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.