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Companion Diocese Uruguay
Holy God, source of healing and of peace, bless with your grace the companion dioceses of Oklahoma and Uruguay. Through our partnership one with another may we grow in mutual affection and communion, seek a more profound experience of truth, build up the Church in unity and give glory to Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.
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The Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma
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The Next Issue of this Newsletter will be on Friday, April 15. |
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We Are Epiok.org
April 8, 2011
Issue 10 |
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Help us spread the news. If you are a Senior or Junior Warden or parish secretary or administrator, we ask that you please e-mail this newsletter to your parishioners and encourage them to sign up. We would also like to ask that you print out a copy of the news and post on your bulletin boards. We want to see that everyone has an opportunity to know about the great things going on in our Diocese. Thanks.
How can your parish be in the newsletter? All you have to do is submit an article, picture (in jpg format), or announcement to me. If you have an event coming up, let us publicize it and then afterwards, celebrate with you! Information for submission is at the bottom of this newsletter.
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Christian Formation Regional Training Postponed
Due to a lack of registrations, the training event scheduled for Saturday, April 9, at St. Augustine's has been postponed.
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Presiding Bishop, House of Bishops Issue Letters Requesting Support for Bishop Dawani of Jerusalem
Bishop Ed has a friendship with Bishop Suheil Dawani and is working closely with other bishops to support the return of Bishop Dawani's residence status.
"Change is likeliest when the leaders of our governments know of our urgent concern," wrote Jefferts Schori to members of the church, asking them to contact government officials on Dawani's behalf. "In every part of The Episcopal Church, your response is most likely to be effective when directed to Israel's ambassador to your nation, to your national leader - President and/or Prime Minister, and/or to your legislative representatives in your national government."Jefferts Schori's letter is addressed to the Episcopal Church; the letter from the House of Bishops is written to Israel's ambassadors to the nations where the Episcopal Church has dioceses or presence.Following the meeting of the House of Bishops March 25 - 30, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and the house have written letters requesting support for Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem Suheil Dawani, who has been denied the customary residency permit allowing him to live in Jerusalem.
Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79425_127869_ENG_HTM.htm
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St. John's Vinita, Gets New Sign
St. John's gets new sign! Fr. Phil Lawrence, St. Andrew's Grove & Marge Dixon, Sr. Warden, St. John's Vinita. The new sign was purchased with memorial funds & dedicated by Fr. Phil, at the annual meeting January 16.
Fr. Phil Lawrence, St. Andrew's Grove, dedicated St. John's Vinita, new sign at the annual meeting Jan.16. Fr. Phil Lawrence, committee members Jim Welch, Kay Crum & Merle Dixon, St. John's.
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Retired Clergy and Spouses Gather for
Spring Retreat
St. Crispin's welcomed the retired clergy and spouses April 4-5, for their spring retreat. Twenty-nine individuals participated and according to Jack Powers, the largest gathering in quite some time.
Monday afternoon, The Rev. Joseph Alsay shared his journey/ life story. Then, he stayed around to visit with folks for another couple of hours.
Tuesday morning, time was set aside for all to share what they're doing these days. News was also shared about many who were not able to be there this time. Bill Powell also shared information regarding Church Pension Fund. Jack Powers passed the mantle of chaplain to the retired to Bill and Jackie Powell. The group shared their appreciation for Jack's work during his term.
The rest of the time was devoted to fun and fellowship.
The fall gathering is set for October. 10-11.
Picture: Back row: Bob Gates, Howie Wilson, Ruth Wilson, Bob Evans, Jack Powers, Betty Brown, Jackie Powell, Noel Doherty, Arlen Fowler, Clark Shackelford, Shelby Shackelford, Emily Kinney, Bob Kinney, Jan Wantland, Roseanne Pasco
Middle row: Jim Hunkins, Charles Brown, Bill Powell
Front row: Bill Cox, Virginia Hoover, Anne Evans, Carol Hunkins, Georgia Gates, Mary Jane Fowler, Mary Ashby, John Ryan, John Marlin, Joyce Jackson.
Not pictured: Bill Wantland
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Grace Church Ponca City Hosts English Tea
The women of Grace Church, Ponca City, are planning another delightful English Tea on Friday, May 6, at 2:30 p.m. Individual tickets are $8; tables of four are $32. Reservations may be made with Maxine Hunt at 765 8479. |
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Youth Complete Term as Province VII Representatives
 
Andrew Roberts and Tanner Trammell have served on the Province VII Youth Board for almost three years. Their involvement is to report to the larger body the good works going on in the Diocese and to bring back ideas to institute. They will both graduate in May and their terms will expire. We want to thank them for all their hard work and appreciate their willingness to serve in this capacity.
The Bishop has asked Philip Newcomber of Ada to serve as our Province VII representative. Philip and Ashley Haggard, Adult Youth Representative to Province VII attended the Youth Network Leadership Conference last week at All Saint's Camp in Pottsboro, TX.
Ashley Haggard is third from right, first row. Philip is last row on right in red shirt.
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You are invited to help
 "Slay the Dragon of Poverty"
THE GUILD OF ST. GEORGE is having its
FIRST FUNDRAISER
Thursday, April 28
5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Dean Willey Hall
St. Paul's Cathedral
Food, Drink, Entertainment and an Opportunity to see the Guild's facility
Tickets are $50.00
Sponsor Opportunities are available for $250, $500, $1,000, $2,500 and $5,000
Contact: D'Arline McCubbin at 843-1519 for reservations
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Episcopal Service Corps
Do you want to:
Work for social justice?
Deepen spiritual awareness and discern vocation?
Develop leadership skills in the paradigm of servant leadership?
Live a simple, sustainable lifestyle?
Check out Episcopal Service Corps at EpiscopalServiceCorps.org
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Made for Goodness
With all the hardship in the world, it can sometimes be easy to look around and wonder if there's any goodness.
That's why Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his daughter, Rev. Mpho Tutu, say they wrote their new book called "Made For Goodness." They say that joy and goodness can be found anywhere, if we would only look for it. "Each kindness enhances the quality of life," they write. "Each cruelty diminishes it."
The current issue of Pathways, a quarterly journal of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta, has a pull-out study guide for this 11 chapter book, and a copy is available at the Diocsean Offices.
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Oklahoma Museum "Passages" Collection
If you missed it is Sunday's newspaper, the President of Holly Lobby, Steve Green, will be sharing a portion of his rare biblical texts and artifacts with the Oklahoma City Museum beginning May 16.
http://newsok.com/passages-exhibit-expected-to-bring-thousands-to-oklahoma-city/article/3555130?custom_click=pod_headline_business
and http://www.okcmoa.com will provide you with more information.
Sounds like a road trip!
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Youth Leadership Program
It is very important that we at the Diocese help raise up our next generation of youth leaders, who in turn,may become our parish leaders. I am looking for a few good men and women to serve as a planning group in establishing a Youth Leadership Program for our children - Junior High and up. If you are interested in helping to form this program and form our children, please contact me at the number below. Leadership needs to be nurtured and we have all the resources in our diocese necessary to do a good job of this!
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St. Simeon's Save the Date
The Education Committee presents
Eric Maddox
Monday, May 9th, 1:00 p.m.
Common Room, St. Simeon's
Upon graduating from the University of Oklahoma in May 1994, Eric Maddox joined the U.S. Army as an infantry paratrooper for the 82nd Airborne Division. After three years as a Ranger qualified infantryman, Mr. Maddox reenlisted as a Chinese Mandarin linguist interrogator. Since 9/11, Mr. Maddox has conducted over 2,000 interrogations while deploying seven times in support of the global war on terrorism to include multiple tours in Iraq, Afghanistan, South America, Southeast Asia, and Europe. In 2003, while assigned to a special operations task force in Tikrit, Mr. Maddox conducted over 300 interrogations and collected the intelligence which directly led to the capture of Saddam Hussein. Now as a civilian with the Department of Defense, Mr. Maddox continues to fight the global war on terrorism. In the course of his 17 year career with the Army and the Department of Defense, Mr. Maddox has received numerous awards and honors including the Legion of Merit, the National Intelligence Medal of Achievement, the Defense Intelligence Agency Director's Award and the Bronze Star.
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Godly Play Training
We are offering a three-day Godly Play Core Training event at St. Paul's Cathedral, 127 NW 7th Street, Oklahoma City. Classes will be offered on:
Thursday, June 9th from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.
Friday, June 10th from 8:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, June 11th from 8:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m.
Godly Play is an approach to religious education in which the teacher shows the various ways to use the sacred stories, parables and liturgical actions of the Christian faith as tools for approaching the larger questions of life. These components of religious language become the starting points for wonder and discussion. Following the Montessori tradition, the materials are always available for children to use in retelling the story, thus helping them to truly make the stories their own. Class structure follows the pattern of worship. There is time to share the story in community and time to respond individually (through art materials or the story manipulatives). At the end of the response time, the community of children comes together for prayers and a "feast." This method was begun by the Rev. Jerome Berryman, an Episcopal priest, who studied with Sofia Cavalletti, who pioneered the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program.
The cost for training is $295. However, don't let this be an impediment in your taking the training. Many smaller congregations have asked about this and we want you to be able to attend. Contact Sabrina if you need scholarship help. Additionally, we will help you look at alternative materials that help reduce the set- up costs. A registration form an brochure is on line.
You may check out Godly Play on their web site: http://www.godlyplayfoundation.org/newsite/Main.php
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Steward's Well is a quarterly resource created by The Episcopal Church for those leading stewardship in their congregations. This issue's feature article is by our diocese's Stewardship Commission Chairman Field Griffen. Also in this issue is an article by our Stewardship Director Charlene Fabian. If you would like to subscribe to The Steward's Well, please click on this link:
http://www.episcopalchurch.org/109299_126433_ENG_HTM.
htm
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Our Diocese is one of the sponsors of this year's conference of The Episcopal Network for Stewardship (TENS). It will be held June 3-4, 2011 at Camp Allen. It is designed for clergy and lay leaders, and has tracks for people new to stewardship as well as workshops that present fresh and innovative strategies for seasoned stewardship leaders. It is not often that the TENS conference is held so close to our Diocese, and it is also a cost savings that it is being held at Camp Allen rather than in a hotel. Please take advantage of this training opportunity. For a link to complete conference information please click http://www.tens.org/2011IGG/index.htm Please contact Charlene Fabian, Stewardship Director (918-712-7002 or email at [email protected]) if you have questions about the conference.
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Abundant Life Garden Project
The Abundant Life Garden Project is a children's curriculum offered to parishes, teachers, groups, families or others who seek to share the ministry and work of Episcopal Relief & Development with elementary-age children. This resource is a very flexible, low-cost program that can be implemented by any Episcopal parish, no matter its budget or resources. Below you will find an introduction to the program and five thematic modules on Water, Seeds, Soil, Animals and Harvest. Two appendices to the lesson modules offer additional options and tips to assist you in creating a program that best fits your parish's needs. http://www.er-d.org/children.
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Closing - Prayer for April
April showers may bring May flowers, but rain can also be inconvenient, cold, and gloomy. The following prayer focuses on spring rain in April as a tool to connect with God more deeply:
"God of life, thank you for the rain this April. As You nourish and cleanse the earth this spring, nourish and cleanse me also, that I might seek a deeper knowledge and love of You in all I do. Bless and keep me and all who glorify Your name! Amen."
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Contact Information
Sabrina Evans
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