WEEKLY ENEWS

March 7, 2017
Trinity Institute 2017: Water Justice. March 22-24, four webcast locations available across Connecticut

Learn more about water justice and how to address it with faith-based action. From March 22-24, St. Paul's, Wallingford; St. John's, Vernon; St. Paul's, Riverside; and St. Ann's, Old Lyme will serve as Partner Sites for Trinity Institute's 46th annual theological conference. 

Today, as the consequences of human-induced climate change become ever clearer, more and more of the world's population lacks access to the clean, safe water we need to survive. The oceans, source of nutrition and livelihood for over a billion people, are literally dying.

Sessions will be held Wednesday evening, Thursday morning and afternoon, and Friday morning and afternoon (this varies by site). Speakers include Senator Barbara Boxer, Maude Barlow; Archbishop Winston Halapua; Katharine Hayhoe, Ph.D.; Christiania Pepperd, Ph.D.; and Archbishop Thabo Makgoba.

"Trinity Institute 2017 will offer participants a deeper appreciation for water as a sacred gift and sustainer of life. They will gain a thorough understanding of the relationship between water issues and climate change and learn how and what individuals, organizations and societies can do to mitigate and adapt to water issues of access, pollution, drought, flooding and rising tides," said Bob Scott, director of Trinity Institute. 
Bishops United Against Gun Violence Conference Chicago 

Join Bishops United Against Gun Violence April 20-22 in Chicago, IL for "Unholy Trinity: the Intersection of Racism, Poverty and Gun Violence." The conference will include an ecumenical panel of speakers including pastors, scholars, artists and community leaders. 

This promises to be a powerful and hopeful three days of "discussions on poverty, racism and gun violence, contextual Bible study, education and advocacy workshops and a prayerful procession to sites of gun violence on Chicago's South Side" all firmly "grounded in scripture, liturgy and theology." Find more information (including registration) here. 
Holy Land Connections 2017

In accordance with Diocesan Convention Resolution #5 - Our Holy Land, ECCT is offering Holy Land Connections, a compilation of Lenten materials about the peoples, promise, and history of the Holy Land. 

Resources for Week 2 of Lent: 
  • Video reflection from the Rev. Anne Broomell, Priest, ECCT and Board of Trustees Member of the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem. 
  • Prayers of the People for Second Sunday in Lent (PDF and Word) 
A complete list of the 2017 Lenten Prayers of the People is available here as a PDF or Word document. A list of all the Holy Land Connection Lenten resources provided is on this page. 
eFormation New England Bootcamp

Interested in developing social media fluency for your worshiping community? In learning to build a compelling, authentic online narrative? In exploring the theology of digital evangelism? 

e-Formation is "a learning community for ministry in a digital world." Next month's workshop will be held March 10-11, 2017 at Boston University School of Theology. Find more information, including registration instructions, here. 
Embracing Stewardship: An Ecumenical Conference 

Offered by The Northeast Ecumenical Stewardship Council, this conference will be held March 24-25 in Boxborough, MA. The topic of the conference will focus on "How to put stewardship at the heart of your congregation's life."  More information and registration available here.
ECCT parishioner among Episcopal delegation to UN session of Commission on the Status of Women, March 13-24

Our prayers go with Delores Alleyne as she prepares to take part in the 61st session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, March 13-24, as part of a select delegation from The Episcopal Church. Delores is a member of St. Luke's, New Haven and a leader for over 65 years in the Girls Friendly Society. More info on the UN event, Episcopal participation, and the bio and essay she submitted are on this blog post. 
Lenten Devotionals, Retreats, and more!
 
A working list of materials that may be helpful for your spiritual practice this Lent:
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.  
  • Organist/Choir Director, St. George's, Bolton. Link here. 
  • Associate for Caring Ministries, St. Stephen's, Ridgefield. Link here. 
  • Director of Music, Trinity, Collinsville. Link here.
  • Organist/Director of Music, St. Luke's, New Haven. Link here.
  • Director of Children's Ministry, Trinity, Southport. Link here. 
  • Part-time Organist, Christ Church, Quaker Farms. Link here.
  • Director of Christian Education, St. Paul's, Wallingford. Link here. 
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.   
Announcements & Reminders

Deacon's Book Discussion: Artistic Expressions of Transgender Youth, March 8. This month we will be exploring what it means to be transgender through the eyes and artwork of transgender teens and children by reading Artistic Expressions of Transgender Youth by Tony Ferraiolo. Conversation will be led by Jessie Karpf, deacon postulant. Discussion begins 6pm at Grace Church, Newington. Registration information here.

The ECCT Disaster Ministry Network Flood Relief Trip to Louisiana will take place this spring. More information on the floods in Louisiana here. If you are interested in participating in the trip, please email Mike Corey. If you would like to donate to help to support the cost of the trip, please visit the GoFundMe page here, and consider joining the Disaster Ministry Network Facebook Group.

Sacred Art of Chant: Contemporary Practice, Timeless Prayer, March 17-18. This retreat held at Mercy by the Sea Center in Madison will be lead by musician and author Ana Hernandez. No singing or chanting experience required for this meditative retreat. Lodging and prices vary. Learn more here. 

Camp Washington Logo
Happening Youth Retreat at Camp Washington, 
March 24-26.
A student led weekend retreat for high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Find registration information here. Deadline for registration is March, 17, so don't wait, come and see what Happening is all about.


Spring Training and Gathering, April 1, Register Now! The 2017 Gathering will take place Saturday, April 1 at Lincoln Middle School, Meriden from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Please have a look at the 2017 Workshop Booklet containing information about all of the workshops. Learn more and register for Spring Training & Gathering here. 
"Rumi and the  Path of Divine Love Tradition in Islam," April 21-22, Mercy by the Sea Center. Mercy Center will be hosting a weekend retreat with Omid Safi, Director of the Duke Islamic Center, centered on the work of the 13th century Persian poet commonly known as Rumi. The workshop "will explore Rumi's mystical poetry in ways that challenge commonly held notions of Islam and Muslims." More info including registration, at the Mercy Center website. 

 Self-exploration & Enneagram Retreat, April 20-22, Sewanee. The Beecken Center of the School of Theology at the University of the South & the Institute for Conscious Being present "Who am I really? Discerning Aspects of the Soul Through the Spirituality of the Enneagram."  More information available here. 

Missional Voices National Gathering/Conference, April 21-22, Virginia Theological Seminary. The conference will include keynote presentations, panel discussions, and "incubator" sessions where people can begin thinking about what God is doing in their neighborhoods and how they can participate in God's mission there. More details are available here.

Faith Behind Bars & Beyond Forum, April 22. The ECCT Ministry Network Faith Behind Bars & Beyond presents their ninth annual conference Saturday, April 22 at Christ Church Cathedral, Hartford. This year's theme is: "Prisons as Asylums: The Mentally Ill and Incarceration." The keynote speaker is Dr. Craig Burns, Chief of Psychiatric Services for the Connecticut Department of Correction. Dr. Burns has emphasized what both clergy and laity can do in the healing process. Register here. 

The River of Life: Connecticut River Pilgrimage, 
May 31 - July 9. 
This is a 40-day trip on the Connecticut River. Churches in this region have partnered with Kairos Earth, as well as local, statewide, and regional organizations along the Connecticut River, to organize the first-ever pilgrimage along the length of the river. The pilgrimage is open to anyone. Registration is open NOW for multi-day segments. Learn more here. Interested in joining the ECCT working group organizing stops in CT? Reach out to Jo Brooks: jbrooks@kairosearth.org. 

Upcoming grant deadlines: 
Due March 15: Mission Development Fund grant applications: info here.
Due March 31: Advisory Council on the Stewardship of Creation info here.
Due April  1: Sustainable Development Fund grant applications: info here.
Events coming up soon
Events below are coming up in the next few weeks:
 
REGION & ECCT 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.
  • March 7, Clericus North Central Region 
  • March 7, Finance Committee Meeting
  • March 8, Deacons' Council Meeting & Book Study
  • March 8, Region Leadership Team Gathering
  • March 10-12, Deacon Formation Retreat
  • March 14, Recently Ordained Clergy Meeting
  • March 14, Convention Planning Team Meeting
BISHOPS' SUNDAY VISITS 
  • March 19, St James', Glastonbury (Ahrens); Trinity, Newtown (Douglas)
  • March 26, Church of the Good Shepherd, Shelton (Ahrens); Christ Church, Waterbury (Douglas)
PARISH EVENTS  A complete Parish Events Calendar is available here. 
Hosting an event? Please submit Parish events here. 
Reach out to the specific parish for event updates, specific locations, and further details. Season-specific regular worship services will not be listed below.
  • March 7, Healthcare Chaplains Meeting. Please register here. 
  • April 30, Community Gardens Ministry Network Meeting, Grace Church, Old Saybrook. Informational meeting and garden tour for those interested in learning more about the Common Good Garden (at Grace Church) and its partnership with the Shoreline Soup Kitchens and Pantries. More info: gracechurcholdsaybrook@gmail.com. 
UPCOMING SAFE CHURCH TRAININGS: (more to come) 

Hybrid Basic Comprehensive: 
  • March 18, 9:00 - 11:30 a.m., Calvary, Stonington (register here)
  • April 26, 6:30 - 9:00 p.m., Christ & Holy Trinity, Westport (register here)
  • April 29, 9:00 - 11:30 a.m., St. Peter's, Milford (register here)
  • May 2, 6:30 - 9:00 p.m., Trinity, Brooklyn (register here)
  • May 13, 9:00 - 11:30 a.m., Trinity, Newtown (register here)
Full day: 
  • June 10, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Christ Church, Ansonia (register here)

EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN CONNECTICUT
PARTICIPATING IN GOD'S MISSION


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