New biography of James Solomon Russell published

 James Solomon Russell: Former Slave, Pioneering Educator and Episcopal Evangelist by Worth E. Norman, Jr. was released in August. This comprehensive biography explores Russell’s life within the broader context of colonial and Virginia history and chronicles his struggles against the social, political and religious structures of his day to secure a better future for all people.

Born into slavery on a Virginia plantation in 1857, James Solomon Russell rose to become one of the most prominent African American pastors in the post-Civil War South. As a minister, educator, and found of Saint Paul’s College in Lawrenceville, he played a major role in the development of educational access for former slaves in the South and within the Episcopal Church.

A native of Norfolk, Worth E. Norman, Jr., has published work on Russell in The Historiographer, The Living Church and the Brunswick Times-Gazette. He lives in Birmingham, Alabama.

Free web conferences from Episcopal Church Foundation

Episcopal Church Foundation is pleased to offer a wide range of web conferences to help revitalize grassroots communities of faith.  There is no cost to participate and all lay and clergy leaders are welcome. Topics  include stewardship, vestry practices (in English and in Spanish), multi-site ministries, congregational leadership, team structures, endowments, planned giving, and ministry to address human trafficking. Upcoming webinars include:  

• Annual Stewardship Best Practices (September 11, 6:30-7:30 p.m.)
• Sound Practices for Vestry Leaders (September 12, 7:00-8:00 p.m.)
• Identifying & Recruiting New Leaders (September 26, 7:00-8:00 p.m.)
• Creating Strong Team Structure (October 3, 7:00-8:00 p.m.)Finding Our Voice on Human Trafficking (November 13, 7:00-8:00 p.m.)  

Click here for more information about these and other web conferences and online registration.

Outreach events for youth and young adults

"Stop Hunger Now" event for youth  Sunday, October 7, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Shore Chapel, Virginia Beach All youth and their advisors are invited to join us for a special Stop Hunger Now meal-packing event. Stop Hunger Now is an international hunger relief organization that coordinates the distribution of food and other life-saving aid around the world.  At our event, we will assemble more than 10,000 highly nutritious meals to be used in crisis situations and in school feeding programs in developing countries.  The event will conclude with a celebratory Eucharist. Please register your group, so we know how many people will attend. Click here for online registration. Snacks will be offered for participants. There is no registration fee for groups, but you are encouraged to bring donations with you for Stop Hunger Now. If you have questions, please contact Mary Lou Crifasi, Convocation Youth Director, at mcrifasi@easternshorechapel.org or Ashley Scruggs, Youth Missioner, at ascruggs@diosova.org. This event is co-sponsored by Convocation II Youth Ministries and the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia. Click here for an event flyer.

"Play It Forward" outreach project for youth and young adults

Youth and young adults from Virginia Beach are invited to team with St. Aidan's, Virginia Beach, to build a playground  for a young child with cancer.  The building will begin on the evening of October 19 and be completed the morning/afternoon of October 20. This project is being coordinated through Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters and Roc Solid Foundations, a local organization that builds custom play sets for pediatric cancer patients. (www.rocsolidfoundation.org) We are looking for at least 25 volunteers to help with this. Specific details are still being worked out but save the dates. Contact Brian Collins (briangcollins@me.com) for more information.

Dorothy Linthicum to address the Changing Roles of Older Adults in the Church

CE-NET (Christian Education Network) invites you to attend our Thursday, September 20 gathering at Hickory Neck Church, Toano, from 11:30 to 2:00.  Lunch will be provided with $5 registration. Click here to register. Our speaker will be Dorothy Linthicum who has studied and taught human growth and faith development, researched the changing demographics in the Church and our culture and has embarked on a new field of study about spirituality of the elderly.  She teaches at Virginia Theological Seminary, and has a passion for Christian formation and its role in weaving together disparate parts of parishes into a tapestry of beauty and function for spreading the Good News.  Dorothy will speak to us about the changing ministry to older adults in the church.  All are welcome

Integrity chapter participates in Norfolk’s Out in the Park

Integrity's Susan Pederson & Jesse Woods

On Saturday, August 18, members of the diocesan chapter of Integrity braved the heat and humidity in Norfolk’s Town Point Park to bring a message of welcome to the Hampton Roads LGBT community at “Out in the Park.”  The annual event draws thousands each year. This is Integrity’s third year participating in the event. Volunteers from Ascension Norfolk, Eastern Shore Chapel Virginia Beach, St. Stephen’s Norfolk and St. Mark’s Hampton spent the day talking with festival-goers and sharing the good news that God loves everyone and that the Episcopal Church welcomes you.

If you would like to know more about Integrity, visit them online at www.integritydiosova.blogspot.com or email integrityvb@gmail.com. The chapter gathers the third Tuesday of each month at 6:30 at MJ’s Tavern in Norfolk for dinner and a short meeting. All are welcome to attend.

Creating Safe Schools training for day care workers

Ascension, Norfolk, in conjunction with the Diocese of Southern Virginia is pleased to offer classroom training for Creating Safe Schools on Tuesday, August 28. This new session is recommended for all day care workers. The session will be from 7:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. and will cover the children's safety module as well as key components of the adult prevention of misconduct training. There is no charge for the training, but asking all to register in advance. Click here for online registration.

Safe Church classroom training in Hampton

St. Mark's, Hampton, in conjunction with the Diocese of Southern Virginia is pleased to offer classroom training for Creating Safe Churches for Congregations and Children on Saturday, October 6. These newly updated sessions are recommended for all Vestry members and church employees. Any parishioners, volunteers, clergy and staff who work with children are requested to complete the Child module. The first session will be from 9:30-12:00 and will be the Adult Module. The second session from 12:30-3:00 will cover the Children curriculum. Lunch will be served only to those attending both sessions. The cost for both sessions is $10. The cost to attend only the Adult or Child module is $5. Click here for online registration.