Religion & Ethics
NewsWeekly, the national PBS television program produced by
Thirteen/WNET, is launching a three-part mini-series, "None of the
Above: The Rise of the Religiously Unaffiliated," based largely on a
new survey about the views of the 46 million Americans who say they are
not affiliated with any particular religion. Click here
for more information. Congregations could benefit from the information
in this series as they think about ways to reach out to the unchurched
in their communities.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Fall Game & Wine Dinner to benefit Happening
On
October 27, 2012, St. Christopher's, Portsmouth, will be hosting a Fall
Game and Wine Dinner to benefit the Happening program. Happening is a
Christian renewal program designed for youth in grades 10-12. The focal
point of the weekend is learning and experiencing the love of Christ.
A
magnificent menu has been planned for the benefit dinner. Be prepared
to have a fine dining experience in a relaxed atmosphere. The menu will
consist of several courses prepared with duck, venison and rock fish.
The dinner will start at 7 p.m. and the cost is $65 per person. We will
be pairing each course with a wine selection. You will not be
disappointed! We are selling a limited number of tickets so get them
now. You can purchase tickets online here.
You can also purchase tickets via cash or check (made out to St.
Christopher's). If you have questions please contact Kim Centers
757-447-8801, kimmyt74@yahoo.com or the Rev. Eileen Walsh at 757-484-5155, ewalsh143@aol.com.
Help the Mission of the Holy Spirit change lives
by Keith A. Josey, Lay Pastor, Mission of the Holy Spirit
Thank you for
supporting the Mission of the Holy Spirit with your prayers, gifts and
resources. This summer, many of our children were blessed with trips to
pool parties, a Tides game, Busch Gardens and the Children's Museum. All
these trips were made possible because of the generosity of those who
gave out of a love for helping others and a belief in the services we
provide at the Mission of the Holy Spirit. As we move into the fall
months, our programming has shifted from activity-centered to
educational enrichment and healthy living.
Have you ever seen
the look on a person's face when they finally realize that they can
make a change in their lives? It is so vastly different than the
expressions of hopelessness that occur when people are faced with the
sad realities that surround so many. Despite all the daily struggles
faced in our community, seeds of hope, joy and purpose are planted with
your support.
At the Mission of
the Holy Spirit, we strive to effectively change lives by nurturing the
gifts of the people we serve and offering opportunities for all to
experience God's love in multiple ways. Through our efforts, lives are
being changed, as evidenced by the many young people in our program who
graduate high school and go on to college. When the Mission started in
1993, few participants had hope of graduating from high school; as I
write, 8 Mission members are currently enrolled in college and pursuing
their dreams. We have also experienced an increase in our Sunday worship
attendance from an average of 35 (mostly children) in 2007 to more than
50 children and adults in recent months. We are indeed proud of this
growth, coming at a time when many churches are seeing a decline in
membership. We have baptized 43 infants, children and adults since
2007, forever bonding them with Christ Jesus. Our growth is a result of
quality programs, people and purpose.
In order to
sustain our purpose "to effectively change lives" we need your help. Due
to the economy, our contributions are down considerably; in order to
maintain our worship services and programs into 2013, we are in very
serious need of your continued financial assistance. These tough
economic times make your giving so much more important than ever before.
Please think about asking for donations to the Mission in lieu of
birthday and Christmas gifts, and send your own contribution after you
consider this ministry for God's children prayerfully.
These times are
challenging, but "we can make a difference and we will make a change."
Through working together to share God's love and allowing the light of
Christ to shine, we can continue to touch the lives of the people we
serve.
2013 Diocesan Pledge letters are in the mail
Letters to the parishes
from Treasurer John Meek and PB&R Chairman Spencer Coleman
requesting your 2013 pledge to the diocese are being mailed this week.
Please look for them in your mail and direct them to the appropriate
people. Two are being sent to each parish - one to the senior warden and
one to the rector, vicar or priest-in-charge. A 2013 pledge form is
enclosed in the letter addressed to the senior warden. The pledge form
needs to be sent to the diocesan office by December 1 in order for the
PB&R Committee to complete the 2013 budget in time for the Executive
Board meeting in January. Thank you.
Open Enrollment for health plans begins today!
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Safe Church training now required for Lay Licensing
Please
be advised that effective immediately all persons applying for lay
licensing will need current Child and Adult Safe Church certification.
The Adult module is available as 3 hour classroom training. Please
consult the diocesan website
to see currently scheduled training sessions and register online. The
Child module may be completed as classroom training as noted above or
online by contacting Judy Rieken via e-mail at jrieken@diosova.org. Please send your name, home address, a contact phone number, and the parish you attend.
History-making change coming to Jackson-Feild Homes
By Tod Balsbaugh, Jackson-Feild Homes
After 157 years of serving only girls, Jackson-Feild Homes (JFH) will soon accept boys into its Adolescent Psychiatric Program. Children who come to JFH have poor family relationships and support. They live in environments filled with substance abuse. They are all-too-familiar with the court systems and social service systems having received numerous in-home, community-based, and residential services. They have suffered serious emotional trauma as the result of abuse and/or neglect.
In
2010, JFH developed its Trauma Focused Treatment model and as a result
of the tremendously successful strides made in the treatment of girls,
agencies across the Commonwealth that place children into residential
facilities have been asking JFH to accept boys as well as girls. Trauma,
abuse and neglect knows no gender. In fact, the majority of children
currently served by the Commonwealth of Virginia are boys, yet until now
there has been no residential treatment facility available to meet the
needs of severely traumatized boys. After much thoughtful and prayerful
consideration, the Board of Trustees approved the recommendation to
accept boys into its Adolescent Psychiatric Program. JFH anticipates
that the first will arrive on campus within the month. Safeguards and
security are already in place to ensure that this history-making change
will proceed smoothly and successfully.
Jackson-Feild is nationally accredited by the Council on Accreditation to provide residential treatment services.
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