Retreat helps prepare for Advent and reduce holiday stress

"While We Wait" is an Advent retreat open to everyone and will be held Saturday, December 1 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at St. Luke's, Blackstone. We will spend the day preparing for the season of Advent, learning ways to reduce holiday stress and detach from the busyness of the season. The retreat will help us to explore ways to wait, and how we might express our joy even in the uncertainty and waiting. Speakers will be Ellen Johnston, the Very Rev. David Teschner, and Dr. Barbara Morgan. Cost is $10 per person and includes lunch. Scholarships available. Call 434-676-3448 for ticket information. Hosted by St. Luke's, Blackstone, St. Paul & St. Andrew, Kenbridge, and the Diocese of Southern Virginia. Please join us and bring your friends! Click here for event flyer.

Durham Bishop Justin Welby named 105th Archbishop of Canterbury

Episcopal News Service

Following months of anticipation and media speculation, Downing Street confirmed Nov. 9 that the Queen has approved the nomination of Diocese of Durham Bishop Justin Welby as the 105th archbishop of Canterbury. Welby's enthronement as 105th archbishop of Canterbury will be held March 21, 2013, in Canterbury Cathedral.  

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori said: "I am delighted to hear of Bishop Welby's appointment as archbishop of Canterbury. He brings knowledge of the immense challenges of the world in which the Anglican Communion seeks to partner in the service of God's mission to heal and reconcile." Read more here. 

Episcopal Church Veterans Day video message salutes women in the US military

Episcopal Church Office of Public Affairs

In a special Veterans Day video message, Bishop Jay Magness, Episcopal Church Bishop for Federal Ministries, honors women in the military and calls for recognition of their commitment, service and sacrifice. This Veterans Day, Bishop Magness said, "I want to salute and honor the most often unseen members of our service and veteran community - the women who serve and have served in the military." The video is available here.

  

Noting that 11% of the US military are women, Bishop Magness addresses "the challenging personal sacrifices that women make while serving their country." He also points to the homeless female veteran population in this country, rising at an alarming rate. Every night, he notes, there are "over 5000 female veterans living on the street."

Seeds of Hope: A Safe Place at St. Paul's, Newport News

The first of seven in a series about the recipients of this year's Seeds of Hope Grants to develop and expand social justice ministries in Southern Virginia. Learn more about Seeds of Hope grants here. 

St. Paul's, Newport News, received a $2500 grant to better equip a volunteer who is a licensed social worker assisting guests of A Safe Place adult day center to connect with essential support systems such as potential employers, healthcare providers, Social Security resources.

God's people who gather as St. Paul's Church are committed to the ministry of hospitality and advocacy: to welcome all people who enter in peace and to offer compassionate care to and voice with people who are hungry, ill, without good and safe shelter, unemployed, excluded, in despair. The justice ministries are firmly grounded in Christian hope. Daily life together is shaped by worship, Bible study, and prayer. Seven days each week, St. Paul's Church opens its doors in inner-city Newport News in the name and love of Jesus Christ.  

A retired social worker has been volunteering for some time to help, during the hours of the Adult Day Center, A Safe Place, guests with issues related to employment, social security support, housing and healthcare. Funds will purchase second computer/printer plus internet access will allow the social worker to help guests communicate with employers, healthcare providers, and especially the Social Security Administration.

To learn more about St. Paul's mission and how you can help, go to www.stpaulsnn.org or like them on Facebook.

Ordination Exploration Process applications now being accepted

Ordination Explorations Process applications are accepted annually from September 1 through December 31. The OEP assists you and the church in providing opportunities for assessment, exploration, and discernment of a sense of call to ordination. For more information about the OEP, go to our website.

Applications for Episcopal Church Young Adult Service Corps due January 4

The Episcopal Church offers untold opportunities for young adults to provide service and share their expertise worldwide through the Young Adult Service Corps. Commonly known as YASC, applications for 2013-14 are now being accepted for the Young Adult Service Corps from young adults between the ages of 21-30. "YASC provides an opportunity for young adults to explore their faith in a new capacity and to live out the Baptismal Covenant by seeking and serving Christ in all persons," noted the Rev. David Copley, Mission Personnel Officer. "Applicants must have a high degree of maturity and possess a faith commitment and the willingness to be a humble guest, and the ability to be an authentic companion."

Current YASC members can be found throughout the Anglican Communion. They are working in administration, agriculture, development, education, and technology. They are serving in Brazil, Costa Rica, Haiti, Hong Kong, Japan, Kenya, Lesotho, the Philippines, South Africa, Tanzania. Read their thoughts and reflections on their blogs here.

Possible placements for 2013-14 include Brazil, Burundi, Cameroon, Costa Rica, Ghana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Korea, Mexico, Mozambique, Panama,  the Philippines, South Africa and Taiwan.

The application for the 2013-14 YASC year is available online here . The application deadline is January 4, 2013. For more information contact Katie Webb at kwebb@episcopalchurch.org or 212-716-6124. 

New Episcopal Church resources focus on older adults, faith formation

Two new Lifelong Christian Formation resources focusing on older adults and faith formation in the Black context are now available for congregational use, in adult forums, study groups, educational seminars, and discussion gatherings. "Aging is Changing" and  "Stories of Transformation: Worship, Witness & Work in the Black Community" are available at no cost on the Episcopal Church website.
 

Aging is Changing
"Aging is Changing" is a five -part program designed to be incorporated into the life of congregations. Prepared by the Episcopal Church Office for Lifelong Christian Formation and the Executive Council Taskforce on Older Adult Ministries, "Aging is Changing" was developed to help clergy and lay leaders identify issues of older adults, their families, and caregivers, and to identify existing local, state and national resources that might be helpful. It also includes best practices from 60 congregations around the Episcopal Church. "This resource is aimed at changing the perception that older adults become less useful as they age," explained Ruth-Ann Collins, Episcopal Church Officer for Lifelong Formation. "It highlights the potential of this generation and signals us to remember that as Christians, we are called by God. And as a church we have adopted The Five Marks of Mission as a way to answer that call." Aging is Changing is available here. For more information contact Collins as rcollins@episcopalchurch.org.

Stories of Transformation: Worship, Witness & Work in the Black Community
This important offering is a series of stories shared from the personal experience of the writers - a seminarian, theologians, parish priests, activists - and is a direct response to the conversation among the young people about the place and role of storytelling in the family. Prepared by the Episcopal Church Office for Lifelong Christian Formation and the Office of Black Ministries, Stories of Transformation is recommended for congregational use by clergy and lay leaders who want to approach faith formation work in the context of the black community, providing readers the opportunity to go deeper into the stories of the black community. "These stories illustrate the rich heritage of a community with the tension between experiences of deep sadness and the abundance of joy inform how the black community celebrate their relationship with God," noted the Rev. Canon Angela S. Ifill, Episcopal Church Missioner for Black Ministries "This is not just for those ministering in black community. It is a gift to all Christians giving us a significant opportunity to get a glimpse into the life of the black community." Stories of Transformation are available here. For more information contact Ifill at aifill@episcopalchurch.org.