February 12, 2014
please note header

 

Watch the video. 
Watch the video. 

In this week's Please Note, I interview Katie Conway, Immigration and Refugee Policy Analyst for the Episcopal Church's Office of Government Relations, about the importance of speaking out on immigration policy issues to the United States Senate now. By advocating for fair, compassionate reform that focuses on family unity and recognizes the dignity of all people, we fulfill the biblical directive to welcome the stranger at our door.

 

Keep the faith,

+Michael

 

Resources       

Toolkit for Immigration Reform 

Contact your senator 

Immigration resources from the Episcopal Church resource library

Interfaith Immigration Coalition 

How much do you know about immigration in the United States?  

Episcopal Migration Ministries (Welcoming refugees) 


 

 

The ancient order of deacons is alive and well in the Diocese of North Carolina! The dream of the bishops is to have a deacon in every congregation, serving, as the ordinal says, especially the poor, the weak, the sick, and the lonely. Going from the gathered church into the world with the people, they are symbols for all the baptized "to love and serve the Lord." In hospitals and prisons, with the hungry and the homeless, as advocates and helpers, they work to live out the charge at their ordination that at all times, their "life and teaching are to show Christ's people that in serving the helpless they are serving Christ himself."

 

Discernment for the diaconate starts with prayer, learning about the diaconate and discussion with the priest of the congregation. The process officially begins with a nomination form submitted by the priest to the bishop suffragan by March 1, 2014.  

 

A wealth of information is available on the diocesan website,  

including a video and information about deacons along with pointers on the ordination process and the nomination form.  

 

 

Help identify those in your congregations who may be called to this ministry!  

 

Community Bulletin BoardBoard    

  

  • POSTPONED: Due to the inclement weather across the Triangle, the Saint Augustine's Historic Chapel Absalom Jones service at 7pm on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2014 has been postponed until further notice. Keep your eyes here for the new date. 
  • Preeminent civil rights historian Taylor Branch will be speaking at Raleigh's First Baptist Church on Salisbury Street on Sunday, February 23, at 5:00 p.m. The event is being co-hosted by First Baptist on Wilmington Street. Branch is the author of the landmark narrative history of the civil rights movement, America in the King Years, the first volume of which won the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for History. Following Branch's presentation, there will be a time of dialogue, a chance to interact with him and with members of these two Capitol Square congregations, one predominantly white and the other predominantly African-American. The event is free and open to the public. 
  • LOST AND FOUND: Several items from events over the past months have found their way to the diocesan offices. Does any of this belong to you?
    • From the Deaconal Ordination in High Point:
      • One pair of eyeglasses
      • One padded hanger (burgundy, Nordstrom tag) 
    • From the Annual Convention in November:
      • One pair sunglasses (bling around the edges)
      • One plastic tumbler; St. Mary's patch (High Point) and blue lid
      • One men's brown fedora (very stylish!)

If any of these items are yours, please contact the diocesan office. Any items that remain unclaimed after 30 days will be either destroyed, donated or adopted. (It really is a very stylish hat.....)

The bulletin board is a great way to share announcements, needs and offerings around the Diocese. To include an item on the bulletin board, email us at [email protected] with your notice. Please keep it short (100 words max) and be sure to include contact information.   
Upcoming EventsUpcoming 

 

Visit www.episdionc.org to see a full list of upcoming diocesan events or to view the diocesan calendar.        

 

 

February

  

14-16 - Youth Leaders' Retreat: A Quest for Holiness, 7:00p.m., Aqueduct Conference Center, Chapel Hill. Registration closes February 3.

 

16-18 - Kanuga's 25th Bowen Conference, "Beyond the Good Shepherd: Re-imaging God." The Rev. Dr. Lauren Winner, priest, professor and writer of several bestsellers, including Girl Meets God and Still, will keynote. The Rev. Ginny Bain Inman will coordinate the conference and the Rev. Winston Charles will serve as chaplain. 

  

17 - Standing Committee meeting

  

19 - Investment Committee meeting  

 

19 - La Santa Eucarist�a en Espa�ol/ Holy Eucharist in Spanish, 5:30-7pm St. Andrews, Greensboro. Fellowship and learning hymns - 5:30-6pm; La Santa Eucarist�a 6-7pm. Side-by-side Spanish/English prayer books available for Spanish learners. Bienvendios a todos!/All are welcome!

 

20 - Abendmusik, 7:00p.m., Christ Church, Raleigh. Musicians from the NC Symphony perform chamber music for clarinet and strings. 

 

24 - Participant registration deadline for Genesis: Middle School Spiritual Growth Weekend. Genesis is designed for middle school youth to explore their own faith through youth-led talks on family, friends, peer pressure, the church, Jesus and sharing one's faith.

 

25 - Trustees meeting 

 

27 - The N.C. Eastern Regional Braille Challenge, 9:00a.m., St. Mark's, Raleigh. Note the date change. The Braille Challenge is an annual competition equivalent to a spelling bee for sighted students. Students use a device called a Perkins brailler to test their abilities in speed and accuracy, comprehension, and ability to decode charts and graphs.   

 

27 - The Stones Cry Out: The Story of the Palestinian Christians, 7:00p.m., St. Philip's, Durham. Christianity was born in Palestine 2000 years ago, yet many are unaware Christians still live in the land. Join St. Philip's for a film screening and discussion.

28 - Just Desserts, 6:00-8:00p.m., The Episcopal Center at Duke, Durham. A delightful evening of delectable desserts to raise funds for the Episcopal Center at Duke's worship and programming.


March

1 - Shakespeare: Music's Muse, 7:30p.m., St. Matthew's, Hillsborough. St. Matthew's own Andrea Edith Moore will perform music created expressly for the performance of Shakespeare's plays and sonnets, as well as music inspired by and based upon his works. Tickets are $10 at the church office.

2 - The Chapel of the Cross annual meeting, 10:00a.m., The Chapel of the Cross, Chapel Hill

6 (and March 20, April 3, 10) - Lenten Book Discussion Group: Darkness Is My Only Companion, 6:30-8:30p.m., Chapel of the Cross, Chapel Hill

9 - Choral Evensong, 5:00p.m., Christ Church, Raleigh. 

 

Do you have an event you'd like to share? Email us at [email protected] with your event date and title, a brief description (100 words max.), a contact person and any promotional flyers or photos. Listings normally appear on the calendar four weeks prior to the event.

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Clergy Retreat 2014 
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Clergy Retreat is now open and can be 
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There is no cost to you to attend, but please note that space is limited, and single rooms are not available. 
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