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WHAT'S NEW IN THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN MAINE
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prayers for...
Bishop Steve Lane as he undergoes surgery for a non-cancerous prostate condition on Tuesday, April 28. He expects to spend one night in the hospital and two to three weeks recovering. Prayers also for Gretchen Lane, his patient caregiver.
the family of the Rev. Gary K. Price, 92, of Wales, Maine, who died on April 10. All but the first two years of Gary's active ministry were served in Diocese of Virginia. He was rector of Trinity Church in Arlington from 1949 to 1975 and then worked with the Episcopal Education Society there until his retirement to Maine in 1986. In Maine he was an encouraging spirit and pastoral presence at St. Michael's in Auburn for many years. A funeral service will be held at St. Michael's on Saturday, May 2, at 10 a.m.
welcome (back) to...
the Rev. Kevin Holsapple, who returns to serve in the Diocese after a decade. Congratulations to him and the people of St. John's, Brownville Junction, and St. Augustine's, Dover-Foxcroft, as they join together in ministry beginning on April 26. the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church, as she visits Maine this weekend. All are invited to a town hall-style meeting at St. Luke's Cathedral in Portland on Saturday, April 25, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. where she will talk about "Change and the Church." There will also be a short worship service to give thanks for her ministry as her term comes to an end in November. On Sunday she will join the people of St. Mary's in Falmouth, at 9 a.m. to celebrate their 125th anniversary. Here's a piece in the Bangor Daily News about her visit.
congratulations to...
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The Maine Deputation: (L-R) The Rev. Mary Lee Wile, St. Paul's, Brunswick; the Rev. Calvin Sanborn, St. George's, York Harbor; Ms Elizabeth Ring, St. Bart's, Yarmouth; the Rev. Nina Pooley, St. Bart's, Yarmouth; Ms Anna Foster, St. Luke's, Portland, who is one of two New England representatives to the Official Youth Presence; the Very Rev. Ben Shambaugh, St. Luke's, Portland; Bishop Steve Lane. (seated) Ms Brenda Hamilton, St. Andrew's, Newcastle. (Unable to attend) Mr. Dick Rozene, St. Ann's, Windham; and Mr. Mark Spahr, St. Pat's, Brewer.
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Bishop Steve Lane and the Rev. Kit Wang who were elected on April 17 to three year terms as president and vice-president of the Province of New England Synod (or Province 1, the seven Episcopal dioceses in New England). Members of New England's deputations to General Convention gathered last weekend in Marborough, Mass. to learn about issues and developments expected to be addressed at the 78th General Convention of The Episcopal Church which will meet in Salt Lake City from June 24 to July 3. The Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, Bishop Stacy Sauls, COO; the Rev. Gay Clark Jennings, President of the House of Deputies; and the Rev. Michael Barlowe, Executive Secretary of the General Convention address those gathered.
in the news...
a timely post from Tom Elrich in Religion News Service, titled A cure for mile-wide and inch-deep religion. He writes, "A young father says he aches to talk with others about faith, but instead, people talk about church." Read it here.
voices among us...
Canon Heidi Shott writes about the heartbreak of human trafficking and efforts to address it in Maine in the today's post on the BTS Center's blog, Bearings. Read it here.
Also May 1 marks the beginning of Heidi's sabbatical. She will work on long-postponed writing project and take a course in video production at Maine Media Workshops in July. In late May she and her husband Scott will celebrate their 30 anniversary by traveling to South Africa to visit their son who is studying at the University of Cape Town this semester. She will come out of sabbatical to cover the General Convention for the Diocese of Maine. Look for more on GC coverage in upcoming editions of The Dio Log.
During the sabbatical, please address questions about communications and advocacy to
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New! The Episcopal Asset Map: A great tool for the church
The newly launched Episcopal Asset Map is meant to connect people across The Episcopal Church and our partners to promote the sharing of ideas and information about ministries and programs.
Developed by the US Disaster Program at Episcopal Relief & Development and the Office of Justice and Advocacy Ministries, the value of the map depends on the ongoing participation and interest of individuals and congregations around the country.
Please visit the map at the link above and take a look around. It's a powerful tool that allows you to see not only what is happening around this diocese, but also what is going on in neighboring dioceses and around the country. The map can help us build networks with people interested and involved in similar ministries so we can share ideas and strategies, or it can be a jumping off point for entirely new directions.
As you explore the map, please take a moment to find your church or institution. If you believe the information found there is incomplete or inaccurate, you can fill out the survey found by clicking on the "Take the Survey" text link at the top of the page for your church or organization. There is also a place on the survey to share your stories of ministry through pictures and video. One the diocesan administrator approves your changes, they will pop up on the screen.
If you have any questions about posting information about your congregation or ministry, please be in touch with Elizabeth Ring, the map administrator for the Episcopal Diocese of Maine at
Here's a short, engaging video that captures how the Asset Map works and how you can use it.
Know a great kid? We know a great camp! Spaces still available at Bishopswood  Bishopswood Director Mike Douglass reports that camp is filling up fast. So now is the time register campers.
Currently weeks that are filling up fast include:
3 spots for girls in Mini Camp I
9 spots for boys in Youth Camp 3
4 spots for boys in Youth Camp 4
and fewer than 15 spots total for Youth Camp 3 or 4.
No matter the week, your child is going to have a great time at Bishopswood.
Registering your child is easy! Register here or learn more about Bishopswood at www.bishopswood.org.Later in the summer, Bishopswood will host BION, the Youth Ministries camp
BION is a five-day camp for teens and kids completing grades 6-12 held Tuesday through Saturday, August 18-22 at Camp Bishopswood. Celebrating its 16th year in 2015, BION offers kids activities like ultimate Frisbee, archery, kayaking, swimming, theater games, creative crafts and more. There will be music, campfires and s'mores, teen-led worship, focus groups, high school coffee house and the middle school games night. This year the camp leader is the Rev. Kit Wang. The early cost of $235 is kept low because of the many adults who volunteer their time.
Financial aid is also available, so no teen needs to be excluded because of inability to pay. Download a flyer here and register at www.maineyouth.org. Join the summer fun!
Strategic Mission Support (SMS) application deadline is May 31
The Diocesan Finance Committee has sent instructions and a link to the online application for congregations to apply for financial support in 2016. Each priest-in-charge (or senior warden in those congregations in transition) received an email with all the information necessary to apply for SMS funds. The deadline is May 31. If you have questions about the application, please contact your priest.
In the 2015 budget, 11 congregations received SMS totalling $79,600 with an additional $41,420 held in reserve for congregations that were in transition at the time of the budget was under development.
Check out TED talks for the Church
The Diocese of Texas has launched the LOGOS Project, short videos by leaders and experts who have a good word for the Church on a wide variety of topics. They are free and each comes with a set of discussion questions to use with small groups. Check it out at epicenter.org/logos. |
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UP AND COMING IN MAINE AND BEYOND
APRIL
Christian Ed Collaboration Meeting - April 27
Everyone is invited to the Christian Ed Collaboration group on Monday, April 27, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon at the Diocesan Office in Portland. If distance is prohibitive, you can join us online at episcopalmaine.webex.com. If you have connection problems, call Jane Hartwell at 776-0460. We'll be sharing best practices, sharing questions and planning. For more info, contact Emily Keniston at emilykeniston@yahoo.com or Jane Hartwell at jhartwell@episcopalmaine.org.
June
God's Story/My Story: A Diocesan Retreat for Adults in June
Registration is now open for the Diocese of Maine's first adult retreat, which will be held on June 12-14 at Camp Bishopswood on beautiful Lake Megunticook. The retreat will be hosted by the Rev. Michael Ambler and Jane Hartwell. It's designed for everyone who enjoys delving deeper into the things of God. Come ready to experience God in the beauty of nature, in new friendships and in the over-arching biblical story and its relationship to our life stories. Download an information flyer and register at tinyurl.com/AdultRetreat2015.
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