Green Convention

A large meeting usually means extra waste, but not so at Diocesan Convention this year, thanks to many efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle.

Re-usable water bottles were provided for attendees instead of single-use bottled water. Paper products, food waste, and "eco-plastic" utensils and cups were collected for composting. A buffet lunch reduced the need for extra packaging and significantly reduced food waste, as people took only what they needed and liked. The Convention Center provided recycling receptacles for paper, plastic, cans and glass. 

Similar efforts were made at Honey Creek. 

Honey Creek only need one dumpster for the 400 person celebration and filled it to the same level as the previous week, when there was only 22 people on the grounds. 

The end result was a lighter waste footprint, increased awareness, inspiration, smiles, a sense of accomplishment, empty trash cans,and a deeper commitment to our call to steward God's Creation. Thank you to all who took extra time and care to make the system work smoothly - especially to volunteers who assisted at compost stations during breaks and meals, and who helped clean items off tables at the close of each day.

A special thank you to Michael Wood-Miles for donating a trailer and time to collect and transport compostables to Longwood Plantation, a commercial compost farm near Statesboro. And a big thank you to Mike Smith of Longwood Plantation for gladly accepting our compostables and making them into a product that will nurture the Earth.

Green Summit

Over twenty lay people and clergy from around the Diocese gathered on Saturday afternoon to network, reflect, share ideas, and envision environmental stewardship projects for the Diocese and its congregations. After reflecting on personal motivations and theological grounding for "green" discipleship, the group reviewed results from discussions held across the Diocese in recent months. From those responses, several priorities emerged for future projects:

-Community gardening and composting initiatives

-Educating children, youth, and young adults

-Water conservation/advocacy

The group discussed holding a conference in the spring and beginning phone meetings to explore opportunities for projects that advance these priorities. If you were not able to attend but are interested in being part of this ministry, contact Dcn. Leeann Culbreath.

A Wonderful Surprise 

As part of my preparation for ordination to the Diaconate, I had to have a unit of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE). I took my CPE training at University Medical Center (now Shands Medical Center) in Jacksonville, Florida. Shands is a rather large hospital and also has a level-one trauma center as part of the hospital. They had a full-time chaplaincy department, and there was always a chaplain on call 24/7 in the hospital. 

The CPE Supervisor and students were assigned to that department. There were six of us, and we gathered with our supervisor, an Episcopal priest, one or two days a week for training, discussion, and soul searching. The process, as I recall, took about a year to complete; and during that year, I learned much about myself and my ministry calling-some of which I did not want to know-but all of which has been useful in my ministry since.

If anyone had told me that I was called to pastoral care ministry, particularly in a hospital or Hospice setting, I would have strongly denied it. But one of the things I learned in that year was that I was indeed called to that ministry and came to love it. The Holy Spirit confirmed this, not only by way of how I came to feel about it, but through the confirmation of my fellow students, my CPE supervisor, and many of the patients I've worked with over the years. Now almost 15 years down the road of experience, pastoral care, particularly in the hospital and Hospice setting, is still the core of my ministry.

What is the point of my telling you this story? Seek and strive to listen to the guidance of the Holy Spirit in all things! Make yourself available for service, and you may just get wonderfully surprised-I did!

Deacon Ed Williams served as Deacon at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Brunswick, Georgia, and in the Brunswick community for almost 15 years, with a ministry focused on pastoral care and teaching. Named Deacon Emeritus in January 2010, Deacon Ed continues to serve on a limited basis in pastoral care ministry, makes hospital and hospice visits and takes Communion to homebound. He also leads a Men's Bible Study class week and serves as Examining Chaplain for Liturgics for the Deacon School for Ministry.