FROM  THE  FIELD
News & Events of the Church in Georgia

From the Field

is a weekly eNewsletter of the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia sent out each Tuesday.

 

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1Book1Diocese
Advent 2011

Traditional Spiritual Practices

The website for 1Book1Diocese for Advent is up and running. Please send in your photos of where you pray or brief stories about praying Morning and Evening Prayer.  

 

1Book1Diocese
Website

 

Warden, Treasurer and Youth Leader Workshops

Canons Willoughby, Logue, and Hall will offer a one-day workshop for wardens, vestries, and youth workers on Saturday, October 15th, 2011, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at The Episcopal Campus Ministry House on Fair Road (GA 67) in Statesboro.

 

The group will break into two tracks-one for Church Wardens and Treasurers led by Canons Willoughby and Logue to give the tools needed to assist in overseeing the temporal affairs of a church and another with Canon Hall for those who work with youth and young adults to discuss best practices as well as to disseminate information on upcoming events.


To Register

Lunch will be provided. Please click this link to register online. For more questions on the workshop, please call Diocesan House at (912) 236-4279 to speak with one of the canons.

Pledge Time for Diocese and Churches 

As churches are working on their budgets and collecting pledges, so is the Diocese of Georgia. The deadline for appealing the 2012 asking has passed, but pledges are still coming in for the Diocese. So how does all this work? How is it that churches and the diocese can begin planning for the budget, without having all the pledges in hand?

 

First, it is the mission of the church that drives the budget at local and diocesan level. Leadership needs to share its planned mission for the coming year together with the budget requirements to realize that mission. Placing the mission first gives a vision for what will be done with the funds. Planning is possible as both at the diocesan and parish levels, there is a track record of past and current giving to serve as a basis to project giving. Generally speaking budgets rise gently over time and so planning for giving levels that are constant works well when there is neither unusual growth or decline. Then as the pledges are all in, it is possible to make the typically minor adjustments needed.

 

All budgets are experience based as they come from giving and spending trends. All church budgets are also faith based as even with pledges in hand, things can change for better and worse during the year. Putting the vision first and getting a budget process underway with what is known helps organize thinking and supplies details to a larger vision.

 

Appeals to Diocesan Council for 2012 asking were due September 15. All pledges should be in now, but many are remain outstanding. Vestries should be passing resolutions now and getting their commitments to the Diocese for 2012.


 
Bishop Benhase speaking to the clergy at the conference going on now at Honey Creek. 

Diocesan Office Update

Bishop Benhase and the Canons are at the Clergy Conference taking place now at Honey Creek (pictured at right and below). The conference concludes tomorrow with lunch. His eCrozier from last Friday on "The Demand for What's Mine in a "Second Amendment Solution" Culture" is online here: eCroizer #106 

 

This Saturday, Bishop Benhase will celebrate and preach the Eucharist for a 10th anniversary gathering for Integrity Georgia to be held at St. Paul the Apostle, Savannah at 11:30 a.m. On Sunday, he will make his visitation to St. Elizabeth's, Richmond Hill in the Morning and St. Philip's, Hinesville, in the evening. 

 

Canon Hall will be at Fall Gathering this weekend, our diocesan youth event will be at Honey Creek. 

 

This Sunday, Canon Logue will celebrate and preach at St. Patrick's, Pooler.  

 

The Rev. Bill Hesse's Celebration of New Ministry

The Rev. Bill Hesse's Celebration of New Ministry at King of Peace this past Sunday.

Honey Creek Update

The clergy of the Diocese are currently at Honey Creek for the Fall Clergy Conference with the Episcopal Preaching Foundation (pictured above are clergy gathering for dinner on Monday). Tonight, they will celebrate together the Easter Vigil, with lighting new fire, a renewal of baptismal vows and the full vigil liturgy. 

 

Coming soon to Honey Creek   

10/28-29: Grounded in God Spirituality Retreat 

11/4-11/6: New Beginnings 

11/11-12: Clergy Spouses Conference

 

The Rev. Jason Haddox tells his fellow clergy about the worst sermon he ever gave (and what he learned from it) as part of a discussion at the clergy conference going on now at Honey Creek. Below, The Rev. Liam Collins and others listen to the discussion.

Clergy Updates

 

The Rev. Mark Jones has announced that he is resigning as rector of St. Paul's, Albany, effective January 28, 2012 in order to live closer to his children.

 

The Rev. Nancy Mills has announced she will retire early in 2012 as the Vicar of Good Shepherd, Thomasville, as she and Luther move to the Deerfield Episcopal Retirement Community in Asheville, North Carolina.

 

The Rev. Anne Schnaare has accepted a call to serve as the Rector of Trinity Episcopal Church in Marshall, Michigan.

Help Us Keep Our Directory Current

The diocesan website has a "Parishes" page which lists contact information for every congregation in the Diocese. These contacts change frequently and we do not always know of the changes here at Diocesan House. Check your listing at the webpage here: http://georgia.anglican.org/?page_id=80 

 

Send any corrections to Rudy Reyes at rreyes@gaepiscopal.org

Youth and Young Adults
Registration Now Open for Fall Gathering 2011
Join us for Fall Gathering 2011, October 7 - 9, 2011 at Honey Creek, where musician, songwriter, and producer Fran McKendree (pictured at right) will lead us in worship, workshops, and a special concert on Saturday evening.

Ages: 6th grade - 12th grade
Cost: $110
Deadline to register: September 30, 2011

Click here to download a PDF of the application.
Click here to register online

Youth and Young Adults - New Beginnings

 

Team Application and Participant Registration Now Open and Available Online 

New Beginnings Thumbnail 2011 

 

Participants: Click here to register online as a PARTICIPANT for New Beginnings #39.
Click here to download a PDF of the New Beginnings #39 PARTICIPANT application.
PARTICIPANT registration deadline is October 24, 2011.

Team & Participants: Click here to access the diocesan scholarship application.
TEAM & PARTICIPANT Scholarship application deadline is October 28, 2011.


Check www.edogy.org for all list of all these dates as well as for links and forms.

Integrity Georgia 10th Anniversary 
Trina RenayThe Church of Saint Paul the Apostle, Savannah, will host a Eucharist marking the 10th anniversary of Integrity Georgia on Saturday, October 8 at 11:30 a.m. The liturgy will be followed immediately by lunch in Bishop Brady Hall.  Bishop Benhase will be the Celebrant and Preacher. The choir of St. Paul's will also be supported by Randy Moss and opera singer Trina Renay (pictured here), who is known for her Gospel singing as well as classical work.    

Integrity is a nonprofit organization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender [LGBT] Episcopalians and our straight friends.  Since its founding in Ft.Valley, Georgia in 1974, Integrity has been the leading grassroots voice for the full inclusion of LGBT persons in the Episcopal Church and our equal access to its rites.  However, advocacy is only one facet of Integrity's ministry.  At the national and local levels throughout the country, Integrity's primary activities are: worship, fellowship, education, , outreach, and, service to the church. Please check the website for more information integrityga.org.

The Loose Canon

Welcoming Visitors to Worship 

The ministry of greeting those arriving to church for worship requires sensitivity. Some visitors will enjoy a greeter showing them around, asking questions, and offering lots of information. Other visitors want to get in and out of church with as little contact with others as possible. This is true as visitors bring their own expectations, and often some emotional baggage to church with them. Greeters need to be trained not to offer the same welcome to all, but to pick up on the clues offered by the visitor as to how best to welcome them.

The visitor who arrives early and begins by looking around is asking to be engaged in conversation. Early arriving persons not known to the official greeters, or other regular attenders, should be greeted with something like "Hi, My name is Frank. I don't believe we've met." This won't offend the long-time member who usually attends the early service, but popped in for the 11 o'clock this week. It is also the perfect opening for the newcomer with questions.

The visitor who makes a beeline for the nave without hardly making eye contact if at all, should not be stopped and made to talk.  Remember always that someone may not quite be sure they want to be in church yet, and so may not be ready for a conversation on their first visit. Folks in this category, will often, though not always, arrive close to time or just after the liturgy has started.

After the Eucharist, the greeters should be on the lookout for visitors. Perhaps the person who zipped into the service is now going slow and looking around on the way out. This is the time to welcome him or her, to offer to go with them to the coffee and refreshments and connect them to others.

For those who are not greeters, remember the five-minute rule. For church members with a gift for hospitality, the first five minutes after the liturgy are your time to introduce yourself to those you don't know. Take the time to get to know the person and to connect them to others in the church, including the clergy. After that you can talk with friends who will still be there, while the visitor may slip out if not greeted. Then on later weeks, look for the visitor to return so you can greet them again.

The goal is to balance a genuine welcome  with not wanting to overpower visitors. We do not do this in order to grow a church. We do this because hospitality is part of who we are to BE as Christians. This is the God's House on the Lord's Day and all who come should be welcomed as if we are welcoming Christ. 
 
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

Feasting on Gratitude  

Episcopal Church Stewardship Series  

The Episcopal Church is offering a six-week reflection series based on the Gospel readings of Matthew, inviting readers to reflect and discuss stewardship principles and practices. Designed to complement and support a congregation's annual giving campaign, each of the six contributing writers explores stewardship, giving, gratitude and generosity in connection with the Gospel reading for each Sunday from October 2 through November 6, All Saints Sunday. Each week you can download a PDF of the Gospel reflection that encourages us to recognize, as William Stringfellow writes, that all life, including money, is a gift and the only way to honor such a gift is to give it away. The reflections are found online here: Feasting on Gratitude  

Achieving Progress and Impact

NetsforLife Fights Malaria in 17 Countries
Nets for Life LogoWith over 247 million cases of malaria occurring annually, NetsforLife continues to be an innovative global player in the fight against this deadly disease. Through community engagement, education, and monitoring and evaluation, NetsforLife works in 17 malaria-endemic African countries and collaborates with international agencies, national programs and local malaria stakeholders to combat malaria by instilling a 'net culture': a community-wide understanding of the protective value of nets and the right way to use and care for them.

 

Malaria netsChurches are often the only functioning institutions in communities located "at the end of the road," and utilizing this long-standing, trusted delivery system to empower and unite people to bring about lasting results is essential to success. This strategy has led to widespread change in attitudes and behavior around malaria nets, and also helped NetsforLife gain a reputation for effective community outreach.  These outcomes have made the program a valued partner that is routinely solicited to participate in formal country-wide strategic planning, and often tasked with technical leadership of these key components to ensure better overall results. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has one of the highest rates of malaria cases and deaths in Africa, the initial baseline survey showed net use by children under five - the most vulnerable group - to be 9.2%. Currently, monitoring and evaluation analysis points to an impressive net use rate of 82.5%, which exceeds the World Health Organization target. 

 

The goal for the current phase (2008-2013) of the NetsforLife program partnership is to distribute 7 million nets in sub-Saharan Africa. So far, the program has distributed over 4.8 million nets, trained nearly 43,000 malaria control agents, and directly reached almost 9 million community members. From net use to symptom recognition and treatment-seeking behavior, all NetsforLife metrics show significant progress in malaria prevention in program areas. Nevertheless, challenges in malaria control continue as the world races to achieve universal coverage (defined as one net for every two people) and the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target of reducing malaria-related deaths by 75%.

 

In 2009, the Episcopal Church renewed its support of the MDGs by pledging 0.7% of its annual budget to the new NetsforLife Inspiration Fund inspiring Episcopalians to help fight the spread of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa by increasing awareness and raising $5 million for the campaign. The NetsforLife Inspiration Fund is now the official channel for the Church's support of the MDGs in the 2010-12 triennium

 
Please visit www.netsforlifeafrica.org for more information about NetsforLife, Nets for Life photoEpiscopal Relief & Development's program partnership. Donations can also be made over the phone by calling, toll free, 1.855.312.HEAL. Gifts can be mailed to Episcopal Relief & Development, PO Box 7058, Merrifield, VA 22116-7058. Please put "NetsforLife/Malaria" in the memo line of all checks.

2011-2012 Concert Series at St. Peter's

 St. Peter's Savannah

The 2011-2012 St. Peter's Concert Series opens with a concert, reception and art show on Friday October 14 at 5:30 p.m.  Organist Kyler Brown will perform on St. Peter's Schantz pipe organ and the exquisite watercolors of Marilyn Foley, N.W.S. will be on display at a reception following the concert where attendees can meet both artists.  Purchases of Foley's art will benefit the Concert Series.  Among Brown's repertoire will be improvisations on two of Foley's works, unveiled to him during the concert. The community at-large is welcome.

 

St. Peter's Episcopal Church is located at 3 West Ridge Road on Skidaway Island.  There is no admission charge for the concert and no reservation is required.  Contact:  Tim McKee 912-598-7242 ext 5 or TMcKee@StPetersSavannah.org 

Svetlana and Milana Strezeva to Perform at St. Paul's, Augusta

 

Tuesdays Music Live, Inc. presents "the Great Russian Nightingale," Svetlana Strezeva, whose concert last season had to be cancelled due to a snow storm in Augusta that diverted her flight to NYC. Ms. Strezeva, one of Russia's greatest singers, will appear with her daughter, pianist Milana Strezeva as "Duo Lana."

 

The free concert is at 12:00 Noon on Tue 11 Oct at St. Paul's Church, 6th & Reynolds at the Riverwalk in downtown Augusta. Lunch following the concert is $10 per person and is catered by Crum's on Central. Lunch reservations can be made online at www.TuesdaysMusicLive or by calling the Box Office, 706-722-3463.

 

For further information visit www.strezeva.com

Education for Ministry Program

Opening for EFM Mentor at Pulaski State Prision

 

The EfM Program at Pulaski State Prison in Hawkinsville is on hold.  After three very successful years, we currently find ourselves in something of a state of limbo.  Our Mentor has retired and we have not yet been able to find a replacement.  Pulaski State Prison is a female prison, and it is felt that the mentor should be a female.  Please contact The Rev. Gary Abbott at 478-892-9373 or stlukes@cstel.net.

Central Convocation

Lay Eucharistic Ministers Training

LEM  

The Central Convocation will conduct its annual LEM/Lector training on Sunday, October 16, beginning at 3:00 pm at the Church of the Annunciation in Vidalia. This training is for new applicants as well as for continual training and relicensing of current LEM's. Sanctioned by the Diocese of Georgia, the Rev. Dr. Gary Abbott of St. Luke's Hawkinsville and the Very Rev. Louis Miller of Christ Episcopal Church Dublin will facilitate and train the LEM's. The Rev. Joy Fisher of Trinity Cochran will conduct the Lector training. This session is open to all folks in the Diocese of Georgia and not just limited to the Central Convocation. This will be the fifth year the Central Convocation has conducted this annual training session for LEM's and Lectors. For additional information, call the the Very Rev. Louis Miller at Christ Episcopal Church - 478-272-3003.

 

Convocations have been encouraged to provide training for all in their area. Individual congregations may also train their own LEMs. 

St. Matthew's, Savannah

Celebrating 156 Years

St. Matthew's 156th

St. Matthew's Savannah celebrated their 156th year as a church and ushered in a new year with five days of festivities. The Rev. Da'Henri Thurmond Pastor of St. Paul C.M.E Church led a two day old-fashioned revival. The following day, St. Matthew's celebrated with a Dinner Dance and Silent Auction held at the Mighty Eighth Museum in Pooler, Georgia. After a day of rest, St. Matthew's entered a new year with the celebration of its Patronal Festival with preaching from The Rev. Deacon J. Sierra Wilkinson. Pictured below is The Rev. Cheryl Parris, Rector of St. Matthew's at the reception following the Sunday service.

 

St. Matthew's 156th (2) St. Matthew's 156th (3)

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Diocesan Staff
The Episcopal Diocese of Georgia