From the Field
Weekly News & Events of the Diocese of Georgia
In This Issue
Happening Registration
Diocesan Staff Events
Diocesan Family News
Report from the DR
Parish Histories
Summer Camp
The Loose Canon
Episcopal Youth Event
VBS Photos
Quick Links
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Happening Registration

Click this link to register candidates for Happening #87, July 29 - 31, 2011. Registration deadline is July 18th, 2011.

GA State Tax Credit

Support Episcopal School Scholarships

Episcopal Day SchoolOnce again, you will have the opportunity to support scholarships to students at Episcopal schools in the Diocese of Georgia, through a special Georgia tax credit that allows you to direct your tax dollars to one of two participating schools, Episcopal Day School in Augusta or St. Mark's Day School in Brunswick.  Every donation made is returned to the donor as a 100% GA state income tax credit and may at the same time be used as a federal charitable tax deduction.  This program will provide financial assistance only to students with demonstrated financial need, providing the opportunity of an Episcopal school education to deserving students.

Donors will be provided with the proper tax information and records for filing. Both EDS and St. Mark's want to offer an Episcopal school education to as many students as possible and this program is an excellent way for Episcopalians to support the work of the Church and help provide a great education to children who would otherwise not have this opportunity.

 

St. Mark's PreschoolTiming is important! With $9 million donated so far, it is expected the $50 million cap on these tax credits for 2011 will be met this year, so you are encouraged to act early, as no more contributions will be accepted after the cap has been reached. This program was created by Georgia Law HB1133 to provide opportunities to students with financial need to attend private schools. This money is set aside specifically for student scholarships to private schools and not taken from the budgets of our state schools.

 

If you would like to help students at Episcopal Day School, please go to the website, www.edsaugusta.com, and click on "GOAL Scholarship" (the program used at EDS - www.goalscholarship.org for more information), or contact the Admissions Director, Karen Lilly at 706.733.1192 ext. 12.  If you would like to help students at St. Mark's Day School, please contact the School Director, Beverly Nutt, at 912.265.1090.  

 

The Rev. Dr. Frank Sawyer, Episcopal Day School Chaplain, Augusta 

The Rev. Alan Akridge, Rector St. Mark's, Brunswick

 

The photos above are of Episcopal Day School on its closing convocation and of St. Mark's on its Cat in the Hat day.

 

 

 

 

Diocesan Staff Events

Bishop Benhase, Canon Logue and Canon Willoughby are meeting today with the Honey Creek Commission at Diocesan House.

 

Canon Hall is leading a group currently at the Provincial Youth Event for Province IV of The Episcopal Church.

 

On Friday, Canon Logue will be at St. Patrick's, Albany, for their 50th anniversary celebration.

 

On Sunday, Bishop Benhase will make his visitation to All Saints', Tybee Island. Canon Logue will be celebrant and preacher at St. Matthew's, Savannah

Ian Edge
Diocesan Family News

Ian and Mary Beth EdgePlease pray for SPC Ian Edge and his wife Mary Beth Clendinen Edge (pictured at left). Ian is an Army medic who was deployed to Afghanistan. Last Friday he stepped on an IED. He has lost his left foot and a portion of two fingers on his left hand. The previous week, he saved his Lieutenant when the officer stepped on an IED. Ian is the son in law of The Rev. Jim and Anne Clendinen, Rector of Annciation, Vidalia. Mary Beth and Ian were married at that church last September. He was deployed to Afghanistan the third week in March. Mary Beth and Ian's mother will meet Ian (pictured above in Afghanistan) at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, DC tomorrow. Ongoing prayers are needed.

 

From left: Euclides, the local Dominican contractor and resident of El Pedregal; Mike, a team member and experienced construction worker.
Mission Team Home from the D.R.
A 30-person team from the Diocese of Georgia has returned from a successful mission trip to the village of El Pedregal in the Dominican Republic from June 18-25, 2011. The trip diary entries and photos posted in a daily journal of the team's activities on that trip:

2011 Mission Trip Journal

This is the tenth year that Christ Church has sponsored a trip to the Diocese of the Dominican Republic's camp. During that time, much positive change has occured in the community through the ongoing work of the Episcopal Diocese of the Dominican Republic, supported in part by these ongoing, relationship-building, trips. To see the online photo album set up for photos from the 2011 trip, go here.

 

 
Digging out the foundation for the electrical substation.

 


Julia Ariail explains the knitting project for the day - knitted baby blocks (on table just right of center).

Parish Histories Requested

The last published history of the Diocese of Georgia concluded in 1956.  With the encouragement and support of Bishop Benhase, we think it is time to update the story of what God is doing in the Episcopal churches of South Georgia.

 

One section of this new diocesan history will be devoted to our parishes and missions.  Please designate one or two persons to submit a brief summary of your congregation's story, 500 - 750 words.  You may shape your story as you choose, but try to include the following topics:

 

1. Founding information - date, special circumstances, and special people.

2. Buildings - initial location and structure, subsequent changes both

     exterior and interior; special physical features.

3. Memorable moments, ministries, and personalities.

4. The Civil Rights Movement as experienced by your congregation

    (1950s, 1960s, 1970s) and subsequent experience with racial issues.

5. The experience of your congregation with including women in

     governance, liturgy, and ordination.

6. The reaction of your congregation to the 2003 General Convention

    decision to approve the consecration of Bishop Gene Robinson of New

    Hampshire.

7. The current character of your congregation in size, diversity, and other

    distinctive features.

 

Many of these topics are part of the fabric of the times since the 1950s, but the individual style and personality of each congregation should also be part of its description.  Humor and anecdotes are welcome along with the important substantive information.  A recent parish profile may actually contain good material to apply toward the summary of your history.  If your congregation does not have a written history, now would be an opportunity to work on one.

 

Retired Bishop Harry W. Shipps and diocesan historiographer Janet Stone will prepare the larger narrative of diocesan history concerning our different bishops and major issues. Congregations please send Janet the name and email of the person or persons who will provide the summary history of your congregation.  Janet will contact them with further information, including suggestions about pictures, and answer any questions.  Her email is [email protected]


The 2011 Summer Camp Staff is ready for ultimate frisbee.
  
Honey Creek
Space Available in Two Camp Sessions

Summer Camp is now underway and while enrollment is going well, as is typical, openings remain in two of this summer's camp sessions. Camp Honey Creek features incredible opportunities for exploration, adventure, learning about God and building relationships!  As always, there will be great music and worship every day. Campers will enjoy spending time in activities: swimming, arts & crafts, fishing, singing, sports, exploring nature, kayaking, ropes course, disc golf, hanging out and so much more.

 

Camp sessions are based on age groups. New for 2011, all camps will include special opportunities to explore nature and music in a more in depth way.  In the past, we have had camps dedicated to these two offerings, but because of their popularity, we are including them in each camp session. Camp director, The Rev. Sonia Sullivan Clifton, offers more complete information online here: 2011 Summer Camp Brochure

 

The first session of St. Joseph and Mary is now underway through Saturday. Camp Session dates remaining for 2011 are:

 

St. Peter | July 10-16, 2011 | Finished grades 6-8

St. Joseph & Mary II | July 17-23, 2011 | Finished grades 3-5


A group photo from High School Camp, which was held last week. Above are some other photos of last week's fun.

"Christ summons the Church to continual reformation
as she sojourns here on earth.
The Church is always in need of this,
in so far as she is an institution of men here on earth."

-Vatican II

 

"Ecclesia Reformata, Semper. Reformanda."

translates: "Reformed and ever reforming."

-Martin Luther

 

  
The Loose Canon
The Missional Church: Back to Basics

Every human institution drifts from fulfilling its initial purpose, the reason the group was founded, to fulfilling the purpose of supporting the institution. In this, the church is not the only culprit, but neither is the church immune. As revealed in the story I shared last week of the life-saving station which became a club (see article here), we can turn from the mission before us to maintaining the buildings and their traditions.

 

The Catechism in the Prayer Book states the mission of the Church "is to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ." The is, at its heart, a very evanglical idea. Evangelical in the sense of "Good news." We have the good news to share that God loves us and wants a relationship with us and through the redeeming work of Jesus Christ we can find forgiveness of sins and a more life-giving and joy-filled way to live. This mission is not our mission, but God's mission. Sharing this good news with a lost and hurting world is why churches exist.

 

The goal is the ministry, but the temptation comes to focus on the building and the community already present in your worship. The furnishing, the care, and the upkeep of a building takes money, time, and energy and that's okay. However, when you make decisions for the sake of the building, then you are getting off course. Sound preposterous? Well, I have heard many a complaint around the Diocese about the mess the Scout group leaves or the problems with Narcotics Anonymous and so on. While we do need to teach the groups meeting in the space to respect our churches, we do not want to decide what happens based on preserving the building. We do not want to encourage away groups of people simply because they are not "church broke" yet.

 

Remember first and foremost what are God's purposes for your church buildings. Your church is to be a house of prayer for all people. Your church is to be a place where God's healing touch is offered to those who need God most. Set those purposes before you. Make them the target for which you aim. Then decisions about who can use the building, when and for what will not be made for the sake of this building. And also can't rely on the building itself to do the work of spreading the Good News in your community. Find new and innovative ways to invite the people in who need God most. Don't wait for them to be attracted to your lovely building. Look for creative approaches to ministry that will encourage spiritual seekers to enter your church. You can't simply wait for people to decide to come there on their own.

 

The move from mission to maintenance is one that always occurs. This is natural. Yet, the church is ever in need of reformation. We who have already received the Good News need to ever remember our churches exist not merely for us, but for those who are still lost and hurting. There is no one in easy driving radius of your church who needs to become an Episcopalian. Not a single one. But no matter how many churches there are in your area, there are more people in range of your church who need the Gospel than have yet heard it in a way that is compelling. And there are people in every town in south Georgia who will never be able to have the relationship with Jesus Christ that they need until they find their way into an Episcopal Church. It is for these people still in need of forgiveness, healing and a relationship with God that your church exists, as much as for those who now attend.

 

In the coming weeks, I will continue to share how this move from maintenance to

mission looks not just in theory, but in congregations across the Diocese.

  
The Rev. Canon Frank Logue
Canon to the Ordinary
  
The Loose Canon is a regular column in From the Field whose content is gathered together with other items of interest to those concerned with congregational development at loosecanon.georgiaepiscopal.org
EYE Group Photo
Episcopal Youth Event

EYE photo 3The Diocese of Georgia was well represented this past week at Episcopal Youth Event, a national meeting of youth from across The Episcopal Church. For three solid days - from early morning to late night - our team was part of 730 Episcopal youth, supported by more than 300 adult advisors and 50 bishops, were immersed in a comprehensive program designed to enrich and empower the next generation of leaders in the Episcopal Church. More than 50 workshops shared knowledge, stories and skills on subjects such as prayer and spirituality, effective Bible study, youth ministry and mission trip planning. Our group (pictured here) has now moved on to Province 4 Youth Event at the Red Lake Nation. 

EYE photo

 
The Christ Church Valdosta led mission trip to the Dominican Republic (see above) ran a Vacation Bible School in El Pedregal. Here a mission team member assists in making Bible bookmarks.

 
Vacation Bible School in Photos

The Vacation Bible School photo album is collecting pictures of our kid-friendly catechesis taking place around the Diocese this summer. Send your congregation's photo to [email protected]

The photos will be added to the album: VBS Photos and used at the diocesan website. Some of the photos will be shared here in From the Field. If you create a Facebook or other online album, you may also just send a link to that album to the address above and our online photo gallery curator, Julius Arial, will copy the photos to the diocesan album.


Mission team member Robbie plays with boys at the VBS in one of the pools.

Send your news and events to [email protected],
so we can feature them in upcoming issues
of From the Field.

Sincerely,
 
Diocesan Staff
The Episcopal Diocese of Georgia