Integrity's next
meeting will be on Sunday, April 27, 2:00 p.m. at Eastern Shore Chapel,
Virginia Beach (2020 Laskin Road, Virginia Beach). We will be talking
about re-structuring our meetings and events and making exciting new
plans for the future. The meeting will include our annual Board
elections. Get more information on our website.
All are welcome and invited to join us and to learn how YOU can get
involved in the important work of LGBT advocacy in the Episcopal Church. Mark your calendar. We hope to see you there!
Monday, April 7, 2014
Church Media Conference: Social Media and Mobile Marketing
The media can
communicate the very clear message of our loving God in ways that Paul
never dreamed. The Tidewater Church Media Conference will explore the
tools we now have at our fingertips to help us share the gospel. The
conference will be held Saturday, May 3, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at St. Timothy
Lutheran Church in Norfolk. This year's theme is Social Media and
Mobile Marketing. Cost is $20 and includes lunch. An optional field trip
follows the conference.
Workshops
in: Administrator Forum, Bridging the Tech Gap, Church Advertising and
Marketing, Email Marketing & Best Practices: eTapestry, Constant
Contact, and MailChimp, Going Tech in Worship, Google Docs and
Dropbox, Helpful Resources for Pastors, The Importance of Social Media
in Church Ministry, New Worship Music Ideas, and Website Considerations
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Executive Board to host conversations about stewardship
The Stewardship Focus Group of the diocesan
Executive Board is hosting an informal gathering of parish wardens and
stewardship/finance chairs to share successes and challenges with our
parish giving programs. We believe it will be beneficial to share
the work in our various parishes. Anyone interesting in parish
stewardship is encouraged to attend. The Stewardship Focus Group
of the Executive Board is charged with assisting and supporting
parishes in their stewardship endeavors.
We will gather on Saturday, April 12 from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at Ascension, Norfolk. Please contact Bob Motley at bobmotley46@gmail.com if you are able to join us or if you have questions.
There
will be another opportunity to join the conversation when we gather for
lunch on Wednesday, April 30 from 11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Old
Donation, Virginia Beach. Please contact Mike McGraw, lesmax@aol.com if you are able to join us in Virginia Beach or if you have questions.
Plans
are under way for additional gatherings in other Convocations,
including the Richmond area. Watch the eNews for dates and locations.
Time for United Thank Offering Spring ingathering
By Joyce E. Douglas, Diocesan UTO Coordinator
First, I would like to thank each of you who contributed to the United Thank Offering during the 2013 ingatherings (click here
to see reports). If you did not participate in the ingatherings last
year, it is my hope that you will join the other congregations
throughout our diocese in supporting this program with prayers and
offerings.
The United Thank
Offering is a program encouraging men, women, and children to share
their thankfulness to God through daily prayer and offerings, in the
Blue Box, and to pass those blessings to others. The power of the Blue
Box is unlimited. Your prayers and offerings have built churches and
schools, made needed renovations, fed the hungry, clothed the poor,
provided shelter for the homeless and provided care and support for
those with physical, mental, and emotional challenges.
The
times that have been set aside for the ingatherings are the Sunday
closest to the Day of Ascension, in the spring, and the Sunday closest
to All Saints' Day, in the fall. The months are usually April and
October. However, if this does not meet your church's schedule, you may
dedicate another month in which to hold your ingatherings. After your
ingathering, please have your church treasurer write a check to United
Thank Offering. The check(s) may be mailed to: Joyce E. Douglas, 4608 Coronet Avenue, Virginia Beach, VA 23455. (phone 757-496-0192) When your checks are received, they will be mailed to the United Thank Offering.
If you have any
questions, please feel free to contact me. I am here to help you. If you
need UTO supplies, they may be ordered from the website of the National
Church: www.episcopalchurch.org/uto.
News from Saint Paul's College
The Saint Paul's
College campus in Lawrenceville is for sale in hopes it can continue to
educate young black men and women in Southern Virginia. President
Millard Stith, Jr. says that the college's goal is to find another
college or university that will take over Saint Paul's as an educational
institution.
In order to
present the school in the best possible light for potential partners,
funding is needed to keep the property and its 35 buildings maintained
until July 1, 2014. The campus includes dormitories, a president's house
and other residences, administration buildings, a Victorian house that
served as an arts center, and a student center. Some of the brick
buildings were constructed by students.
Saint Paul's
alumni have responded to this call for help, and the Department of
Education is also providing some funding for this purpose. If you would
like to contribute to the Saint Paul's College transition, gifts may be
sent to: Saint Paul's College 115 College Drive, Lawrenceville, Virginia
23868.
Scholarship applications now accepted for Episcopal Church grants
Applications are
now being accepted for the 2014-2015 awarding of educational
scholarships from The Episcopal Church, according to Samuel A. McDonald,
Director of Mission/Deputy Chief Operating Officer and convener of the
Scholarship Committee.
"As a result of bequests, The Episcopal Church makes available a modest number of scholarships that assist students primarily enrolled in theological education and training," explained Margareth Crosnier de Bellaistre, Episcopal Church Director of Investment Management and Banking "Funding for the program is derived from annual income of designated trust funds established by generous donors."
Scholarships are available for ethnic communities, children of missionaries, bishops and clergy, and other particular wide-ranging eligibility for education and training. The amounts of the scholarships vary according to the availability of payouts from the funds. The maximum is $5000.
Click here for more information and a list of scholarships available. Applicants are strongly encouraged to read each trust and identify in the application those trust funds that best fit their own profile. Requirements for applying for the scholarships include: the applicant must be an Episcopalian, must be a member of The Episcopal Church, and must have the endorsement of his/her bishop.
Click here for application form. Deadline for applications is April 30. Only complete applications will be considered. For information contact Terry Foster, tfoster@episcopalchurch.org.
Clergy invited to learn more about Westminster Canterbury Hospice Church Partnership program
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