Jackson-Feild residents visit Club J316

Eight residents and several staff members from Jackson-Feild recently traveled to True Word Christian Church in Franklin to visit Club J316 - a free Christian club for children in grades 5-12 that is the creation of Jackson-Feild alumna Leslie Ludwig.

 

At Club J316, high school and college students - some of whom travel as much as 100 miles to perform - give an upbeat concert of hip hop and rap music in a Christian atmosphere.

 

Ludwig started Club J316 because she felt that teens are bombarded with unhealthy and unhelpful messages. Admitting that she had a great deal of obstacles to overcome in her teen years, Ludwig says, "I always wanted to do something to help other children like me. If I can help only one child with our live Holy Hip Hop and Christian Rap, I will have accomplished my goal."

 

Ludwig hopes to bring her Club J316 to the Jackson-Feild campus and share her message of hope and grace with all the boys and girls. The residents who enjoyed the concert in Franklin danced the night away and spoke of how moving the experience was.  

An Evening of Prayer in support of "Standing as Stone": Indigenous Nations and Allies Gather in the Washington National Cathedral

On Thursday, March 9, the Episcopal Church will sponsor an interfaith prayer service on the eve of the Rise with Standing Rock: Native Nations March on Washington. All are invited to join An Evening Of Prayer in support of "Standing as Stone": Indigenous Nations and Allies Gather at the Washington National Cathedral beginning at 7 p.m. Eastern.

The service will feature clergy and lay leaders from the Episcopal Church and various denominations and faiths, Native American leaders from throughout the country, and residents of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in North Dakota.  Among the speakers are Native American Episcopal Bishops Michael Smith of the Diocese of North Dakota, and Carol Gallagher, Bishop Missioner for the Bishops' Native Collaborative in the Diocese of Montana. Click here for more information.

The service will be live-webcast here.

Episcopal Church young adults, campus ministry grant applications available

Applications are now accepted for grants to assist with young adults and campus ministries in the Episcopal Church. Grants are intended to provide funding for an Episcopal ministry (or ecumenical ministry with an Episcopal presence) in a diocese, congregation, or community college/tribal college/university campus that is currently engaging or seeking a new relationship with young adults on and off college campuses. Grants are for the 2017-2018 academic year. Click here for more information.

A Women's Hózhó Center in Navajoland

By The Rev. Lauren McDonald, Addictions & Recovery Commission Co-Chair 

In late January, the Rev. Jan M. Brown and I answered an invitation from the bishop of Navajoland to travel to Farmington, New Mexico, to consult with the Episcopal Church in Navajoland (ECN) on creating a Women's Hózhó Center.

Hózhó is a Navajo word that is difficult to translate. Its meaning encompasses the concepts of living in balance, wholeness, wellness, beauty, harmony, goodness, and blessing. It's also used as a greeting. ECN is developing the Women's Hózhó Center to help women to heal from the disease of addiction, to live in balance, to set and achieve goals, to find their own voices and identity as Navajo women, and to discover sources of strength and spirituality. Using the experience we've gained leading the Women's Discovery Group at SpiritWorks, we spent the weekend in conversation with Navajo and non-Navajo clergy and laity in designing a Women's Wellness Weekend in March that will begin the programming for the Hózhó Center.

We also visited the mission church, St. Luke's in the Desert, while we were there and were humbled and delighted at the invitation to serve as celebrant and deacon that morning. Jan then facilitated a conversation at St. Luke's annual meeting in which the atmosphere moved from one of gloom at the potential of closing, to one of renewed hope and commitment to restoration and recovery. We were honored and privileged to be invited to walk alongside the Navajo people on their journey toward wholeness.

The Episcopal Church in Navajoland covers territory in New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. The unemployment rate on the reservation is 50% and the poverty rate is 38%. Alcoholism and addiction continue to be a challenge, with many women, especially, dying from cirrhosis of the liver. Conditions are harsh; resources are few. And yet, in our visit we saw great hope. Several of the Navajo people have attended Episcopal seminaries and are being ordained as deacons and priests. They are working to integrate Navajo culture with their Episcopal faith. They have begun developing social enterprises like the Blue Corn Project, the Bees and Honey Project, and the ShiMa' handmade soap project. They have also developed a group of coders and another group whose expertise is web and graphic design. They welcome mission teams from across the country who come to work alongside them and learn from them. They are eager to develop an ECW for their mission diocese as well as continuing to build programming for youth.

If you are interested in learning more about our work with the Navajo people, please contact Lauren McDonald, lmcdonald@brutonparish.org, or Jan Brown, jbrown@brutonparish.org. We invite you to keep the people of Navajoland in your prayers.

Church Facilities Management: A Stewardship Imperative

At this two-hour seminar you will be presented with data on facilities maintenance and costs affecting all houses of worship in Virginia. Most importantly, we will share industry standards and benchmarks that will empower you to deliver a strong and compelling case to any Vestry. We will share 8 strategies on how to recapture costs, many of which require no or little capital investment. Some of the topics to be presented include:

• Current Replacement Value (CRV)
• Maintenance Costs
• Costs of Utilities; Janitorial
• "Green" Sustainable facilities is NOT a Fad
• Preventive Maintenance

Led by Henry Conde, parish administrator at Galilee, Virginia Beach. Seminar is free, but we ask that you register in advance so we can plan appropriately.

• Click here to register for March 29, 9-11 a.m., at Ascension, Norfolk.
• Click here to register for March 30, 9:30-11:30 a.m. at St. John's, Chester.

Stewardship Commission invites you for conversation

The Stewardship Commission invites you to join them for informal gatherings for parish stewardship lay leaders to share successes and challenges with parish giving programs. All gatherings begin at 10 a.m. The schedule for the first quarter of 2017 is:

• March 18 - St. Matthias, Midlothian
• March 18 - Old Donation, Virginia Beach
• March 25 - St. George's, Pungoteague
• March 25 - Good Shepherd, Norfolk

Visit the Stewardship Commission web page - www.diosova.org/stewardship - for numerous resources - including year-round stewardship, planned giving, care of creation and more. 

9th annual James Solomon Russell celebration

The 9th annual celebration of the Feast Day of Archdeacon James Solomon Russell will be held on Sunday, March 26, at 4 p.m. at St. Stephen's, Petersburg. The speaker will be the Rev. Dr. Grady W. Powell. The offering will go to the new James Solomon Russell-Saint Paul's College Museum and Archives.

For information please contact James Grimstead at 434-848-2173 or gsmus@aol.com, or the Rev. Willis Foster at 804-733-6228. St. Stephen's is located at 228 Halifax Street, Petersburg, VA.