From the Field

The Legacy Society of the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia is pleased to welcome nationally known Charles V. Douglas to lead the 1st annual Legacy Society Seminar series.

* Trinity Episcopal Church, Statesboro
* Tuesday, June 5, 2012
* 5:30 pm to 6:00 pm, light refreshments
* 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm, discussion

For more information click here.

Juliette Gordon Low

Medal of Freedom for GA Episcopalian

In a May 29 ceremony, President Barack Obama posthumously bestowed the nation's highest civilian honor on a lifelong Diocese of Georgia Episcopalian. The recognition of Juliette Gordon Low as the founder of Girl Scouting comes on the 100th anniversary of the creation of that organization. The Medal of Freedom is awarded for meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States or to world peace, cultural or other significant endeavors.

Juliette Gordon Low (1860-1927), nicknamed "Daisy," founded the Girl Scouts in 1912 on the principle that all girls should have the opportunity to develop physically, mentally and spiritually. The story is that Daisy Low sold her pearls so the Girls Scouts could have a secure start, referring to the Parable of the Pearl (Matthew 13: 45-46) in which a merchant sells everything he has to possess a pearl of great value. One hundred years later, there are 3.2 million Girl Scouts in the United States, with many millions more positively influenced through the years by Girl Scouting, including our Presiding Bishop.

Low was also a committed Episcopalian and lifelong member of Christ Church in Savannah, Georgia, where she was baptized, Few Celebration Augusta

confirmed and married. After her death in 1927, hundreds of Girl Scouts attended her funeral there. Her great nephew, Dick Platt, who received the medal on her behalf, remains a member of the church. He is pictured above with President Obama and at right with the medal and certificate in the undercroft of Christ Church Savannah following the Trinity Sunday liturgies.

On Sunday, March 11, the 100th anniversary of Girl Scouts was marked at the 10:30 Eucharist at Christ Church, which was attended by Anna Marie Chavez, the current Chief Executive Officer of the Girl Scouts of America.

Diocesan Office Update

Bishop Benhase's eCrozier from last Friday "Racial Bias and Conversion of Life" is online here: eCrozier #137

All Saints' Visit Bishop Benhase is currently meeting with Province IV Bishops at Kanuga and will remain there through Friday for the Province IV Synod, which follows the bishops' meeting. This Sunday, he will make his visitation to Christ Church, St. Simons, in the morning and St. Ignatius Chapel, St. Simons, in the afternoon. Bishop Benhase is pictured above with the Rev. Helen White and Art Worden during his Pentecost Sunday visitation to All Saints' Tybee Island.

Canon Logue will be at Trinity, Statesboro, this evening to make a video of the Legacy Society presentation. He will take part in the Province IV Synod at Kanuga this Wednesday through Friday. This is a regional meeting in preparation for the July General Convention in Indianapolis.

Canon Willoughby met yesterday with the diocesan Finance Committee and meets today with the Legacy Society.

Canon Hall will travel to Valdosta this Friday to meet with Vocare in Georgia leadership in preparation for that ministry's Annual Meeting, which will be held on Saturday in Macon. In addition, she will also travel to Macon to assist with the meeting itself. Vocare is a young adult ministry co-sponsored by the Dioceses of Atlanta and Georgia.

Administrative Intern Rudy Reyes is on vacation.

Diocesan Family News

Dr. Lavan Robinson, Choir Master at St. Barnabas' Episcopal Church, Valdosta, and loving spouse of Deacon Janet Robinson, died June 4, 2012. He was 93 years old. A celebration of his life will be held June 8, 2012 at 2:00 p.m. at Christ Church, Valdosta. Please remember Deacon Janet and St. Barnabas' in your prayers.

Cards may be sent to:

The Rev. Janet Robinson

10 Loganberry

Valdosta, GA 31602

The Rev. Paul Hancock has accepted the call to serve as the interim rector of All Saints, Thomasville. He begins his work there this week. Paul is new to the Diocese of Georgia having just retired from a ministry in Episcopal schools, during which time he also served congregations as a priest.

St. Thomas Aquinas, Baxley

New Chasuble Dedicated

On Trinity Sunday, our congregation in Baxley dedicated a new chasuble to match their altar cloth. Pictured below are acolyte Wyatt Nail (with his brand new alb), Father Lee Dominick (sporting the new chasuble), and Deacon Phil Runge.

St. Patrick's, Pooler

Using Art to Discuss the Trinity

The Trinity Sunday sermon at St. Patrick's, Pooler, was a hands on experience for the children in the congregation. At the start of the sermon the mission's Vicar, the Rev. Joshua Varner, invited the children up and offered all of them the chance to color on the black-and-white image of of the triquetra. Trinity Sunday He specifically told them they did not need to stay within the lines, nor did they need to follow any particular pattern. They worked as the sermon was preached. By the end of the sermon Varner held their image up and asked them to tell what they had colored. At the peace, the colored triquetra was taped over the black and white triquetra on the altar.

Trinity Sunday The art project gave a tangible way to break the boundaries that we try to set on God and in the process creating something more beautiful than any of the children might have done on their own. Varner says, "For me, the whole exercise invoked something of the chaos and liveliness that I associate with the concept of God as Trinity-life, uncontrollable, chaotic, beautiful, reaching out to more life."

Trinity Sunday

Christ Church, Augusta

Behind the Scenes and in the Liturgy

The Canterbury and Saint Nicholas Choirs of St. Paul's, Augusta are shown above in the sacristy before the group processed into Christ Church, Augusta, on Trinity Sunday. Below is the procession with the choir looking (and sounding) like angels.

choirs

Companion Diocese

This Year's Dominican Republic Trips

Mission Trip to El Pedregal, June 16-23, 2012
Christ Church, Valdosta, is planning a mission trip to El Pedregal from June 16-23, 2012. Activities will include knitting and perhaps light construction. Full information is available here. For more information, contact The Rev. Tar Drazdowski at Christ Church, Valdosta.

Mission Trip to San Francisco de Macorís, June 19-26, 2012
Trinity, Statesboro, has scheduled a mission trip to San Francisco de Macorís in the Dominican Republic from June 19-26, 2012. Eight youth members of Trinity's EYC and four adults will travel to San Francisco de Macorís to offer their services to an unfinished church project and children's shelter in the community. For more information on this trip, contact Dr. Fred Richter, The Rev. Joan Kilian or Jessica Keeley at Trinity, Statesboro.

Preaching Mission in Savannah, July 22-27, 2012
St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Savannah is hosting a summer Preaching Mission called Encuentro con Cristo 2012 as an outreach program of its Hispanic/Latino ministry. The Preaching Mission will run from Sunday, July 22 through Friday, July 27. Seminarians José Martin Abreu and Luís García Correa will be accompanied by the Venerable Father Ramón Antonio García. If you are interested in being a part of Encuentro con Cristo 2012 or would like to offer support for this exciting missionary endeavor, please contact Br. Charles Todd at St. Paul's, Savannah.

For more information

As always, you can find information on these trips and full reports and photographs from past trips all linked at our Companion Diocese Web Page at the Diocese of Georgia website.

St. Peter's, Savannah

New Wheels for Interfaith Hospitality

On Sunday, May 27, St. Peter's ECW president Mary Ann Springthorpe proudly presented a check to LaVanda Brown, IHN Executive Director, for $39,500, for the purchase of the new van with gas money in the bank. Before driving off for the work at hand, the van was blessed by Father Sam Buice.

This spring, the ECW of St. Peter's on Skidaway Island undertook a new outreach project, actually two: a benefit trunk show and a race/walk to benefit Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN). IHN works to alleviate homelessness among families with children by providing shelter, meals and comprehensive support services, including transporting families between church overnight accommodations, their day center and children's schools. Their van was on its last legs so our goal was to help provide a new van and greater safety (and comfort) for all.

The Market @ 3 West Ridge on March 24-25 was a first-time stop for 22 trunk show vendors from across the country, bringing a variety of merchandise from Mexican pewter, enameled jewelry and women's reversible silk jackets from India tomen's ties and needlepoint belts and a treasure trove of gifts for all ages and all seasons. St. Peter's volunteers planned and hosted the show for 700+ attendees. 2013 dates for the next Market @ 3 West Ridge are February 19 and 20.

St. Peter's Kilo-meters (to rhyme with St. Peter's) 5K/10K Family Fun Run/Walk found over 200 family athletes of all ages enjoying the scenic routes around Skidaway Island early Saturday morning, April 28. The Faster Pastors' Challenge engaged the thirty other IHN sponsor congregations throughout the area. Look for the next St. Pete's Kilo-meters date in early 2013.

Youth & Young Adults

Upcoming Events

June 17 - 23: High School Camp, Honey Creek

June 24 - 30: Camp Sts. Joseph & Mary I, Honey Creek

July 8 - 14: Camp St. Peter, Honey Creek

July 15 - 21: Camp Sts. Joseph & Mary II, Honey Creek

July 22 - 28: Kamp PHUN, Honey Creek

July 27 - 29: Hometown Missions, Christ Church/EDS, Augusta

August 3 - 5: Happening #89

The Loose Canon

What Do Jesus' Followers Do?

What expectations do we have of ourselves and others as Christians? How do Christians act? What do Christians do? Or, put another way: What, concretely, are the practices of a Christian life?

Following Jesus These are the sorts of questions we as the church can easily avoid in our week and and week out liturgies, Sunday School and Bible study. But it is precisely in getting specific about the practices of a Christian life that the Church of the Good Shepherd in Augusta has crossed the line from preaching into meddling in order to challenge the People of God in that congregation to refect their faith and beliefs in their daily life.

The specifics are spelled out in a newly released 20-page booklet called "Following Jesus" which puts meat on the bones of nine practices: Sabbath Keeping, Household Economics, A Life of Christian Discernment, Practicing Hospitality, Honoring the Body, A Life of Prayer and Study, Testimony, Service, and A Holy Death.

Good Shepherd In a move I find quite interesting and helpful each of these nine areas is presented from a traditional Christian context and then from the perspective of the emerging cultural context of today. One example of this is that the booklet acknowledges that one's work may make keeping Sabbath on Sunday prohibitive and challenges readers to consider how to plan and be intentional to make another day of the week the Sabbath if it can't be Sunday.

In the words of the booklet, "The intent is not to become rigidly proscriptive, but to establish common and shared understanding of just what a particular practice means at Good Shepherd."

The effect of this thoughtful and thought-provoking text is to move the congregation of Good Shepherd from being spectators to active participants in the faith we proclaim as Jesus' followers. I am personally challenged by this booklet and hope that it will be widely read and discussed well beyond Good Shepherd. I recommend this booklet for groups in your church to read and discuss.

All of us need to be proded to not simply assent to the ideas of Christian doctrine, but to also put our faith into practice in our daily lives. "Following Jesus" is a useful step in that direction which guides us not just through timeless Christian practices, but through the realities of living into these practices in a culture increasingly divorced from its Christian roots. The PDF ofthe booklet is online here: Following Jesus

The Rev. Frank Logue
Canon to the Ordinary

The Loose Canon is a regular column in From the Field whose content is gathered together with other items of interest to those concerned with congregational development at loosecanon.georgiaepiscopal.org

Year End Video - Episcopal Day School Augusta, GA

Above is a fun year-end video from Episcopal Day School at Good Shepherd, Augusta.

Honey Creek

First Camp Session Starts June 17

Camp sessions are filling in, but there is still room for you (or your children or grandchildren) to get in on the fun. Honey Creek Summer Camp offers incredible opportunities for exploration, adventure, learning about God and building relationships! As always, there will be great music and worship every day. You'll enjoy spending time in the activities in which you are interested including swimming, arts & crafts, campfires, archery, singing, exploring nature, kayaking, ropes course, disc golf, and more. Camp sessions are based on age groups. All camps include special opportunities to explore nature and music in a more in depth way.

More Information

Summer Camp Brochure

Frequently Asked Questions

Camp Application

Honey Creek Website Summer Camp Page

Summer Camp dates

High School / June 17-23

Camp St. Joseph & Mary I / June 24-30

Camp St. Peter / July 8-14

Camp St. Joseph & Mary II / July 15-21

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER ONLINE FOR ALL CAMPS.

Youth & Young Adults

Happening #89 to be Held August 3-5

Happening

Click here to register online for Happening #89.

Happening will be held at Honey Creek August 3 - 5 and is open to those in grades 10 - 12. Helen Mahany of All Saints' Tybee Island will serve as Rector, and Canon Frank Logue and the Rev. Sierra Wilkinson as Spiritual Directors.

During a Happening weekend, participants worship, play, sing, and talk about God's place in their lives. They make new friends who share similar concerns and questions - a reassuring discovery. A teenager who acts as "rector" leads the weekend with the help of a staff consisting mostly of young people. Some staff members give challenging talks, after which there's time for discussion and activity. Together, the staff and participants share in an exploration of the impact of Christian faith in their daily lives. Happeners who attend a weekend for their first time are called "Candidates." To be a Candidate, one must:

Have completed the 9th grade and have not begun college.
Fill out the application:
Candidate Application for Happening #89

Happening costs $110 to attend, and financial assistance is available. For more information, please visit the Georgia Happening website.

NEW: For all past Happeners, click here to register to attend Happening #89 Lock-in.

These photos are from a three-church VBS now underway in Valdosta. See below for more information.

Vacation Bible Schools Underway

This week, Christ Church Valdosta is doing its Vacation Bible School together with First Presbyterian Church and First Christian Church. The program is each night 5:30-8:30 from June 3-6. We want to share your Vacation Bible School with the Diocese in photo album collecting pictures of our kid-friendly catechesis taking place around the Diocese this summer. Send your congregation's photo to gaepiscopalphotos@gmail.com.

The photos will be added to a VBS album and used at the diocesan website. You can visit this summer's VBS album online. Some of the photos will be shared here in From the Field. If you create a Facebook or other online album, you may also just send a link to that album to the address above and our online photo gallery curator, Julius Arial, will copy the photos to the diocesan album.

Come Holy Spirit

Pentecost Around the Diocese

Above at right a dove-kite-led procession out into the world at the conclusion of the Pentecost Sunday Eucharist at All Saint's Tybee Island. Below are photos of Penetcost Sunday batisms at Calvary, Americus, with their priest in charge, the Rev. Kedron Nicholson and Deacon Diane Hall.

Lainie was marked as Christ's own, forever. Her family passes down the story that their lineage includes an ancestor baptized in Lebanon 28 years after Jesus' death and resurrection-a family history continued this Pentecost at Calvary, Americus. Calvary's procession out is shown below.