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ENS articles on national, international, and diocesan newsHaiti, the earthquake and the aftermath, can be found
online at http://episcopalchurch.org/episcopal_life.htm.
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Our diocese is recommending two avenues for
providing desperately needed relief to Haiti:
BREAD &
WATER FUND—RESCUE, CANGE, HAITI
The Gifts of Bread & Water Campaign was launched in 2008 to
repair and enhance the deteriorating 25-year-old water system
built by Upper South Carolinians at Cange in 1984 and to
establish a vocational school providing local residents with
education on sustainable agriculture and other skills necessary
that will benefit the community as a whole.
To contribute: www.edusc.org or EDUSC
EPISCOPAL RELIEF & DEVELOPMENT To contribute: www.er-d.org or PO Box 7058 Merrifield, Va. 22116-7058 MARKED: “HAITI FUND” |
Our own diocesan ECW has been singled out for praise by the Jericho Road Housing Initiative, which ran this story and the photo of the diocesan ECW board in its most recent newsletter. The Jericho Road Episcopal Housing Initiative of New Orleans is a neighborhood-based nonprofit homebuilder that provides families with healthy and energy-efficient affordable housing opportunities. The initiative has been a project of the national ECW and is currently the national mission project of our own Episcopal Church Women.
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This group continues to carry the torch of the National ECW's $110,000 commitment made in 2009. The commitment, which founded the Jericho Road American Dream Fund, serves as a "collection plate" for support to buy-down the cost of construction and create soft-second mortgages for families who are ready to purchase a Jericho Road home.
Matthew 25 grants support outreach programs in congregations and
convocations of the diocese that are serving these least of Jesus’
family in our own communities. The programs supported and nurtured by
Matthew 25 grants are the work of Upper South Carolinians striving to
manifest the reality of God’s kingdom in their local communities.
Congregations and convocations are invited to apply for grants to be
made during 2010. Information,
guidelines, and
application forms are available on the diocesan Web site www.edusc.org,
under "Ministries," "Mission & Outreach," "Matthew 25."
For additional information on the grant process, please contact Matthew 25 chair, the Rev. Timothy Ervolina, 803.929.1000.
The Matthew 25 Committee, which administers the grants, draws its name and vision from the words of our Lord in the Gospel of Matthew 25:40: "Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me." The committee is made up of the Council of Deacons, who serve on it as part of their diaconal ministry, along with the lay wardens of each diocesan convocation.
The Christian Formation Committee of the Church of the
Ascension in Seneca, announces four educational programs to be held
Sunday mornings on
February 7 and 14, and March 7 and 14. These programs will be from 9:00
am to 10:00 am in the Ballenger Parish Hall. The programs are free.
Dr. Peter Cohen, a member of Clemson's Philosophy and Religion
Department and Osher Life Long Learning Institute (OLLI), will speak in
February on the Jewish faith. He will answer questions from participants
regarding the faith. Dr. Cohen earned his PhD. in Religion and M.A. in
Biblical studies from Florida State University, B.A. in Religion and
Philosophy from Springfield College, and studied Rabbinic's at Hebrew
Union College in Jerusalem. He has taught at Appalachian State,
Tallahassee Community College, Florida A&M, and FSU.
In March, Mustafa Khattab, Iman of the Islamic Society of Clemson will
speak on "What is Islam and what it is not", and "Common Grounds and
Differences between Islam and Christianity". Participants' questions
will be answered. Iman Mustafa Khattab is a Fulbright Interfaith
scholar, an instructor at Clemson's OLLI Program, and lecturer at Al-Azhar
University, and the American Open University, Cairo, Egypt. He also
co-translated the entire Qur'an into English.
All are welcome to attend. The church and parish hall are located at 214
Northampton Road, Seneca. For Ascension's location go to www.ascension-seneca.org
or call 864.882.2006.
At St. Francis of Assisi, Chapin, February 7
St. Francis of Assisi, Chapin, will offer Safe Church Training on February
7, beginning at 3 p.m. Contact the church for additional information,
803.345.1550.
At Resurrection, Greenwood, February 13
Resurrection, Greenwood, will offer Safe Church Training on February
13, beginning at 2 p.m. Contact the church for additional information,
864,223.5426.
At Church of the Cross, Columbia, February 27
Training for Eucharistic Visitors will be offered. Contact the church
for additional information, 803.238.0206.
In order to serve as a Eucharistic Visitor Safe Church Training is also required. See above or contact
Roslyn Hook, 803.771.7800, at Diocesan House for
information on scheduled Safe Church Trainings.
Grace Church, Camden, will offer a Wednesday evening Lenten lecture series on the theme of transformation, February 24 - March 24. Each session begins at 6:30 p.m. with a light supper, and childcare is available. Topics and guest speakers are as follows:
February 24: The Rev. Dr. Virginia Barfield, Dean, Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, Columbia. Topic: Forgiveness.
March 3: The Rev. Charles Duvall, Bishop Retired, Diocese of Central Gulf Coast. Topic: Guilt/Shame.
March 10: The Rev. Eugene C. Rollins, Liberty Hill Presbyterian Church. Topic: Joy.
March 17: The Rev. Dr. Philip Whitehead, Rector Emeritus, St. Michael & All Angels', Columbia. Topic: Anger.
March 24: Amy Montanez, D. Min. Topic: Surrender
Please call Grace Church to
reserve a seat for dinner,803.432.7621.
The Mary & Martha of Bethany Chapter of the Daughters of the King at
St. Timothy’s, Columbia (900 Calhoun Street), will sponsor its 12th
Annual Lenten Quiet Day, "Praying with the Saints," on Saturday,
February 27, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Beverly Ingram leads the program about prayer and saints, including St.
Francis, Julian of Norwich, Benedict, Teresa of Avila, and others. Lent
is a time for reflection, introspection, and spiritual growth. This
Quiet Day can be an important part of our spiritual discipline for Lent.
The $10.00 fee provides a continental breakfast and a box lunch.
Vegetarian lunches are available. Registration deadline is Monday,
February 22. For more information or to register, please contact the church at
803.765.1519 or e-mail daughters@sainttimothyscolumbia.com.
Grace Church, Camden, is sponsoring a Centering Prayer Workshop, led by the Rev. Tom Ward, on March 20 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The workshop will serve both as an introduction to Centering Prayer for those who know nothing of this practice and as a refresher course for those who have been praying this way for some time. Four Conferences give shape to the day: Prayer as Relationship, the Method of Centering Prayer, the Place of “Thoughts” in Centering Prayer, and Centering Prayer and the Fruits of the Spirit. Two sessions of Centering Prayer are part of the design.
The Rev. Tom Ward been an Episcopal priest for over thirty years, serving parishes in Mississippi and Tennessee; from 1994 through 2005, he was University Chaplain at Sewanee, the University of the South (the one university owned and operated by the Episcopal Church in this country). Tom now focuses on the contemplative dimension of the gospel, teaching centering prayer and leading retreats. He has a special interest in fostering this practice in local congregations in general and in Episcopal parishes in particular. For the past fifteen years Tom has worked closely with Thomas Keating and Contemplative Outreach Ltd, a network which seeks to foster contemplation.
For more information or to register, please contact the church, 803.432.7621. Registration deadline is March 15.
At 7 p.m. on March 21, at St. Mary’s, Columbia, assistant rector the
Rev. George Roberts will perform his one-man show on the life and
ministry of Paul entitled Blessed: An Expression of Faith. The
play is approximately forty-five minutes in length and covers much of
Paul’s life in flashback, from his persecution of the Church through his
conversion to his final journey to Rome as prisoner, before being
martyred. Roberts, before entering Holy Orders, was a theatre educator,
most recently at the University of South Carolina Upstate. He has been
acting professionally since 1990.
The performance is being sponsored by the Christian Formation Ministry
at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church. A light soup and muffin supper will be
held from 5 to 6:30 p.m., with the performance following. All are
invited. Donations will go to the EYC of St. Mary’s planned mission
trip, summer of 2011. St. Mary’s
is located at 170 St. Andrews Road,
Columbia. Please call 803.798.2776 for directions.
A Spirituality of Joy and Sorrow
A Quiet Day with The Rev. Barbara Crafton
March 20, 2010
9:00-4:30 at
St. James Episcopal Church, Greenville
Join the St. James Center for Spiritual Development on March 20 from
9:00-4:30 for a Lenten Quiet Day led by The Rev. Barbara Crafton.
Barbara is an Episcopal priest, spiritual director, and author of many
books as well as the celebrated “Almost Daily eMo.” The day will begin
with registration and coffee from 8:30-9:00. During the day, we will
hear several meditations from Barbara and have quiet time for prayer,
reflection, or spiritual direction. Lunch is provided as part of the
$75 registration as is a copy of one of Barbara’s books. We will end our day
with a celebration of the Holy Eucharist. Please register by completing
a registration form on the St. James Center website (http://saintjamescenter.org).
St. Alban's is coordinating a short-term mission to Quito, Ecuador,
this June, to work with diocesan missionaries Cameron Graham-Vivanco and
Laura Jennings Estevez. The exact dates will be determined by the
airline schedule, but will be between June 21st and July 1st. The cost
will be around $2,000.00, including airfare, all meals and
accommodations for approximately eight days, as well as the cost of
supplies. There will be volunteer opportunities for all ages and
abilities, except very young children.
For additional information, please contact Libba Rhoad at 803.957.5809, zqueen123@aol.com.
Registration for camp is now available online at
www.bishopgravatt.org, and all 2009 campers
should have received a brochure by mail. Churches will receive promotional materials
this month.
Early registration ensures the spot
in the session of your choice and the best discounts. Don't forget that
Gravatt is also offering Spring Break Camp,
April 5-9, this
year too, and extra summer discounts are available for campers who
attend SBC and regular summer camp.
Questions about Camp Gravatt should be directed to Hope Spruell, Camp
Director, campgravatt@wildblue.net.
Sign up your two-person team for the first annual Gravatt
Bassmaster Fishing Tournament. This event is a family-friendly so take
this opportunity to share the outdoors with youth you care about. Choose
to fish from the bank, from a Gravatt canoe, or your own canoe, or you
may bring your own boat (trolling motors only). This tournament will be
catch and release only. Awards will given in many exciting categories.
Register early as space will fill up quickly. Keep up-to-date
with tournament news by calling 803.648.1817 or visiting www.bishopgravatt.org
or the
Gravatt Environmental Education Program Facebook Fan
Page.
• April 8-10 at Camp McDowell, near Birmingham in the Diocese of Alabama
• April 29-May 1 at Canterbury Conference Center, near Orlando in the
Diocese of Central Florida
• June 9-11 at Kanuga Conferences in Hendersonville in the Diocese of
Western North Carolina
Registration cost is $30 per person. The cost of lodging and meals will
vary by conference site. The
Episcopal Church Foundation is providing some scholarship funds for room
and board.
For additional information and to register go to www.marksofleadershipregistration.org.
Each of the 20 dioceses in the Province is invited to send a team of lay
and clergy leaders, including
bishops, who are passionate, mission-minded, energetic and teachable
leaders. Diocesan and
parish leaders from across the country also are welcome to register.
The annual Worship and Travel with Sewanee: A Tour Course in
Anglican History and Spirituality is now accepting reservations for the
2010
tour. The tour, sponsored by the University of the South's School of
Theology, will be from May 27 to June 7.
The Anglican Tour is open to anyone who desires to study and experience
the
historical heritage of Christianity in England and the vibrant spiritual
life of the present Church of England. Tour members will discover acres
of
intricate stonework and stained glass, a semester-length course on
British
history, and a host of beautiful choral evensongs.
Worship and Travel with Sewanee was designed by the School of Theology
for
laity, clergy, and Education for Ministry participants, as well as
Sewanee
students enrolled in graduate degree programs, who can earn academic
credit.
A downloadable registration form and other details about the 2010 tour
can
be found at http://theology.sewanee.edu/anglican%20tours.
For complete Anglican Tour details, contact the Rev. Anne B. Chisham,
director of Anglican Tours, by calling 800.438.2403 or e-mailing abcrev@cox.net.
Episcopal Relief & Development (ERD) Sunday is coming up on the first
Sunday in Lent, February 21.
To help your congregation prepare for this day and for the Lenten
journey, ERD is offering a 2010 Lenten Meditations booklet. Developed by
Sister Claire Joy of the Community of the Holy Spirit in New York City,
the devotional’s theme is “Healing ourselves and a hurting world.” These
daily meditations will encourage, challenge and inspire Episcopalians to
reflect on their lives and on what steps they might take to help those
who live in need.
Copies of the devotional and additional materials may be ordered for
everyone in your congregation by phone or online at www.er-d.org. Please note that
orders must be placed by February 8 to ensure they will arrive in time
for Ash Wednesday, February 17. Lenten materials are free. All orders
are charged a minimum fee for shipping and handling. Large orders or
overnight and second-day delivery will incur additional shipping costs.
Call Episcopal Books and Resources (EBaR) at 1.800.903.5544 or order online.
Hat tip to the Rev. Robert Dunbar for passing this info along!
The Church of England (our Mother Church) has made it easy for people
and to pray the "Daily Offices" of Morning and Evening Prayer and
Compline. No more confusion about holy days, no more searching for each
day's proper psalms, readings and prayers. They do it for you online! Go
to:
www.cofe.anglican.org/worship/dailyprayer/
and on the right side of the page click on Morning Prayer, Evening
Prayer or "Night Prayer" (Compline), and your choice appears
on the screen with everything printed out.
You have a choice between the traditional form of the Offices from the
1662 Book of Common Prayer or the contemporary Offices from the
Church of England's lovely "Common Worship: Daily Prayer."
You may pray the office reading directly from your computer screen, or
print it out for use in a group. Either way, know that you are not
alone; you are praying this traditional way with millions of Anglicans
all over the world in "the communion of saints."
Recognizing
God’s creation as a sacred place, the focus for 2010 World Mission
Sunday, celebrated on Sunday, February 14, will be World Mission & The
Environment. World Mission Sunday is an opportunity for congregations
and dioceses to participate in the wider global mission of the Church,
Spend this day learning about companion diocese relationships,
parish-to-parish links, and mission networks and societies. Share
stories of Episcopal
missionaries, past and present, and brainstorm
ways you can get involved in our worldwide mission
efforts.
By Standing Resolution of the Diocese, and in concert with the custom of the Episcopal Church, the first Sunday in Lent has been designated as Episcopal Relief & Development Sunday. Congregations and individuals are encouraged to support Episcopal Relief & Development's life-saving work through prayer and a special offering that will help heal a hurting world.
Learn more about ERD and ERD Sunday and find resources (including a bulletin insert) for celebrating ERD Sunday at www.er-d.org/erdsunday/.
The tentative schedule of bishop's visitations for 2010 is online
under "Resources," "Clergy resources," "Diocesan Resources."
If a church that Bishop-Elect Waldo is visiting wants to trade dates
with another church, the clergy or senior warden must follow the
procedure listed below:
* --Contact Jane Goldsmith, jgoldsmith@edusc.org, to see if the change
will work for Bishop-Elect Waldo’s calendar.
* --Trade dates only with churches on the Bishop-Elect’s schedule.
* --Contact the other church to see if they are willing to switch with
you.
Please be aware that some of Bishop-Elect Waldo’s visitations have been
set in conjunction with other commitments he has in the area at the same
time. It is not always possible to change visitation dates.
If a church is not scheduled during a year for a visitation with
Bishop-Elect Waldo or with one of the assisting bishops, the clergy or senior warden may contact Bishop
Charles Duvall, cfdbish8101@aol.com, Bishop Rogers Harris,
rogers795@bellsouth.net,
or Bishop Donald Hultstrand, dhultstrand@ccgsc.org, to schedule a
visitation at the church’s expense. The cost for a visitation is $550, inclusive of travel.
If you wish to take your confirmands to a neighboring church, please
make arrangements with the clergy person there and notify Jane so that a
confirmation form can be sent.
If you would like to schedule a visitation with a bishop not listed,
please contact Jane Goldsmith. A visiting bishop cannot preside in the
diocese without the permission of the diocesan bishop. In the absence of
a diocesan bishop, The Standing Committee acts as the Ecclesiastical
Authority of the diocese, and its consent must be obtained. The
Bishop-Elect should not be contacted with regard to these matters until
after he has been Consecrated. Jane will contact the Standing Committee
on your behalf.
When any change to the visitation schedule has been made, please make
sure that Jane has all of the information so that the calendar can be
correct and a visitation form can be mailed to the church.
| February 8-10 | Clergy pre-Lenten retreat, Lake Logan, NC |
| February 9 | Catawba clericus meeting, Harmony House, noon |
| February 13 | ECW Convention, York Place |
| February 14 | World Mission Sunday Midlands Convocation meeting Catawba Convocation meeting |
| February 21 | ERD Sunday Piedmont Convocation meeting |
| March 4 | Fresh Start, All Saints', Clinton, 9:30 a.m. |
| March 9 | Catawba clericus, Harmony House, noon |
| March 12-144 | Happening #63 |
| April 2 | Good Friday offering to the Church in Jerusalem |
| April 11 | Reedy River Convocation meeting Catawba Convocation meeting |
| April 12 | Catawba clericus meeting, Harmony House, noon |
| April 9-11 | Vocare #5, Gravatt |
| April 15 | Fresh Start, All Saints’, Clinton |
| April 18 | Gravatt Convocation meeting Midlands Convocation meeting |
| April 23-25 | Jr. High Spring Retreat |
| April 25 | Piedmont Convocation meeting |
| May 6 | Fresh Start, All Saints', Clinton |
| May 8 | Mother's Day Offering (to Still Hopes and Finlay House) |
| May 11 | Catawba clericus, Harmony House, noon |
| May 22 | Consecration of the 8th Bishop of Upper SC, Christ Church, Greenville |
I did it. Or rather my daughter did it for me. I am on Facebook.
I have resisted mightily for years and for several good reasons. First,
I don’t have the time to be tied up with more technology. As it is, I
feel like technological pulls are already wreaking havoc on my life. I
used to have more time to play the piano, read, and talk to friends. My
friends used to have more time to talk to me. I am convinced this is the
impact of technology on our lives. To have to check one more thing, keep
up with one more thing, or write on one more thing just feels like too
much. It ratchets up my anxiety. In my email inbox every day are
messages from Facebook. Someone has written on my wall, commented on my
status, or some such thing. Can I chose to ignore this?
Next round of resistance. Do I really want people from all walks of my
life looking at my pictures and reading my comments? What if someone
“friends” me and I don’t want to “friend” them. And do I want to have to
stay current? It also feels artificial to me.
Another resistance. I won’t be able to do it right. I will screw it all
up and somehow embarrass myself. When I do screw it up, it will take too
much time to figure out how to fix it. I won’t be able to “get out” of
it because it will be an eternal mess.
Here’s the official first check-in. The most fun thing that has happened
is that my middle-school students from 1978-1986 have found me. This is
hilarious and wonderful. They are in their late 30’s and early 40’s now.
They have careers and spouses and children. Some are educators, some are
professionals, others are musicians and artists. A few are married to
classmates which is really humorous. Their pictures are fun to see. They
mostly look like themselves only older. I had them stuck at 13 years old
but they’re not. Time has marched on! They have all been extremely kind
and told me I look exactly the same as I did back then. Ha! They have
also affirmed who I was at that point in my life. Their kindness to me
and generous compliments have uplifted me and reminded me of a part of
my life that seems so far away. It’s a little bit like attending a
virtual reunion.
Being found by high school classmates has also been amusing. I am amazed
at the path people’s lives have taken. The girl with the most beautiful
voice in our class is no longer singing. I can’t imagine that. The “
Best Looking” guy is not so good-looking anymore, and the two smartest
ones are married to each other. People remember me in ways I no longer
remember myself.
This is a bizarre thing to me. On one hand, it is a little whimsical to
have these connections. I love networking and I love people and this is
fun. On the other hand, I don’t really know them and they don’t really
know me anymore. It feels like a so-called “niceity,” but one that is not
necessarily bad.
What it has raised up in me mostly, though, is how much I miss and want
to be with people who really know me now and people who have known me
with some kind of continuity. I saw a colleague yesterday in the parking
lot and we both commented on how much we miss each other. She’s known me
for over twenty-five years, and I found myself yearning for time with
her. While out of town last weekend we shared a meal with a friend who’s
know me for almost thirty-five years, and I basked in the comfort of
that knowing. For me, there is no substitute for the deep bonds of
friendship and the intimate understandings that come from years of
investing in relationships. I want to be really known, really
understood, and valued as a part of a community that can physically see
and touch each other. I can see that virtual community has some real
value. In this moment, however, I still chose being able to physically
see and touch another person, and to be seen and touched.
Episcopal Relief & Development (ERD) works closely with local partners, including the Diocese of Haiti, to assist those most impacted by this disaster. Donations to ERD will provide technical support and critical supplies to those in Port-au-Prince and in a network of 23 camps created to provide shelter for survivors.