Seeds of Hope grants: St. Paul's, Newport News

St. Paul's, Newport News, was the recipient of a diocesan Seeds of Hope Grant for 2015. Seeds of Hope grants support the development or expansion of social justice ministries in Southern Virginia.

St. Paul's, Newport News, is a beacon of hope to the needy and the homeless in the downtown area of Newport News. St. Paul's provides hot meals five times a week, coupled with Bible Study on Sunday morning as well as a Seeds of Hope Bible Study/breakfast on Mondays. Three days a week St. Paul's provides a "Safe Place" in the mornings with coffee, a snack, bathroom and laundry facilities to anyone in need. A critical part of that ministry has been to provide a place to do laundry. For those who either wear or carry everything they own in a backpack or plastic bags, St. Paul's provides the only opportunity to clean their clothes-and with it to restore some dignity. A Seeds of Hope Grant in 2015 enabled St. Paul's to purchase a washer, dryer and refrigerator to expand their ministry.

 

The Episcopal Church is offering grants for Mission Enterprise Zones and for New Church Starts and St. Paul's is exploring expanding these programs through the establishment of a Mission Enterprise Zone (MEZ) in Downtown Newport News. These two innovative Episcopal Church initiatives are funded through the Five Marks of Mission triennial budget, approved by General Convention July 2012/2015.

Learn more about St. Paul's ministries to the downtown community at www.stpaulsnn.org.

Episcopal Relief & Development update

By The Rev. Keith Emerson, Diocesan Coordinator for Episcopal Relief & Development

I want to extend my thanks to the following congregations that made contributions to Episcopal Relief & Development during the 2nd quarter of 2016:

Undesignated Gifts

                    $128.81      St. Stephen's, Newport News

                      $75.00      St. James, Portsmouth

                    $100.00      St. Luke's, Powhatan

                    $461.00      Church of the Holy Apostles, Virginia Beach        

                    $191.03      St. Michael's, Colonial Heights

                      $43.45      Christ and Grace, Petersburg

                    $163.50      Christ Church, Amelia Court House

                 $1,123.00      St. Michael's, Bon Air

                    $100.00      St. Luke's, Powhatan

                    $932.32      St. Andrew's, Newport News

                    $100.00      St. Luke's, Powhatan

                      $50.00      St. Christopher's Episcopal Church Women, Portsmouth

Designated Projects and Disaster Relief

                    $500.00      Bruton Parish, Williamsburg

                    $475.00      St. John's, Hopewell

                    $805.00      St. George's, Newport News

                    $200.00      Church of the Advent, Norfolk

All told, individuals and congregations in our diocese contributed $26,165.18 to Episcopal Relief & Development between April and June. Once again, thank you for your generosity. Working together we are healing a hurting world.

Biblical storytelling workshops Oct. 8 and 15

The Rev. Mark and the Rev Wendy Wilkinson are offering workshops in the basics of biblical storytelling. These workshops will give you a good start on developing the skills to learn and to tell bible stories in a way that brings the scriptures to life. This is also a great workshop for lectors, Godly Play teachers and anyone who enjoys telling stories. There is no fee to attend. 

 

Mark's workshop will be at St. Aidan's, Virginia Beach, on Saturday, October 8 from 9 to 10:30 a.m. and Wendy will offer a workshop on Saturday, October 15 from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at Good Samaritan, Virginia Beach. To register, email Mark at rector@aidnavbva.net or Wendy at wendywilk54@verizon.net.

Grants from Ridley Foundation and Bruton Parish provide funds for Jackson-Feild renovation

Thanks to the generosity of the Ridley Foundation and Bruton Parish, Williamsburg, the restrooms in Jackson-Feild Behavioral Health Service's gymnasium have been renovated.

The rest rooms have needed to be renovated for some time, but funds were not available for the project. Grants from the Ridley Foundation and the Mission and Outreach Committee at Bruton Parish have made the much needed renovations possible. Work began in late August and was completed in September. New tile was installed on the walls and floors. Commodes were replaced in both rest rooms and a new urinal was installed in the boy's rest room. Existing partitions in both bathrooms were sanded and painted. New LED light fixtures replaced fluorescent fixtures in both bathrooms which will improve lighting and save operating costs.

The children and staff thank the board of the Ridley Foundation and the members of Bruton Parish for their wonderful support to complete these much-needed renovations.

14 Seeds of Hope Grants awarded

At its August 25, 2016 meeting, the Executive Board approved 14 diocesan Seeds of Hope Grant awards, totaling $24,625, to 11 parishes or organizations. Funded projects include a nutrition program for senior citizens, "From Guns to Art" project, youth mentoring, Laundry Love project, and a community garden.

 

Seeds of Hope grants support the development or expansion of social justice ministries sponsored by diocesan congregations and organizations. Seeds of Hope grants were the heart of our diocese's Second Century "Feed My Sheep" campaign conducted fourteen years ago. Funds from this campaign produce income that is available on an annual basis for social justice ministries proposed by parishes, diocesan departments and commissions.

Over the next few weeks, the Diocesan eNews will feature stories of ministry funded by 2015 diocesan Seeds of Hope Grants. 

 

2016 awards were made to:

St. Andrew's, Norfolk

Good Samaritan, Virginia Beach

GraceInside Prison Chaplaincy

St. Andrew's and Grace, Norfolk

St. James, Warfield

St. Paul's, Lawrenceville

St. Paul's, Newport News

St. Thomas, Freeman

Holy Apostles, Virginia Beach

Mission of the Holy Spirit, Norfolk

CE-Net meeting Oct. 6

Join CENet for an informal morning of coffee and conversation on Thursday, October 6, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Diocesan Office in Newport News. We would love to talk about how your program year has been going and are what you are trying for the first time. Please post to the Formation in Southern VA Facebook group any other things you would like to talk about or would like more information about.

Clergy Continuing Education Grant applications due Oct. 1

Clergy are reminded that applications for Clergy Continuing Education Grants are due in the Diocesan Office by October 1. Further information, including the application and evaluation forms, can be found here.