Click HERE  to register online to take a class or any of our online trainings offered by our diocese in Safeguarding God's Children (SGC) and Safeguarding God's People (SGP).

Our next class with a trainer is scheduled for May 2, 2015 at St. Boniface, Mequon; class begins at 9am and ends at Noon. Remember that all Vestry and Clergy are required to complete all SafeGuarding Children/People courses.   FALL Classes with Trainer:

Sat, Sept 19th, 9am-Noon at 2 locations: St. Luke's, Madison and St. John the Divine, Burlington.  

L.E.V. are required to complete SGP and anyone who is in ministry with children and youth are required to complete SGC. All certificates need to be renewed every 5 years.  See our website for details on trainings, to register for trainings and to see the Master List of all who have completed trainings since 2003.

Attention!  Informational Meetings for those interested in discerning a call to ordained ministry, professional chaplaincy, or to clarify a call to lay ministry. 

These meetings are the required first step for individuals and their parish priest.

Meetings will be held on Thursday, June 4th at 6:30 pm at Trinity, Wauwatosa and St. Dunstan's, Madison.

Please notify The Rev. Martha Berger, President of the Commission on Ministry at martha.branson.berger@gmail.comif you would like to sign up to attend.

The Hospitality Center in Racine has announced the hiring of Jackie Smith Adams as their new (and first) Program Director.

Jackie brings a wealth of expertise and experience, including serving as part of the leadership team of Milwaukee's largest meal program.  

As Program Director, she will provide leadership for the day to day operations of the Hospitality Center, Racine's largest meal program.

Jackie reports to the Hospitality Center Director, The Rev. Kevin Stewart. 

The General Convention is the governing body of the Episcopal Church. The Convention is a bicameral legislature that includes the House of Deputies, which has more than 800 members, and the House of Bishops, which is comprised of nearly 300 active and retired bishops. The Convention meets every three years and has the authority to amend the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church; adopt the budget for the church for the next three years; authorize liturgical texts and amend the Book of Common Prayer; adopt communions and covenants with other churches; set qualifications for orders of ministry and office-holders; elect officers of the General Convention, the Executive Council, and members of boards; and delegate responsibilities to the committees, commissions, agencies, and boards of the Episcopal Church.

Follow the work of the Diocese of Milwaukee's deputation to the 2015 General Convention at the deputation WEBSITE  and  FACEBOOK page.  If you have questions, concerns, or ideas you wish to communicate to the deputation, you may do so on their website's  Contact page.

Read about the Haiti Project:  April 2015 Haiti Project E-News link: http://p0.vresp.com/EiWt2x   

Go to Haiti Project website to sign up to receive Haiti Project E-News: http://www.haitiproject.org/newsletter.html  

Students at the school supported by Haiti Project

Would you like to schedule a Haiti Project visit at your church?  Please contact Heidi Ropa at info@haitiproject.org or haitiproject14@gmail.com for scheduling. 

Next Haiti Project trip: July 24- Aug 2.  An October trip is being planned.   

Contact Mary Alice Eschweiler for information 414-614-6564.

Seventy percent of Jesus' ministry was Healing.  Luke 9:12 states that we are to preach the Kingdom and Heal the sick.  Healing ministries offer listening, love, anointing and prayer for our body, mind and spirit.  The laying on of hands and anointing with Holy Oil can be a powerful part of healing prayer.

St. Bartholomew's has a Healing Service every Wednesday evening at 6:15 P.M. (please note New Time).  The service lasts approximately one/half hour.  

The Healing Ministry of Jesus is to make people whole, not just physically, but spiritually, mentally and emotionally.  The healing Ministry was such an essential part of Jesus' Ministry that I believe He imparted that responsibility to us in the Church who continues His work.

Mark your calendars for Sunday, May 17, 2015. St. Mark's, Milwaukee, will be having its 13th Annual Flower Sale. The Spring Flower Sale benefits the Outreach Ministries of St. Mark's Church, including Common Ground, Eastside Senior Services, Episcopal Relief and Development, The Gathering, Haiti Project, Hunger Task Force, Our Next  Generation,  and Sojourner Family Peace Center.  

The sale will feature the usual assortment of high quality annuals, perennials, and hanging baskets from the Flower Source in Germantown. New this year will be vegetables and herbs from Northern Sunset Perennials.  

Order forms are available now -- click HERE for form and more information! You may print the form, complete your order, and return it to St. Mark's office. Orders are due by May 1, 2015. Flowers and plants will be ready for pick at St. Mark's, 2618 N. Hackett Ave., on Sunday, May 17, 2015, from 9 a.m. to noon.

Fort-four (44) campers are now  registered for Camp Webb's Summer 2015 sessions - our biggest year yet! Spaces left for registration: FIVE (5) for boys and ONE (1) girl!  

Camp is open to all rising 3rd graders to HS Seniors. Our rising HS Seniors will be Counselors in Training (C.I.T.)  Don't delay -- register your child NOW for this wonderful experience.  Cost:  $450/week; act now . . . we anticipate a waiting list!  Click HERE for more information or  contact The Rev. Carla McCook at mccook@diomil.org .
Those who do not have children  of camp age may wish to consider making camp possible for children who  need financial assistance  . . . click HERE to donate.  Your donation will help us live out our belief that NO child should miss out on camp because of lack of money!
To all who support Camp Webb, whether by attending camp, donating, or volunteering -- THANK YOU!! 

Training, Encouraging, Nurturing, Supporting  (TENS)

TENS' vision is to provide training and resources for stewardship leaders across The Episcopal Church and beyond, around the following core competencies:

• Training clergy and lay leaders in the spirituality of money, and the skills required to address questions of money in the congregation;
• Providing targeted stewardship leadership training for clergy and seminarians, at seminaries and at the diocesan level, including both the theology and the practice of stewardship;
• Mentoring a new generation of stewardship leaders, with special attention to youth, young adults, Generation Xers, and newly ordained clergy;
• Developing and utilizing methods of providing resources using web-based and other electronic techniques.

The Diocese of Milwaukee is a member of TENS and you can participate and obtain resources by clicking on the link:

http://www.tens.org/resources/member-resources/     

Login:  living

Password: generously 

Spring is here! That means it's time again for Good Shepherd's largest outreach program to benefit Sunshine Place, who serves the entire Sun Prairie area as a food pantry, provides beds for needy families, provides kids clothing, provides food home with students from school on Fridays (so they know they have food to eat throughout the weekend), helps those who are job-hunting to write resumes and locate jobs.. . that's just the tip of the ice berg! But they are 100% donor funded, and dependent on the community to support them, and is why we focus to support them!  Our annual "Sunshine Ball" will be held on Friday, May 1 from 6-10:30 at The Oaks Golf Course at 4740 Pierceville Rd, Cottage Grove, WI  53527. Tickets are available online at www.sunshineplace.org (under Sunshine Ball), or call Good Shepherd office at 608-837-3308 and make arrangements to order before April 15.  Alternatively you may send an email to GSECcommunity@gmail.com (fundraising email address) and we will be in touch.

Its not "just a ball"!  The evening begins with softly played dinner music (violin and piano) as you snack on butlered appetizers and check over and bid on the many silent auction tables. This year we have many unique and awesome items! At 7 PM we seat you for a gourmet prepared dinner, as dinner music continues in the background. After you make a few stops at the dessert and coffee bar, its time to swing yourself around the dance floor as you dance to the award winning Sun Prairie HIgh School Jazz band, who are well known all the way to New York for their fine musical skills! Also a wine pull, and of course, the raffle of a stunning one of a kind yellow sapphire and diamond pendant and necklace, valued over $5200. Raffle tickets are available at B's Jewelers and Sunshine Place in Sun Prairie for $15 each, or 4/$50.  Or call Good Shepherd at 608-837-3308, or email the fundraising email address at GSECcommunity@gmail.com  

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Ed. Note:  This article was written by Shirley Foerster of Good Shepherd, Sun Prairie.  The parish's hosting  of the Sunshine Ball grew out of a project originally focused more on supporting the parish rather than the community at large.  It was developed through Good Shepherd's involvement with CDI (Church Development Institute). bjk  

The Rev. Debra Trakel, Rector of St. Christopher's in River Hills, is going to take a group of folks on pilgrimage to the Holy Land (Israel) next February (2/15-2/24)  We will see the land where Christianity began and explore Jesus' Jewish world.  Estimated costs, air inclusive, are $3,050-$3,300.  The price depends upon how many people choose to go.  The cost includes the on site tour guide, two meals a day, transfers to and from the airport in Israel, and more.  Debra has been working with a professional Israeli travel agent to craft a tour.  She has already been to Israel twice and knows what kind of pace she'd like, and what she wants to be sure people get to see and experience.  We will go on pilgrimage to pray in the places where Jesus prayed, and worship where He worshipped.

If you are interested in this possibility, please talk to Debra soon so that she can save you a space and give you more information.  revdebra@aol.com  414-339-9266 (cell)