Bishop Benhase ordained the Rev. Steve Larson to the Sacred Order of Priests on Friday at St. Paul's Jesup. Presenters were the Rev. Curtis Johnson and Roger Peebles representing Good Shepherd Swainsboro where Larson has been serving as an intern during his time as a transitional diaconate, and the Rev. Dee Shaffer and John B. Johnson of St. Paul's, Jesup, where Larson has been a long time active member and lay leader. Vesters were his wife Dianne and members of their families. The Rev. Marcia McRae preached. 

Christ Church, Frederica 

Bishop Benhase, The Rev. Tom Purdy, The Rev. Leigh Hall, and The Rev. Dcn. Becky Rowell with confirmands. 

Trinity,Cochran 

Pictured above is Dale Jones - Lay Eucharist Minister, The Rev. Joy Fisher, The Rev. Vernon Wiggins, Bishop Benhase, The Rev. George Porter, and The Rev. Dcn. George Scott.    

St. John's, Bainbridge

The photo at left of St. John's Bainbridge shows the Rev. Marcia McRae, Priest-in-Charge and Treasurer Sally Miller handing off to Bishop Benhase the full diocesan tithe for 2014. Paying their tithe during the bishop's visitation was done to give to highlight the joy in giving to the mission and ministry of the Diocese. The parish expressed thanksgiving for the more than 100 years of assistance from the Diocese when St. John's was a mission.

Eleven confirmands from seven congregations gathered at Honey Creek this past weekend for the Living the Story Retreat. For the third year in a row, this retreat was led by Maggie Bloodworth, the Minister of youth and children at St. Luke's, Hawkinsville. She was assisted by Al Armstrong of St. Patrick's, Albany and Canon Frank Logue and Elizabeth Burns on the Diocesan Staff. Bishop Benhase came on Saturday to teach an Instructed Eucharist and to answer questions the participants had been placing in box for Stump the Bishop Questions. The participants learned about Holy Scripture, Church History, the Prayer Book, Sacraments, the Creeds, and more. Al Armstrong also led a session on vocation and how all the various professions can all be lived into in response to God's call on our lives. The Sunday Eucharist was celebrated together with the vestry of St. Anne's Tifton who were on retreat this past weekend at Honey Creek. The Rev. Lonnie Lacy presided and Canon Logue preached to the combined group. An album of pictures is online here: Confirmation Retreat Photos

Bishop Benhase leads the participants through an Instructed Eucharist

This past Thursday was the first Dinner Liturgy of Basil's Kitchen. Basil's Kitchen is led by a team of faithful young adult Episcopalians seeking authentic Christian worship & community in downtown Savannah. We are a dinner church, worship takes place at the table around a soulful meal prepared by the community. Communion is made as we share food and ourselves by exploring scripture, music & prayer together. We meet on the third Thursday of each month with our next dinner scheduled for March 20, 2014 at 6:30pm in the Christ Church Savannah undercroft (28 Bull Street, Savannah). For more information or to RSVP; please visit https://www.facebook.com/basilskitchensav.

Being a clergy spouse in 2014 is a unique role.  The overlap between work, faith, and family creates a rich and complex life!  On this Lenten retreat, we will take intentional time to reflect on the various threads of our lives.  Before coming, we invite you to read, "Does this Church Make Me Look Fat" by Rhoda Janzen.  This humorous, thoughtful, and intentionally un-Episcopalian book will serve as a springboard for discussions, reflection and worship led by the Rev. Helen White with assistance from the spouses. Most of all, we will seek to take a short break from our various roles and remember who we really are:  children of God.   This is a wonderful opportunity for clergy spouses to listen, learn, ask questions; make new acquaintances, friends; and network. This is our only retreat scheduled for 2014, and it won't be the same if you're not there!  

Honey Creek prices for the retreat are as follows:

Lodge Rooms   $220.00 single rate with 6 meals

Lodge Rooms  $148.00 double rate with 6 meals

Dormitory  $118.00  includes 6 meals

Commuter Rate:  $100.00 with 6 meals

Click here to register for Clergy Spouse Retreat

Bishop Benhase is again offering scholarships to any clergy spouse who needs financial assistance to attend. Please contact the Bishop directly to inquire about the scholarship.  

If you have any questions about our retreat for this year please let get in touch with any of our Clergy Spouses' Planning Committee members:

Jay Lacy                wjaygirl@yahoo.com

Cissy Bowden       cbowden@comcast.net

Geri Nelson           gerileenelson@aol.com

Kelly Benhase       keljb26@yahoo.com

Leslie Parker         parkerld@comcast.net

Teaching Children To Worship Deeply:
A Lenten Learning Day

At baptism, we promise to raise children in the Christian faith and life, yet every church struggles with how to engage children in worship. How can the church compete with television, movies, video games, and sports? How can we teach them when they hardly sit still? During this year's Lenten Learning Day, we will find that the best tools for deepening our own practice of worship lie in two obvious places: our children and our liturgy. Join us as we hear from one priest and congregation who are engaging children in worship, that we might consider how our congregations may continue to raise faithful children.

The Reverend Jeff Jackson, rector of St. Nicholas Episcopal Church in Hamilton, Georgia, will speak on engaging children worship, including Sunday worship and family devotions. Father Jeff is the father of four children, and has done children and youth ministry for almost 20 years. The day will include workshops led by dynamic church leaders in our convocation. Child care will be offered. 

Procrastination is fine when we're talking about chores, but this is about cold hard cash. Reserve your spot at camp by FRIDAY (2/28) and save some dough! Register at honeycreek.org

The Southeast Episcopal Convocation met at the International Seafarers' Center in Brunswick on February 11, 2014 for their monthly clericus meeting. The Center's Executive Director, Valerie Crumpton, wife of Rev. Al Crumpton, gave a brief presentation on the Center's ministry to seafarers.

Picture was taken at Salty's Chapel at the Center that was dedicated in honor of Rev. Dr. Jan Saltzgaber, a deacon at Christ Church Frederica who played an instrumental role in furthering the ministry into the classrooms of middle schoolers in Glynn County.

This lovely photo was misidentified in last week's From the Field. The picture from St. Thomas, Thomasville, shows Miss Anna in the atrium teaching children about baptism as a part of that congregation's Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. This is a Montessori-based program of religious education for 3-5 year olds and 6-9 year olds. The method was begun by Sofia Cavaletti about 60 years ago. The word "Atrium" referes to a space where children are prepared to enter into the liturgy and the life of the Church. The catechist focuses on helping children listen to God and His Word and respond with joy. To learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, visit www.cgsusa.org. Apologies to St. Thomas' Church for identifying the photo with another parish.

New Beginnings will take place during the weekend of March 28-30, 2014 at Honey Creek. New Beginnings is a weekend retreat for teenagers in grades 7-9 led by a team of mostly teenagers, with a few adults, and two clergy spiritual directors. The weekend takes participants through a discovery about ourselves, our friends, our families, our faith, and how to live out our faith in our daily lives.

How might this discovery happen? Through making new friends and sharing with old ones, through singing, skits, talks given by teens, videos, games, worship, and conversation with each other! You are encouraged to bring friends from your church and an adult who will stay through the weekend. Everyone will take an active part in the program. You can go to New Beginnings as many times as you'd like...as long as you're in grades 7-9. We know once you go, you will want to go back. There is even an opportunity to serve on the team...you'll hear more about that at the weekend.

New Beginnings Staff Application

New Beginnings Participant Application

"Lord, guide me to give comfort where it is needed." This is the prayer that I pray silently as I enter each patient's room in my role as a volunteer chaplain at the Willson Hospice House. I visit with staff and patients there several times each week, and I never know what awaits me behind each door.

Deacon Joy Davis

I have met many families and their loved ones over the last two years. Some patients have huge families that take over all of the waiting area; some have no one. Some families have strong clergy and congregational support from their home church;  some have never set foot in a church. Some find comfort by bringing their little dogs to stay in the room with them (I was once nearly attacked by a three-pound chihuahua that was hiding under the patient's covers).

My point is that the Hospice House is a place that truly reflects life in this world. We are all different. We have all led varied lives and, in the end, we are all called to die-and it is my job as a deacon to provide comfort and reassurance so that those I serve need not fear death, because God is there. 

God is always there, no matter what the situation, and those situations can vary tremendously.  I have been called upon to hold an infant, whose mother could not be present, through its last hours.  I have spent hours in prayer with families, some close, some estranged.  In perhaps my most difficult visitation, I was confronted by an obviously pained family who told me in no uncertain terms that their loved one had given strict instructions that no clergy or anyone "religious" was to visit her or pray with her.  That day I spent the whole afternoon in the on-site chapel, lifting her and her family up in prayer.

God's presence in all these cases has given me more strength and has shown me the beauty and importance of our faith in Christ Jesus.

Deacon Joy O. Davis serves at St. Patrick's Episcopal Church, Albany, which also encompasses the members of Lutheran Church of Our Saviour.  She is in charge of Outreach Ministries there, and  also serves as a Volunteer Chaplain at Willson Hospice House, an in-patient hospice facility located in Albany. 

Earlier this month Waynesboro and Burke County lost power for a number of days.  The whole town looked like a war zone as frozen ice caused trees and tree limbs to come down.  It sounded like constant gunfire all night as branches broke off from trees.  This week there are tall piles of cut up wood along every street, looking much like a six-foot fence.
 
A whole bunch of St. Michael's parishioners gathered in the parish hall to get relief from the cold and boredom and isolation of hiding under blankets since no one had power or heat in their homes.  The Rev. Jim brought us hamburgers and hotdogs from Savannah and everyone charged up their electrical devices.  The kids played games and people caught up on Facebook and computer things.  A number of ladies washed their hair in the wonderful hot water available in the bathroom sinks.  

What a wonderful night.  WE SHOULD DO THIS EVERY TEN YEARS!  Members of St. Michael's also took chili and other foods to the armory where the homeless were surviving on military MRE's.  The vestry has already begun to brainstorm how we can be of service at the next storm, whether to the power company workers who did a fantastic job or to those who need shelter.

Columba House offers two residential programs for young adults who want to live intentionally and serve passionately. The first is a full-time residential internship and the second is a part-time residential fellowship. Interns and Fellows will live together intentionally in community through sharing a house, breaking bread, praying, and learning together. Interns and Fellows will support Columba House's mission to build spiritual community among young adults. There will be leadership opportunities and avenues to explore your gifts. Columba House's residential programs are 10 months from August to June with an option to extend for a 2 year.

The full-time residential internship program is well-suited for those individuals who want to immerse themselves in the life and work of faith, justice, community, and discipleship. Interns will serve in a local congregation and work in the community. The full-time Internship program strikes a balance with the needs of the congregation and the passion of the interns. This is an opportunities to purse your passions and expand your talents. Interns are given a modest stipend and provided housing, health Insurance and training.

The part-time residential fellowship program is tailored to those who wish to live intentionally and serve passionately while working or attending school. Fellows will serve a few hours each week at Columba House in a hospitality context. This is a unique opportunity to live in intentional community and put your faith into practice.

For more information, please contact Columba House Director Rudy Reyes at rreyes@gaepiscopal.org or at 912-236-4279 and visit the Columba House website:

http://www.columbahouse.org/?page_id=11