Province III ECW Annual Meeting May 6-7

The 99th Annual Meeting of Province III Episcopal Church Women will be held May 6-7 at the Holiday Inn in Martinsburg, WV. The gathering will convene on May 6 with Holy Eucharist, a welcome dinner and presidents' meeting. The business meeting and joint session with Province III Synod will be held May 7. Click here for more info and registration form. For more information or to be added to the mailing list, contact Province III ECW President Beblon Parks, bebparks@gmail.com or 804-323-0542. Click here for a flyer to post in your parish. 

Video of Evangelism Matters conference available

Evangelism Matters, an Episcopal evangelism conference, was held March 15-17 for anyone excited to learn about sharing and growing loving, liberating, life-giving relationships with God. Video of speakers at Evangelism Matters are available online at evangelismmatters.org. Evangelism Matters is ideal for congregational discussion, adult forums, youth groups, and other gatherings. 

Holy Week Sermons 2018: New resource for worship, reflections, meditation

A new resource, Holy Week Sermons 2018, is an ideal companion for Holy Week devotions. The 28-page Holy Week Sermons 2018 is designed for public and personal use for group discussions, personal meditations, reflections, and devotional reading by preachers, groups, individuals, adults and youth. Prepared through the Episcopal Church's popular Sermons That Work, the resource is designed for use throughout Holy Week to follow Jesus through the streets of Jerusalem, to Gethsemane, to the foot of the cross, and toward the joy of Easter.

Included are resources for Palm Sunday through the Great Vigil, all presented in different voices by the cadre of writers from Sermons That Work.  Topics are Sacrifice; Leave Her Alone. She's Telling The Truth; Let Go Into Jesus; At the End Of This Week; To The End; The Passion According To John. The Easter Vigil is St. John Chrysostom's Paschal Sermon.

Holy Week Sermons 2018 is available at no cost here and for downloading here.   

Bishop Search: Update from the Standing Committee

During this time of transition, the Standing Committee has committed itself to regular updates to the Diocese. We hope that this will help you stay abreast of the developments in our Bishop Search process. In the meantime, please keep the Standing Committee, Bishop Hollerith, and the Diocese in your prayers.

 

On Feb. 28, the Standing Committee met with Bishop Todd Ousley from the Presiding Bishop's office to train us in how to set up a Bishop search. (Click here for more information about the process.) Over the next several months we will be working on the following high level goals:

• Hire a search consultant to guide the Standing Committee, Search Committee, and Transition Committee through the process.
• Establish a timeline for major events.
• Designate persons to work on the Search Committee and assign a chair.
• Designate persons to work on the Transition Committee and assign a chair.

Thank you and God's Peace,

Standing Committee  

Women-to-Women event on April 15

Mme Esperance Kungoza, founder of Programs in Ituri for Rehabilitation and Development (PIRD), will speak at Christ and St. Luke's on Sunday, April 15 at 9 a.m. PIRD, the indigenous NGO (non-governmental organization),  she started 10 years ago,  continues to focus on women and girls, survivors of gender-based violence in the region of Ituri, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Currently, Mme Kungoza works in the US Embassy in Kinshasa, the capital, where she oversees the financial side of an AIDS program. "We are so excited Mme. Kungoza can take time to visit us," said Susan Broaddus, Women-to-Women Coordinator. "This year Women-to-Women will support PIRD. Our fundraising will help pay for counseling and education for 15 of the young women. Do plan to join us at April 15 to learn about the wonderful work accomplished by PIRD and to learn how you can help."

March for Our Lives: Peace Gathering, youth group accommodations

Epiphany Episcopal Church in Oak Hill, Virginia, invites those who plan to participate in the March for Our Lives on Saturday, March 24 to a Peace Gathering on Friday, March 23. Epiphany is also offering overnight accommodations to chaperoned youth groups. Epiphany is located at 3301 Hidden Meadow Drive, Oak Hill, Virginia. Get more information and register here.

Peace Gathering
Friday, March 23, from 6 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. ALL are welcome to attend! There will be an Italian-style dinner, live bands, singing, readings, and memorial time to remember and honor all of those who have been affected by school gun violence. RSVP is appreciated for food purposes.

 

Overnight Accommodations (Reservations Required)
Out-of-town youth and chaperones are invited to spend the night at Epiphany on March 23 and attend the march in D.C. the next day. Reservations required, space is limited.

Historic St. Luke's Church offers new program on race and slavery in the Colonial period

Historic St. Luke's Church in Smithfield offers private group tours. Groups of ten or more receive a discounted rate of $5 per person. Tours can be customized specifically for your group. Historic St. Luke's is also now offering a new presentation on the Church and the creation of race, looking at the church's complicity in justifying slavery in the Colonial period. Click here for more information about Historic St. Luke's and its programs.