New Diocesan Connection newsletter available

The April-June issue of the Diocesan Connection newsletter is now available. The newsletter offers a digest of stories from our weekly Parish News and Diocesan eNews. Please print and share a copy with church members who do not have email, and post a copy on a bulletin board or in your narthex.  

 

You can also find the Diocesan Connection on the News & Publications page of our website. 

New issue of ECW newsletter is here

The Summer 2018 issue of the The Grapevine, the Diocesan ECW newsletter, is now available here. The Grapevine is a quarterly print-ready newsletter for individuals and churches to receive via email. Some of the stories inside this issue are:

• ECW Love Gifts for Boy's Home and Jackson-Feild Graduates
• ECW Awards Over $19,000 in Scholarships
• Jackson-Feild Alumna, Leslie Ludwig, A Survivor, Speaks at ECW Annual Spring Meeting
• St. Mark's, Suffolk Friendship Tea
• ECW Will Zoom in September

Religion & The American Revolution lecture at Historic St. Luke's

Historic St. Luke's in Smithfield invites you to join them on June 30 at 1 p.m. as Museum Interpreter John Ericson discusses the relationship between religion and the American Revolution. The presentation will explore how the clergy entered the political sphere during the revolution, causing both Patriots and Loyalists to often interpret the conflict through the lens of their religious faith. Tickets are $15 per person. Seating is limited so advance ticket purchase is encouraged. Click here for more info and to purchase tickets. 

Camp Chanco Staff Week in full swing - register today while space available!

Our camp staff are hard at work this week in training to prepare for Chanco's best summer ever! Please keep our staff and campers in your prayers as we kick off another fantastic season of camping ministry.  Still haven't registered your child? There's still time. Summer camp registration is rolling and with registrations ahead of this time last year, you don't want to wait to register for the summer camp session of your choice! With one-week, two-week and specialty sessions, there is a program perfect for your camper! NEW this year is a High School camp week in August for those who have completed grades 9-12. Click here for a flier with more information on Camp Chanco. Easy on line registration is available on our website at www.chanco.org. You may also stay tuned to our Facebook page for the latest news and photos of all Chanco programs. Click here and check out our new promotional video and see a glimpse all the adventure and fun Camp Chanco offers. We can't wait to see you this summer for the first time or for your ninth+ visit in Chanco's magical forests where "friends are friends forever!" Questions? Contact us at 888-724-2626 or hospitality@chanco.org.

Presiding Bishop's message for World Refugee Day

"Our work with and for refugees began when we began to follow Jesus, to follow His way and His teachings. It is because we are followers of Jesus, because we follow the way of love, because we follow the way of compassion, because we follow the way of human decency and kindness that we must be passionately committed to helping the refugees and displaced persons of this day," commented Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop and Primate Michael B. Curry in his 2018 World Refugee Day Message. "When World Refugee Day comes on June 20, I invite you and ask you - help the refugees of this day. Support Episcopal Migration Ministries."

 

The Presiding Bishop's video message can be found here.  

 

On World Refugee Day, held each year on June 20, we celebrate the strength, resilience, and courage of refugees worldwide. Refugees bring gifts, skills, and talents to our communities, enhancing the very fabric of our nation.

 

Episcopal Migration Ministries is the Episcopal Church's foremost response to refugee crises. Working in partnership with offices and groups within the church as well as with governments and non-government organizations (NGOs), Episcopal Migration Ministries assures safe passage and provides vital services for thousands of refugee families upon their arrival in America: English language and cultural orientation classes; employment services; school enrollment; and initial assistance with housing and transportation. For each family, the goal is self-reliance and self-determination. After years of living in limbo, refugees now have the opportunity to begin again on a strong foundation that honors their stories and dignity, thanks to Episcopal Migration Ministries.

 

Get more information and resources here. 

Clergy transitions

The Rev. Dr. Daniel Wade McClain began as Canterbury Chaplain at The College of William & Mary, and Bruton Parish, Williamsburg on June 1, 2018.

 

The Rev. Martin Bagay will begin as Interim Rector at the Churches of St. George's Parish (St. George's, Pungoteague and St. James', Accomac) on June 15, 2018.

Boys Home students join Uganda mission

	Students attending Uganda Summer Mission, L to R: Nickolas Schwartz, Christian Bass, Evans Weber.

Boys Home is excited that three students are preparing for the opportunity to participate in a summer mission trip to Uganda in July. The students, plus two staff members, will be in Uganda for two weeks installing solar lights at an orphanage. Galilee, Virginia Beach, is organizing the trip.  

 

 When asked, the students said they are most excited to meet new people and to have the opportunity to help others. They also spoke of their upcoming opportunity to teach a Bible class to the children in Uganda. The students explained that they are each responsible for teaching their very own study and are working hard to prepare Bible lessons for the children.