"On my day off, when I am in West Newbury, I go to a little gym in a storefront in a shopping center for my morning workout.  While some of the trainers know I am connected to the church, none of them have ever seen me in my monastic habit or a clerical collar and everyone calls me Tom.  Two of the trainers are evangelical Christians and one is what I would call a seeker. 

"Early in the summer Ryan, the one I call a seeker, became a dad for the first time.  On his first day back at the gym after his daughter's birth, we were all congratulating him and I added,  'So what about a baptism?'" 

Bishop Shaw tells in this story about seizing a faith moment, ready or not, when it presented itself.  He wonders how others meet those moments.  Read more here.

Bank divestment, criminal justice reform, disaster preparedness and making a response to city street violence were among the issues that eastern Massachusetts Episcopalians put their voices and votes to when they gathered for the diocese's 227th annual convention, Nov. 2-3 at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Boston.

The annual legislative gathering brings together about 600 clergy members and elected delegates from each of the congregations of the diocese to set policy and a budget, as well as for common prayer and worship and to celebrate shared mission and ministry. 

Read more here.

 

See photos from the convention here.  Listen to Bishop Shaw's meditations and Bishop Gayle Harris's sermon here.  Election results and resolutions in final form are available here.  

Mission hubs are a new model for collaborative ministry emerging in the diocese, to be funded for their first five years with $7.5 million from the Together Now campaign.  Diocesan Convention-goers heard about the invitation to all congregations to consider whether they feel called to be part of a mission hub--a collaboration of three or more Episcopal churches meeting local needs in a way that any one church could not on its own.

Read more here about the mission hub initiative and meet the director and Life Together fellows who are part of the pilot hub that is up and running on the South Coast.  One of those fellows, Larissa Alter, shared some of her story at Diocesan Convention; watch the video clip here. 

Post-Sandy partners:  On Saturday of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, Bishop Bud Cederholm, Deacon Michael Hamilton, who coordinates diocesan disaster preparedness and response, and the Rev. Jane Bearden and Betty Ann McCarthy of Trinity Church in Haverhill will drive a trailer filled with donated clothing and supplies to Holy Trinity Church in South River, N.J.  It is just one way that Episcopalians are continuing to help those in areas hard-hit earlier this month by superstorm Sandy.  Find more information here, and support Episcopal Relief and Development's ongoing efforts here.

Creation Care Season continues:  The Rev. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas writes about tackling climate change in a spirit of love, not fear, and the Rev. Deborah Warner shares her poem, "Why this matters."  Find both, together with other reflections on how to observe Creation Care Season all year long, here.

Life Together accepting applications: 

Life Together fellows introduce themselves at the recent Diocesan Convention.  (PHOTO:  Tracy J. Sukraw)

For Life Together, the year began in August, with a welcome to 27 young adults chosen to participate in its 10-month fellowship program to work for social justice in Massachusetts and grow in their faith and as leaders while living together in intentional community.

Three months in, the fellows are serving in churches, nonprofits and schools. 

"It is a year of feeding the hungry at Project Bread, organizing our young people to fight for jobs at Dorchester Bay Youth Force and preaching the good news at St. Chrysostom's Church in Quincy," Life Together fellow Hazel Johnson says.

Read more here.

 

Life Together is now accepting applications for 2013-2014 fellowships.  Visit www.lifetogethercommunity.org for more information.

Read more here.

Bishop Nicholas Knisely of Rhode Island (left) and Western Massachusetts Bishop-elect Douglas Fisher (PHOTOS: Episcopal News Service)

In New England:  The Diocese of Rhode Island celebrated on Nov. 17 the consecration of its new bishop, W. Nicholas Knisely Jr., the former dean of Trinity Cathedral in Phoenix.  And, on Dec. 1, Douglas Fisher, the former rector of Grace Church in Millbrook, N.Y., will be consecrated the new bishop of the Diocese of Western Massachusetts.

"I want to say how much we are looking forward to working with these two new bishops, and that we are praying for everyone in their dioceses during this time of transition and preparation for service," Bishop M. Thomas Shaw, SSJE said.

Churchwide:  The nominating committee for the election, in 2015, of the next presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church already has begun its work.  The committee had its first meeting Nov. 12-14 in St. Louis and elected Bishop M. Thomas Shaw, SSJE and Sally Johnson, from the Diocese of Minnesota, as its co-chairs.  Massachusetts Canon to the Ordinary Mally Lloyd also serves on the committee and will chair its communications subcommittee.  Everyone can follow along on Twitter at PB27Nominations or #JNCPB and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pb27nominations.

Communionwide:  It was announced on Nov. 9 that the bishop of Durham, Justin Welby, has been named the next archbishop of Canterbury.  As such, the former oil executive, just consecrated a bishop at the end of 2011, will join a succession that spans 1,400 years.  Read more here.