Nominees considered for special task force on church structural reform

Episcopalians wishing to be considered to serve on a General Convention-mandated task force focusing on church restructure may access an online nomination form here.  People may nominate themselves or others. Nominations will be accepted until Thursday, August 23.

Approved at the recently-concluded General Convention 2012, Resolution C095 calls for development of a 24-member task force charged with presenting a plan to the next General Convention in 2015 "for reforming the Church's structures, governance, and administration."

The task force members will be appointed by Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and President of the House of Deputies the Rev. Gay Clark Jennings by September 30. According to the resolution, "The membership of the Task Force shall reflect the diversity of the Church, and shall include some persons with critical distance from the Church's institutional leadership." In addition, the task force will conduct a special gathering with representation from every diocese in preparation of its final report, due by November 2014.  The date and location of the special meeting will be determined later. 

A message from the Presiding Bishop regarding the 77th General Convention

"We emerge with abundant hope, better discipline for working together and with partners beyond this Church, for our fundamental reason for being - engagement with God's mission."  Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori's message regarding the 77th General Convention was released on August 3 and is available  here.

You can find a thorough overview of the work accomplished at General Convention here. Bishop Hollerith's letter to the Diocese about the 77th General Convention and his interview regarding General Convention resolution A049, the blessing of same gender unions are here.

Community Organizing training, Sep. 21-22

Friday & Saturday, September 21-22

9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

St. Paul's, Petersburg

Discover how the passions in your church and your community can translate to positive change.Using the Asset Based Community Development model (ABCD), the Episcopal Church Center is partnering with the Diocese of Southern Virginia to provide expert community organizing training to churches and community organizations. Grow your church by building into your community. Learn how to discover the gifts in your community and deploy them for action. Learn how to develop networks of community partners to make positive change. This training is good for teams from congregations, and even better when teams include other local people and partnering organizations.  Click here for an event flyer. Click here for more information and registration. Because of a grant from the Episcopal Church Jubilee ministry office, this event is only $25.00 for both days, including lunch. Scholarships are available. Hosted by St. Stephen's and St. Paul's, Petersburg, held at St. Paul's. Local hotel information available on the registration page.

Virginia Theological Seminary Fall Ministry Conference for prospective students

You are invited to be our guest on Wednesday, November 14 at a one-day Fall Ministry Conference for prospective students from the surrounding region. Whether you are contemplating a vocation in the Church, want to deepen your understanding of your faith, or want to learn how to share your faith more effectively with others, the Fall Ministry Conference is the event to attend. You'll hear about our programs, talk to faculty and students, go to classes, have lunch and tour the campus, and find out how Virginia Seminary equips people for faithful witness. To register for the Conference or for further information go to www.vts.edu/admissions, or email admissions@vts.edu. This one day event will best serve the needs of visitors who can drive to and from campus on the day of the conference. Space is limited, so register now if you are interested in attending.

Tri-Diocesan Council on Aging offers Fall Camp Oct. 22-25

The Tri-Diocesan Council on Aging's Fall Camp will be October 22-25 at Shrine Mont in Orkney Springs, VA. Keynote speaker will be Philip Gulley, the voice of small-town American life. Along with writing Front Porch Tales, Hometown Tales, and For Everything a Season, Philip Gulley is the author of the Harmony series of novels, as well as If Grace Is True and If God Is Love, co-authored with James Mulholland. He hosts "Porch Talk with Phil Gulley" on the Indiana PBS affiliate WFYI television's flagship show Across Indiana. Chaplain for the camp will be our own Bishop Hollerith. Click here for more information.

Bishop's Days for Parish Leaders: Enlivening Our Faith for Generations to Come

WEST - October 20 at Redeemer, Midlothian
EAST - October 27 at Emmanuel, Virginia Beach   

Workshops will have a different look this year, based on the model successfully used by TED conferences. Instead of just one "expert" speaker on a particular topic, TED talks involve a panel of people who share experiences and ideas and engage the participants in dialogue. The entire small group becomes the "expert" in the room. While many TED talks are online, a number of conference formats are adapting this model of learning rather than the top-down approach. We will still have our experts, but we feel that there are inspiring ideas, programs, and people around our diocese from which all of us could learn more.

Bishop's Days offer 14 workshops from which to choose. Get the most from the day for your parish by bringing a team and have each member attend a different workshop. For complete information about workshops, schedule, registration and a brochure you can download, go to our website.

LPM now enrolling for 2012-2013 session

The Central Virginia chapter of the Leadership Program for Musicians (LPM) is currently accepting registrations for the 2012-2013 session beginning September 14-15 at the Church of the Holy Comforter in Richmond. LPM is a continuing education program in church music, worship, and liturgy, and is open to people of all denominations although sponsorship is provided by the Episcopal Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Students will meet monthly for five months on one Friday night and all day Saturday to complete courses offered this year on Leading Congregational Song, Resources for an Effective Music Ministry, Philosophy, and Hymnody of the Christian Church. In addition, registered students attend the March workshop for free. At the completion of the two year program, students receive a Certificate of Church Music from the National Leadership Program for Musicians organization.

Complete details of the program can be found on our website www.lpm-va.org or by contacting our Coordinator, Nellwyn Beamon, at (757) 423-6715 (day) or emailing nbeamon@ascension-norfolk.org AND nadezhda@quixnet.net. A non-refundable deposit of $100 will hold your space in this year's class. Classes are $200 each or $600 for all four. Late registrations received after September 1 add $50.