Grief Recovery Handbook study groups forming

Beginning in October, a six-week Grief Recovery Handbook Study will be offered via Zoom.

 

Grief Recovery defines grief as the normal and natural human response to change. For better or worse, change involves loss. We're pretty good at celebrating adding things to our lives, and not so good at routinely cleansing, healing, or processing things when we experience change, particularly when it involves loss. The experience of life during COVID, the death of a beloved human or pet, change in job, home, school, partner, health or economic status can all cause grief. Grief Recovery provides simple action steps to become a cleansing/healing machine and live a lighter, happier life. This study will also give you new skills in responding to losses in others' lives and can be the foundation or expansion of a healing ministry in your parish.

 

There are three opportunities to participate in this study which will be facilitated by the Rev. Sarah Shirley, interim rector of St. Luke's in Powhatan and a Grief Recovery Outreach Specialist. Click here for more information and registration.  

Register with confidence! Food for the Soul and other fall retreats

Did you know that Chanco has a new registration policy during this challenging time? Register for a fall retreat with confidence knowing that any time you need to change your registration, you can do so with no penalty. We already have registrations rolling in for our upcoming Food for the Soul retreat and others are planning small group or personal retreats this fall! Fall is gorgeous at Chanco with cooler temperatures, colorful changing leaves, and it is the perfect time for an outside bonfire. Don't miss a getaway at Chanco this fall! For more information on Food for the Soul retreat (September 26-27) or on planning your own retreat, visit www.chanco.org. We hope to see you back on the banks of the James very soon! Questions? Contact us at  hospitality@chanco.org or 888-724-2626.

99th birthday drive-by celebration

 

Bishop Haynes joined in the drive-by birthday celebration for Marion Edmonds, a long-time member of Grace Church, Norfolk, as she celebrated her 99th birthday this past weekend.

The Rev. Joseph Green to be honored at Sewanee

The University of the South at Sewanee, Tennessee, invites you to join them virtually to honor The Rev. Dr. Joseph N. Green, Jr. at the unveiling of his portrait in Hamilton Hall at the School of Theology, September 15 at 1 p.m. School of Theology classes 2017 and 2019 commissioned the portrait because of his role in making Sewanee more diverse and welcoming and in recognition for all he has done during his ministry. Rev. Green made history in 1965 when he became the first African American to graduate from the University of the South. Click here to join the webinar on September 15 at 1 p.m.

Deacon Jan Brown gives invocation at White House

Deacon Jan Brown of Bruton Parish, Williamsburg, and co-chair of the Diocesan Addictions & Recovery Commission, was invited to give the invocation at "Recovery at Work: Celebrating Connections", a roundtable discussion held at the White House that focused on recovery-friendly workplaces and employees in recovery. This was part of the White House's celebration of National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month. You can watch video here.  

Clergy transitions

Clergy Retirements:

• The Rev. Terry Edwards retired as Priest-in-Charge of St. Augustine, Newport News, on June 1, 2020.
• The Very Rev. Susan Grimm retired as Rector of St. Timothy, Clarksville, and Trinity, South Boston, on June 30, 2020.
• The Rev. John Eidam retired as Rector of St. Peter, Norfolk, on July 9, 2020.

Clergy Departures:

• The Rev. Bruce Cheney resigned as Priest-in-Charge of St. George, Newport News, on July 1, 2020, and accepted a call to serve as Rector of St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Oriental, North Carolina.
• The Rev. Connie Gillman resigned as Priest-in-Charge of Christ Church, Smithfield, on July 5, 2020.
• The Rev. Jacqueline Soltys resigned as Assistant to the Rector of Grace Church, Yorktown, on July 19, 2020.
• The Rev. Tom Crittenden concluded his tenure as Interim Rector of Grace Church, Yorktown, on July 26, 2020.
• The Rev. Dan McClain resigned as Associate Rector of Bruton Parish, Williamsburg, and Chaplain at William and Mary on August 9, 2020, and accepted a call to serve as Priest-in-Charge of St. Paul Episcopal Church, Dayton, Ohio.

Clergy Ordinations: 

• The Rev. Donna Hines was ordained to the transitional diaconate on July 12, 2020, and will serve during the month of September at Christ & St. Luke, Norfolk.
• The Rev. Grace Rigby was ordained to the transitional diaconate on July 25, 2020, and began serving as Assistant to the Rector of Church of the Redeemer, Midlothian, on August 1, 2020.

Clergy Reception:

• The Rev. Vincent Connery was received as a priest in the Episcopal Church on July 19, 2020, and serves at Christ and St. Luke, Norfolk.

Clergy Transitions:

• The Rev. Sarah Shirley began as Interim Rector of St. Luke, Powhatan, on August 1, 2020.
• The Rev. Morgan Gardner began as Priest-in-Charge of St. George, Newport News, on August 1, 2020.
• The Rev. Seldon Walker began as Rector of Grace Church, Yorktown, on August 10, 2020.

6 traits people value in online faith communities

By The Rt. Rev. Susan Haynes

When the COVID pandemic caused us to close our buildings back in March, church leadership scrambled in order to bring experiences of worship and community to their flocks. These experiences went from in-person to on-line, and the learning curve in most cases was extraordinarily steep. Churches have responded well and have learned that even when we return fully to in-person worship, the church will still exists online. Recently the Leadership Institute of the College for Bishops issued the following article: "6 Traits People Value in Online Faith Communities" by Heidi A. Campbell. The experience of our churches who have ventured into the online realm underscores what people really want in their Christian walk - connection, community and communication!

These traits are:

1. Relationships
2. Support and encouragement
3. A sense of being appreciated
4. Trusted connections
5. A safe place for intimate communication
6. Shared beliefs and purpose

You may read the full article here.

Repairers of the Breach speaker series: "Unlawful for Any Christian"? Slave-owning Anglican and Episcopal Churches in Early Virginia

Repairers of the Breach, our diocesan task force for dismantling racism, begins a speaker series on September 29 with a talk by Dr. Jennifer Oast, professor of history at Bloomsburg University. Continuing the work of Becoming Beloved Community, the Episcopal Church's long-term commitment to racial healing and justice, this series will build on the learning of our March pilgrimage, "Walking Toward Truth," which visited sites of memory in Hampton, Jamestown and Williamsburg.  

 

Dr. Oast, author of Institutional Slavery: Slaveholding Churches, Schools, Colleges, and Businesses in Virginia, 1680-1860 (Cambridge, 2016), has titled her talk "Unlawful for Any Christian"? Slave-owning Anglican and Episcopal Churches in Early Virginia."  Anglican parishes were the first institutions in Virginia to own slaves, which were acquired initially through donations and later through deliberate purchase. The parishes became the masters of slaves with little hesitation; while one eighteenth-century minister declared he thought it was "unlawful for any Christian and in particular for a clergyman" to employ slaves, his view was the minority one in the early eighteenth century, when few Englishmen, either in the colonies or back in England, questioned the existence or morality of slavery. The Anglicans' success with institutional slaveholding sent Virginians the message that not only was slaveholding not "unlawful" for a Christian, but that it could be of great benefit to them.  

 

This talk explores how slavery was used and thought about in Anglican and Episcopal parishes. It also examines the lives of individual African Americans who were enslaved to the churches. Join us via Zoom for this informative session on September 29 from 6:30 to 7:30. Click here to register and access the Zoom link. And check out the updated links on our Justice & Advocacy page, www.diosova.org/justice-advocacy.

CE-Net online gathering: Let's Talk Confirmation!

Join CE-Net for a Zoom meeting conversation on Thursday, September 10, 6:00 to 7:30 pm.  COVID restrictions have impacted formation planning for the immediate future. As a result many formation leaders are asking -  what will confirmation look like during COVID?  We'll spend time sharing and listening to what you may be planning,  or are currently doing, for confirmation. And if you've not thought about it, we'll also spend time brainstorming possibilities for what a confirmation program might look like in the "new normal".   If you are interested in participating, please register in advance for this meeting here. You will receive the Zoom link after registering. 

Clergy retreat registration open

On Monday through Wednesday, September 28-30, the Diocese is offering a clergy retreat for a time of rest and reflection. The retreat may be experienced in person at Chanco on the James and will also offer a virtual option for those who wish to experience retreat in their homes. Bishop Haynes will offer times of meditation and times of prayer and silence. We will also offer opportunities for waterfront activities including swimming, paddle-boarding and kayaking. Compline will be conducted each night around the campfire. Click here for more information and registration.  

This is NOT Sunday School

ChurchNext is hosting a new weekly program offering called "This is NOT Sunday School". The course will run from September 16th-December 20th .  It is designed to be a free weekly, inter-generational Christian learning opportunity to help participants draw closed to Jesus Christ. Click here for more information and registration.

New "Way of Love, Practices for a Jesus-Centered Life" resources support building an intentional small group ministry

The Episcopal Church continues to offer new resources for congregations interested in following the Way of Love as a way of life by starting small group ministries. New resources include the Building an Intentional Small Group Ministry information packet, an infographic, video compilations, and social media graphics. These resources are available in English, Spanish and French. For more information and resources visit iam.ec/smallgroups or email wayoflove@episcopalchurch.org

Come away with me and rest a while

Clergy retreat September 28-30

In this exhortation from Mark, Jesus bids his disciples to break loose from the demands on their physical time and energies in order to go to a place to rejuvenate and recreate. Bishop Susan would like to invite all clergy to such a time.   As the pandemic lingers longer than anyone would have anticipated, many clergy are finding themselves close to a point of burnout. The learning curve experienced from moving from in-person worship to virtual worship and then a to hybrid worship including both kinds of worship, has exacted a toll on our time and energies. A bit of rest is necessary.

 

On Monday through Wednesday, September 28-30, the Diocese is offering a clergy retreat for a time of rest and reflection. The retreat may be experienced in person at Chanco on the James for those who feel ready to venture out to that sort of gathering (Rooming options will be limited to single occupancy except for clergy couples or others who currently quarantine together). It will also offer a virtual option for those who wish to experience retreat in their homes. The goal of this retreat is to rest. Bishop Haynes will offer times of meditation and times of prayer and silence. Outside experts on church programming, worship and evangelism will be saved for another gathering. The focus, once again, is rest. We will also offer opportunities for waterfront activities including swimming, paddle-boarding and kayaking. Compline will be conducted each night around the campfire.

 

More information will be forthcoming in the next weeks, including cost and how to register. For now, please hold the dates on your calendar: September 28-30.

Safeguarding Grants available

Recently Diocesan funds were budgeted to provide grants for small churches to assist in meeting compliance standards (i.e. background checks, credit checks, etc.) for the Policy for the Protection of Children, Youth, and Vulnerable Adults. Small churches who have submitted their Congregational/Organizational Safe Church Annual Audit and have provided the Diocese with the preceding two calendar years' financial audit reports are eligible to apply to apply for a Safeguarding Grant. Click here for the application form. If you have questions please contact Canon Lynn Farlin at lfarlin@diosova.org or via phone at 757-213-3377.

Celebrate the Season of Creation

September 1 to October 4

 

Episcopalians are invited to join churches around the world in celebrating the Season of Creation; a time for people of faith to renew their relationship with God and all creation through celebration, prayer, and action. The Season's roots rise from the Orthodox Christian tradition; the World Council of Churches was instrumental in making the special time a season, extending the celebration from September 1 until St. Francis Day, October 4. The Episcopal Church Office of Creation Care offers Season of Creation and St. Francis Day Resources to help plan.

Season of Creation resources include:

• Season of Creation Weekly Devotional
• Season of Creation website, featuring a celebration guide, prayer, ways to take action and more.
• Episcopal liturgical resources for honoring God in creation. Also available in Spanish here.
• Creation Care resource page - Compiled by Episcopalians from across the Church, this page includes resources on loving formation (teaching, preaching, worship), liberating advocacy for environmental justice, and life-giving conservation and sustainability efforts. Users are invited to share their best resources here.

St. Francis Day resources include:

• Episcopal Church St. Francis Day resources - Use this comprehensive resource to plan a Blessing of the Animals service, a St. Francis Day service, or to find story books and historical resources about St. Francis of Assisi.
• La Bendicion de los Animales - Blessing of the Animals services in Spanish.

The Season of Creation is an excellent opportunity to try out an outdoor formation event or outdoor worship service where safe, as a source of joy and connection with animals and with God's creation.

Seeds of Hope Grant applications now being accepted

Seeds of Hope Grants are available to congregations and diocesan groups (e.g., affiliated institutions, commissions and task forces) within the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia to begin or expand ministries for social and economic justice causes as they relate to the Five Marks of Mission. 2020 grant applications must be postmarked NO LATER THAN September 30, 2020. Awards will be announced and distributed no later than November 30, 2020. Click here for more information and an application form.

The Road to Healing with Ken Woodley

Author Ken Woodley will host a Zoom Forum to share the story behind his book The Road to Healing, on Wednesday, August 26 from 7:00 to 8:30 pm. St. Michael's, Bon Air (a mostly white church) and Fourth Wall Love Connect Ministries (a mostly black church), who share ministry on the same campus in Bon Air, are co-hosting this event. Members of the community are invited. The Road to Healing covers the five years Prince Edward County, Virginia closed down their public schools rather than integrate from 1959-1964. It also shares the compelling story of the eighteen-month crusade to bring healing and justice to those denied their education, through what the late Julian Bond described as the first civil rights-era reparations in U.S. history. Register here to attend the forum. 

 

Ken Woodley, a member of St. Anne's, Appomattox, is a licensed lay preacher in the Episcopal Church and has published daily spiritual meditations Forward Day By Day. Woodley was the editor for twenty-four years of the Farmville Herald in Prince Edward County, Virginia. Learn more about Woodley and follow his blog at kenwoodley.com. 

Food for the Soul Retreat

Join us for our Food for the Soul retreat offered September 26-27, 2020. Participants last year enjoyed wonderful fellowship, incredible food, a cooking lesson with Chef Rafael, worship on the bluff, and learning about and tasting Virginia wine as well as discussions about the importance of nourishing your spirit. Questions? Contact us at hospitality@chanco.org or 888-7CHANCO (888-724-2626).

Clarification about singing during worship

Several have expressed confusion about the guidelines around the action of singing in worship during this first phase of regathering during Covid-19. We hope these clarifications will help.

• Congregational singing during PUBLIC worship is not permitted at this time. This includes public worship that is indoors or outdoors.
• Singing by a soloist, cantor or small group (4-6 people) is permitted in outdoor public worship when the singing is more than 30 feet away from any other person. Masks should be worn.
• Singing by a soloist, cantor or small group (4 people) is permitted in indoor public worship when the singer(s) are placed either in a balcony or in another room or behind a screen. Masks should be worn.
• Singing that is previously recorded to be used in virtual services may be done if singers are spaced at least 10-12 feet apart and do not face each other. This includes pre-recorded services and live-streamed services. Masks do not need to be worn provided that personnel in the church number below 10 persons. When these events are streamed or photographs of them are posted on social media, a statement should be made that this is not a public worship service.

As you might well imagine in this Diocese, there exist all sorts of opinions on the pandemic and the issues we face. Singing is a beloved activity which we all greatly miss; just as there are those who do not want to attend worship without congregational singing, there are also those who will not attend even an outdoor worship even if only one person is singing. To abstain from singing, except as the guidelines above mandate, is a sacrifice we make because we believe that abstaining will help to keep us all safe. Canon Roy Hoffman and I were privileged to be part of a zoom conference yesterday with Dr. Anthony Fauci. One of the most encouraging things Dr. Fauci said was that there WILL be an end to this pandemic. The day WILL return when we can resume our beloved worship in the ways that we love. That day is not now, but it will come. Meanwhile, we all try to do our part to beat this virus back.

 

BE JOYFUL IN THE LORD, ALL YOU LANDS; SERVE THE LORD WITH GLADNESS AND COME BEFORE HIS PRESENCE WITH A SONG. (Psalm 100:1)

 

What will the Church's song be during a time when our voice cannot produce the sound?

 

-- Bishop Susan 

Repairers of the Breach book study series begins with White Fragility by Robin Diangelo

The Repairers of the Breach will be embarking on a series of diocesan wide book studies to help us engage in conversations about racial justice. The first book we will be reading is White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin Diangelo.  Bishop Haynes has this to say about the book: "For those who are just beginning to step, even if tentatively, into the waters of racial justice conversation, Robin Diangelo's book White Fragility is an excellent place to start. Diangelo gives us permission to look at all the reasons that racism is so hard to talk about and then encourages us to begin the conversation. We hope you will join us in taking this step toward respecting the dignity of every human being."

Participants are asked to read a chapter each week prior to gathering via Zoom on Wednesday evenings at 6 p.m. for a facilitated discussion related to the week's chapter content. The first Zoom gathering will be held on August 19 at 6 p.m. and all the sessions will be recorded. If you are unable to attend on Wednesdays, we still invite you to join us in reading this book together and hope you will be able to watch the recordings. Click here to join the study. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing log in information.

New resources our COVID-19 web page

COVID-19 Spiritual Survival Kit - a free course on ChurchNext that offers approaches to maintaining spiritual, emotional, and physical health during the Covid-19 crisis.  

 

Resources for Addressing Anxiety - a variety of resources curated by Virginia Theological Seminary's Center for Lifelong Learning. You can find additional resources addressing grief and loss on the Diocesan website here.  

 

COVIDWISE Exposure Notifications App - A free app from the Virginia Department of Health to help protect your community while protecting your privacy.  

 

Reopen.church is an online platform that could be helpful for churches when they are ready to re-gather and to do so more safely. It provides a simple (and free) registration form that distributes people across multiple services and rooms.  

 

What's going wrong in your church building while you're gone? - a good article about caring for your building while it's vacant or seeing very limited use.

Parish Book Store wants to know what you're reading

Help the Parish Book Store at Eastern Shore Chapel, Virginia Beach, add to its lists of recommended books on its website on bookshop.org by sending your best read for the summer - just email it to books@easternshorechapel.org. The title does not have to be spiritual or religious or for adults only. Check out what they have already spotlighted by going to bookshop.org; click on "find a bookstore," put in "Virginia Beach," and click on the Parish Book Store website. While you are browsing, remember that you can order a book from bookshop.org, and the Parish Book Store gets a portion of the sale.

Book Group via Zoom 

The Parish Book Store Book Group is reading Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You.  The book is a "young adult" remix of Stamped from the Beginning: A Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, a National Book Award winner by Ibram X. Kendi.  The group will meet in late August by Zoom. If you would like to read the book, you can order it from Parish Book Store via bookshop.org. Parish Book Store will send out a notice when the discussion date is set.  

Community of the Gospel prays for end to racist violence, everyone invited to participate

The Community of the Gospel, an ecumenical non-residential monastic community with standing in The Episcopal Church, announces a 24 hour prayer vigil for the end to racist violence on Holy Cross Day, September 14, 2020. The Community offers this vigil to everyone wishing to participate as a response to this nation's four hundred year history of systemic racism.

In announcing the prayer vigil, Br. Daniel-Chad Hoffman, Guardian, stated: "As monastics, we engage in regular prayer, study, and service aimed at the establishment of a society marked by justice, dignity, and equal opportunity for all. This is grounded in our baptismal vow 'to strive for justice and peace among all people, respecting the dignity of every human being.'"

 

The vigil will be launched with a thirty minute Zoom prayer service officiated by the Community of the Gospel Chaplain, the Rev. Tyrone Fowlkes, Rector of St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Raleigh, N.C. This virtual service is scheduled for Sunday, September 13, from 8:00 to 8:30 p.m.

 

Participants are invited to sign up for one or more hour-long prayer segments on Holy Cross Day, Monday, September 14, from 12 a.m. throughout the day, with the vigil ending at midnight.

 

Sign-up for the Zoom prayer launch on Sunday, the 13 as well as the prayer vigil itself on Monday, the 14 is by Doodle Poll. Zoom invitations will be sent to all persons who sign up. Please follow this link to sign up. 

 

The Community of the Gospel was founded in 2007 and currently numbers nearly fifty members and friends across the United States and in the Bahamas. While holding day jobs, members commit to embody Gospel values through disciplined prayer, study, and service.

#DiosovaRingsOut bell ringing

For some time now churches in our diocese have been invited to ring their church bells on Thursdays at noon for three minutes to express appreciation for health care workers and first responders.  As the pandemic continues to affect our lives we all realize the heroic efforts of health care workers and first responders serving on the front lines of the pandemic response.  

 

During the last months as parishes have engaged in bell ringing some have noted, in addition to those on the front lines of the pandemic struggle, our communities are also deeply struggling with other challenges: racial disparity, food insecurity, affordable housing, economic equality, issues of social justice and the list goes on.  

 

Perhaps members in your parish leadership would like to highlight prayerfully those challenges too. It could be helpful for your parish leadership to discuss or highlight those struggles as well while the bell ringing continues.  Should you decide to highlight these or other struggles in your community, you are encouraged to use the hashtag #DiosovaRingsOut on Facebook or Instagram. Whatever direction or decisions you make, thank you for offering your continuing prayers of remembrance and thanksgivings through the ringing  of church bells.

Happening: Project Caritas

To our Happening Community,

 

The Happening Committee (Kim Centers, Juli McDaniel, Karen Witherspoon, Chris O'Brien, Krista McLaughlin, Mariah Dudley, Cornelia Taylor, Nathan Hoyt, and Megan Dern) hopes that you are well and healthy.  We are living in some very challenging times and we wanted to do something that might bring our community together in a way that keeps our doors open and our love flowing.  

 

There are few things more precious than friendship. The friendship and love that we get to feel, share and spread through Happening is God's Caritas to each of us; we believe that.  He loves us THAT much and invites each of us to share it with each other.  His love can been seen in the faces of each other, can be read in the words that are written, can be heard in songs that we sing and felt through the power of prayer.  God hears all of our prayers and answers all of our prayers, and while it may not be what we want, it is usually what we need. 

How can we do that?  How can you do that?  The Happening Committee invites you to be a part of something bigger.  Your words, your songs, your prayers are love.  One prayer at a time, one song at a time, this is love.  We are officially launching our summer Project Caritas.  Project Caritas is our two-pronged approach to reaching the Happening Community through Song and Prayer. 

 

Project Caritas SING

We invite you to sing. It's that simple. In our world of stress, these songs we've chosen bring us peace, evoke memories of Happenings past, and wrap us in love.  Record yourself singing one of these Happening Songs: Give Yourself to Love; Amazing Grace (Alleluia); Sanctuary; They Will Know We Are Christians. Sing it, record it, and send it! Lyrics and video tips can be accessed here. You can upload your song here so that we can create a compilation that we can carry with us everywhere. Please upload your song no later than August 8, 2020. The Project Caritas SING compilation should be ready and released by August 29, 2020

 

Project Caritas PRAY    

Two words you are already familiar with: Prayer Partner. We would like to invite you to pray for another person and receive the power of prayer as well.  We would like to put together some matches of people who would be interested.  Simply submit your name and Happening number (if you know it) to Megan Dern at mdern@diosova.org and the committee will match you with someone else interested in having a partner. The great news is, once you submit your name and method of contact, you and your prayer partner get to choose how to communicate, exchanging prayers through email, text, Facebook messenger, or even snail mail. We encourage any and everyone to lift each other up in prayer and add other encouraging and giving gestures as you see fit. Prayer is a powerful form of Caritas. It doesn't matter if you are an alumnus of Happening #1 or #71, all are welcome to participate.  If you are interested, please send a message to a committee member or respond to this post. We will match all participants and notify you of your partner match as soon as we can.

 

Project Caritas. Be a part of something bigger. Nothing in this world is bigger than God's love for us. 

Christ Church completing first phase of renovation

By Mary Cole, Christ Church, Smithfield

 

After two years of work to save Christ Church, Smithfield, the first phase will soon be complete. The old 1832 original Protestant Episcopal Church, whose congregants came from Historic St. Luke's four miles down the road, looked perfectly fine standing on the corners of Main and Church Streets in Smithfield for almost 200 years. Little did the congregation know what was lurking beneath the surface. Bill Egan, a church member and civil engineer, prevented the unthinkable when he discovered structural damage that could have led to the building's collapse and loss of priceless stained-glass windows - not to mention the threat to those who enjoyed the worship service, Sundays at Four concert series, and town events that took place there. Because of the urgent need for action, there was little time to prepare the financial support system needed. After receiving an initial grant, a generous gift by the C.W. Brinkley Family, drawing on the endowment given by the late Helen Ann Ferguson and receiving a gift from Doris and Atwill Gwaltney, Christ Church was able to move forward quickly. On August 2, the church will hold its first worship service in this historic church since the COVID-19 outbreak, though with masks, social distancing and other re-gathering guidelines. Church members are taking a deep sigh of relief that the structural issues have been resolved and the beautiful stained-glass restoration will be finished soon. It is estimated that there is still $250,000 needed to complete this challenging project. A grant from the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Fund for Historic Interiors of the National Trust for Historic Preservation has just been received. Christ Church greatly appreciates the grant assistance and the contributions of many.

From Bishop Haynes: Pastoral update on re-gathering

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)

 

Now that the Diocesan guidelines for re-gathering have been issued and churches are submitting their plans for in-person worship, we are confronted with the reality that this virus isn't doing what we thought it would or wanted it to. Instead of continuing to decrease, the number of new cases and percent positivity is increasing! Some areas of the Commonwealth are seeing more of an increase in numbers - the Tidewater area in particular. More and more we hear stories of people who know people who have been sickened with COVID-19, whereas before perhaps they knew of no one who had the illness. There is more confusion than clarity as to whether or not it is safe for congregations to gather for in-person worship. Our anxiety is at an all-time high!

 

In the face of such confusion, we hope that the following reminders will prove helpful:

 

There is no rush to re-gather for indoor worship

Even though churches are submitting their plans to re-gather, many are stating that their congregations are waiting until the fall actually to resume worship. This is entirely within the power of clergy and vestries to decide. We encourage leadership to watch the numbers in their area and to make decisions about worship accordingly. If you have opened for worship, but have subsequently decided that the numbers are heading in the wrong direction, you may temporarily decide to close again. You may continue to offer virtual worship opportunities for those who do not feel safe to come to church. Or you may gather for brief, outdoor opportunities for worship and fellowship. The important thing is to keep the lines of communication open with your parishes so that everyone knows what is happening.

 

We are in a different place today than we were in March

In March when we made the sweeping decision to shut down worship, we were completely unprepared to continue gathering safely. We didn't understand then what we understand about the virus today. Today we know more about how it is transmitted and about things we can do to protect ourselves. Today we have guidelines that we can put in place for our protection. We also understand more about numbers and trends that indicate if the virus is contained or is spreading. All of this information can help inform us as we make decision about worship and other church activities. Vestries and clergy are of course capable of making these decisions; however, the Diocesan staff also stands ready to offer counsel and advice. Give us a call.

 

Our technological abilities are increasing

We have learned a lot through this pandemic, and one of the things we have learned is how to stay connected and how to continue to be the church through the use of technology - email, virtual worship, social media, and other things. We now understand that God's church perseveres in new, fresh ways that we didn't dream possible before.

 

GOD LOVES US!

In this Sunday's Gospel we hear the Kingdom of Heaven likened to a small mustard seed that grows into a tree large enough to shelter birds from all over. With even the smallest kernel of trust that we can muster, we are welcomed into the protective branches of God's love. His all-encompassing embrace will shelter us, protect us, guide us and lead us into all truth. The day will come when the reality of this pandemic will be behind us. We will boldly carry forward the lessons we have learned from it. But no matter what, we will keep on being the Church of God. So let us go forth, continuing in the apostles' teaching, in the prayers, the fellowship and the breaking of bread. Pick up the phone and call somebody. Pick up pen and paper and write a letter. Do not be afraid to be the Church!

 

I will not forget you. Behold! I have carved you in the palm of my hand. (Isaiah 49:16)

Education for Ministry (EfM): Meet Diocesan EfM Coordinator Cindy Jordan

Hello there!  Let me introduce myself.  My name is Cindy Jordan and I will be the Diocesan Coordinator for EfM.  I am filling some formidable shoes of past EfM coordinators, so please be patient as I learn the ropes.

A little bit about me—I am a member of St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Williamsburg, where my family and I have worshipped for 28 years.  I have one adult son and a new grandson, who both fill my heart.  I grew up in New England, but came to Virginia when my husband of 36 years was stationed at Yorktown with the Coast Guard. I have two brothers, who both have moved to Virginia and made their homes here, one of whom is a member of Old Donation with his famly.  My spiritual journey has been influenced by so many wonderful people throughout the years, many of whom are in this Diocese, ordained and non-ordained.  I am a high school teacher by vocation, but learned through EfM that my vocation can also be a ministry.  I hope to provide that experience for many of you.

What is EfM?  For those of you who might be new to the Church, EfM is a program of study, prayer and theological reflection that was developed by, and is administered through, Sewanee: University of the South.  Sewanee is a private Episcopal liberal arts college in Sewanee, Tennessee. It is owned by 28 southern dioceses of the Episcopal Church.  Its School of Theology is an official seminary of the church.

The course for EfM is a journey through the Old Testament, the New Testament, Christian/ Church History and Theology over a four-year period.  EfM allows participants an opportunity to explore God’s call to them, while giving them more information and opportunities for reflection to discern that call.   This is done through weekly small-group gatherings (currently virtually) lead by trained mentors.  The course operates much like a college course, however, there is no grading and no research papers to write! You can take breaks in the course should you need—take a year off if needed.  Throughout the course, participants are asked to reflect on their spiritual journey past, present and future. EfM is living theology.  Participants learn to live into their own theological beliefs and be an example of the heart and hands of Christ in their circles—family, friends, church, co-workers, and community.

Let me define “ministry” here.  We are not talking about “holy orders” and ordination!  Ministry is about giving of ourselves, and of our time, talents, and resources to bless and help others.  We are ALL ministers in this world.  God has often used unsuspecting, but good people to serve and minister to His people.  Think of Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Miriam, Deborah, Mary and the disciples called by Christ.  In Isaiah we read, “And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”   EfM prepares participants to say “Here I am!”

This is the only program I know of that gives the non-ordained, the non-clerical, the kind of knowledge and tools they need to be active in the life of the Church and church community.  Everyone is called to ministry but finding that ministry with all the “noise” around us can be difficult.  Many EfM graduates have gone on to begin new ministries in their parishes, serve on their vestry, become formation leaders in their church and even, through discernment, deacons. The benefit to our parishes and diocese is immeasurable as participants and graduates begin their journeys.  The benefit to the participant is a deeper knowledge of how the Church came to be and a much richer view of their place in it and in today’s world.

My goals for EfM in the Diocese are three-fold:

• To be sure every parishioner in DiSoVa is aware of the opportunity to become an EfM participant and explore their call to ministry in the church. 
• To “train up” several current EfM graduates to become mentors for new groups
• To grow our network of groups by at least 20% this coming year

Right now, new groups are forming and “old” groups are gearing up to resume in the fall!  All groups will begin online due to the current public health issues.  This is a great time for some our smaller parishes to offer EfM to their parishioners as we can combine folks in the on-line format.   No prior study or knowledge of scripture or theology is required. 

I am very much looking forward to walking this journey with you.  Join me and here your call!

Want more information?  Contact your rector, your Christian Formation Director, or Cindy Jordan at cwjordan.efm@gmail.com.

Open office hours July 16 with Latino/a/x Missioner

The Rev. (Padre) Mario Melendez is hosting Open Office Hours tomorrow, July 16, from 1 to 3 p.m. Do you have ideas and/or suggestions to help the Latino/a/x community in Southern Virginia? Does your parish, community, or organization want to be involved in this wonderful ministry? Padre Mario would like to hear from you. Click here to register. 

Planning for fall formation programs

Who has started thinking about planning for their fall programs? This fall will look vastly different than past years and we want to be here to help you through the planning process.  We have two opportunities for formation leaders to join together to hear about new formation ideas and talk through the ideas that you are currently exploring.

 

Province III Virtual Summit 

On Monday, July 20 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., our Province 3 coordinators are hosting a virtual summit to talk about formation in the fall. Whether you work with children, youth, adults, or all of the above, join us for a Zoom forum to explore answers to what formation ministry look like in the Fall and have an opportunity to share resources with one another. Advanced registration  is required. Click here to register. 

 

Diocesan Colleague Lunch 

On Wednesday, July 22 at 12 noon, join us for a Diocesan colleague lunch over Zoom. We can discuss what we learned on Monday (although it's not necessary to have participated) and have space to ask questions specific to our Diocese. We will break out into groups based on if you are planning formation for children, youth, or adult ministry to better process your ideas for the fall with formation leaders going through the same things. Advanced registration  is required. Click here to register. 

 

If you have any questions or things that you want to see covered, please contact Megan Dern at mdern@diosova.org.

Learn more about Education for Ministry (EfM) in July 30 online event

Have you ever considered participating in Education for Ministry (EfM)? Do you have questions or want to learn more about the scope and sequence of the program? On Thursday, July 30 at 6 p.m. the Christian Education Network (CE-Net) will host an online session dedicated to Education for Ministry (EfM). The Episcopal Church believes that all baptized persons are called to ministry. While the scope of ministry differs from person to person it is all grounded in our baptismal promises. EfM is an education program of "study, prayer and reflection", that is dedicated to helping people live out their ministry. Cindy Jordan, Diocesan EfM Coordinator, will provide a brief overview of the program and will respond to questions. Click here to register for this July 30 Zoom event. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. 

Bishop Susan to lead online Bible study in August

Bishop Susan would like to invite anyone in the Diocese of Southern Virginia who is interested to study the Bible with her through Lectio Divina. Lectio Divina is a prayerful way of studying Scripture that, once learned, can be practiced in groups or in solitude. Beginning August 10, we will meet weekly for four weeks to look at Scriptures that will also be helpful in assisting us to navigate through the COVID-19 crisis.  No experience is needed, as Bishop Susan will guide you through the practice of reading (lectio), meditation (meditatio), prayerful response (oratio), and contemplation, or simply resting in God (contemplatio). Beginning at 7 p.m., these meetings will last for 90 minutes. Each meeting is limited to 50 persons, so registration is needed. Register to participate here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. 

TENS offers free resources for virtual stewardship

As the summer deepens, many congregations begin to think of their fall stewardship campaigns. The Episcopal Network For Stewardship (TENS) provides excellent stewardship campaign materials that are free to all congregations in Southern Virginia via our diocesan TENS membership. This year TENS will be providing resources that help congregations to conduct virtual stewardship campaigns in addition to the more traditional efforts.  

 

TENS member resources are available to all congregations in Southern Virginia via the diocesan membership. For log in information contact Canon for Formation Lynn Farlin, lfarlin@diosova.org or Communications Officer Ann Turner, aturner@diosova.org.  

 

Take advantage of these free webinars offered by TENS: 

• Virtual Stewardship 101 - July 25, 1 p.m. Review virtual offering plates and answer questions about virtual best practices. Register here.
• Creating Virtual Community for Stewardship - August 15, 1 p.m. Learn more about how to create meaningful small groups and pastoral teams virtually. Register here.
• How to use the TENS 2020 Materials for your Stewardship Campaign - Walk through this year's resources to maximize their usefulness. Register here.

ECW Yearbook & Directory for 2020 now available

2020 ECW Yearbook & Parish Directory The 2020 ECW Yearbook & Directory is available by contacting Diocesan Communications Officer Ann Turner, aturner@diosova.org. (The directory is not posted on the website due to privacy concerns.) 

Virtual Vacation Bible School: Amazing Stories, Unexpected Storytellers

Faith communities have been forced to address numerous challenges over the past few months as we all learn to navigate our lives, worship, formation, and our interactions with others while COVID-19 is in our midst. It has been exciting to see creative thinking and innovation with respect to digital worship and Christian formation opportunities as churches explore how to be the Church in our current reality. 

 

Faith communities have realized that we are so much more than what happens in our church buildings during Sunday worship. It is safe to say that this summer will be a different kind of summer as we continue social distancing efforts to help keep people safe. The traditional Vacation Bible School (VBS) program design of summers past, presents risks to the volunteers and participants as well as to their families. As a result, VBS is one of those summer formation opportunities that will require some creative thinking and adaptation in order to offer the program during the pandemic. Luckily, there are a number of virtually VBS options for faith communities and parents to explore this summer.

 

 A group of formation leaders from our diocese's Christian Education Network (CE-Net) developed a free virtual VBS program called Amazing Stories and Unexpected Storytellers that is highly flexible in both context and execution. Amazing Stories and Unexpected Storytellers is designed to adapt to the needs of parishes and congregations as well as individual families. It can be led for groups via Zoom, Facebook Live, or some other virtual meeting platform or simply be led by families at home.

 

The program design was inspired by the books A Spy on Noah's Ark and The Spy at Jacob's Ladder by Lindsay Hardin Freeman. We are thankful that the publisher, Forward Movement, has given us permission to use video readings of these stories through August 31, 2020. Freeman's books share the Bible stories from the perspective of an unexpected voice rather than the narrators we are used to hearing. If you are interested in learning more about the books visit www.forwardmovement.org. 

 

 Amazing Stories and Unexpected Storytellers consists of three segments/sessions - each segment features three storytelling videos (view on the Diocese's YouTube channel), crafts, recreational activities, science experiments, and outreach/mission challenges. The three segments include:

• FAITH - God Calls Us to be Heroes explored through the stories of Miriam, David, and Deborah.
• HOPE - Jesus with Us explored through the stories of the Woman of the Well, Jesus Calms the Storm, and Jesus Feeds the 5000.
• LOVE - Lead with Jesus explored through the stories of the Last Supper, Dorcas, and Pentecost.

Whether you are a formation leader leading the program virtually or a parent using the program in your home you can use whatever components best meets your needs.   There is plenty of content included to provide for a more traditional but virtual one-week program, multi-week program, or the stories can be stretched out weekly over the course of the summer or the user can create any variation in between. 

 

Click here to explore the program. Efforts are underway to provide a Spanish translation of the program which should be available in the coming weeks.

 

If you would like to explore other virtual VBS alternatives there are a number of options available from various vendors. Many of these programs offer two distinct fee structures for families and church use.  

• Church Publishing offers the free Summer Activity Pack for Children and Families Vol. 1.  Click here to download the packet.
• Illustrated Ministry offers a fee-based program called Compassion Camp. Click here to learn more about it. 
• GenOn Ministries offers suggestions to modify their integrational fee-based VBS -All God's Children: The Church Family Gathers for Summer to virtual space. Click here to learn more about their program.
• Go Curriculum has an online fee-based program with music, titled Backyard Bolt Towards Faith in Jesus.  Click here to learn more about the program.
• Group Publishing is offering some guidance to adapt their fee-based packaged VBS programs to neighborhood VBS options. Click here to view their resources.
• Cokesbury is offering some resources to adapt their fee-based packaged VBS programs to virtual space.  Click here to explore their resources.

If you use Amazing Stories and Unexpected Storytellers this summer the planning team would love to hear how you used it in your setting. If you have questions about the program contact Lynn Farlin, Canon for Formation (lfarlin@diosova.org), or CE-Net Co-Chairs, Vicky Koch (vkoch@stpaulsnorfolk.org) or Gizelle Moran (gizelle@trinity-portsmouth.org). 

Bishop Vaché Scholarship applications due July 1

The Bishop Vaché Scholarships provide funds to assist both low-income and minority undergraduate college students in the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia. First-year students as well as returning college students are welcome to apply. Scholarship awards range from $500-$2500 per academic year. To be considered, complete application packets must be postmarked by July 1, 2020. Click here for application form.  

 

Beloved Community "Rapid-Response" Grants available - apply June 19-August 15

The Presiding Officers' Advisory Group on Beloved Community Implementation is pleased to announce the availability of grants to address the racial disparities laid bare by the coronavirus pandemic and for groups responding to racist violence and policing reform. 

 

Across America, COVID-19 is disproportionately affecting people of color in terms of health outcomes, access to testing and treatment, safe work environments, and more.  At the same time, many recognize the pandemic of ongoing violence directed against black people and other people of color, especially at the hands of law enforcement personnel in communities in the Americas and beyond.

 

All proposed projects must demonstrate adherence to relevant local, diocesan and state public health guidelines for gathering and interaction. More information about the criteria and the application process are available here. Learn more about the Church's work on Becoming Beloved Community here, and see resources for "Responding to Racist Violence and Police Brutality" here.