Bishop Hollerith at Washington National Cathedral

L to R:  Rev. Canon Stephanie Spellers; Rev. Dr. Rosemarie Duncan; Rt. Rev. Mariann Budde; Rev. Canon Kelly Brown Douglas; Bishop Hollerith; Presiding Bishop Michael Curry; Rev. Canon Jan Naylor Cope; Very Rev. Randolph Hollerith

Bishop Hollerith was at the National Cathedral on Sunday, Oct. 23 - preaching at the morning service and participating in the installation of his brother, the Very Rev. Randolph M. Hollerith, as 11th Dean of the Cathedral. You can watch video of both services on the cathedral website,  www.cathedral.org. 

125th Annual Council Feb. 10-11 in Williamsburg

The 125th Annual Council of the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia will be held February 10-11, 2017 at the Williamsburg Lodge Convention Center. Bookmark this page, www.bit.ly/diosova125, where you can find the most current information about the 125th Annual Council, including: Nomination form for elections; Youth Delegation application; Communicator Credentials application; and hotel information. Council hashtag is #diosova125.

Stewardship: It's not about money... It's about relationships
Our keynote speaker will be the Rev. Canon Timothy Dombek, Canon for Stewardship in the Diocese of Arizona. Dombek will give three presentations at Council: Building Relationships = Increased Giving; How to Talk About Money & Pledges; and The Most Overlooked Aspect of Congregational Stewardship.

Registration will begin Nov. 28
Council registration will open on Monday, Nov. 28. You will be able to register individually or you may register your entire delegation. Attendees will need to make their own hotel reservations. Discounted rates will be available at the Williamsburg Lodge and The Woodlands. 

Volunteer Choir

In celebration of our 125th annual Diocesan Council, the opening worship service on Friday, February 10 at 11 a.m. will include a brass quintet and volunteer singers from around our Diocese. Rebecca Davy, Music Director and Organist at Bruton Parish, Williamsburg, will direct the volunteer choir and is looking for singers to participate in this special service.  If you would be interested in singing, contact her at bdavy@brutonparish.org or 757-645-3431.

Dismantling Racism workshop Nov. 5

Virginia Organizing will offer a Dismantling Racism workshop on Saturday, Nov. 5, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Trinity, Portsmouth (500 Court Street). During this workshop, people of different racial and ethnic backgrounds will have the opportunity to reflect on personal experiences, discuss issues, explore theories in anti-racism work, and focus on how to make changes within their organizations and communities. This is an opportunity to talk in an open, diverse, and safe setting about racism and to develop action plans to take home. Click here for more info and registration. Please register by Nov. 3.  

2015 Parish Audits due now

2015 parish audits were due September 1.  We have received 34. If you have not turned in your church's audit, please contact Kellie Riley at the diocesan office, kriley@diosova.org, to let her know the status of the audit.

If you need information about how to conduct an audit, you can go to the diocesan website, www.diosova.org, or contact Nancy James, njames@diosova.org or 213-3386, or Kellie Riley, kriley@diosova.org or 213-3374.  

Help ECW fund outreach - submit dues by Nov. 1

Each fall the ECW Diocesan Board asks Episcopal Church Women diocese-wide to help fund outreach in the diocese, nation and world. Each parish is requested to contribute annual dues of $3 per person. Two of those dollars ($2) fund the ECW Diocesan Budget on page 33 in the Yearbook and Directory. At year end, recipients world-wide receive donations allotted by percentages based on the amount of money received. The remaining dollar ($1) helps fund the administrative fund.

 

The board also asks for voluntary contributions to help fund the Church Periodical Club and Miles of Pennies; the Elise Holladay Scholarships for high school graduates to further their education; the Book of Remembrance-gifts in memory of loved ones also fund the Elise Holladay Scholarships; God Bless the Children, Jackson-Feild Homes and Boys Home graduation gifts; and With These Hands, Holy Cross Anglican School, Belize Feeding Program.

 

All contributions are due November 1. Please mail one check payable to: ECW Treasurer with the Parish Annual Contribution Report to Betty Mariner, ECW Diocesan Treasurer.

 

Who's Who is ECW?

We need your help to keep contact information up-to-date in the ECW Yearbook and Directory. We also want to honor our sisters in memoriam. Please complete and mail the ECW Parish Information Report, due November 1, and the ECW Convocation Report 2016, due November 15, to Louise Boss, Second Vice President. You can find all the forms in the 2016 ECW Yearbook and Directory. For a copy, email or call Ann Turner, Diocesan Communication Officer, aturner@diosova.org, 757-213-3388.

Connect with Evangelism Matters conference through FREE live webcast and on-demand

Congregations, dioceses, groups, and individuals can connect with Evangelism Matters without traveling to Texas for the groundbreaking event. Evangelism Matters, an Episcopal Church Evangelism Conference on November 18-19 in Dallas, TX, is designed for anyone who would like to learn more about evangelism and available resources to share our faith. The churchwide event is co-sponsored by Forward Movement and the Presiding Bishop's Office, and is hosted by the Diocese of Dallas and Church of the Transfiguration, Dallas, TX where the activities will be held.

Key portions of Evangelism Matters will be live webcast to allow for individual and group viewing during conventions, discussion groups, and local evangelism gatherings. The webcast is free and does not require registration. Get more information on how you can access the conference here.

Church Leadership Conference Feb. 17-19 at Kanuga

The  Church Leadership Conference, sponsored by Kanuga and the Episcopal Church Foundation, will be held at Kanuga February 17-19, 2017 and will explore the theme "Finding Your Place."  Join Rachel Held Evans, Canon Frank Logue, and a team of presenters as they discuss leadership skills that will enable churches to thrive.  For more information and to register, please visit www.kanuga.org/churchleadership.