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Editor's Note
The peace of the Lord be always with you!
This edition presents many stories all encouraging us to remember God's redemption and provision. Remember what God has done for each of us, for the churches to which we belong, for the ministries we support, and for the wider Anglican communion.
Many areas in our lives, in our churches, are in transition. Please read about your brothers and sisters in Christ; continue to pray for them, rejoice with them and reach out to help them. Be encouraged at the amazing ways God is moving among us. Remember!
If you would like to submit material for, or if you have any questions about, the Gulf Atlantic Diocese Communique, please contact Jessica Jones at Jessica@gulfatlanticdiocese.org.
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AROUND THE GULF ATLANTIC DIOCESE AND THE ACNA
 PRIMATES 2016
Dear Gulf Atlantic Diocese,
As many of you know, the archbishops of the Anglican Communion met recently. There has been much speculation about their decision to suspend Episcopal Church from certain areas of leadership.
Additionally, sometimes things can be seen a little more clearly when there has been time for reflection. Therefore I recommend that you read the letter below from Bishop Charlie Masters of the Anglican Network in Canada, in which he reviews the archbishops' meeting in Canterbury. The Anglican Network is the ACNA diocese in that country. http://www.anglicannetwork.ca/pdf/bm_012916.pdf
Please continue to pray for the Anglican Communion. I believe we are in a new Reformation worldwide, and that our struggles within the Anglican Communion are symptomatic of that larger movement of God.
Thank you.
In Jesus the Messiah,
+Neil
CLERGY CONFERENCE 2015
by Daniel Holloway, Rector, Holy Cross Anglican Church
On Thursday and Friday November 5th and 6th, 2015, over fifty of our diocesan priests and deacons were able to enjoy a time of great fellowship, encouragement and equipping for mission at the Pre-Synod Clergy Conference held at Holy Cross Anglican Church in Tallahassee. The conference was led by Bishop Lebhar and Synod keynote speaker Rev. Dr. Winfield Bevins, founding pastor and former Rector of Church of the Outer Banks, North Carolina, and now Director of Church Planting at Asbury Theological Seminary. Out of his extensive experience and research as a church planter, church planting network leader, and church planting coach, Dr. Bevins unfolded a vision and strategy for "re-missioning" existing churches into intentional and purposeful disciple-making organizations, beginning with pastors refocusing their commitment to relational discipleship. Recognizing that churches will only be as healthy as their leaders, Dr. Bevins also encouraged clergy with ten strategic factors for developing clergy health and longevity. Throughout the conference clergy members had opportunities to break into small groups and discuss what they were learning, apply it to their lives and ministries, and pray for each other, deepening the bonds of love and partnership in the Gospel with which we have been so blessed in the Gulf Atlantic Diocese. To God be the Glory!
SYNOD DIOCESAN CONFERENCE 2015
by Harris Willman, Communications Director, Gulf Atlantic Diocese
The 2015 Synod was a huge success in many ways. We had the highest attendance yet with 202 Clergy, Lay Delegates and Guests registered. As always, we began with a reception and dinner on Friday evening (thank you to the Rev. Greg Malley and his crew!). Bishops Joel Obetia, James Ochiel, and Neil Lebhar oversaw the beautiful evening worship service and the Rev. Winfield Bevins offered the homily.
There were twenty displays representing many of the ministries of the diocese and province available for viewing Saturday, including: Anglican Campus Fellowship, Camp Araminta, the Charles Simian Institute, Dynamos, Daughters of the Holy Cross, Hope Farm Coffee, E412 Ministries, Jacob's Well, New Wineskins, The American Anglican Council, Anglican Frontier Missions, The Brotherhood of St. Andrew, St. Clair Guild - The Little Kneeler That Could, and Trinity School for Ministry.
This year's Synod presented an abbreviated business meeting so as to include more ministry focused opportunities. Following the Bishop's Report we broke out into four workshops, each focused on providing important information for our parishes. The morning workshops were as follow:Kardia Program for Re-missioning Churches (The Rev. Dr. Winfield Bevins), Transformational Worship (Dr. Jessica Jones), Church Planting: Special Calling or Shared Mission? (The Rev. Jim Hobby), Legal Challenges All Churches Now Face (The Hon. Major Harding & Mr. Mose Stuart), Clergy Spouse Luncheon (Mrs. Marcia Lebhar), Hands-On Mission Locally and Globally (Mrs. Sharon Steinmiller), With All Our Heart, Soul, Mind and Strength: Living Healthier Lives, Leading Healthier Ministries (The Rev. Shari Hobby), Healing and Hope for Sexual Brokenness (Mr. Jay Haug & The Rev. Sam Pascoe), and Camp Araminta Forum (The Rev. Alex Farmer). Offering these workshops was very well accepted and encouraged to be continued in the 2016 Synod.
In addition to the activities of Synod, we also had the fifth annual Collide Youth Rally for the youth of the diocese. They met at Holy Cross while the Synod was in session. Youth groups from across the diocese came to participate in ministry, testimonies, and other fun activities.
The day ended with a Missions report from Mrs. Sharon Steinmiller and a very special prayer for the ministry of the diocese lead by Bishop John Miller. He asked for everyone in attendance to come forward to the communion rail to lay hands on and pray for Bishop Neil and Marcia. It just does not get any better than that!
ONE PRIEST'S PATH TO ORDINATION
by Rev. Mark Murray, Church of the Redeemer and The Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies
I hung up the phone and sat there, rubbing my brow.
Five minutes before, I would have marveled at how everything had come together so well- surely it was evidence of God's hand in it all. After all, my plan had been so perfect.
But following a quick phone call with a local Air Force recruiter, my plan was suddenly starting to crumble. And I couldn't understand why.
As I look back on it now, I thank God for that recruiter's candor. It would have been so easy for him to tell me what I wanted to hear: that if I joined my college's Air Force ROTC program by the end of 2002, the Air Force would then give me educational leave to go to seminary straight out of college. Then I could enter active duty as a full-time chaplain, which was the cornerstone of my plan.
But instead, he was honest with me and shared the likeliest scenario: that with an invasion of Iraq brewing, Uncle Sam would see me as a soldier first and a chaplain second. If I joined ROTC now, I'd graduate from college as a commissioned officer and then I'd probably be sent overseas. It would be three years- at the very least- before I would be granted any leave to earn a divinity degree and complete my training to join the Chaplain Corps.
I had told him, "But my plan is to be a career chaplain. If the Air Force could guarantee that I'll be able to go to seminary, I'll sign on the dotted line right now."
He replied, "The Air Force can't guarantee that at this time."
This brief conversation was the equivalent of a tiny pebble kicked over the mountain's side, bringing forth an avalanche. I had only been a Christian for 3 ½ years. I wasn't a member of a church, either back home or in my college town. I didn't have any sort of accountability or perspective from an older, wiser Christian who could help me sort through it all. I didn't realize how precarious things were until the ground started moving.
In the days that followed, as the pebbles loosened the rocks, I spent most of my time mulling over this question: "What sort of work does God call His faithful ones to?" I realized that I had just assumed that if I wanted to be a good Christian, then I needed to become an ordained minister. But if every Christian was called to be a pastor, what would our worship look like? Could it be possible that the world needs to see what a Christian architect or a faithful shoe salesman looks like? Perhaps we need more car dealers and forklift operators who follow Jesus?
Then it hit me like a cascade of boulders: my plan had been just that- my plan.
I hadn't ever consulted with the Lord. I hadn't spent any time in prayer. Why not? Maybe I didn't want to bother Him. Maybe I didn't believe that the ultimate Creator really had a design for my little life. I don't know for sure. I guess I just expected God would bless my best ideas. That that's what being a Christian was about.
And so I wrote off ordained ministry completely. I graduated from college and moved out west. I worked in Los Angeles for three years. My wife Courtney and I were married and then we moved to Seattle. I enrolled in some classes at Fuller Seminary, both in California and Washington. But I still wasn't really sure what kind of vocation the Lord was calling me to.
And then something happened, something so far removed from anything I could have planned for myself that it could only be from the Lord. God told both me and my wife, on separate occasions, that we needed to move from Seattle to Jacksonville, Florida. For a young couple that loved the mountains, the atmosphere, and, yes, even the gray and drizzly climate of the Pacific Northwest, this was a difficult charge. But since we had both received the same nudge, we knew we needed to obey.
When we arrived in Jacksonville, we started church-shopping right away. After a few false starts we wound up at Church of the Redeemer, and although neither of us had grown up in a liturgical setting, we couldn't stop talking about how the tradition, the mystery, the sacraments, and the fellowship of the Anglican Church just felt like home to us. Within a matter of months we were members and involved in two small groups; we rejoiced in the Christian community that had welcomed us in and invited us to join them in their kingdom work.
Then in February 2010, at Bishop Neil Lebhar's consecration service, as a young woman stepped up to the microphone to give a testimony about how the Lord had used Redeemer to disciple her throughout her childhood, I received a strange sense that the Lord was dismantling my roadblocks to ordained ministry. It was as if He cleared away all the rubble from that avalanche and left a clear, open road in front of me. Whatever had been there to impede my journey had vanished, just like that.
On the drive home I told Courtney, "I think God is calling me to pursue ordination."
She replied, "It's about time!"
And so I entered the ordination process (a journey in and of itself that could probably fill another Communiqué... or twelve!). In May 2014, by the grace of God, I was ordained to the diaconate. In July 2015, by the grace of God, I was ordained to the priesthood.
Now, as my family and I pursue the ministry our Lord Jesus is calling us to in this time and this place, we take comfort in the path He's already led us down. With one phone call, the Lord led me away from ordination so He could lead me back to it. And it was by giving up my own plan that I was able to let Him unfold His plan, His way, and in His timing.
"There are many plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's plan that will stand." (Prov. 19:21, NLV)
Please pray that we may all desire the Lord's plan over our own plans.
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Ministry Updates
ALL SOULS ANGLICAN, JACKSONVILLE All Souls is searching for a Worship Leader to lead our congregation to worship the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. If you know someone who may be interested in applying, please forward them this job outline and have them contact the Rev. Brook Batchelor at brook@allsoulsjax.org. CHURCH OF OUR SAVIOR, JACKSONVILLE BEACH Church of Our Savior in Jacksonville Beach, FL is looking for a part time Music Director who can lead a blended service of traditional hymns and contemporary praise music. To view the job description as well as the online application process please visit www.church-savior.com.
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The Communiqué Lent 2016 Newsletterof the Gulf Atlantic Diocese
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SIGNPOSTS IN THE WILDERNESS
FEBRUARY 2016
Signpost #6 - REMEMBER!
Eleven troubling habits of chronically unhappy people. Five ways to spice up your marriage. Seven reasons to stay single. Eight steps to managing stress. Ten reasons twenty-somethings are returning to traditional worship ...
Is anyone else weary of endless lists in the blogosphere or social media? Yes? So why would I offer you another one? Give me credit for this: the list I am about to give you has only one entry.
We heard in the last Wilderness signpost that God responded to the people's despair and accusation with what sounds like incredulity. Why were they panicking again? Could they possibly have forgotten that He parted the Red Sea for them? Couldn't they call up the memory of their enemies' chariots being swept away and thus refresh their courage for the next challenge? Did they think God had left them? Did they fear He'd lost his power or His will to defend them? (Numbers 14)
Stunningly, Paul claims in his first letter to the Corinthians that these things happened to Israel in order to warn and encourage us, who live at the end of the age. (1 Corinthians 10) If this is so, what is the Wilderness wisdom for meeting the challenges of our own day, particularly those circumstances, global or intimate, which tempt us to stress and fear? For Signpost #6, I offer a one-entry list: Remember!
Before the people of Israel have even left Egypt, God prescribes in Exodus 12 exactly how they should remember, for generations, what has not yet happened. They receive instructions for celebrating the Passover, yearly, before it occurs! It's that important. It must be recalled and not lost. And at the end of his life Moses warns the people, saying: "But watch out! Be careful never to forget what you yourself have seen. Do not let these memories escape from your mind as long as you live! And be sure to pass them on to your children and grandchildren." (Deuteronomy 4:9 NLT)
Why this enormous emphasis? Remembering fuels faith. It's that simple. And in future generations, whenever Israel forgets what God has done for them, they spiral into disobedience and destruction. How do we take this to heart for ourselves, as Paul exhorts us to do?
The first and obvious application is simply to remember the actual Exodus. God has not changed. He is utterly in control of His world, our world, including our most horrifying enemies. I love thinking about the Transfiguration, as recorded in Luke, where it says Jesus discussed His coming "exodus" with Moses and Elijah (from the Greek, usually translated "departure"). Moses is there to remind Jesus of the Red Sea parting, just as Jesus is about to accomplish another, greater deliverance. (While Moses never got into the Promised Land in his lifetime, he gets in this way! And what a glorious assignment!) What if, in the grip of some anxiety, small or large, I actually grasped the living, historical, reality of the Exodus, and even more, the Resurrection, to fortify my heart?
Yet there's even a more personal application for us. We need to remember the deliverances and wonders God has done in our own lives so that we find courage for our own next challenges.
Where have you seen God's rescue? Where has God turned seeming disaster into deliverance in your life? Are there places where you would have re-written the script if you could, but now you are glad you couldn't ... because of what God did?
Remember is a pretty limp word in our culture. Kind of nostalgic and blurry. But when we see God remembering someone in the Scriptures, it's an active, muscular thing. God remembers Abraham and so saves Lot. God remembers Rachel and so opens her womb. The thief on the cross asks Jesus to remember him in paradise. It's not the 'Oh yes! I remember that guy! What a son of a gun he was!' kind of remembering. No. Jesus remembering the thief meant forgiving, saving, blessing, bringing him into paradise.
God remembers people and so acts on their behalf ... displays His power. In the words of the Psalmist and the prophets, He has a "mighty arm." When our kids were little, in our prayers we often asked God to remember someone, to "make a muscle" on their behalf.
So what does it mean for us to remember his works? It is similar. It means to remember the Lord's works in our own story, and therefore to be changed to act in faith in the present predicament.
Our remembering is meant to be muscular too. Remembering God's works in our lives changes the present battle, and reverses despair. God has not changed. Remembering for us is meant to be bracing ... calling us to get a grip ... summon our courage ... act in faith!
There's a powerful echo of this exhortation in Jesus' words to the seven churches in the book of Revelation. I made a list recently of just his instruction to each church ... peeling away the description of each place or the diagnosis of their strengths and weaknesses. I wanted to see starkly what He was actually asking of us. And the strongest common thread is an exhortation to remember and return to what they saw, heard, and did "at first"... followed by the command to hold on to what they had to prevent further loss and danger.
His words describe a drift over time - away from Jesus and ardent, active faith and contending for the Gospel. And His antidote is essentially the same as the one we hear in Exodus and see played out in the Wilderness story.
Isaiah says it starkly: Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me! Then listen to what follows ... For I am ready to set things right, not in the distant future, but right now! (Isaiah 46:9, 13a) There's a connection. God is about to deal with Israel's enemies once again. This time it's Babylon. If they remember the Red Sea, they'll believe it and be ready!
Stirring ourselves to remember our own redemptive histories, God's deliverances, and wonders He has enabled us to do and see, fuels our faith for what God can and will do now. It's a serious command, and to obey it we will need to do some disciplined recalling. Whenever our lives are Wilderness-like, barren and frightening, that's when it's time to start our lists.
When our kids were teenagers and I was facing a scary surgery, they exhorted me to use the time of being wheeled into the OR to 'make a mental list of your stories' (of gracious rescue and answered prayer). I took their advice seriously, and had the most amazing, and completely uncharacteristic, peace by the time I had to count backwards for the anesthesiologist! Whatever God asks of us, whatever He counsels, He does out of His deep love, and ignoring Him adds to our sorrow.
Who can list the glorious miracles of the Lord? Who can ever praise him enough? (Psalm 106:2)
 Marcia Lebhar's Signs in the Wilderness Series applies to all of life. Read prior issues at the Gulf Atlantic Diocese website. For more information regarding Marcia Lebhar's The Bare Branch, please visit Amazon.com. All proceeds go to the ACNA Church Planting Fund. |
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Diocesan Youth
DIOCESEAN YOUTH SKI RETREAT
God was on the MOVE
As we started planning our ski retreat the weather was looking a little...well...Hot. We were wondering if we were going to be skiing on snow or grass. Winter Place Ski Resort starting blowing snow, and we felt a little better, but we wanted it to be better for the youth, so we started praying. All three churches starting praying for snow for the youth. Fast forward to two weeks before the trip, and we were joking that we prayed too hard because we were going to be busing into a blizzard. So now we had the church pray for safety. On January 21st the youth ministries from All Souls and Redeemer from Jacksonville, and Servants of Christ in Gainseville took 38 youth and 10 leaders up to West Virginia. We had already seen God show up, and we were excited to see what else He had in store. We arrived worshiping and praising God! As we learned how to ski and snowboard we were amazed at God's creation and all the beautiful snow that fell. Each inch of snow reminded us that God is in control and he will never leave us or forsake us. On the last night we challenged the youth to make a MOVE and take the next step in their relationship with God. As we sat in a circle remembering how Daniel from the Bible remained faithful to God, we called the youth who felt led to pray for others to MOVE out of the circle. God showed up again as many moved out of the circle. Then we called youth who needed prayer to go to their peers and the adult leaders to pray for God to lead them in the next step. We were amazed to look around the room and see how God was moving the the hearts of His children. God is definitely on the MOVE in the lives of the youth around the diocese. Praise be to God!
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Looking Ahead
CHARLES SIMEON CONFERENCE
Sponsored by St. Peter's, Tallahassee, and Trinity School for Ministry
From February 15-19, St. Peter's, Tallahassee, and Trinity School for Ministry offer the Charles Simeon Conference, open to both Clergy and Lay People. The theme for the Conference this year is Christian Witness in a Secular World. We all know that we live in a rapidly changing culture, some have called it a Postchristian culture. We are going to be thinking of ways we can strengthen that witness in a culture that doesn't necessarily support our beliefs or our convictions. It will be a week of worship, fellowship, exchanging ideas and of learning. As a way of carrying out our theme we are offering five classes.
Courses offered for tuition and audit include "Christian Apologetics" with The Rev. Jim Hobby and "Exegesis in the Prophets: Isaiah" with Dr. Sarah Hall. Classes offered for audit include "C.S. Lewis: Theologian" with The Rev. Dr. Michael W. Petty, "Following Jesus: Ancient Tools for the Journey Today" with The Rev. Dr. Travis Boline, and "Defending the Faith: The Sacred/Secular Divide and the Significance of Worldview" with Dr. Jeff Trostle.
Tuition is $125 for Audit and $1,300 for Seminary Credit. There is a meal plan offered for $60.
HEALING PRAYER TRAINING
Christian Healing Ministries, led by Francis and Judith MacNutt, is offering SHP Level 1 prayer training to Jacksonville area church leadership for $300.00 off! March 10-12 only, local ministry leaders and church members can register for the 3-day training for $25.00. This event will be held at Church of Eleven22 (new location), conveniently located at 8133 Baymeadows Point Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32256. Registration available online; You must have a CODE to obtain the church leadership price. For registration information, please contact the Registrar at 904.765.3332 or registrar@christianhealingmin.org.
SAVANNAH TOUR OF HOMES AND GARDENS, Sponsored by Christ Church Anglican
 The 81st annual Savannah Tour of Homes & Gardens will be held March 31 - April 3, 2016. Presented by the Women of Christ Church Anglican, member of the Gulf Atlantic Diocese, Historic Savannah Foundation, and the Ardsley Park-Chatham Crescent Garden Club, the Tour offers a rare opportunity to appreciate the beautiful architecture, interiors, and gardens of Savannah's Historic Landmark District and Historic Ardsley Park. Visit private homes and walk down moss draped, oak-covered streets during the majestic springtime in Savannah.
In 1935, the Women's Auxiliary of Christ Church provided a direct response to the charitable needs in Savannah as a result of the Great Depression. The Tour continued to expand over the next several decades. In 1976, a partnership was formed between the Women of Christ Church Anglican (founded in 1733 with the founding of Savannah) and the Historic Savannah Foundation, a nationally recognized leader in historic preservation. In addition to the Tour's role in promoting Savannah, the funds raised support several community charities which are distributed through Christ Church Anglican. Past recipients have included Habitat for Humanity, a local food mission serving over 60,000 meals per year, a home for unwed mothers, prison ministries, as well as local guidance services for troubled youth. The proceeds also go to the many educational preservation projects of the Historic Savannah Foundation. All proceeds are used to meet charitable needs and to promote local preservation. If you would like to learn more about the Savannah Tour of Homes & Gardens, visit www.savannahtourofhomes.org or call 912.234.8054.
NEW WINESKINS
Bishop Neil told us in December that New Wineskins was a key instrument in deepening our missionary vision in the midst of the denominational storm. He reminded us that ACNA would not be as strong, if it existed at all, if the Lord had not already built us into a mission-minded fellowship through the New Wineskins conferences and connections. New Wineskins has always been there to remind us that we all are the Lord's missionaries. We likewise all heard the gospel from people the Lord sent into our lives. Please consider helping this ministry or attending their conference in April. For more information, please visit: www.newwineskins.org.
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We hope you have found this issue of the diocesan newsletter to be helpful and enjoyable. If you have received it directly from us, you are already on our mailing list and you will continue to receive future issues unless you choose to unsubscribe by using the link at the bottom of this page.
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Sincerely,
Dr. Jessica H. Jones
Editor-in-Chief, Communique
Gulf Atlantic Diocese of the ACNA |
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