Transforming Generosity stewardship series now available

The Episcopal Network for Stewardship's (TENS) 2018 Transforming Generosity stewardship narrative series and annual giving campaign is now available. This year's materials are designed to help stewardship teams lead their congregation step by step through an eight week annual giving campaign. Contributing writers from around the United States reflect on the Sunday lectionary beginning Sunday, October 7 running through Sunday, November 25, with inspiring thoughts about generosity and transformation.

 

The Transforming Generosity series (both in English and Spanish) includes:

• Eight Bulletin Inserts to include in Worship Bulletins, E-Newsletters, and E-Blasts beginning October 7 through November 25 (Christ the King). Each reflection includes discussion questions that can be used for adult formation gatherings.
• Pledge card and proportional giving chart.
• Prayers of the People to be used in worship.
• Stewardship letters from the Rector, the Stewardship Chair, and the Senior Warden.
• Logos in PNG, PDF, and EPS formats.

Transforming Generosity is free for congregations in Southern Virginia thanks to the diocesan-level TENS membership, through which TENS membership benefits extend to every parish in the Diocese. If you would like to access the TENS resources, please contact Ann Turner 

for the password, aturner@diosova.org or 757-213-3388.

Applications accepted for Episcopal delegates to 2019 United Nations Commission on the Status of Women

Applications are being accepted for Episcopal delegates to represent the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church at the 63rd Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW) in New York City, March 11 - 22, 2019. The priority theme for this meeting is: "Social protection systems, access to public services and sustainable infrastructure for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls."

The Episcopal delegation will consist of one delegate from each province of the Episcopal Church as well as a delegate from the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe. The intent is to have the delegation as a whole reflect the diversity of the Episcopal Church, with priority given to those whose life experiences and advocacy speak most directly to the theme.

Delegates may be of any gender and at least 19 years old. Youth (ages 15-18) may also apply. Each youth must be accompanied by an adult chaperone, preferably a parent or legal guardian. Delegates are responsible for their own travel, housing, program expenses and fundraising. A limited amount of scholarship funding may be available. Following a review of the applications, Presiding Bishop Michael Curry will choose the delegates. All applicants will be notified by the end of November.

Complete information and application is available in English here and in Spanish here. Deadline is October 26. For more information contact Lynnaia Main, Episcopal Church Representative to the United Nations, lmain@episcopalchurch.org. 

Does your church have a disaster management plan?

A diocesan disaster management program is available to help congregations plan for potential incidents, provide direction during times of crises, and foster cooperation in recovery efforts.  The central focus of the disaster management program is assisting congregations to develop and maintain an All-Hazard Disaster Management Plan that will enable congregations to evaluate their infrastructure, identify threats, and assess specific vulnerabilities, and develop a plan to address them.

 

For more information and to schedule your training, please contact Dr. Bill King at 757-572-3853 (cell) or 804-479-3301 (home), or ddc@diosova.org. For documentation and training materials contact Diocesan Communications Officer Ann Turner at 757-213-3388 or aturner@diosova.org.

Trail Ride and Poker Run at Boys Home

Join Boys Home of Virginia for their inaugural weekend trail ride and poker run! The weekend will take place on our beautiful 1000+ acre campus, and will feature creek-side camping, self-guided trail rides on Lick Mountain, a poker run, and live music by the campfire, featuring the Garnet Ridge Ramblers. Proceeds will go toward the Boys Home Sturdy Stirrups equine program, where boys learn respect, responsibility, and honesty through caring for and interacting with horses.

 

Boys Home houses and educates nearly 60 at-risk young men whose lives have been impacted by poverty or family instability. Working together, we believe all boys have the potential to become successful men, and that each day is a step toward that success.

 

The trail ride and poker run will take place on the weekend of October 13-14 and is $75 per rider. Registration will start at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, followed by the poker run at 10:00 a.m. All participants are asked to check out no later than 2:00 p.m. on Sunday afternoon. The event will provide snacks, a boxed lunch, dinner and music by the campfire on Saturday, and a continental breakfast on Sunday. Overnight accommodations include primitive creek-side camping, with restrooms and showers available in the gym.

 

Please note, this is a challenging ride, and horses should have horseshoes. An up-to-date Coggins is required for all horses. Out-of-state riders must present a copy of a 30-day health certificate from a veterinarian before unloading horses.

 

For questions, please contact Bonnie Wheatley at 540-965-7720. To sign up or for more information, visit boyshometrailride.eventbrite.com.

Charlottesville to Jamestown Pilgrimage

Charlottesville to Jamestown: A Journey of Transformation will occur in early October 2018. It will begin in Charlottesville, the site of the most violent attack by white supremacists in modern US history, and it will end at the landing point of the first enslaved Africans on this continent, Jamestown and Fort Monroe, Virginia. Offering a history of race and occupation, this pilgrimage will share religious perspectives from scholars, journalists, and clergy members.

 

Participants on this pilgrimage will hear stories and untold histories, build relationships and identify what needs to be transformed in order to bring about racial equity. Sponsored by the Charlottesville Clergy Collective, the events will provide an opportunity to acknowledge the sin of enslavement and its legacy of inequity. It will invite participants to take the next step to build a more just community.

 

The pilgrimage commences on Saturday, October 6, with a four-mile walk from Charlottesville to Monticello. At Monticello, we will hear stories about the lives of the enslaved from their descendants, and read the names of almost 360 people who wereenslaved there.

 

From Monday, October 8 through Thursday, October 11, there will be educational and cultural events that address the history of American Indian presence in what we now call Virginia, and the connections between Christianity and systemic racism.

 

On Friday, October 12, participants will travel to Richmond to walk the Richmond's Slave Trail. On Saturday, October 13, participants will visit Jamestown for a First Africans tour, and then move on to Fort Monroe, where the first ship brought enslaved Africans to this shore almost 400 years ago.

 

The Pilgrimage is sponsored by Charlottesville Clergy Collective, a nonprofit, interfaith organization of fifty members representing over twelve Christian denominations and five faith traditions committed to addressing racism. The Pilgrimage has been funded by the generous support of BAMA Works Fund of Dave Matthews Band at the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation, the Virginia United Methodist Foundation, twelve different local faith congregations, and several individual donors. The Baptist Center for Ethics and the Thomas Jefferson Foundation have provided in-kind services.

 

Go to www.cville2jtown.com for further information

 

For further information contact: Rabia Povich at deborahpovich@gmail.com; Michael Cheuk at email@cvilleclergycollective.org; Robert Lewis at rdlewis75@gmail.com. 

The Rev. James Carey retires from Jackson-Feild

The Rev. James Carey retired from the Gwaltney School and Jackson-Feild Behavioral Health Service after teaching history and government for thirteen years. His passion for history was infectious and helped countless students achieve their educational goals. The Rev. Carey served as a mentor and strong role model for his students. He demonstrated why history is important and is a key component in becoming an informed citizen.

 

He served in the United States Army and in Vietnam for a year. He and his wife are active in the community. The Rev. Carey pastors a local church and served as our unofficial school chaplain pronouncing the benediction for countless school activities and ceremonies.

 

The Rev. Carey was honored at a special ceremony to thank him for his service and to recognize him for efforts to educate children with mental health disorders which requires inordinate patience and understanding. He was given a gift and a clock to commemorate his service to Jackson-Feild.

Diocesan Connection and ECW Grapevine newsletters available

The July-September 2018 issue of the Diocesan Connection newsletter, which includes the Fall issue of the ECW Grapevine, 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.