Community gardeners & potential community  gardeners invited to gather Feb. 6
There will be a gathering of current and potential community gardeners at The Commons on Saturday, Feb. 6 from 9 a.m. to noon, organized through the office of Bishop Laura Ahrens. The morning will include a keynote speaker and three workshops. For details and registration, link here.
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Resources for Lent & beyond
 Grow a Rule of Life
The Society of St. John the Evangelist has a wealth of spiritual resources. You may already know them from retreats, or from their Brother, Give Us A Word series.
Their Lenten 2016 videos and workbook, Growing a Rule of Life, are already online for you. Visit this page to subscribe to a daily morning email with a short video and download a PDF of the accompanying workbook. it starts Ash Wednesday, February 10, 2016.
From their promo: "In this series, we focus on God as the Chief Gardener of our souls, and we seek out ways to grow into the fullness he desires. Just as stakes and lattices nurture the growth of young plants, so too can spiritual disciplines support the flourishing of our whole being. This series uses a tool from monastic spirituality called a 'Rule of Life' to explore and cultivate our relationships with God, Self, Others, and Creation. " This series is designed for both individuals and small groups.
Vote for your favorite saints in "Lent Madness"
Forward Movement, known for Day by Day, offers ebooks, downloadable resources, apps for your smartphones or tablets, and online engagement opportunities through Twitter and Facebook.
Forward Movement has more recently also become know for Lent Madness, "inspired by college basketball tournaments, [it] pits 32 saints against each other in a bracket, as each saint seeks to win the coveted Golden Halo." Their 2016 bracket, and 2016 bracket poster, are available now.
And more general resources
Check out all the resources available from Vital Practices, of Episcopal Church Foundation, as well. Yes there are some resources and articles  about Lent. There are also themed articles for parishes (capital campaigns, conflict, buildings and grounds, evangelism, and more) in Vestry Papers. There are also free webinars. One coming up on Jan. 28 is for senior wardens, called, "Senior Warden Ministry: Mission Impossible?" Articles and webinars are offered in both English and Spanish. For example, one upcoming webinar in Spanish, Orientación de la junta parroquial, will be offered at 7 p.m. on January 14.
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Care for Creation grant applications open now
Deadline is Jan. 30
The mission of the Jack Spaeth Care for Creation Environmental Grant is to encourage innovation and to empower members of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut to educate, witness and invite change in our congregations and communities with the goal of embracing a global vision of climate justice and preserving and celebrating God's creation. In 2016 there will be two granting cycles. Deadline for the first cycle is Jan. 30, and for the second cycle, August 15. Link here for an application form. Completed applications should be submitted to sdemerchant@episcopalct.org.
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UTO grant applications available now
The 2016 United Thank Offering grant applications are now available. The focus of these grants is Mark Five of the Anglican Marks of Mission: To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth. Your application is due to the Office of Bishop Laura J. Ahrens by 5 p.m. EST Friday, February 19. Grant applications for start-up costs of a new ministry are allowable; funds are not permitted for the continuation of ongoing ministry. Only one grant application is submitted per diocese with one additional application for a companion grant. Read more in this media release, and link here for full details and specific criteria, and for the forms needed.
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Keep in your prayers
Your eNews editor Joshua Bruner - a third-year seminarian studying at Berkeley Divinity School at Yale - is taking his GOEs this week (General Ordination Exams) on January 4, 5, and 7 (Jan. 6 is a day off). Please keep him, ECCT postulant Jane Hale, and all those taking their exams this week, in your prayers. The GOEs are designed to test proficiency in the six canonical areas required for those preparing for the priesthood: Holy Scriptures, History of the Christian Church, Christian Theology, The Practice of Ministry, Christian Worship, and Christian Ethics and Moral Theology.
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Registration open for Trinity Institute, Jan 21-23
Register now to be part of an action-oriented theological conference focused on sacred conversations for racial justice, an essential part of racial reconciliation that our church has embraced. Speakers and presenters for "Listen for a Change" include Presiding Bishop Michael B. Curry, NPR's Michele Norris, Nicolas Kristof, and more. Attend in Hartford, Meriden, Mystic, Vernon, or Waterbury.
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Positions Open
St. James', New London seeks an Organist and Choirmaster for a 3/8-time position, particularly from musicians with a strong background in choral conducting, to begin June 20, 2016. A Masters in Music is preferable, with some previous experience in church music. The church maintains a strong music program, anchored by its fine organ, a 4-manual Ernest M. Skinner, Opus 220. For more info and to apply, see http://www.stjamesnl.org/music. The application deadline is February 15.
To submit a job opening to be included here, please fill out this form. Jobs will be reviewed and then posted once in the weekly enews and posted on the website for four weeks.
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Coming up soon
The ECCT calendar is located here. It
allows you to filter events by category and includes a subscribe link at the bottom of the page. Events at The Commons in Meriden unless otherwise noted. Schedule below through Jan. 23 only.
- Jan. 5, 9 a.m. HolyLanders meeting
- Jan. 5, 5:30 p.m. Camp Washington Board meeting, at Camp Washington
- Jan. 7, 9 a.m. Recently Ordained Clergy (ROC)
- Jan. 7, 10 a.m. Spanish Language Ministries Group meeting
- Jan. 9, all day, Cathedral Chapter meeting at Camp Washington
- Jan. 9, 2 p.m., Ordination of Tuesday Rupp to the diaconate at Trinity, New Haven
- Jan. 13, 5:30 p.m. Deacons Council; book study
- Jan. 14, 11 a.m., Young Retired Clergy Meeting
- Jan. 15-17, Teen Winter Weekend at Camp Washington
- Jan. 16, 10 a.m. Companions in Mission committee meeting
- Jan. 16, all day, Standing Committee meeting
- Jan. 19, 6:30 p.m. Celebration of New Ministry for Jack Gilpin, at St. John's, New Milford
- Jan. 20, 5:30 p.m. Commission on Ministry meeting
- Jan. 21, 9 a.m. Fresh Start
- Jan. 21, 1:30 p.m. Christian Formation Ministry Network
- Jan. 21-23: Trinity Institute 2016: Hartford, Meriden, Mystic, Vernon, Waterbury
BISHOPS' SUNDAY SCHEDULE - January
- Jan. 10 - Bishop Douglas - Christ Church, Watertown
- Jan. 10 - Bishop Ahrens - St. Peter's, Hebron
- Jan. 17 - Bishop Ahrens - All Saints, Ivoryton
- Jan. 24 - Bishop Douglas - St. Andrew's, Stamford
- Jan. 31 - Bishop Douglas - Christ Church Cathedral Annual Meeting
- Jan. 31 - Bishop Ahrens - St. Andrew's, New Haven
Deadline for inclusion of events is the Friday before the eNews goes out. Events are updated online once a week. Please submit your events here.
Events remain on the website calendar.
Jan. 6, Epiphany Service with music, readings, and colossal puppets, Litchfield 7 p.m.
Jan. 8, Silent Film Screening, St. John's, West Hartford, 7 p.m.
Jan. 10, Simpatico - Sounds Good concert, Stamford, 4 p.m.
Jan. 17, MLK Jr. Observance guest preacher Dr. Benjamin Foster, Hartford, 10 a.m.
2016 CLERICUS MEETINGS
Clergy are invited to attend whichever of these meetings that best fits their schedule and location. Each line provides a link to the respective Eventbrite page. From there, you can find more details and register for the event.
The spring schedule and registration pages are being finalized. Look for more info soon.
SAFE CHURCH TRAINING FOR LAITY
- Mar. 5, 2016, 9 a.m., St. James's, West Hartford
- Apr. 16, 2016, 9 a.m., Trinity, Collinsville
- Apr. 30, 2016, 9 a.m., St. Peter's, Cheshire
- May 7, 2016, 9 a.m., St. John's, Vernon
- May 14, 2016, 9 a.m, St. Paul's, Brookfield
- June 4, 2016, 9 a.m., Christ Church, East Norwalk
- June 25, 2016, 9 a.m , St. John's, Niantic
Safe Church Recertification - for Laity
- Feb. 3, 2016, 6:30 p.m., St. Andrew's, Madison:
- March 7, 2016, 6:30 p.m. The Commons, Meriden,
- April 9, 2016, 9 a.m. St. Mark's, New Canaan:
- April 12, 2016, 6:30 p.m., Trinity, Tariffville
- May 21, 2016, 9 a.m., St. Paul's, Shelton
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