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From the Field
News & Events of the Church in Georgia |
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| January 15, 2013 | Volume 3, Number 21 |
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January 20 Readings
Second Sunday after the Epiphany | |
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Convention 2013
Convention Workshops
The business of convention starts Friday morning, but those arriving Thursday will have an opportunity to take part in one of three workshops. First offered at Convention 2012, the workshops proved a welcome addition to the meeting and will be offered again. Each workshop will be held in a meeting room at the UGA Convention Center in Tifton from 2-3 p.m. There is no charge for the workshops.
Insurance-The Episcopal Church will have someone on hand to teach about Clergy Insurance, which is of interest to both priests and vestries.
Vestry Basics-Canon Frank Logue will lead a workshop on vestry basics, pulling out the most popular material from the Wardens and Treasurers' Workshop.
Social Media-Our Program Manager, Rudy Reyes, will teach how churches can more effectively use social media, such as Facebook and Twitter to enhance communication.
Hotel Discount Deadline
Today is January 15 and so the last day to get special rates at our convention hotels. Full information is found at our Convention Accommodations page. |
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Bishop Benhase with the Rev. Joshua Varner and Peyton Kappel and her family at St. Patrick's, Pooler where Peyton was baptized during the Bishop's visitation this past Sunday.
Diocesan Office Update
This Sunday, Bishop Benhase will make his visitation to St. Augustine's, Augusta in the morning and to Holy Comforter, Martinez in the afternoon.
This weekend, Canon Logue is leading a vestry retreat for Trinity, Statesboro.
Bishop Benhase and the Revs. Remington Slone and Sam Buice with confirmands at St. Peter's, Savannah, this past Sunday. |
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Diocesan Community Update
The Rev. June Johnson has accepted the call to serve as the Vicar of Holy Nativity, Saint Simons Island. She begins work in February. June last served as the Vicar of St. John's, Bainbridge.
The Rev. Rick Buechner has accepted the call to serve as the Interim Rector of Calvary, Americus. He will begin work in February. Rick was the longtime Rector of All Saints', Thomasville.
Please keep the Rev. Jim Bullion in your prayers as he travels to the Cleveland Clinic for cancer treatment.
Please pray for the Rev. Joslyn Angus who is home recovering well from heart bypass surgery. |
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 SE Convocation Team in the DR
The Southeastern Convocation is currently sponsoring a mission team in the Dominican Republic from January 14-21, 2013. The ten-member team, led by the Very Rev. Ted Clarkson with representation from St. Andrew's/St. Cyprian's Darien, Christ Church St. Marys, and Our Savior Honey Creek, is working in a high school under construction in the village of El Carreton, near the city of Bani on the southern coast of the Dominican Republic. This trip represents the second year in a row that the SE Convocation has sponsored a team to work at this site. A summary report of their 2012 trip, with linked photos, is available here. and an overview of the Diocese of Georgia's work with the companion diocese of the Dominican Republic is available here. |
The Loose CanonBeyond Business as Usual-A recommended vestry book
In December and January each year, congregations across the Diocese elect new members of vestry. Each new vestry year offers an opportunity for a fresh look at how the group goes about its work of working together with the clergy to lead the congregation. I recommend reading together Canon Neal O. Michell's book, Beyond Business as Usual: Vestry Leadership Development (ISBN 978-0-89869-569-4) The 132-page book from Church Publishing is a quick read that offers rich food for thought about church leadership.
 Michell advocates for clergy and vestries to continualy learn together as they lead a congregation as he has found that knowledgable disciples open to learning more are needed to lead a church in the mission God has for us. His approach is to foster church development rather than growth as the goal is forming "a faithful community of disciples rather than just getting more people to church."
In order to move toward that ideal, Michell sees it as essential that a vestry get away from debating issues of spending and building maintenance. While these matter and need time and attention, the church needs its leaders to move beyond just these maintenance issues.
In Part One of the book he sets out a new way of thinking about the roles of the clergy and vestry. Then in Part Two he gives some exercises a vestry can use in working through the ideas from the first part of the book. Between the two sections, the author gives a good cookbook vestries can use to work from including Bible Studies, teachings, mental exercises and reflective readings.
Here is a small sample (in my words from an exercise in his book): If you were beamed into your church as if sent down from the deck of the Enterprise in Star Trek, what year would you think you found yourself? Don't concern yourself with the sanctuary and nave, but look at your Sunday School materials, office equipment, furniture and especially at your church communications. What time period do they suggest? 1950s or 2010s? This may not seem to matter until you look at your nursery with the eyes of a new young couple deciding whether to trust their infant to your care while they worship. What will they see?
If you think all this sounds like a little much for this year, consider that Michell feels it best to have a vestry do this sort of work after they get a few meetings, or even half of the year behind them.
The Rev. Canon Frank Logue
Canon to the Ordinary
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King of Peace, Kingsland
Burning of the Greens
 The Annual Burning of the Greens at King of Peace offered a chance for members and their friends to gather for a fun evening of fellowship. There was plenty for the large group to eat once the giant "low country boil" pot was dumped and the oysters were shucked. The evening ran late as friends and family gathered around the huge fire to relax, chat and gaze at the stars in the clear S.E. Georgia sky.
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Icon
An icon of our Lord at Our Savior, Martinez. |
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so we can feature them in upcoming issues of From the Field.
Sincerely,
Diocesan Staff
The Episcopal Diocese of Georgia |
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