[edow] Church House News

[Church House News]

DECEMBER 11, 2009

 

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

 

SUPPORT FOR THE DIOCESE IN 2010

Rectors, vicars and priests-in-charge are asked to give prayerful consideration to the annual parish pledge to support the work of the diocese in 2010, and to make every effort to return this commitment to the diocese by Jan. 15, ahead of the annual convention. Financial support from congregations constitutes the major portion of funding for the operating budget of the diocese. Ministries and services funded by this budget include:

* youth and young adult programs

* financial support and consulting assistance to congregations in crisis

* development of the Bishop John T. Walker School for Boys in Southeast Washington

* chaplaincies at the University of Maryland, Howard University and Bowie State University

* financial support to six of the seven Latino congregations in the diocese

* international missionary work carried out through the Episcopal Church

* ministry with the deaf at St. Barnabas Church of the Deaf

* companion relationships with the Church of the Province of Southern Africa and the Diocese of Jerusalem

A pledge form and further information can be found under "Parish Giving" at http://www.edow.org/diocese/giving/index.html

 

UPCOMING ORDINATIONS

During a 10 a.m. Jan. 16 service at Washington National Cathedral, Bishop John Bryson Chane will ordain Sarah Helene Duggin, Greta Getlein, Emily Jo Guthrie, Shell Kimble, Timothy J. Malone, Elizabeth Putnam O'Callaghan, Christopher I. Wilkins and, on behalf of the Bishop of North Carolina, Robert William Black, Jr. to the priesthood. All are invited to attend. Please bring a non-perishable food donation for the food pantries of the churches of the diocese.

Clergy: red stoles.

 

BETHLEHEM SERVICE

The third annual Joint Simulcast Worship Service with the People of Bethlehem is set for 10 a.m. Dec. 19 in Washington National Cathedral's Bethlehem Chapel. In Washington, the service will be led by the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding bishop and primate of the Episcopal Church, Bishop John Bryson Chane and Bishop Richard Graham of the Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Dean Samuel T. Lloyd and the Rev. Canon Steve Huber, the cathedral's vicar. In Bethlehem Dr. Mitri Raheb, pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem, Bishop Munib Younan of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land and Bishop Suheil Dawani of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem will preside. The service is sponsored by the Ad Hoc Committee for Bethlehem, Sharing Jerusalem and Washington Interfaith Alliance for Middle East Peace. 

 

GUIDED TOUR OF GREECE - INFORMATIONAL MEETING 

An informational meeting on an upcoming guided tour of Greece, "Following the Footsteps of Paul," set for May 6-15, is set for 6 to 8 p.m. Jan. 24 in the Cathedral College dining room. Potluck supper, video on St. Paul's journeys and information about the trip, organized by the Rev. Carol Flett of St. Bartholomew's, Laytonsville and the Rev. Susan Pinkerton of St. Mark's, Capitol Hill. Cost is $2,298 plus roundtrip airfare to JFK, $395 fuel surcharge, travel insurance and money for lunches, tips and personal purchases. Price includes roundtrip airfare to Greece, six nights in hotels (double occupancy) two meals a day, admission to museums and professional guide. To attend the supper meeting and for more information, contact Carol Flett at revflett at yahoo.com or Susan Pinkerton susan.pinkerton at stmarks.net

 

PLEASE REMEMBER IN YOUR PRAYERS

Please keep the following clergy and members of the diocese in your prayers this week: 

* Ted Eastman - prayers of thanksgiving for granddaughter's healing (Shannon)

* Craig Eder - prayers at the time of his death and for his widow, Edie. (Funeral set for 1 p.m. Dec. 12 at St. Columba's. Clergy are invited to vest, white stole, and

gather in the Bell Room at 10:30 a.m. A reception will follow in the Great Hall.)

* Louise Lusignan - personal health

* Susan Astarita - husband's health (Bruce)

* Meshack Mabuza (Bishop of Swaziland) - personal health

* Lucy Bremner - personal health

* David and Beth Black - personal health of both

* Kathy Corbett-Welch - personal health 

* Erica Wood - personal health

* Mary Sulerud - sister's health (Chris )

* Claudia Tielking - son's health (Josh)

* Jake Beck - personal health

* Susan Blue - personal health 

* Roy Turner -  personal health

 

>>> REMINDERS:

 

PAPERWORK FOR 115TH  DIOCESAN CONVENTION 

EXHIBIT REQUESTS: Exhibit requests must be received no later than Dec. 16. Exhibitors are invited to apply at http://convention.edow.org  

 

2009 CHILDREN TO CHILDREN ADVENT APPEAL

Materials have been mailed to each parish (Attn: Director of Sunday School/Christian Education) and also can be found at www.edow.org/sapc  This year's appeal, through the sale of hand knitted stuffed teddy bears, provides income to working mothers and grandmothers for their children and families in Swaziland. *Any Christmas requests must be received by Dec. 14.* Parishes are asked to send in group orders on the parish order form included in the mailing or obtainable from the Web site. Orders will be available, however, through January or as supplies last. Materials include a storybook and an activities guide to use in your Sunday School classes. Contact Cheryl Daves Wilburn at cwilburn at edow.org with any questions.

 

CHRISTMAS TREE SALE

Our Saviour, Silver Spring is holding its 53rd Annual Christmas Tree Sale. Proceeds support the mission and ministries of Our Saviour. The sale is set for 3 to 9 p.m. most weekdays and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekends. The church is at 1700 Powder Mill Road, Silver Spring. 301/439-5900.  

ONLINE ADVENT CALENDAR

The diocese's sixth annual online Advent calendar, http://www.edow.org/advent, features a brilliantly-colored nativity scene created by a Sri Lankan cooperative working with SERRV International. Visitors can open windows revealing figures from Washington National Cathedral's crèche exhibit, read daily meditations on Episcopal Café, and make a donation to the diocese's Advent appeal, which supports church-sponsored sewing ministries in Swaziland (http://www.edow.org/ministries/southernafrica/sapc_index.html).

 

ADVENT QUIET DAY AT EPIPHANY, D.C.

"An Advent Quiet Day - God's Invitation to Sacred Time" led by Sister Carol Ries of the Holy Names is set for 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Dec. 12 at Epiphany, D.C. (1317 G St, NW) Ries is director of the Washington Theological Union's Spiritual Direction Studies Program. Coffee and pastries will be available at 9 a.m., with talks and times for silent reflection beginning at 9:30 a.m. There is no charge, but a free will offering is suggested. Reserve with Susan Walker at swalker at epiphanydc.org or 202/347-2635.

 

BLUE CHRISTMAS SERVICE

This service reaches out to all who are burdened, providing a chance to acknowledge the blue feelings many have at this time of year and encouraging us to offer them up to God. It is set for 7 p.m. Dec. 14 at St. Columba's, D.C.

 

THE SOUNDS OF ADVENT: A CHORAL CONCERT

Trinity, Piney Branch will hold a choral concert to celebrate the season at 6 p.m. Dec. 20, featuring the choirs of Trinity, D.C. and Takoma Park Baptist Church. The church is located at 7005 Piney Branch Road NW, Washington, D.C. 20012. For additional information, please call 202/726-4040 or 202/723-4700. 

 

MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS 

The Millenium Development Goals committee of the diocese urges individuals and congregations to keep the MDGs in their thoughts and prayers this season. The first two goals are (1) eradicate extreme poverty and hunger and (2) achieve universal primary education. The intent of the first goal is to reduce the proportion of people living on less than $1 per day those who suffer from hunger by half by 2015. The intent of the second goal is to assure all children can complete a full course of primary education. To learn more about the MDGs, please visit www.edow.org/MDGs

 

APPLY NOW FOR THE SUMMER COLLEGIUM

Apply now for the Summer Collegium, a project in support of small congregations at Virginia Theological Seminary. Clergy (and spouses/partners) are invited to VTS for encouragement, education, rest and renewal (June 23-July1). All expenses are paid by a grant from the Lilly Endowment. Apply at  www.vts.edu/education/collegium or contact SummerCollegium at vts.edu or 703/461-1760. Applications must be postmarked by Dec.15.  

 

IT'S TIME TO ORDER PALM CROSSES

Palm Sunday is March 28, and African Palms USA, an outreach  ministry of St. John's, Olney is now accepting orders for palms woven by families in nine villages in Tanzania. Earnings are used to purchase food, medicine, clothing and pay school fees, and net proceeds from the sale of crosses and all other donations are returned to Africa in the form of self-help grants. To place an order, visit www.africanpalmsusa.org or call 301/774-2832.

 

SAVE THE DATE: 2010 MARDI GRAS CELEBRATION  

Samaritan Ministry of Greater Washington's 2010 Mardi Gras Celebration is set for Jan. 30 at the NRECA Conference Center, 4301 Wilson Blvd.  Arlington Va. Tickets: $65/person.                 Visit samaritanministry.org or contact Mary Belknap at 202/722-2280 x305 or mbelknap at samaritanministry.org 

 

HUMAN INTERACTION LAB TRAINING

Human Interaction Lab training, set for Feb.12-15 at St. Alban's, D.C.,  is an opportunity to learn more about yourself, how your behavior impacts others, and how you can function more effectively in a group and interpersonal situations. Participants will learn about their own patterns of behavior as they accept responsibility for a group's life and work. For further information or to register, visit http://www.congregationaldevelopment.com/LTI_programs.htm

 

HONDURAS TRIP 

The diocesan mission trip to Honduras is set for Jan. 10-20, 2010. The itinerary is: Jan 10-15 in Copan in intensive Spanish study, with home stays with local families; Jan. 16-20 in rural villages with Episcopal Church communities. Costs will be about $1,000 including language study and airfare. Contact Tom Cooke at thomasmcooke at hotmail.com or 202/686-0261.

 

CONTRIBUTING TO THE BISHOP JOHN T. WALKER SCHOOL

Contributions for the 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

 

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