Friday, February 3, 2017

In-town mission opportunity


You don't need a passport to be a missionary. There are many locally-based organizations that need your help. One of those places is St. Paul's, Newport News. Founded in 1883, St. Paul's is located in the heart of downtown Newport News. In their commitment to radical hospitality as proclaimed by Jesus, St. Paul's special mission is to offer compassionate care and voice to people who are hungry, ill, without good and safe shelter, unemployed, excluded, and in despair. St. Paul's functions more like a cathedral than a local church, its ministry transcending parish and denominational lines.
 
Missionaries needed at St. Paul's:
  • A Treasurer: St. Paul's needs a treasurer who is willing to serve with us for a season.
  • Board Members: St. Paul's is forming a non-profit and is seeking involvement from any of our local partner churches and organizations.
  • Architect: We need an architect who would be able to work with the City of Newport News and help us do some small but important building upgrades to help keep the building relevant to our current needs.
  • Lawyer: It would be helpful to have a lawyer who would be willing to help us navigate the state and federal regulations while we form our non-profit.
  • Builders/Supervisors: We have several people/organizations helping us with the physical upgrades to the facility, but we need more hands, especially those who can visualize a project and help us supervise it to the end.
Call the Rev. Bruce Cheney at St. Paul's, 757-755-6343 for more information on these mission opportunities.

Boys Home quilt raffle




Boys Home of Virginia's 2017 Quilt Raffle is going on now. This year, they are raffling off a 96" x 92" quilt in the Charleston Romance pattern. All proceeds go toward Religious Life at Boys Home. Tickets are $5 for 1 or $45 for 10. A winner will be drawn on March 17, 2017. To enter or for more information, please visit www.boyshomeofva.org/quilt-raffle.

Jackson-Feild receives new cottage furniture

Jackson-Feild Behavioral Health Services (JFBHS) has recently installed special behavioral health furniture in the great room of every cottage. This furniture has replaced crate style furniture which posed as a safety hazard. This new furniture is especially designed to serve mental health populations. It is rugged, durable and hygienic (antimicrobial). It can be easily cleaned and sanitized. It is made of vacuum formed plastic and can withstand the rigors of teenagers with mental health disorders. It also has soft rounded corners for safety.

Funding was provided from a variety of sources including grant funding. Bruton Parish Episcopal Church made a nice gift in support of this effort. Jackson-Feild is very grateful for the help from Episcopalians, ECWs and churches who helped fund this pressing need.

Advisory Council for the Stewardship of Creation accepts applications for grants

The Episcopal Church Advisory Council for the Stewardship of Creation is accepting applications again for grants that focus on local faith-based projects for mitigating climate change and safeguarding the integrity of Creation. The Episcopal Church Advisory Council for the Stewardship of Creation, enabled by Resolution A030, Create Task Force On Climate Change, approved at General Convention 2015, will make recommendations for grants up to $10,000. Click here for application information. Application deadline is March 31.

Episcopal Church relaunches Episcopal Volunteers in Mission

As the Episcopal Church relaunches Episcopal Volunteers in Mission, interested adult candidates are invited to consider opportunities for sharing and learning in locales throughout the Anglican Communion. Through Episcopal Volunteers in Mission, lay or ordained adult Episcopalians (ages 30+) devote six to 12 months volunteering in an area of the Anglican Communion. While the ministry of presence is of prime importance, volunteers have previously contributed as teachers, accountants, doctors, administrators, theologians, agriculturalists, chaplains, and many other areas of ministry.

Click here for information, application and requirements. For more information contact Elizabeth Boe, eboe@episcopalchurch.org or 212-716-6381.

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

James Solomon Russell - Saint Paul's College Museum seeking support

James Solomon Russell
The Saint Paul's College Museum Committee and the James Solomon Russell Commemoration Committee have joined forces to establish the James Solomon Russel/Saint Paul's College Museum and Archives in Lawrenceville, VA. The museum will preserve and display materials from Saint Paul's College. Most of the materials have been collected and housed in the Tourism Office under the authority of the Brunswick County Board of Supervisors. The County's Board of Supervisors has granted the committee use of the old Board of Education building at 219 N. Main Street, Lawrenceville, for displays and other museum uses.
 
The Museum Committee members are: Chairman-James Grimstead; Vice Chair-Bobby Conner; Secretary-Teya Whitehead; Treasurer-Regina Gordon; and members Carolyn Lofton, Gloria W. Menyweather-Woods, Barbara W. Malone, Sylvia Allen, Rev. Dr. Terrence Walker, Shirley Grimstead, Rev. Carlton Powell, Dr. Angela Parker, Hardi Jones, Alice W. Harris, Cleo Goodwyn, Brenda Herrington, Iris Jones, Marian H. Parker, Rob Rhodes, Stanley W. Johnson and Dr. Virginia Russell (Emeritus).
 
The committee's goal is to secure the legacy of the late Dr. James Solomon Russell in perpetuity by establishing a museum worthy of this cause. The committee's next step is to obtain non-profit incorporation (pending) and federal 501(c)3 tax exempt status.   Currently, our greatest need is for a computer setup, museum software, a copier and office supplies at a cost of approximately $2000. Donations to support the museum may be sent to: JSR/SPC Museum & Archives, PO Box 551, Lawrenceville, VA 23868.

Leadership Program for Musicians Spring Workshop on March 11

The Leadership Program for Musicians (LPM) will present their spring workshop, "Keyboards, Percussion, Guitars, Oh My! Alternative Expressions of Praise and Worship", on March 11 at Church of the Messiah in Fredericksburg, VA. The workshop will be led by Music Director Keith Tan and Rector, the Rev. Shirley Smith Graham of Christ Church in Glen Allen, VA. Cost is $45 per person. Click here for more information and registration form.