Jackson-Feild residents treated to a day on Lake Gaston

Nineteen residents of Jackson-Feild Homes recently spent a day at Lake Gaston thanks to some very special friends.

       

Mrs. Carol Weigel and Mrs. Jane Roundtree are neighbors and members of the Lake Gaston Ladies Club. This club has been very supportive of Jackson-Feild and its residents. They enlist other neighbors and friends to help sponsor this outing.

The boys and girls arrived at 9:00 and were greeted and welcomed by their hosts after which they headed for the water to swim or hop in a paddle boat. Three volunteers provided motorboats and the children were given a tour of the lake. For most of the residents it was the first time they had ever been on a boat. They returned to lunch which was a meal fit for a king. Carol Weigel had prepared a detailed schedule of events to keep the residents busy when they were not in the water. After lunch lawn games were held with each winner receiving a prize and then it was back to the water for more swimming.

At the end of the day residents thanked everyone for their hospitality and kindness. This marked the second year in a row that the children were able to spend the day at Lake Gaston thanks to members of this club.

A good time was had by one and all and it is a day that will be long remembered by the residents.

Nominations for Annual Council Elections

Nominations for elections to held at our 122nd Annual Council (Feb. 7-8, 2014) are now being accepted. The nomination form is available on our website. You will also find information about and requirements for each position open for election. Nominations are due by December 7, 2013.

Elections to take place at Annual Council are Standing Committee (1 Lay and 1 Clergy), Disciplinary Board (1 Lay and 2 Clergy), Provincial Synod (1 Lay), and General Convention Deputation (4 Lay Deputies and 4 Lay Alternates; 4 Clergy Deputies and 4 Clergy Alternates).

CE-Net Speaker Series: Youth Missioner Ashley Scruggs

Join CE-Net (Christian Education Network) on Thursday, September 12, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., as they host Diocese of Southern Virginia's Youth Missioner Ashley Scruggs. Ashley coordinates training, communication, and events for youth, young adults, and their leaders. In addition, she serves Province III as the Coordinator for Campus Missions. In this session, we will take a look at what's real for youth and young adults today. Come hear some potentially surprising information about risk behaviors, social life, and spiritual perspectives. Invigorate your ministry by learning more about needs and motivations of young people. Join with us in reflection on the place of the church in the lives of young people and strategies we might use to minister more effectively to these younger generations. This session will be particularly relevant for clergy, youth leaders, and anyone working with parish formation. Click here for registration. 

Tailgate at ODU Canterbury Center!

Seeking faculty and staff at ODU 

Are you a faculty or staff member at Old Dominion University? Or is someone in your parish? The Canterbury Center at ODU would like to reach out to Episcopal faculty members. Help us find out who they are! Please send the names of any current ODU faculty or staff members with Episcopal connections or sympathies to the Rev. Gillian Barr, Episcopal campus minister at ODU, chaplain@oducanterbury.org. Thank you!

Tailgating at ODU Canterbury Center 

Are you going to cheer on ODU Football as they move up to FBS/C-USA? Help support campus ministry while you tailgate! Tailgate spaces in the back yard of the Canterbury Center, just a few blocks from the stadium, are available for every home football game. $30 per vehicle per game. Lot opens four hours before kickoff. Discount season passes available on-site at the first game. First come, first serve. The Center is at 1526 W. 49th Street. 757-489-9096 or chaplain@oducanterbury.org for more information.

Connect your grads with College Ministry

As your high school graduates head off to college, don't forget to connect them with the nearest Episcopal campus ministry or parish. It's the only way campus ministers will know about your student - schools do not give out such information any more. You can find information about Southern Virginia's campus ministries on our website. You can also find a list of campus ministry contacts for other colleges in Virginia. If you don't see yours listed, contact Youth Missioner Ashley Scruggs for information, ascruggs@diosova.org. 

• Christopher Newport University, Newport News - The Rev. Lauren McDonald, revlauren4@gmail.com 
• Longwood University & Hampden Sydney College, Farmville - Mr. Bob Zupanek, bob@johnsmemorial.org 
• Old Dominion University, Norfolk - The Rev. Gillian Barr, chaplain@oducanterbury.org 
• College of William & Mary, Williamsburg - The Rev. John Kerr, jkerr@brutonparish.org 

Getting on board with Google+

Southern Virginia now has it's own page on Google+. If you're not familiar with it, Google+ is a social network, like Facebook and Twitter. If you're a Google+ user, we hope you'll follow us there.

Google+, Hangouts, and other Google tools are free and could help you extend your ministries. Here at the diocesan office, we are working on ways to make use of these tools not only for communications, but also for Christian Formation and leadership development. If you'd like to learn more about Google+ and its associated tools, please contact Communications Officer Ann Turner, aturner@diosova.org or 757-213-3388.

Episcopal Church Task Force on the Study of Marriage issues report on initial meeting

From the Episcopal Church Office of Public Affairs

At the 77th General Convention of the Episcopal Church in 2012, Resolution A050 called for a Task Force on the Study of Marriage to be appointed by the Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and President of the House of Deputies the Rev. Gay Clark Jennings to study and consult broadly on the subject of marriage. They were asked to explore historical, biblical, theological, liturgical, and canonical dimensions of marriage, and to do so in consideration of the "changing societal and cultural norms and legal structures" of our time.

The Rev. Brian C. Taylor, Task Force Chair from the Diocese of Rio Grande, noted following the group's first gathering, "This remarkable and diverse group of clergy, bishops, and laity appreciate the enormity of the task before us, and the importance of doing so at this time."

Taylor said that the Task Force also "considered deeply what underlying question the Church was asking through this resolution. Our working assumption at this point is that it is this: What might the Episcopal Church have to say to today's world as to what makes a marriage Christian and holy?"

 Click here to read the Task Force's report.