A Message from the Bishop:  The Bible Challenge

Aloha,

I invite the Diocese to join me in reading the Bible through in a year beginning on Ash Wednesday. Will you join me in taking The Bible Challenge?

Many vibrant churches share one thing in common - they have a strong commitment to teaching and reading the Bible.  There is a vast difference between attending church and listening to a portion of the Bible being read aloud, and actually reading the Bible on your own. Understanding how the entire Word of God coheres and what God is saying to you daily through Holy Scripture can be a transformational experience.  It also makes worship come more alive.  It is like the difference between riding a car as a passenger and not paying close attention to the route being taken, versus driving the car and learning the roads that get you to your destination.

In The Bible Challenge, I encourage participants to go directly to the source of the Christian faith and see how the Bible coheres.  Reading the Bible on a daily basis can inspire people to start new ministries, and make important decisions and significant changes in their lives. It will give them strength and comfort as they face major life challenges and allow them to feel truly alive in Christ.

The link below can be shared throughout the Diocese. It is a handout from the Center for Biblical Studies that offers a plan to read the Bible through in one year.  

Lent to Lent Read the Bible in a Year

I commit myself to the project beginning on Ash Wednesday, and I particularly ask the clergy and wardens to join me.  I will keep the Diocese informed of my progress and my reflections.

Mahalo,

+Bob

The Right Reverend Robert L. Fitzpatrick

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Ministry team now serving Windward O'ahu churches

Safeguarding God's Children Training

Four training classes for Safeguarding God's Children have been set and are listed below.  To register for a class, click on the link for the desired location:

MAUI - February 25, 2012 at 1:00 p.m.

Good Shepherd Episcopal Church, Wailuku

Register Maui - E-mail Good Shepherd or call their office at 808-244-7244.

KAUA'I - March 3, 2012 at 9:00 a.m.

All Saints' Episcopal Church, Kapa'a

Register Kaua'i - Click HERE

BIG ISLAND - March 10, 2012 at 9:00 a.m.

Christ Church Episcopal, Kealakekua

Register Big Island - Click HERE

O'AHU - April 14, 2012 at 9:00 a.m.

Church of the Epiphany, Honolulu

Register O'ahu - Click HERE

Safeguarding God's Children is required of all clergy, Vestry and Bishop's Committee members, and anyone (paid or volunteer) who works with children. This includes Sunday school teachers, youth group leaders, and preschool and school teachers. Anyone in a church who is interested in learning how to watch for child abuse warning signs is encouraged to attend the workshop.   

To learn more about Safeguarding God's Children, visit the Diocesan website HERE.   

The following contains excerpts from a News Release by Good Shepherd Episcopal Church, dated February 9, 2012. (Photos courtesy of Good Shepherd Episcopal Church.)

Good Shepherd announces the 10-year Anniversary Celebration of their Ka 'Ohana Kitchen 

Good Shepherd Episcopal Church on Maui will celebrate the 10th Anniversary of its Ka 'Ohana Kitchen with a Ho'olaule'a on Sunday, February 26, 2012.  The Celebration, open to the public, will begin with a worship service at 8:30 a.m., and a blessing of the facilities at 10:00 a.m., followed by food, entertainment, door prizes, and children's activities on the Church's front lawn.

"Since 2002, the Ka 'Ohana Kitchen has given a sign of love and compassion to our neighbors in Central Maui by serving a free 'no questions asked' hot meal every Sunday.  Many of the individuals we serve do not qualify for any other program," said the Rev. Marvin Lee Foltz, Rector of Good Shepherd.

Mary Lou Mellinger, Chairperson of Good Shepherd's Outreach Committee, is spearheading the Ho'olaule'a and described the outpouring of support for the Ka 'Ohana Kitchen.  "I am amazed how the church and community are so suportive of helping those who are less fortunate than the rest of us, especially during these hard times when it is so easy to forget the needy."

To read the News Release in its entirety on the Diocesan website, click HERE. For more information, visit the Good Shepherd Website.

Sundance Film Festival comes to St. Clement's:

Love Free or Die Documentary By The Rev. Liz Zivanov

At the recent Sundance Film Festival in Colorado, the film, Love Free or Die, a documentary about Gene Robinson, the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church, won the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Prize for An Agent of Change. St Clement's is honored to provide a screening of this film on Wednesday, February 29 at 6:30 p.m., in the Vi and Paul Loo Parish House, located at 1515 Wilder Avenue in Honolulu.  This event is open to the public (although there is seating for only 125) so please feel free to spread the information. 

For more information and to read a description of the film from award-winning director, Macky Alston, click HERE.        

Discernment Day 2012 By Canon Liz Beasley

The Commission on Ministry will sponsor a Discernment Day for the Diocese on Saturday, March 10, 2012.  It will be held at St. Peter's Episcopal Church (behind the Cathedral) from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Discernment Day is a workshop designed for church groups ("congregational discernment committees") who help an individual or one another with answering questions of who God has made them to be and how God calls them to serve. Meeting with a discernment committee is the first step in the ordination process, but discernment committees can be helpful for many people - not just those called to ordination.

There is a budget for a certain amount of airfare for those on Neighbor Islands, so register early and contact Cn. Liz Beasley if you will be requesting travel. The fee for the event is $15.00 which includes lunch.

For more information and/or to register, click HERE.  

For answers to questions, please e-mail Canon Liz Beasley or call 808-536-7776, ext. 326.

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UTO Spring Ingathering Coming Up

The suggested date of the United Thank Offering (UTO) Spring Ingathering is Sunday, March 11, 2012.   

United Thank Offering (UTO) is a ministry of The Episcopal Church for the mission of the whole church. Through United Thank Offering, men, women, and children nurture the habit of giving daily thanks to God. These prayers of thanksgiving start when we recognize and name our many daily blessings. Those who participate in UTO discover that thankfulness leads to generosity. United Thank Offering is entrusted to promote thank offerings, to receive the offerings, and to distribute the UTO monies to support mission and ministry throughout The Episcopal Church and in invited Provinces of the Anglican Communion in the developing world. 

Requests for the BLUE BOXES can be made by e-mailing Joyce Kim, UTO Hawai'i Coordinator.

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CORRECTION: Continuing Education report in survey form link 

Clergy and lay professionals in churches are asked to complete a report on their continuing education for 2011.  In the most recent issue of the E-news, an erroneous link was given for the online survey.  To be taken to the correct survey link, click HERE.

The report is also available on the diocesan website (Year-End-Report), but the survey is the preferred method. 

Please submit your report by Thursday, March 15.

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Bluegrass Music Festival

St. Elizabeth's Episcopal Church in Honolulu will be sponsoring the Bluegrass Music Festival on March 19 - 22, 2012.  This event brings together young musicians from the mainland who teach guitar, banjo, mandolin, bass, ukulele and many other instruments to all who want to learn.  

There are two sessions available each day, from 3:00 - 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.  The tuition for this remarkable 4-day class is only $125.00.  This is open to the public and all are welcome!

For detailed information and to download the registration form and literature about the Aloha Music Academy (AMA), visit the Diocesan website HERE.

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Chrism Mass & Acculturation Day 2012

What's Happening in The Episcopal Church? 

Announcements from around The Episcopal Church...

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Presiding Bishop calls for focus on Millenium Development Goals during Lent 2012

Episcopal Church offers Lenten resources, meditations

Applications now accepted for scholarships from the Episcopal Church

[February 14, 2012] Applications are now being accepted for the 2012-2013 awarding of more than 60 scholarships from the Episcopal Church.

Episcopal Logos and Brands Available Free of Charge

The Episcopal Church logos and shields which feature the new type treatments in both English and Spanish are available at no cost for downloading HERE.  The new graphic guidelines outlining important details for the use of the Episcopal Church shield and logos, including fonts, color palette, use of the shield, and important design information are available HERE.  The Episcopal Church Welcomes You signs are available for purchase from Episcopal Marketplace. 

In case you missed it, click on the link to read

the latest issue of the E-Chronicle.  

FEBRUARY 2012 ISSUE

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IMPORTANT REMINDERS

Did you miss an edition of the E-News?  Listed below are the titles of some recently published announcements to be aware of. To see the complete article, click on the linked issues below, or visit Previous E-News Editions on the diocesan website, and click on the desired issue.