Save the date! Stewardship Conference on June 8

Mark your calendar for our June 8 Stewardship Conference to be held at St. Martin's, Williamsburg. You said you wanted stewardship information for smaller churches and more about planned giving and we listened! Our two keynote speakers for this conference will be the Rev. Timothy Dombeck, Canon to the Ordinary, Diocese of Arizona, speaking on Stewardship for Smaller Parishes, and Jim Murphy, Executive Program Director of Episcopal Church Foundation, who will address Planned Giving/endowments/legacies. Participants will also get to take part in hands-on breakout sessions. More information and registration coming soon!

James Solomon Russell Feast Day celebration

James Solomon Russell Feast Day Celebration will be held Sunday, March 24 at 3 p.m at St. James', Emporia (609 Halifax Street, Emporia). The Rev. Dr. Grady Powell, Rector Emeritus of Gillfield Baptist Church in Petersburg, will preach. The Very Rev. Christopher Cunningham and the Rev. Dr. Joseph Green will be co-celebrants. The offering will go to support the placement of an historical marker near the birthplace of James Solomon Russell and to support Saint Paul's College. Please make all checks payable to James Solomon Russell Fund and send to: Dr. Angela M. Parker, P. O. Box 184, Lawrenceville, VA 23868.  

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.

Diocesan-wide Day of Service on May 4

The Commission on Ministry Committee on Formation for the Ministry of the Baptized (the MOB) has decided that we need to help folks better understand lay ministry. Our focus is to be a resource for lay people who feel called to something even if they don't yet know what that means for them. Baptism is what makes us ministers. Living out our baptismal promises - how we share the Good News of God's love with our words and actions - is our ministry. The MOB is inviting each of you to participate in a Diocese-wide Day of Service on the first Saturday of May. We are asking each Parish to choose a project in your community that will be a concrete example of God's love for all of His children. We hope that this Day of Service will help you do a little out of the box thinking. You may partner with other parishes, maybe even develop a project for your convocation. Please have someone in your parish let us know (at  khwootton@meckcom.net) about the project you have chosen so that we can share and celebrate the work that we are doing. 

House of Bishops offers a Word to the Church: Godly leadership in the face of violence

The House of Bishops, meeting in retreat in Kanuga Conference Center, Hendersonville, NC, has offered a Word to the Church, "Godly Leadership in the Face of Violence."  

"Our time together has brought us to a new place of recognition with respect to how violence infects, and affects, our lives. We have considered how the reality of violence in our world, our society, our churches, our homes, and ourselves alienate us from God and each other. And we repent that we have too often neglected to challenge violence of every kind and pursue peace and reconciliation." 

"As bishops of The Episcopal Church we embody a wide variety of experiences and perspectives with respect to firearms.  Many among us are hunters and sport-shooters, former members of the military and law-enforcement officers.  We respect and honor that we are not of one mind regarding matters related to gun legislation.  Yet we are convinced that there needs to be a new conversation in the United States that challenges gun violence.  Because of the wide variety of contexts in which we live and our commitment to reasoned and respectful discourse that holds together significant differences in creative tension, we believe that The Episcopal Church can and must lead in this effort."

Click here to read the Bishops' message. 

Middle School Lenten Lock-in a big success!

 

On Friday, March 1, youth from 5 Episcopal churches (Eastern Shore Chapel, Galilee, Old Donation, St. Aidan's, Virginia Beach, and St. John's, Chester) gathered for an evening of friendship and fun.  There were lots of games, a liberal amount of laughter, some disappearing snacks, creative worship and some colorful prayer. A great time was had by all but the leaders could have used a little more sleep! Plans are being made for future convocation youth activities.

7th Annual Canterbury Gala a smashing success!

By Caitlyn Darnell, William & Mary Canterbury

On February 2, Canterbury hosted a fundraising black-tie Gala at the Alumni House of The College of William and Mary. Good food, a good time, and good company were had by all in attendance. The dance floor was alive with couples dancing to the sultry sounds of the William and Mary Wham Bam Big Band, including the Rev. John Kerr twirling an assortment of beautiful young Canterbury women.

The silent auction was replete with exquisite items, including many works of art and vacation packages. The attendees got a break from guarding their silent auction bids with a serenade by The Cleftomaniacs, a very talented William and Mary a capella group.

Altogether, Canterbury raised over $9,000. The sum of the money will be donated to Holy Cross Anglican School in San Pedro, Belize, the site of our Spring Break mission trip this March. We will be using the funds to build a palapa, an outdoor thatch-roof classroom in which the children can enjoy breezy classes. We thank each and every one of you for attending and/or donating to our cause. We sincerely appreciate your support and hope to see you again at next year's event 

CE-Net hosts Digital Missioner Kyle Matthew Oliver

CE-Net invites you to join them on April 18 when they host Kyle Matthew Oliver. Oliver is the Digital Missioner and Learning Lab Coordinator for the Center for the Ministry of Teaching at Virginia Theological Seminary. He specializes in helping churches try out new models for faith formation in our digital, connected world. In this session, Oliver will work with the idea of a "faith formation network" to help you think about how your congregation can take Christian formation into their lives beyond Sunday morning. This presentation will be particularly relevant for youth leaders, clergy and anyone working with formation or communications. You can learn more about Oliver's work here.

Join Ce-Net on April 18, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Hickory Neck, Toano. Lunch will be provided for a $7 fee. RSVP to Lynn Farlin, lfarlin@ascension-norfolk.org if you plan to attend.