News from our Diocesan ECW

By Barbara E. Taylor, ECW President 

Many Thanks to those who attended our ECW Diocesan Spring meeting at Christ Church, Danville. A special thanks to Nancy Sands our First Vice President and the Women of Christ Church who were our host. We also thank the Rev. Helen McKee who was our celebrant and installed our new Diocesan UTO Coordinator, Joyce Douglas, of St. Augustine's, Newport News.

During our meeting we had two speakers. The first was Dorothy "Dottie" Arthur, Province III National Board Representative. She had much information and was inspiring regarding the plans for the Triennial in 2015 in Utah. !Celebremos! We also heard from Janet Lemmer, Director of the Boys Home in Covington, Virginia. She spoke of the home's history, their efforts, their successes, and their needs.

The women of the ECW decided to take on the following charitable outreach projects. We will attempt to raise $10,000 over the next two years for the Women To Women project. A ministry between women of the Diocese of Southern Virginia  and the Mothers Union of the Diocese of Bukavu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We will be working with the Diocese of Virginia who have been involved with this project for some time. They have been sending groups and money for some time but more is still needed. We will also try to fulfill The Spring and Winter Wish List for The Boys Home of Covington, Virginia

Thanks to Deborah Austin, Student Work Chair. Her group awarded 14 scholarships to students in the

Diocese.  

New Province III UTO Coordinator 

On April 27, a new Province III ECW UTO Coordinator was elected at the ECW Province III Meeting in Martinsburg, West Virginia. She is Dena Lee, 295 Braxton Ridge Road, Amherst, Virginia 24521. 434-946-7611, dglee7880@gmail.com.

New Diocesan UTO Coordinator 

On May 18, Joyce Douglas was installed as our new Diocesan UTO Coordinator. Joyce is a very active member of St. Augustine's, Newport News. Joyce Douglas, 4608 Coronet Ave., Virginia Beach, VA 23455. 757-496-0192, amielonie@aol.com

Sign up now for the Annual Open Planning & Strategy Workshop for Youth Leaders

The annual Open Planning & Strategy Workshop for Youth Leaders will take place on Saturday, July 20, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Emmanuel, Hampton. There is no fee to attend. Lunch is provided. Open to all adults who work with youth in the Diocese of Southern Virginia, this annual event provides an opportunity to network with other youth leaders, problem-solve common issues in youth ministry, and get up-to-date information on resources and programs. There is no deadline to register. So that we can plan for lunch, please contact Ashley Scruggs, Youth Missioner, at 757-213-3393 or ascruggs@diosova.org.

St. Matthias' youth support Jackson-Feild

Lisa Rose, Youth Coordinator at St. Matthias’, Midlothian, is passionate about helping her sixth and seventh grade youth appreciate their blessings and to be concerned about the plight of those less fortunate.She has many creative ways to help her children appreciate the effect of money and how we choose to use it and especially what it can do for others. One of her exercises involves freezing money in ice cubes in order to work to get to it. Rose’s efforts led to a fund raiser to help children their own age who have experienced misery and pain.  

Over the course of several Sundays, the youth collected jewelry from their families and members of the church. The items were then sold with the proceeds being given to Jackson-Feild Homes at the suggestion of Rose’s mother who has been a loyal supporter of the Home.

On May 9, The Rev. John Boucher presented a check to Jackson-Feild in the amount of $350 during the awards ceremony of the 18th Annual Golfing for the Kids tournament at The Country Club of the Highlands. The Homes’ staff was humbled by this gift and are most thankful for these special youngsters and their youth coordinator.

Representatives from Jackson-Feild hope to be able to meet with St. Matthias' youth group when they reconvene after the summer. The youth group is also interested in doing some "hands on" projects in the future.   

Jackson-Feild Homes provides innovative, intensive therapeutic services using best practice trauma models for boys and girls in residential care and community- based services. All programs work with each youth individually and involve each youth’s family to ensure success. The goal is to return the child to their community as soon as possible. Jackson-Feild works to educate, equip and empower youth to become healthy and confident young adults.

Mission of the Holy Spirit completes 5-week wellness program

By Ann Campbell, Mission of the Holy Spirit Board 

Old Dominion University nursing students have been an active presence with Mission of the Holy Spirit kids. They provide tutoring and help our younger children through focused tutoring and mentoring.

This semester, in addition to tutoring, the students have implemented a five-week program with our teen girls. This series, sponsored by a Seeds of Hope grant from the Diocese, is focused on healthy lifestyles and includes a teaching that addresses topics such as genetics, family history and “owning” your health. The formal lesson is followed by an exercise activity usually with music and dance! The group has applied knowledge about healthy eating to food preparation for the group. The girls assist with the meal preparation and apply safe food handling tips as well as ways to make a recipe healthier to the nightly meal. As a culminating activity we took the girls for a dinner out to apply the healthy food choice teaching they had learned.

Car wash!

The Mission of the Holy Spirit is holding a car wash at Good Shepherd, Norfolk, on Saturday, June 1 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Come by, meet the kids, and help raise funds for this wonderful ministry! 

Saint Paul's College will not merge with Saint Augustine's University

Saint Augustine's University in North Carolina has backed out of plans to merge with Saint Paul's College, Lawrenceville. "After careful due diligence and much deliberation, Saint Augustine's University has decided that to pursue the acquisition is not a fiscally responsible option," Saint Augustine's University said on its website.

In a press release dated May 13, Oliver W. Spencer, Jr., chairman of Saint Paul's Board of Trustees said, "The Board of Trustees and administration of Saint Paul's College were surprised after receiving the correspondence from Saint Augustine's University last week. We had anticipated that as a result of all of discussions and planning, we would be moving forward with the possible merger/acquisition process. However, the Board of Trustees of Saint Paul's College will continue to pursue all options available including continuing discussions with the Saint Augustine's University Board of Trustees."

Connect your college-bound youth with Canterbury

Now is the time to make sure your college-bound youth get connected with Canterbury! You can find a list of Canterbury contacts in Southern Virginia - and in other parts of the state - on the College Ministry page of our website. If you have students headed out of state, or don't see your school listed, contact Youth Missioner Ashley Scruggs for help in finding your contacts, ascruggs@diosova.org or 757-213-3393.

TREC invites conversation through social media

The Task Force for Reimagining the Episcopal Church (TREC) is utilizing social media to solicit ideas, info and as a means to hear from the church. And, TREC plans to regularly pose questions, report on its progress, and engage both the wider church and specific groups within the church in an ongoing dialogue throughout the triennium. The TREC website  is at www.reimaginetec.org, twitter  www.twitter.com/reimaginetec and Facebook www.facebook.com/reimaginetec 

According to the Rev. Canon Craig Loya, "An important part of our work during this triennium is to engage the wider church in conversations about church structure and about what God is calling us to be as The Episcopal Church embraces change and creativity in the years to come."

Dr. Katy George noted, "We are committed to transparency and sharing information as our work evolves.  However, what would make this journey relevant, meaningful and productive is the active engagement of the church in this process at all levels.  We welcome you to be part of this journey."

In inviting conversation and engagement, the Rev. Joseph M.C. Chambers said, "It is our desire that our website and social media pages serve as tools for conversation and a platform for sharing information; a bridge to connect every Episcopalian with the work TREC has ahead.  As we share a common love for our beloved Episcopal Church, we invite you to invest in this process.  Join us, and share your thoughts, ideas, dreams and hopes for The Episcopal Church you would like to see."

Other contact information includes: Reimaginetec@gmail.com, Task Force for Reimagining the Episcopal Church, PO Box 11641, St Louis, MO  63105-1641.