Finding Grace in Race, part 2: Cultural Bias

Finding Grace in Race is a public lecture series at Richmond Hill retreat center designed to encourage open and honest dialogue around issues of race and justice.

The second lecture in this series will be "Cultural Bias"  presented by Dr. Allen Lewis  on Monday, October 26 at 7:30 p.m. Lewis will explore the definition of cultural bias, how people interface with difference, and steps to manage bias. Lewis is Head of JMU Department of Health Sciences and author of We Are All Racists: The Truth about Cultural Bias.
The 45 minute lecture will be followed by facilitated conversation and group processing time among the audience. The evening begins with worship at 5:30 p.m., dinner at 6:30 p.m., lecture at 7:30 p.m. The requested donation of $20 includes both dinner and the lecture. To register, please contact DeBorah Cannady at retreats@richmondhillva.org or by phone at 804-783-7903.  Click here for more information about the series.

Winter Camp at Chanco

Many of our campers grades 6-12 enjoy returning to Chanco during the school year for events such as October Weekend, Happening, November Weekend, and May Weekend. However, until now there has been no opportunity for our youngest campers to return to Chanco during the school year! We are now offering WINTER CAMP for our youngest campers (ages 7-12). Winter Camp will be held January 15-17, 2016, costs $125 and will involve many of the most loved traditional camp activities such as low ropes activities, zip lines, archery, crafts, evening programs etc. Campers will sleep "lock in style" in sleeping bags in conference center meeting rooms and some of your favorite summer staff will be returning to help lead this fantastic camp weekend. Winter Camp is the perfect opportunity to reunite with your old camp friends, enjoy the gorgeous outdoors of Chanco, and/or introduce a younger camper to Chanco before a one-week or two-week session next summer! Come join us for this fantastic new event! Questions? Contact Executive Director Gareth Kalfas at director@chanco.org or 888-7CHANCO (888-724-2626). Registration is live at www.chanco.org. We can't wait to see you back or for the first time!

United Thank Offering

Our God is always more ready to hear than we are to pray and to give more than we either desire or deserve. Give to your United Thank Offering Blue Box this week as God gives to you.

 

The United Thank Offering has been around for 125 years, and sometimes people think of UTO as something only little old ladies still cling to, something out of date and fading from the modern world. But the goal of encouraging daily thankfulness and generosity in our lives is far from outdated, and that IS the main goal of UTO -- not just collecting money, but creating thankful people.

 

Every Sunday in our liturgy we say it is "right, and a good and joyful thing to give God thanks." It is our duty to give thanks, but like so many Christian guidelines, what God asks of us turns out also to be good for us and makes us happy. Quite a lot of research has been done on the effects of thankfulness in our lives, and the list of its effects on the thankful person is impressive. Thankful people have stronger immune systems; fewer aches and pains; lower blood pressure; better sleep; more joy, pleasure, optimism, and happiness; are more forgiving; and feel less lonely. A good and joyful thing, indeed!

 

But like other Christian duties, thankfulness needs to be cultivated until it becomes a habit, and your UTO Blue Box can help you with that. Every day, take just a moment to name something you're thankful for, that day. It can be as big as the love of your family or as small as the beauty of an autumn leaf. Take a few seconds to put some money into your Blue Box to share that blessing with others around the world. The more moments of gratitude we build into our days, the more we are likely to see the benefits of thankfulness - to ourselves and to the world.

 

The United Thank Offering is not out of date -- it's as current as social media. Like us on Facebook!

Educational webinar examines the global refugee crisis

The Episcopal Church will present a 90 minute webinar on October 15 focusing on the global refugee crisis, U.S. resettlement and how Episcopalians can be involved in this ministry of welcome. Presented by Episcopal Migration Ministries and Episcopal Public Policy Network, the live webinar will begin at 8 pm Eastern.

For more than 75 years, The Episcopal Church has welcomed refugees to the United States, helping them find safety, security and new lives as American citizens. Now, with at least 60 million people displaced from their homes and lives, the global community is facing the largest refugee crisis since the end of World War II.

"Episcopalians from across the church have been reaching out to us on a daily basis asking how they can be involved in mission and advocacy that supports refugees," Deborah Stein, Episcopal Migration Ministries Director. "We hope that this webinar will inspire individuals, congregations, and dioceses to engage this life-saving work in new ways."

Pre-registration is required.  Register for the webinar here. The webinar will be available on-demand following the event. Click here for more information.

Episcopal Relief & Development responding to Syrian refugee crisis

Episcopal Relief & Development is engaging the Syrian crisis through support to agencies in Syria, to the Diocese of Jerusalem's Holy Land Institute for the Deaf and in support of large numbers of people traveling out of crisis areas into Europe.  The agency is in contact with Anglican Communion partners through The Episcopal Church's Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe and The Church of England's Diocese in Europe, as well as interfaith partners such as Islamic Relief.

"Our relationships with Anglican Communion and ecumenical organizations enable us to contribute efficiently and effectively to the relief of those fleeing the Syrian conflict," said Abagail Nelson, Episcopal Relief & Development's Senior Vice President for Programs.  "These agencies are leveraging our support to meet critical needs for basic supplies, as well as language and cultural mediation to lower the anxiety of displacement and help people access available services."

In Italy, St. Paul's Within the Walls Episcopal Church in Rome operates the Joel Nafuma Refugee Center as its primary outreach ministry, providing a safe space for 200-250 individuals per day to access legal, vocational, medical and language services.  Episcopal Relief & Development support will enable the Center to expand its ministry to serve the increased number of displaced people seeking safety and assistance.

The Church of England's Diocese in Europe plans to distribute emergency funds to churches in Greece, Italy, France and Hungary that are responding to the needs of displaced people for food, clothing, shelter materials and medical supplies.  The Diocese is reportedly working with Orthodox churches in these areas as well, which expands the capacity to ensure needs are met.

Islamic Relief is active on the island of Lesvos, Greece, where Syrians fleeing the conflict arrive at the northern town of Molyvos, closest to Turkey, and travel to the southeastern town of Mitilini in order to take the ferry to the mainland.  Arabic-speaking Islamic Relief staff, working with other organizations and local volunteers, are offering food and guidance to those arriving, including information about transportation options such as buses to save the 40-mile journey on foot.

Please continue to pray for all those fleeing violence and unrest. Contributions to the Syria Response Fund will help Syrians fleeing violence as the country's civil war enters its fifth year.

Click here for resources to help congregations and individuals respond to the crisis, including:

• Prayer for Syria
• Episcopal Migration Ministries
• Episcopal Public Policy Network
• UNHCR toolkit for teaching young people about migration and refugees

Karibu sana! (You are very welcome!)

By Andy Russell; Bruton Parish, Williamsburg; YASC Missionary   

Andy Russell, a member of Bruton Parish, Williamsburg, is serving as missionary with the Young Adult Service Corps in Dodoma, Tanzania. You can follow him on his blog, Looking Out, Looking In.

Singing and dancing in the church at Mwitikira.

So far I have visited three villages during my time here in Tanzania: Nzali, Chilonwa, and Mwitikira...
While I can hardly claim to be an expert, each village visit followed a similar trajectory. To start, we were welcomed by dozens of people, shaking hands, exchanging profuse greetings the moment we hopped out of the land rover. The rector of the parish then received us at his home for conversation and food. Samosas and these lightly fried doughnut things for breakfast, Chicken in a sort of broth and rice for lunch. Afterwards, we typically went down to the church where we were formally welcomed by the rector.  An opportunity for us to introduce ourselves, who we are and what we do, to the parishioners followed. Gift-giving and performances of song and dance from various church groups rounded out the visits.

These parishes are models of incredible Christian hospitality.  Not going to lie, I felt pretty uncomfortable at first. The overwhelming welcome of a large group of people, getting dance-dragged through the crowd by an older gentleman trumpeting what looked like an antelope horn, being served first before elders of consequence in the life of the parish, receiving simple and elegant cloth as a gift-me, some young adult from the US! At the risk of sounding sacrilegious, this hospitality seems a bit like God's grace: a free gift, in many ways undeserved but completely accessible. Click here to read more. 

United Thank Offering

"Our change, changes lives"

 

United Thank Offering (UTO) is a ministry of the Episcopal Church for the mission of the whole church. Through United Thank Offering, men, women, and children nurture the habit of giving daily thanks to God. These prayers of thanksgiving start when we recognize and name our many daily blessings. Those who participate in UTO discover that thankfulness leads to generosity. United Thank Offering is entrusted to promote thank offerings, to receive the offerings, and to distribute the UTO monies to support mission and ministry throughout the Episcopal Church and in invited Provinces of the Anglican Communion in the developing world. "Our change, changes lives."

 

At the beginning of each month, we will feature an article about United Thank Offering, and each week we will include a statement of gratitude and thanksgiving meant to give you a reason to drop a coin or two into your UTO Blue Box. If you need a Blue Box, please contact Joyce Douglas, Province III UTO Representative, amielonie@aol.com.