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| June 17, 2014 | Volume 4, Number 42 |
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This Sunday's Lections:
Second Sunday after Pentecost
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Darien Ministry Awarded UTO Grant
 The Darien Community Youth Group for the unchurched initiated by St. Andrew's and St. Cyprian's in Darien has been awarded a $30,000 grant from the United Thank Offering. Darien is located in McIntosh County, one of the poorest in the state. The county's one elementary, one intermediate, one middle, and one high school are located in Darien. Eighty percent of county's school children qualify for free or reduced lunch. Other than a few organized sports teams, there is very little for children to do in the area. Substance abuse and teen pregnancy are an on-going problem.
 St. Andrew's and St. Cyprian's sit across the street from Oak Grove Intermediate School that serves all 4th and 5th graders in the county. Six years ago, those congregations approached Oak Grove to see what they could do to help. After recruiting volunteers from within the congregations and around the community, the program began tutoring 15 to 20 children in math and reading. The volunteers soon realized that many of the children were not getting sufficient nutrition and in many cases, could benefit greatly from mentoring relationships with caring adults. The parishes then decided to establish the Community Cares Cafe ("C3") ministry and they formed an afterschool program that focuses on nutrition, homework help and life skills. (the photos here are of C3 with special visitors)
Those that work with these youth at C3 are aware that many are without positive role models at home. Many are unchurched. In response, our two Darien parishes have recently begun the Darien Community Youth Group for the Unchurched. Requested funding has enabled the parishes to employ a full-time youth minister to build a church-based, Christian formation program for unchurched youth in McIntosh County. The program is now being offered on Sunday afternoons for children in the area. It adds a Christian component to the existing after school ministry. The intention of this initiative is to encourage all youth, Episcopalian or not, who are not currently involved in a church to participate in this Christian based group. The program will provide transportation for those that need it--this is an outreach ministry for those beyond the walls of the church.
 Bishop Benhase said, "This ministry will help to address the whole child: their minds, their bodies and their spirits. The Community Youth Group of McIntosh County will provide participating children the opportunity to be a part of a holistic Christian community that cares for their education, their home lives, and their spiritual lives as God's beloved." Known worldwide as UTO, the United Thank Offering grants are awarded for projects that address human needs and help alleviate poverty, both domestically and internationally. The United Thank Offering of the Episcopal Church awarded 48 grants this year for a total of $1,525,407.78 for the mission and ministry of the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion. The 2014 grants were awarded to projects in 36 domestic and overseas dioceses. The grants ranged from $2,500 to the Diocese of Iowa to $124,750 to the Diocese of California and their companion diocese, Malawi. The video below was a report to the last diocesan convention which includes the story of the community youth program at St. Andrew's and St. Cyprian's, Darien.  | | Signature Ministries in the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia |
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Diocesan Office Update
Bishop Benhase will make his visitation to St. Mary's, Augusta, in the morning and Christ Church, Augusta, in the afternoon.
Canon Logue will preside and preach this Sunday at King of Peace, Kingsland.
On Saturday, Program Manager Rudy Reyes will be at the Vocare Reunion at All Saints, Tybee Island.
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Bishop's Visitation
The Rev. Stan Christian, Bishop Scott Benhase and Deacon John Lane at St. Matthew's, Fitzgerald for this past Sunday's visitation.
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Presiding Bishop to Preside and Preach in July
 The Presiding Bishop, the Most Rev. Dr. Katharine Jefferts Schori, will preside and preach at Christ Church Savannah on July 20. The Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori last visited Christ Church in 2008 as a part of her visitation to the Diocese of Georgia. At that time, the congregation met on Sunday evenings at St. Michael and All Angels, Savannah.
She is the 26th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, serving as the chief pastor to the Episcopal Church's 2.1 million members in 17 countries and 109 dioceses, ecumenical officer, and primate, joining leaders of the other 38 Anglican Provinces in consultation for global good and reconciliation. Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori was elected at the 75th General Convention on June 18, 2006, and invested at Washington National Cathedral on November 4, 2006.
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Summer Camp Parent and Child Program for K-2
 Moms or Dads who would enjoy coming to Summer Camp for a few days with one younger child are invited to take part in a pilot program being tested this summer. Up to ten parents with one (or two) child(ren) each who has completed kindergarten through second grade, may register for the parent and child program. This new program gives young children an introduction to our summer camp at Honey Creek with the safety net of having a parent on hand.
The parent and child (or children) will stay in a lodge room with a private bath. Meals will be with the 3rd-5th grade campers in the dining hall. Some times will be available for the parent and child to take part together and moms or dads will also have a little downtime with their child busy in the summer camp program without them.
The dates for the program are June 22-24 or July 13-15. Cost for this program from Sunday through Tuesday is $325 for the pair including 2 camp t-shirts, crafts and other program activities including all room and board. Interested parents should call our Camp Director, Elizabeth Burns at (912) 656-9905 or email her at [email protected]
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Mission Team Home from the Dominican Republic
 The fifteen members of the Dominican Republic mission team sponsored by Christ Church, Valdosta, returned safely to the United States on Saturday, June 14th. During the week they were at the Episcopal camp in the central highlands of the Dominican Republic, they finished about half of the construction of a concrete-block house for a village resident and also half of the construction of playground equipment for the Episcopal K-8 school on the grounds of the camp. A youth mission team from the Diocese of Nebraska will arrive on June 23rd to complete both the house and the playground projects. Both the Georgia and Nebraska teams have been planning these mutual projects since February 2014, and have raised funds to share the costs of both.
 The Christ Church team also conducted five afternoons of knitting and crocheting classes for 25 women and teenagers of the village, continuing a project that has been going on annually since 2006. On the last afternoon they were at the camp, the team sponsored a "splash party" for around 200 village children, complete with wading pools, a slip-and-slide, and a hot dog & ice cream lunch.
One of the many highlights of the trip was the presentation of 30 scholarships for students in the Episcopal school for the next academic year. These scholarship funds had been donated both by team members and also by members of the "home teams" in the six Episcopal dioceses who had sponsored one or more of the "go team" members. For more information on the Diocese of Georgia's mission trips to the Episcopal Diocese of the Dominican Republic, go here: http://gaepiscopal.org/?page_id=19
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Celebrating 50 Years in the Current Building
 In 1891, St. Paul's Jesup had its first worship service in the home of Captain and Mrs. Ben Milikin. By 1905, a church building was finished and the congregation moved in. But by the late 1950's the church had grown so large that a new facility was needed. The current location was dedicated in June of 1964.
For six months, under the direction of parishioner Diane Madray, volunteers from the church have created displays to celebrate the rich heritage that comes from loving a community and each other for over 123 years. June 15th was the official celebration and exhibition of visuals from the past, present and visions of the future. The displays will remain up for 30 days because there is so much to see.
 Interim Rector, the Rev. Dee Shaffer sad, "It is amazing to walk around the church and see how God has worked in this community." She notes that the original inspiration and hard work toward an Episcopal Church in Jesup came from a teen age girl by the name of Fanny Millikin and today the parish is strong, growing, healthy and energized adding, "The best is yet to come!"
 
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A photo from the Vacation Bible School underway this week at St. Thomas, Thomasville.
High Energy Catechesis in Vacation Bible Schools
We want to share your Vacation Bible School with the Diocese in photo album collecting pictures of our kid-friendly catechesis taking place around the Diocese this summer. Send your congregation's photo to [email protected].
The photos will be added to a VBS album and used at the diocesan website. You can visit this summer's VBS album online. Some of the photos will be shared here in From the Field. If you create a Facebook or other online album, you may also just send a link to that album to the address above we will copy a selection of photos to the diocesan album.
 
Two photos from the Vacation Bible School at St. Luke's, Hawkinsville.
 A group photo of the Vacation Bible School held last week at St. Paul's, Albany.
 
Two photos from the St. Anne's Tifton Vacation Bible School.
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Honey Creek Summer Camp Now Underway
Summer Camp is off and running for the summer with the High School camp session taking place this week with 37 campers taking part. Spaces remain available for all but one week of Summer Camp. The first sessions of Middle School Camp is sold out.
Spaces are available in the remaining weeks. There is even a pilot program permitting a parent and young child to attend camp together (see above). The remaining sessions of summer camp are:
June 15 - 21, 2014 / High School Camp
(completed grades 9-12, not yet started college)
June 22 - 28, 2014 / Camp St. Joseph & Mary I
(completed grades 3-5)
July 6 - 12, 2014 / Camp St. Peter I
(completed grades 6-8)
July 13 - 19, 2014 / Camp St. Joseph & Mary II
(completed grades 3-5)
July 20 - 26, 2014 / Camp St. Peter II
(completed grades 6-8)
 
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Centerpiece
Above is the centerpiece from the reception following the Celebration of New Ministry held this past Friday at St. Michael and All Angels' Savannah. The Rev. R. Kevin Kelly and the lay people of the congregation enter a new phase of ministry together, with Kelly as their rector.
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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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