[edow] Church House News

[Church House News]

OCTOBER 4, 2007
 
*** The weekly bulletin for clergy, wardens, diocesan committee members,
convention delegates and church administrators in the Episcopal Diocese
of Washington ***

INTERFAITH BREAKFAST WORKSHOP
Greater Washington Interfaith Power and Light and the British Embassy
invite clergy to an Interfaith Breakfast Workshop, "Caring for Creation:
How to Build a Sustainable Future," from 8-10 a.m. Oct. 24 at the United
Methodist Building (100 Maryland Ave. NE). The Rt. Rev. James Jones,
Bishop of Liverpool, Rabbi Fred Scherlinder Dobb, president of the
Washington Board of Rabbis, and Imam Yahya Hendi, secretary general and
founder of Imams for Human Rights and Dialogue, will speak about the
faith community's role in caring for creation. This event is free but
space is limited. RSVP to Allison Fisher at 202/885-8684 by Oct. 20 and
specify if you will require a kosher, halal or vegetarian breakfast. 
 
DEDICATION, CELEBRATION AT ST. PETER'S, POOLESVILLE 
The people of St. Peter's, Poolesville will celebrate the dedication of
their facility's expansion at s 2:30 p.m. Oct. 21 Eucharist with Bishop
Chane presiding. All are welcome. A reception will follow the service.
For more information, contact Nina Siegrist at 301/349-2073 or the Rev.
Charles Hoffacker at 301/466-8133.

FAMILY RETREAT AT VTS
St. Timothy's, D.C., will host a family retreat at the Virginia
Theological Seminary on Oct. 27, which is open to all. The theme for the
event is, "Put on the Whole Armor of God: Just Stand," from Ephesians
6:10-17. The Rev. Walter Eversley will lead the adult program and the
Rev. Joseph Constant will lead the youth program. The cost is $35 for
those 18 and above; $15 for those 17 and under and includes meal and
snacks.
For further information, contact Stephanie Summers at 202/669-6926.

BISHOP GENE ROBINSON TO PREACH
Bishop Gene Robinson will be the guest preacher at Epiphany, D.C., at
the 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. services on Oct. 7. All are welcome to attend.

COME AND SEE SAMARITAN MINISTRY  (* note corrected time)
Samaritan Ministry of Greater Washington invites you to a "Next Step
Experience." Learn about the organization's programs and services and
hear how lives have been changed. Events are set for Oct. 23 at the NW
D.C. office (welcome/refreshments at *12:45 p.m.; program: 1-2 p.m.);
and Nov. 27 at the SE D.C. office. Contact Diane Aten at
daten at samaritanministry.org or 202/722-2280, ext. 304 for more
information and to RSVP.

COMPUTER SUPPLIES AND HARDWARE
The diocese has partnered with CDW Computer Centers to offer a joint
purchasing program with competitive prices for hardware, software and
electronics products. CDW offers telephone and online purchasing, free
custom configurations, next day shipping, free 24-hour lifetime
technical support. Further information is available at
http://technology.edow.org/article.php?id=41

PLEASE REMEMBER IN YOUR PRAYERS
Please keep the following clergy and members of the diocese in your
prayers this week:
*  Kathy Jordan - prayers of sympathy at time of her husband's (Bob)
death on Oct. 1. 
*  Claudia Tielking - personal health
*  John Ball - personal health
*  Margot Critchfield - mother's health (Maggie) 
*  Betsy Hague - husband's health (Ralph) 
*  Martha Bonwitt - husband's health (Bill) 
*  Charles and Jessie Daugherty - personal health 
*  Tom Logan - personal health 
*  Velma Brock - personal health

>>> REMINDERS:

LATINO MINISTRY CELEBRATION 
This year's Latino Ministry Celebration is set for 6 to 11 p.m. Oct. 13
at Our Saviour, Hillandale (1700 Powder Mill Road, Silver Spring).
Eucharist at 6 p.m., Bishop Chane presiding; dinner and fiesta will
follow. Parking is available behind the church or across Powder Mill
Road at the Hillandale Shopping Center. For more information, contact
the Rev. Simon Bautista, the diocese's Latino missioner, at
202/294-4256.

URBAN ADVENTURE 
The diocese's Committee on Urban Ministry will hold its third Urban
Adventure from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 6 at St. Stephen and the
Incarnation. Speaker will be Mary Nelson, former executive director of
Bethel New Life, a community development ministry in Chicago. Nelson
will introduce Asset-Based Community Development, an approach that
identifies a community's strengths as foundations for development. She
will then guide parish delegations through an assessment of their own
communities. Please try to assemble a team of at least five church
members and representatives from your church's surrounding community.
There is no charge for this event. Lunch provided; parking available.
Register by Oct. 3 at staff at saintstephensdc.org (preferred) or
202/232-0900.

REGIONAL ASSEMBLIES
For information on schedule of elections, and submission of nominations
and resolutions, go to www.edow.org/regionals.

REGIONAL ASSEMBLIES 2007:  
Clergy, wardens and convention delegates are entitled to vote and should
plan to come to the 2007 Regional Assemblies. Other members of the
vestry are encouraged to come as well to participate in discussions.
Dates, times and locations are as follows:
* Regions 1 and 2: 8:30 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 20, at Epiphany,
D.C.
* Regions 3 and 4:  8:30 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 13 at St. John's,
Olney
* Region 5: 1:30 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 13 at St. John's, Beltsville
* Region 6: 1:30 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20 at St. Barnabas', Leeland

CONFIRMATION, RECEPTION AND RENEWAL OF VOWS
The next Diocesan Service for Confirmation, Reception and Renewal of
Baptismal Vows is set for 10 a.m. Nov. 3 at Washington National
Cathedral. Clergy, please send an estimate of the number of candidates
for confirmation, reception and reaffirmation of baptismal vows to
pcooney at edow.org by Oct. 4. Please let us know if you have candidates or
guests with special needs. Clergy and laypersons interested in
participating the liturgy as Readers or LEMs also are asked to express
their interest at this time.
 
ATTENTION PARISH ADMINISTRATORS
Parish administrators and administrative assistants in the Diocese of
Washington are invited to monthly luncheon meetings of the
Administrators Group on the third Tuesday of the month at All Souls,
Cathedral Avenue. You also are invited to join the group's listserv.
Next meeting is set for 12:30 to 2 p.m. Oct. 16. The final meeting of
the year will be on Dec. 4. Contact the group at:
http://www.edow.org/parish/administration/resources/index.html
 
LEADERSHIP AND ANXIETY
The Lombard Mennonite Peace Center will present "Leadership and Anxiety
in the Church," a seminar to help leaders understand the roots of
conflict and how to handle congregational anxieties on Oct. 30 at Zion
Mennonite Church in Souderton, Pa. For further information, visit
www.LMPeaceCenter.org or call 630/627-0507.

HUNGER WALK(s)
There will be two walks to raise money for the diocesan Hunger Fund this
fall: at Lake Artemesia in College Park and at Smallwood Park in
Marbury. Both walks will begin at 1:30 p.m. Oct. 14. There is no cost to
take part, but participants are asked to find sponsors and turn over the
proceeds to the Hunger Fund. St. Mark's, Fairland is hosting the College
Park walk, contact Lee Mericle at 301/434-6635 or lmericle at acm.org; and
Christ Church, Port Tobacco is hosting the Smallwood Park walk, contact
is the Rev. Eric Shoemaker, 301/392-3921 or jjackoe at comcast.net.

DIOCESAN GROUPS LOOKING FOR NEW MEMBERS
Three diocesan groups are in need of new members: the new Task Force on
Alcohol and Substance Abuse; the Diocesan Retreat Committee; and the
Committee on the Environment. For descriptions of the groups and talents
needed, visit www.edow.org/committees or contact Ann Talty at
202/537-6548 or atalty at edow.org.

SPOTLIGHT ON TORTURE 
Filmmaker Rory Kennedy's "Ghosts of Abu Ghraib" will be screened as part
of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture's current education
effort at several area churches during the week of Oct. 21. A discussion
will follow the 80-minute film. There will be a screening at 7 p.m. Oct.
24 at St. Alban's, D.C., sponsored by the diocesan Episcopal Peace
Fellowship chapter. For more information on the St. Alban's screening,
call 443/538-1550. Other events are listed at
www.nrcat.org/spotlight.aspx. 

FALL CLERGY DAY
The Fall Clergy Day is set for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 8 at All Saint's,
Chevy Chase. The Rt. Rev. Claude Payne, retired Bishop of Texas, author
of "Reclaiming The Great Commission: A Practical Model For Transforming
Denominations And Congregations," will be the speaker. There is a $10
registration fee. Registration is now open at  www.edow.org/events 

RACIAL RECONCILIATION TRAINING REGISTRATION OPENS 
The diocese's Committee on Racial Reconciliation will conduct an
expanded and re-formatted Racial Reconciliation Training program on Nov.
2-3. Registration for this workshop, which will be at St. Paul's, Rock
Creek, is now open at   www.edow.org/events The workshop is limited to
60 participants. Other training sessions are set for Feb. 8-9 and May
16-17, 2008. Locations will be announced at a later date.  

SOUTHERN AFRICA PARTNERSHIP GATHERING
The Southern Africa Partnership Committee will host a gathering for
congregations involved with projects in Southern Africa and those
interested in establishing a partnership from 7 to 9 p.m. Oct. 22 at St.
Alban's, D.C. (Nourse Hall). This will be a forum for sharing
experiences about the "how to" of partnership. Other organizations
invited are African Palms, Daughters of the King and Companions in World
Mission.

TRANSITION MINISTRY CONFERENCE WEB SITE
The Transition Ministry Conference has a new Web site,
http://tmn.edow.org which lists open clergy positions as well as many
lay openings. Represented on the site are all the dioceses in Provinces
1, 2 and 3 and many in other provinces including North Carolina, Ohio
and Chicago. For more information, contact msulerud at edow.org or
gmcconnell at edow.org.

INTENSIVE CENTERING PRAYER RETREAT AT THE BEACH
Intensive Centering Prayer Retreat at the Beach, Oct. 14-20, at Rehoboth
Beach, Del., led by the Rev. J. Carlyle Gill, associate at St. Peter's
in Lewes. This six-day retreat is an in-depth experience of the
discipline of Centering Prayer. The retreat also will offer teaching,
one-on-one spiritual direction, daily Eucharist and much silence.
Contact Lacey Gude for details at LaceyAGude at aol.com or 301/229-1599.

ADVENT SILENT RETREAT
The Diocesan Retreat Committee will hold its Advent Silent Retreat at
the Cathedral College from Nov. 30 - Dec. 2. The theme is "Living A
Gospel Life: Following Jesus in the Way of Radical Discipleship." The
Rev. Emmett Jarrett - poet, Episcopal priest, Third Order Franciscan -
will lead the retreat. The Rev. Jarrett will be available for personal
consultation or confession. Fee is $195. Applications and $100 deposit
due by Oct. 12. Visit www.edow.org/retreat or call Margaret Bennett at
202/337-3415.

2007 CHILDREN'S ADVENT PROJECT 
Information will be coming soon about Bishop John Bryson Chane's
selection of the work of Beauty Bala and the Siyaphila creche and
pre-school in South Africa for support by the children of the Diocese of
Washington during Advent. This follows last year's "Children 2 Children"
appeal.

TASTE AND SEE - AN EXPERIENTIAL PRAYER CLASS 
Join the Rev. Mpho Tutu of The Tutu Institute for Prayer & Pilgrimage on
Oct. 20 and Nov. 17 for Taste and See, An Experiential Prayer Class. The
two-hour classes will be at Christ Church, Alexandria (9:30 a.m.
registration). Pre-registration/$12; door/$15. Visit tutuinstitute.org
or contact 703/677-5642 or info at tutuinstitute.org. The Oct. 20 class
will be on "Body Prayer" and participants are asked to bring a yoga mat
or towel. 

FALL SAFEGUARDING GOD'S CHILDREN TRAININGS:
Fall dates for Safeguarding God's Children training sessions are as
follows:
* Oct. 27: 9:30 a.m. 12:30 p.m., St. Luke's, D.C. (Saturday)
* Nov. 10: 9:30 a.m. 12:30 p.m. at St. Mark's, Silver Spring (Saturday)
* Nov. 27: 6:30 to 10 p.m. at St. Columba's (Dinner included)
* Dec. 8: 9:30 a.m. 12:30 p.m. at St. Paul's, Rock Creek (Saturday)
Online registration required by going to www.edow.org/prevention
Refresher courses for those whose three-year certification is expiring
is yet to be scheduled.  
 
APPLY NOW FOR THE 2008 SUMMER COLLEGIUM
The Summer Collegium, a project that supports small congregations, is
accepting applications for next year's event, set for June 25-July 3,
2008. This all-expenses-paid conference is open to clergy who pastor
small congregations and their spouses or partners. Non-ordained pastors
also are invited. Applications can be downloaded at
www.vts.edu/education/collegium or contact Marilyn Johns at
mjohns at vts.edu or 703/461-1760. Applications must be postmarked by Dec.
15.

FALL MINISTRY CONFERENCE AT VIRGINIA THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY 
On Oct. 15, the Virginia Theological Seminary will hold a one-day Fall
Ministry Conference 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.  

12-STEP EUCHARIST
St. Alban's, D.C., and its Hope for Recovery ministry team offers a
12-Step Eucharist at 7:30 p.m. on the first Wednesday of every month.
It's not necessary to be in a 12-step program to attend. Please contact
Sally Craig at sallycraig at aol.com or the Rev. Margot Critchfield at
margotc at st-albans-parish.org with questions.

HONDURAS COORDINATING COMMITTEE EVENT
The Honduras Coordinating Committee will hold a gathering from 7 to 9
p.m. Nov. 8 at Ascension, Silver Spring (633 Sligo Avenue). Bishop Lloyd
Allen, of Honduras, will speak. Latin American food and music. RVSPs not
necessary but helpful. For further information, call the Ascension
parish office at 301/587-3272. 
 
PANEL DISCUSSION ON THE US AND IRAN 
A panel discussion: "The US and Iran: a Difficult History" is set for 7
to 9 p.m. Oct. 29 in the nave of Washington National Cathedral. Contact
Evan Anderson, deputy director of International Reconciliation and
Peacemaking at the Center for Global Justice and Reconciliation at
202/537-2357 for more information.

EPISCOPAL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION CONFERENCE
The Church Pension Group is sponsoring its third annual Episcopal
Business Administration Conference for Parishes and Institutions Oct.
18-19 in New York City and Nov. 1-2 in Orlando, Fla. Conference
information is available at www.cpg.org/ebacparish. For additional
information, contact Linda Puckett at the Church Pension Group at
lpuckett at cpg.org or 800/223-6602, ext. 6260. 
  
SPANISH PREACHING COURSE AT THE CATHEDRAL COLLEGE
The Cathedral College is offering a conference for Spanish speaking
preachers, "Biblical Preaching: A Hispanic Approach," from Oct. 22-26.
Fee is $750. For more information or to register, contact the Rev. Dean
McDonald at 202/537-6384.

'BEYOND SUNDAY' CONFERENCE IN RICHMOND, VA
"Beyond Sunday: On being a Christian in the world" is set for Nov. 9-10
at the Virginia Diocesan Center at Roslyn in Richmond, Va. Individual
conference fee is $75; discount for teams from the same congregation.
Register by Oct 20. Contact Nancy McLaughlin at 240/450-0198 or
nmclaughlin2k at yahoo.com 

AFFORDABLE HOUSING SITES SOUGHT
Episcopal Senior Ministries and THC Affordable Housing are looking for
sites on church property, public land or private property for the
development of 50-100 units of independent senior living with services.
For more information, contact Joe Resch at 202/414-6310 or Suzanne Welch
at 202/291-5535.

NEW VOCATIONAL GUIDELINES ISSUED
The Commission on Ministry has approved new guidelines for those
discerning a call to ministry. The guidelines can be found at
www.edow.org/diocese/clergy/index.html. 
 
BISHOP'S APPEAL
If you have not done so already, please make your contribution to the
fourth annual Bishop's Appeal at
http://www.edow.org/diocese/giving/index.html 

CONTRIBUTING TO THE BISHOP JOHN T. WALKER SCHOOL
Contributions for the planned Bishop John T. Walker School for Boys can
be sent to: The Bishop John T. Walker School, Episcopal Church House,
Mount St. Alban Washington, D.C. 20016 or visit
www.bishopwalkerschool.org
     
CYCLE OF PRAYER
The Cycle of Prayer through Nov. 25, 2007 is online at: 
http://www.edow.org/parish/congregation/liturgy/cycleofprayer/index.html

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