Safe Church Audits due June 30

Congregational/Organization Safe Church Annual Audits are due to the diocese on June 30.  The audit provides an opportunity for each church/organization to review their level of compliance with safe church polices and identify areas that need to be addressed to achieve compliance.  If you have questions about the Safe Church Annual Audit please contact Lynn Farlin at lfarlin@diosova.org or via phone at 757-213-3377.

New resource: Spiritual Directors

A new resource has been added to the diocesan website - a directory of spiritual directors. The resource includes a full profile of spiritual directors serving clients in Southern Virginia as well as answers to frequently asked questions about spiritual direction and a wealth of resources to explore. You can find this new resource on the Christian Formation page of the diocesan website.

Life at Boys Home during the COVID-19 pandemic

Boys Home of Virginia would like to thank you for your support and prayers while we continue to make adjustments due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We want to keep everyone updated about what is happening on "The Hill." At this time, we are accepting packages, but ask that in-kind gifts be mailed or held until we can freely welcome guests back on campus. Click here for a video featuring Executive Director Donnie Wheatley. He explains the precautions currently in place on campus.This video was filmed in mid-April and all measures are still in place except for the policy on packages. Again, know that you remain in our prayers, and please continue to remember the boys and staff in yours. Click here for more news from Boys Home.  

Dean Squires joins Jackson-Feild's board

Dean Squires, Director of Asset Management for Highwoods Properties, Inc., has joined the Board of Trustees of Jackson-Feild Behavioral Health Services.

 

Mr. Squires oversees the property management and maintenance functions for 28 Class A commercial properties amounting to more than 2.3 million square feet, seven owners associations and two third party accounts. He began his property management career in 1985 with Harrison & Bates and joined Highwoods in 1997.

 

Mr. Squires is a Cum Laude graduate from Old Dominion University.

 

He is a member and past president of the Innsbrook Rotary Club. He was named the club's Rotarian of the Year in 2000. Dean has enjoyed serving the community and especially children through Rotary. He currently chairs the club's grants committee which receives competitive grants from nonprofits and makes monetary awards based on the merits of their grant request.

 

He is looking forward to making a difference in the lives of children suffering from mental illness.

Pilgrimage to Portuguese Camino de Santiago

October 5 - 16, 2021

 

The Diocese of Southern Virginia is hosting a pilgrimage along the central Portuguese route, which will take us from Rubiaes, Portugal to Santiago, Spain. We will walk between villages at an average of 12 miles a day for 7 days, October 5-16, 2021. If interested, please contact Doris Custer. Space is limited.

 

For more information or to register, please visit worldstrides.com/register, click on Register and enter Trip ID# 190312.  You are able to view all the trip information, cost, etc. before you commit to registering. 

Praying with Alexa, and other new resources

The diocesan website has a wealth of resources to assist churches and their parishioners in being the Church during the coronavirus and new resources are being added each week.  

 

Messages from Bishop Susan, including her videos and lectionary reflections, are all available on our website here.   

 

New resources include:

 

Alexa and Google Assistant - Both Alexa and Google Assistant have learned some Episcopal prayers. Thanks to a partnership between TryTank Experimental Lab and Forward Movement, you can now say, "Alexa, open Episcopal Prayer" or "Google, talk to Episcopal Prayer" and your device will begin playing the morning or evening prayer podcasts of Forward Movement.

 

A COVID-19 Spiritual Survival Kit - A free course from ChurchNext to help you tap into resources to help us deal with the pandemic in healthy ways. Course is available for individuals or for groups.

 

eFormation Conference - June 3. Virginia Theological Seminary hosts this annual all-day all-online conference. The conference brings diverse, strong voices to speak to the current state of digital ministry. These leaders will discuss practical resources as well as future-forward initiatives.    

 

Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership in the Midst of Crisis - Free webinar on Thursday, April 30 at 3:30 p.m. In this thoughtful conversation, Ruth Haley Barton will help us explore how a leader can be strengthened at the soul level, even in the midst of crisis, so we can continue to be a source of life for others. 

Bruton Forum: God, crisis and the problem of evil

How do the ways we think about evil and God influence the way we think about human suffering, illness, disaster, and crisis? Tune in to the Bruton Parish, Williamsburg, Forum on Wednesday Apr 29 at 12 p.m. for a conversation with Dr. Chris Baglow (Notre Dame, McGrath Institute for Church Life) about God and evil. The gathering will address these topics and discuss the way in which a particular crisis about 15 years ago led Chris to his current research and vocation. Get more info and the link to join the Zoom event here.