April 13, 2016
Volume 6, Number 33
In This Issue
Diocesan Office Update
Bishop's Visitation
Team Home from DR
Hometown Missions
2016 ECW Annual Meeting
Integrity Georgia
Accommodations for Diocesan Convention.
Springs Means Baseball
Earth Day & Rogation Day Resources.
Columba House Savannah
Congregation Website.
Spring Clergy Conference
Prayers
Bible Study
Send us your news
Web Links
 
 





This Sunday's Lections
Fourth Sunday of Easter
 
Join Our Mailing List


Register for Summer Camp 
Honey Creek Summer Camp registration is now open! This is an incredible opportunity for some outdoor fun for grades 3 - 12, while making lifelong treasured memories. Rarely, can one event yield so much uninhibited and safe fun, and simultaneously  garner a deeper relationship with God for all those who attend. Honey Creek Summer Camp accomplishes just that. 

Camp sessions are planned according to age groups. They include; High School Camp, two middle school aged camps, two elementary  aged camps, as well as a new option for younger children to attend with their guardians! Parent/Child camps occur in tandem with our elementary aged camps. 

All camp dates and registration information can be found at honeycreek.org/camps/ . You don't want your child or teenager to miss out on opportunities such as Low/High Ropes course, kayaking, swimming, fishing, hiking, camp fires, arts and crafts, singing, dancing, sports, daily worship and much, much more! For any questions not answered on our website, please contact the Camp Director, Thomas Greneker by email at thomas@honeycreek.org.


2016 Summer Camp Schedule 
 
 High School Camp / June 12 
completed grades 9-12, not yet started college

completed grades 6-8


completed grades 3-5



completed grades 3-5
Diocesan Office Update    

On Sunday, Bishop Benhase makes his visitation to St. Paul's, Augusta. 

Bishop Benhase will be on retreat the week of April 18th. 

Canon Logue is away from April 11-22 for a Credo II Conference in Prescott, Arizona, followed by a brief vacation to visit his daughter who lives in Mesa, Arizona.
Bishop's Visitation 

Christ Church, Savannah 

Bishop Benhase, The Rev. Michael White, The Rev. Liam Collins, Deacon Patti Davis, and those baptized and confirmed.  


Trinity, Statesboro

Bishop Benhase, The Very Rev. Joan Kilian, confirmands, their sponsors and the altar party. 

Episcopal Campus Ministry at Georgia Southern 

Bishop Benhase with students at Georgia Southern.  
Companion Diocese
St. Anne's Mission Team Home from the DR 
The members of the St. Anne's mission team returned home from the Dominican Republic on April 9 after a week of working on a church construction project in the village of Las Carreras (map of location). Their main task on this trip was to sand and paint the walls of the church to prepare the building for the installation of doors and windows later. They also sealed the roof of the church to prevent leaks. This marks the fifth year in a row that members of St. Anne's have worked on this project in partnership with other missioners from St. Patrick's (Albany) and Grace Cathedral (Charleston, SC). During the week, The Rev. Lonnie Lacy had the opportunity to celebrate Eucharist in the building with the current vicar, Reverendo Manuel Díaz Estévez. 

The St. Anne's trip marks the third of the four trips scheduled by groups in the Diocese of Georgia in 2016. The next trip is sponsored by Christ Church, Valdosta, returning to the village of El Pedregal (map of location) from May 9-16. For more information on the Diocese of Georgia's companion relationship with the Diocese of the Dominican Republic, go here: http://georgia.anglican.org/?page_id=19

 
Photos of the new church before and after the mission team from St. Anne's work week.
Hometown Missions
One Mission, Two Locations
Youth from across the Diocese are encourage to gather in Albany or Darien for a weekend of service from April 22-24. Both groups will keep mission local as they build community while serving in one of the communities of the diocese.

Hometown Missions is a diocesan youth event for 5th - 12th graders.  Participants at Hometown Missions undertake small-scale mission projects within their local community.
St. Paul's Church will host the Albany team which will partner with Flint River Habitat for Humanity on a project. St. Andrew's & St. Cyprian's Churches will host the Darien team which will work in a historic cemetery.

If you have any questions, please contact our Interim Mission for Youth, Rebekah Stewart.


Episcopal Church Women
2016 ECW Annual Meeting at Honey Creek
Once again time for the women of this diocese to gather for spiritual growth, fellowship, worship and sharing. The event starts Friday, April 29th with the Jeans and Pearls Banquet. Where Bishop Benhase and Keynote speaker Amy Julia Becker will be with with the group. Saturday, April 30th will be a day of spiritual, creative and interactive workshops.

Registration
Mail meeting registration to Sharon Swarmer at 1647B Hill Drive, Fort Gordon, GA 30905 - Registration can be found on the ECW Website and Facebook page.

$35 Early Registration ends April 17th 
April 17th - 30th Registration costs $45.00

If you are having any difficulty registering or have any questions contact:
Cristy Jordan - cristy@cdrepro.com
Sharon Swarmer-shswaer@icloud.com

Bylaw Changes for the Annual Meeting can be found on ECW Website and ECW Facebook page.
Integrity Georgia Meeting
Integrity Georgia will meet on Saturday, April 30, in Statesboro, GA at Trinity Episcopal Church.  The meeting will begin at 12:00 noon and end at 3:00 p.m.
 
At the last Integrity GA meeting, the following were elected: 
  • Clayton Gagne-Thomas - Chairperson
  • James Israel - Treasurer  
  • Sarah Riggle - Secretary
This will be an opportunity to meet the new board members and participate in setting direction for Integrity GA for the next 3 years.
 
Every one is invited to attend our up coming meeting. Please tell people about the meeting and bring friends.
Book Your Accommodations for Diocesan Convention  
The 195th Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia will meet November 10-12 at the Church of the Good Shepherd, Augusta. Our convention hotels will be The Partridge Inn on Walton Way and the downtown Holiday Inn Express. 

The Partridge Inn
2110 Walton Way, Augusta, Georgia
Click here to register with the Special Convention Rate of $119

Holiday Inn Express
444 Broad Street, Augusta, Georgia 30901
Click here to register with the Special Convention Rate of $94

Information on Convention 2016 will stay current at the convention website:

 
Trinity, Statesboro
Springs Means Baseball  
Spring means baseball - or T-ball as the case may be.  For the fifth year, Trinity Episcopal Church in Statesboro is sponsoring a T-ball team with Bulloch County Parks and Recreation.  Jim Bastarache, the current Junior Warden at Trinity, is the coach.  His wife, Janet, who is the church Treasurer, is the dugout manager, keeping track of gloves, bats, helmets and children.  Since they are originally from Boston, MA, the team is naturally named the Red Sox.  Team members range in age from 4 - 6 and learn great skills such as teamwork, focus and good sportsmanship.  Jim works closely with the kids in practicing athletic skills but also in developing relationships with one another.  As coach, he regularly rotates all of the team members through the different positions on the field.  Trinity enjoys sponsoring the team as an outreach into the community and helping to foster relationships with young families.  As always, the season will finish with a parent - team game followed by a cookout and games at Trinity.
Creation Care Commission 
Earth Day & Rogation Day Resources 
Eastertide brings several special opportunities to celebrate the gifts of Creation-Earth Day (Friday, April 22) and Rogation Days (May 2-4). Earth Day was established in 1970 as a national day to focus on the environment, marking the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement. Congregations across the nation offer Creation-focused homilies, liturgies, and activities such as tree planting, litter cleanups, and garden installations during Earth Day week. 
 
Rogation Days have been celebrated for much longer, dating back to the fifth century. Traditionally observed on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter, Rogation Day observances typically include an outdoor procession to bless all things agricultural (farms, forests, gardens, waters, seed, livestock), and for those who work the land to bring forth food and products needed for daily life. Prayers for rain and favorable weather are offered as well.
 
Resources for celebrating Earth Day and Rogation Days can be found through the links below. A Rogation Procession is available in The Book of Occasional Services.Please send photos of your celebrations to the Creation Care Commission, via Deacon Leeann Culbreath. 
 
Columba House Savannah
Applications Still Open for 2016-2017 

Priority Application Deadline: April 27, 2016

Applications for Residential Internships at Columba House Savannah in 2016-2017 are still open! Columba House's Mission is to cultivate young adults to become disciples and leaders in the Episcopal Church and "to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ" (The Book of Common Prayer, p. 855).

Our mission of holy unity and discipleship is carried out through worship, study, and work in the Columba House Savannah and surrounding neighborhood. In order to become the next generation of lay and ordained church leaders, Interns share a common, balanced schedule with daily worship, meals, work and free time; weekly discipleship and leadership training and neighborhood events; and semi-annual retreats. These elements of the program ensure that Interns have the tools they need to live as mature, evangelistic Christians grounded in the catholic faith expressed by the Episcopal Church.

This year's Columba House Savannah Residential Internship begins August 22, 2016 and ends April 30, 2017. 

The Columba House Internship Program is open to all applicants between the ages of 20 and 30. Interns may not attend school or work other jobs while participating and living in the Columba House program. Columba House does not discriminate applicants on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, or denominational affiliation. Columba House is a program of the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia.

Learn more about the Columba House Program at our brand new website: www.columbahouse.org! Apply by April 27, 2016 to get priority consideration.


For more information, please contact the following:

Columba House Savannah
The Rev. Dcn. Kelly Steele, CHS Missioner, ksteele@columbahouse.org
The Rev. Dcn. Guillermo Arboleda, CHS Missioner, garboleda@columbahouse.org
Help Creating a Congregation Website 
Digital communications is a form of evangelism. It is for this reason, that the diocese provides help to congregations in creating congregational websites.
 
Creating A New Site
The Diocese offers congregations the opportunity to host a website on its network of diocesan websites. These websites use WordPress, a content management system, that allows for user friendly maintenance. All you need is a internet connection to manage the site.
 
Making Changes
If your congregation already has a diocesan website, you can request changes to your website. The rector, vicar (or vestry if there is no priest) may also select a webmaster to administer the website.
 
Free Training
To help get more congregations with a website that works for their needs, the diocese is offering free online training sessions by appointment. Even if you are creating your own congregational website that uses WordPress, you can take advantage of this opportunity.
 
Resources
You can find resources on digital communications on the diocesan website at Digital Communications for Congregations.
 
For more information, please contact Program Manager Rudy Reyes at rreyes@gaepiscopal.org or at 912-236-4279.
Spring Clergy Conference  
Registration remains open for the May 1-3 Clergy Conference at Honey Creek. Our main presenter will be the Rev. Dr. Eric Law who will present the models, theology, and skill sets he has developed to unlock sustainability in outward focused congregations.  The conference will focus on Law's Holy Currencies which offers a holistic model for stewardship and congregational vitality, moving beyond "time, talent, and treasure" to create missional and sustainable ministries. Parishioners as well as clergy are encouraged to read the Rev. Dr. Eric Law's book Holy Currencies: 6 Blessings for Sustainable Missional Ministries.  


Prayers for Weekly Liturgies
Our one-year prayer cycle combines prayers for every congregation in the Diocese of Georgia with prayers for our ecumenical partners and for our Companion Diocese of The Dominican Republic. The 52 weekly prayers are available in one document: http://gaepiscopal.org/docs/oneyearprayercycle.pdf 

Prayers for April 10-16
In our diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for our congregation in Douglas, St. Andrew's and for our ecumenical partners in Douglas, especially St. Paul's Catholic Church. In our companion diocese of the Dominican Republic, we pray for St. Thomas' (Santo Tomás) in Gautier.

Prayers for April 17-23
In our diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for our congregation in Dublin, Christ Church, and for our ecumenical partners in Dublin, especially Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. In our companion diocese of the Dominican Republic, we pray for the Church of Divine Providence (Divina Providencia) in Guerra.
Bible Study

The Christ Church Savannah EYC poses for a photo with former US president Jimmy Carter (at far left) and former First Lady Roslyn Carter (at far left) at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, where the group attended Carter's Bible Study. Their southwest Georgia Pilgrimage also included a visit to Habitat for Humanity's International headquarters, working on historic Koinonia Farm, and dinner at Calvary Episcopal Church in Americus.
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Sincerely,                                       
            
Diocesan Staff                             
The Episcopal Diocese of Georgia