The 194th Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia will meet in downtown Savannah this November 12-14. The convention business will be conducted at the Coastal Georgia Center.

The convention officially begins its work on Friday morning, but as is our custom, we will offer workshops on Thursday afternoon.

The following locations will host services:

Thursday Evensong- St. John's Savannah
Friday Convention Eucharist- Christ Church, the Mother Church of Georgia
Saturday morning Eucharist- St. Paul the Apostle

Accommodations

While those coming into Savannah for the convention may book rooms with any hotel, blocks of rooms at the hotel's lowest rates have been negotiated with the Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Springhill Suites, and Courtyard Marriot. Please continue to look for details on the convention website:

convention.georgiaepiscopal.org

Links to book rooms and online registration for the convention will be posted at that site on June 15.

Diocesan Office Update

Rebekah Stewart, our new Comminications and Event Specialist, started this Monday!

Bishop Benhase is currently meeting with Province IV Bishops at Kanuga and will remain there through Friday for the Province IV Synod, which follows the bishops' meeting.

Canon Logue and General Convention Deputies and Alternates travel to the Province IV Synod, meeting June 3-5 at Kanuga, the Episcopal Conference Center in Hendersonville, NC. This is the annual meeting of bishops and general convention deputies for dioceses in the southeast United States.

On Saturday, Bishop Benhase and General Convention Deputies will be holding a conversation about the upcoming General Convention for the Southwest and Albany Convocation at St. Paul's, Albany.

On Sunday, Bishop Benhase will make his visitation to Worship on the Water, Lake Blackshear, and Christ Church, Cordele, in the morning, and St. Matthew's, Fitzgerald, in the afternoon.

Canon Logue will preach Sunday for both liturgies for St. Francis of the Islands, Savannah, as the Rev. Lori Fehr presides. On Monday, he will preside and preach for a staff Eucharist for the Summer Camp staff at Honey Creek.

Elizabeth Burns, our Missioner for Youth, is headed to Honey Creek where she will kick off Summer Camp staff training on Sunday.

Bishop's Visitations

Bishop Benhase made his annual visitations to the two Episcopal Churches in Darien, St. Cyprian's and St. Andrew's. He baptized and confirmed Rodney, Stephen, Mikayla, Andrew, and Ashlynn. In both photos above, the Very Rev. Ted Clarkson looks on. Clarkson is Vicar of St. Cyprian's and Rector of St. Andrew's. While maintaining separate vestries and budgets, the congregations share not only a staff and parish hall, but their significant ministries in the community.

The Road to General Convention

The General Convention, which meets in Salt Lake City from June 24th - July 3rd, 2015, is the governing body of The Episcopal Church that meets every three years. Deputies and bishops representing each of 109 dioceses carry out the work of the Church at each Convention. You may see a list of the deputies and alternates of the Diocese of Georgia, find out about issues coming to the convention, and stay current on our deputation once convention is underway at gc2015.georgiaepiscopal.org

Province IV Synod

The Province IV Synod meets June 3-5 at Kanuga Conference Center in Hendersonville, NC. Prior to each General Convention, some matters first come to Synods, which are regional gatherings held in the nine provinces of the Episcopal Church. The Diocese of Georgia is part of Province IV, which includes dioceses located in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, North Carolina, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, and part of Louisiana. Province IV has the largest number of clergy, baptized members, communicants, church school and day school pupils and is the largest contributor to the General Convention budget of any Province in our Church.

Logue to Stand for Election

Elections conducted during the meeting will be for the officers of the Province, a clergy representative to the Executive Council, and six persons to the Joint Nominating Committee for the Election of a Presiding Bishop. Canon Logue will stand for election for a six-year term to Executive Council, which carries out programs and policies adopted by General Convention and oversees the ministry and mission of the Church.

Two Remaining Conversations Around the Diocese

If you wish to converse with our Bishop & Deputies about issues facing this Convention, then they will be available on the following dates in these locations for the remaining two meetings:

June 6 at 4 p.m. - St. Paul's, Albany

June 13 at 2 p.m. - Trinity, Cochran

Creation Care Commission

Green Work Weekend at Honey Creek

The Diocese of Georgia's Creation Care Commission (formally known as the "Green Team") invites you to a work weekend to boost Honey Creek's environmental stewardship efforts. "Green" Work Weekend will be held at Honey Creek from June 12-13.

Participants will help develop a food waste reduction program and composting system at the dining hall. This summer, campers and staff will participate in a food waste challenge to significantly decrease food waste going to the landfill, where it creates methane (a potent greenhouse gas). Paper products and food/liquid waste suitable for composting will be collected and taken to compost receptacles behind the dining hall.

The group will gather around 5 p.m. on Friday and depart around 4 p.m. Saturday. In addition to launching a food waste/composting project, the group will worship and explore Honey Creek together, and will also begin developing environmental education resources for our congregations.

Lodging cost is $12-$82, with tent, cottage, and lodge options available. Meals cost $37, which includes dinner Friday and breakfast and lunch Saturday. Those wishing to come Saturday only can have meals prorated.

To register or for more information, contact The Rev. Deacon Leeann Culbreath at deacon@stannestifton.com.

Still Time to Register for Summer Camp

This year the registrations for Summer Camp have gone faster than ever. If you want to register a camper for this summer, there is no time like the present.

Camp sessions
June 14-20 High School Completed Grades 9-12
June 21-27 St. Joseph & Mary I Completed Grades 3-5
July 5-11 St. Peter I Completed Grades 6-8
July 12-18 St. Joseph & Mary II Completed Grade 3-5
July 19-25 St. Peter II Completed Grades 6-8

Tuition for regular session is $430 per camper.
For more information visit HoneyCreek.org.

Click here to register

New Camp for Children in grades K-2!
June 21-23 Parent & Child I Completed Grades K-2 + Adult
July 12- 14 Parent & Child II Completed Grades K-2 + Adult

The Parent & Child sessions run during the Camp St. Joseph & Mary sessions (Sunday through Tuesday). They serve as an introduction to camp culture for both the parent and the child (k-2nd grade). Parent and child are invited to participate fully in all camp activities as much (or as little) as they are comfortable. Tuition for each session Parent & Child session is $320 for one parent and one child ($85 for each additional child). Tuition covers room and board in a private lodge room, special activities, art supplies, camp photo and camp t-shirt.

Friends, Family, and the Fourth at Honey Creek

Celebrate July 4th at Honey Creek! Come down between Wednesday, July 1-Sunday, July 5 and enjoy time with friends and family.

This week falls in-between camp sessions, and the schedule is yours to design! Enjoy meals in the dining hall, swim in the pool, swing on the tire swings, go kayaking, visit Jekyll and St. Simons Islands, go to Summer Waves, and spend time with family and friends.

Contact Carolyn at Honey Creek (912-265-9218) to make reservations for lodging and meals in the dining hall. honeycreek.org

Columba House Savannah

Columba House Savannah

Columba House is celebrating its patronal feast day with the annual Feast of St. Columba Summer Cookout. Columba House will celebrate the ministry of the House Residents as they end their year of service. There will be good food, music, and company. Everyone is invited!

Tuesday, June 9th at 6 pm

Columba House Savannah

For more information, check out the Facebook event here: Saint Columba Cookout

Youth Programs

Building a Youth-Led Ministry for Youth

Last year, the Diocese worked with Youth Presence (YP) Ministries to put on two different workshops in three different locations that attracted fifteen congregations from around the Diocese. These two workshops were a part of YP Ministries three phase approach to creating a youth presence in ones congregation: Phase One-Create the Vision, Phase Two-Raise up Adult Teams, and Phase Three-Youth Lead Ministry.

This summer we will be hosing the third phase: Youth Lead Ministry (also referred to as After Damascus). This training will be held at Honey Creek starting on the evening of July 26 and ending before dinner on Friday July 31. Churches are asked to bring teams of youth and two adults. The cost for this week is $295. This fee includes all meals and lodging in the dorms as well as program supplies. Note: This training will still be very effective without the background of the first two phases.

The skills that the youth will learn are based around the community model of leadership. This model of leadership focuses on collaboration between youth and adults. In addition to the leadership model, we will help them discover their skills and gifts. The topics will include how to tell your story and how to listen to others, identifying your gifts and being able to offer them, servant leadership skills, and how to begin community at home.

I can send any congregation the prospectus for this training. Contact me at (912) 236-4279 or eburns@gaepiscopal.org for more information.

-Elizabeth Burns, Missioner for Youth

Save the Date for Vocare Reunion

The official Annual Meeting and Reunion for Vocare Alumni will be held on Saturday June 27 at St. Paul's, Macon. Elections for the Vocare Steering Committe will be held at the Annual Meeting and Reunion. For more information, visit the Vocare in Georgia website.

A Bow in the Clouds

"I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant
between me and the earth." -Genesis 9:13

As reported last week, Bishop Benhase dedicated a new ministry center for St. Anne's, Tifton. Workers have since worked to remove the existing building, affectionately known as "The Bunker" as it was half covered by a mound of dirt and sod for energy efficiency. The last section to come down was this classroom with Noah's Ark lovingly painted on the wall.

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Sincerely,

Diocesan Staff

The Episcopal Diocese of Georgia