Province VIII of the Episcopal Church

General Convention Orientation Webcast

Welcome to the Province VIII, General Convention Orientation webcast.

An agenda for the General Convention Orientation is available here.

To send email questions to presenters, please send emails to prov8questions@gmail.com. Be sure to sign the email with your name, your diocese, and your role (deputy, alternate, bishop). Questions will be shared with presenters during the Q&A portion of the orientation.

Young Adult Festival at General Convention 2012 July 5-10, 2012 in Indianapolis, IN

The Young Adult Festival at General Convention is an opportunity for 18-30 year olds to see and experience the workings of General Convention. With worship, fellowship, workshops, some shared meals, and housing, the festival makes attending and engaging General Convention easy and fruitful. Early registration ends April 15. Download the schedule and registration details here: Download DFMS-yaf_2012

Welcome to the new Episcopal Churches in Guam and Saipan website!

The Episcopal Church in Micronesia has a new website.  The Rev. Ed Lovelady has been working with The Rev.Irene Maliaman, missioner in Saipan and Guam to develop the new site.   The Rt. Rev. Robert Fitzpatrick, Diocese of Hawaii, is the Bishop in Charge of  the Episcopal Church in Micronesia.  Rev. Maliaman's contact email is  revirene@episcopalmicronesia.org.

Check it out at   http://episcopalmicronesia.org .

 

 

The work below continues here: New Community Clergy and Lay Training Conference February 29-March 3 in San Diego

New Community Clergy and Lay Training Conference to be held February 29 to March 3, 2012, in San Diego, California. The theme of this first joint training event to be sponsored by the church’s Ethnic Offices is “Reclaiming our Mission; Reinterpreting our Context; Renewing our Communities.” The New Community event will address questions such as “How is mission shaped in non-Anglo/non-European communities?” and “How is ministry done in the context of marginality?” as well as provide opportunities for inter-ethnic conversations and multicultural celebration. For more information, contact Sarah Eagle Heart at seagleheart@episcopalchurch.org.

See the New Community Clergy and Lay Training Conference Facebook page.

READ THIS. IT'S IMPORTANT. Leaders meet to consult on Episcopal Church’s ethnic ministries

By Lelanda Lee | January 17, 2012  Episcopal News Service

A Consultation on Alternative Leadership and Theological Training was held January 11-14, 2012, in a suburb of Oklahoma City. This was the first ever churchwide gathering of Episcopal Church leaders involved in ethnic ministries for the purpose of identifying and discussing the common elements of ministry in ethnic communities.

The four ethnic missioners of the Episcopal Church (Sarah Eagle Heart, Indigenous Ministries; Anthony Guillen, Latino/Hispanic Ministries; Angela Ifill, Black Ministries; Winfred Vergara, Asiamerica Ministries) convened the consultation. Eagle Heart, who is the team leader for Diversity, Social and Environmental ministries, explained that Winter Talk, a gathering of people in Indigenous ministry that was originally planned for the same weekend, had been canceled to focus program budget on training.

The missioners worked with acknowledged leaders in each ethnic ministry to invite eight to ten individuals to participate plus seven bishops who are actively involved with ethnic ministries. Several resource people who work directly with ethnic ministries were also invited, including a representative from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Gordon Straw, formerly the Director for American Indian and Alaska Native Ministries and now Program Director for Lay Missional Leadership Centers, represented the church’s full communion partner.

Ruth-Ann Collins, officer for Lifelong Christian Formation, served as the facilitator of the breakout

Annual Provincial Leadership Conference December 8-9, Newark, NJ

The Annual Provincial Leadership Conference will meet December 8-9, 2011 in the Diocese of Newark.  Every year the representatives (the Coordinator and President or Vice-President or Treasurer) from each of the nine provinces meet to hear from members of the Presiding Bishop's staff, plan for General Convention, share ministry resources and report on the work of each province. 

Report to the Church - All Saints Day 2011

From Episcopal News Online ~

The Report to the Episcopal Church, an online resource outlining the mission and ministry work of the Church Center in 2010, is now available at Episcopal News Online:  http://www.episcopalchurch.org/newsline_130376_ENG_HTM.htm  

 The Report to the Episcopal Church details the work accomplished through the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society (DFMS) budget throughout 2010.

“I hope that this report will assist Episcopalians in having a greater understanding of the work done at the churchwide level by a team of very committed women and men in support of God’s mission and in service to dioceses and the people of our Church,” noted Bishop Stacy Sauls, Chief Operating Officer.

Among the topics featured in the Report are: Congregational Vitality; Asset Based Community Development; Church Planting, Ministry Redevelopment & Fresh Expressions of Ministry; Anglican Communion, Global Partnerships; Mission Personnel Office; Ecumenical And Interreligious Relationships Office; Presiding Bishop’s Office; Environmental Justice; Government Relations; Episcopal Migration Ministries; Transition Ministry; Youth, Young Adult and Campus  Ministries;  Congregational Research; Archives; Federal Ministries; President of The House of Deputies; General Convention Office; Communications; and Financials.

Do you know of congregations involved in extraordinary ministries that could benefit others?

The Congregational Vitality Office at the Episcopal Church Center is in the process of compiling a “Small Church Growth Strategies Handbook” entitled, Hope and Action: Abundant Small Churches. The resource will be ready for the General Convention this summer. (The Rev. Dr.) Sheryl Kujawa-Holbrook is compiling stories of abundant small churches and resources to be included. Do you know of congregations involved in extraordinary ministries that could benefit others – community gardens, innovative small church worship and music, outreach and social justice, new ways to engage children, youth and young adults, evangelism with groups beyond young families (global mission, and any other distinctive and hopeful efforts?
 
Please submit a one-page flyer highlighting the resources you offer to congregations. Submissions must be one page, one-sided, and black & white PDF, submitted no later than November 11 to: sherylkujawa1@msn.com or skujawa-holbrook@cst.edu. Thank you!

Shaping the Parish June 15-21 at Trinity Church in Seattle

From National Episcopal Health Ministries

National Program:

Dates: June 15 – 21, 2011 & June 13 – 19, 2012

For more information, please visit: http://www.shapingtheparish.com/.

The National Program, in Seattle, includes two June week-long workshops, with participants completing readings and six parish projects between summers and just after the second June. You finish the program in a little over one year. 

The Program:

• Focuses on making immediate, tangible improvements while building long-term health.
• Equips participants for effective leadership through their own spiritual and personal growth and

The President of the House of Deputies speaks about "Courageous Change: What it takes, and how it happens"

On May 5, at the 2011 Kellogg Lectures, Bonnie told audiences at Episcopal Divinity School that "the church is stuck in an organizational model" with "a bureaucracy with rules, roles, and relationships that we accept as our social reality."

In her series, titled "Courageous Change: What it takes, and how it happens," she said "The church needs to be a movement. Right now we are an organization. We have a critical mass of 2 million ministers."

Download her lectures:
Download FinalCourageous_Change_pt1
Download Courageous_Change_pt2

To Read more about Bonnie's work throughout the church visit the President of the House of Deputies Web Page:

http://www.episcopalchurch.org/phod.htm