Fall Game & Wine Dinner to benefit Happening

On October 27, 2012, St. Christopher's, Portsmouth, will be hosting a Fall Game and Wine Dinner to benefit the Happening program. Happening is a Christian renewal program designed for youth in grades 10-12. The focal point of the weekend is learning and experiencing the love of Christ.  

A magnificent menu has been planned for the benefit dinner. Be prepared to have a fine dining experience in a relaxed atmosphere. The menu will consist of several courses prepared with duck, venison and rock fish. The dinner will start at 7 p.m. and the cost is $65 per person. We will be pairing each course with a wine selection. You will not be disappointed! We are selling a limited number of tickets so get them now. You can purchase tickets online here. You can also purchase tickets via cash or check (made out to St. Christopher's). If you have questions please contact Kim Centers 757-447-8801,  kimmyt74@yahoo.com or the Rev. Eileen Walsh at 757-484-5155,  ewalsh143@aol.com.

Help the Mission of the Holy Spirit change lives

by Keith A. Josey, Lay Pastor, Mission of the Holy Spirit 

Thank you for supporting the Mission of the Holy Spirit with your prayers, gifts and resources. This summer, many of our children were blessed with trips to pool parties, a Tides game, Busch Gardens and the Children's Museum. All these trips were made possible because of the generosity of those who gave out of a love for helping others and a belief in the services we provide at the Mission of the Holy Spirit. As we move into the fall months, our programming has shifted from activity-centered to educational enrichment and healthy living.

Have you ever seen the look on a person's face when they finally realize that they can make a change in their lives? It is so vastly different than the expressions of hopelessness that occur when people are faced with the sad realities that surround so many. Despite all the daily struggles faced in our community, seeds of hope, joy and purpose are planted with your support.

At the Mission of the Holy Spirit, we strive to effectively change lives by nurturing the gifts of the people we serve and offering opportunities for all to experience God's love in multiple ways. Through our efforts, lives are being changed, as evidenced by the many young people in our program who graduate high school and go on to college. When the Mission started in 1993, few participants had hope of graduating from high school; as I write, 8 Mission members are currently enrolled in college and pursuing their dreams. We have also experienced an increase in our Sunday worship attendance from an average of 35 (mostly children) in 2007 to more than 50 children and adults in recent months. We are indeed proud of this growth, coming at a time when many churches are seeing a decline in membership. We have baptized 43 infants, children and adults since 2007, forever bonding them with Christ Jesus. Our growth is a result of quality programs, people and purpose.

In order to sustain our purpose "to effectively change lives" we need your help. Due to the economy, our contributions are down considerably; in order to maintain our worship services and programs into 2013, we are in very serious need of your continued financial assistance. These tough economic times make your giving so much more important than ever before. Please think about asking for donations to the Mission in lieu of birthday and Christmas gifts, and send your own contribution after you consider this ministry for God's children prayerfully.

These times are challenging, but "we can make a difference and we will make a change." Through working together to share God's love and allowing the light of Christ to shine, we can continue to touch the lives of the people we serve.

2013 Diocesan Pledge letters are in the mail

Letters to the parishes from Treasurer John Meek and PB&R Chairman Spencer Coleman requesting your 2013 pledge to the diocese are being mailed this week. Please look for them in your mail and direct them to the appropriate people. Two are being sent to each parish - one to the senior warden and one to the rector, vicar or priest-in-charge.  A 2013 pledge form is enclosed in the letter addressed to the senior warden. The pledge form needs to be sent to the diocesan office by December 1 in order for the PB&R Committee to complete the 2013 budget in time for the Executive Board meeting in January.  Thank you.

Open Enrollment for health plans begins today!

2013 Open Enrollment for clergy and lay employees participating in medical and dental plans is October 10-31. Click here for complete information. If you have questions about Open Enrollment, contact Canon for Administration the Rev. Canon Ed Tracy, 757-213-3378 or etracy@diosova.org.

Safe Church training now required for Lay Licensing

Please be advised that effective immediately all persons applying for lay licensing will need current Child and Adult Safe Church certification. The Adult module is available as 3 hour classroom training. Please consult the diocesan website to see currently scheduled training sessions and register online. The Child module may be completed as classroom training as noted above or online by contacting Judy Rieken via e-mail at jrieken@diosova.org. Please send your name, home address, a contact phone number, and the parish you attend.

History-making change coming to Jackson-Feild Homes

By Tod Balsbaugh, Jackson-Feild Homes

 
After 157 years of serving only girls, Jackson-Feild Homes (JFH) will soon accept boys into its Adolescent Psychiatric Program. Children who come to JFH have poor family relationships and support. They live in environments filled with substance abuse. They are all-too-familiar with the court systems and social service systems having received numerous in-home, community-based, and residential services. They have suffered serious emotional trauma as the result of abuse and/or neglect.

In 2010, JFH developed its Trauma Focused Treatment model and as a result of the tremendously successful strides made in the treatment of girls, agencies across the Commonwealth that place children into residential facilities have been asking JFH to accept boys as well as girls. Trauma, abuse and neglect knows no gender. In fact, the majority of children currently served by the Commonwealth of Virginia are boys, yet until now there has been no residential treatment facility available to meet the needs of severely traumatized boys. After much thoughtful and prayerful consideration, the Board of Trustees approved the recommendation to accept boys into its Adolescent Psychiatric Program. JFH anticipates that the first will arrive on campus within the month. Safeguards and security are already in place to ensure that this history-making change will proceed smoothly and successfully.

Jackson-Feild is nationally accredited by the Council on Accreditation to provide residential treatment services.

Two Southern Virginia Episcopalians are LPM students this year

Two Southern Virginia Episcopalians are among the twelve students in Central Virginia's Leadership Program for Musicians (LPM), which began its 2012-2013 year of classes last weekend. Enrolled are Augusta Arthur from Johns Memorial, Farmville and Bruce Dersch from Christ and Grace, Petersburg.

In all this year there are six Episcopalians, four Lutherans, and two United Methodists. LPM is a continuing education program in church music, worship, and liturgy open to people in all denominations who love church Music and want to learn more about it. In the classes you'll find professional church musicians, choir members, people on Worship and Music committee, Clergy, and, well, enthusiastic members of congregations. At the completion of the two year program, students receive a Certificate of Church Music from the National LPM organization.

Classes meet monthly for five months on a Friday night and all day Saturday for this year's four courses - Leading Congregational Song, Resources for an Effective Music Ministry, Hymnody of the Christian Church, and Philosophy of Church Music. LPM is sponsored by the Episcopal Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Find complete details of the program at www.lpm-va.org.