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Upcoming
Bishop's
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June 6-19
Leading Diocesan Holy Land Pilgrimage
June 24
Trinity
Tulsa
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Upcoming Diocese Events | | |
To register or for more inforamtion please go onto the Dicoesan Web Site below or call the local congregation:
June 16
Diocesan Christian Formation Training Event
Celebremos la Fiesta
Let us Celebrate the Feast!
9:30 - 3
Santa Maria Virgen Episcopal Church, Oklahoma City
July 27
Episcopal Night at the Red Hawks Game
7:05
September 27-30
Co-Ed Spanish Speaking Cursillo
St. Crispin's
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The Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma
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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.
New Web site:
http://uruguay.anglican.org/
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The Next Issue of this Newsletter will be on Friday,
June 15, 2012.
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We Are Epiok.org
June 8, 2012
Issue 23 |
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 News, Events, and Offerings |
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Congregational Development Officer Joins Staff
Dear Friends,
I am pleased to announce that The Very Rev. Kevin Martin has joined the diocesan staff to serve as the Congregational Development Officer for the Diocese of Oklahoma.
Kevin is currently Dean of the Episcopal Cathedral of St. Matthew in Dallas, Texas. He will retire as Dean of St. Matthew's Cathedral this summer. Prior to his position as Dean, Kevin served for 2 years as Director of Vital Church Ministries while also serving as the Canon for Congregational Development in the Diocese of Central Florida. For 9 years, Kevin was the Congregational Development Officer for the Episcopal Diocese of Texas.
Kevin is the author of two books; "The Myth of the 200 Barrier" and "5 Keys for Church Leaders."
Previously, Kevin served as Rector of St. Luke's, Seattle, Washington, St. Matthew's, Westerville, Ohio and Emmanuel Church, Stamford, Connecticut and as Resident Chaplain at Bethesda Hospital and Children's Hospital in Cincinnati
Kevin has served on the Commission on Ministry in the Diocese of Olympia. He has been the President of the Standing Committee of the Diocese of Dallas, and has served as General Convention Deputy for three General Conventions.
The Very Rev. Kevin Martin will begin his duties in Oklahoma in September. Please join me in welcoming Kevin to the diocese.
Faithfully,
+Bishop Ed |
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Holy Land Tour
A group of 26 people leave Oklahoma this week for a trip to the Holy Land led by Bishop Ed. Please remember these individuals in your prayers as they travel. |
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A Walk in the Woods - St. Crispin's Conference Center
A recent trip to St. Crispin's for Ankle Biters Camp (ABC) registration found much activity going on - not counting the campers and staff! I was greeted by a bison - that's right - hidden in the woods as you enter camp, there he/she stands. The bison had previously resided at St. Paul's Cathedral but made his/her way out to St. Crispin's last year. Well, he is not in the same location seen last time I was out there - he's moved!
 Archery equipment has been set up. This new addition will provide our children and other who use the facility with the opportunity to become skilled in the use of the bow and arrow and proper maintenance of the equipment.
The next noise heard was that of a bulldozer scraping dirt down the hill.  This is above the upper lake where construction is taking place on the new dam project.
The upper lake has been completed drained and vegetation has taken hold of the area while repairs are being made.
This is the upper lake completely drained.
A quick glance pass the kitchen and before the pool, I spied the camp garden. Yes, it is surrounded by a fence so we don't allow our  produce to become the main meal of our friends the raccoons and deer. But two-legged friends are more than welcome to visit and work in the dirt. Fresh radishes and squash have already been picked from the garden and made into a meal. The zucchini, tomatoes, and jalapeno peppers will be ready soon.
Inside, photographs from photographer Carol Shanahan have been hung to brighten up the space outside the guest kitchen area. Other artists are invited to contact Mike Roberts about possibly displaying your art at the Conference Center.
The lower lake is looking beautiful and has been stocked with 500 channel catfish and over 16 pounds of minnows. Additionally, other fish that were in the upper lake were relocated to the lower lake.
A new stone firepit and benches have been built back in the woods overlooking the lower lake and the crappie pond. (yes, we have a crappie pond and the fish are biting!) There was an old cabin located here and we used the concrete foundation and rocks to build the new pit.
Come out and visit when you get a chance. The welcome mat is always out! |
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Episcopal Night at the Red Hawks is Back!
July 27 will be your chance to be a part of Episcopal Night at the Red Hawks game. Last year, we sold out of tickets. This year, we have 200 tickets available, all on the 3rd base side and costing only $8 per person. These are on a first come, first serve basis. 35 tickets are now sold. Don't miss the fun. Send your order and check for payment to Sabrina Evans at the Diocese, checks made payable to Diocese of OK. |
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Christian Formation Training Event Scheduled - Event is 1 weeks away - Are You Registered?
 We are pleased to offer our Diocesan Christian Formation Training Event, Celebremos la Fiesta (Let us Celebrate the Feast) on June 16 at Santa Maria Virgen Episcopal Church, Oklahoma City, OK. Each of the 12, that's right 12, workshops offered will like at feasts and/or seasons and how to make them special in our congregations. Who should attend? Anyone involved in formation (children, youth, and adult), anyone responsible for Intergenerational activities, and anyone looking for new programs to offer in your own congregations. Three of these workshops will be led by members of the Youth Commission!
Registration forms are on line and can be found by clicking here. PLEASE NOTE - there are actually 4 different sets of workshops, while the registration form only indicates 3. Please write your 4th selection in on the form. |
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General Convention Deputies and Alternates from Oklahoma
Dear Friends,
The General Convention of the Episcopal Church will meet in Indianapolis July 5 - 12. The General Convention meets every three years and serves as the Episcopal Church's governing body, with the authority to amend the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church, adopt a budget for the church for the next three years, consider resolutions on various issues, and authorize liturgical texts and amendments to the Book of Common Prayer.
The attached letter from Bishop Ed provides information about what we might expect during General Convention.
Blessings,
Canon McLoughlin +
So you know, here's a list of our delegates and alternates for General Convention:
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Clergy
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Lay
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Deputies
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Leonel Blanco, The Rev.
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Henry Baer, Mr.
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Shelby Scott, The Rev.
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Kate Huston, Ms.
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Irving Cutter, The Rev. (Chair)
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William Cathcart, Mr.
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Kay Boman-Harvey, The Rev.
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Jose Escalera, Mr.
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Alternates
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Mary Ann Hill, The Rev.
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Linda Brown, Ms.
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Whole Creation Community
This week Whole Creation Community (WCC) recognizes Trinity Episcopal Church in Guthrie. While WCC is a ministry of St. Paul's Cathedral (http://stpaulsokc.org/whole-creation), we attempt to include all parishes and missions in Oklahoma. The Rule of Life includes Prayer, Share and Act. Through prayer we receive clarity and direction. This allows sharing of ideas and actions that help us nurture all of Creation in accordance with God's will. In the weeks to come, WCC will be highlighting other Episcopal churches in Oklahoma.- Ferrella March (Whole Creation Community)
Community Garden and Ladybug Release
Trinity Episcopal Church, Guthrie, OK
Thanks to the efforts of Lori Fortney, a trustee of God's Food Bank in Guthrie, Oklahoma, a community garden was established in Guthrie this spring. The city donated land, and provides free water and electricity to a plot of ground near the historic Guthrie Water Works building.
Volunteers prepared the ground, building raised beds and bringing in soil and compost. The garden is planted with squash, tomatoes, green beans, peppers and other vegetables, which will be used by the food bank for people in need. Other community organizations support the garden in various ways. Rick's Coffee and Fine Chocolates, for example, donates coffee grounds to be composted for the garden.
Trinity Episcopal Church in Guthrie was looking for a way to observe Pentecost that would be enjoyable for the congregation and good for the environment. The Rev. Lynn Borrego, wife of  Trinity's vicar the Rev. John Borrego, is a retired Episcopal priest and a passionate gardener. She suggested a release of ladybugs. The bugs eat aphids, thrips and the eggs and larvae of harmful insects. Also, they are red, the color of Pentecost.
Some ladybugs were given to Trinity parishioners for their home gardens. On the evening of Pentecost, May 27, Trinity members and others gathered for a picnic at Mineral Wells Park, adjacent to the site of the community garden. After a picnic supper, all walked over to the garden, and the children in the group took turns releasing 4,500 ladybugs in various locations in the plants.
Additional bugs were released in the St. Francis Garden at St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Edmond, and more were taken to the gardens of friends and neighbors of Trinity Church. Some 18,000 ladybugs were released altogether.
Submitted by the Reverend John Borrego,
Trinity Episcopal Church-Guthrie, OK |
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St. Crispin's Summer Camp
 Summer Camp Sessions officially have begun! We ask your prayers over each of our youth groups, staff, deans, and nurses.
Please pray for these individuals: Summer Camp Director: Aaron Mooney. Full-time summer staff: Evelyn Langley, Katherine Whalen, Noah Allen, Hannah Hutchison, Kirsten Rysted, Phillip Bedford, Josh Keegan, Libby Fosmire, Emily Bibens, John Putnam, and Austin Woodliff.
June 3 - 9 Senior High Camp (for those in the 10th - 12th grades) We have 61 Senior High kids who are callingSt. Crispin's home this week.
Deans: Kate Huston and Scott Jackson
Chaplain: The Rev. Charles Blizzard
Nurse: Aaron Harris
Volunteers: Sandra Opalka, Kate Jewitt-Williams, Tom March, Matt Burkholder, and Kyle Watson
Report from the Camp Front:
It has been go-go-go all week! Tonight is the talent show, and we even got to watch the Spurs vs. Thunder game on the big screen last night after cookout! Our maintenance crew ran the satellite into our dining hall and we hooked up the projector to our Direct TV system so we could all watch. Construction on the dam continues and the new dam is starting to take shape. The crew has also done some work on the bottom of the upper lake to shape it up and make some areas deeper.
Some of the activities we've done include making tye-bleach t-shirts, breaking in the new archery equipment as well as our new basketball goals, freeze and burn, and watching UP during the rain yesterday afternoon.
We have had several birthdays that we've celebrated and presented with special treats. On the menu today is sloppy joes for lunch and chicken casserole for dinner. It sounds like the favorite meal so far has been spaghetti, meat sauce, and breadsticks!
Go to http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/St-Crispins-Episcopal-Conference-Center/219023541499142 to see pictures! |
Safeguarding God's Children Training
Safeguarding is required every 4 years for clergy, vestry, treasurers, bishop's committee members, those who work with children - Sunday School teachers, youth ministers, choir directors, and sextons, those who serve on vestry or Bishop's Committees, and anyone with a key to a congregation. This would be a great time to get trained before the beginning of your program year.
June 12 6 - 9 p.m.
Church of the Resurrection, OKC Contact Sabrina Evans christianformation@epiok.org to register or go on-line to the diocesan web site:
http://www.epiok.org/resources/safeguarding_god_s_children.html
June 16 9 - noon
St. Luke's, Tulsa,
Contact Paula Rule (prule@sjtulsa.org) to register.
June 27 6 - 9 p.m.
Church of the Resurrection, OKC
Contact Sabrina Evans christianformation@epiok.org to register or go on-line to the diocesan web site:
http://www.epiok.org/resources/safeguarding_god_s_children.html
August 11 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Diocesan Offices, OKC
Contact Sabrina Evans christianformation@epiok.org to register or go on-line to the diocesan web site: http://www.epiok.org/resources/safeguarding_god_s_children.html
August 25 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Trinity, Guthrie
Contact Sabrina Evans christianformation@epiok.org to register or go on-line to the diocesan web site: http://www.epiok.org/resources/safeguarding_god_s_children.html
July 21 at 10 a.m. at the Diocesan Offices will be a train the trainer event. This is an all day event. Completion of this training will allow you to do training in your congregation and throughout the Diocese.
Contact Sabrina Evans christianformation@epiok.org to register or go on-line to the diocesan web site: http://www.epiok.org/resources/safeguarding_god_s_children.html |
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Students in After School Program Create Organic Garden
Tomatoes, peppers, onions and more to make school-grown salsa
Several students who participate in the after school program at St. Mary's Episcopal School, recently self-initiated an organic vegetable garden at the school.
Jackson Garcia, Caden Trammel and Mackenzie Waters remove the soil for planting
Believing that the garden would yield a large crop, 3rd grader Charlie Schultheis said, "This will make Mrs. White's life so much easier. We can grow and pick fresh vegetables and she can cook them for lunch". Mrs. White serves as the lunch coordinator for the school.
Mathew Damon plants a tomato plant
The students created two gardens - a raised bed in the area of the school's permanent outdoor classroom, and another in a grassy area, close to the playground. Before the seeds could be planted is the grassy area, the students had to remove an area of sod which they replanted in other areas. Then they toiled the soil with hand rakes and added manure. They
Mathew Damon plants a tomato plant
repurposed some unused playground borders to frame the garden. Parents then donated seeds for peppers, carrots and lettuce, along with tomato, garlic and onion plants.
Charlie Schultheis, Caden Trammell and Josh Swisher initiated the 
project by asking program director, Donna Mackeiwicz, if they could plant some seeds they had found while hiking on the school campus.
The students have vowed to keep the garden all summer and plan to eat fresh salsa this fall made from their school-grown ingredients.
Addie Brown, Meghan Reeves watch
Eli Gibson water the freshly planted seeds |
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Eco-Justice Immersion Experience
August 25-30, 2012
Seattle, WA
Website: http://www.formstack.com/forms/DFMS-ELIYA
Sustainable economy, food and labor justice, eco-theology, and our spiritual and physical ties to the life that surrounds us.
Got your interest? Then apply for the Eco-Justice Immersion Experience.
20 young adults (between the ages of 18 and 30) will be selected for this opportunity to spend six days interfacing with leaders from both the faith and non-profit worlds, hiking in some of this nation's most beautiful country, and putting their hands and heads to work advocating for eco-justice.
Applications are due Friday, June 15.
Read about last year's Eco-Justice Immersion Experience
All local costs are covered; participants are responsible for raising funds for transportation to and from Seattle.
Hosted by
Episcopal Economic and Environmental Affairs
Mike Schut
Episcopal Young Adult & Campus Ministries
Jason Sierra |
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Oklahoma Episcopal Youth
Want to help? The Youth will be offering three workshops as a part of the Diocesan Christian Formation training event June 16 - from 9:30 a.m. until 2:45 p.m. at Santa Maria Virgen, OKC. They are: Leading a Small Group, Abundant Garden, and Christian Crafts - God' Eye, Lanyards, and Friendship Bracelets. If you can help, please contact Ashley Haggard at ashmhaggard@gmail.com.
We are pleased to announce the launch of the Episcopal Youth Leadership Academy (E.Y.L.A.) for the Diocese of Oklahoma. This program is open to youth grades 6 - 10. It will provide opportunities to learn to be a leader not only in your congregation, diocese and beyond but these skills will apply to school and other organizations. Go to:
http://www.epiok.org/Christian%20Formation/e-y-l-a-launches-2012-13-program.html and download a brochure!
MIQRA - Save the date. Next January 19-21, as we offer our first MIQRA. What is MIQRA? It is an event to youth and adults who want to participate in reading the Bible from beginning to end! That's right - three days of non-stop Bible reading - but wait! There's more! There will be games, movies, activities, quite time, and much more going on at the same time! This will be held at St. Mary's Church, Edmond.
Next Youth Commission Meeting is September 29, at the Diocesan Offices, Noon. Planning for Convention and Miqra. Come join the fun. Please note the change of date. |
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Calling for Prayers and Artwork from Youth
God of My Heart: A Prayer Book for Youth is a book of prayers and artwork for youth, by youth. Church Publishing Incorporated is pleased to announce that it will be revising and expanding God of My Heart and is calling for prayer and artwork submissions by high school youth in the Episcopal Church by July 31, 2012. Spread the word and encourage the young people you know to submit their prayers or artwork for consideration. All the information can be found at God of My Heart. |
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10 Things I Want My Daughter To Know Before She Turns 10
Grace is rounding the curve to ten. I am not sure how this is possible. I feel ever more aware of her girlhood and looming adolescence, and of all the things I want her to know, as if I could somehow instill values and beliefs into her, like pressing a penny into soft clay. I know I can't; the best I can do is to keep saying them, keep writing them, keep living them.
Ten things I want my 10-year-old daughter to know:
1. It is not your job to keep the people you love happy. Not me, not Daddy, not your brother, not your friends. I promise, it's not. The hard truth is that you can't, anyway.
2. Your physical fearlessness is a strength. Please continue using your body in the world: run, jump, climb, throw. I love watching you streaking down the soccer field, or swinging proudly along a row of monkey bars, or climbing into the high branches of a tree. There is both health and a sense of mastery in physical activity and challenges.
3. You should never be afraid to share your passions. You are sometimes embarrassed that you still like to play with dolls, for example, and you worry that your friends will make fun of you. Anyone who teases you for what you love to do is not a true friend. This is hard to realize, but essential.
4. It is okay to disagree with me, and others. You are old enough to have a point of view, and I want to hear it. So do those who love you. Don't pick fights for the sake of it, of course, but when you really feel I'm wrong, please say so. You have heard me say that you are right, and you've heard me apologize for my behavior or point of view when I realize they were wrong. Your perspective is both valid and valuable. Don't shy away from expressing it.
5. You are so very beautiful. Your face now holds the baby you were and the young woman you are rapidly becoming. My eyes and cleft chin and your father's coloring combine into someone unique, someone purely you. I can see the clouds of society's beauty myth hovering, manifest in your own growing self-consciousness. I beg of you not to lose sight with your own beauty, so much of which comes from the fact that your spirit runs so close to the surface.
6. Reading is essential. It is the central leisure-time joy of my life, as you know. I am immensely proud and pleased to see that you seem to share it. That identification you feel with characters, that sense of slipping into another world, of getting lost there in the best possible way? Those never go away. Welcome.
7. You are not me. We are very alike, but you are your own person, entirely, completely, fully. I know this, I promise, even when I lose sight of it. I know that separation from me is one of the fundamental tasks of your adolescence, which I can see glinting over the horizon. I dread it like ice in my stomach, that space, that distance, that essential cleaving, but I want you to know I know how vital it is. I'm going to be here, no matter what, Grace. The red string that ties us together will stretch. I know it will. And once the transition is accomplished there will be a new, even better closeness. I know that too.
8. It is almost never about you. What I mean is that when people act in a way that hurts or makes you feel insecure, it is almost certainly about something happening inside of them, and not about you. I struggle with this one mightily, and I have tried very, very hard never once to tell you you are being "too sensitive" or to "get over it" when you feel hurt. Believe me, I know how feelings can slice your heart, even if your head knows otherwise. But maybe, just maybe, it will help to remember that almost always other people are struggling with their own demons, even if they bump into you by accident.
9. There is no single person who can be your everything. Be very careful about bestowing this power on any one person. I suspect you are trying to fill a gnawing loneliness, and if you are you inherited it from me. That feeling, Woolf's "emptiness about the heart of life," is just part of the deal. Trying to fill that ache with other people (or with anything else, like food, alcohol, numbing behaviors of a zillion sorts you don't even know of yet) is a lost cause, and nobody will be up to the task. You will feel let down, and, worse, that loneliness will be there no matter what. I'm learning to embrace it, to accept it as part of who I am. I hope to help you do the same.
10. I am trying my best. I know I'm not good enough and not the mother you deserve. I am impatient and fallible and I raise my voice. I am sorry. I love you and your brother more than I love anyone else in the entire world and I always wish I could be better for you. I'll admit I don't always love your behavior, and I'm quick to tell you that. But every single day, I love you with every fiber of my being. No matter what.
By Lindsey Mead Russell
This post originally appeared on A Design So Vast |
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Christian Formation Resources |
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New Resources Available at the Diocesan Offices for Check-Out
 Embracing the Prophets in Contemporary Culture - a six-session study (book and DVD) from Walter Brueggeman and Tim Scorer looking at:
Session 1 Moses, Pharaoh, the Prophets and Us
Session 2 The Prophets as Uncredentialed Purveyors of the Covenant
Session 3 Moral Coherence in a Wold of Power, Money, and Violence
Session 4 The Shrill Rhetoric that Breaks Denial
Session 5 The Grief of Loss as Divine Judgment
Session 6 The Promissory Language that Breaks Despair
Adam Hamilton's Christianity and World Religions - Wres tling with Questions People Ask This is a 6-week study DVD and leader's guide looks at:
Week 1 Questions People Ask
Week 2 Hinduism
Week 3 Buddhism
Week 4 Islam
Week 5 Judaism
Week 6 Christianity
Each chapter of the book provides good solid information on the five religions. He then discusses the differences between the religion and Christianity. The author is a United Methodist minister.
DVD - The Way - with Martin Sheen and his son, Emilio Estevez. The video helps Tom (Martin Sheen) discover the difference between "the life we live and the life we choose."
 Call on Me - A Prayer Book for Young People by Jenifer Gamber (author of My Faith, My Life, and Your Faith, Your Life) and Sharon Pearson (Church Publishing).
book, bath, table, and time - Christian worship as source and resource for youth ministry by Fred P. Edie, who is director of the Duke Youth Academy for Christian Formation and assistant professor for the practice of Christian education and youth ministry at Duke Divinity School.
Learning to Use My Bible - Teacher's Guide - has reproducible student sheets and a CD. 8 sessions for helping children learn about the Bible. |
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Curriculum Changes and Up-Dates
Weaving God's Promises for Youth is now available. Check it out at: http://www.cokesbury.com/forms/search.aspx?ddlSearchScope&txtSearchQuery=weaving+God%27s+promises+for+youth
Living the Good News is going on-line this Fall and will no longer be available in print. Go to www.livingthegoodnews.com for more information. |
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Closing Prayer for June
A Summer Blessing
May you walk with God
This summer
In whatever you do
Wherever you go
Walking with God means...
Walking with honesty
And with courage,
Walking with love
And respect
And concern for the feelings of others
May you talk to God
This summer
And every day and
In every situation
Talking with God means...
Praying words of praise
For the
beauty of creation
Saying prayers of thanks
For friends and good times,
Asking God's help
In all your decisions
Expressing sorrow
When you have failed
May you talk with God
Every day Amen |
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Contact Information
Sabrina Evans
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