We welcome you to E-NEWS, the Diocese of Milwaukee's weekly electronic newsletter. If you are not already a subscriber or wish to add or change e-mail addresses, please click on the "Join Our Mailing List" icon. We invite you to send articles, photos, and news to info@diomil.org so that we may include them in the E-NEWS.
Barbara Klauber, Editor
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Racine Plan Commission delays decision and allows Hospitality Center to maintain current operations
Note: Over a hundred people attended a hearing of the Racine Plan Commission on July 29 where the Diocese of Milwaukee Hospitality Center's permit was considered. Most spoke in favor of allowing the Hospitality Center to continue its current hours of operation and level of service. The Rev. Kevin Stewart, the Center's director, issued the following statement following the meeting.
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Attendance was high as the Racine Plan Commission considered the Hospitality Center's permit
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THANK YOU to all who spoke on behalf of and/or stood in support of the Hospitality Center at tonight's Racine Plan Commission meeting. You made the difference!
The commission voted unanimously tonight to defer decisioning, which allows us to maintain current hours of operation and to continue feeding the hungry while conversations occur.
Tomorrow we will feed the hungry and we will be in dialogue with the city to cooperatively seek solutions that strengthen our ability to serve our sisters and brothers in need..
Again, thank you to all for your persuasive stories and testimonials in support of our sisters and brothers in need of care and compassion; friendship and food. -- The Rev. Kevin Stewart
Commenting on the meeting, which she attended, Peggy Bean (Canon for Congregational Development) stated, "Look at what we can do together when we see the needs of the neighborhood and work together. It was wonderful to hear the stories of how the Hospitality Center has impacted lives. The Body of Christ in action."
AMEN!
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How the garden grows at St. Christopher's, River Hills!
St. Christopher's Community Vegetable Garden - now in its second year, this vegetable garden offers the parish of St. Christopher's the opportunity to assist the Milwaukee community by supplying fresh organic vegetables to food pantries and homeless shelters in need of quality produce. St. Christopher's parish garden is designed and built to produce food, grow people, and cultivate diversity. The garden is grown without the use of any pesticides or fertilizers. This year the children of the parish painted the sign now hanging on the garden gate. It is emblematic of the passion behind the project.
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 Nominations Needed for Diocesan Leadership Positions!
Bishop Miller has communicated to the clergy, parishes, and lay members of the diocese the need for strong leadership as we move ahead as a diocese and a Church. Please consider how YOU or someone you know could serve in one of the positions that will be elected at this Fall's diocesan convention.
Click HERE for a nomination form with a list of positions being elected, which contains job descriptions for each position.
Thank you for giving this your prayerful consideration . . . NOW is the time for our Church to make a difference in our communities and in the world. How can you help?
Nomination deadline: August 17th.
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The Hunger Book Sale
at All Saints' Cathedral, Milwaukee is underway!
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The motto on the back of this year's official
All Saints' Cathedral book sale T-shirt
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It's here! The annual Hunger Book Sale sponsored by All Saints' Cathedral in Milwaukee is underway! The book sale runs through AUGUST 04. Hours are the same all days: 11am - 6pm.
All proceeds from the sale are donated to hunger-related outreach ministries and programs.
The Cathedral is located at 818 East Juneau Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53202.
For more information please please visit the Cathedral website or call the Cathedral office at 414-271-7719.
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While attending the Hunger Book Sale, you will also have an opportunity to attend a FREE organ recital . . . that's a pretty wonderful two-for-one!!
Saturday, August 1, 2015 at 2pm HUNGER BOOK SALE ORGAN RECITAL
Karen Beaumont, organist Music by Mendelssohn and Buxtehude |
AROUND THE DIOCESE OF MILWAUKEE
 Save the Date: August 28-29 St. Luke's, Madison Rummage and Bake Sale!
SAVE THE DATE! St. Luke's Madison will be holding their annual LOTSA LOOT Rummage and Bake Sale on August 28 & 29. Our 'church basement ladies' are busy sorting, pricing and marking donations in anticipation of a HUGE turnout. We have many collectibles this year from estate donations. More details to come.
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Conference on ministry to persons affected by mental illness offered by Aurora Health Care
The Spiritual Care and Behavioral Health Departments of Aurora Health Care are joining forces to offer "Extending the Embrace: Ministry to Persons affected by Mental Illness" a daylong conference on Wednesday, October 7, 2015 to be held at St. Mark AME Church,1616 W Atkinson Ave, Milwaukee, WI. The day will be filled with experts in caring for the mentally ill and their families, including persons affected by trauma. It is designed with local parish ministry in mind. See FLYER for more information.
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 Parishes - check your neighborhood demographics!
by Peggy Bean, Canon for Congregations
Time to look at your neighborhood demographics. You may have gotten this information a couple of years ago, but things change. Do you know the trends of your city, village or town? Who is moving out and who is moving in? Contact your local schools to see how they are preparing for demographic changes. You can start by reviewing and digesting the information found by our National Church.
Click on the link below or go to the Episcopal Church website - then click on What We Do - The Development Office - Evangelism Tools and Marketing Support - Studying your Congregation for information on your Church.
http://www.episcopalchurch.org/page/studying-your-congregation-and-community
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Mkoma cistern - no electricity needed!
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Water Project in Diocese of Newala seeks funding
The town of Newala has a population of about 38,000. The main water source is from wells. Water is piped to various points in the city. Web information says that only 40% of the piped systems are working due to aging pipes, fuel costs and or undependable electricity.
The Cathedral Church of St. Mary, Newala, has a sheet metal roof and is therefore in a position to collect nearly 40,000 gallons of rain water with a two cistern project ( 20,000 gallons with a single cistern). During the dry season this will be a valuable asset. Our first step is to provide a single cistern at the cost of $7,400.00.
Funding to date is promised from the Commission on Global Reconciliation, an All Saints' Cathedral Outreach Project and private individuals.
The picture shown is of the finished UTO funded cistern at St. Martin's Parish in Mkoma, in the Anglican Diocese of Newala. Notice how the the problem of electricity is circumvented !
Please make checks payable to the Episcopal Diocese of Milwaukee with Newala Cistern Project in the memo line. For more information contact Neil Radtke , Proposal Coordinator, Companion Diocese Committee at njradtke@wi.rr.com.
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 SAVE THE DATE
October 10th - Inaugural Pikipiki Ride!
Saturday, October 10 (10am - 1pm)
All are welcome for a short, fun group bike-ride on the beautiful Oak Leaf Trail to Milwaukee's Lakefront. The ride seeks to raise money for a "pikipiki" (the Swahili word for motorcycle) for priests in the Diocese of Milwaukee's companion diocese of Newala. "Training-wheelers" and strollers will be able to participate in the LittlePiki Ride/Walk. Post-ride food and fellowship in Estabrook Park afterward. Watch for more details, and save the date. NOTE: Most residents of rural Tanzania live without access to motorized transportation of any kind. Pikipiki's are used by priests to tend to their congregations and the local community, both spiritually and physically. For more information, please contact Tim Kobussen of Christ Church, Whitefish Bay.
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 Madison Area Julian Gathering August 12th
YOU ARE INVITED!
Madison-Area Julian Gathering
Wednesday, August 12, 7:15 - 9:00 PM
St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church
6205 University Avenue
Madison, WI 535705
We welcome everyone who is interested in learning more about contemplative spirituality in the Christian tradition. We meet monthly for contemplative prayer for twenty-five minutes, after which we discuss a reading from Julian of Norwich, a 14th Century English mystic who has been called "a theologian for our time." These gatherings are supported by the Order of Julian of Norwich, a contemplative monastic order in the Episcopal Church. We would love to have you join us. If you have questions, call Susan Fiore, ObJN at (608) 845-2413 or e-mail at slfiore@mac.com.
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 Parishes - Apply for a Ministry Development Grant (Applications due October 15, 2015)
Mission and Development is interested in helping support Parish projects that meet one of the following criteria:
- strengthens the congregation's identity and purpose
- deepens the congregation's engagement with the local community, or
- fosters healthy and effective organizational dynamics within the parish
For more information and for an application form to apply for a 2015 Fall Ministry Development Grant, click HERE.
Questions? Please contact Peggy Bean, Canon for Congregations, at bean@diomil.org or by calling (414) 272-3028 / ext. 158.
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Call for Nominations and Resolutions to the October 17, 2015 Diocesan Convention
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2013 Diocesan Convention business session
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Nominations & Resolutions to the October 17, 2015 Diocesan Convention are due AUGUST17, 2015.
Please click HERE to access forms for submitting Nominations and Resolutions and for general information on both! Questions? Contact Barbara Klauber at the Diocesan Office at info@diomil.org or (414) 272-3028 / ext. 111. Registration information and material will be available in later July. We look forward to seeing many of you, whether you will be a deputy or a visitor, at this year's Diocesan Convention, which will take place at beautiful St. John's Northwestern Military Academy in Delafield, Wisconsin!
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 Support Fr. Jim Kaestner's bike ride to raise funds for Multiple Sclerosis research
Please consider helping The Rev. Jim Kaestner raise funds for Multiple Sclerosis research! For 23 years -- and again this year -- Fr. Kaestner will be riding "The Best Two Day Bike Ride for MS" on August 1st & 2nd.
For reasons not fully understood, MS is more prevalent in Wisconsin than in any of the other 49 states; chances are good that someone among your own family members and acquaintances has MS or will have it.
Much has been accomplished in the 23 years Fr. Kaestner has been biking for MS research but still more needs to be accomplished.
Donations in honor of Fr. Kaestner's participation in this years Best Two Day Bike Ride for MS maybe sent to:
NATIONAL MS SOCIETY
1120 James Drive - Suite A
Hartland, WI 53029
Phone: (262) 369-4400
Or donate on-line at National MS Society website. THANK YOU!!
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Pray  ers for Parishes
The diocesan Commission on Mission and Development has prepared a cycle of prayers for the congregations of the Diocese of Milwaukee.
To view the current installment of the cycle, which runs from July through November 2015, please click
HERE . This week's prayer appears immediately below.
August 02, 2015 - St. James', Milwaukee
Heavenly Father, whose servant, blessed James, the brother of your Son Jesus Christ, became an apostle to your people and a pillar of your holy city: Grant to the people of St. James' parish in Milwaukee the courage and strength to be a living presence in their city; help them to maintain their mission in times of change; keep them mindful of the needs of others; and let them know that you are with them in all that they do. This we ask in the name of your Son, who together with You and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, now and forever. Amen.
The Diocesan Cycle of Prayer, compiled by the Order of Julian of Norwich, which includes both Diocese of Milwaukee and Diocese of Newala parishes and ministries, is also posted on the diocesan website, along with the Commission on Mission and Development's "Prayers for the Parishes of the Diocese of Milwaukee". Parishes are encouraged to make use of both these resources in their weekly prayers and Services.
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Safeguarding God's Children session offered Aug. 22 at St. Christopher's, River Hills
 St. Christopher's, River Hills is holding an in-house Safeguarding God's Children training session on August 22 from 9am - 12Noon. Members of other parishes may register to attend by contacting St. Christopher's at office@stchristopherswi.org or (414) 352-0380 AND they are asked to inform the diocesan office by e-mailing mccook@diomil.org. THANK YOU!
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Safeguarding God's Children/Safeguarding God's People
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 will be in the fall - See Fall dates for classes with a trainer below.
ONLINE CLASSES - registration due on or before June 30th. There will be on online registrations accepted in the month of July. Registration begins again in August.
FALL CLASSES with Trainer:
Saturday, 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.
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Diocese of Milwaukee Haiti Project
NEWS
 Haiti Project Matching Campaign for Water and Electricity
by Heidi Ropa, Haiti Project Exec. Director
There is a proverb in Haiti that goes like this..."The rocks in the water do not know the pain of the rocks in the sun." This saying was made real to me in March when I visited Jeannette, Haiti, a community this Diocese has had a partnership with for 28 years. All water in this community comes from water catchment and is held in cisterns -- large holding tanks of rainwater. People walk with their buckets for long distances to fill them and return to their homes with their water supply for the day. Currently, there is no purification system for the water at St. Marc's School, therefore, there is no access to safe drinking water. The parish priest, Pere Jean Lenord Quatorze reported to me that after each rain, at least 20 students come down with water-born illnesses like diarrhea or intestinal worms. The way of Christ, invites us to respond to such needs. All children deserve to grow up with safe water to drink.
Through Labor Day Weekend, the Haiti Project is seeking to match the $35,000 given by two generous donors who seek to address issues of water and electricity at St. Marc's School and Health Clinic. We, the rocks in the water, may not understand the pain of the rocks in the sun -- what it is like to walk for a bucket of water each day hoping our children will not become ill from drinking it. We can, having learned of this problem, respond with generous hearts. Please follow this link to make a contribution to the Matching Campaign for Water and Electricity: http://haitiproject.org/?page_id=290 . Questions? contact Heidi Ropa at (608)235-9393 or email info@haitiproject.org.
Join a Haiti Project trip to Jeannette
Fall Haiti Project trip is being planned Oct. 23-Nov. 1. Please contact Mary Alice Eschweiler at sheppatch@aol.com for an application.
Contact Heidi Ropa at (608)235-9393 or email info@haitiproject.org.
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Participants in Haiti Project's March 2015 trip
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Catechesis of the Holy Spirit retre at Aug.  22 at St. Bartholomew's, Pewaukee
Pewaukee. Clergy and lay persons interested in learning more about CGS are welcome, as are those already working with CGS! Registration fee $20. Please see FLYER for details and registration information.
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 Planned Giving Workshop set for September 26 at St. Mary's, Dousman
The Diocese of Milwaukee and the Trustees of Funds and Endowments invite parish leaders to join them for a workshop on planned giving.
The two hour workshop will take place on Saturday, September 26, 2015 from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 Noon at St. Mary's Dousman, located at 36014 Sunset Drive (Hwy. 18 & 67), Dousman, WI 53118.
Both parishes with an existing Planned Giving ministry and/or an Endowment, as well as those without one, will benefit from this workshop. This workshop reviews best practices and empowers leadership to be able to take the best, next steps for their congregation!
To register for the September workshop, please contact Michael Hagon via e-mail at MHagonTFE@wi.rr.com, or phone at (414) 232-7358 by Monday, August 31, 2015. There is no charge for the workshop.
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"Surprised by Joy"
The 39th Miniweek for Women August 13-16
The 39th annual Miniweek for Women will be held at Camp Lakotah, Wautoma (center of the state) from evening meal Thursday, August 13 through brunch Sunday, August 16.
This event is open to all women with the theme this year being "Surprised by Joy". The weekend contains presentations, workshops, entertainment, good food, beach time, worship, naps, conversation, laughter. The partic ipants can go to everything - or nothing - it is your weekend. There are a variety of housing choices from rustic cabins to inside facilities with amenities. Scholarships are available.
The chaplain will be The Rev. Anna Doherty from St. Aidan's, Hartford. The keynoter is Mary Fran Crist, Province V health ministry committee member speaking on the theme. There will be some new workshops including opportunity to learn how to play bells, making fingerless mittens, overview of General Convention, and archery. The labyrinth will return, along with choir, book study, exercise to music, Taize and talent show. And much much more.
Go to www.womensminiweek.org, for registration and other info.
THE EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT DEADLINE IS MAY 15, 2015. Gift certificates in any amount for Mother's Day available from Barb McFadden at feltedsoaplady@gmail.com.
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One more time . . . THANK YOU for forwarding this newsletter to parishioners and others who may be interested and for sending YOUR news/events / photos to info@diomil.org ! See you next week! Sincerely, Barb
Barbara Klauber
Episcopal Diocese of Milwaukee
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