September 15, 2016
ConnectingConnecting   

...with Evans House     
Bishop Mark visits St. John's, Roanoke.
 
● Bishop Mark is in Detroit attending the House of Bishops meeting, the second gathering with Presiding Bishop Michael Curry. Bishop Mark returns in the latter half of next week.
On September 11, the bishop's visitation was with the people of St. John's, Roanoke. There were nineteen confirmations and one reception at the 10 AM worship. The 5 PM Gathering worship was followed by a parish-wide BBQ picnic. (Click the red link to see more photos on Facebook.)

● Please remember to send announcements for this Email Update to news@dioswva.org, rather than any particular staff member. Lynn and Kate are happy to help, but information is better coordinated with a central starting place. Thank you for your help in making sure the news reaches others!

● Safeguarding God's Children  and Safeguarding God's People training will be offered September 24 at Evans House. Learn more and register here for one or both sessions.
 
● Bishop's Reminders 

 --Fall Clergy Gathering with the Rev. Dr. Dwight Zscheile ~ Save the Dates: The diocesan overnight clergy gathering will be Wednesday evening, October 19, through early afternoon on Thursday, October 20. Attendance by all active clergy is expected and is encouraged of all others.
--Visitation Calendar: Lynn and Bishop Mark are in the process of scheduling the bishop's visitation calendar for the first six months of 2017. Please let Lynn know if you have preferences for particular Sundays.
--Pastoral Concerns: Please continue to hold in your prayers the Rev. Conrad McNeer, the Rev. John Furgerson, and the Rev. Rod Sinclair, who are dealing with health issues. Please pray for the Rev. Judy Spruhan's recovery from gall bladder surgery, and for Kara Brown's recovery from hip replacement. Kara is the wife of the Very Rev. Wilson Brown.  
 ...with the Diocese 

● Monday, November 7, an Election Day Eve Prayer Vigil will be offered at St. Luke's, Hot Springs, from 5:00 PM till 9:00 PM; the community will be invited to drop-in during those four hours, enjoy candle light and quiet, and pray for the leadership and common good of our country.
 
● From the Rev. Karen Kelly: On October 17, the Buchanan Area Ministerial Alliance will present Out of Poverty at the Buchanan Theatre at 7 PM. Read more and download the flyer to share with others.

● Susan Peyton and Mitzi White will be teaching a Safeguarding God's Children class at Emmanuel, Staunton, on October 2, beginning around noon, after the worship service concludes. A lunch of pizza and sides will be offered; participants are asked to donate $3 to offset the cost of lunch. RSVP to Mitzi at mitziwh@gmail.com.

● To those who live in the New River Valley area: If you would like to ride-share to the Virginia Interfaith Center meeting in Salem on September 28, please let Ruth Grene (greneruth@gmail.com) know that you'll be joining us. Meet at 5 PM in the parking lot outside Our Daily Bread on South Main Street in Blacksburg. 

● News from Jackson-Feild: Thanks to the generosity of the Ridley Foundation and Bruton Parish Episcopal Church in Williamsburg, the restrooms in the Robinson/Withers at Jackson-Feild Behavioral Health Service's gymnasium have been renovated. Read more. 
Remember to check out the diocesan
Bulletin Board. You'll find information and news of all kinds!
 ...with the Wider Community
 
● Presiding Bishop Michael Curry will be the keynote speaker for Evangelism Matters, an Episcopal Church Evangelism Conference on November 18-19 in Dallas, TX. Evangelism Matters is designed for anyone who would like to learn more about evangelism and available resources to share our faith. Learn more. 

● Applications are now accepted for the Pastoral Care Team members for the 2017 Episcopal Youth Event (EYE17), to be held on July 10-14, 2017 on the campus of the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond, OK, in partnership with the Diocese of Oklahoma. Read more . 

● Read more about the Concert Across America to End Gun Violence taking place on Sunday, September 25.

● Praesidium Presents: Background Screening - What's the right check for your organization? Background screening staff and volunteers can be costly and confusing. If you have questions about which background check is right for you, attend this upcoming webinar exclusively designed for Church Pension Group Members. Register here:

ResourcesLinks and Resources

ReceivedReceived Reports
as of September 7, 2016 
yellow highlight = missing items 
Something to talk about!
Supply Clergy 
as of February 10, 2016
as of April 28, 2016
Bishop Marmion Resource Center
as of September 15, 2016
Includes the Sharon Bryant Memorial Garden at Bear Mountain
www.dioswva.org
 
Episcopal Diocese of Southwestern Virginia
1002 1st Street SW ~ Roanoke, VA 24016
540-342-6797 ~ www.dioswva.org