The first session as a part of bringing Youth Presence to the Diocese of Georgia took place at St. Anne's, Tifton, this past weekend (pictured here and below). Congregations there worked on a unique vision for youth ministry in their given context. Teams attending the Tifton workshop left saying they were inspired and also by the end of the meeting each team had a vision statement, program goals, and a plan of action. Al Armstrong, a lay leader at St. Patrick's Albany said of this first workshop, "Youth Presence Ministries took this monumental task and broke it down into something doable and practical." 

  

Leslie Dellenbarger of St. John's Bainbridge said that she felt inspired by the session, adding that "Youth Presence feels doable now. Less daunting than before the workshop." For each congregation the program goals and plan will vary depending on the church and its community. This same visioning session, will be repeated May 30-31 in Augusta and finally June 6-7 in Savannah. There is still time for any congregation in the Diocese to put together a team for either of these workshops, but time is running out to register. If you are interested, contact our Missioner for Youth, Elizabeth Burns, at eburns@gaeiscopal.org

The Order of the Daughters of the King (DOK) is a spiritual sisterhood of women dedicated to a life of Prayer, Service and Evangelism. Members of the DOK, both lay and ordained, are women who have made a commitment to Jesus as our Savior, and to follow Him as Lord of their lives. In the midst of their daily lives, Daughters find community and spiritual support in local chapters of three or more women. Chapters are formed in churches and are under the oversight of their congregation's clergy. While the group is primarily women who are communicants of the Episcopal Church, today our membership includes women in the Anglican, Episcopal, Lutheran (ELCA) and Roman Catholic churches. Roughly 25,000 women are members of the Daughters of the King in the US and an additional 5,000 are international Daughters in eighteen countries. Click here to read more.

 

 The Very Rev. William Willoughby prays for the members of the Daughters of the King at St. Paul the Apostle Savannah.

Members of Trinity, Cochran, participated in the 11th Annual Bible Reading Marathon held on the steps of the Bleckley County Courthouse in Cochran. The Bible Reading Marathon is sponsored by the Cochran/Bleckley Ministerial Alliance in conjunction with the National Day of Prayer that is observed May 1.  Readings will take place daily during the marathon from 6 am until midnight with the exception of Sunday when readings are conducted from 2 pm until midnight. Volunteers take turns reading Bible passages from the steps of the Bleckley County Courthouse until the entire work has been finished. As a participating church, Trinity is given a time slot and passages to read and then selects members to fill in their time period reading portions of scripture as assigned. The group from Trinity Episcopal is pictured above on the courthouse steps.

Last Saturday, May 10th, several youth and Adults from the Church of the Atonement, served the needy at the Master's Table in downtown Augusta. L-R in group  photo are Michalea Fickling, Pam Brinson, Malik Rosette-Jones, Alice James, Keon Brinson, Michael Fickling, Teresa Gaskins, Nancy Belangia and Joyce Reid. Not shown is Nanette Hayes. This is an annual joint outreach of the youth and women of the church.