Diocesan News
ECW holds 88th Annual Convention
Here's the 88th Convention photo gallery.
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Diocesan ECW president Phyllis Webb gets things rolling at the 88th Convention |
Undeterred by a snow storm that made original plans possible,
the diocesan Episcopal Church Women met for the 88th Convention on Saturday, February 20, at York Place in York, SC.
Election of officers, approval of the Statement of Mission for 2010, and
selection of the year's mission projects were among the noteworthy
events of the day.
Guest speakers were Ms. Gillaine Warne of the
diocesan World Mission Committee and Mr. John Schiflet, president and
CEO of York Place, each of whom represented one of the mission projects
adopted.
This years World Mission project has as its focus the Family
Assistance Program, which is part of the Partners in Agriculture project serving Cange, Haiti, and the surrounding area, where much
of our diocesan world mission takes place. The Family Assistance Program's purpose is to help families whose children
have been treated locally for malnutrition. The program provides
assistance to sustain the children by counseling the family in good nutrition and agriculture;
providing seeds, fruit trees and tools; and, when appropriate, giving the family a goat. After the first harvest families
are asked to provide seeds and a baby goat to another family.
The diocesan mission project for this year assists with the support of
treatment for York Place children by helpingm through the York Place
Scholarship Fund, to underwrite costs not covered by Medicaid. This funding is used for counseling,
room and board, food, clothing, braces, eyeglasses, educational needs, field trips, therapy,
medicine, doctor visits, psychiatric care, and other
needs of York Place children.
Piedmont Convocation celebrates first convocation-wide worship service
By Fergie Horvath
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Click here to enlarge and to see more photos! |
On Wednesday, January 6, 2010, the Feast of the Epiphany, the
Piedmont Convocation held its first ever convocational worship service.
Participating churches were Church of the Epiphany, Spartanburg; Incarnation,
Gaffney; St.
Christopher’s, Spartanburg; St. Margaret’s, Boiling Springs; and St.
Matthew’s, Spartanburg.
The Church of the
Epiphany was kind enough to host the service which pushed their
facilities to capacity, with some people sitting in folding chairs and
standing in the back. We were blessed to have such a wonderful showing
of folks from all over the convocation; 112 people were in attendance.
The liturgy was designed by the clergy of the participating churches in
a lessons and carols format. Afterwards, there was a ‘pot luck’ coffee
hour hosted by the people of Epiphany, with food and drinks provided by
all the churches. During this time of fellowship, I asked an Epiphany
parishioner, “What do you think of all these people here?” She replied,
“Oh, I think it’s wonderful! It is so nice for the convocation to
worship at our church. The people are friendly and everyone is having
such a good time. I hope we can do this again.”
That seemed to be the
sentiment of everyone there, so there is talk, already, of our next
convocational worship service. It is clear that working together as a
convocation can be accomplished not only through outreach, but through
worship as well. This can only strengthen the ability of our entire
convocation to live more fully into our baptismal covenant.
The Rev. Deacon Fergie Horvath is our first convocational deacon, serving Upper SC's Piedmont churches.
Anonymous donor to match gifts made to diocesan Bread & Water Campaign for Haiti
A member of our diocese has generously agreed to match dollar for dollar contributions made to the diocesan Gifts of Bread & Water Fund, established to ensure the viability of the water supply and expand our ministries in Cange, Haiti.
The crisis in Haiti has not passed. The need immediately to complete our work to replace the worn-out water system at Cange has become even more critical as those in need of emergency health care due to the earthquake, children left orphaned, and other refugees from Port au Prince have flooded into Cange, putting a tremendous strain on an already inadequate and contaminated water system.
Additionally the need
for the vocational school to begin classes has been accentuated by the
population growth and the lack of employment. The demand for the
increased production of our nutritional products to fight malnutrition
has also grown dramatically.
You now have a chance to make a tremendous difference in the lives of
our friends in Haiti, thanks to the generosity of one Upper South
Carolinian who has offered to match your contributions to the Bread and
Water Fund, up to $200,000. You now have the opportunity to double the
effect of your gift by contributing now.
Donations can be made online or by snail-mail
(to EDUSC, 1115 Marion Street, Columbia, 29201).
Please designate checks to the Gifts of Bread and Water and make
them to the Diocese of Upper South Carolina. God has given us this unique
opportunity to "act in the world as the body of Christ" and to change
lives.
For more information, please contact Bread & Water Fund
chair, Earl Burch, eburch@innova.net.
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Learn more about |
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Invite a speaker to your congregation to talk about diocesan work in Haiti. Presentations can be tailor-made for any
group, special interest, or timeframe. Topics might include the history of our
relationship with Cange; info on
medical, agricultural, and other ministries; the recent
earthquake and after effects; the diocesan
Gifts of Bread and Water Campaign. Talks will be informative, entertaining,
interesting and inspirational, and can be scheduled for any day
of the week at any time. |
Diocesan grants available for domestic, international outreach
Matthew 25 grants support outreach in local communities; MDG grants focus on international projects
Matthew 25 grants
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.
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.
MDG grants
Download grant guidelines
Download grant application form
Congregations in the Diocese of Upper South Carolina are invited to
apply for funding to support projects that focus on one or more of the
Millennium Development Goals devoted to international outreach. Funding will come from a portion of the
0.7% set aside by the Diocese in the Statement of Mission (SOM).
The
diocesan Commission on the Anglican Communion and International
Concerns, charged with oversight of the grant process, encourages
proposals inspiring the participation of congregations in the diocese in
long-term projects that can ultimately be sustained by the community
served. Particularly encouraged are projects that serve to nurture and
promote self-sufficiency.
Applications should be submitted to the diocesan Commission on the
Anglican Communion and International Concerns and will be referred to
the MDG subcommittee for review and recommendation for final approval by
the Commission as a whole.
General guidelines:
• Project must address one or more of the Millennium Development Goals
• Fiscal accountability of organization with which funds may be shared
• Yearly report of project and progress
• Timeline and desired outcomes
The Commission will oversee two grant cycles. All application material
must be submitted by January 1 or July 1. Applicants are urged to submit
requests well ahead of the time the money will be needed. Grant award
will be announced in March and October by the Commission.
Applicants may be asked to provide additional information after
submission. Written notification of grants awarded or denied will be
made following final evaluation of the proposal. All materials are
promptly acknowledged upon receipt, and become the property of the
Diocese of Upper South Carolina.
More information and a grant application form.