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March 31, 2014

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  Diocese of Maine on Twitter. Be our 708th follower!  

 

@episcopalmaine 

 

Bishop Steve is occasionally tweeting from sabbatical. Find out what he's up to by following him  

 

@bishop_maine   

 

On the NNE, the New Northeast News blog, the Rev. Ann Kidder writes about the success of faith-based organizing in Central Maine.

 

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How would you sell someone on the Episcopal Church in 250 words or less. Check out this great, sometimes moving, collection of elevator pitches published today at  

the Acts 8 Moment.

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Episcopal Relief & Development updates on its work in Philippines and South Sudan.

Does Jimmy Fallon, the new host of The Tonight Show, really have six things to teach the church? Yeah. Pretty much. Find out what they are here

 

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Prayers for...
 
the people and clergy of St. Anne's, Mars Hill, a mission of the Diocese since 1947 and member of the Aroostook Episcopal Cluster as yesterday, March 30, they held their last service of worship in their building. With the recent approval of the Standing Committee and the Trustees of Diocesan Funds, the building is in the process of being sold to a local resident who will run various activity programs for children and youth, including dance and gymnastics classes, and will share space with an after-school program and a day-care program.

The Rev. Kevin Kinsey, priest-in-charge of the five churches in the Aroostook Cluster, had this to say:

"We've been told that there will be 160 young people through the building each week. We're happy that it will continue to serve the community and that it will be filled with the laughter of so many children!

"Additionally, the parishioners have chosen to leave their church home with their heads held high. They closed their building before their account sheets showed zero balances, so they will join the other Cluster churches with fairly significant resources to bring to the table.

"Finally, it was a comfort to have our Canon Missioner Terry Reimer there to help us through the process. There are plenty of questions yet about accounts, insurance, etc. and to have him available to us on-site made everything go much more smoothly.
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Congratulations to...

the people of Christ Church, Norway and Trinity Lutheran, South Paris and the Rev. Nancy Moore as she joins the two congregations in ministry as a full-time rector and pastor beginning May 22.

to Bishop Stephen and Gretchen Lane, as they celebrate the birth of their sixth grandchild, Robin, a boy born over the weekend to their son Jeremy and his wife Mia in Philadelphia. They will have a chance to visit the new baby and his parents before Bishop Steve returns from his sabbatical next week.

Update: The funeral for the Rev. Charles Karsten is scheduled for Wednesday, June 25, at 2:30 p.m. at Christ Church, Gardiner. Interment for Charles and his wife Daphne will be held immediately after the funeral.

Around the Diocese
 
  
The Diocese of Haiti affirms third term of Companion Diocese relationship with Maine

At convention last October, the people of the Diocese of Maine voted to extend the Companion Diocese relationship we've shared with the Diocese of Haiti since 2003 to a third five-year term through 2018. On March 14 the Executive Committee of the Diocese of Haiti voted to affirm the extended relationship as well.

Currently about ten congregations in Maine have relationships with parishes in Haiti and many more make donations to nonprofit organizations such as Maison de Naissance, St. Vincent's Center for Handicapped Children, or the Bricks for Haiti campaign to rebuild the Holy Trinity Cathedral and the ministries it houses. Learn more about ministry in Haiti by contacting the Haiti-Maine Committee Co-Chairs Sarah Danser and the Rev. Peter Jenks at [email protected]

 

St. Bart's, Yarmouth, seeks a music director/organist

 

St. Bartholomew's in Yarmouth seeks an energetic, flexible and resourceful Music Director/Organist to lead our established music program. The Music Director will involve the members of St. Bartholomew's in music, and expose the congregation to a wide variety of music expressions and be thoroughly knowledgeable about Episcopal worship form. We are an inclusive, energetic, passionate and growing church family of about 250 people. The part-time position includes playing the organ for services at 8:00 a.m. and 10 a.m. on Sundays, and on Holy Days, directing and rehearsing an adult choir of 20, and planning the music for all services by selecting appropriate hymns, anthems, and service music. The candidate should be skilled in training volunteer singers, and have experience working with parishioners of all ages.  

 

Applications will be accepted beginning April 1st and will be accepted until the position is filled. For more information on the music program and the church, please visit the church's website:  www.stbartsyarmouth.org. Interested candidates are asked to send a cover letter and resume to Music Director Search Committee, St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church, 396 Gilman Road, Yarmouth, Maine 04096 or in digital format to [email protected]. Click here for a flyer with full information on duties and qualifications. 

 

 

Thanks from the Finance Committee for providing prompt parochial reports

 

Thanks to the great multitude of priests-in-charge, treasurers, vestries and wardens who have submitted complete Parochial Reports for 2013.

As of March 21, there were four parishes with all the data in, waiting for the final computer "click" to submit.  There were three places without complete data submitted-and we look forward to receiving that information soon.

Many thanks from the members of the diocesan Finance Committee for your good work. We can now begin the work of planning the 2015 budget.   

 

 

Upcoming in Maine and Beyond

From the Diocesan Committee on Aging: Elder Abuse Conference in Cumberland on April 5

On Saturday, April 5th, the Tri-Community Interfaith Council partnering with the Episcopal Diocesan Committee on Aging will be hosting a conference on Elder Abuse from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Congregational Church at 282 Main Street in Cumberland. The conference is free to all interested.
It will include:
  • how we can better understand the dynamics of elder abuse  
  • how we can recognize and respond to victims
  • how we can protect ourselves/our elders from fraud and scams
  • preventative strategies and available resources  
Denis Culley, senior staff attorney at the Legal Services for the Elderly, and Lindsay J. Laxon, Investor Education Manager at the Maine Office of Securities, will share their expertise.  For more information and registration, please contact: the Rev. Lin Peyton at 865-4067 or [email protected]
 

Choral Evensong at St. Luke's Cathedral, Portland, on April 6

On Sunday, April 6 at 4 p.m., the Cathedral Choir, under the direction of Cathedral Musician Albert Melton and accompanied by organist Randall Mullin, will sing Choral Evensong, a traditional Anglican service for evening. The service will include choral music by English composers, Richard Ayleward, William Boyce and Thomas Attwood Walmisley. This service will be held in the Cathedral Church of Saint Luke located at 143 State  Street in Portland.


Join the Christian Ed conversation!

Everyone interested in Christian formation for children and teens is invited to the Christian Ed Collaboration meeting on Monday, May 5 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon at the Diocesan Office, 143 State Street, Portland. If you want to join by phone, call 800-244-6062 and enter code 184756#. For more information, contact co-chairs Julie Morrison at [email protected] and Emily Keniston at [email protected].

 

Maine walks with Haiti on May 31 

 

Konbit Sante will host the 5th Annual Maine Walks with Haiti and 4 Mile Run on Saturday, May 31, beginning at
Back Cove Park in Portland. All are welcome to participate, including those churches whose members would like to raise funds for their parish partnership or a specific ministry. Participants are encouraged to learn more and register online at www.mainewalkswithhaiti.org. Registration is also available on the day of the event. The first 250 paid registrants will receive a free T-shirt.

 

 

BION Camp flyers are ready!  

 

BION is a five-day camp for teens and kids in grades 6-12. It runs Tuesday through Saturday, August 19-23, at Camp Bishopswood. This is the 15th year of this popular camp, which combines fun activities, beautiful camp and focus groups where teens can explore new and old ideas about God. Join teens from churches all over our diocese, plus clergy and other adults. The leader this year is the Rev. Kit Wang. Click here for a flyer to distribute to your teens in grades 6-12.