EPF Young Adult Newsletter         
Daring for peace -- a relentless pursuit.  
 
Hey Everyone!

As we welcome in a New Year, Episcopal Peace Fellowship invites you to join a
rebirth of our Young Adult Initiative

The Young Adult Initiative was born in 2006 when Episcopal Peace Fellowship sent ten young peacemakers to General Convention in Columbus, Ohio. These ten young people, under the leadership of Rev. Winnie Varghese, testified at committee hearings, wrote resolutions and energetically participated in the convention process.  That same year Rev. Valerie Bailey Fischer lead her first Urban Pilgrimage in New York City in which college students were introduced to the complex and hidden social problems impacting many urban communities, all through a spiritual framework.  What began as a spring break program in New York City for a small group of college students has since expanded into a national initiative of the Episcopal Peace Fellowship with year-round opportunities for college students and young adults.  Similarly, the EPF young adult presence at General Convention has also grown over the past decade and we are currently preparing for our fourth and largest presence to date in Salt Lake City next summer. 

These two programs are thriving and what I admire most about them is that they are truly leadership initiatives. Participants in pilgrimages often go on to participate with EPF at General Convention which demands a higher level of commitment.  The site directors and chaplains of all Urban Pilgrimages were first pilgrims themselves whom EPF trained and equipped with the skills needed to lead their own pilgrimages.  All of the young adults presently serving on EPF's National Executive Council, along with myself the Executive Director of EPF, were lifted up as leaders after participating in a Young Adult Initiative program.    

By definition an initiative is a strategy intended to improve a situation and that is exactly what was needed in 2006 when the Young Adult Initiative began.  Eight years later, with these two programs thriving and half of the National Executive Council being under 35 years old, Episcopal Peace Fellowship feels it's time to move beyond the Young Adult Initiative and into a Young Adult Network.

EPF's hope is to expand our network of young adults and the people who minister to them by creating relevant and fresh opportunities for young people interested in justice and peace issues. EPF will continue hosting Urban Pilgrimages and sending young adults to General Convention, but also is committed to offering additional ways of engaging young peacemakers through everyday social media engagement, retreats, marches and public witness opportunities.  We will be rolling out different aspects of our Young Adult Network throughout 2015, so be on the look out for these opportunities, all of which will be presented in this monthly Newsletter.  

I look forward to working with each of you as we give birth to this new endeavor.  

Christmas and New Year blessings to you during this holy and dramatic time.

Rev. Allison Liles, 
Episcopal Peace Fellowship,
Executive Director  


EPF Young Adult Network
Announcing our 2015 Urban Pilgrimages!
 

Every spring and summer, we host Urban Pilgrimages across the country, where students are exposed to the social justice issues of our day and the theological discussion behind these issues.  Our trip leaders are city experts and are both clergy and lay leaders in their community. Through their guidance, students will learn and work first hand with activists, the oppressed, and other pilgrims in an experience that will combat injustice, poverty, and oppression in our own communities. 


 

Our Pilgrimages in 2015 will take place in Austin, New York, and Miami, and we hope to add more. We pride ourselves on keeping trips affordable, and have opportunities for fundraising and scholarships to attend.  

 

Please let me know if you're interested in learning more about our opportunities.


 

Austin, TX - January 2015 -  TRIP FULL!


 

New York, NY - March 2015 - CLICK HERE TO CONTACT TRIP LEADER


 


The Buzz
What's going on around EPF and the Young Adult Network




Service, Justice and Prayer


Episcopal Service Corp 

Want to spend a year serving the oppressed and marginalized?  Looking to deepen your spirituality?  In case you haven't head, the Episcopal Service Corps (ESC) might be right for you. The mission of ESC is to develop and support a national network of intentional communities in the Episcopal Church. Their communities are marked by young adults:

  • Serving others in solidarity, promoting justice in community
  • Deepening spiritual awareness and vocational discernment
  • Living simply in intentional Christian community


Pursuing Peace in Your Backyard


Marches and protests in solidarity with Ferguson and New York

In the wake of grand jury decisions this past fall, protests against police brutality  have spread throughout the country.  The great majority of these protests and marches are peaceful demonstrations in solidarity with the affected communities.

If you are interested in getting involved, follow some of these leaders on Twitter, who update their plans for marches and gatherings every day.  












- - - - - - - - -

MLK DAY  - Monday, January 19th

The upcoming holiday is the perfect day (or weekend) to strive for peace in your neighborhood.  Be in touch with your local church or service agencies and see where there is a need for help.  





Closing Prayer


O God, our help in ages past, 
our hope for years to come,
our shelter from the stormy blast,
and our eternal home:

Under the shadow of thy throne,
thy saints have dwelt secure;
sufficient is thine arm alone,
and our defense is sure.

Before the hills in order stood,
or earth received her frame,
from everlasting thou art God,
to endless years the same.

A thousand ages in thy sight
are like an evening gone;
short as the watch that ends the night
before the rising sun.

Time, like an ever-rolling stream,
bears all its sons away;
they fly, forgotten, as a dream
dies at the opening day.

O God, our help in ages past, 
our hope for years to come,
be thou our guide while troubles last,
and our eternal home!
Stay Connected
1234 Main Street, Awesomeville, MA · 555.555.5555