Hampton Roads Community Foundation Scholarships for students in Southern Virginia

Applications are available for the following Hampton Roads Community Foundation scholarships. The 2014-2015 theological scholarship application is due April 1, 2014. The application is available here. Applicants should be native or long-time residents of the specified geographic areas rather than those temporarily living in the area to attend school.

• Barron F. Black Theological Scholarship- For students at Virginia Theological Seminary (Alexandria, VA) who are candidates for the ministry. Students must be residents of the geographic region served by the Diocese of Southern Virginia. Richard D. and Sheppard R.  
• Cooke Memorial Scholarship - For students from Hampton Roads attending Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond who are candidates for the ministry. Preference will be given to students from Norfolk churches within the Presbytery of Eastern Virginia.
• William F. Miles - For a student from Hampton Roads who is preparing for leadership in a field of religious service.
• Hy Smith Endowment Fund- For students at Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria who are candidates for the ministry. Students must be residents of the geographic region served by the Diocese of Southern Virginia.

Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy hosts Episcopal Day at State Capitol

On Thursday, Jan. 23, the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy will sponsor an Episcopal Day at the State Capitol in Richmond. This is an opportunity for people of faith to learn how the General Assembly functions. Attendees will spend time in conversation with delegates and others knowledgeable about the General Assembly, and will also receive briefings on a number of issues at play in the legislature.

The Virginia Interfaith Center is a nonpartisan coalition of faith communities that works to create progressive public policy by engaging people of faith about the call to advocacy. As Episcopalians, we have a unique voice to lend to issues of the day, particularly when it comes to matters of social justice. The Episcopal Church General Convention has passed a number of resolutions that call for dioceses to take action and reach out to their state and federal legislators. Episcopal Day will be an opportunity for us to strengthen that voice and learn how to be effective advocates in the name of Jesus Christ.

Episcopal Day will take place from 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. on Jan. 23, with lunch provided. A light breakfast and lunch will be provided for a donation of $14/person, payable to St. Paul's Episcopal Church. Schedule of the day's events: 

• 8:30 a.m. - Gather at St. Paul's, 815. E. Grace St., Norwood Room
• 8:45 a.m. - Welcome and Opening Prayer
• 9 a.m. - Policy Briefings from VICPP
• 10:30 a.m. - Move to the General Assembly Building
• 10:45 a.m. - Visit with Legislators
• 11:45 a.m. - Gathering in the Galleries of the House and Senate
• 12 p.m. - Observe House and/or Senate session
• 12:30 p.m. - Return to St. Paul's
• 1 p.m. - Lunch catered by Boaz & Ruth (vegetarian options available)
• 1:45 p.m. - Debriefing, Closing Prayer

Parking is extremely limited during the General Assembly. Please try the following options: Central Parking System, 101 N. 6th St; Central Parking System, 700 E. Franklin St.; CityParking Inc., 801 E Main St #1002. For more information or to register, please e-mail news@thediocese.net.  

Annual Council: Registration closes after January 24!

Annual Council is just weeks away - the 122nd Annual Council will be held February 7-8 at the Williamsburg Lodge Convention Center. The deadline for registration and cancellation for Council is January 24, 2014. Youth aged 18 and younger as well as college students may register at the $50 rate. Each attendee should make their own hotel reservations directly with the Williamsburg Lodge or The Woodlands in Colonial Williamsburg. Please refer to Group Code 9952 to receive the discounted rate. Click here for complete information and online registration. Click here for information and registration for Exhibitors at Council.

  

Church Communicator Credentials 

Church communicators are an integral part of connecting their Convocations and congregations with Council while it is in session (via email, blogging, social networks) and, afterward, by reporting on the work was accomplished (via presentations to Vestries and forums, newsletter articles, blogs, etc). To register for Annual Council as a credentialed church communicator, please complete the  application available on our website no later than January 24, 2014.  

Volunteers Needed 

One of the important tasks of the diocesan council is elections. This year the council will not only elect people to fill positions for the diocese, but will also elect delegates to the next General Convention of The Episcopal Church. Tellers are need to help conduct voting and to count the votes. The council runs from 9 a.m. Friday, February 7 until 4 p.m. Saturday, February 8. The council is held at the Williamsburg Lodge. If you are interested in being a teller please contact the Rev. Bob Gay,  rgay@brutonparish.org. 

CE-Net Speaker Series: Karen Jackson of Faith Inclusion Network

Please join CE-Net on January 16, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at Hickory Neck, Toano, as we welcome Karen Jackson-Faith Inclusion Network. The Faith Inclusion Network (FIN) of South Hampton Roads is a non-profit, grass roots organization founded in May of 2008, dedicated to helping faith communities develop inclusive ministries for people with disabilities and helping families affected by disability to find welcoming and accessible places to worship. Please join us as we have a discussion about how to make our churches a welcoming place for all. Cost is $15 and includes lunch. Click here to register. For more information, please contact Jennifer Nauroth, jenny.nauroth@cox.net.

Upcoming in the Speaker Series 

The speakers this spring have been selected based on the FAQ's from the last year or so.  These topics will be of interest to clergy and lay leaders alike, so make plans to join us. All meetings will be held at Hickory Neck Church, Toano. The program begins at 10:00 a.m. and will conclude by 1:00 p.m. The cost is $15, which includes lunch.

February 27 - "Planning and Implementing Successful Mission Trips for Youth" - Our speaker for this series is a panel of seasoned youth mission trip organizers, including:  The Rev. Wes Wubbenhorst, Canon for Youth for the Diocese of Maryland; Ashley Scruggs, Youth Missioner for the Diocese of Southern Virginia; and Steve Tonic, Staff Development Director for Appalachia Service Project. The panel will discuss the nuts and bolts for planning successful and meaningful international and stateside mission trips.

March 27 -  "Confirmation" - Jenifer Gamber, author of  "My Faith, My Life", and Director of Christian Formation at St. Anne's Church in Trexeltown, PA, will lead us in an honest conversation about the challenges of providing Confirmation instruction for young people.

May 8 - "Confirmation" - Bishop Hollerith will be our speaker and will lead us as we continue our conversation on Confirmation.

Two opportunities to attend Vestry Training Days

Spring Vestry Training Days will be held on Saturday, February 22 at St. John's, Chester and Saturday, March 1, at All Saints', Virginia Beach, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.  The cost of the event is $15, which includes lunch. All current vestry members are welcome to attend. Registration is open on our website.

Seeds of Hope Grants awarded

Ten Seeds of Hope Grants totaling $23,233 have been awarded for 2013. Seeds of Hope grants are awarded to congregations and diocesan groups in Southern Virginia to support the development or expansion of social justice ministries sponsored by diocesan congregations and organizations.  

Mission of the Holy Spirit, Norfolk
Health - Life is a Choice 

The Mission will expand its very successful "Life is a Choice" program that presents healthy lifestyle choices to children and their families. The 10-week program will continue to reinforce healthy choices, disease prevention, nutrition and activity, with a focus on health literacy. Nursing students from Old Dominion University will provide one-on-one health assessments, recommendations and encouragement for each participant. The program will include a segment on healthy shopping and cooking on a budget. At the end of the program, graduates will be treated to dinner at a restaurant where the nursing students will help them select healthy items from the menu, rather than high-fat, high­sodium and high-calorie dishes. Each participant will receive a cookbook that includes all of the recipes prepared in class.

Bruton Parish, Williamsburg
Bruton Builders 

Bruton Builders performs essential repairs to private homes and structures where owners are constrained by financial resources or abilities, resulting in a safer environment for the occupants. Bruton has a long tradition of this type of ministry, including mission trips to assist with clean-up and repair efforts following natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina. The ministry was formalized into the Bruton Builders in 2009, and a trailer was purchased to house and transport equipment and supplies. Bruton is in contact with organizers of clean-up andrepair efforts for areas impacted by Hurricane Sandy, and is planning a trip in the early fall of 2013 to provide assistance. They plan to extend this opportunity to members of Hickory Neck, Toano, St. Martin's, Williamsburg, and others that are interested in helping with relief efforts.

St. Thomas, Freeman
Senior Pals Program

This program reaches out to seniors in the community who are in need of companionship. The program provides a nutritious meal, fun activities, spiritual enrichment and learning workshops. Cultural trips are also included.

St. Thomas, Freeman
Youth Empowerment 

Program provides activities to empower the youth in their community to rise above their circumstances - broken homes, single parent families, parents who are drug abusers, incarcerated, unemployed, and impoverished. The program currently serves 35 youth. The goal for 2014 is to increase the number of participants to 50.

Crazy Christians: free online course with Bishop Michael Curry

From January 27 at 6:00 p.m. through February 3 at 9:00 a.m., the Rt. Rev. Michael Curry, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina, will teach The Big Class, a program of ChurchNext. The course will expand on "Crazy Christians: A Call to Follow Jesus," a new book based on "We Need Some Crazy Christians," a widely acclaimed sermon the bishop preached at the Episcopal Church's General Convention in 2012.

Bishop Curry will moderate the course and answer online questions during the week of The Big Class. Participants can take the course anytime during the week at www.churchnext.tv. No special software is required to access the Big Class, featuring audio and video segments with Bishop Curry. The Big Class will take an average student 45 minutes to work through. Or, it can be taken in increments, over the course of the entire week.

The Big Class is a worldwide, online course for all who want to go further in their walk with Christ, and is free to everyone, everywhere, thanks to the support of Bexley Seabury, Church Publishing, the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina, and Forward Movement. Special materials will be available for congregations and adult education classes who desire to take the class together as part of their Epiphany season study. Click here for more information or follow the conversation on Twitter at #TheBigClass or on Facebook.