring their liturgy in line with the directive, much of which they have already begun.

The Rev. Michael Ferguson, the church's Episcopal priest said the meeting was productive, but that there are still "huge pastoral issues that have to be worked out because there are people here who have been worshiping together for years."

Energy stewardship contest for congregations on the Peninsula

To raise awareness of how much energy places of worship use, God's Earth Ministry is sponsoring an Energy Stewardship Contest among faith communities on the Peninsula to see which one uses energy the most efficiently.  We believe that a community of faith will win just by entering because awareness of one's energy usage is the first step in reducing it.  We will award an inscribed plaque to the winning place of worship and present it to the winning congregation's place of worship.  The deadline for submissions is April 20th, 2013. To take part in this contest, contact Ken Wright at pkenwright3@gmail.com or 757-851-5085.  You'll need to access your gas and electricity usage for 2012 as well the square footage of your building(s).