June 23, 2009 Diocesan Prayers For the month of June, please pray for all those who work on behalf of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Episcopal Relief and Development. Also, pray for the work of the Mission Strategy Network. For the month of July, please pray for all Ecumenical Ministries throughout the diocese, especially for the Minnesota Council of Churches and for Episcopal Community Services, and all those who work with social service agencies. Pray for the General Convention of the Episcopal Church, gathered in Anaheim, CA, July 7-17. Sunday, June 28 is 4 Pentecost Sunday, July 5 is 5 Pentecost Samuel Memorial Mission, Naytahwaush Gilfillan Memorial Mission, Squaw Lake Anniversaries 6/28 Irma Wyman, d 1990 6/28 Lynn Adwell, d 2007 6/28 Janet MacNally, d 2007 6/29 Bill Teska, p 1969 6/29 Spenser Simrill, p 1980 6/29 Frederick Nairn, p 1967 6/29 Neil Willard, p 1997 6/29 Mary Frances Jones,         d 1982 6/29 Pat Markie, d 2006 6/29 Sandi Obarski, d 2006 7/1 Tom Harries, p 1984 7/1 Loring McAllister, d 1975 7/3 John Peters, p 1988 7/8 Lee Grim, d 2006 7/8 Lynn Naeckel, p 2006 7/8 Sally Maxwell, p 2008 7/8 Mary Hudak, p 2008 7/8 Justin Chapman, p 2008 7/8 Anna Doherty, p 2008 7/8 Betsy Baumgarten, p 2008 7/8 Ian Punnett, d 2008 7/10 Susan Kruger, p 1986 Diocesan Cycle of Prayer Anglican Cycle of Prayer Gospel Based Discipleship Weekly News on vacation next week The Weekly News will not be published next Tuesday, June 30. It will return on Tuesday, July 7 with a special focus on General Convention 2009. Ministry Resources Job opportunities Trinity, Excelsior is hiring a Parish Administrator. Bulletin inserts focus on General Convention issues Episcopal Life's most recent bulletin inserts focus on the issues being brought before next month's General Convention of The Episcopal Church. Download the bulletins now. Submit your congregation update 20 congregation update forms have been received by the Episcopal Center. If your community has not yet sent an update, please download the form and fax or mail it to the Episcopal Center as soon as possible. Delegate certification deadline upcoming Send in now your delegate certifications for fall's Diocesan Convention. The forms, which can be downloaded from the diocesan website, are due to the Episcopal Center by June 30. Around the diocese MN Council of Churches rally to protest budget cuts Minnesota people of faith are gathering at the Minnesota State Capitol for a witness of lament on the morning of Tuesday, June 30 from 10:00 - 11:30 am to beg Governor Tim Pawlenty not to abandon the health of Minnesota's citizens, especially those most in need.  The rally is being organized by the Minnesota Council of Churches in cooperation with many other organizations and congregations. Read more about the rally... Collaborative youth service trip Six metro-area Episcopal churches (Nativity, Burnsville; St. David's, Minnetonka; St. Edward's, Wayzata; St. George's, St. Louis Park; St. Mark's Cathedral, Minneapolis; and St. Stephen's, Edina) gathered at Gethsemane Church in downtown Minneapolis for three days of inner-city living and service projects like cleaning up Gethsemane's kitchen and volunteering at Mary's Place, Salvation Army Harbor Lights, and Marie Sandvik Center. Bishop Search 5 candidates invited to interview with entire Search Committee submitted by the Rev. Neil Willard Your Search Committee for the IX Bishop of Minnesota gathered for a day-long meeting at St. Peter's Church in Kasson on Saturday, June 20. Presentations were made about recent visits to 8 candidates in their current ministry settings. They are each outstanding and dedicated to building up the body of Christ.  Deciding the best way to move forward, therefore, was not an easy task and required a tremendous amount of reflection. Members of the Search Committee, our consultant, and our chaplain held hands in prayer for our work, for each of these candidates, and for our life together in the church. We then agreed to invite 5 candidates to interview before the whole committee here in Minnesota. These interviews will take place in late July. The names of the final candidates produced by the work of the Search Committee will be announced by August 1. From the time of that announcement, the Standing Committee will also receive nominations through a petition process over a two-week period. Come, Holy Spirit! Meet Your General Convention Deputies Bob Carmack Bob Carmack's first experiences with the General Convention were as a volunteer in 2003 when the Convention met in Minneapolis. Having been impressed by the magnitude of this work, Bob ran and was chosen a deputy to the 2006 Convention in Columbus. "The 2006 General Convention opened my eyes more fully to all that The Episcopal Church stands for in its life and work," says Carmack. "Many important matters relating to the Church were considered and resolved in 2006 and more will be introduced in 2009 that will require thoughtful consideration and decision. It is an honor to continue this work and to serve the Episcopal Diocese of Minnesota as a Deputy to the 2009 General Convention." Bob is currently on the diocesan Standing Committee and has also served as the first vice president of Diocesan Council, the Bishop's Advisory Committee, and as a senior warden and clerk of St. Andrew's by-the-Lake, Duluth. The Rev. Douglas Sparks The Rev. Doug Sparks has served in a variety of roles at the congregational and diocesan levels. Currently, he is on Diocesan Council as the clergy representative from Region V and was recently elected to a second term. He was the Dean of Region V from February 2006 to February 2009 and now serves as the Sub Dean. Doug was a deputy from the Diocese of Milwaukee to General Convention 2000 in Denver.  He served on the Lutheran Anglican Roman Catholic Dialogue Process in Milwaukee and had the honor of voting as a deputy in support of "Called to Common Mission" which effectively brought The Episcopal Church into Full Communion with the ELCA. While serving as Dean of the Wellington in the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia, Doug was elected to General Synod in 2004 by the people of the Diocese of Wellington. As a deputy at the 2009 General Convention, Doug has been appointed to Legislative Committee # 18 Ecumenical Relations for General Convention 2009. "My hopes, passions and concerns are for mission and relationship; using our gifts and resources in proclaiming God's love and desire for us...for all of us," says Sparks. "I believe The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion have a unique charism for Christian Unity, seeking opportunities for unity with other Christians. An example of this charism is the Chicago - Lambeth Quadrilateral. I also believe we have an opportunity as Episcopalians and Anglicans to engage in mutual dialogue with persons of other faiths. My experiences in several dioceses in the Episcopal Church and in the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia have formed and fashioned my hopes, passions and concerns for mission and relationship as well." Gail Sheddy Gail Sheddy often refers to herself as being 'new' to Minnesota. However, her energy, passion and enthusiasm have already made her a familiar face in the Diocese of Minnesota. Gail is an active member of St. Mary's, Tower/Ely. She served as Junior Warden and is currently Clerk for the community. St. Mary's is a Total Ministry congregation in formation and Gail is discerning a call to serve as the Lay Minister/Administrator and Evangelist. She also serves as a member of the diocesan Standing Committee and is on the Board of Trustees for the Mary Brown Environmental Center in Ely. Her heart and passion lies with bringing the needs of the smaller congregations and Total Ministry teams to the conversation. "The smaller congregations in the outlying areas and the Total Ministry Teams of the Minnesota Diocese need to be represented at the General Convention," says Sheddy. "As a Lay Deputy, I want to serve as a spokesperson for the many congregations throughout the diocese that feel their voice is not being heard, especially at the national level." General Convention 2009 will be Gail's first as a deputy. This Week in the Diocese June 24, 7 pm: Ordinations to the transitional diaconate, St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Hastings June 25, 10 am: Diocesan Council meeting, St. Paul's, Minneapolis June 26, 9 am: Multicultural Network meeting, All Saints, Minneapolis June 26 to 28: Department of Indian Work (DIW) Convocation, St. John's, Onigum June 27, 10 am: Ordinations to priesthood, Barbara Jean Fairbanks and Dana Karen Emery, St. John's, Onigum July 3 and 6: Episcopal Center closed for 4th of July holiday July 7-17: General Convention of The Episcopal Church, Anaheim, CA A complete Calendar of Events is available on our website.  Other events can be found on the Region 7 Calendar and the Episcopal Music Calendar.

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