Wednesday, May 13, 2015
CE-Net monthly meeting on May 28
CE-Net (Christian Education Network) invites you to join them
on Thursday, May 28 at 9 a.m. at Emmanuel, Hampton as they catch up and
discuss future CE-Net meetings. Breakfast will be provided. Feel free to
invite anyone you think would be interested. RSVP to Jennifer Nauroth, jenny.nauroth@cox.net.
Leadership Program for Musicians now accepting registration for Fall classes
The Leadership Program for Musicians (LPM), a national program offering
classes for church musicians and those interested in church music, is
accepting registrations for the 2015-2016 year.
Courses being offered for the 2015-2016 year are Liturgy and Music: Foundations for Christian Worship (offered online through the Center for Liturgy and Music at Virginia Theological Seminary, visit www.liturgyandmusic.com); Principles of Choral Leadership; Teaching New Music to the Congregation; and Philosophy of Church Music.
LPM gives church
musicians the tools and resources to lead congregations to sing well and
to participate actively in worship. LPM offers classes that cover
key areas in church music and liturgical education, spiritual
formation, and teach a full range of church music skills.
For more information visit www.lpm-va.org or contact Jane Barthurst, atlpmvacoordinator@gmail.com or 804-883-7112.
Palestine of Jesus: A two-part course offered through Kanuga and St. George's College
Kanuga retreat center in
Hendersonville, NC, and St. George's College in Jerusalem are
partnering for a two-part course - The Palestine of Jesus. In December,
2015, participants will gather at Kanuga for a three-day program led by
St. George's course director, the Rev. Rodney Aist. Students will learn
about the Holy Land and the places they will visit during the second
part of the course in Israel/Palestine that will take place in February,
2016 at St. George's College. Click here for a brochure with more information.
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Advancing to General Convention 2015
What is General Convention?
The 78th General Convention of the Episcopal Church will meet in Salt Lake City, UT this summer, June 25 to July 3. The General Convention gathers every three years and is a bicameral legislature that includes the House of Deputies, which has more than 800 members (up to four clergy and four lay people from each diocese), and the House of Bishops, which is comprised of more than 300 active and retired bishops.
How does General Convention work?
The General Convention
is the primary governing and legislative body of the Episcopal Church.
With the exception of the Bible, the Book of Common Prayer, and the
Constitution and Canons, it is the ultimate authority in the Episcopal
Church. General Convention comprises two houses: the House of Deputies and the House of Bishops. It meets regularly once every
three years; however, the House of Bishops meets regularly in between
sessions of General Convention. All bishops, whether active or retired,
have seat and vote in the House of Bishops. Each diocese of the
Episcopal Church, as well as the Navajoland Area Mission and the
Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe, are entitled to
representation in the House of Deputies by four clergy deputies, and
four lay deputies. Resolutions must pass both houses in order to take effect.
The first General Convention - Virginians were there!
Before
the American Revolution, there had been no Anglican dioceses or bishops
in the colonies, thus when the American congregations were separated
from the Church of England, "the chain which held them together [was]
broken". In 1782, William White, the father of the Episcopal Church,
wrote in his pamphlet The Case of the Episcopal Churches in the United
States Considered, "it would seem, that their future continuance can be
provided for only by voluntary associations for union and good
government". The first General Convention of Episcopal Church was held
in Philadelphia in 1785, with clergy and lay representatives from
Delaware, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and
Virginia. The convention authorized the preparation of an American
Prayer Book and named itself the Protestant Episcopal Church in the
United States of America.
Presiding Bishop nominees announced
The nominees for the 27th Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church have been announced. The 27th Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church will be elected on Saturday, June 27 during The Episcopal Church's 78th General Convention which will be held June 25 - July 3 at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, UT (Diocese of Utah).
Nominated for Presiding Bishop are:
The Rt. Rev. Thomas E. Breidenthal, Bishop of the Diocese of Southern Ohio
The Rt. Rev. Michael B. Curry, Bishop of the Diocese of North Carolina
The Rt. Rev. Ian T. Douglas, Bishop of the Diocese of Connecticut h
The Rt. Rev. Dabney T. Smith, Bishop of the Diocese of Southwest Florida
The Presiding
Bishop serves for a nine-year term. The Presiding Bishop is Primate,
Chief Pastor of the Church, Chair of the Executive Council, and
President of the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society.
Praying for the churches of Southern Virginia
As part of our
liturgy at Annual Council 2015, each delegation wrote a prayer for their
parish. We are sharing these prayers each week in the eNews so that we
all can support one another in the upcoming year.
St. Paul & St. Andrew, Kenbridge
Dear, Gracious
Father, we pray for your Church and especially the Episcopal Church of
St. Paul and St. Andrew in Kenbridge. Inspire our witness to your Son
Jesus Christ that we may see and respond to the needs in our community
and in the world. Give us grace in loving our neighbors and strength to
better understand and accept our individual differences. Heal those who
are in need in mind, body and spirit and give us the ability to care for
them. Grant us the perseverance to know and to follow your will.
Prosper our efforts to share the Good News with all whom we meet that we
may be the examples of your love and forgiveness through Jesus Christ
our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God,
now and for ever. Amen.
Good Shepherd, Norfolk
Almighty God, we
ask you to grant us the will to follow your will, the desire to reach
beyond the walls of our church to those in need or want, the heart to
work for justice in our city and the world, and the ability to know your
Son, Jesus Christ, and make him known in joy, faith, and service.
Through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit
lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
Young Adult Service Corp: A mission to bring God's people closer together
By Andy Russell, Bruton Parish, Williamsburg
After four years of calling Williamsburg home, it's time to go. William & Mary, Bruton Parish, and Canterbury -
I will miss them all greatly. But in a lot of ways, life is change.
And with the end of my college career, one huge change is coming my
way. Next year, I will be serving as a missionary with the Young Adult Service Corps (YASC).
YASC, a program
through the Episcopal Church, brings young adults into relationship with
other members of the Anglican Communion across the globe. Translation:
next year, I will be integrated into a diocesan community outside of the
U.S. in order to, in some small way, bring the members of Christ's body
closer together.
To be sure, there
is a lot of uncertainty surrounding my mission with YASC. I do not yet
know where my placement site is. I do not yet know what I will be
doing at this placement site. I do not know any of the people, and I
may not know the primary language spoken there. But there
are at least two things that I do know. First, that God is looking out
for every single one of us. And second, that I cannot do this alone.
As such, I invite
you to share in this YASC mission with me. I truly need your support.
This support is twofold. First, YASC missionaries are called to raise
$10,000 to help cover the expenses of mission. Second, I know that I
will desperately need your prayers and community. Together, with God's
help, this is our mission. We will connect with God's children and we
will make a difference in their lives as they make a difference in ours.
To financially
support our mission, donations can be sent to Bruton Parish Church (memo
line "YASC"), P.O. Box 3520, Williamsburg, VA 23187-3520. To
prayerfully support our mission via a Prayer Sponsor List, please send a
mail or email address to asrussell21@gmail.com. Please stay tuned for any updates, including my placement!
Episcopal Relief & Development update
By The Very Rev. Keith Emerson, St. Paul's, Suffolk
Diocesan Coordinator for Episcopal Relief & Development
Let me express my
thanks to the following congregations who made contributions to
Episcopal Relief & Development between January and March of this
year:
75th Anniversary Fund:
$186.00 Merchants Hope Church, Prince George
$5.00 St. Paul's Church, Suffolk
Ebola Relief Efforts:
$90.00 St. Andrew's Church, Newport News
Gifts for Life and Other Special Projects:
$150.00 Emmanuel Church, Hampton
$210.00 St. Paul's Church, Suffolk
$1,127.00 St. Michael's Church, North Chesterfield
Undesignated Gifts
$300.00 Christ Church, Smithfield
$100.00 St. Luke's Church, Powhatan
$500.00 Christ and Grace Church, Petersburg
$3,743.00 Church of the Redeemer Church, Midlothian
$100.00 St. Luke's Church, Powhatan
$412.90 St. Martin's Church, Williamsburg
$65.00 St. Paul's Church, Norfolk
$100.00 St. Luke's Church, Powhatan
$668.00 Old Donation Church, Virginia Beach
Your gifts go a long way toward healing a hurting world!
Please consider making a gift to help with rescue and relief efforts in Nepal. Click here to make a donation.
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