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27th Presiding Bishop and Primate of The Episcopal Church Installed
The Most Reverend Michael Curry was installed as the 27th Presiding Bishop and Primate of The Episcopal Church this past Sunday, Nov. 1, at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.  Click here to watch his sermon.
Church Pension Group 2016 Medial Trust Open Enrollment
The Church Pension Group (CPG) Medical Trust Open Enrollment (OE) for the 2016 plan year is upon us. OE is the once-a-year opportunity for eligible employees to change their medical and/or dental plan elections and to add or remove eligible dependents. It's also a time when you may have questions about plan changes or about benefits. 

CPG will offer nine one-hour webinar sessions during various times and days over the next several weeks.

For the two sessions focusing on High Deductible Health Plans and Health Savings Accounts, click here.

For the seven general education webinars, click here. 
Please keep those with November mission trips in your prayers including St. George's, Fredericksburg to Honduras. If your church is taking a mission trip in November and you are not included on this list, please contact Ashley Cameron at acameron@thediocese.net. 
New Clergy Orientation
Nov. 10, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Mayo Memorial House, Richmond

This orientation is designed to help ensure that clergy entering our diocesan community or new ministries within the community feel welcomed, supported, and know about the resources available to them and their congregations. Attendees are invited to worship at Mayo House's weekly Eucharist, join together for lunch with the bishops, meet the diocesan staff and participate in a question and answer session.

All clergy who have begun new ministries in the Diocese within the past 18 months, including the newly ordained and those who are transitioning from other dioceses, are invited to attend.

Register online.

Young Adult Service Corps Now Accepting Applications for 2016-2017

Do you know a Young Adult (ages 21-30) who's interested in serving abroad, deepening their faith and developing relationships with their brothers and sisters in Christ? If so, encourage them to apply for the Young Adult Service Corps. Applications for the 2016-2017 year are due January 8, 2016. The application with additional information and instructions is available here.

Also, you may contact Ashley Cameron who served in the Philippines and is now the Partnerships and Programs Coordinator for Mission and Outreach at acameron@thediocese.net for any questions or information.
Spiritual Direction
Pathways: Spiritual Direction, a ministry of spiritual direction is currently being offered at Roslyn Retreat Center in Richmond.  Each hour long session is $65, overnight lodging at Roslyn is at an additional cost. For more information, visit our website . 

Please contact Amy Williams, awilliams@thediocese.net to schedule a session.

Future residencies: 
  • Nov. 10 -12: Ms. Linda Nelson
  • Dec. 14 - 17: The Rev. Howard Kempsell
Survival Skills for Lay Professional Training
Jan. 28, 2016, Church of Our Saviour, Charlottesville

The Diocese of Virginia office for congregational development, in collaboration with the Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care, has developed a training program designed to help lay professionals navigate the complex, shifting demands of their jobs in healthy ways. Survival Skills for Lay Professionals will address handling crises, negotiating healthy boundaries, dealing with difficult people and practicing self care.

Faculty for the training will be Dr. Doug Thorpe, executive director of VIPCare, and Julie Simonton, officer for congregational development and stewardship.
  
The workshop is from 9:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. and includes a working lunch. 

Register here. 

Workshop: Equipping leaders in faith-based communities
Feb. 29 - Mar. 4, 2016, Roslyn Center, Richmond

An intensive five-day session designed to enable participants to learn about, build and practice emotional intelligence skills in small group setting.

Skilled facilitators will provide tools and feedback to enable participants to learn about themselves and to immediately practice emerging skills. 
Need to Know
Thanksgiving Lunch Is your church hosting a community Thanksgiving lunch? If so, please contact Mary Anne Bryant in the office of Mission & Outreach, mabryant@thediocese.net.

Web Solutions Training Does your church use Web Solutions as your web provider? Do you need a refresher training? Have you just transitioned to Web solutions or are considering transitioning? If so, the diocesan communications team can provide training. We are trasitioning from individual training to group training that will be held every first and third Wednesday from 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. Please contact kmartin@thediocese.net for more details or to sign up.

El Hogar: Breaking the Cycle of Poverty in Hoduras One Child at a Time
St. David's, Ashburn, will be hosting an evening with El Hogar, an organization working to end the cycle of poverty by working with the children of Honduras.
This informative event will be held at St. David's on Sunday, Nov. 8, at 7 p.m. The featured speaker will be Liz Kinchen, El Hogar's North American Executive Director. She will be sharing stories about the lives that have been transformed by the initiatives that have been undertaken by El Hogar in Honduras. Members of past service teams from St. David's will also share about their life-changing experiences volunteering at El Hogar and attendees will be given the chance to become a part of El Hogar's work.

Syrian Refugees: There are several churches interested in helping Syrian refugees resettle in Virginia. If you would like to learn more about these efforts, please contact Buck Blanchard, bblanchard@thediocese.net.
  
Ordination of Emily Cobb to the Transitional Diaconate, 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 21 at St. Philip's, Richmond. God willing, the Rt. Rev. Edwin "Ted" Gulick Jr., Assistant Bishop of Virginia, will ordain Emily Cobb to the Sacred Order of Deacons (transitional) on Saturday, Nov. 21 at 10:30 a.m. at  St. Philip's, Richmond. The Bishop and the Standing Committee request the honor of your presence. Clergy: red stoles.
 
Ordination of Bill Roberts to the Transitional Diaconate, 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 21 at VTS. God willing, the Rt. Rev. Susan Ellyn Goff, Bishop Suffragan of Virginia, will ordain Bill Roberts to the Sacred Order of Deacons (transitional) on Saturday, Nov. 21 at 10:30 a.m.  at  Virginia Theological Seminary's Immanuel Chapel (click here for campus map). The Bishop and the Standing Committee request the honor of your presence. Clergy: red stoles.
Other News & Events
  • Brs. David Vryhof and Jim Woodrum of the Society of Saint John the Evangelist (SSJE) will lead "Finding God in All Things: The Role of Prayer in Making Life Choices,"  a retreat at St. Mary's Goochland, on Friday, November 6 from 6-8 p.m., and Saturday, Nov. 7 from 9 a.m.-noon. The Friday night session includes a light supper, and lunch follows the Saturday session. Suggested donations are $25, or $8 for Friday night and $20 for Saturday. Please register by contacting Lori Smiley at lsmiley@stmarysgoochland.org or 804-784-5678.  
  • Community-Based Teach: Justice for Natasha McKenna. Wednesday, Nov. 11 from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m at All Saints Sharon Chapel, Alexandria. Led by Stand Up for Justice, Amnesty International, and in conjunction with #BlackLivesMatter, this evening will seek to share information with the community about the tragic death of Natasha McKenna at the hands of Fairfax Country Sherriff's deputies in the midst of a mental health crisis.
  
Church Events
11/4: Region 1 Council Meeting, Christ Church, Spotsylvania
11/6: Dr. Thomas G. Long, Virginia Theological Seminary
11/6: Organ Dedicatory Recital with Scott Dettral, Virginia Theological Seminary
11/6/: SSJE Visitors Supper, St. Mary's, Goochland
11/7: Colonial Fall Festival, Little Fork, Rixeyville
11/8: Spaghetti Supper, St. John's, Richmond
11/8: Poetry with descendents of Thomas Jefferson, St. Paul's, Richmond
11/11:Taize Prayer Service, St. George's, Arlington
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