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The Dio Log
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news and events in the Episcopal Diocese of Maine since 1999
Volume 18, Number 8 ~ April 22, 2016
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The altar of St. Luke's Cathedral in Portland is decked in scaffolding as renovation begins.
An upclose, behind-the-scaffolding look at the rose window before it was removed on Wednesday. It will be conserved and reinstalled so that water will flow on the outside of the window only and not the inside too.
See more below about the renovations and parking during construction. |
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What's New in the Episcopal Church in Maine
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prayers for...
the people of Ecuador and Japan as they recover from recent earthquakes and the people of Houston as they recover from recent flooding. Episcopal Relief & Development is on the move to assist. Click here for bulletin insert. Here is a message from the Bishop of Ecuador Litoral.
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Suzanne Colburn with Deacons Rosalee Glass and Abby Pettiee
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the people of St. Thomas', Camden, and the Rev. Suzanne Colburn as she joins them in ministry as them in ministry as their transitional priest-in-charge. Welcome back to Suzanne who has previously served in Boothbay Harbor and Biddeford.
the people of Grace Church, Bath, and the Rev. Ted Gaiser as they celebrate his new ministry among them as rector on Sunday, May 15, at 4 p.m., Bishop Lane presiding. All are welcome. Reception to follow. Clergy are invited to vest, red stoles.
in the news...
News from the recently concluded Anglican Consultative Council meeting in Lusaka, Zambia: a letter and video below from the Episcopal Church representatives, Rosalie Simmonds Ballentine of the Diocese of the Virgin Islands; the Rev. Gay Clark Jennings of Ohio, president of the House of Deputies; and Bishop Ian Douglas of Connecticut. Here is a a wrap-up story from Episcopal News Service.
In celebration of its 25th anniversary, Trinity Jubilee Center in Lewiston was featured on the Channel 6 show 207 and also in this recent story in the Sun Journal.
voices among us...
The Bishop has this to say about Spring Training 2016:
Many thanks to all who took part in our first Spring Training event. More than 135 persons were present, and there was great energy and enthusiasm. We will certainly repeat this event next spring. And we are already considering possible workshops and locations.
If you were present and haven't already evaluated Spring Training, please go to the SurveyMonkey evaluation form ... and let us know about your experience. Your feedback will help us do a better job next year. We think a new era in formation and education for Episcopalians in Maine has begun.
Here's a blog post on the New Northeast by the Rev. Ted Kanellakis about the recent gathering hosted at the school on Indian Island by Committee on Indian Relations to help educators and others learn about the people of the Penobscot Nation.
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Around the Diocese
Camp Bishopswood will be open on time - Register your campers now!
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The good (and good-humored) people of St. Luke's in Wilton recently raised $1,500 for Bishopswood's septic system at their "A Flush is Better Than a Full House" fundraiser.
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The septic system project is well underway. Contracts have been let and the work will soon begin. We are confident that camp will open on time!
If you have a camper, please take time to register for camp online. Spaces fill up quickly, so don't delay. Visit www.bishopswood.org to register.
In addition, our diocesan youth camp BION will take place during its usual time slot in mid-August. Don't forget to register your teens for that wonderful week. Please see details on BION below under upcoming events.
You can still donate to the septic system renovation project. No donation is too small. You may write a check either to Camp Bishopswood or to the Episcopal Diocese of Maine, marked for Bishopswood and mail to Camp Bishopswood, 143 State Street, Portland 04101. You may also make a secure online donation.
2016 Pilgrimage to the Holy Land
The Diocese of Maine and the Maine Chapter of the Episcopal Peace Fellowship invite you to join a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, October 24-November 3, 2016.
Limited to 15 participants, the pilgrimage will respond to the call to "Come and See" by visiting the ancient churches of the Nativity, the Annunciation, and the Holy Sepulcher as well as the holy sites at the Sea of Galilee. In October 2015, the Diocese of Maine Convention passed a resolution that "laity and clergy of the Diocese be encouraged to make pilgrimage to Israel and the Occupied Territories to learn from our fellow Christians in the region." Bishop Stephen Lane has offered his support for this trip to assist Maine Episcopalians to have the opportunity to make that journey and return to share their experiences and learning. Participants will visit institutions of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem and experience the realities of life for Palestinian Christians living under occupation in East Jerusalem and the West Bank as well as living as second-class citizens of Israel. The group will meet with Jews, Muslims, and Christians working together for a just peace. Departing from Boston on October 24 and returning on November 3, we will have four nights in Jerusalem, three nights in Bethlehem, and two nights in Nazareth, with side trips from each location. Leading the trip are the Rev. Bob and Maurine Tobin, who have led 23 such trips for other dioceses and institutions, including two groups of Episcopal bishops. Cost of the trip is $2,400 per person (double occupancy) or $2,700 per person (single occupancy), including airfare, hotels, all meals and in-country transportation, honoraria for groups and sites visited, and a $300 non-refundable registration fee. Not included are transfers to Logan Airport, travel insurance, and personal expenses. Buses run from Portland directly to Logan Airport. Application for scholarships may be made to the Loring Fund (clergy) and the Wolf Fund (laity). Please be in touch with Barbara Martin at bmartin@episcopalmaine.org for application details. As we must secure airline tickets and accommodation quickly for this high travel season, please register as soon as possible, but no later than July 15. To insure your space on this trip, for further information, and a registration form, please contact Maurine Tobin mmtobin38@gmail.com or 348 -9976.
Cathedral and Loring House renovations now through mid-summer
Renovation work began this week in earnest for the Cathedral Church of St. Luke. Heavy duty scaffolding went up both inside and outside the east wall of the Cathedral. On Wednesday, the work of removing the rose window began. The wall itself will be rebuilt over the next several months.
In addition, the Deanery building was sold to a private owner and the proceeds added to the capital campaign for the renovation. The Cathedral has now raised more than $1.5 million for the renovation project. About $100,000 of that has been pledged to Camp Bishopswood.
To make all this a perfect storm, Loring House will begin long over-due window renovation and repointing next week. The exterior of the building, including the roof, will be completely repaired and renewed. The upshot of all this work and work on other buildings and streets in the neighborhood means that there is almost no parking available near the Cathedral except at meters on State Street. If you have an appointment at Loring House, please look for on-street parking once you pass the statue of Mr. Longfellow. Our office has a supply of quarters to help with the cost, and we are moving some meetings away from the Loring House to Trinity Church, Portland, and other venues. If you have questions about where you are meeting, please be in touch with the staff member you are meeting with to double check. We remain open for business and the Cathedral remains open for services and ministries. We hope that all the major work will be completed by the middle of the summer.
United Thank Offering Materials Available
Many free UTO materials are available from Sherri Dietrich, the UTO Diocesan Coordinator for Maine and Province I representative to the UTO Board, for parishes that want them, and she'll will be bringing home even more in May. Please contact her at ssdietrich@gmail.com or 208-7502 to arrange a materials delivery or to ask for specific supplies to be brought back to Maine in May, to talk about UTO at your church, or with any other questions or ideas you might have. Many free UTO resources, such as bulletin and newsletter inserts, are also available from the UTO website and at the Episcopal Marketplace.Also UTO will also host two free webinars this spring. Click here for a flyer describing the presentations.
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Upcoming in Maine and Beyond
3G: Generating Generous Giving
Bishop Jim Hazelwood of the New England Synod and the Rev. Renee LiaBraaten, Associate for Generosity, will bring their one-day presentation to First Lutheran Church in Portland on Saturday, May 14, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The cost is $5.00 to defray the cost of lunch. Please email Martha Whyte mwhyte@nesynod.org a list of names of participants from your congregation no later than May 7. This is the fourth and last of these workshops offered across New England. Maine Episcopalians are most welcome to attend. Click here for a schedule and flyer.
Joining God in the Neighborhood: A One-Day Introduction to the New Thing God is Doing
Over the next two years, Episcopalians across Maine will work with our friends in the Dioceses of Connecticut... Southwest Virginia... and East Tennessee, doing experiments in how we might join God in our neighborhoods, and coming together locally to learn from the results.
This will be exciting! We'll have great support, from people like Dwight Zscheile (People of the Way), Alan Roxburgh, and Craig Van Gelder. We'll help and learn from one another. And we'll move step by step so that everyone can take part.
The first step is coming up soon, and you're invited! Please email Canon Michael Ambler to let him know you and others from your congregation plan to attend at mambler@episcopalmaine.org.
WHAT: Joining God in the Neighborhood, a one-day program that will offer ways you can meet God where your neighbors are, and that will invite you to consider trying a few experiments in company with others WHEN: Saturday, May 21, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (coffee's on at 9:30) WHERE: Christ Church in Gardiner WHO: Everyone! We especially hope that a clergy person and at least a couple of lay leaders will come from many congregations, big and small, all across Maine WHY: Because God is doing a new thing, and we're part of it
Jesus Then and Now
a diocesan retreat for adults - June 17 - 19
Join us for a weekend at Camp Bishopswood on beautiful Lake Megunticook near Camden, and explore your connection with the many dimensions of Jesus, the Christ. This retreat is for everyone who wonders how Jesus made a difference in his own day and how he makes a difference today. How will you find your life story in the life story of Jesus? Come ready to experience God's love in the beauty of nature, in your relationship with Jesus and in new friendships.
There is financial aid for everyone who needs it, and also scholarships for Sunday school teachers and youth event volunteers.
Invite middle and high schoolers to BION Camp! - August 16-20 at Bishopswood - register by June 20 for the early price
Even if you're not in grades 6-12, please invite kids to BION - our diocese's camp created especially for middle schoolers and high schoolers. Campers will make new friends and enjoy living in the outdoors with kids their age from all over Maine. They'll choose activities like ultimate Frisbee, archery, kayaking, swimming, theater games, creative crafts, challenge games and more. There will be music, campfires, s'mores, teen-led worship, interesting focus groups about God and life, high school coffee house and a middle school games night. Staff include musician Thew Elliott, the Rev. Christopher Szarke, the Rev. Laura Peckham, A.K. Akera and adults and young adults from all over our diocese. Please consider providing a scholarship for a teen from your town. Register at maineyouth.org. Download an information flyer here. For more info, contact Jane Hartwell or Camp Director Kerry Mansir.
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