The 186th Annual Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Kentucky considered 5 pieces of legislation: 1 each from the Nominating Committee, the Budget Committee, the Rev. Mark Feather, the Committee of Church Pension Fund, and the Finance Committee. The Convention also read a resolution from the 77th General Convention into our records.

The summary of these actions, the membership of Trustees & Council, appointments, and election results can be found in A Summary of Actions of the 186th Annual Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Kentucky.

The Secretary of the Diocese is preparing the 2014 Journal of the Diocese of Kentucky, as well as the updated Canons of the Diocese. The Bishop is preparing a written copy of his Annual Address. Members who participated in the workshops are preparing summaries and resources of said those workshops. You may find all of these on the Diocesan Convention website (www.episcopalky.org/diocesan-convention.html) upon their completion.

Pictures from Friday evening's Holy Eucharist with the Ordination of Benjamin Hart into the Diaconate Credit and thanks to Don Vish

Pictures from Saturday's Morning Prayer with the Bishop's Address and the Installation of Canons Credit and thanks to Terry Taylor

A play-by-play with more pictures from convention may be found on Twitter by searching #diocon186.

From the Office of Public Affairs of the Episcopal Church

Working in advance, topics for November through January have been posted on  The Toolkit, located on the  Public Affairs pages of the Episcopal Church website. Items are presented to provide ample lead time for your communications initiatives.

In addition to the previously posted ideas The Toolkit now features background and suggestions for:

December 1-24 - Advent
December 6 - Saint Nicholas Day
December 25 - Christmas Day
Winter Break
January 1 - New Year's Day/Holy Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ
January 6 - Epiphany, Baptismal Covenant
January 20 - The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day
National Poverty in America Awareness Month

Also remember that January 12 is the fourth anniversary of the devastating earthquake in Haiti.  

Also included on the Public Affairs Toolkit page is a link to the Office of Government Relations Toolkit, with information on legislative happenings as well as guides and steps for individuals and congregations. The Toolkit is designed for your use to help enhance your message, broaden your reach and offer tips for placements into regional, secular, and other media - both traditional and social. The Toolkit is an aspect of Let's Invent This Together, a variety of resources and services available through diocesan partnerships. Through these partnerships we seek to further churchwide goals and diocesan mission. 

The goal of The Toolkit is to enable you to prepare your messages not only for your diocese or congregation, but your regional area, your ecumenical partners, and beyond.  The contents of The Toolkit reflect items that are designed to make research and facilitation as problem-free as possible for you.

Contents include: 

• Catalog - a list of important topics along with any actions taken by The Episcopal Church and General Convention.
• Getting started - an easy how-to for getting started in preparing materials, news releases, op-eds, etc.
• Topics - topics of interest that you may want to address, whether liturgically, socially, or the hot news that people are discussing.

Developed to be easily integrated into your Windows or Mac calendar system - as well as your mobile device - the Liturgical eCalendar provides easy access to the appointed Episcopal lectionary readings and proper liturgical colors for 2014. 

Simply download the eCalendar then import it into iCal, Outlook, Google calendar, or other standards compliant calendar program, to have access to the information you need to organize the liturgical year without need for a separate planning program. 

In every age, Christians have sought to bear witness to the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ while translating it into radically different cultural, political, and social contexts. New forms of the body of Christ emerge from theologians, pastors, artists, and those confronting practical issues of living the faith. These varied expressions anticipate the church described in Scripture as "a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb." Faithfully re-imagining our lives before the throne of Christ, the unmoving center of our community, is essential for all who hope in the Kingdom of God. 

Featured Guest Speakers

• Walter Brueggemann
• Molly T. Marshall
• Stephanie Paulsell
• Miroslav Volf

January 9-10, 2014

Georgetown College, Georgetown, Kentucky

To learn more and register, visit their website.

Four participants talk about what they have learned during the Nov. 15-16 "Fifty Years Later: The State of Racism in America" gathering at the Diocese of Mississippi's St. Andrew's Episcopal Cathedral in downtown Jackson. Photo: Mary Frances Schjonberg/Episcopal News Service

Judging by the report-back from three rounds of small-group discussion, participants in the Nov. 15-16 "Fifty Years Later: The State of Racism in America," left here with hope and renewed dedication.

Navita Cummings James, chair of the Executive Council Committee on Anti-Racism, and the Rev. Angel Ifill, the church's missioner of Black Ministries, moderated the gathering's final discussions during which participants were asked to consider the top three things they had learned or had had reinforced during the gathering, how they would personally promote racial healing and understanding, and then how they would work to combat institutional racism.

One group's spokesperson said its members agreed that "the universality of pain" had been reinforced by the conversations of the past two days.

"We need to have patience with those who would not come to a forum like this," said one participant, reporting on what her small group had learned.

In terms of promoting racial understanding and healing, another participant said his group agreed that it would be important "to trace out your own narrative or your own trajectory of racial experiences [because] it's going to help you reach other people if you are clear on your own story."

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In 2012, the General Convention created a taskforce to reimagine The Episcopal Church for the future. The members of the Taskforce want to hear the memories, hopes and dreams that people have for The Church. We are trying to reach as many people as we can over the next few months. We will use what we hear to help us shape recommendations for The Church's structure, administration and governance. 

Please take the opportunity to share your perspectives with us. We encourage you to download the engagement kit and engage in a group setting. We have designed the process to be simple and easy to facilitate. There are instructions included in the kit for you to follow.

If you are are unable to participate in a group we encourage you to engage with us online (below). It will probably take you less than a half hour, especially if you find a quiet place where you won't be interrupted.