Retreats are one of the most important things that we can offer to our youth in this Diocese.  The opportunity for youth to have "retreat" from the structure and pressure of their everyday lives can be life-changing and instrumental in faith. It is a time when youth who are so busy with homework, sports, family, drama, clubs, music, jobs, chores, and dating, can take a break from their hectic schedules and relax, slow-down, and focus on God and faith.  Youth leaders need to continue to be creative and intentional in retreat planning, and continue to show mature faith with an edge of fun and excitement about God to the youth they serve.   God is good, and merciful, and forgiving, and righteous, and it is our responsibility as adults and Christians to continue to bless our youth with opportunities to discover this.

While this Diocese held several different retreats this past year both parish-wide and Diocesan-wide, Christmas at Camp may have been one of the best. The first annual middle school retreat at Camp Mokule'ia was a huge success and a fantastic retreat to end the 2013 year.  A total of 30 participants (25 youth and 5 adults), were in attendance for this incredible weekend filled with games, stories, song, activities, and laughter and smiles.  

The weekend was focused on an important middle school topic of interest; trying to figure out who you really are.  It was tied to Christian and Christmas themes, like generosity, kindness, prayer, and reflecting on our life journeys.  There were sessions of music and the opportunity for youth to try different instruments, opportunities to perform, and time where we all sang together in one voice. The sight and voices of 25 middle schoolers singing songs of praise and worship made for an incredibly powerful moment for the chaperones, all of whom volunteered their time to be a part of this event. There were tons of games, noting especially the teambuilding activities that helped develop trust and confidence in the weekend's small groups.   Between a blind walk through the grounds, obstacles to overcome, and tasks to accomplish as a group, the youth had a lot of fun and the adults couldn't stop laughing.

The weekend tried to emphasize that it was still the Christmas season--- that Christmas was not over. Indeed, we are a Christmas people, and we tried to incorporate "Christmas" activities into the retreat. There was a cookie decorating contest which left frosting cans empty, bellies full, and tons of sprinkles and cookie crumbs to clean up after.  It was a mess, but it was a delight! We sang Christmas carols, decorated the lodge with lights and bells and festive decorations.  Most importantly though, the youth gave gifts--- the gift of friendship to each other, acceptance of those who come from different backgrounds, the gift of laughter, the gift of respect, and the gift of helping us leaders realize why it is that we continue to serve.  Mahalo to all who helped make this possible.

(Be sure to visit the Episcopal Youth website HERE and their Facebook page HERE to stay informed of upcoming events.) 

• Pray about the future of your church and the Diocese.
• Leave a legacy.
• Honor the past. Witness for the Present. Cultivate the Future.

[Episcopal News Service] In the months leading up to Super Bowl XLVIII, Episcopalians in New Jersey and surrounding states have been gearing up, not for the big game, but for an influx of women and children who officials say will be trafficked into the region for sexual exploitation.

The dioceses of New Jersey and Newark have been hosting educational workshops and seminars at churches across the state, led by Episcopalians like Louis Cavaliere, a retired U.S. Navy captain who became interested in trafficking when he witnessed the "demand side" during active duty.

"I was sending people overseas, and they were engaging in this," said Cavaliere, a member of Grace Church, Merchantville, New Jersey, in a telephone interview.

In 2000, the United States enacted the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, which defines sex trafficking as a "severe form of trafficking" in which "a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud or coercion."

In the Diocese of New Jersey, Cavaliere gave talks at churches that focused on the problem of human trafficking occurring alongside huge sporting events such as the Super Bowl. READ MORE

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 COMMENTARY: The Church's role in, and against, 

homophobia across Africa

By Gay Clark Jennings, President, House of Deputies

The fate of a bill passed by the Ugandan parliament remains uncertain after President Yoweri Museveni refused to sign it, but news reports from Nigeria indicate that there have been mass arrests of gay men following President Goodluck Jonathan's signing of the National Assembly's anti-gay bill.

World leaders, including United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, have expressed their dismay. Many Christian leaders around the world, regrettably, have been largely unwilling to criticize Christian leaders in Africa who cheered the passage of these punitive laws.

The Anglican primates of Uganda and Nigeria enthusiastically support anti-gay legislation in their countries. I, like them, am a member of the Anglican Communion, a worldwide body of more than 80 million Christians. I am troubled and saddened that fellow Anglicans could support legislation that fails to recognize that every human being is created in the image of God.

Western Christians cannot ignore the homophobia of these church officials or the peril in which they place Ugandan and Nigerian LGBT people. The legacy of colonial-era Christian missionaries and infusions of cash from modern-day American conservatives have helped to create it.