Spring Convocations - Apr. 28, NPB, 9:30 a.m., Holy Spirit, West Palm Beach; May
2, SPB, 5:30-7:30 p.m., St. Joseph’s, Boynton Beach;
May 5, ND, 10:00 a.m., Trinity Cathedral, Miami; SD,
9:30 a.m., St. Thomas, Coral Gables; May 9, Bwd, 6:30
p.m., St. Mary Magdalene, Coral Springs; June 2, Keys,
10 a.m., St. James the Fisherman, Islamorada.
Nehemiah Clergy Retreat - May 1-3, Lake Placid Retreat
Center
Men’s Ministry Workshop - May 5, 9 a.m.-noon, Holy Family, Miami Gardens
Safeguarding God’s Children - May 5, 8 a.m.-1 p.m., Bethesda-by-the-Sea;
May 12, 9 a.m., St. Mark the Evangelist, Ft. Lauderdale
Institution of Fr. Jim Cook as rector - May
5, 4 p.m., St. Mark’s, Palm Beach Gardens
Ordination of Clay Waddell to the Diaconate - May 6, 11 a.m., Bethesda-by-the-Sea,
Palm Beach
Ordination of Mary Ellen Cassini
to the Priesthood - May
12, 4 p.m., Trinity Cathedral, Miami
Diocesan Office closed for staff continuing education - May 16
Choral Evensong for Ascension, honoring Bishop Ottley - May 17, 7 p.m., Trinity Cathedral, Miami
Ordination of Susan Bruttell to the Priesthood - May 26, 2 p.m., St. Martin’s, Pompano Beach
Diocesan Offices closed for Memorial Day - May 28
12-Step Retreat - June 1-3, Duncan Center
Summer Camps (joint ministry with
SW Florida) at DaySpring
Conference
Center
Elementary
Camp - June
3-8
The Experience Cycle - June 8, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Duncan Center
Youth
Camp - June
10-15
Camp Able (youth with disabilities) - June 17-21
Florida Day - June 18, Washington National Cathedral
Diocesan Offices closed for Independence
Day - July 4
MissionServe - July 8-13, July 15-20, Pine Island, Fla.
Happening Training Workshop - Aug. 11, St. Mark the Evangelist,
Ft. Lauderdale
Women's Cursillo - July 26-29, Duncan Center
Men's Cursillo - Aug. 23-26, Duncan Center
Clergy Family Picnic - Aug. 25, noon, place TBA
Diocesan Youth Convention - Sept. 14-15, Duncan Center
Happening Weekend - Oct. 5-7, St. Mark the Evangelist,
Ft.
Lauderdale
Diocesan Convention -Nov. 2-3, Trinity Cathedral
Draft Anglican Covenant - A draft of an Anglican Covenant has been issued by a committee selected by the Archbishop of Canterbury. This document can be found in English, Spanish and French at http://www.aco.org/commission/d_covenant/downloads.cfm . A study guide for the draft covenant, also available in the three languages, is found at http://www.episcopalchurch.org/gc/ . The Executive Council of The Episcopal Church is urging all baptized members to add their voices to the response to the covenant that our church has been asked to give to the Anglican Primates by September 30 of this year. A worksheet to guide you in preparing your response is at http://progressiveepiscopalians.org/html/sgworksheet.html , or you may also simply write your own response to the covenant and the questions in the Executive Council's study guide. Responses can be emailed to gcsecretary@episcopalchurch.org , faxed to 212-972-9322 or mailed to Draft Anglican Covenant, The Office of the General Convention, The Episcopal Church Center, 815 Second Ave , New York , NY 10017 . All responses must be submitted by June 4 .
Parochial Reports and
Key Personnel Forms—Good news—as of Apr. 30, all Parochial Reports but one had been received!
However, we are still missing Key Personnel Lists
from 20 congregations; those reports were due Feb.
15. The form should be filed online at https://www.amerisurf.com/diosef/keypersonnel.html.
Men’s Ministry Workshop—There will be a diocesan gathering for all churches engaged in or interested in starting
a Men's Ministry, May 5, 9 a.m.-noon, at Holy Family,
Miami Gardens.
For information or to register, contact Deacon Bob
Sullivan, Bob@sullivanelectric-pump.com
or 561-642-0274 (H), 561-588-5886 (W).
Safeguarding God’s Children—Two Safeguarding God’s Children
trainings are scheduled this month: May 5, 8 a.m.-1
p.m., breakfast and lunch included, at Bethesda-by-the-Sea,
Palm Beach (register by sending your full name, title
and the name of your church or church institution
to Kim Pyle at Bethesda-by-the-Sea, pyle@bbts.org);
and May 12, 9 a.m., at St. Mark the Evangelist, Ft.
Lauderdale (contact LaVerne Comerie-Turck, laverne@stmarksepiscopal.net
or 954-563-5155).
Evensong honoring Bishop Ottley - On Ascension Day, May 17, at 7 p.m., Trinity Cathedral, Miami , will hold a service of Choral Evensong. Bishop Ottley will be the preacher, and the service will be an opportunity to honor and thank him before he leaves the first of June to become an assistant bishop in the Diocese of Long Island.
Prison Ministry Training—On
Wednesday, May 23, 7-9:30 p.m., at St. Margaret’s,
Miami Lakes,
Deacon George Kinard will conduct a volunteer training
session for those interested in doing prison ministry.
For information on this training or on other opportunities
to participate in prison ministry contact Deacon Kinard,
gojud3@bellsouth.net.
12-Step Retreat-- The
20th Annual Diocesan 12-Step Retreat will be held
June 1-3 at the Duncan Center.
The leaders will be Fr. Paul Rasmus and Fr. Jim Minshew.
This retreat is open to anyone who wants to work on
recovery issues. For more information, contact Sheila
Davies at jdavies@joimail.com, 471-7224 (home) or
827-4270 (cell).
The Experience Cycle - On June 8, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Duncan Center will offer an opportunity to participate in "The Experience Cycle", a method of contemplative theological reflection. This workshop is for all clergy, retreat leaders, spiritual directors, parish ministers, vestry members and anyone interested in discernment. The fee is $45 and includes. Clergy can earn CEUs. For more information or to register call Veneta Lorraine at 561-496-4130 or email vlorraine@duncancenter.org .
Kamp for Kids—The Diocese of Southwest
Florida is offering Kamp for Kids, a program for children
ages 8-12 who have a parent who is incarcerated. For
more information on this program and how to help,
go to http://www.dioceseswfla.org/pdf/KampforKidsFlyer.pdf
or contact the Rev. Katherine “Kit” Tate, (941) 993-3106, ktate@dioceseswfla.org,
or Tana
Sembiante, (941) 556-0315 Ext. 274, tsembiante@dioceseswfla.org,
or The Rev. Jackie Means,
chair, Kamp For Kids Committee, (239) 390-0270
/ Cell: (317) 403-4789
Summer Youth Activities---Our diocese is joining again with
the Diocese of Southwest Florida to offer summer programs
for children and youth. Three summer camp sessions
will be offered—Elementary Camp (rising 3rd-rising
6th graders), June 3-8; Youth Camp (rising
10th-12th graders), June 10-15;
and Camp Able, for youth with disabilities, June 17-21.
(Registration for Camp
Able is now closed.) Youth will also have
the opportunity to participate in MissionServe, a
week of service projects, learning, worship and fellowship
on Pine Island,
off the coast near Ft. Myers;
available weeks are July 8-13 and July 15-20. Material
on all these activities has been sent to youth leaders
and rectors, and will be posted at http://www.diosef.org/youth/index.htm
For further information contact Mary Cobiella at 800-268-9993
or 305-373-0881, ext. 29, or mary@diosef.org.
Diocesan Youth Convention—The 2007 Diocesan Youth Convention
will be held Sept. 14-15 (note change of dates) at
the Duncan Center.
Watch for further information, which will be sent
to rectors and youth leaders. Click
here for an updated calendar of youth events.
“Am I Called” Conference—A conference for ethnic youth leaders
seeking discerning and guidance for ministry will
be held July 24-27 at the University of the South,
Sewanee,
Tenn.
For more information go to http://www.episcopalchurch.org/documents/EAM_Am_I_Called.pdf.
Human Needs/Smith Fund grant applications—This year the application process
for Human Needs or Smith Charity Fund grants for parish-based
outreach ministries has been simplified: There is
one deadline for submitting applications—June 30—and
one application form. Click here to download the complete
guidelines and the application.
Resources
on the Millennium Development Goals--On Apr. 20 the Episcopal Church launched a new website focused
on the Millennium Development Goals, what the Episcopal
Church and other organizations are doing to carry
out this mission priority, and how Episcopalians can
become involved. Go to www.globalgood.org.
Also, God's Mission in the
World, a study guide on global poverty and the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) produced jointly between
the Episcopal Church and the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America, is available to purchase and can
be ordered from Episcopal Books and Resources online
at http://www.episcopalbookstore.org or by calling
800-903-5544.
Invest in the MDGs—Would you be interested
in supporting the Millennium Development Goals by
providing a small loan to an entrepreneur in a developing
country to help start a business? There’s a website
that coordinates such loans; take a look at http://www.kiva.org/app.php
Holy Land Pilgrimage--Bishop Frade is planning
another pilgrimage to the Holy
Land; the trip is scheduled for Jan. 15-29,
2008. The pilgrimage will include visits to Jerusalem,
Nazareth, Cana, Capernaum,
Mt. Nebo,
Jericho and other significant
biblical sites, as well as a day in Jordan and a day in the historic city of Petra. The cost is $3,845
per person, double occupancy (additional $595 for
single accommodations); included in the cost is a
$200 tax-deductible donation to Our Little Roses Ministries.
Click here for complete details.
FACTs on Episcopal Growth, a new look at the dynamics of growth and decline
in Episcopal
parishes and missions is now available as a free download
at http://www.episcopalchurch.org/research.htm The report by Kirk Hadaway, director of research
at the Episcopal Church Center in New York, is based
on the Faith Communities Today 2005 (FACT 2005) national
survey of 4,100 Episcopal congregations
Clergy Continuing Education
Credit report form—A report form for Clergy Continuing Education Credits (CEUs)
is now available online at http://www.diosef.org/forms/Report%20of%20CEU%20Credit.pdf
BGI Foundation website—The Bishop Gray Inn Foundation,
which provides financial assistance to help elderly
Episcopalians from the Dioceses of Southeast, Southwest
and Central Florida with the cost of retirement and/or
long-term care facilities, now has a website. For
information on what’s offered by the Foundation and
the qualifications for assistance, go to http://www.bgifoundation.com
.
Will clinics and estate planning—Episcopal Charities (formerly the
Southeast Florida Episcopal Foundation) is continuing
its ministry of providing resources for congregations
on wills, estate planning and endowment fund structuring.
For more information or to schedule an appointment
for a will clinic or a vestry workshop on endowment
funds, contact Charlie Ring at Episcopal Charities,
561-799-6424.
Bulletin inserts from Episcopal Life--"Episcopal
Life This Week," the series of weekly inserts
for parish bulletins and leaflets, is now available
in four-color format for laser-printer output, which
can also be photocopied in color or black and white.
The new inserts are offered in two sizes--Half page:
http://www.episcopalchurch.org/documents/eLife_insert_halfpage_ENG.pdf
; full page--
http://www.episcopalchurch.org/documents/eLife_insert_fullpage_ENG.pdf
The inserts are also available in Spanish at http://www.episcopalchurch.org/3577_79437_ENG_HTM.htm.
Lectionary readings on your website—Parishes
can add weekly lectionary readings to their websites
by subscribing to “Preparing for Sunday” at http://www.preparingforsunday.com/.
The cost for this service is $15 per month.
The eMinistry Network—offers “teleclasses” (classes held
on the phone, like a conference call) and web-seminars
that provide training for congregations and clergy
on a wide range of topics related to ministry. Registration
fees vary, depending upon the class, and there are
often group discounts for members of the same congregation.
Go to www.eministrynetwork.org
for complete details.
Resource for learning Spanish Mass- Recorded versions of the Rite Two (Rito Dos) Mass in Spanish are available as downloadable MP3 files at http://www.madreanna.org/massrecording/index.htm . There are two recordings--one at normal speed and the other recorded at a slower speed for listening and learning.
Clergy shirts needed --Clergy in the Diocese of Central Ecuador need clergy shirts, new or gently used, size small and medium, black. A team from the Episcopal Church Center in New York will be traveling to the Diocese of Central Ecuador the week of May 14 and can take shirts with them. Mail shirts to: Jeffri Harre; Program Assistant for Children's Ministries & Christian Education; Episcopal Church Center; 815 Second Avenue ; New York , NY 10017 . Contact him with questions: jharre@episcopalchurch.org; 800-334- 7626 x 6373.
Images for your use --Four Episcopal artists, commissioned by the Office of Communication's web department, have each created a set of 12 Christian symbols that have been placed on the church's website for use at no charge for non-commercial purposes. The symbols lend themselves readily to use on banners, posters, bulletin covers, postcard mailers, newsletters, study guides, Christian education curriculum materials, parish-produced devotionals, and church websites. The graphics are available in both medium and high resolutions. For images: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/symbols/
Congratulations—to the Rev. Dr. Marta Weeks, who
has recently been named chair of the Board of Trustees
at the University of Miami
and has also just published
her autobiography, Our Lord Was Baptized, You Know. The book
can be ordered through the Cathedral Book Store, 305-789-0074,
800-597-9557 Trinitybookstore@juno.com or at the
Duncan Center Bookstore, 561-496-4130.
