APRIL 2016 
No. 286

Jesus_risen

THE NEWSLETTER

The Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Northwest Texas

WELCOME to the Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Northwest Texas--a place where the vast open plains are as wondrous as the big sky above!

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Heavenly Light
by Leann Wigner, Lubbock 
 
As depicted in the pectoral cross of Bishop J. Scott Mayer, the stars, moon, and sun are representative of the beauty one may find in this region of Texas.  

The landscape, covering 77,000 square miles is as diverse as the cities and people, with the canyons and rangelands of the Staked Plains; agricultural fields abounding; and the rough and ready country of the Rolling Plains and Permian Basin. The people here are known for their warm and friendly smiles, making one feel like an old and trusted friend.
 
In This Issue
Quick Links
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Noteworthy News from Northwest Texas
  SAVE THE DATES! 
 
 
August 26-28, 2016 - DNWT Women's Retreat, Christ the King Retreat Center, San Angelo 
 
November 17-19, 2016 - Annual Diocesan Convention in Lubbock 


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 Ordinations and Graduations in Northwest Texas

Students from the first class of the Diocese of Northwest Texas School of Ordained Ministry (SOM) will graduate this May in a private ceremony to be held at St. Paul's on the Plains Episcopal Church in Lubbock. Students have attended the School for three years in a program associated with Iona Initiative, a collaborative effort of eight participating dioceses (Arkansas, Hawaii, Mississippi, Nebraska, Northwest Texas, Oklahoma, West Texas, and Wyoming) and the Seminary of the Southwest. It is patterned after the residential Iona School for Ministry in the Diocese of Texas, a widely respected and highly successful program.

Students completing SOM in the vocational deacon track are Deacon Dave Blakley and Deacon Mildred Rugger, currently serving at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Amarillo. Deacon Dave and Deacon Mildred were ordained to the diaconate on Saturday, January 23rd, at St. Andrew's.

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Students graduating in the priesthood track were ordained to the transitional diaconate in a service held on Saturday, December 12th, 2015, at Church of the Heavenly Rest in Abilene. It is customary for future priests to serve for a time as deacons prior to their ordination as priests, often for 6 months or more. The ordination services for the transitional deacons will be announced in the May newsletter, and will be held in the students' sponsoring parish.   

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Students in the priesthood track having completed their course of study are Deacon Thomas Keith, from Grace Church in Vernon; Deacon Doug Thomas and Deacon Amanda Watson, from Church of the Heavenly Rest in Abilene; Deacon Jim Walker, from St. Luke's in Levelland; and Deacon Jill Walters, from St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Amarillo.
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Additionally, Christian Rabone, left, a student at Seminary of the Southwest (SSW) in Austin, will graduate from SSW on Tuesday, May 24, 2016, at 10:00 a.m., at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, 8134 Mesa Drive in Austin. Christian hails from the Lubbock area where he attended and was sponsored by St. Paul's on the Plains Episcopal Church.

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Likewise, Justin Gibson, seen on the right with his daughter, is a student from Candler School of Theology at Emory  University, Atlanta, Georgia. He will graduate on Monday, May 9th, at 9:00am, at the Emory Quadrangle. Justin's sponsoring parish is St. James' Episcopal Church in Dalhart, where he was living prior to seminary. Christian and Justin's ordination to the transitional diaconate will be announced in the May newsletter.


Congratulations to all the graduates on a job well done! May God bless them as they continue their service to the Kingdom of God through their chosen vocation. 
Education for Ministry (EfM)          by Richard Partney, Diocesan Coordinator                    
Consider Education for Ministry to Push Your Intellectual Envelope 

It is the time of the year when Education for Ministry efm_bannermentors begin to look around their parishes and consider who would be a good fit as an seeker in adult education. In our communities, mentors begin to ask fellow community learners to think about their friends and neighbors, to think about someone who has a genuine yearning to explore and learn, to be surprised and reaffirmed, someone who is willing to spend a little more time searching the scriptures (yes, there is reading and one must be willing to set aside time to prepare,) not for "right answers" but for growth and enlightenment, awe and amazement - with some amusement thrown in for good measure.

**"Education for Ministry is exploring about God in conversation with others. The value of that education increases as we allow ourselves to become part of that conversation. Honed by storytelling, humor, and the joys of working in a community, participants can discover and claim their own individual theological voice. More than a few transforming moments occur as participants will, are surprised by, and eventually claim the reality that they are theologians, a people with theological commitments, preferences, questions, and liberating insights about God. The studies reveal glimpses of courage and leadership since time immemorial called forth from ordinary people by an extraordinary God. It is liberating to study and realize that the Bible is not a legal reference book of "right" answers to given questions, nor is it a weapon that entitles us to condemn others. Education for Ministry invites all the people of God, particularly laity, to heed, study, and follow the call of God. An Education for Ministry four years of studies give participants, as Thornton Wilder says, 'voices to guide us, and the memory of our mistakes to warn us.' "

This description of EfM from We Are Theologians, one of our common readings, gives those who would consider joining friends and neighbors in this four year study, a picture of what it is to be in community. I, as a Co-Mentor and Diocesan Coordinator, ask our mentors and community members to look outside the Episcopal fold to invite friends who are a "fit" for Education for Ministry from other theological backgrounds. It is my opinion that one of the Education for Ministry "prime directives" -to use an old Star Trek phrase is to seek out those who wish to learn and honor our faith and the faith of our neighbors, very much cognizant of this fact - no one has a corner on the truth.

For more information, contact your rector, vicar, EfM mentor or contact me for more information.

Richard Partney
[email protected]

(**From We Are Theologians, Fredrica Harris Thompsett.)
2016 Women's Retreat
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 The Ennegram and Spiritual Growth  
      2016 Women's Retreat
   
        Friday - Sunday, August 26-28, 2016
 
Christ the King Retreat Center in San Angelo
 
The goal of our spiritual journey is the returning to the true self that God created us to be. Recognizing when our own ego gets in the way of our God-created true self can give wings to our journey, and brings great insight and compassion into our lives and the lives of those we love. Part of this growth requires that we find balance in our lives. We will discover various practices we can add to our lives to fill in some missing pieces. Doing so, we may truly grow into the person God made us to be, so God's love and care can flow freely through us to the world.
 
Led by Kathleen Pittman
 
kpittman Kathleen comes from Roswell, New Mexico and has been leading retreats for the last 15 years. She lived in Alabama for 40 years, has been an Episcopalian 35 years, taught K-12 for 14 years and has been in higher education for the past 23 years. She currently teaches in Roswell for Eastern New Mexico University-Portales teaching undergraduate Elementary/Special Education Literacy and Social Studies methods, graduate reading, research, and curriculum courses. In the Diocese of the Rio Grande she serves as EFM Coordinator and is on the Standing Committee and Trustees of the Property. She is a member of St. Andrew's where she is an LEM, EFM mentor and DOK. 
 
DEADLINE TO REGISTER IS MAY 15, 2016

For more information, or to download the registration form, follow THIS LINK.
 

Daughters of the King
Don't Forget!



The Province VII DOK Assembly will be held April 22-24, 2016, at St. Christopher's Episcopal Church, located at 3550 SW Loop 820 in Ft. Worth. Guest Speaker for the event will be Attorney Jennifer Stanton Hargraves.

The theme of the event is
 
"...and what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."
(Micah 6:8)

For more information or to register for the event, please click on the blue underlined link above.

A Humorous Thought
by the Rev. Jay Sidebotham
The Consortium of Endowed Episcopal Parishes
       by the Rev. Luke Back, Rector of Church of the Heavenly Rest, Abilene 
Dear Friends,
 
I recently became President of the Board of Directors for the Consortium of Endowed Episcopal Parishes or 'CEEP' for short. It was founded over thirty years ago by about twenty endowed parishes for sharing ideas, experiences and collegiality. At the recent CEEP conference in Denver there were 170 member churches and 570 attendees. CEEP is one the most important organizations encouraging the vitality of parish life in the Episcopal Church.
 
CEEP facilitates communication among its members to educate and inspire them for more effective and vital ministries.   Many staff, wardens, vestry members and lay leaders of Heavenly Rest have attended CEEP conferences. We have found such participation to be a significant blessing to our parish. Anyone from any church my attend the conference as a visitor and enjoy all the benefits of that time together. The Consortium has a talented staff and an excellent Planning Committee preparing each conference and maintaining an informative website, www.endowedparishes.org. I would encourage the churches and missions in Northwest Texas to visit the website and consider attending a conference or becoming a member parish.
 
This April, I will attend a summit in Washington D.C., where the board of CEEP will ponder the changes that have been taking place in today's culture. We will consider how resource-size churches might be more helpful in responding to both the material needs and spiritual attitudes within us and around us. Various experts will provide information about anticipated trends and statistics. As board president, I will be expected to help the board articulate a focus for planning the next two years.
 
In recent months, as election year activities have intensified, we have found torrents of change and floods of emotive energy arising. Presumptions we had of Christian values and civil discourse are being deeply challenged. Some seem tempted to run for sand bags, but we have already been warned that building our house on sand is not a good strategy. (Matt 7:24-29)
 
The keynote speaker at the last CEEP conference was our Presiding Bishop, the Most Rev. Michael Curry. He gave us a literally 'moving vision' for the Episcopal Church. "Jesus wasn't baptized in a lake! He was baptized in a river, a moving flowing river!" We were invited to get moving, go forth, go tell about the love, grace and forgiveness of Christ. We are not called to go around damming emotive energy, but entering, enabling and channeling it into positive outcomes.

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Most of the people that established the Episcopal Church were the same people that founded our nation. They were people with a deep 'faith-trust' in God, but also a commitment to the liberty of religious belief. Shared faith-trust in the providence of God allowed them to work together to overcome tyranny and accomplish amazing things. At the same time, they honored the wide variety of beliefs among individual members. Our founders demonstrated the power of such a two-edged sword. Let us seek within our churches to articulate our shared faith-trust to accomplish great things through unity of action, while respecting the dignity of every human being.
 
Let us also be an encouraging example to our nation - which has an even wider diversity of beliefs then we find in most Episcopal parishes in Northwest Texas.
 
Faithfully,
 
Luke+
Scholarships Available from TEC
Episcopal Church scholarship applications now accepted Episcopal Shield  
  En este momento estamos aceptando solicitudes para becas de la Iglesia Episcopal
 
Note: the following information is presented in English and Spanish
Aviso: La siguiente informaci�n se presenta en ingl�s y en espa�ol

Applications are now being accepted for educational scholarships from The Episcopal Church for the 2016-2017 academic year.

The scholarships are derived from annual income of designated trust funds established by generous donors through bequests to The Episcopal Church.  The scholarships assist students who are mostly enrolled in theological education and training.

Scholarships are available for educational training for ethnic communities, children of missionaries, bishops and clergy, and other groups covering a wide range of eligibility.

Margareth Crosnier de Bellaistre, Episcopal Church Director of Investment Management and Banking, explained that the scholarship amounts vary according to the availability of payouts from the funds.  The maximum is $10,000.

The lists of trust funds and scholarships as well as key information are here.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to read each trust and identify in the application those trust funds that best fit their own profile.

Requirements for applying for the scholarships include: the applicant must be an Episcopalian and must have the endorsement of his/her bishop.

The application form is available here Online applications are required. Deadline for applications is April 30.  Only complete applications will be considered.

Applications are reviewed by a scholarship committee composed of the director of mission; the director of human resources; and representatives from the treasurer's office and various ministries of The Episcopal Church. 

For information, contact Ann Hercules, Associate for Grants and Scholarships, [email protected].
   
En este momento estamos aceptando solicitudes para becas
de la Iglesia Episcopal

En este momento estamos aceptando solicitudes para becas educativas de la Iglesia Episcopal para el curso acad�mico 2016-2017.

Las becas se derivan de ingresos anuales provenientes de fondos fiduciarios espec�ficos establecidos por generosos donantes a trav�s de sus aportes a la Iglesia Episcopal. Las becas son para ayudar principalmente a estudiantes inscritos en educaci�n y capacitaci�n teol�gica.

Las becas son para brindar formaci�n educativa a comunidades �tnicas, hijos de misioneros, obispos, clero y otros grupos que abarcan una amplia gama de elegibilidad.

Margareth Crosnier de Bellaistre, Directora de Gesti�n de Inversiones y Banca de la Iglesia Episcopal, explic� que los montos de beca var�an seg�n la disponibilidad de pago de los fondos. La m�xima es de $10,000.

En este enlace podr� encontrar las listas de los fondos fiduciarios y las becas, as� como otras informaciones relevantes.

Se recomienda a los solicitantes leer la informaci�n de cada uno de los fondos fiduciarios e identificar en la solicitud aquellos que mejor se adapten a su perfil.

Los requisitos para solicitar las becas incluyen que el solicitante sea Episcopal y que tenga la aprobaci�n del obispo.

El formulario de solicitud se encuentra disponible en el enlace siguiente aqui.  Las solicitudes deben hacerse en l�nea. La fecha l�mite para presentar la solicitud es el 30 de abril. Se considerar�n �nicamente las solicitudes completas.

Las solicitudes ser�n revisadas por un comit� de becas integrado por el director de la misi�n, el director de recursos humanos y por representantes de la oficina del Tesorero y de varios ministerios de la Iglesia Episcopal.

Para obtener informaci�n, p�ngase en contacto con Ann H�rcules, Asociada de Becas, [email protected].
Vital Practices
by Anna Olson on March 30, 2016
St. Mary's Episcopal Church, Los Angeles


Sunday School is a tough challenge for smaller churches. There are Sundays with no kids in church. There are Sundays with one baby, two toddlers, an 8-year old, and a middle schooler. Neither scenario lends itself to an easy classroom scenario, even if we had a consistent pool of volunteers, and someone to organize curriculum, prepare materials, etc. Those are issues too...

To further complicate things at St. Mary's, we are a congregation that has been mostly English speaking for the last fifty-plus years, and now most of the kids come to the Spanish service. So even when the English-speaking parents who grew up with traditional Sunday School get together to try to revive Sunday School, there are issues of timing, and varying cultural expectations about what to do with kids in church.

What we have come up with is not perfect. But it's quite a bit better than nothing.

read more details and information button or icon
Seminary Updates
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Joslyn-Siemiatkoski and Patterson Win Conant grants

Dr. Dan Joslyn-Siemiatkoski and the Rev. Jane Patterson, PhD are two of the 19 winners of Conant Grants from The Episcopal Church for the 2016-17 academic year.

The Conant Funds are made available to faculty of Episcopal seminaries to support their research, writing and course development. William S. and Mary M. Conant established the trust in 1953 to provide for the improvement of seminary-based theological education.   READ MORE...

Sewanee Banner 
  
Coats to Lecture About Hope Amid Anger in Contemporary America

Mr. Jamie Coats, director of the Friends of The Society of Saint John the Evangelist (SSJE), will present a series of reflections on finding hope amid emptying churches, poisoned drinking water, college debt and caste/race discrimination. His lecture will take place in Hargrove Auditorium as part of the Dean's Forum series.

SSJE is an Episcopal religious order of Brothers and as a trustee of the Trustees of Donations to the Protestant Episcopal Church. He oversees formation outreach and fundraising for the Brothers.  READ MORE...

For more news and information from Sewanee visit the Seminary website.

Please click the graphic below to view this month's edition of Theology Monthly:

Sewanee Theol Monthly  
Diocesan Events Calendar
APRIL
 
11-14        Presbyter's Conference, Christ the King Retreat Center, San Angelo 
15-17        Youth Retreat grades 6-12, St. John's Episcopal Church, Odessa 
                (Please see the article above for more information) 
22-24        Province VII DOK Assembly, St. Christopher's Episcopal Church, Ft. Worth 
30- May 1  School of Ordained Ministry, St. Paul's, Lubbock - Graduation of seniors     

MAY

1             Visitation - St. Michael and All Angels, Shamrock 
8             Mother's Day
8             Visitation - Church of the Heavenly Rest, Abilene
15            Pentecost 
24            Seminary of the Southwest Commencement 
26            NWT Trustees, 10:30am, HEC, Lubbock
29            Visitation - St. Andrew's, Amarillo 
30            Memorial Day - HEC CLOSED 
 
(Items in purple indicate Bishop Mayer's presence.)
Heavenly Father, send your Holy Spirit into our hearts, to direct and rule us according to your will, to comfort us in all our afflictions, to defend us from all error, and lead us into all truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN

Contact Info Stylized shield     

 

Newsletter Editor

Deacon Nancy Igo
Director of Communications and Human Resources

Diocese of Northwest Texas  

[email protected] 

(806) 763-1370  x. 5