St. Paul's will host Hometown Missions: Albany, a diocesan youth event for 6th - 12th graders April 22-24 with assistance from St. John's and St. Mark's and St. Patrick's. Partnering with Flint River Habitat for Humanity, we will install a garden on a vacant lot in a community of Habitat houses that were constructed following the flood of 1994. This area, adjacent to Monroe High School, is a residential community comprised of many elderly African American women. "They can't wait to have the garden," said Jennifer Vanston, Executive Director of Flint River Habitat for Humanity and St. Paul's parishioner. 

"We're excited to partner with St. Paul's and the diocese to bring a garden to this area. We want to work with local churches more here in Albany in the future," Vanston added.

Participants will arrive at St. Paul's on Friday at 7 pm. Volunteers from Calvary, Americus will provide an evening snack, and Deacons Johnny Tuttle and Leeann Culbreath will assist with evening worship. Deacon Leeann will also provide education on eco-theology as part of her ministry as founder and leader of the diocese's Creation Care Commission. Deacon Leeann is also the Outreach Coordinator for Georgia Interfaith Power & Light (GIPL), Georgia's only faith-based nonprofit environmental organization, so she has special expertise in this area. 

On Saturday morning, volunteers from St. Patrick's will provide and cook breakfast at St. Paul's. Participants will travel in the worksite in the church van from St. Anne's, Tifton. While onsite, Sonny's Barbecue will cater the lunch provided by Habitat. The Mission Team will wrap up by 3 pm to go to the YMCA to shower and then out for a fun evening activity. On Sunday morning, the group will eat breakfast at St. Paul's, worship together at the 10 am service of Holy Eucharist, and depart from St. Paul's afterward. For more information on attending or helping, please contact Mtr. Leigh at [email protected].

St. Andrew's & St. Cyprian's Episcopal Churches will host Hometown Missions: Darien, a diocesan youth event for 5th - 12th graders April 22-24. The Darien Mission Team will work in Butler Cemetery, a historical landmark beside GA 99 less than a mile from the heart of the City of Darien.  A majority of the property is covered with palmettos, scrub oaks, and weeds, overtaking many of the headstones and plots.  Our mission will include clearing the brush and picking up any garbage that has collected over the years.  Adjacent to the cemetery lies the grave of Liverpool Hazzard, the last freed slave in the state of Georgia.  A memorial plaque marks his grave with a narrow walkway leading up to his headstone.  This walkway consists of an old dilapidated tarp that will be removed and replaced with 12x12 red brick pavers.  Work in both historical sites will take place simultaneously during most of the day on Saturday.  

Both Butler Cemetery and Hazzard's memorial represent the rich history of African American culture and influence in the state of Georgia.  Many of the people buried in Butler Cemetery were also long standing and influential members of St. Cyprian's Episcopal Church, dating back as far as 1876 when the church was first dedicated. Liverpool Hazzard's memorial marks a turning point in the history of Georgia where justice prevailed and slavery was abolished. 

Led by: Ann V. Deaton, PhD, PCC

Thursday, April 7, 2016,

Time: 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (Eastern Time)

Emotions are a central aspect of being human. Emotions offer clues about our most challenging dilemmas, and the energy to take action. Unfortunately, emotions aren't always easy to manage effectively, much less to leverage for power and impact.  As a faith community leader, how aware are you of your own emotions? How effectively do you respond to the emotions of others? And how do you grow your own and your congregants' awareness around emotions? Becoming more skilled in understanding and leveraging emotions will empower you to use the energy of emotions while at the same time minimizing the destructive impact of an emotion poorly expressed.

This 1.5 hour session is designed for faith community leaders who want to develop their understanding of emotions in the context of their leadership and ministry. Participants will experience ways to notice, capture, and channel your emotions instead of your emotions having a hold on you. You will walk away with a new appreciation for the richness and power of emotions, and greater confidence in communicating effectively and moving forward constructively when emotions run high.

Learning Objectives:

The two-storied cottage, nestled in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina has three bedrooms, one and half baths. The downstairs bedroom has one queen bed. Upstairs, one bedroom has two double beds and the other has one double bed and one single bed. A photo album of the house is online here: Clergy Cottage Photo Album

Saluda is a lovely historic town close to Kanuga, Asheville, and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Use it as your pied-�-terre for sightseeing or for simply relaxing in a rocking chair on the wrap-around porch...or both!