Dear Friends,

Young adults are an integral part of our church. We must invite their engagement in our diocese and address their desire to be part of God's mission  in the world. This was the sentiment behind our annual convention's call for a young adult commission - a group called to consider and create a plan for engaging young adults more actively in the life of the diocese. As a part of that plan, I called Justin Gabbard to work among young adults in Northern Kentucky. Now I am calling for your help in creating a commission for the wider diocese to address the concerns of adults under the age of 35. From these names I will put together a group of 12 people - varied by gender, lay/ordained and location in the diocese. This is distinct from college students.

Purpose and Tasks of Young Adult Commission
The young adult commission will become self-directed, with the support of my office. But the kinds of things I envision for them include:  

 I am asking people in the Diocese to suggest names of persons who would serve as a core to this ministry. I am also asking young adults who are interested to make contact with our office. 

To volunteer for this work or to suggest someone to serve, send name and contact email to dhahn@diolex.org.  Include a few sentences about this person, or why you would like to serve.  Please ask if this person is willing to be contacted for this work.

Resources for Young Adult Ministry

Valparaiso University has compiled a very fine resource for Young Adult Ministry: On Our Way: Christian Practices for Living a Whole Life  http://www.amazon.com/Our-Way-Christian-Practices-Living/dp/0835810178/ref=sr_1_2.This is a great collectionof essays and practices by Christian writers concerned with young adults, edited by Dorothy Bass. Check out these short videos with the writers: http://practicingourfaith.org/OOW_video_conversations 

Help me find a wider place at the table for young adults in our midst.

Christ's Peace,

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

Thank you for your many thoughts and prayers for Avery and our family in this ongoing time of grief and struggle. Everywhere I go you assure us of your concern and well wishes. Your emails, notes and words uplift us and give us strength.

We continue in this very long, difficult season. After her initial seven weeks in intensive care in Philadelphia, we were able to bring Avery to Frasier Rehab Hospital in Louisville, where she has been since the end of April. There she continues the incredibly slow and uncertain tasks of healing and recovering from brain injury.  Progress is measured in very small increments. Doctors continue to tell us the outcome is uncertain and may not be fully known for many months, if not a few years. For now she is dealing with severe physical and cognitive disabilities. We are still discerning, with the help of her doctors and insurance, when she will be moved to home or another care facility. It has been a long valley of grief, uncertainty and fear.

There have been many graces during this time. 

·        We treasure your many expressions of prayer and support. 

·        My mother lives in Louisville, so Kaye has gotten a home cooked meal and familiar bed this last several weeks - a great gift after weeks of a borrowed room with strangers in Philadelphia. 

·        Kaye is free to be chief parent in the rehab process, so I am able to maintain my full schedule, spending a couple of days a week in Louisville.

·        Friends far and near who remind us we are not alone.

·        Our other children, David and Susannah, have been incredibly supportive even as they deal with this tragedy.

The greatest grace - though the most unwelcome - has been the invitation to practice love in very concrete ways - feeding her bite by bite, brushing her teeth or hair, sitting and watching the mystery of brokenness and healing. Many of you are familiar with these hard privileges in your own families. When we speak of vocation, we often think of the choices we make to serve God in the world.  We discern our gifts, discover our passions, and practice those things that give us joy and meaning. But often - much more often - vocation is not what we chose for life but what life choses for us.  Our call from God comes in the form of a terrifying phone call in the night. And obedience takes the form of one little step in the dark after another - doing the next right thing and trusting that even the most unwelcome calls might contain an invitation from God to walk in the way of faith.

Thank you for continuing to walk with us.

God's Peace

Doug and Kaye Hahn

During the week of June 14, Bishop Hahn's ministry has included, among other things:

• Visitation, confirmations, and meeting with leadership of St. Peter's Paris
• Meeting with the leadership of Our Saviour, Madison County and St. Patrick's, Somerset on issues of transition
• Project planning with Cathedral Domain
• An educational forum a Baptist Church - 'Who are Episcopalians'
• Pastoral conversations and leadership conversations with various clergy

This week Bishop Doug will be visiting St. Andrew's, Fort Thomas. Click here to find out more about what God is up to there.

Organic Gardening Training at ECOS

Episcopal Church of Our Saviour, 2323 Lexington Road, Richmond, July 2