Episcopal Church partners with FaithStreet, a new congregational evangelism tool

The Episcopal Church Office of Public Affairs 

A partnership between the Episcopal Church and FaithStreet paves the way for congregations to connect their church with church seekers through an innovative church locator that offers much more than a search engine. "Our partnership with FaithStreet will give our congregations a new tool to promote their churches," commented Anne Rudig, Episcopal Church Director of Communication.  "FaithStreet not only locates a church, but works with a congregation to present the mission and ministry done there in ways easily understood by a seeker. It goes beyond address and contact info to providing an ethos or 'vibe' of particular churches."

FaithStreet currently showcases 3,580 churches in all 50 United States, in over 1,500 cities. This includes over 100 church networks and denominations representing churches of all sizes, ranging from five to 10,000 members. "FaithStreet is a tech-startup that is making it easy for anyone to find and connect with a great Christian church in their area," explained Ryan Melogy, Co-Founder. "We're creating a personalized church discovery experience, where anyone will be able to find a great church for them."

"Churches will always be able to create a free profile on FaithStreet," noted Sean Coughlin, Chief Executive Officer. "In the future, FaithStreet will offer paid features, services, and advertising plans. These paid services will be always being optional, affordable and effective."

For more information and to join FaithStreet: www.faithstreet.com.

Episcopal Church offers Advent sermons for children at no fee

The Episcopal Church Office of Public Affairs 

To engage children in a more active role during worship this Advent, the Episcopal Church is offering a four-week series of lectionary-based children's sermons. Offered at no fee, the children's sermons provide clergy and lay leaders with step-by-step instructions on how to help the children lead the adults in worship. "The sermons were designed for use in small congregations, but are appropriate for churches of any size and with any number of children, ranging in age from young children to youth," explained Sarah Johnson, Editor of Sermons that Work in the Episcopal Church Office of Communication.

The sermons for the four weeks of Advent are available the Sermons That Work website. The sermons are also available in Spanish on the Sermones que Iluminan website. 

"These materials provide a subject lesson, rather than an object lesson," explained Teresa Stewart, writer of the children's sermon series and founder of Paper Bag Cathedrals, a website for small-church resources. "Instead of linking some outside object to Advent, these work in the opposite direction. The children's feelings - something they know well - are the subject of the exploration. The children will be asked to imagine, pretend and act out experiences that they are already familiar with. Then you can help link these feelings to this Holy Season. Start with their expertise. It's a whole-body, not brain-only, kind of Christian formation. Experiential, not just cognitive."  

The four-week series are:

First Sunday of Advent (Year C), December 2: "Wait and Trust: Remember God Keeps Promises"

Second Sunday of Advent (Year C), December 9: "Wait and Get Ready: Make Things Right for All People"

Third Sunday of Advent (Year C), December 16: "Wait and Dream Big: Expect Really Good News"
Fourth Sunday of Advent (Year C), December 23: "Wait and Give Thanks: Celebrate the Promise"

For additional information, contact Johnson at sjohnson@episcopalchurch.org.

Take advantage of our membership in The Episcopal Network for Stewardship

The Episcopal Network for Stewardship (TENS) membership benefits are available to all parishes through our diocesan membership. Benefits include formation and training resources, webinars, giving campaign materials and new ideas and insights from contributing bloggers. If you would like to use these materials, please email Caroline Black at  cblack@diosova.org or Nancy James at njames@diosova.org to receive the login information for www.tens.org.

Seeds of Hope: St. Paul's addresses the needs of the aging in Lawrenceville

 The second 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. 

Saint Paul's Memorial, Lawrenceville, has been awarded a Seeds of Hope Grant of $2500 to support lectures, movies, and cooking demonstrations entitled "Escaping your Comfort Zones" "Your Life Re-imagined."

Saint Paul's and its community are composed of a large elderly population. Every member of Saint Paul's is over fifty. A large number of individuals in their community are as well. The elder generation knows that life does not always go the way you expect it to; sometime the need for help is sudden and unexpected. If plans are in place, it is easier for caregivers to act on their behalf. As a church, Saint Paul's feel it is their duty to provide this information so that individuals can make important decisions without pressure. This grant-funded program will serve individuals from eleven churches, including St. Thomas, Freeman, and St. James, Warfield, as well as the community at large.

Lectures will be on topics that are uncomfortable in most families. Topics will include: Medicare Supplement Plans; Life Insurance; Living Wills; Reverse Mortgage; Wills; Telemarketers; Staying at-Home vs. Assisted Living; How to Fix Quick, Inexpensive, Healthy, Tasty Meals. Resources will come from the office on Aging, AARP and Brunswick Extension. Community Memorial Hospital will also provide assistance.

Your pledge could make it possible: New initiatives

A follow-up to our "Your Pledge Makes It Possible" series on the mission and ministries of the Episcopal Church in Southern Virginia. If you missed any of that series, you can find them all on our website. 

During the Bishop's Day conference in October, Bishop Hollerith outlined the following four new initiatives that he would ask the Executive Board to pursue with him were parishes to give their 10% fair share of giving to the 2013 diocesan budget (initiatives are not in order of priority):

• College for Lay Leadership - a first-class, ongoing program to offer the lay leadership in Southern Virginia new ideas, new opportunities, and new ways to address issues of congregational vitality in the modern world. Based on the Bishop's Days program, this program would provide a broad framework for ongoing training and development, as well as a community of support for lay leaders in our parishes.
• Young Adult Missioner - a full or part time diocesan staff position for providing ministry to college age and young adult people. This position would be an individual trained in the newest forms of ministry who would engage the culture, identify possibilities, and challenge local parishes to provide new forms of ministry to this age group.
• Call an Assistant Bishop - to share in the Episcopal ministry with our Bishop by assisting with Sunday congregational visits, ordinations, Celebrations of New Ministry, etc. An emphasis will be placed on calling someone with experience in small church congregational development. (An assistant bishop is a bishop who has already been elected within another diocese and has either retired or resigned.)
• Call an Hispanic church planter - to call into the diocese a trained church planter who is not only bilingual, but also bi-cultural. This position would involve helping the diocese identify potential Hispanic communities and to work toward establishing worshiping communities.

NOTE: At present only 20% of churches pledge the minimal asking amount of 10%.

CE-Net Speaker Series welcomes Sharon Pearson of Church Publishing

Mark your calendars for Thursday, January 17, 11 a.m., for the CE-Net quarterly speaker series at Hickory Neck, Toano. Sharon Pearson, Christian Formation Specialist for Church Publishing, will be our speaker. In addition to sharing the latest available resources, Sharon will talk about how to adapt curricula and resources to fit your particular context. Registration is necessary and there is a $5 charge for lunch. Please contact Judy Rieken at jrieken@diosova.org to register.

News from Chanco

Chanco seeking applicants for Board of Directors

Chanco continues to seek interest in serving on its board of directors.  This is one simple way you can give back to Chanco and make a difference in Chanco's future! Click here for a nomination form. For more information regarding serving on the board, visit our website or contact New Board Member Coordinator, the Rev. Marguerite Alley at ccf@emmanuelvb.org.  Completed applications may be emailed to Marguerite at this address.  Thank you for your prayerful consideration of this important adult and youth ministry of our diocese!

2013 Summer Camp schedule is here!

The session dates for 2013 have been set and registration will go live on our website at www.chanco.org on December 1. Give Chanco for Christmas!  Register before January 1 and save on all sessions ($11 savings for one-week; $21 on a two-week session).  Click here for a flier with the 2013 session dates, ages and rates. We look forward to seeing you back at Chanco "where friends are friends forever." Questions? Contact Registrar Stacey Richards at hospitality@chanco.org.