Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer and Bishop Jon Bruno address a gathering of some 75 people from the Los Angeles area on how congregations can team up with their communities to deter gun violence. Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, below right, confers with forum attendees before his plenary presentation. Speakers included Canon Bruce Linsenmayer, who outlined steps for crisis preparedness in congregations, and Virginia Classick, who offered resources for influencing public policy.
Photos/Pat McCaughan
 'A Call to Action': Santa Monica parish hosts first diocesan public safety forumAdditional Hands in Healing anti-violence forums
planned within the diocese
It takes a village to curb violence, according to Bishop Jon Bruno and others at the first in a series of diocesan regional public safety forums, held August 10 at St. Augustine by-the-Sea Church in Santa Monica. The bishop's newest "Hands in Healing" initiative drew 75 people from congregations across the greater Los Angeles area and featured as guest speakers Sheriff Lee Baca and city attorney Mike Feuer. All agreed that education and community partnerships are key to deterring gun violence. Bruno launched the Hands in Healing Initiative in 2002 as a humanitarian and educational effort to bring hope and healing to communities struggling with violence throughout the world. "Today the Santa Monica College shootings loom strongly in my heart," Bruno told the gathering, about two miles from the June 11 shootings, where a former student shot and killed three people and injured others. He died of wounds after a gun battle with police. "We want to inspire each and every one of you to go out and start a new ministry or participate in an existing one," he said. A former police officer who was involved in gang diversion, he added: "If we do nothing, nothing's going to get done. We need to act as catalysts for change." Read full story here.  Some of the 75 people attending the first of six public safety forums on Aug. 10 listen attentively as Vanessa MacKenzie, rector of Church of the Advent, Los Angeles, addresses the gathering. Photo/Pat McCaughan
 Community Safety Forum series
to continue this weekend
Bishop Diocesan J. Jon Bruno invites all in the Diocese of Los Angeles to join him in the five remaining county-based forums focused on community safety and outreach to reduce violence. Local civic leaders will be among panelists in each presentation. Congresswoman Lois Capps will speak at the Aug. 17 forum at St. Michael's Church, Isla Vista. Bishop Bruno has requested that each congregation send a team of at least two representatives - clergy and lay - to one of the forums. For further information, call the diocesan Office of Community Relations at 213.482.2040, ext. 240.
Upcoming forums dates and locations are:
Santa Barbara County
Saturday, August 17, 10 a.m. - 12 noon
St. Michael's University Church
6586 Picasso Road, Isla Vista (at UCSB)
Ventura County Saturday, August 24, 10 a.m. - 12 noon
St. Paul's Church
3290 Loma Vista Road, Ventura
Riverside County
Saturday, September 14, 9 a.m. - 11 a.m.
All Saints' Church
3847 Terracina Drive, Riverside
Orange County
Saturday, October 5, 10 a.m. - 12 noon
St. George's Church
23802 Avenida de la Carlota, Laguna Hills
San Bernardino County
Saturday, October 12, 10 a.m. - 12 noon
St. John's Church
1407 N. Arrowhead Ave., San Bernardino
 Healthcare information available
on new CPG webpage
The Church Pension Group and Episcopal Medical Trust have established a webpage that summarizes the latest news about healthcare reform under the Affordable Care Act as it affects clergy and lay employees of the Episcopal Church. The diocese's Human Resources officer suggests that employees check the site regularly for important news and updates. In the near term, October 1 is the deadline for employers to notify their employees regarding the availability of the health insurance market place (exchange). The Medical Trust will be providing a sample notification that employers can use for this purpose. It will be posted on the website mentioned above as soon as it is ready.
The website also includes an FAQ page with helpful information on topics such as small employer tax credit and reporting on W-2's the imputed value of health coverage for non-dependent children who are age 27 or older. For additional information, please contact Anilin Collado at 213.482.2040, ext. 250. More on healthcare:
CPG asks for support for proposed
Church Health Plan Act of 2013
For more than 100 years, church-affiliated organizations such as the Church Pension Group have provided retirement and health benefits to clergy and lay employees. However, in the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Congress overlooked such employees. Beginning in 2014, the ACA will offer premium tax credits to certain low- and modest-income families to reduce the cost of commercial health insurance plans offered through a health exchange (health insurance marketplace). Unfortunately, federal law does not extend the same premium tax credits to low- and modest-income clergy or lay employees of churches receiving coverage through a church health plan. Two senators have introduced the Church Health Plan Act of 2013 (S. 1164), which would correct this shortcoming. CPG asks clergy and lay church members to contact their senators and ask them to co-sponsor this bill. A letter giving more complete information is here. A draft letter to senators is here. Contact information for senators is here. 
Students from St. Timothy's School, Compton, perform a song at the diocese's annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day service at the Cathedral Center of St. Paul in January 2013. Many of the school's students rely on scholarship aid. Photo/Janet Kawamoto
St. Timothy's Episcopal School, Compton,
continues to enhance community outreach
School seeks scholarship funds for needy children
This summer, thanks to equipment and expertise from Campbell Hall in North Hollywood and from St. Matthew's School, Pacific Palisades, St. Timothy's Episcopal School in Compton has seen some significant improvements to its facilities. The computer lab has been upgraded, providing not only a more robust program for St. Timothy's students but potentially serving as a venue for evening adult education as well. Read more here. Youth Pilgrims return from the Holy Lands
 Bishop Suheil Dawani of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem and Bishop Suffragan Mary D. Glasspool of the Diocese of Los Angeles pose at St. George's Cathedral in Jerusalem with the 2013 Youth Pilgrimage group, which has just returned from a 10-day visit that took them from Nazareth and the Sea of Galilee to Jerusalem and Bethlehem. The young people were led by diocesan youth officer Chris Tumilty (pictured at front right) and Program Group on Youth and Young Adult Ministries chair Shawn Evelyn (front left). Glasspool accompanied the young people as chaplain. Photos from the trip may be seen on the Episcopal News Facebook page. A similar pilgrimage is planned for the summer of 2015. |
 Just Action ...
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Just Action: Culture and a Wall
In this week's Just Action video, Bishop Mary Glasspool and two youth pilgrims in Jerusalem discuss cultural experiences and the separation wall, while on the Hands in Healing Youth Pilgrimage.
For this and more videos in the Just Action series, click here.
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People ...
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 Aug. 25 service to mark
Liz Habecker's retirement
St. Mark's Church, Downey, invites all to a special service marking the retirement of the Rev. Canon Elizabeth Habecker as she concludes her 13-year ministry at the parish. She has been a priest of the Diocese of Los Angeles for 29 years, and has been ordained for 37 years. Bishop Suffragan Diane Jardine Bruce will preside at the service at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 25. A reception will follow. For information, contact the church office at church@stmarksdowney.org or 562.833.0863. St. Mark's is located at 10354 Downey Avenue, Downey 90241.
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REQUIESCAT
Betty Jean Harpster Bechtel, wife of the Rev. Gillette Bechtel, a longtime priest of the Diocese of Los Angeles who more recently ministered in the Diocese of Northern California, died Aug. 2 of complications after a heart attack. A memorial service was held in Yucaipa, where the couple had recently retired, on Aug. 6. They had been married more than 50 years, during which Gillette Bechtel served in many capacities, including as chaplain at UC San Diego, vicar of St Francis' Church, San Bernardino, and professor at Bloy House. After a second memorial service, Betty Bechtel's ashes will be scattered at sea near Gualala, where Bechtel most recently served at Shepherd by the Sea Church.
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Events and announcements ...
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 Holy Cross monks invite all
to open house at new
Mount Calvary Monastery
 Marilyn McCord Adams to deliver Stern Lecture in Pacific Palisades Aug. 16 - 17 The Rev. Marilyn McCord Adams will deliver the 2013 Stern Lecture on Aug. 16 and 17 at St. Matthew's Church, Pacific Palisades, speaking on the topic "Horrendous Evils and the Goodness of God." She will address the classical theological and spiritual questions: How can a good and all-powerful God preside over a world such as ours that abounds in evil and suffering? How can we be in relationship with God when suffering is so much a part of our lives, and what does God intend to do about it? The lecture will be delivered over two days; "God as Horror-Perpetrator" on Friday, August 16, 7:30 p.m. , and "God as Horror-Participant" and "God as Horror-Defeater" on Saturday, August 17, beginning at 9 a.m. A luncheon on the parish courtyard will follow Saturday's presentation. All are welcome, and admission is free. For luncheon reservations (required), send an email to sternlecture@stmatthews.com. Adams is one of the world's leading philosophical theologians, and a priest of the Episcopal Church. During her academic career she has been Regius Professor of Divinity at Oxford University, the Horace Tracy Pitkin Professor of Historical Theology at Yale University and Professor of Philosophy at UCLA. The lectures are named in honor of longtime St. Matthew's parishioner Elizabeth Naffziger Stern, founder of Meals on Wheels of West Los Angeles. St. Matthew's Church is located at 1031 Bienveneda Avenue in Pacific Palisades.
 Tustin parish offers 'Seeds of Hope' program on gardens, feeding programs Tim Alderson, director of the diocese's Seeds of Hope program, will be the principal speaker at a "Seeds of Hope" event at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Tustin, on Saturday, Sept. 7, 9 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Morning workshops will include: Fall Planting: a Review from the Master Gardeners;  Planting in Small Spaces: container vegetable gardening; Planting Perennial Vegetables, and a Q & A and garden tour with master gardeners. Alderson (pictured at left) will speak on "What's this all about," an explanation of the Seeds of Hope mission of using church properties to grow food for the needy of the diocese's communities. After-lunch discussion will center on sharing resources, focusing on the questions "What resources does your congregation have for food production and feeding?" and "What resource does your congregation need for food production and feeding?" For information and reservations, contact St. Paul's at 714.544.3141 or visit www.stpauls.org. The church is located at 1221 Wass Street, Tustin 92780.
 Singles invited to October retreat
at Camp Stevens The Program Group for Single Adult Ministry will sponsor a retreat at Camp Stevens, concurrent with the camp's Harvest Hoe Down Weekend Oct. 11 - 13. The weekend program will include such activities as wine and beer tasting, campfire sing-along, a hayride, hiking, art activities and more. Cost per person for the weekend is $135, including accommodations in the Bishop's Lodge, activities, meals and snacks. Registration is now open: a deposit of $40.50 is required, and may be sent directly to Camp Stevens (please write "Single Adult Retreat on the memo line) at P.O. Box 2320, Julian, CA 92036. For information, visit the camp website at www.campstevens.org or contact the Rev. Andrea Paddock, PGSAM chair, at deaconandreapaddock@verizon.net.
 DOK, ECW offer bus rides to Joan Chittister talk on Sept. 21 The Daughters of the King and Episcopal Church Women of the Diocese of Los Angeles offer members of the diocesan community a bus ride to a special event at the ProCathedral of St. John featuring writer and lecturer Sister Joan Chittister speaking on "A World of Peace" at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21. The DOK is offering bus transport from any church in the diocese to the event (a minimum of five participants at each pick-up point is required). Cost of round-trip bus transportation is $10 per person: DOK will absorb additional costs. For reservations, send an email to Christine Budzowski at christine@theguibordcenter.org by Wednesday, August 28 with the name of the group, the number of passengers and a contact person. The event is sponsored by the Guibord Center, which advocates for understanding among L.A.'s diverse faith communities. In the midst of both natural and human-made tragedies in today's world, Chittister will offer her own definition of compassion and present the scientific and religious/philosophical stances and, finally, the human response. A Benedictine sister of Erie, Pennsylvania, Chittister is the author of more than 50 books. Among her latest is Following the Path: The Search for Passion, Purpose and Joy (Random House). The event is free and open to the public; donations are gratefully accepted. For additional information and program reservations click here.
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This week around the diocese ...
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SATURDAY, AUGUST 17, 10 a.m. - 12 noon
Hands in Healing Community Safety Forum
St. Michael's University Church
6586 Picasso Road, Isla Vista (at UCSB)
Information: Community Relations Office, 213.482.2040, ext. 240
Bishop Diocesan J. Jon Bruno invites all in the Diocese of Los Angeles to join him in six county-based forums focused on community safety and outreach to reduce violence. Local civic leaders will be among panelists in each presentation. Congresswoman Lois Capps of the Central Coast will address the Aug. 17 meeting.
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SATURDAY, AUGUST 24, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
The Christian Mystic as Prophet --
A Day in the Vision of Teilhard de Chardin
All Saints Episcopal Church
132 N. Euclid Avenue, Pasadena
Information/Registration here
Stillpoint: The Center for Christian Spirituality presents this gathering with media, music and conversation. Christian mystic Pierre Teilhard de Chardin was one of the most influential visionaries of the 20th century. Participants will explore the scientific, the mystical and the poetic dimensions of his vision. The program will include presentations with color slides, live music, and opportunities for discussion, and conclude with Teilhard's Mass on the World. The facilitator will be Dr. Ernie Tamminga, whose doctoral dissertation at UC Santa Barbara was on Teilhard's thought and its implications for cross-cultural dialogue. Books will be available for sale, and lunch is available by order.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 24, 10 a.m. - 12 noon
Hands in Healing Community Safety Forum
St. Paul's Church
3290 Loma Vista Road, Ventura
Information: Community Relations Office, 213.482.2040, ext. 240
Bishop Diocesan J. Jon Bruno invites all in the Diocese of Los Angeles to join him in six county-based forums focused on community safety and outreach to reduce violence. Local civic leaders will be among panelists in each presentation.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 24, 6 p.m.
Louisiana Bayou Garden Party
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
1221 Wass Street, Tustin
Information/Reservations: Dana Butler-Moburg dbmoburg@gmail.com or 714.269.9065.
Annual "Taste of St. Paul's" dinner-dance event, held in the courtyard of the church. Tickets are $75 per person. The event will feature St. Paul's hospitality and music by Swing Shift.
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This week in liturgy and the arts ...
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SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 6 p.m.
St. Aelred & St. Hildegard LGBT ministry
Evening Prayer and Picnic
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
1221 Wass Street, Tustin 92780
Information: 714.544.3141
This ministry serves several parishes in the area, including St. Paul's and Church of the Messiah, Santa Ana.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 7 p.m.
Sacramentum
St. James' Church
1325 Monterey Road (at Fremont), South Pasadena
Information: 626.799.9194; or www.sjcsp.org
A monthly experimental Eucharistic service that aims to bridge the gap between ancient liturgy and the "now" through the art of music, media and setting. The service is on the third Sunday of each month at 7 p.m.
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THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 7:30 p.m.
Centering Prayer
St. Augustine by-the-Sea Episcopal Church
1227 Fourth Street, Santa Monica
Information: 310.395.0977
All are welcome; no previous experience needed. The church is located on Fourth Street between Wilshire and Arizona. Parking is available in the public parking garage across the street. Centering Prayer is offered at St. Augustine's on the second and fourth Thursday of each month (except Thanksgiving Day).
SUNDAY, AUGUST 25, 2 p.m.
Retirement Service: The Rev. Elizabeth Habecker
St. Mark's Episcopal Church
10354 Downey Avenue, Downey 90241
Information: 562.833.0863
St. Mark's Church, Downey, invites all to a special service marking the retirement of the Rev. Canon Liz Habecker as she concludes her 13-year ministry at the parish. She has been a priest of the Diocese of Los Angeles for 29 years, and has been ordained for 37 years. Bishop Suffragan Diane Jardine Bruce will preside. A reception will follow.
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The Summer 2013 issue of The Episcopal News is online. Click here to download and read the magazine. |
 The Diocese is on Facebook here.
The Diocese of Los Angeles
has 1,932 followers on Facebook.
Follow the link above and
click on "like" to join them ...
You can also "like"
The Episcopal News here.
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We're gay - and we just got married!
Eight people gathered in the living room of our house in the Silver Lake area of Los Angeles for the ceremony. Earlier, on May 16, 2004, our union had been blessed by Bishop Jon Bruno, the first time a sitting bishop in the Episcopal Church had done so. It was a huge event. So this time we simply asked a few friends to visit our home for the civil ceremony. It was indicative of changing marriage laws deeply affecting gay relations.
Read more here.
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Opportunities ...
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Holy Land Pilgrimage. May 20 - June 2, 2014 Sponsored by All Saints by-the-Sea Church; led by Karen Telleen-Lawton, Canon Iyad Qumri and the Rev. Bob Honeychurch. Anyone of any faith who would like to experience Palestine and Israel is welcome to take part in this religious experience. For information, contact Telleen-Lawton at k.telleenlawton@alumni.stanford.edu.
Pilgrimage: The Best of France. October 31 - November 12, 2014
Led by the Rt. Rev. J. Jon Bruno and Mary Bruno, and the Rev. Canon James Newman. Stops include Nice, Carcassonne, Limoges, the Loire Valley, Brittany, Normandy, Rouen, Chartres and Paris. The cost from Los Angeles is $4081 ($3,399 + $682 in taxes & airline fuel surcharges). More information here. A brochure may be downloaded here.
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EMPLOYMENT
POMONA: Church musician, St. Paul's Episcopal Church. Part-time. Competency with pipe organ, piano, and ability to cantor preferred. Send resumé to Dorothy Flores, office manager, at 242 E. Alvarado Street, Pomona, CA 91767 or email to www.saintpaulspomona.org. SAN MARINO: Assistant Youth Worker. Saint Edmund's Episcopal Church seeks a female to assist with a growing youth ministry for 20-30 hours a month. This person will assist in most areas of the ministry but will focus on ministering to a dozen middle school youth, most of whom are females. Full job description and application information are here. SANTA CLARITA: Children's and youth ministry director, St. Stephen's Episcopal Church. Part-time ($600 per month). Most hours are flexible except for Sunday mornings and other activities as scheduled. A passion for working with children to strengthen their faith is required and familiarity with the Episcopal Church is desired. For information, contact the Rev. Kelly O'Connell, 661.259.7307. To apply, send a cover letter and resume to revkelly@st-stephens.org. _________________________ |
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VOLUNTEER
For volunteer opportunities, click here.
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TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT
Sheet music: Church of Truth in Pasadena has a collection of traditional church music to donate to a congregation. For information, contact the Rev. Pat O'Reilly, executive director of Friends in Deed in Pasadena, at pat@ecpac.net.
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