News from The Episcopal Church

Episcopal Church scholarship applications now being accepted

Applications are now being accepted for educational scholarships from The Episcopal Church for the 2016-2017 academic year.  Scholarships are available for educational training for ethnic communities, children of missionaries, bishops and clergy, and other groups covering a wide range of eligibility. The lists of trust funds and scholarships as well as key information are here.

Requirements for applying for the scholarships include: the applicant must be an Episcopalian and must have the endorsement of his/her bishop. The application form is here. Online applications are required. Deadline for applications is April 30. Only complete applications will be considered. For information, contact Ann Hercules, Associate for Grants and Scholarships, ahercules@episcopalchurch.org.  

Church Planting & Missional Initiative grant applications now available

Applications are now open for the 2016 grant cycle for new church starts and Mission Enterprise Zones in The Episcopal Church. Resolution D005 and Resolution A012 approved by General Convention in July 2015 authorized new and continued funding for church plants and Mission Enterprise Zones throughout the Episcopal Church. Additionally, newly created grants will be awarded to dioceses and already-established ministries exploring possibilities for new initiatives or expansion.

Application, guidelines and information are here. Applications will be reviewed and evaluated upon receipt. The applications will be reviewed by the General Convention Advisory Group on Church Planting.

More information about the church planting initiative is here. For information contact churchplanting@episcopalchurch.org.

May Weekend now open to grades 6 through 12!

May Weekend 2016: We Are All God's Children, is a weekend retreat for all teens in grades 6-12 sponsored by the Episcopal Youth Community Board. It will be held May 20-22 at Chanco on the James. Check-in is 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday and departure is 11 a.m. on Sunday.

Throughout the weekend, teens will participate in large group program blocks, where they will hear talks by EYC Board members, as well as small groups, where they will have opportunities for discussion and activities. The weekend also features the full cycle of daily prayer and worship with fantastic music.  Click here for more information and online registration.

EYC Board election 

Rising 10th through 12th graders are invited to run for election to the EYC Board. If you are interested, please bring the application with you to the weekend. 

Bishop Vaché Scholarship applications due June 30

The Bishop Vaché Scholarships provide funds to assist low-income and minority college students in the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia. First-year students as well as returning college students are welcome to apply. Scholarship awards range from $1000 to $5000 per academic year. Applications must be postmarked by June 30, 2016. Notifications will go out by July 15, 2016 and awards will be made by August 1, 2016. Click here for an application form. 

Easter message from Presiding Bishop Michael Curry

"This world does not need another fairy tale," Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop and Primate Michael Curry said in his Easter 2016 Message. "This week's story of crucifixion and resurrection is not a fairy tale."

I actually love fairy tales and I used to enjoy reading them to our children when they were young and little.  Now to be sure those were the more sanitized fairy tales but there was something good about them, a way of confronting what was tough in life with genuine hope.  But they were fairy tales.

This week called Holy Week, the remembrance of Jesus entering Jerusalem and offering His life in the ultimate act of sacrificial love.  Good Friday, the experience of betrayal, the experience of friends abandoning you, the experience of injustice and wrong, criminal self-centered conspiracies.  And then beyond that Holy Week, the resurrection from the dead. This is not a fairy tale.

The truth is even as we speak this Holy Week, we do so not only in the shadow of the cross but we do so in the shadow of those who have been killed in Brussels, of those who have been wounded and maimed, of those who weep and mourn.  And of a world mourning, and not too sure how to move forward.  And this world does not need another fairy tale. This week's story of crucifixion and resurrection is not a fairy tale. Click here to continue reading.

Click here to watch video of Bishop Curry's message.

GO (Gwaltney Online) gives Jackson-Feild students the opportunity to complete their education

Gwaltney School students at Jackson-Feild Behavioral Health Services who are discharged from Jackson-Feild Behavioral Health services prior to earning their high school diploma or GED certificate now have the opportunity to complete their education through our new GO - Gwaltney Online - program.

 

Students at Gwaltney School are enrolled and withdrawn according to their individual situation. They often arrive - or leave - in the middle of a semester. For students nearing the age at which they may no longer attend high school, such interruptions can be damaging to their ability and desire to complete their education.

 

Dr. Bowling, Director of Education, and Ms. Denise Moss, Individual Student Alternative Education Coordinator, developed GO. Using the web-based curriculum called Odysseyware, students who have left Jackson-Feild may take elective subjects and GED preparation courses. We mail textbooks and educational materials to participating students, and - through Odysseyware - follow their progress on a daily basis. Ms. Moss is available via telephone to provide assistance as needed to help students understand and complete the course assignments. When a student has completed the online GED prep course and is ready to take the test, Ms. Moss makes the arrangements for the student to take the test in his or her home locality.

As of press time, five students have earned their GED certificate by participating in GO. This innovative approach is only one of our many commitments to our students. By completing their education through GO, our students are able to go out into the world and live independent, successful lives.

ECW will gift Boys Home and Jackson-Feild Home grads

By Nancy Smith, St. Aidan's, Virginia Beach
 

In June, Boys Home of Virginia and Jackson-Feild Homes graduates will be the first to receive graduation gifts from the Episcopal Church Women in the Diocese of Southern Virginia.

"The ECW's Graduation Gift Fund, part two of our 2015-2016 outreach project, God Bless the Children, will help the graduates as they begin a new phase of their lives," said Nancy Sands, Diocesan ECW President. "Please help the ECW Graduation Gift Fund grow."

Contributions received through May 27 will be used to gift the graduates this year. The amount of each gift will be based on the funds collected and the number of graduates.   This year a total of thirteen students are expected to graduate from the Boys Home and Jackson-Field. The number of graduates varies each year.

"We've averaged about six graduates a year over the last six years," said Megan-Drew Tiller, Church Relations, Boys Home of Virginia. "This year, we're expecting nine!"

"The past five years we have had between four and twelve Gwaltney School graduates, with the average being four to seven," said Ann Chaffins, Vice President of Advancement, Jackson-Feild Homes. "This number remains fluid until we get closer to graduation day, June 10, 2016. Currently, we anticipate having four graduates who have earned their GEDs."

Like most high school graduates, Boys Home and Jackson-Feild graduates chose a variety of paths to follow from attending college to joining a military service. This year most of the graduates are planning a career in a technical field or they will enter the workforce. A new Center for Applied Trades, opened recently at the Boys Home and led by an alum and his wife, offers graduates training to be certified in trades such as welding and plumbing. At Jackson-Feild vocational programs at the Gwaltney School prepare graduates to enter the workforce with certification in fields such as home health care, food preparation and cake decorating.

Tri Diocesan Council on Aging Fall Camp Oct. 24-27

Keynote speaker will be The Rev. Barbara Cawthorne Crafton

Fall Camp - Oct. 24-27 at Shrine Mont in Orkney Springs, VA - is an opportunity to spend time in the mountains of Virginia with other seniors (but we don't have an age limit) from across the Commonwealth and from other states. The Camp is an attempt to take seriously the spiritual needs and journeys of primarily retired people. We attempt to challenge participants through keynote speakers, workshops, worship and interaction with one another. We worship together in daily sessions, explore various issues, and participate in one or two session workshops (each session is an hour and a half) on a variety of topics. A social "half-hour" is held before dinner with appetizers provided by a different diocese each evening. In addition to the scheduled activities, there is plenty of time to sit on the porches, visit with friends, relax, and enjoy the amazing scenery and to explore the surrounding area.  Click here for more information and registration.