| The Official eNewsletter of the Anglican Mission in the Americas
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Dear ,
Thank you for keeping informed with the latest Anglican Mission news from around the world. Our hope is that you and yours will have a blessed holiday season!
We also encourage you to prayerfully consider attending our annual Winter Conference in January. Come expecting God to transform you during this important gathering. See registration and info below.
Why not forward Currents to an Anglican friend? Click the button below. Cynthia Brust
Director of Communications, Anglican Mission in the Americas
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Only 2 Days Left to Save on Winter Conference Rates...Register Now!
Don't miss the early-bird savings. The reduced conference rates end December 20, 2008. Our block of hotel rooms is also filling quickly at the Greensboro Sheraton, so be sure to take advantage of the special group rate available until January 8, 2009.
Join the fellowship, teaching, equipping and worship. Save on registration now!
For fast, easy and secure registration online click here.
Early-bird Pricing
$165 per person, $295 per couple
$110 per student, $175 per student and spouse
After December 20, 2008
$195 per person, $375 per couple
$150 per student, $255 per student and spouse
Group Registration
The group rate of $145 for single or $275 for double is available until 12/20/08 for groups of 25 or more. Interested? Please contact Patti Angulo for more information.
Room Reservations
Contact the Greensboro Sheraton directly to book your on-site room: 800-242-6556 (toll-free). Ask for the special Anglican Mission Winter Conference group rate available through January 8, 2009.
To see photos and bios on all the Winter Conference 2009 Plenary
Speakers, click here.
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Counting It All Loss, A Japanese Aristocrat Comes to Christ
by The Rev. Dr. Mark Quay
Dean, Anglican School of Ministry
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO GIVE UP EVERYTHING FOR CHRIST? Yusuke Osawa from Japan knows.
I'm enjoying lunch at the Buffalo Grill, a west Little Rock (Arkansas) fixture. Sitting across the table from me, eating a double cheeseburger with obvious relish, is Yusuke Osawa. Wearing a Harris Tweed jacket and St. Andrew's University pull-over, Yusuke is a quiet young man who speaks English with a disconcertingly cultured English accent. The inflection highlights his dramatic opening comment: "It's true, since I told my family I'm a Christian, I'm quite penniless."
 Just before the meal, I was introduced to Yusuke by a mutual friend and St. Andrew's classmate of his, David Robinson. I learned that Yusuke was born into a position of privilege that the rest of us could only dream about. On his mother's side, he is a member of the Japanese imperial family (he's a cousin of the Emperor of Japan). On his father's side, he is a scion of one of the oldest and wealthiest aristocratic families, the Osawas. His relatives include a number of generals, admirals and highly placed government and Shinto authorities.
Because of his family connections, he was ordained a Buddhist bishop at nine years of age. Sent at fifteen to a prestigious British boarding school, he later attended St. Andrew's University, the oldest university in Scotland. While at St. Andrew's, Yusuke converted to Christianity at the Roman Catholic Student Center and was baptized and confirmed in the Catholic Church. He later came to appreciate the Reformation's stand on personal faith in Christ and so left the Catholic Church to become an Anglican.
After graduation with an M.A. from St. Andrew's, Yusuke went to York (on the UK East Coast), where he worked at the famous cathedral, Yorkminster, as a verger while studying theology at the University of Leeds.
"I felt a calling on my life to enter the ministry of the Anglican Church and perhaps to return to Japan to start a church," Yusuke explained. He was well into the Church of England's discernment process when a phone call came from Japan; his grandfather had just died, and he needed to come home.
Returning to his family proved to be a bittersweet experience. Yusuke discovered, to his joy, that his grandfather had professed faith in Jesus Christ on his deathbed. He also found that the family trustees had heard about his conversion. He was summarily disinherited and, contrary to all tradition (in a very traditional country), Yusuke's adopted brother became sole heir to their grandfather's enormous wealth.
Having nowhere else to turn, he went to the small and (unknown to him) very liberal Anglican Church of Japan. The Bishop of Tokyo refused to receive Yusuke into the discernment process in Japan, claiming he had no knowledge of Yusuke and no interest in pursuing the relationship.
Yet, there were signs that God's providence was at work. Yusuke's grandmother also converted to Christianity. He translated the daily offices into Japanese for her devotions. Another sign--one of Yusuke's aunts is a Shinto high priestess and a member of the Ministry of Culture, the ministry that issues licenses to start churches and temples.
"I told her I wanted to plant a church in Japan, but licenses here are hard to get," Yusuke said. "She told me she would take care of that." Even when Yusuke emphasized that he was talking about a Christian church, she said it did not matter.
Yusuke is now presented with a tremendous opportunity--doors to ministry that would otherwise be closed to anyone else are open to him. However, many obstacles remain: completing his theological education, reentering a discernment process and waiting for God's direction and timing for his ministry in Japan...
By the world's standards, Yusuke lost everything to follow Christ, and yet this fellow Anglican looks with great hope and expectation toward the future.
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Gospel Message Served Up in 25 Neighborhoods...on the Same Day
The women's ministries at Christ Church in Plano, Texas, began the Advent season with an "un-churchy" evangelistic outreach called Home for Christmas. On December 6, neighbors, friends and acquaintances gathered for brunch in 25 homes located throughout the city-and each had the opportunity to hear the Gospel message in a warm, hospitable atmosphere.
Christ Church hostesses and devotion leaders held a rehearsal training brunch in advance to fine tune plans, as well as a tasting event that ultimately determined the menu to be prepared by teams at each home.
"The food is always fabulous, and this year we had a registered dietician develop the menu with all the ingredients easily found at Wal-Mart," explains Debi Newman, Minister to Women at Christ Church.
The brunch is often a catalyst to new relationships, conversations and curiosity about the Christian life. Vanessa Keenan decided to be a hostess again this year after last year's experience led to several new friendships with neighborhood moms.
"I refer to Homes for Christmas as the divine appointment of the year," reports Vanessa. "This year a neighborhood Bible study is a result of the event."
"This is the easiest way I know that a woman can evangelize in her own neighborhood," shares Newman. "This event draws women that would never come into a church but always come to my house for the brunch."
Gatherings range from eight people up to 30 for those with larger homes. One hostess takes her brunch to a senior facility, using personal china to make it special.
"We want this to be a non-threatening, un-churchy event for people that come, and so I encourage my hostesses to be sensitive to their own neighborhoods. I wear jeans so people will feel comfortable and come back," notes Newman.
Devotion leaders uniquely present the Gospel message, cultivating spiritual conversations that have led to reconciliations and recommitments of faith.
"This is a great way to celebrate the true meaning of Christ," said Kelly Reed, devotional leader. "Everyone is bubbling over with enthusiasm and energized about Jesus Christ as we begin the Advent season."
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Bishop Thad Barnum in the News
Never Silent, the groundbreaking book by Bishop Thad Barnum, was recently highlighted in VirtueOnLine (VOL). "When the official history of North American Anglicanism is written in the 21st Century there will be a handful of primary sources that scholars will not be able to ignore. One of them will be Never Silent by Bishop Thad Barnum," writes David Virtue. Read the full book review here.
An interview with Bishop Barnum is also featured at
Anglican-TV online, conducted by Kevin Kallsen with questions provided by VOL. Watch the interview here.
Never Silent may be ordered through Ariel ministry. Click here.
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Michigan Churches Host Andy Piercy Worship Tour
Worship leaders gather at New Wine Anglican in Lapeer for training session with Andy (waving). Rev. David Kulchar, rector of New Wine seated on front row, far left.
Andy Piercy, the Anglican Mission's Director of Worship Development, completed a whirlwind tour of three Anglican Mission churches in Michigan from November 14-16. Together with his wife Judy, he led times of inspirational teaching and anointed worship, awakening participants to new perspectives and expressions of worship at each venue.
An evening of community worship at Christ the King Anglican in DeWitt kicked off the weekend. Their Rector, the Rev. Canon Jack Lumanog enthusiastically recalls that Andy came with "clear teaching from a pure heart."
"His years of experience in an informal and vibrant Anglican setting in the UK make him the perfect person to help us as we look to retain our heritage while negotiating ways forward," Lumanog continued. "The people received him well and got a ton out of it."
On Saturday, New Wine Anglican in Flint hosted a workshop for 30 area worship leaders that... "helped us think through barriers we inadvertently create that prevent people from entering into worship," explained the Rev. David Kulchar. "We are thankful that the Anglican Mission has sent Andy to us because he is gifted to help people experience models of worship relevant to the present culture."
Wrapping up the weekend at the Sunday morning worship service at Anglican Church of Livonia, the Rev. Allen Kannapell said Andy taught his congregation: "The appropriateness and need for new songs in worship because every new generation needs to express itself in worship and song if it is to engage authentically in worship."
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"Super Sunday" Celebrates Jesus Birthday Party
MESA Community Church in Austin, Texas, celebrated the beginning of the Advent season with a free brunch, impromptu Christmas pageant and new message series called "Reel Christmas," a.k.a. the true meaning of Christmas re-told through classic Christmas movies.
Rector Matt Kessler did his homework and discovered that the first
Sunday of Advent is one of the "super Sundays"--or best days on the calendar for evangelism. He explains, "We encourage people to invite five people to church during Advent because people are more willing to come to church on the arm of a friend. We build events around the 'super Sundays' knowing that if we can get them there, they will come back."
 After morning worship on December 7, people gathered for brunch, and Nancy Scammacca, Deacon and pageant narrator, encouraged children from the crowd to play a part in an impromptu drama based on the book Grannie Mae's Christmas Play for the script.
T-shirts draped over church clothes made up the costumes. Dowel rods magically transformed into shepherd crooks. The low-budget pageant proved entertaining as kids recited lines from note cards when cued by the narrator. "Mary" even travelled to Bethlehem on the back of Pastor Matt, who donned brown socks for donkey ears. A hearty round of "Joy to the World" and birthday cake for Jesus capped off the event.
Participants brought presents for Jesus including toiletries, diapers and personal care items, all later donated to the Micah 6 Food Pantry serving Austin's homeless and needy.
"We have found that hosting events connected to a worship gathering work better for attracting visitors," reports Scammacca. "We had about twenty percent more than average in attendance on Sunday. We hope they will keep coming back to experience the Gospel and connect with Christ in community."
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Homes of Hope: Making a Difference in Rwandan Village for Children
All Saints Anglican Church in Morehead City, North Carolina, hosted the third annual Homes of Hope fundraiser on December 8, benefitting Christian Hope Village, a community of child-headed households overseen by the Anglican Diocese of Rwanda in Kigali. Hosted at a private residence in the community, the luncheon for women updates attendees on the needs of the Rwandan children and just how little it takes to make a life-changing impact.
(Top, clockwise) Construction on the new Homes of Hope multipurpose facility. Rwandan children in homes with new furnishings. A row of Homes of Hope.
"I just wish everyone knew how little of our money it takes to make an impact in Rwanda," explains Kathy Perry, Homes of Hope team member. "What we spend on lunch could feed a whole household of kids for several days."
The past two Homes of Hope events raised $20,000 in donations, greatly improving the quality of life for the Village's children. They no longer sit or sleep on dirt floors because all their houses are equipped with new furniture. Current construction on a new multipurpose building will provide a central gathering place for conferences, church services and fellowship.
Funds raised at the 2008 gathering go toward the purchase of chairs and other items useful inside the multipurpose facility. In a true entrepreneurial spirit, the additions open the opportunity for local residents to rent them for weddings and large events, in turn providing wages for the children to help pay for everyday necessities.
"I am a member of St. Egbert's Catholic Church and feel privileged to be part of this community effort to help children in Rwanda," explains Noreen Walker, also a Homes of Hope team member. "We know exactly how the money is used and hear about the difference it has made in their lives through our contacts in Rwanda."
(Left to right) Joyce McCune, Homes of Hope team member and event host,
with Emily O'Hara and Peg Brown.
If you would like more information on hosting a Homes of Hope event in your community contact Shelly Miller.
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BridgePoint Church Gives Hope
To Middle School
BridgePoint Church recently partnered with HopeFest completing sixty days of service to help Pearce Middle School in northeast Austin, Texas. The team's remodeling efforts transformed an immense and lifeless family resource room into an inviting space for students and faculty, giving hope to those facing challenging circumstances.
Launched in 2006, HopeFest is an annual event sponsored by a variety of Austin churches designed to "give back" to the people and institutions within a two-mile radius of Reagan High School in East Austin, an economically poor community. From September through Thanksgiving, with a festive day of celebration in the middle, volunteers representing 20 churches came together to serve this distressed community in a myriad of ways.
"HopeFest was an opportunity for us at BridgePoint, though a small community, to step out in faith and see how God would provide and work through us," explains Mike Watson, Rector of BridgePoint.
"I was stunned when I saw the 'family room' we were to remodel," recalls Kazuki Konno, BridgePoint team leader. "It was the size of a tennis court and needed room for two offices, conference space and a living room--all from start to finish, including furniture. It seemed impossible, but I had peace in God's ability."
Countless donations from individuals and businesses made it possible for BridgePoint to perform an overhaul, turning the room into a warm place for counseling, advice and training that will enable countless children and their families to capture future dreams.
"This event helped to deepen relationships and increase our faith in God's provision as we hear how it has impacted not only the school, but also the wider community," shares Watson.
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Winter Conference Hotel
Book Your Room Early
and SAVE!
Held in beautiful Greensboro, North Carolina, this year's Winter Conference host hotel is the 1000-room Sheraton Greensboro, the largest hotel and convention center between Washington, DC and Atlanta, Georgia.
Room reservations should be made by contacting the Greensboro Sheraton reservations desk directly at: 866-242-6556 (toll-free)
Be sure to request the special Anglican Mission Winter Conference group rate available through January 8, 2009.
Hotel website
Winter Conference webpage
Online Conference Registration
Greensboro info
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TAKE ACTION
Invite Andy to Teach at Your Church
Andy Piercy's message is easily applied. His passion to help others lead and enter into intimate worship is contagious and especially helpful to those with responsibility for leading their congregations into the presence of God.
If you would like to host a worship-training event in your community, email Andy.
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