Diocese of San
Joaquin
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The Friday Reflection Title  
June 10, 2016
 
The Rev. Helen Harper,
St. Michael's, Ridgecrest,

We listened to the voices in the community of Ridgecrest and heard there is a great need for food. We reflected on this need, had many discussions, prayed about it, after which we decided to take a leap of faith and reopen our food pantry.

We then held a giant yard sale in December 2015, to raise monies for the pantry, and it was a huge success! The entire community came out that day to shop, to encourage, and to donate non-perishable goods. The pantry doors opened on March 8th and what we now know is that the need is even greater than we first realized!

There is a pantry manager with volunteers from our church as well as from the community. We even have our own licensed social worker - a member of our congregation -- who works with individuals and families. She conducts assessments then refers people to area agencies. We are also now members of a Kern Country food bank which will begin providing us with large quantities of food for pennies on the pound beginning May 1st. A Godsend indeed!

The mark of mission to tend, teaches us to reach out to our community and we now provide a service that is much-needed. Even though there are other food pantries in town we realized more could be done, particularly since we also provide specialty grocery items to people with allergies and gluten-free sensitivities.

Through the mark of mission to transform, we see the lives of many people in our community being touched by the generosity of food donations, and also by the gift of time and caring our volunteers give to people who come to the St. Michael's food pantry.
 
From St. Paul's, Modesto

Family Promise
C. List

St Paul's, Modesto, recently completed its hosting week for Family Promise. For those who may not know, Family Promise is a national program. The program provides counseling to help families and houses them in cooperating churches throughout the community who each provide "rooms" and meals for a week at a time. St. Paul's Episcopal, Modesto, is one of 14 participating churches in the area. This allows families to remain together, rather than in male and female dormitories of programs like that of the Salvation Army.

Overall, our week was successful. Over one third of our parishioners pledged their time to cook and serve meals, host during the evening hours, stay overnight, set up "rooms", tear down "rooms", wash linens, and provide food items or cash.

We hosted 4 homeless families (13 individuals) that had lost good paying jobs, deaths in the family that affected living arrangements, or low paying jobs that do not cover basic expenses.

How close are any of us with a mortgage, a couple of car payments, and other expenses of daily life, to a disaster from job loss, health emergency or other accident? There but for the grace of God go we. We need to look at our family, our home, our conveniences, our daily lives, and say "Thank you, God, for what you have helped me have. Thank you for your continued guidance."

Family Promise offers hope. It offers counseling, budget guidance, help overcoming stigmas of eviction and bad credit, and direction to finding employment. It forces people to save while providing room and board through churches for up to 3 months. It also can provide first and last month rental assistance once housing is found. During our week at St Paul's, parishioners were able to help find potential housing for one family and potential employment opportunities for 2 individuals.

Is this a worthwhile mission? Is the ratio of time, expense, effort, emotions given for a relatively small number of people reasonable? These aren't really the individuals holding the begging signs on the street. We pray weekly for God to help us be as Jesus Christ to comfort and heal all those who suffer in body, mind, or spirit; give them courage and hope in their troubles, and bring them the joy of your salvation. So, maybe it is. 
 
A Journey to the Holy Land

During last year's General Convention in Salt Lake City, Utah, there was substantial discussion in both Houses (Deputies and Bishops) regarding the Israeli/Palestinian relationship and the ways in which the Episcopal Church navigates through and engages in that relationship. One of the most significant points of our discussion was the recommendation that we continue educate ourselves concerning this complex relationship and perhaps the best way to do that is to visit there.
 
And now we have an opportunity to do that very thing, that is to say, educate ourselves and visit.
 
A Journey to the Holy Land
 
Local Guide and Instructor: Canon Iyad Qumri
 
Under the Direction of the Rev. Heather Mueller, Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin
 
Tom Verde, Diocese of Connecticut
 
14 days: September 22 - Oct 6, 2016

The trip includes: Old City of Jerusalem and worship at St. George's Cathedral, Bethlehem, Jericho, Nazareth, Jordan River, Capernaum and much more.

Land Trip Cost is $2799 which includes: Accommodation, Food, Transport (once there), Guiding fee, Entrance Fees, and the like. This cost does not include air travel.

Heather informs me that we have five people from the EDSJ and several others from beyond the diocese. There is still time for you enjoy the experience of a lifetime. I invite you to contact Heather and have a conversation.

I thoroughly commend this trip to you.
Blessings,

+David                          
 
57th Diocesan Annual Convention




Radical, Welcome, and Sending

The Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin  
 57th Annual Convention 
October 28-29, 2016 

ECCO 
Evergreen Conference Center, Oakhurst

Guest:
 
The Rev. Canon Stephanie Spellers 
Canon to the Presiding Bishop
for Evangelism and Reconciliation

More information coming soon!   
 
Healthy Eats

Healthy Snacks for Church Events
 
Thank for the conversations with several congregants from three different parishes. The discussion was from how their parishes were working to offering healthy alternatives to sweets, as in savories, small sandwiches to healthy appetizers. I am anticipating some great recipes from our conversations.


Please chat at your coffee hours as to what your congregation may like for a healthy coffee hour, pot luck, etc., and share their ideas so that we may send them out to all parishes. I will await your ideas.

One congregant shared that in all her church experience, it was really wonderful when everyone interested shared recipes and a cookbook was born. I share our vision for a Diocesan Cookbook to be able to share your great recipes and ideas.

Last week I spoke to Stuffed Avocado Eggs or as some might say Avocado Deviled Eggs, I hope your enjoy the recipe. Click here print out. 
           
Thank you, Blessings and Love,

Stephanie Gilmer
mzgilmer@diosanjoaquin.org
           
Prisoner Visitation Conference 2016

 As we consider how we might respond to our sisters and brother who are incarcerated and their families and support systems,  I commend this conference to you.

Blessings
+David

Join Prisoner Visitation and Support for our annual Visitor Conference 2016

 University of California
 Santa Barbara

August 18th, 2016 -
 August 21st, 2016

The theme for this year's Visitor Conference is :
 
Visiting Matters:
 The Heart of the Experience

Topics for sessions will include:

* Self-Care and Compassion: how to refresh your spirit after listening to difficult stories
* The inner workings of a therapeutic community
* Sharing stories of change and transformation

 Click here to register and more information 
 
For Clergy, Wardens, Treasurers
HAVE YOU SCHEDULED YOUR AUDIT?

If you have yet to schedule a peer audit you are to do so now!

 Turn in the form included in the Annual Congregation Management Review Binder and send to the Diocesan office with confirmation of intent of audit.
 
Fr. Paul Colbert is available to do the required peer audit. Contact him at: pcolbert@diosanjoaquin.org

Kudos go to: 
St. Nicholas, Atwater
St. Raphael, Oakhurst 
St. John the Evangelist,  
Stockton 
 Holy Trinity, Madera 
 St. Paul's, Modesto

                Kudos go to:
St. Paul's, Visalia 
and 
St. Michael's, Ridgecrest
 
for having their peer audit scheduled!

The Five Marks of Mission



The Five Marks of Mission
      
Click here for poster to post

Missional Bags

 TAKING ORDERS NOW!
Order Deadline
June 20, 2016
 
SUPPORT THE BAG!

Send your donations to The Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin, 1528 Oakdale Road, Modesto, CA 95355. Please write Yellow Bags in the memo line. Thank you. 

Safeguarding God's Children

  Safeguarding God's Children!

Please review your Safeguarding God's Children program in your parish. Are all volunteers working with children current with the training or have gone through the program?

Please contact Stephanie Gilmer, Diocesan Coordinator at mzgilmer@att.net.

Diocesan Events
Central Deanery Meeting
Saturday, June 11, 11am   
Holy Family, Fresno

Commission on Ministry Meeting, Saturday,
June 11, 10am ,Holy Family, Fresno

Annual Convention Planning Meeting
Saturday, June 11, 1:30-3:30pm
Holy Family, Fresno

Northern Deanery Meeting
Saturday, October 1, 10am,
St. John the Evangelist, Stockton

57th Diocesan Annual Convention
 October 28-29, ECCO
Evergreen Conference Center, Oakhurst

Advent Clergy Retreat, 
December 6-8, 
  St. Anthony, Three Rivers

Website Links

Calendars
Friday Reflection

Announcements, Stories of the Bag, Missional Days, Five Marks of Missions articles,  and special events articles can be submitted to the Diocesan Office at: emeyer@diosanjoaquin.org 

All submissions are due Tuesday for the following Friday Reflection.

Submission requirements:
pictures -JPEG format
articles- word document
linked documents- PDF


The Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin  1528 Oakdale Road, Modesto, CA 95355
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