Music series at St. John's features award winning organist Kirk M. Rich 

St. John's Worthington, invites you to hear prize-winning organist Kirk M. Rich on Sunday, April 19, at 3 p.m.

Rich is quickly becoming known as a solo and collaborative artist of integrity, praised for his technical command of the organ and breadth of musical imagination. He was featured in recital as a "Rising Star" at the 2008 American Guild of Organists National Convention in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota, and in 2014, he won third prize in the AGO's National Young Artists' Competition in Organ Performance. Most recently, he is the winner of the 2015 William C. Hall Pipe Organ Competition. His program for St. John's will include works of Bach, Brahms, Dupré, Stanley, and Vierne. 

Rich holds degrees from the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music and Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music; he is currently pursuing a DMA at the University of Houston. There is no charge for admission to the concert; a freewill offering will be taken to support the Music Series. 

St. John's is located at 700 High Street in Worthington (Columbus), on the southeast corner of the Olde Worthington Village Green (High Street at SR 161). Visit www.StJohnsWorthington.org for more information.

Amazing justice training opportunities

Over the next few months, the Ohio Organizing Collaborative will have amazing justice training opportunities for AMOS and Ohio Prophetic Voices leaders and clergy.

Coming up in early May is a training titled "Unleashing Clergy for Prophetic Leadership." We will wrestle with how clergy can be prophetic justice leaders during these times of economic insecurity and big questions around whose lives really matter. We will also work on how we can bring the best of our faith and sacred texts to shape our congregations and move more powerfully for justice in the public arena. Featured trainers include Rev. Damon Lynch III from New Prospect Baptist Church in Cincinnati, Rev. Christopher McKee from Tabernacle Baptist Church in Youngstown, Doran Schrantz who serves as Executive Director of Isaiah in Minnesota, and renowned author and scholar Dr. Walter Brueggemann.

This training is designed specifically for clergy serving and leading in a congregational setting. Here is the registration link: Clergy Leadership Training or http://action.ohorganizing.org/page/s/prophetic-leadership-training. If you have logistical questions, you can contact Sue Budd at sbudd@piconetwork.org. 

Call for Nominations to the Society of St. Simeon & St. Anna - Class of 2015

The Affirmative Aging Commission, which coordinates the annual meeting of the Simeon & Anna Society here in the diocese of Southern Ohio is seeking nominations for the Class of 2015. We are seeking 12 nominees from around the diocese. Any congregation in the diocese is encouraged to nominate one individual or couple, but congregations who have presented nominees in the past two years should not forward any nominees this year in order to assure that nominees cover a diverse geographic area. 

Nominees will be inducted into the Simeon & Anna Society on Wednesday, April 29 at the Procter Center. That day begins with the Holy Eucharist in Christ Chapel at 11 a.m. with Bishop Breidenthal presiding and preaching. The induction ceremony takes place immediately after the service in the Chapel and is followed by a gala lunch in the Procter dining room, with the bishop and diocesan staff serving the tables.

Nominations (and supporting documents) should be mailed or (preferably) emailed to the Rev. Bruce Smith, Chair of the Affirmative Aging Commission no later than March 31. Nominees will be notified in writing by the Commission of their admission into the society sometime during the second week of April. The newly inducted members of the Simeon & Anna society and their immediate family members will be the guests of the Affirmative Aging Commission at the luncheon. For all other folks attending such as friends and fellow parishioners, there will be a modest $10 fee for lunch.

Needless to say, we hope that all new members of the Class of 2015 will attend the event, but will understand if that is not possible. We do expect the clergy of the congregation and/or at least one person (hopefully more) to attend the event in support of the new member of the Society from their congregation.

The link below gives you more information about the Simeon & Anna Society and criteria for nomination, as well as links to the nomination forms and a list of current members of the Society.

http://diosohio.org/congregations-2/generational-ministry/affirmative-aging/

Nominations should be sent to:

The Rev. Bruce Smith

Chair, Affirmative Aging Commission

627 Yaronia Dr. N

Columbus, OH 43214

Email: revabs@wowway.com

Last Things: Program explores death and burial planning

Procter Conference Center

Saturday, April 18

10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Woody Allen once quipped, "It's not that I'm afraid to die. I just don't want to be there when it happens."

Many of us feel the same way. Even so, the Church encourages us to grapple with the reality of our "last things." There's good reason for this: the time of death is always a crisis. For each one of us who lives on, the death of those we care for is (to one degree or another) a painful and traumatic experience. It's an event that changes the landscape of our lives, for the rest of our lives.

And yet, despite its inevitability, we tend to come to death not only suffering from natural grief, but unprepared. The crisis, then, deepens and becomes even more painful as we are forced to do what we don't want to do, and to make decisions for which we have not planned. The spiritual, emotional and financial repercussions can be immense.

The time to think and talk with one another about death is now - instead of waiting for the moment of crisis. Such preplanning is a prudent and loving act that yields a multitude of blessings - now, and

The Rev. Charlie Brumbaugh

in the hour of our death.

The Affirmative Aging Commission invites you - whether you are nineteen or ninety-nine - to join the Rev. Charlie Brumbaugh at the Procter Center for Last Things, an exploration of these issues on Saturday, April 18, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The cost of $15 per person covers the whole program and lunch. Please register by April 4 at www.diosohio.org.

There will be much to learn and many stories to tell as we consider Christian perspectives on death, grief, burial practices, rites of burial and stewardship in death. It's our hope that by the time you drive home, you'll be well on your way to making wise and loving decisions about what is to happen upon your death. We are confident that you'll find this seminar not only informative and useful, but also thought-provoking and, yes, even fun!

Planning for Tomorrow Conference

Lay Employees: Thursday, April 30, 2015

Clergy: Friday, May 1, 2015

The Planning for Tomorrow conference sponsored by the Church Pension Group (CPG) is a great opportunity for both clergy and lay to learn and plan for their financial future. Spouses and partners are also encouraged to attend. CPG subsidizes the cost of the conference - and also subsidizes child care and elder care costs.

We strongly encourage lay employees to attend this conference and we strongly encourage that they be granted paid time off to attend. Diocesan House will be closed on April 30 so that all lay employees will be able to attend the conference.

No matter your stage of life, it's a unique chance for you and your spouse or partner to understand your current and future benefits, manage your finances, plan for your future, and improve your overall financial wellness.

To register:

Lay employees register here

Clergy register here