$22,800 Given to Refugee Center at St. Paul's Within the Walls Episcopal Church, Rome, Italy
In 2015, the Joel Nafuma Refugee Center in St. Paul's Within the Walls Episcopal Church in Rome, Italy was granted the United Thank Offering Grant of $22,800. Since receiving the grant, the Refugee Center has hired numerous staff members and purchased crucial computer equipment, allowing the center to expand offered services.
St. Paul's Within the Walls Episcopal Church in Rome, Italy has been a safe haven for refugees since the 1970s, during the 1980s the parish began a formal ministry towards refugees under the leadership of the Rev. Joel Nafuma, a Uganda priest and refugee. On June 25, 1995, the Center was 'refounded' and reconsecrated as the Joel Nafuma Refugee Center. In 2014, the Center underwent a major restoration and in 2015, with the help of the United Thank Offering grant, the Center has been able to continue to grow and offer assistance to 200+ refugees each weekday.
"The scope of services offered in the center range from basic assistance to settlement services, and aim to address the needs of the whole person. For example, on a typical day in the JNRC, a light breakfast is served at 9:30. Basic items such as razors, toothbrushes, socks and second hand clothing are distributed from 10:15-12:00. English, Italian, and French classes challenge guests to learn and improve critical language skills. Guests enjoy foozball, ping pong, and watch movies or news bulletins from around the world, but also
address spiritual needs through prayer in an interfaith prayer space. Staff and volunteers
accompany guests in their struggle to rebuild their lives through ongoing art and psychotherapy programs and legal support." From the About Us page on the Center's website.
The video on the left is about Rakin, an Afghan refugee being assisted at the Joel Nafuma Refugee Center. The two videos above were produced by the Episcopal Church. Click here to read more about the United Thank Offering, St. Paul's Within the Walls, or the Joel Nafuma Refugee Center.
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Clergy and Campers Gather Together to Celebrate 42nd Anniversary of the Ordination of Women!
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|  | | Eucharist at the 42nd Anniversary of the Ordination of Women | |
Friday was a joyous celebration at Camp Washington as many clergy members, lay leaders, and Camp Washington's "Girl Power" campers gathered together in celebration of the 42nd Anniversary of the Ordination of Women in the Episcopal Church.
Camp Washington's week-long "Girl Power" camp was focused on empowering young women, ages 13 to 16, and creating a supportive community that encourages self-exploration, builds self-esteem, and offers freedom of self-expression.
The Anniversary luncheon, which fell on the final day of the camp, focused on creating open dialogue between female clergy members and campers. Discussions and topics centered around questions of personal passion and joy within God's mission and ministry, as well as trials and tribulations experienced within the church and the world as female clergy.
The rich afternoon of conversation concluded the "Girl Power" Camp at Camp Washington. A closing celebration of the Eucharist was led by Bishop Laura Ahrens, with the assistance of several female campers, and was attending by all.
If you'd like to learn more about the history of women's ordination within the Episcopal Church, then please take a look at this fun and helpful interactive timeline that the Episcopal News Service released two years ago. Girl Power!
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Lay Worship Leader Training Sunday, September 17
The Commission on Ministry is inviting all lay people to train to be Lay Worship leaders. We'll explore the history and spirituality of the daily office with an emphasis on how to lead Morning Prayer.
 Upon completing this training lay leaders may be eligible to be licensed as worship leaders subject to the priest's request.
The event will take place on Saturday, September 17 8:30-12:30 at The Commons in Meriden. Please register here.
That day will be led by Tom Mariconda, Maureen Lederman, Salin Lowe and Grey Sawyer. If you have questions about the event, please email Dean of Formation, Molly James at mjames@episcopalct.org.
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Applications accepted for Episcopal delegates to United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, March 2017
The provincial delegate and the churchwide delegates will be able to attend the official UNCSW proceedings at the United Nations and will represent the Episcopal Church/Anglican Communion in their advocacy at the UN, including joint advocacy with the group Ecumenical Women.
Application located here. The deadline for submission is September 16. For more information contact Lynnaia Main, Episcopal Church Global Relations Officer, lmain@episcopalchurch.org.
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Convention Corner:
The Episcopal Church in Connecticut's 232nd Annual Convention will be Saturday, November 19 and Sunday, November 20, 2016 at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford, CT.
Elected Positions Open at Convention
We will be electing a number of positions at this year's Annual Convention, including the deputation to General Convention, Provincial Synod Reps, and members of Standing Committee.
If you are interested in being nominated for one of these positions, please visit the Elections page on the Convention section of the ECCT website for more information and a simple, electronic nomination form.
Register for the Convention's Celebration of the Spirit
On the Sunday of Annual Convention this year, we will be having a Celebration of the Spirit that will include a massive gathered Eucharist with a sermon by the Presiding Bishop, the Most Rev. Michael Curry, and followed by a Ministry Network Expo and several engaging workshops.
The Celebration of the Spirit is free and open to all Episcopalians in Connecticut, and because space is limited, all attendees must register here* in advance. Learn more about the Celebration of the Spirit and register today. Even better, invite a few people from your congregation so that you can carpool and explore this exciting event together!
If you have any questions, please contact Adam Yates, Secretary of Convention.
*If you have already registered for Convention then you do not need to register again for the Celebration of the Spirit.
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Final Weeks of Summer Camp!
Spots are filling up for 2016 summer camp! To register for one of the sessions below, head over to Camp Washington's website. While you're there, sign up for their newsletters, simply enter your email address in a signup box in the lower section of their home page.
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| | Children's Camp from Camp Washington's Facebook |
Mark your calendars for Camp Washington's Youth Festival happening September 10-11! The weekend begins on Saturday morning at 10:00 am on the front lawn at Camp Washington with check-in and opening activities. The weekend will be packed with fun activities including swimming, canoeing, CORCLS, zip-lining and ropes course, archery, arts & crafts, hiking, and hanging out with friends. Saturday evening features food trucks, music, and more! The weekend ends with Sunday brunch and pick up at 1:00 pm. Space is limited, register here.
Spots still available in:
Children's Camp, Ages 7-12: August 14-19
Teen Camp, Ages 12-16: August 7-12
Service Leadership Camp, Ages 13-16: August 14-19
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Announcements & Reminders
Join St. Paul's Riverside's West Virginia Mission Relief Trip, August 15-20. In the last week of June, the town of White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia suffered from massive floods that killed 16 people and flooded hundreds of homes. A mission relief effort is being organized by Mike Watson, Ministry Assistant at St. Paul's in Riverside, Ct, for the week of August 15-20. He would like to get commitments from another 6-8 people to go. There is no cost to go on the trip, as all food and travel (by car) will be subsidized. Most of the work will involve clean-up, with some light building. Participants will stay at local churches or dorm-style housing. For information, contact Mike Watson.
The Jack Spaeth Care for Creation Environmental Grant now accepting applications through Monday, August 15. 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. Click here to read more and submit an application.
Women Clergy Breakfast with Bishop Ahrens at 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, September 8, at St. Andrew's Church in Meriden. The group will be discussing the next two chapters of the Anglican Theological Review (ATR) focusing on the prayer of Anglican women. Specifically, all will discuss "From Dis-Bodied Discipleship to Embodied Relationality: Experiential Formation in the Life of Prayer" and "Will You Pray?" Please join even if you do not read the ATR. Time for community gathering and fellowship is a gift to everyone in her faithful journey, as time with female colleagues can be a restorative gift to one's prayer life. Please RSVP here, and click here for a link to the guide for study and discussion.
Register for the Sept 24 Workshop:
Joining God in the Neighborhood
Join clergy and lay leaders from across the Episcopal Church in Connecticut for a discussion about how to discover what God's up to in our neighborhoods. Then, following an early lunch, all will head out together and try on what we've just learned, listening for what God is telling us in some of West Hartford's nearby neighborhoods. Please see here for an invitation from the Rev. Tim Hodapp, Canon for Mission Collaboration. Please click here for more information and registration.
Discipleship Matters Conference, October 17-19 in Adamstown, Maryland. This conference is for clergy and lay leaders who are focused on building cultures of discipleship in congregations. Speakers at the conference include: Scott Gunn, Brenda Husson, David Gortner, Peter Lane, Wes Smedley, Clarence Langdon, Mariann Edgar Budde, Joey Rick, Jay Sidebotham, Brain Sellers Petersen, Chris Yaw, and more. Learn more & register here.
Save the Date: Preaching Symposium, Saturday November 5 at Christ Church Cathedral in Hartford. The Rev. David Bartlett, professor emeritus at Yale Divinity School, will be the plenary speaker and workshops will be offered in the afternoon. The event is being hosted by the Commission on Ministry and is open to lay and ordained leaders in ECCT. More information to come soon. If you have any questions about the day, please contact the Dean of Formation, Molly James.
Evangelism Matters Conference, November 18-19 in Dallas, Texas (details and registration here). The bishops and canons of ECCT would like to identify and support one or possibly two lay people to attend the full conference. (Note that the second day of the conference is the day of the Annual Convention). Expectations of the attendee(s) include use of social media to share images and ideas both during and after the conference, and work with Karin Hamilton or Alli Huggins in ECCT's office of Mission Communication & Media, on ways to share what you've learned with ECCT, post-conference. If the Spirit moves and you believe you're called to explore this opportunity as ECCT's "delegate," email your name, contact info, and how this inspires you to khamilton@episcopalct.org, no later than September 15, 2016.
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Ministry Networks Corner
Cuba Ministry Network Conference and Networking Event September 17
A new Ministry Network for those interested in ministry with the Episcopal Church in Cuba will be hosting a conference and networking event at St. Luke's, Darien. All who are interested in ministry with the Cuban church are welcome. Topics include: what's happening today in Cuba, opportunities for engagement, youth ministry, asset-based strategies for mission, and building a regional Cuba Ministry Network of churches and nonprofits and the national Episcopal Church's Task Force on Cuba. $25 to cover lunch, materials. Details and registration here.
Next Community Gardens Ministry Network Meeting October 23
With the leadership of the Rev. Virginia Army, the group will meet from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at St. Mark's Church, New Canaan. The purpose of the meeting is to see the garden space, and to share stories and experiences regarding the season's gardens, the drought conditions, working with community partners, gaining support from the parishes, harvesting, future planning, etc. Please register for the Community Gardens here.
To announce your Ministry Network gathering, sponsored event, or resource, email Alli Huggins at ahuggins@episcopalct.org.
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Samick Baby Grand Piano Free to a Church
A baby grand piano is available free of charge to a church. It is a 5'2'' walnut Samick Baby Grand piano in like-new condition. This must go to a church, and transportation costs will be the responsibility of the church.
Please contact Dave Desmarais, the Property Manager for the Episcopal Church in Connecticut at ddesmarais@episcopalct.org, for more information, pictures, and to arrange a pick up. This will be given on a first-come basis.
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Positions Open
Job openings may be found here on the website
NOTE: Applicants will be able to submit their resume and cover letter to the contact person directly from the ECCT website, if that option is chosen by the person submitting the position for posting.
- Administrative Assistant, St. Paul's, Riverside
- Director of Faith Formation for Children and Youth, Church of the Good Shepherd, Orange
- Interim Director of Music Ministries, Trinity Church, Hartford
- Music Director, Christ Church Cathedral, Hartford
- Director of Children's Ministries, Trinity Episcopal Church, Southport
- Interim Director of Music for Trinity Episcopal Church, Newtown
- Church School Director, St. Michael's, Litchfield
To submit a job opening to be included here, please fill out this form. Jobs will be reviewed and then posted in the weekly enews and posted on the website.
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REGIONAL & DIOCESAN OFFERINGS
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. Specific details including locations, times, etc. will also be found there.
- August 4, Spanish Language Ministries Meeting
- August 9, Convention Planning Meeting
- August 11, ECCT Regional Leadership Team Gathering
- August 25, Program and Budget Meeting; Standing Committee Meeting
See Ministry Network Corner, above, for known MN meetings and sponsored events
- September 11: St. Paul's on the Green, Norwalk (Bishop Ahrens)
- September 25: Zion, North Branford (Bishop Ahrens)
complete list of events is available on the website, for your consideration.
Please review event details on this calendar, or the individual parish/worshiping community, for more specific locations and times. Please reach out to the specific parish for event updates and further details.
- August 7, Four Seasons Plus Summer Concert, Emmanuel Church, Killingworth
- August 8 - 12, St. Michael's Litchfield Summer Camp
- August 15 - 20, St. Paul, Riverside's Mission Relief Trip to West Virginia
- August 20, Walk the Labyrinth, Church of the Good Shepherd, Orange
SAFE CHURCH RECERTIFICATION FOR CLERGY IN 2016 (Link here)
Mandatory for clergy. The final two times it will be offered are in October.
SAFE CHURCH TRAINING and SAFE CHURCH RECERTIFICATION FOR LAITY
Safe Church training sessions for laity ended June 25 and will resume in the fall. They will be included online and in the eNews when locations and dates are confirmed and online registration is set up. Link here for basic information about Safe Church training for laity.
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