Liturgical resource for Day of Repentance & Reconciliation

Annual Council Resolution R-1 (2013) resolved that "November 2, 2014, All Souls Day, will be designated as the 'Day of Repentance and Reconciliation' in the Diocese of Southern Virginia and parishes will annually hold this observance during the octave of All Saints."

We encourage all parishes to live into R-1 and plan a meaningful service during the octave of All Saints. In the diocesan service we used a story format.  "Repentance, Reconciliation and Healing: A liturgical resource for congregations" follows the format of Holy Women, Holy Men. This booklet offers several options for readings and psalms.  

We shared our diocesan reconciliation service with St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Clay City, Kansas, which used the liturgy on Sept. 20 for a service of repentance, healing and reconciliation to acknowledge the mistreatment of the only African-American member in the church's 134-year history, Mai DeKonza, who died in 1959. Read more about this service here.

If you need further assistance or have questions, please contact Canon Caroline Black, cblack@diosova.org, or a member of the Repairers of the Breach Commission.  

Jan Brown named to Episcopal Church Commission on Impairment and Leadership

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori has announced the members of the newly-formed Episcopal Church Commission on Impairment and Leadership. They include Jan Brown from the Diocese of Southern Virginia. Brown is a member of the board of Episcopal Recovery Ministries and co-Director of SpiritWorks Foundation, a recovery community organization serving individuals affected by the disease of addiction. The members were appointed by Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori in consultation with President of the House of Deputies the Rev. Gay Clark Jennings.

Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori said, "I pray that this body will help us foster a culture of open awareness and learning about addiction as well as fierce commitment to healing of body, mind, soul, and community."

The enabling resolutions charge the Commission to serve as "an independent commission to explore the canonical, environmental, behavioral and procedural dimensions of matters involving the serious impairment of individuals serving as leaders in the Church, with special attention to issues of addiction and substance abuse." The commission also must prepare a report to "include recommendations for both action and further review, as appropriate, in order to clarify lines of authority, to ensure mutual accountability, and to promote justice, well-being and safety within both the Church and the world."

Click here for more information.

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.

Grace, Norfolk
God our Father, we pray for your forgiveness and we pray for hope, courage and strength to stand for social justice. We ask for your blessings for continued growth of our church, we pray for the healing of divided communities that, with your blessings, we may be one. Heavenly Father, to you we submit our prayers. Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Galilee, Virginia Beach
Heavenly Father, we thank you for your love and redemption experienced in and through Galilee Church. We ask you, Lord, to lead, shield and anoint us to take joy in every task you set before us and to live more deeply into our mission and renewal. Amen.

ECW Fall Annual Meeting: Focus on Breast Cancer Awareness

Join us Saturday, October 17, for the ECW Fall Annual Meeting at St. Timothy's, Clarksville. Molly Kratt, an advocate for young women with cancer, will speak. Please bring a scarf as a gift for women who battle cancer. Molly will share the latest scarf fashion tips. We will elect and install new board members. And we will have an ingathering of Jackson-Feild Homes and the Boys Home of Virginia wish list items collected for God Bless the Children, the ECW's 2015-2016 Outreach Project. Contact Louise Boss, corresponding secretary, to register for the meeting at 757-678-5331 or louiseboss@exede.net , by October 9. The $10 registration fee includes lunch

 

Follow ECW on Facebook

Thanks to Megan-Drew Tiller, Church Relations at Boys Home of Virginia, the ECW of the Diocese of Southern Virginia joined Facebook on Oct. 5. Find us on Facebook here and like us!

Women-to-Women meeting Oct. 12

Women-to-Women is a ministry with Mothers' Union of the Diocese of Bukavu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which is responding the gender-based violence in the region through vocational and literacy training, support, love and friendship. Women-to-Women will meet at 7 p.m. on Monday, October 12 at 1323 Lafayette Blvd., Norfolk. Do join us as we plan ways to support our sisters in the Congo Diocese of Bukavu! Call Susan Broaddus at 757-623-0205 for information and directions.

Clergy transitions

The Rev. Mignon (Sarah) Brockenbrough left Bruton Parish, Williamsburg to accept a call in Diocese of Virginia, 9/20/2015

The Rev. Mark Riley began as Assistant Rector at St. John's, Hampton, 9/21/2015

The Rev. Terrence Walker resigned as Long Term Supply Priest at Trinity, South Hill and All Saints, South Hill, 9/26/2015

The Rev. Mary (Mimi) Lacey will begin as Rector of Emmanuel, Virginia Beach, 11/1/2015

National Church Administration Day: Technology Impact workshop

The Church Network is a professional association of churches and individuals throughout the United States that provides resource materials, training , professional certification, and networking opportunities for anyone serving Christ through ministry leadership and administration. We invite leaders from all local churches and church-related bodies to join the Tidewater Chapter on Wednesday October 14, 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Calvary Revival Church (5833 Poplar Hall Drive, Norfolk) for National Church Administration Day. The theme is Technology Impact and will include sessions on Technology and Security, Why Go Mobile?, and Media Matters. The event is free and open to the public. Lunch will be served. Registration is required no later than Monday, October 12 by contacting Sha Simmons at ssimmons@calvarynn.com or 757-886-7512. Please indicate name, phone number and email address of each attendee.