Episcopal Church Foundation hosts Church Leadership Conference at Kanuga

The Episcopal Church Foundation (ECF) has partnered with Kanuga to produce the Church Leadership Conference, February 17-19, featuring keynote speaker is award-winning author and blogger Rachel Held Evans, Searching for Sunday is her latest book and many read her Washington Post article, "Want millennials back in the pews? Stop trying to make church 'cool.'." Featured speaker is the Rev. Canon Frank Logue, of the Diocese of Georgia and blogger at The Loose Canon.

 

The conference also offers a tremendous line-up of workshops that, in addition to ECF staff,  features presenters from many of our partners throughout the Episcopal Church including Episcopal Relief and Development, Forward Movement, Center for Religion and the Environment. More information and registration is available here.  

Episcopal black bishops poster, booklet available

Updated versions of the poster and booklet featuring all 42 black bishops who have been elected in the Episcopal Church prior to two recent elections are now available from the Office of Black Ministries. The men and women featured in the materials include: the first black bishop in the Episcopal Church, Bishop James Theodore Augustus Holly, consecrated in 1874 as the Bishop of the Diocese of Haiti; the first African-American woman bishop, the Rt. Rev. Barbara Harris of Massachusetts; and the first African-American Presiding Bishop, the Most Rev. Michael B. Curry. The Venerable Carl Wright was elected Bishop Suffragan for Armed Services and Federal Ministries on September 20, 2016, and the Rev. Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows was elected Bishop of the Diocese of Indianapolis on October 28, 2016. Get more info and order the materials here.

Absalom Jones Celebration on Feb. 12

The Annual Absalom Jones Celebration will take place at St. Francis, Virginia Beach, February 12 at 4 p.m.  Everyone is invited to attend. A reception will follow the service.

To include your acolytes and choir in the service, contact St. Francis at 757-340-6884.

After founding a black congregation in 1794, Absalom Jones was the first African American ordained as a priest in the Episcopal Church, in 1804. He is listed on the Episcopal calendar of saints and remembered liturgically on the date of his death, February 13. 

Safe Church classroom training

Registration is now open for the following upcoming Safe Church training classes:

• February 18 - Grace Yorktown. Click here to register. Registration closes on Feb. 14.
• March 11 - All Saints, Virginia Beach. Click here to register. Registration closes on Mar. 7
• March 25 - Johns Memorial, Farmville. Click here to register. Registration closes on Mar. 21.

Click here for a complete list of upcoming Safe Church training opportunities, online training, and more info about the Safe Church program.

      

Get copies of Episcopal Relief & Development's Lenten meditations for your congregation

The 2017 Episcopal Relief & Development Lenten Meditations booklet is now available here. Churches can order booklets in packets of 20 and individuals can sign up to receive it daily in electronic form. Booklet orders must be placed by February 25 to insure delivery by Ash Wednesday. The booklets are free, all you pay is the cost of shipping.

 

Feb. 1 churchwide webinar: The Episcopal Church Welcomes Refugees

Episcopal Migration Ministries and the Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations are sponsoring an important webinar to discuss the basic root causes of refugee crises and to examine critical questions such as: who is a refugee; how a refugee is resettled to the U.S.; how resettled refugees benefit their communities; and how you can engage with local communities to welcome these new Americans.

The Episcopal Church Welcomes Refugees, a free, one-hour educational webinar, will be held on Wednesday, February 1 at 4 pm Eastern. Registration is required and is available here. The webinar will be available on-demand following the event. Click here for more information.

Episcopal Church Revival in Pittsburgh, Feb. 3-5

The Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Pittsburgh are sponsoring a Revival on February 3-5 in Pittsburgh, PA. The Presiding Bishop's Pilgrimage for Reconciliation, Healing and Evangelism in Southwestern Pennsylvania will feature an ecumenical service of repentance involving local religious and civic leaders, a worship service celebrating Absalom Jones, and other gatherings that invite people across boundaries and into reconciling relationship with each other and with God.

Revivals are multi-day events filled with such elements as energizing worship and prayer services, dynamic preaching, personal testimony and storytelling, topical speakers, offerings from local artists and musicians, engagement with young leaders, intentional outreach with people who are not active in a faith community, and a call to action. Each Revival warmly welcomes neighboring dioceses and ecumenical participation.

Many of the Pittsburgh events will be live-streamed or available on demand. Get more info here.