YASC volunteer Andy Russell heads to Tanzania on August 27

Andy Russell, a member of Bruton Parish, Williamsburg, will be spending a year in Tanzania as a volunteer with the Episcopal Church Young Adult Service Corp. He leaves for his mission field on August 27. You can follow Andy's mission on his blog. We'll be sharing his posts here in the eNews.

YASC Orientation
"I can hardly believe that I am already over a week removed from the YASC training at the Holy Cross monastery in West Park, NY.  Between the actual cultural training, monastic setting, a trip to New York City, and all the people present during the two weeks of training, the experience was just so utterly unique and transformative." Click here to continue reading. 

Praying for the churches of Southern Virginia

As part of our liturgy at Annual Council 2015, each delegation wrote a prayer for their parish. We are sharing these prayers each week in the eNews so that we all can support one another in the upcoming year.

Emmanuel, Virginia Beach 

Heavenly Father, we ask your prayer for our church during this transition period. We pray for you to send the Holy Spirit down to give us unity of purpose and comfort for the sick and hurting. We ask all this trough Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.  

St. Andrew's, Lawrenceville   

May the Lord bless us and keep us. May the Lord make his face to shine upon us and give us peace. Amen. 

General Convention 2015 Summary of Actions available

A Summary of Actions of the 78th General Convention is now available online at the General Convention website here. A Summary of Actions of the 78th General Convention presents the results of resolutions and other matters from the 78th General Convention of The Episcopal Church, and is available for free download. Additionally, the Summary of Actions lists the membership of the Executive Council and other bodies elected and appointed at General Convention 2015.

The 78th General Convention of The Episcopal Church was held June 25 - July 3, in Salt Lake City, UT (Diocese of Utah). The Episcopal Church's General Convention is held every three years, and is the bicameral governing body of the Church. It comprises the House of Bishops, with upwards of 200 active and retired bishops, and the House of Deputies, with clergy and lay deputies elected from the 108 dioceses and three regional areas of the Church, at more than 800 members.

Bishop Jay Magness to retire in 2017

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori has announced the upcoming retirement of Bishop James "Jay" Magness, the Sixth Bishop Suffragan for Armed Services and Federal Ministries of The Episcopal Church. Bishop Magness has served in this position since June 2010. Prior to that, he served as Canon to the Ordinary here in Southern Virginia.

"Bishop Magness has brought a new level of clarity, effectiveness, and responsiveness to the office, and has increased recruitment and raised awareness of the ministry of federal chaplains around The Episcopal Church," Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori said. "He will be difficult to replace, and I am grateful this careful process of seeking a successor has begun."

"While continuing to enjoy good health and the thorough satisfaction of this ministry, I am keenly aware that I am approaching the age of mandatory retirement," Bishop Magness commented. "It has been a privilege to have served as the Sixth Bishop Suffragan for the Armed Services and Federal Ministries, and an honor to serve our chaplains and their families.  As we move into a promising future I am confident that our church will choose a wise leader as our Seventh Bishop Suffragan for the Armed Services and Federal Ministries."

Ridley Foundation awards over $131,000 in scholarships and grants for 2015-2016

The Ridley Foundation Board awarded scholarships totaling $131,250 to 50 students from the Diocese of Southern Virginia and Southampton County for the 2015-2016 academic year. The Board also awarded grants of $10,000 each to: Jackson-Feild Homes and Mission of the Holy Spirit.

Click here for a list of the recipients of Ridley Foundation Scholarships this year.  

Part-time financial assistant needed at Diocesan office

Brenda Anderson, the part-time financial assistant at the Diocesan office, will be leaving for a full-time position at Galilee, Virginia Beach. The diocesan staff has enjoyed working with Brenda and is grateful for her excellent work. We will miss her greatly, but we are very pleased that she will be joining the staff at Galilee. And Brenda, who lives in Virginia Beach, will be very pleased with her much shorter commute to work!

 

With Brenda's departure, the Diocese is seeking a part-time financial assistant. Hours are varied, 15 hr. per week - A/P, A/R, P/R, P/R taxes, other miscellaneous duties. Qualified candidates must have bookkeeping and payroll experience; proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Word, and some flexibility with work schedule.

For more information about this and other positions available, go to the Employment Opportunities page of our website.

Safe Church tip of the month: Transportation monitoring

Your organization may take field trips once or many times a year. The easiest way to maintain supervision while on the bus is to position staff member throughout the vehicle, in the front, middle and back. Never count the driver as one of the supervisors and never let the driver be the only one in the vehicle with youth.

Safe Church training is available online and in a classroom setting. Upcoming classroom trainings are Sep. 12 in Suffolk and Sep. 19 in Hampton. Click here for more information and registration for classroom and online training.