Monday, November 23, 2015
Lost Boys Foundation: Volunteers needed
Outreach Africa: Lost Boys Foundation helps our Sudanese
refugees (many of whom are now citizens) as advocates in the
complexities of American life. It also raises money to help their
younger relatives get an education in Kenya. Founder Julie Hill is in
need of volunteers on the Peninsula to help with patient advocacy and
with fair housing issues. Go to http://lostboysUS.org to learn more about the Foundation and the Lost Boys or contact Julie at 757-749-3644 or julhill@cox.net to learn how you can help!
Robert B. Wynne elected to Board of Jackson-Feild Behavioral Health Services
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Young Adult and Seminarian Grant Programs from United Thank Offering
Young Adult and Seminarian Grant Programs from the United Thank
Offering are accepting applications. In addition to grant applications
from Young Adults, the UTO Board has also created a process for
seminarians to apply for UTO grants for projects either at their field
education site or in their home diocese.
There are a couple of changes from last year for the Young Adult
grants. Instead of awarding one per province, the Board will select the
top ten applications to fund. A video is not required, but applicants
are welcome to submit one if they feel so called. Young Adult grants are
for projects led by people 21-30 not for projects to minister to that
age group.
All of the applications are also available on the UTO website, www.unitedthankoffering.org. The deadline for applications is January 29 at 5 p.m. Eastern time.
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
November Weekend 2015 hits maximum capacity!
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Last weekend, nearly 70 individuals gathered at Chanco for our
annual middle school retreat, and we used every available conference
room to host these teens. This year's turnout was the largest ever; the
program has grown steadily since it originally kicked off as an
overnight lock-in at St. Martin's, Williamsburg, in 2010. Now November
Weekend runs from Friday evening through Sunday morning at Chanco and
features engaging worship, music, mixers and games, a dance, zip lines,
and field games. To learn more about our diocesan youth programs visit www.diosova.org/youth or contact diocesan Youth Missioner Ashley Scruggs at ascruggs@diosova.org.
Registration open for Holiday Lock-in at Chanco for youth in grades 6-12
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Watch & Read: Video and books to help you prepare for Trinity Institute 2016
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The Trinity Institute's 45th annual conference - Listen for a Change: Sacred Conversations for Racial Justice - will be webcast live at the Diocesan office in Newport News, Jan. 21-23, 2016. This
year's conference - TI2016: Listen for a Change - focuses on racial
justice. TI2016 is for anyone who is interested in a theological
perspective on racial justice and a fuller understanding of present
realities and ways to transform them.
To help you get a taste of Trinity Institute and prepare for the rich conversations at this year's conference on racial justice, click here for books and videos from this year's speakers.
The books from TI2016 speakers as well as other important voices are a great preface to the issues that we'll discuss at TI2016, including structural racism, mass incarceration, and policy change. Click here for a reading list you can download.
Get more information and register online at www.diosova.org. To help you get a taste of Trinity Institute and prepare for the rich conversations at this year's conference on racial justice, click here for books and videos from this year's speakers.
The books from TI2016 speakers as well as other important voices are a great preface to the issues that we'll discuss at TI2016, including structural racism, mass incarceration, and policy change. Click here for a reading list you can download.
Southern Virginia is participating in the Asset Map of The Episcopal Church
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"The Asset Map is a visual catalog of The Episcopal Church at
large, enabling diocesan leaders, church members and church seekers
alike to see at a glance and in depth what the Church's presence looks
like in their area, both infrastructure and programs," said Abagail
Nelson, Episcopal Relief & Development's Senior Vice President of
Programs. "It has wide-ranging potential to facilitate the development
of new ministries and partnerships, and support the mobilization of
resources and expertise."
The interactive map displays pins for each church. Clicking on a pin provides contact information and descriptions of programs at that particular location. Scan and search functions help users find ministries in their area or across the country. This short video helps explain how the Asset Map works.
The Diocese of Southern Virginia is actively participating in
the Episcopal Asset Map project. Bishop Hollerith has asked churches
to designate someone to help manage their presence on the map.
Communications Officer Ann Turner is the diocesan map administrator.
Please contact her if you have any questions about the Asset Map, aturner@diosova.org.
Whether you have just begun a food pantry and are looking for
churches that have done the same, or you are dreaming of teaming up
with another church to create a new ministry, the Episcopal Asset Map
can be a valuable resource. Our diocesan page can be found at http://edsva.episcopalassetmap.org/.
YASC Mission to Tanzania: The present is a gift, that's why we call it the present!
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News from Chanco on the James
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Chanco is pleased to introduce Molly Williams, our new Director of Programs. Molly attended Catawba College and graduated in 2011 with a BA in Religion and Philosophy: Outdoor Ministries. She has been involved in Christian camping in some form since she was in the fourth grade, primarily working in United Methodist summer camp and outdoor education programs. Molly shares, "Joining the staff at Chanco has given me the opportunity to fulfill a long time goal of serving Christ in a year round capacity in an outdoor ministry setting. I look forward to becoming a part of the Chanco family and joining in what God is already doing here!" Please join us in welcoming Molly to the Chanco family!
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Veterans Day
Washington National Cathedral's Veterans Initiative
This week, the nation will honor our veterans, and Washington
National Cathedral is proud to release three short "Honoring Our
Veterans" videos that can assist churches and other worshipping
communities on starting the conversation with those who have served.
You can find the videos on the cathedral's YouTube channel here.
Bishop Jay Magness reflects on Veterans Day
"On this Veterans Day 2015, unlike some of my friends in the faith community, I am not all that interested in what we can do for service members and veterans. I am, however, very interested in what these persons can do for the faith communities of America. Service members and veterans, if given the appropriate recognition, honor, welcome, and permission can teach us so very much about the spiritual value of personal and corporate sacrifice." Click here to read Bishop Magness' essay.
Bishop Magness is Bishop Suffragan, Federal Ministries of The Episcopal Church. He was formerly Canon to the Ordinary in the Diocese of Southern Virginia.
"On this Veterans Day 2015, unlike some of my friends in the faith community, I am not all that interested in what we can do for service members and veterans. I am, however, very interested in what these persons can do for the faith communities of America. Service members and veterans, if given the appropriate recognition, honor, welcome, and permission can teach us so very much about the spiritual value of personal and corporate sacrifice." Click here to read Bishop Magness' essay.
Bishop Magness is Bishop Suffragan, Federal Ministries of The Episcopal Church. He was formerly Canon to the Ordinary in the Diocese of Southern Virginia.
Diocese of Southern Virginia receives award from Recovery Ministries of the Episcopal Church
By the Rev. Lauren McDonald, St. Stephen's, Newport News
The last week in October, Jan M. Brown and the Rev. Lauren McDonald,
co-chairs of the Addictions and Recovery Commission (ARC) of the Diocese
of Southern Virginia, attended the annual Gathering of Recovery
Ministries of the Episcopal Church (RMEC) at St. Mark's Cathedral in
Seattle. This year's Gathering featured presentations by the Rev. Becca
Stevens, Anne Lamott, and Sybil MacBeth. Jan, who was elected Vice
President of the RMEC Board during the Gathering, facilitated an
afternoon of "telling our recovery stories," in which Gathering
participants learned to share their stories in five sentences. It was a
powerful afternoon of honest and open sharing.
In 2016 the RMEC Gathering will be held in Williamsburg, hosted by
the Diocese of Southern Virginia. Those interested in helping with the
conference may contact Lauren at 757-903-0000 or lauren@spiritworksfoundation.org. We look forward to showing the rest of the Episcopal Church our Southern Virginia hospitality.
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L to R: Jan Brown; Shannon Tucker, outgoing president of RMEC; the Rev. Lauren McDonald
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This year, at the Friday night banquet, RMEC presented two awards
that had been given out in the past but had not been awarded recently.
One was the Sam Shoemaker Award given to an individual who has made
significant contributions in the field of addiction in the Episcopal
Community. The other was the Russell Horton Award given to a Diocese
with a new or renewed recovery commission that has had a significant
increase in activity, a creative/renewed ministry, and has supported
RMEC's goals of making a difference in and through the Episcopal
Community in the field of recovery from addiction. This year the Russell
Horton Award was given to the Diocese of Southern Virginia in
recognition of restarting our Addictions and Recovery Commission and
working to create Recovery Ready churches and a Recovery Ready Diocese.
Jan and Lauren received the award on behalf of DioSoVA, and Lauren gave a
presentation to those gathered on what the ARC has done in the past
year.
Presiding Bishop Michael Curry to preach at Trinity Institute
Presiding Bishop Michael Curry will preach at the opening
Eucharist for the 2016 Trinity Institute. Curry is the first African
American to serve as Presiding Bishop. He has been extensively involved
in preaching missions, Crisis Control Ministry, the Absalom Jones
initiative, the brokering of millions of dollars of investment in inner
city neighborhoods, and the founding of day camps, day cares, and
educational centers for children and families. He has received honorary
degrees from Sewanee and Yale.
The Trinity Institute's 45th annual conference - Listen for a Change: Sacred Conversations for Racial Justice - will be webcast live at the Diocesan office in Newport News, Jan. 21-23, 2016.
This year's conference - TI2016: Listen for a Change - focuses on
racial justice. TI2016 is for anyone who is interested in a theological
perspective on racial justice and a fuller understanding of present
realities and ways to transform them. The Trinity Institute's 45th annual conference - Listen for a Change: Sacred Conversations for Racial Justice - will be webcast live at the Diocesan office in Newport News, Jan. 21-23, 2016.
Get more information and register online at www.diosova.org.
New online class: Digital Strategies for Congregations
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Another new offering is Building a Spiritually Mature Congregation. The juvenilization of America has altered the way people mature - and the way congregations mature. In this course author and professor Thomas Bergler unpacks the societal factors that promote adolescence and tells us how congregational leaders can help their members mature in Christ. Click here for more information.
Monday, November 9, 2015
Holiday Lock-in at Chanco for youth in grades 6-12
What’s even more fun than a lock-in? A lock-in at
Chanco! Come with your parish youth group, or by yourself, or make plans
to reunite with favorite camp friends from all over the diocese at this
fantastic youth event for teens in grades 6-12. Friday, December 4
through Saturday December 5, we will be hosting an overnight full of fun
games, creative worship and a jamming dance! Teens will stay lock-in
style in our two large conference rooms, so bring your own pillow,
sleeping bag and toiletries. Snacks Friday night, breakfast and lunch on
Saturday are provided. Check-in is on Friday after dinner between 7-8
pm and pick up is at 3 pm on Saturday. Fantastic food, friendly
fellowship and fabulous fun can be yours for the very low cost of $15
per person plus a donation of two canned goods for our Christmas Food
Drive. This is the perfect opportunity to reunite with camp friends,
bond with your youth group outside of church and/or to try Chanco
for the first time and meet some wonderful new friends! Don’t miss it!
Questions or to register for this exciting event, please contact
Diocesan Youth Missioner Ashley Scruggs at ascruggs@diosova.org.
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