Tuesday, February 9, 2021

Connecting with Jesus across Time and Cul

Let’s be honest. Sometimes we all have those “the Bible is so weird” moments when we are reading or hearing Scripture from our contemporary, Western perspective. This Lent you are invited to join a Zoom class on Monday evenings at 7:30 p.m., beginning February 22 and continuing through March 22 to explore some of the ways we misunderstand or don’t understand the ancient culture of the Biblical world. The class is led by The Rev. Dr. Jacqueline Soltys, Priest-in-Charge at Good Shepherd, Norfolk. You must register to receive the Zoom link. Please send an email to office@goodshepherdnorfolk.org to sign up. The class will be a mixed lecture and discussion format.

Life Transformed - The Way of Love in Lent

New and updated resources available for Lent, Holy Week, and Easter

New and updated Lent and Easter resources for congregations, dioceses, and communities of faith are available from The Episcopal Church, with additional offerings coming soon. Available and upcoming resources include: Updated Life Transformed – The Way of Love in Lent curriculum; Sermons That Work for Holy Week and Easter; a new podcast series, Prophetic Voices: Preaching and Teaching Beloved Community. Find resources here. Read more here (in English, Spanish, and French).

Episcopal Migration Ministries offers daily Lenten devotional series

Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM), in partnership with members of the Episcopal Asylum Ministry Network, is offering a daily Lenten devotional series. Written reflections will be released daily beginning Ash Wednesday, February 17, through Easter Sunday, April 4. Reflections will also be available on the EMM website blog. Read more here.

Guidelines developed for amending church records for identity changes

At the request of General Convention (2018-A088), The Archives of The Episcopal Church has prepared a set of recommendations for developing local policy on name and gender changes to Episcopal Church records. The Guidelines for Policy on Amending Church Records for Name and Gender Changes are available on the Archives Website with Spanish translation and supporting resources and links. Read more here (in English and Spanish).

The Episcopal Church offers a new Global Mission Digital Toolkit for World Mission Sunday

Traditionally celebrated on the last Sunday after Epiphany, this year World Mission Sunday is observed on February 14. Read more here (in English and Spanish).

Care of Creation Grants now available

Application deadline March 26, 2021

The Episcopal Church’s Task Force on Creation Care and Environmental Racism is now accepting applications for its 2021 Grant Cycle. An informational webinar for those interested in learning more about the grants and the application process is scheduled for February 18th at 3 pm EST. Read more here (in English and Spanish).

Monday, February 1, 2021

Reverend Absalom Jones Virtual Commemoration on February 13

You are invited to the Absalom Jones Celebration hosted by the James Solomon Russell Union of Black Episcopalians (UBE) Chapter. Theme: “To See the Future, Look at the Past”. Speaker: The Rev. Dr. Joseph N. Green Jr, Rector Emeritus, Grace Episcopal Church, Norfolk, VA. The James Solomon Russell Chapter of UBE invite you to make a gift to: The Absalom Jones Fund for Episcopal HBCUs supports two institutions affiliated with The Episcopal Church since the 1800’s: Saint Augustine’s University in Raleigh, NC, and Voorhees College. To donate by mail, please send your contribution to: DFMS – Protestant Episcopal Church USA, P.O. Box 958983, St. Louis, MO 63195-8983. Donations can be made out to “The Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society” with Absalom Jones noted in the memo section. To join the Zoom celebration on Feb. 13, click here. Meeting ID: 833 1089 8138, Passcode: 581958. To join by phone, dial 1-301-715-8592.