A twice-monthly e-newsletter for everyone interested in the work of the Diocese of Rhode Island

Events, Resources & News You Can Use
November 9, 2016
In this issue
  • What happened at Diocesan Convention 
Resources You Can Use
  • Advent resources
  • Evangelism Matters webcast
  • Survey on committed relationships & the church
Parish & Community Events
  • Citywide interfaith Thanksgiving service focusing on refugees
Ministry Highlight
  • Changes in diocesan communications
Specifically for Clergy
  • Advent Quiet Day
  • Presbyters' Conference

Diocesan Calendar in Brief

 
Next e-news deadline: 
Please submit complete materials to the Rev. Gillian Barr at [email protected] no later than Tuesday Nov. 15. Publication will be on Nov. 22.

 DIOCESAN EVENTS
Bp. Knisely drops the gavel at the end of Convention
What happened at 
Diocesan Convention 

The 226th Convention of the Diocese of Rhode Island began with Eucharist and a reception on Friday evening, Nov. 4 at St. Luke's Church, East Greenwich. Delegates regathered on Saturday morning for the official business session, to hear the Bishop's address, and for the presentation of the Higgins and Anchor of Hope awards. You can find a summary of all of the actions and presentations here. 

RESOURCES YOU CAN USE
Advent Resources

#Advent Word
A global Advent calendar from SSJE
Receive daily reflections by email. You can then add your own perspective to the word offered for reflection each day by taking a photo and posting it to social media. Go here to sign up. 

Anglican and Lutheran bishops 
offer 'Liberated by God's Grace'
devotional and bulletin inserts
The 2016 Advent season follows the inauguration of the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. Underscoring their ministry of reconciliation through the full communion partnership between Anglicans and Lutherans, Primate Fred Hiltz of the Anglican Church of Canada, National Bishop Susan Johnson of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, Presiding Bishop Michael Curry of the Episcopal Church, and Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America have prepared a series of devotions for Advent that can be used as bulletin inserts. Download here .

d365.org "Follow the Star"
online devotional
 d365.org is a daily online devotional produced by an ecumenical partnership of the youth ministry offices of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, the Episcopal Church and the Presbyterian Church (USA). While it is written specifically for young adults, people of all ages find it helpful. In Advent they focus on the theme "Following the Star." 
Live-stream  on the web: 
Evangelism Matters: 
Episcopal Evangelism Conference
Nov. 18-19
The in-person conference has been sold out for months, but everyone is invited to watch the keynote address by Presiding Bishop Curry, the opening panel presentation and six workshops that will be live-streamed. Details about the live-stream are here and the website for the larger conference is here.
Committed relationships
and the Church:
you can share your experiences
As part of the larger Episcopal Church's conversation about the nature of marriage and committed relationships, the General Convention Task Force on the Study of Marriage is asking for stories of committed relationships that have had a significant impact on our lives, and the impact of the availability of marriage liturgies for same-sex couples as well as opposite-sex couples. You are invited to share your stories here.

(If you are a General Convention deputy or alternate who filled out an earlier version of this survey, please feel free to answer again, focusing only on Question 15, which is new to this version.) 
PARISH AND COMMUNITY EVENTS
Citywide interfaith Thanksgiving service 
highlighting refugee experiences--today's Syrians and colonial pilgrims 
St. Martin's Church, Providence
Tuesday, Nov. 22:  7 p.m. 
St. Martin's Church in Providence will be the site of a city-wide Interfaith service marking Thanksgiving. This long-standing community tradition is especially appropriate this year as Kathleen Cloutier, the executive director of Dorcas International Institute will be the keynote speaker. She will be speaking about how we can view the present experience of the Syrian refugees arriving in Rhode Island and New England through the lens of Thanksgiving and the welcoming of the Pilgrim refugees as they were welcomed by the native peoples.
MINISTRY HIGHLIGHT
www.flickr.com photos arrrika CC BY NC 2 0
credit: flickr: erikadotnet  CC BY-NC 2.0
Website improvements to highlight
upcoming changes in diocesan communication

A recently completed communication audit is leading to changes in how the diocese communicates with key audiences.

The comprehensive study, which consisted of staff interviews, an online survey and focus groups, identified several opportunities for improvement - including revising the website to have better-organized content and an enhanced search function.

Click here for more details about what the audit revealed and the actions being taken based on the results.
SPECIFICALLY FOR CLERGY
Advent Clergy Quiet Day 
Tuesday, Nov. 29 
9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 
Holy Trinity, Tiverton

Take some time for prayer and reflection with clergy colleagues at the beginning of Advent.  We will begin at  9 a.m.  and end at  1 p.m . Lunch will be provided. To RSVP, please register here.  For questions about this event, contact Ruth Moulton  [email protected] .

Other upcoming clergy events:
  • Nov. 15: Retired Clergy Lunch
  • Feb. 22-24, 2017: Presbyters' Conference, Alton Jones Campus of URI
Diocesan calendar in brief:
  • Nov. 9: LEV training
  • Nov. 10: ECW Ingathering
  • Nov. 11: Veterans' Day: Diocesan House closed
  • Nov. 15: Retired Clergy Lunch
  • Nov. 24-25: Thanksgiving Holiday: Diocesan House closed
  • Nov. 29: Advent Clergy Quiet Day
The Cross is Our Anchor
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