What A Weekend!

Sesquicentennial & Convention Recap

O'ahu's Sesquicentennial celebration and the 44th Annual Meeting of Convention this past weekend can be summed up in three letters---WOW!  The highly anticipated arrival of our Presiding Bishop, the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, fulfilled all expectations, as she left in her wake a message of hope and peace and many admirers, that included young girls who were unaware that the leader of the Episcopal Church was a woman!  What an inspiration!

The weekend celebration also brought to light some wonderful surprises including musical performances by several groups from our churches, including a rock band, a powerful Tongan choir, and operatic duo-- just to name a few. 

The video documentary, Grace & Beauty: 150 Years of the Episcopal Church in Hawai'i, by St. Michael and All Angels member Stephanie Castillo, was well received at both of its showings in Tenney Theater. 

A Ministry Fair was set up in Queen Emma Park that featured a number of booths from churches and service organizations.  

Rev. Moki Hino from Holy Apostles, Hilo, introduced a one-act play that was part of the Big Island celebration entitled, Vespers at Hānaiakamālama. The actress, Denyse Ockerman, who portrayed Queen Emma, paid her own airfare to be able to share this special play, and received a standing ovation for her moving performance!

The Presiding Bishop at St. Elizabeth's

Saturday was devoted to the Annual Meeting of Convention which went smoothly and maintained an air of camaraderie and celebration. Meanwhile, the Presiding Bishop paid a visit to one of our churches, St. Elizabeth's, where the congregation immersed her in a culturally rich program of music, dance, food and fun!  

There were lunches and dinners and lots of fellowship going on throughout the weekend, and during a Saturday evening event, four people received the Bishop's Cross for their dedicated service to the church.

The closing Festival Eucharist was a poignant time, as clergy from around the Diocese and Church dignitaries from around the globe processed in.  The service was live-streamed through the internet so that the entire diocesan church community could follow along and worship together as the Presiding Bishop preached and celebrated the Eucharist. 

A complete wrap-up of the Sesquicentennial and Annual Meeting will be coming out in a special e-Chronicle issue towards the end of the month. The wrap-up and slide shows of the events and activities will also be posted on the Diocesan website HERE which is a page "in progress" at the moment.  You will have access to the different addresses and sermons of our Presiding Bishop, Bishop Fitzpatrick, and event Chaplain, Dr. Jenny Te Paa.  In the meantime, those on Facebook can view some of the photos of each day's activities at the Episcopal Diocese of Hawai'i's page HERE.

If you have thoughts and photos about the weekend that you'd like to share, please submit them to news@episcopalhawaii.org for consideration.  Please be sure to include photo credits and identify subjects where possible.  Due to the hundreds of photos that were taken, we cannot guarantee publication.  Deadline for submission is November 23. 

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Bishop's Reading List for 2013

Bishop Robert Fitzpatrick released his Reading list for 2013, which he has broken down into four categories and contains three suggestions for each group.

He also highly recommends Father Malcolm Nāea Chun's No Nā Mamo: Traditional and Contemporary Hawaiian Beliefs and Practices (Honolulu, HI: University of Hawaiʻi Press, 2011) that "offers important insights into traditional and historic Native Hawaiian behaviors, intentions, values and understandings, that could provide a path to dialogue."

You can find the link to view the Bishop's Reading List for 2013 on the diocesan website's home page under the Bishop's Corner, or click HERE.

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Charitable gift annuities (CGA) are a wonderful way to support your congregation's planned giving program.  When donors create a CGA, they not only make a significant contribution to your community, but they also receive numerous benefits, including regular payments of income, a portion of which may be tax-free, as well as a significant charitable deduction in the year they make the gift. The Episcopal Church Foundation encourages members to take advantage of ECF's life income gift program by creating a CGA.  To learn more and to download the CGA booklet, click HERE. 

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Reminder:  Diana Butler Bass at St. Clement's

Noted author, Diana Butler Bass, will speak at the Vi and Paul Loo Parish House at the Parish of St. Clement in Honolulu, on Saturday, November 24, from 9:00 am - 2:00 pm. Butler Bass recently released her newest book, Christianity After Religion: The End of Church and the Birth of a New Spiritual Awakening.  Registration is $60 and includes a light lunch.  For more information and online registration, please go the St. Clement parish website HERE, or call the office at 955-7745.

What's Happening in The Episcopal Church? 

Announcements from around The Episcopal Church...

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 New Episcopal Church resources

focus on older adults

"Aging is Changing" is a five -part program designed to be incorporated into the life of congregations. Prepared by the Episcopal Church Office for Lifelong Christian Formation and the Executive Council Taskforce on Older Adult Ministries, "Aging is Changing" was developed to help clergy and lay leaders identify issues of older adults, their families, and caregivers, and to identify existing local, state and national resources that might be helpful. It also includes best practices from 60 congregations around the Episcopal Church.

"This resource is aimed at changing the perception that older adults become less useful as they age," explained Ruth-Ann Collins, Episcopal Church Officer for Lifelong Formation. "It highlights the potential of this generation and signals us to remember that as Christians, we are called by God. And as a church we have adopted The Five Marks of Mission as a way to answer that call."

Aging is Changing is available HERE.

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Episcopal Church offers Advent sermons for children

To engage children in a more active role during worship this Advent, the Episcopal Church is offering a four-week series of lectionary-based children's sermons.  Offered at no fee, the children's sermons provide clergy and lay leaders with step-by-step instructions on how to help the children lead the adults in worship.

"The sermons were designed for use in small congregations, but are appropriate for churches of any size and with any number of children, ranging in age from young children to youth," explained Sarah Johnson, Editor of Sermons that Work in the Episcopal Church Office of Communication.

The sermons for the four weeks of Advent are available the Sermons That Work website HERE.  

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Episcopal Church partners with FaithStreet,

a new congregational evangelism tool

A partnership between the Episcopal Church and FaithStreet paves the way for congregations to connect their church with church seekers through an innovative church locator that offers much more than a search engine.

"Our partnership with FaithStreet will give our congregations a new tool to promote their churches," commented Anne Rudig, Episcopal Church Director of Communication.  "FaithStreet not only locates a church, but works with a congregation to present the mission and ministry done there in ways easily understood by a seeker. It goes beyond address and contact info to providing an ethos or 'vibe' of particular churches."

FaithStreet, based in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, currently showcases 3,580 churches in all 50 United States, in over 1,500 cities. This includes over 100 church networks and denominations representing churches of all sizes, ranging from five to 10,000 members.

"FaithStreet is a tech-startup that is making it easy for anyone to find and connect with a great Christian church in their area," explained Ryan Melogy, Co-Founder. "We're creating a personalized church discovery experience, where anyone will be able to find a great church for them."

For more information and to join FaithStreet go to their website.

 In case you missed it, click on the link to read

the latest issue of the E-Chronicle.  

OCTOBER 2012 ISSUE

IMPORTANT REMINDERS

Did you miss an edition of the E-News?  Listed below are the titles of some recently published announcements. To see the complete article, click on the linked issues below, or visit Archived E-News Editions on the diocesan website, and click on the desired issue.

11/01/2012:

Sesquicentennial - O'ahu Celebrates!

Hurricane Sandy Relief

Recent Calls in Congregations

FACE Interfaith Service November 8, 2012

Diana Butler Bass at St. Clements November 24, 2012

Constable Fund Grant Applications being accepted

Jubilee Ministry Grant Applications being accepted

10/18/2012:

Prepare/Enrich Workshop February 8, 2013

Free Vestments Available

United Thank Offering Applications to be Available in January

ECF Webinars

10/01/2012:

Priest-in-Charge Appointed to St. John's, Kula

Hale Haumana Campus Ministry

09/17/2012:

Sesquicentennial Events Continue

Give Thanks: A Junior & Senior High Retreat at Camp Mokuleia Deadline to register is November 2

Episcopal Student Center is Up and Running!

On Stewardship

Ministry Info Available on Diocesan Website

Reminder: Book of Common Prayer in Hawaiian available 
  

09/05/2012:

The Parish Paper

 Bible Study: In a Bowling Alley?

8/22/2012:

Ernesto "Jar" Pasalo to attend Virginia Theological Seminary

General Convention 2012 Summary of Actions available

08/01/2012:

Congregational Assessment in the proposed 2013 diocesan budget Message from the Bishop

1% Support for Theological Education Message from the Bishop

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Contact Information
News
Office of the Bishop
229 Queen Emma Square
Honolulu, HI 96813
(808) 536-7776, ext. 326; Neighbor Islands: 1-800-522-8418