|
|
A Collect for Epiphany
| |
O God, by the leading of a star you manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth: Lead us, who know you now by faith, to your presence, where we may see your glory face to face; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
 | We Three Kings Of Orient Are
Kings College, Cambridge |
|
|
What's New?
| |
Changes at the Diocesan Office in 2012
Due to reductions in 2012 diocesan budget in the Bishop and Staff area, the diocesan office in Portland will no longer employ a part-time receptionist. In December diocesan staff said farewell and thank you to Gunhild Gross who stepped in to cover three six-hour days from June to December.
Each Monday and Friday the phone will be answered, as usual, by Assistant for Finance Pam McLellan. Beginning this week, on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, Assistant for Administration Elizabeth Ring will greet callers.
Each day at lunchtime, between noon and 1 p.m., the voicemail system will pick up and will allow callers to enter extensions to ring staff members at their desks. It will also list the cell phone number of the Canon-on-Call. (See at the bottom of The Dio Log for a list of extensions.)
Another change is that the front desk and reception area will no longer be regularly staffed. If you are visiting Loring House, please ring the bell inside the vestibule and a staff member will greet you. An easy-to-use intercom/buzzer system will be installed in the coming weeks to assist with welcoming guests and visitors to Loring House.
Another change in staff roles is an expansion of administrative duties assigned to Elizabeth Ring upon the closing of the Diocesan Resource Center at the end of 2011. Beginning this month, Elizabeth - who has served as director of the Resource Center from its inception in 1987 - will serve as Diocesan Archivist on Mondays and as Assistant for Administration for the duration of the week. Her responsibilities include support for Diocesan Council, Diocesan Convention, Safe Church Training and general support for transition ministry and communication.
While the Diocesan Resource Center will remain available for browsing and borrowing and Elizabeth will be available to offer recommendations to congregations for formation programs and educational curricula, no new acquisitions for the collection will be made beginning in 2012. Elizabeth continues to be available on Mondays to congregations in need of assistance with the diocesan archives and those seeking support for parish archives.
Reductions in the Bishop and Staff portion of the 2012 budget also resulted in the elimination of part-time hospital chaplaincies in Portland at Mercy Hospital and at Maine Medical Center. Those were staffed for the last several years by the Rev. Betsey Wilder Deleuse and the Rev. Peter Bowen, respectively.
Bishop Steve appreciates your patience as the diocesan staff works to maintain a high standard of service to the congregations and people of the Diocese of Maine.
Click here for a printable version of the staff contact list. Reminder: Bishop Steve is currently on vacation. He will return to the office on Tuesday, January 17.
Join Bishop Steve for an Epiphany Book Group Bishop Steve will be reading Phyllis Tickle's book, The Great Emergence: How Christianity is Changing and Why, in January. He invites members of the diocese to read along with him, follow (and weigh-in your impressions on) his blog posts, and then sign up for one of two one-hour webinar discussions on the book. The first will be Wednesday, February 8, at 7:30 p.m. and the second will be on Wednesday, February 15, at 7:30 p.m.
Because participation will be limited to 23 people for each evening, registration is required.
Phyllis Tickle will be one of the keynote speakers at the Downeast Spiritual Life Conference in Ellsworth on August 24 - 26, 2012. The conference which will also feature, Fr. Richard Rohr and Andrew Harvey. For more on the conference visit www.stfrancisbluehill.org
The Great Emergence is available for purchase for $12.23 on Amazon.com here.
Real Basics for Vestries
Another great collection of resources for congregations at the Episcopal Church Foundation's Vital Practices website.
Articles and topics include:
All-Church Vestry
Managing Staff: 7 Things to Consider
Lessons from Babylon
Providing Pensions to Your Lay Employees
Vestry 101
Vestry Meetings
Vestry Orientation
Building and Grounds
Financial Planning
EPF to assist congregations with Steadfast Hope Lenten study
Each year, the Presiding Bishop designates the Good Friday offering for the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem. Episcopalians in the U.S. recognize the importance of the Holy Land as the birthplace of our Savior Jesus Christ but may not understand the complex events in today's Middle East that deeply impact our fellow Episcopalians there.
The Episcopal Peace Fellowship of Maine will facilitate for parishes or regional groups a Lenten study program based on Steadfast Hope, a guide with DVD that was underwritten by Bishop Lane and offered to each congregation at Diocesan Convention. Several congregations have indicated interest in sponsoring a Lenten series to which all in their area would be invited. If your congregation is interested in either hosting a series or participating in a regional one, please contact Maurine Tobin at mmtobin38@gmail.com or 348-9976. |
2012 New Initiative Fund Grant Applications Now Available
| |
Money for Ministry in 2012! In December Diocesan Council approved a process to award $40,000 in new initiative grants to Maine congregations and ministries in 2012. The funding is derived from the 2012 diocesan budget for new initiatives and funds available each year in the Outreach and Services Grant program. The latter is revenue generated from the Foundations for Ministry capital campaign of the early 1990s. In 2012 the two grant programs will be conflated into one. The basis for Council's awarding the grants will be the "Seven Criteria for Mission" that were passed at Diocesan Convention in October. (See below.) Members of Diocesan Council are excited to offer the opportunity to congregations and diocesan ministries to think big about collaborative mission opportunities in their communities. The deadline for applications is February 10. Awards will be announced after the March Diocesan Council meeting no later than March 15. Download the Grant Application Here  Seven Criteria for Mission
(as adopted by Diocesan Convention on October 23, 2011)
1) Diocesan resources will support program/ministry efforts that are Christ-centered and Gospel-oriented. 2) Diocesan resources will support program/ministry efforts that collaborate with other churches, communities and affinity groups and demonstrate a willingness to share personnel and resources. 3) Diocesan resources will support those program/ministry efforts led by those who can demonstrate their experience as well as passion for their particular ministry 4) Diocesan resources will support program/ministry efforts with evaluation processes in place and those that can articulate a plan to achieve sustainability. 5) Diocesan resources will support program/ministry efforts whose leaders are willing to share their successes and best practices as well as failures with other congregations or collaborative groups that wish to replicate their work in other parts of the Diocese. 6) Diocesan resources will support program/ministry efforts that demonstrate a willingness to move from a centralized approach to ones that will involve and benefit a wide range and number of people within the diocese and beyond. 7) Diocesan resources will support program/ministry efforts that demonstrate the values of transparency, equity, fairness and collaboration. |
Up and Coming in Maine and beyond
| |
Health Ministry Retreat January 7 St. George's Health Ministry invites members of the diocese to a Health Ministry Regreat at St. George's in Sanford, on Saturday, January 7, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Anyone interested in Health Ministry is welcome to attend. This is a working retreat to set the agenda for 2012, review resources, decide on topics for presentation. so that we know how many we will have for lunch.Epiphany Lessons and Carols at the Cathedral - January 8 a.m. 4 p.m. On Sunday, January 8, at 4 p.m., The First Sunday after the Epiphany - The Baptism of our Lord, the Cathedral Church of St. Luke will present Epiphany Lessons and Carols: A Meditation on Christ's Nativity, sung by the Cathedral Choir.
Music of Palestrina, Meyer, Adelmann, Carter, Schweizer and Lovelace and readings from scripture and the poetry of Auden, Hall and Arndt will be included. All are welcome.
Register Now for a Stewardship Double-Header
On Saturday, February 12, 2012, St. John's, Bangor, will host two stewardship workshops for clergy and lay leaders.
From 9:30-12:30, Money and More will introduce year-round, holistic stewardship, taking a fresh look at time, talent, and treasure through the lenses of the liturgical cycle, the unique seasons of the individual congregation's life together, and our commitment to mission and ministry in all that we do with all that we have.
From 1:00-3:00, Organs and Boilers and Roofs, Oh My! will look at the principles of capital and legacy stewardship, with practical discussion around how and when to approach what are sometimes sensitive conversations.
Our time together will include the praying of the Daily Office and a lunch break, with a simple sandwich platter and beverage provided. Participants are welcome to bring a "brown bag" supplement as well.
Ready to register, either as an individual or on behalf of a team from your congregation? Click here! |
News from Youth Ministries
| |
Thank you to everyone who was part of Diocesan Youth Events in 2011. Teens and adults came from 29 congregations in our diocese - and priests from two more churches have already volunteered for upcoming events. Also, people came from three Massachusetts churches. In addition, many teens brought their friends. The friends came from nine other Christian denominations - plus there were eight friends who aren't part of any church. Why did they come? Most kids who came for the first time were personally invited by a friend, an adult whom they knew well or their priest. Winter Middle School Diocesan Youth Event, "Awakening" is coming soon! Awakening will be February 3-5 at St. Ann's Church in Windham. If you're in grades 6-8 or if you're an adult who leads middle schoolers, this weekend is for you! Awakening is a weekend of new friends, fun and God. There's laughing, talking, an option of swimming, eating and all around good times. Sherry Sivret will lead the event and the Rev. John Rafter will be our priest. Download applications here. For more info, go to www.maineyouth.org or contact youth@episcopalmaine.org or Sherry Sivret at ssivret@episcopalmaine.org. Are you an adult who would like to experience part of a youth event? Jane Hartwell will accompany you to visit the Awakening middle school event on Saturday morning, February 4. Please make reservations at youth@episcopalmaine.org. Although the Nightwatch high school trip to New York doesn't happen until April, spaces are starting to fill up already because groups from three churches have made reservations. If teens from your church are hoping to come, please email Jane Hartwell at youth@episcopalmaine.org. We are adding extra reservations, and we need to know how many to add. You can download applications here. If you are interested in giving input about the next Diocesan Youth Mission Team, please contact Jane Hartwell at youth@epsicopalmaine.org. There will be a general, open meeting about this on Sunday, January 29, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Loring House (143 State Street in Portland), and if distance is prohibitive you can attend by conference call. |
Diocesan Staff Listing
| |
The Episcopal Diocese of Maine
143 State Street, Portland 04101
207.772.1953 or, in Maine, 800.244.6062
General Fax - 207.773.0095
Bishop's Office Fax - 207.772.6968
Office Hours are Monday - Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Stephen Lane
Bishop of Maine (full-time)
slane@episcopalmaine.org
EXT. 125
Shirley Bowen
Missioner for Campus Ministry (part-time 50%)
shirleybowen@maine.rr.com
207.205.4155
Jane Hartwell
Youth and Young Adult Missioner (part-time 75%)
youth@episcopalmaine.org
EXT. 129
Georgia Koch
Director of Camp Bishopswood (full-time by Bishopswood)
georgia@bishopswood.org
EXT. 127 (Summer: 207.763.3148)
Jan Lewis
Office Assistant for Youth and Young Adult Ministries (part-time 30%)
jlewis@episcopalmaine.org
EXT. 129
Barbara Martin
Executive Assistant to the Bishop (full-time)
bmartin@episcopalmaine.org
EXT. 125
Pam McLellan
Assistant for Finance (full-time)
pmclelln@episcopalmaine.org
EXT. 130
Terry Reimer
Canon to the Ordinary for Finance and Stewardship (full-time)
treimer@episcopalmaine.org
EXT. 134
Elizabeth Ring
Assistant for Administration and Archivist (full-time)
ering@episcopalmaine.org
archives@episcopalmaine.org
EXT. 135 (EXT. 137 for Archives on Mondays)
Heidi Shott
Canon to the Ordinary for Communication and Social Justice (full-time)
hshott@episcopalmaine.org
EXT. 126
Sherry Sivret
Assistant Youth Missioner (part-time 25%)
ssivret@episcopalmaine.org
207.454.3942
Thomas Sumner
Assistant for Finance and Insurance (full-time)
tsumner@episcopalmaine.org
EXT. 138
Vicki Wiederkehr
Canon to the Ordinary for Transition Ministry and Formation (full-time)
vwiederk@episcopalmaine.org
EXT. 123
Mary Lee Wile
Deacon Formation Program Coordinator (part-time 50%)
mlwile@episcopalmaine.org
EXT. 133
|
|
|
