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As gun violence escalates, B-PEACE urges participation in "Do Not Stand Idly By"
 With rapid-fire news headlines reporting the latest mass shootings in places such as Colorado Springs and San Bernardino, alongside news of school lock-downs and street shootings closer to home, a state of cognitive dissonance seems to have set in among us, as urgency comes up against complacency: "Something must be done; nothing can be done" is the loop many of us hear in our heads. "As much as gun violence is currently in the news, there's still a way in which folks feel disconnected from it as an issue," said the Rev. Liz Steinhauser of St. Stephen's Church in Boston and a lead organizer of the diocese's B-PEACE antiviolence campaign, now in its third year. Still, wherever action on behalf of others can be mustered, there's hope to be found, according to organizers in the Diocese of Massachusetts who are encouraging ongoing local participation in gun safety advocacy. It's the Christian way, they say "The cascading episodes of gun violence in America threaten to render us hopeless. But Christians are ever a people of hope and compassion. So we do not lose heart, and we may not rest unresponsive," Bishop Alan M. Gates replied when asked where to look for hope. Read more. |
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Find your local mission strategy listening session
 It's time to create a new mission strategy for the Diocese of Massachusetts, and everyone's voice is needed. Members of the diocesan community are invited to attend one or more of the six open listening forums scheduled in January and February--opportunities to share insights and experiences as the diocesan community imagines the future together.
Find a listening session near you here. Information regarding translation services and opportunities to participate in the listening process through online and phone surveys will be forthcoming. Check www.diomass.org/new-mission-strategy for updates and more information. |
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"Our mission now begins": Pilgrims share Holy Land photos and reflections
From Nov. 15 to 27, 28 travelers from the Diocese of
Massachusetts, including Bishop Alan M. Gates and Bishop Gayle E. Harris, made a mission pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
 The trip combined visits to holy sites with opportunities to learn about active mission in the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem through its school, health care and peacemaking ministries. Each day of the trip, one of the pilgrims shared a photo and reflection about something they experienced. Explore the gallery and some reflections from the pilgrims here. |
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Celebrating five years of creation care
 At the Diocesan Convention in November, Bud Cederholm--retired bishop suffragan of the diocese, known to many as the "Green Bishop"--offered his thanksgiving for all that the Episcopal Church in eastern Massachusetts has accomplished in five years under its Creation Care Initiative. The Creation Care Initiative began as a program of green grants, and eventually loans, that would encourage, challenge and support all the congregations of the diocese as they care for God's creation. The initiative has grown to include other kinds of public advocacy and education. Reflecting back on the first five years of the Creation Care Initiative, here are some of the milestones this movement has achieved in Massachusetts and beyond, and a compilation of news stories about creation care over the years. Read more. |
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ChurchWide
 Prayers continue for recuperating presiding bishop: The Episcopal Church's presiding bishop, Michael B. Curry, is recuperating at home following surgery earlier this month for a subdural hematoma. He and his family have been "touched by the outpouring of prayers and well wishes," according to a Dec. 11 news release from the church's Office of Public Affairs. Responding to Central American refugee crisis: Anglican and Episcopal Church bishops took part in a Nov. 23-24 conference in San Salvador on forced migration and human trafficking, and took a first step during the conference toward forming a regional Anglican commission on human rights. Read Episcopal News Service's story about the conference here. Advocacy for Central American refugees and human rights was the subject of a resolution adopted by the Massachusetts Diocesan Convention in November. Episcopal delegates emboldened in creation care advocacy: Negotiators meeting at the recently concluded 21st annual Conference of the Parties, COP21, reached a historic agreement aimed at reducing carbon emissions and holding global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), a move that represents a potential shift in how countries will meet their energy needs. As negotiators parsed what would become the final agreement, an Episcopal Church delegation to the conference continued to discuss how to communicate more effectively the church's policies on climate change and the environment in their own contexts, as well as on the national and international level. Read more here.
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| The Episcopal Church hosted a daily pop-up worship service during the Paris Conference of Parties climate summit.
Photo: Lynette Wilson/Episcopal News Service
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NewsNotes
Congregational development staff welcomes Larry Civale and Andrew Del Pilar: The congregational development team on the diocesan staff has welcomed two new members recently, Larry Civale, Senior Consultant, and Andrew Del Pilar, Administrative Assistant. Prior to joining the staff, Civale served as a congregational consultant for several months. He also works in private practice as a psychotherapist and is a licensed clinical social worker. "Larry brings significant experience in professional counseling and congregational consulting to his work with our parishes. He is a careful listener and a caring presence in our midst," said the Rev. Canon Libby Berman, Canon for Congregations. Del Pilar has worked in numerous community organizations and ministries, most recently serving as a pastoral intern at Glendale United Methodist Church. He holds a B.A. in reconciliation studies and
theology from Bethel University and an M.A. in theology from Boston University. His work will include administrative assistance to the team, event administration and support for the diocesan Congregational Consultants.
"Andrew already has made a difference in our work in his first month with the team, graciously helping move projects along and providing hospitality for the many conversations we facilitate," Berman said.
Larry Civale may be reached at lcivale@diomass.org or 617-482-4826, ext. 465 and Andrew Del Pilar may be reached at adelpilar@diomass.org or 617-482-4826, ext. 421.
"It is with great pleasure that we welcome both Larry and Andrew to the work of the congregational development team," Berman said. "We are grateful for all of their gifts, and we look forward to the opportunity many in our diocese will have to meet and work with them."
Congregational Consultants recognize consultants of the year with Jack Doran Award:
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| | On Dec. 15 Bishop Gates and Chris Meyer presented the Jack Doran Award to Milt Boyd (center) and Jeff Brown (not pictured). The Jack Doran Award (formerly the Consultant of the Year Award) recognizes the work and dedication of congregational consultants. |
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Parish Circuit
St. Andrew's, Ayer displays 450 Nativity scenes from around the world: St. Andrew's, Ayer displays 450 Nativity scenes from
around the world: St. Andrew's Church has grown a parish Advent tradition into an event that its wider community in Ayer and beyond looks forward to every year. The church first held its "In a Manger" exhibit of Nativity scenes in 2002. The exhibit was staged by Carolyn Smith, a parishioner who wanted to find a way to share her personal collection of 75 Nativity scenes with others. Today, Smith is still the creative mind and the organizer behind the event, but "In a Manger" has grown to include 450 Nativity scenes that belong to members of St. Andrew's and the wider community, as well as those from Smith's personal collection. " We have them all in our parish hall--which is not the biggest parish hall in the diocese!--and people from the whole community bring Nativities. A huge one with three-foot figures showed up in the parish hall just yesterday," said the Rev. Joyce Scherer-Hoock, Rector of St. Andrew's. "Carolyn stages it so beautifully, with candles and music. It really transforms our sparse parish hall; it's amazing. People are enraptured by it."
The "In a Manger" exhibit represents a huge range of cultures and ethnicities, with scenes from 75 countries. "For me the most interesting part is that although each of the Nativity scenes has the same cast of characters, each one is different based on the culture it represents," Smith said. "The faces of the people depicted in the scene, the animals that are included, the type of structure representing the manger, the garments the people are wearing and the material used to make the figures and structures--as Joyce says, it's a true representation of the global nature of Christianity."
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E-News
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