Ecumenical Stations of the Cross

 

On Good Friday, beginning at noon, there will be an ecumenical Stations of the Cross beginning at the Jesus Wept Statue located on the corner adjacent to the Oklahoma City National Memorial next to St. Joseph's Catholic Church. Bishop Ed and other faith leaders from Oklahoma City will be a part of this event, and you are invited to participate.

Good Friday Offerings

 

Each congregation is encouraged to earmark their Good Friday offerings for the support of ministries, education, health care, and peace-building throughout the Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East. This year marks the 90th annual collection of the Good Friday Offering. Our support, according to Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, "is a unique spiritual opportunity to continue Jesus' work in the land of his birth and earthly ministry." There are Good Friday Offering materials available for free and download at www.episcopalchurch.org/goodfridayoffering.

New Clergy to Diocese 

 

 

We are pleased to welcome The Rev. Bill Carroll as Rector of Emmanuel, Shawnee, effective March 25. Bill and his wife, The Rev. Tracey Carroll, and their two children come to us from the Diocese of Southern Ohio.

Celebration  Honoring Charlene Fabian

 

  

            Charlene and Bishop Ed                                              Celebration Cake

 

A celebration of the ministry of Charlene Fabian as the Diocesan

Director of Stewardship and Planned Giving was held on Thursday at the Diocesan Offices. Charlene's last day will be April 5th, and she will be assuming a new position shortly thereafter.

2nd Century Eucharist

 

On Sunday, March 25th, St. Paul's Cathedral celebrated the 2nd Century Eucharist. This annual event, put on by the St. Genesius Guild, invites parishioners and guests to attend a service and agape dinner in the tradition of early Christians. In those days there were no formal churches and Christians were persecuted because of the practice of "eating and drinking the body and blood of Christ." At great risk, Christians often met secretly in private homes to worship. To remember the struggles and bravery of these early Christians, the St. Genesius Guild and St. Paul's members participate in an interactive worship similar to what early Christians experienced. The worship includes a "discovery" of the service by Roman soldiers. The 2nd Century Eucharist serves to remind us not only of the persecution of Christians throughout history but also the continued persecution of peoples of faith around the world today.

Safeguarding God's Children Training

 

Safeguarding God's Children training is being held at Trinity Episcopal Church this Saturday, March 31, from 9am to 12noon.  Please email Becky Moseman at bmoseman@trinitytulsa.org  if you plan on attending.

 

Another training opportunity will be held on April 22 at St. Thomas, Pawhuska. Please contact Mother Andrea if you would like to attend - bnaokies@cox.net

What Our Congregations are Doing for Holy Week and Beyond

 

St. Paul's, Altus  

April 4 6:30 p.m.  Seder meal

April 8 following the worship service Easter Egg Hunt 

 

St. Paul's Cathedral, OKC

April 1  Taize at 5 p.m.

April 7  Great Easter Vigil 7:30 p.m. Bishop Ed presiding

April 8  Easter, 8, 9 and 11 Bishop Ed presiding 

 

St. Augustine of Canterbury, OKC

April 1  Palm Sunday Procession with a colt  10:30 a.m.

April 8  Easter - Butterfly release at conclusion of 10:30 a.m. service

 

Grace, Ponca City

April 5  Holy Eucharist, Solemn Stripping of the Altar, and the Setting of the Vigil Watch at an Altar of Repose - Altar of Repose near the columbarium.

 

St. Mary's, Edmond

April 5-6  The Watch - beginning on the 5th at 8:15 a.m. until Friday, the 6th at 11 a.m.

  

All Souls', OKC

Easter Crosses (for your yard) are for sale in the Parish Hall or church office during the week for $5.00 each. We have a very limited quantity available. Stop by and pick up your Easter Cross.
 

 

 

Acolyte Festival Recap

 

 Special thanks to Brandy Brackett of McAlester for taking our group picture

With almost 150 people in attendance, this year's Acolyte Festival was the best one yet! This number represented 17 congregations from across the diocese and allowed time for fun, fellowship, and food. Workshops included: Tabret Making, The Match Game and What Not to Wear, Meeting with the Bishop, Native American Spirituality, To Bow or Not to Bow and how to use Bells and the Lavabo Bowl properly, Olympics, and a workshop on where'd all this stuff come from. Adults who work with acolytes had an opportunity to meet with Patricia Riden who discussed the National Acolyte Festival at the Cathedral in Washington DC. A special thanks to all who worked in the workshops and made this such a success. Each participant went home with a newly designed medal on a purple ribbon.

 

 

 

Congratulations to this year's winner of The Bishop's Bowl - St. Dunstan's, Tulsa.

15th Annual Dallas Benedictine Experience

 

The 15th annual multi-denominational Dallas Benedictine Experience will take place at The Catholic Conference and Formation Center in Dallas from Wednesday, June 20 through Saturday, June 23, 2012. This monastic experience is presented by The Friends of St. Benedict, Washington, D.C. and is open to both men and women, laity and clergy of all denominations. Participants will live on the campus of the center for four days, forming a temporary monastic community to experience the balanced way of life of The Rule of St. Benedict as it divides each day into private and group prayer, study, work, and leisure. Four Benedictine Offices (Lauds, Sext, Vespers, and Compline) will be chanted each day in English in Gregorian Chant. There will also be two classes each day on Benedictine spirituality. Please call 214-339-8483 (10:00 AM - 10:00 PM in Dallas) or e-mail heepspence@aol.com for more information.

 

The monastic experience will be led by two extraordinarily talented religious figures. Sister Mary Donald Corcoran, O.S.B.Cam., is the Superior of Transfiguration Monastery (Roman Catholic) in Windsor, New York. A Camaldolese Benedictine nun, Sister Mary Donald holds the Ph.D. in Theology from Fordham University. She has directed the M.A. program in spirituality at St. Louis University and has taught in the summer spirituality program at Fordham. The co-author of the book Spiritual Sisters and numerous articles, she serves on the Board of Directors of In the Spirit Foundation, and is a well-known teacher, writer, and leader of Benedictine retreats all over the country. This year will be her seventh time as a leader of the Dallas Benedictine Experience.

    

Father Daniel Forsythe, a Byzantine Catholic priest of the Archeparchy of Pittsburgh, is the Pastor of St. Basil the Great Byzantine Catholic Church in Irving, Texas. Ordained to the priesthood in 2009, Fr. Daniel has also served as the pastor of four Byzantine parishes in central Pennsylvania. He is the director of the Metropolitan Cantor Institute, which is charged with training congregational cantors in the Byzantine tradition. He holds a B.A. in Classical Languages from Franciscan University and a Master's in Divinity from Saints Cyril and Methodius Byzantine Seminary. Fr. Daniel has spoken on a range of spiritual and Biblical topics at retreats, conferences, and teen events. This will be Fr. Daniel's first time as a leader of the Dallas Benedictine Experience.
 

St. Mary's Church Bake Sale

 

Holy Monday Gathering Renewal of Clergy Ordination Vows and Blessing of the Oils

 

The service of liturgy for the Blessing of Oils, Renewal of Ordination Vows, and Holy Eucharist will be on Holy Monday, April 2, 2012, at St. Paul's Cathedral, 10:30 a.m. This event is open to all people of the diocese, and you are invited to be a part of this ancient service.

 

In the course of Christian history oils blessed for the purpose have come to be used in many ways for the setting apart of people and things for a special place in the life of the Church, for Bishops and priests at their ordination, and for churches and altars at their consecration. During the service two oils will be blessed -  the oil of Chrism, and oil for the anointing of the sick and those close to death. The oils will then be distributed to the attending clergy to take back to use in their parishes. 

 

Clergy must register and can do so online at www.epiok.org by clicking on the "Calendar/Events" tab, then, "Event Registration" and scroll down to Holy Monday Gathering and click "register now." You can also call or email the Assistant to the Canon to the Ordinary, Diane Ellsworth via phone at 405-232-4820 or by email at dellsworth@epiok.org. Only the altar party needs to vest. The deadline for registration is March 26.

Vital, Healthy, and Growing Congregations

Applying the Five Keys

 

A Workshop for Clergy and Lay Leaders of the Diocese of Oklahoma

Lead by The Very Reverend Kevin Martin

Author, Speaker and Dean of St. Matthew's Cathedral, Dallas

 

At a time when many Episcopal Churches are in decline, is it possible to create vital, healthy and growing congregations? Yes it is, and Dean Kevin Martin will be with us to help our congregational leaders improve insight and skills in leading congregations for the New Millennium. Dean Martin has taught church leaders and consulted with congregations for over 15 years, and he is the author of two books and numerous articles on leadership and congregational development. Participants will learn:

 

* Why doing church the way we have always done it does not work today.

 

* How the culture is changing and demanding new missionary efforts from our congregations.

 

* What you can do as a leader to help your congregation respond to the challenges of a Post-denominational and Post-modern world.

 

Drawing applications from his book 5 Keys for Church Leaders, Dean Martin will give practical information on steps all leaders can take in becoming more effective leaders for today's Church.

 

Location of Workshops

The two day work shop will be offered both in Oklahoma City and Tulsa.

 

May 18-19, St. Augustine of Canterbury Church, OKC

Friday, May 18th, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. for Clergy and Program Staff

Saturday, May 19th, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. for Vestry and Lay Leaders

 

June 1-2, St. John's, Tulsa

Friday, June 1st , 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. for Clergy and Program Staff

Saturday, June 2nd, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. for Vestry and Lay Leaders

 

Registration information

To register, please visit the diocesan website www.epiok.org and click on the "events tab" and scroll down to "Healthy and Growing Congregations" and click "register now."

 

You can also email the Assistant to the Canon to the Ordinary, Diane Ellsworth at dellsworth@epiok.org. Questions, call Diane at 405-232-4820 or 800-584-0823.

The Hope of Our Calling

The National workshop on Christian Unity will be held in Oklahoma City, April 16 - 19. This event will offer seminars and presentations on critical ecumenical issues, meetings of denominational networks, a celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Vatican II, a visit to the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum, and ecumenical worship services. Bishop Ed will be a part of this event serving as a joint celebrant in accordance with the interim agreement between the Methodist and Episcopal churches on Tuesday, the 17th, at St. Paul's Cathedral, OKC.

New Hope Sunday - May 6
 

May 6 will be New Hope Sunday for the Diocese of Oklahoma. New Hope began as a ministry of the Diocese in 1992, providing a summer camp experience for children who had a parent in prison. Today, New Hope, as a non-profit corporation, continues to provide services to Oklahoma children with incarcerated parents, and while those services have expanded, summer camps remain a primary focus. For the last 20 years, New Hope's success has been closely tied to the support we have received from Episcopal churches and individuals, who have donated money and time generously.

 

The New Hope residential camp for children aged 8-11 will again be located at St. Crispin's, July 22-27. Two other residential camps for children aged 12-13 and 14-15 will be located at a camp facility near Guthrie, June 10-15 and July 8-13. Day camps for children in the Tulsa area will be held June 18-22 and June 24-29. New Hope, with your help, will serve about 200 children this summer from around the state. Your support of New Hope is much appreciated.

 

If you would like to coordinate New Hope Sunday for your church, contact Judy Gann, judy@newhopeoklahoma.org or 918-361-3903. To donate, please visit New Hope's web site. http://www.newhopeoklahoma.org. To volunteer, contact Phillip Bowman for a volunteer application by e-mailing phillip@newhopeoklahoma.org. If you know children in your area who qualify for one of New Hope's camps please contact Lindsay Fry-Geier, Lindsay@newhopeoklahoma.org for applications.

 

With the release of The Hunger Games on film, many youth leaders are looking for resources to discuss the film and book with their group. Check out these sources:

Parenting can be difficult and unpleasant. Most parents experience moments (or months, or years) of feeling overwhelmed. There's a lot of information out there about what we "should" do to raise "good" kids.

In reality, there are no surefire methods for ensuring we and our children will be happy, healthy, and successful, but there is plenty of research and anecdotal evidence showing that parents can make a significant, positive difference through a number of simple approaches.

 

Since the 1950s, Search Institute researchers have studied the effects of various influences in young people's lives. They've found that the 40 Developmental Assets clearly relate to good things -- like doing well in school, serving others, engaging in the community, and forming healthy habits.

It's important for grown-ups to help young people experience the Developmental Assets, but parents can't do it alone. However, there are nine specific parenting strategies that help. Focusing on these nine research-based strategies provides guidance and direction in the uncertain world of parenting. And that's something parents should feel good about. Below are the 9 Parenting Strategies that we've come up with based on the Developmental Assets research. Click on each icon for tips. 

Click here for the steps.   

christianformation@epiok.org

(405) 232-4820