[edow] Church House News

[Church House News]

OCTOBER 12, 2006
 
*** The weekly bulletin for clergy, wardens, diocesan committee members,
convention delegates and church administrators in the Episcopal Diocese
of Washington ***

VIGIL AGAINST TORTURE
The Washington Region Religious Campaign Against Torture invites people
of faith to join in protesting the signing of the "Military Commissions
Act of 2006" from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Oct. 17 (Tuesday) in Lafayette Park.
Tom Smith, director of music at Redeemer, Bethesda, will lead an
interdenominational/interfaith pick-up choir in singing of hymns and
spirituals. Those interested in singing will gather at 8:30 a.m. in
Lafayette Park. Music will be provided. (For more information, contact
Smith at 202/ 906-9999 or Christine DeFontenay at 301/526-6648). Visit
www.wrrcat.org for event details. 

OPEN ENROLLMENT FOR GROUP LIFE AND DISABILITY INSURANCE 
All parishes that are not currently offering life and disability
insurance to their eligible employees will be receiving material for an
Open Enrollment period from Oct. 1 to Nov. 30. This will provide an
opportunity for parishes to enroll eligible staff into the employer-paid
group life insurance plan without the employee needing to complete a
Health Statement. The disability plans can be either employee or
employer paid offerings. For more information, contact the Benefits
Administrator, Mary Manson, at mmanson at edow.org or at 202/537-6522.

CATHEDRAL COLLEGE COURSES ON THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
The Cathedral College is offering two courses designed to build
knowledge of the Episcopal Church and its place in the heart and the
world. "The Episcopal Church in Global Perspective," a course with the
Rev. John Peterson, canon for global justice and reconciliation and the
former secretary general of the Worldwide Anglican Communion will take
place from 7-9 p.m. Mondays Oct. 23 -Nov. 13. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on
Tuesdays from Nov. 14-28, the Rev. Eugene Sutton,  the Cathedral's canon
pastor, will lead a course titled, "Christianity's Sacred Meal," on the
biblical, theological, historical and liturgical foundation of this
sacrament. For more information, contact 202/537-2221 or
cathedralcollege at cathedral.org. Register at
www.nationalcathedral.org/register. 

PLEASE REMEMBER IN YOUR PRAYERS
Please keep the following clergy and members of the diocese in your
prayers this week:
*  Chuck Daugherty (retired) - upcoming surgery
*  Dalton Downs (retired) - recovery from surgery
*  Velma Brock - personal health
*  Tom Logan - personal health
*  Rita Henninger Steadman - infant son's health (Cuthbert)
*  Michael Marrett - wife's health (Margery)
*  Family of Sanford Garner - at the time of his memorial service (4
p.m. Oct. 14 at Washington National Cathedral). 

>>> REMINDERS:

DIOCESAN REVIVAL 
The diocese's second annual Fall Revival will take place on the evenings
of Oct.19-20 at Washington National Cathedral. The Rev. Jeremiah A.
Wright Jr., senior pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago
will preach.

REGIONAL ASSEMBLIES 2006
* Region 1: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 28 at St. Matthew's, Hyattsville 
* Region 2: 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 28 at St. Luke's, Bethesda [note
corrected date]
* Region 3: 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 28 at St. Luke's, Bethesda [note
corrected date]
* Region 4: 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Oct. 23 at Christ, Kensington [note
corrected date]
* Region 5: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 28 at St. Matthew's, Hyattsville 
* Region 6: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 14 at Christ, LaPlata
Election Schedule for each region and information on submitting
nominations and resolutions can be found at www.edow.org  or by
contacting Ann Talty at atalty at edow.org or 202/537-6548.

ECW-UTO EVENSONG SET FOR OCT. 22
Bishop John Bryson Chane will recognize and celebrate the dedication and
leadership of the Episcopal Church Women and United Thank Offering in
the Diocese of Washington at an Evensong at 4 p.m. Oct. 22 in the
cathedral's Great Choir. All are welcome. For more information, contact
Eulalia Smith at 202/537-6530 or esmith at edow.org.

SANFORD GARNER MEMORIAL SERVICE
A special service in remembrance and celebration of the life and
ministry of the Rev. Sanford Garner, former rector of Christ Church,
Georgetown and Provost of Washington National Cathedral, is set for 4
p.m. Oct. 14. Clergy are invited to process (cassock, surplice and white
stole).

CATHEDRAL CONFIRMATION
The next confirmation service at the National Cathedral is set for 10
a.m. Nov. 18.

"GOING FORWARD TOGETHER: THIRD MILLENNIUM CHRISTIANITY' 
A conference titled, "Going Forward Together: Third Millennium
Christianity," is set for Nov. 16-19 at St. Stephen's, Richmond, Va. It
will combine networking in "best practices" for local church leaders
with presentations by international speakers reflecting on how American
churches can engage with the rest of the world. Authors Phyllis Tickle,
Brian McLaren and Diana Butler Bass, and "emerging church" leaders Karen
Ward and Peter Rollins will be among the speakers. For more information
or to register, visit www.goingforwardtogether.org or call 804/288-3318,
ext. 335.

ATTENTION CLERGY:
Clergy canonically resident in the dioceses of Washington, Maryland and
Easton are eligible to become members of The Corporation for Relief of
the Widows and Children of the Clergy of the Protestant Episcopal Church
in Maryland. Two principal benefits of membership, which is deemed paid
up after 15 years, include an annual annuity of $1,000 to beneficiaries
of the member and a $8,000 death benefit. The gratuities are based on
need and at present are in the $2,000 - $20,000 range. The cost is $50
per year. For further information, contact the Rev. James Crowder at
jcrowder at bcpl.net or Juanita Fair at jfair at ang-md.org.

PERCEPT REPORTS AVAILABLE
If your parish is interested in accessing the demographic information
for its surrounding area, go to www.Link2Lead.com Click on "Register."
Under denomination select Episcopal, then select Episcopal Diocese of
Washington, your city and your parish from the drop down boxes. Then
enter your personal data and click on "Register." You will be assigned
an account number and password to access the data, and will want to make
a note of those. Once you have registered, you can sign in at any time
with your account number and password. Each congregation is allotted 20
registrations.

ACTIVE NONVIOLENCE WORKSHOP
This participatory workshop set for 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Nov. 4 at
Redeemer, Bethesda, is an introduction to the spirituality and practice
of active nonviolence using methods of interactive education:
Meditation, role playing, journaling, movie clips and small group
discussion. Participants learn to recognize and confront violence in
their own lives, their families and their communities and they learn to
overcome this violence nonviolently. The program was developed by Pace e
Bene and the Episcopal Peace Fellowship. Cost is $25, including lunch.
Pre-register with vbkos at aol.com or 202/452-4381.
  
ST. GEORGE'S COLLEGE, JERUSALEM
St. George's College is a continuing education center of the Anglican
Communion that enables Christians to encounter the people of the Holy
Land and to study the Bible and history in the context of pilgrimage and
travel. For more information go to www.SGCjerusalem.org or contact
Bishop Allen Bartlett, chair of the North American Regional Committee of
St. George's College at allen.jerrie at worldnet.att.net. A DVD about the
college is available for loan from Church House to interested parishes
or groups (Keely Thrall, kthrall at edow.org). 
  
FLU SHOTS AT ST. MARY'S, FOGGY BOTTOM
The ECW of St. Mary's, Foggy Bottom (728 23rd Street, NW) will be
offering free flu shots to senior citizens with a Medicare card as part
of the church's Annual Bazaar, which includes a bake sale, lunch/dinners
and health care services. The bazaar is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov.
3- 4. Call 202/333-3985 or Lois Lee Patterson at 703/790-1223 for
further information.

SAFEGUARDING GOD'S CHILDREN 
Safeguarding God's Children provides participants with the information
they need to protect the children they know and care for in their
personal lives and the ministries in which they serve. Training dates
are set for:
* 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Oct. 14 at Grace, Silver Spring
* 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Oct. 22 at St. John's, Olney
* 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Oct. 30 at St. Luke's, Bethesda
* 6:30 to 10 p.m. Nov. 29 at St. Columba's (includes dinner)
* 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Dec. 9 at Epiphany, Forestville
For more information or to register, visit www.edow.org/prevention

2006 EPISCOPAL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION CONFERENCE
The Church Pension Group is hosting the 2006 Episcopal Business
Administration Conference for Parishes and Institutions for parishes in
our region. The conference will be held in Atlanta, Ga., and will
provide participants the opportunity to develop professional skills,
share resources and network with other parishes and institutions. Topics
will include current policies, services and new initiatives under
development at CPG. Dates for this years EBAC are Oct. 26-27. Register
at www.cpg.org/ebacparish
 
ADVENT QUIET DAY
The Rev. Mpho Tutu, director of The Tutu Institute for Prayer and
Pilgrimage, will lead an Advent Quiet Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 9
at All Souls Church (2300 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington, D.C., 20008).
Cost is $25, lunch included. For more information or to register,
contact info at tutuinstitute.org or 703/677-5642.

OPEN ENROLLMENT - LONG-TERM CARE INSURANCE
The Church Pension Group is holding an Open Enrollment Period for Long
Term Care Insurance from Oct. 1 to Nov. 30. This insurance is being
offered at the participant's sole expense. Visit
http://www.cpg.org/productsservices/longtermcareinsurance.cfm 
for additional information, or contact Mary Manson, benefits
administrator, at mmanson at edow.org or 202/537-6522.
 
CHRISTIAN FORMATION RESOURCES
Extensive new resources compiled by the diocese's Christian Formation
Committee are now available at www.edow.org  The resources include
information on teaching Sunday School, leading a youth group, organizing
adult education offerings and planning intergenerational activities.
  
VESTRY WORKSHOP - SAVE THE DATE
A Vestry Workshop is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Dec 2. Agenda and
registration information will be available soon.
 
JOIN ENERGY STAR FOR CONGREGATIONS
Congregations that commit to substantial energy savings can cut utility
costs by up to 30 percent and make significant contributions to a
cleaner environment. Become an ENERGY STAR partner for free technical
support, information and resources, awards eligibility and e-mail
updates. Visit
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=small_business.sb_congregations to
learn more.
   
VTS FALL MINISTRY CONFERENCE
VTS will hold a one-day Fall Ministry Conference on Nov. 14 at its
campus in Alexandria, Va. Learn about the seminary's programs, talk to
faculty and students, go to classes, have lunch and tour the campus. To
register for the conference or for further information, visit
www.vts.edu, or e-mail Admissions at vts.edu. Space is limited, so register
now if you are interested in attending.

BISHOP'S APPEAL - IT'S NOT TOO LATE
We are still accepting donations for the 2006 Bishop's Appeal for
mission and ministry.  Donate online at: http://www.edow.org/giving

EPISCOPAL-AFFILIATED SENIOR HOUSING - FALL OPEN HOUSE DAY
A simultaneous open house at the Episcopal-affiliated senior housing
communities in the diocese is set for 1 to 3 p.m. Nov. 12.  Each
community will offer activities and tours so seniors and their families
can check out the services and programs available. Participating
communities are Collington, Cedar Lane, St. Philip's House, Friendship
Terrace and St. Mary's Court. For more information, contact Kate Lewis
at 202/414-6312 or klewis at esm.org
 
MARRIAGE GUIDELINES AVAILABLE ONLINE
A copy of the "Bishop's Guidelines for Marriage and Remarriage" is
available online at www.edow.org/marriage

CYCLE OF PRAYER
The Cycle of Prayer through Nov. 26 is online at: 
http://www.edow.org/parish/congregation/liturgy/cycleofprayer/index.html
 
GIVE A 'PARTNERING HEART'
Give a "Partnering Heart" by supporting a ministry in the Church of the
Province of Southern Africa. Visit
http://www.edow.org/diocese/outreach/sapc/hearts.html  
to find several options as well as more details and follow-up
instructions.




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