April 26, 2017
Volume 7, Number 35
"I hope to go out as a disciple"
Matthew Yochum served his internship at the United Way of the Coastal Empire. 
Columba House in Savannah provides a unique opportunity for young adults to live in community, experience life with spiritual mentors, and work with a local nonprofit organization that fits their interests and skills.

Living in an intentional community, interns pray daily, attend local events, go on retreats, and serve the neighborhood in which they live. Participants find and test their own gifts, strengths and interests with the support of mentors. "This is the perfect opportunity for young adults seeking a sense of purpose and direction while also strengthening leadership skills," said Columba House Missioner, the Rev. Kelly Steele. 
The priority deadline for applicants to the Columba House Program for next year is May 1st.

Matthew Yochum ends his year at Columba House sharing these thoughts on his experience: 

 "I have always considered the church my spiritual home, but when I graduated from high school, I felt abandoned," he said. "Though the church is trying to minister to all, there is a massive hole in young adult ministry.

"When I went to college, I became spiritually apathetic. I cannot express enough how much [Columba House] saved my faith. In my time at Columba House, I have discovered my direction. My time at my intern site, The United Way of the Coastal Empire, has given me resumé-building experience that I will continue to build upon as I embark upon new adventures.

"The people in and around Columba House were as Christ to me, and now I hope to go out as a disciple that can be as Christ to others in my life."

If this sounds like the program for you or someone you know, go to 
or contact the Missioners,  the Rev. Kelly Steele or  .
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This Sunday's Lections
3rd Sunday of Easter

 
Go here 
f or the full text.
The Rev. Daniel Harris Doster
1934-2017

The Diocese of Georgia mourns the loss of the Rev. Daniel Doster who died on April 22 after a brief illness.

The Requiem Eucharist will be at 10 AM, Wednesday, May 3 at Trinity, Statesboro with the Rt. Rev. Scott Benhase presiding, the Very Rev. Joan Kilian assisting and the Rev. Joy Fisher preaching.

Born in 1934 in Moultrie, Georgia, Doster served in the US Army before earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from Florida State University in 1961. Three years later he married Robin Baker. In response to take the church out into the world, Doster discerned a call as a vocational deacon and Bishop Paul Reeves ordained him to the diaconate on December 3, 1980. His work for many years was in chaplaincy to persons in alcohol recovery and those in prison. He also organized care for the elderly, such as in the mid 1980s, when he arranged Christmas Day meals for elderly persons in the community and those in the state alcohol center out of Christ Church, Dublin. In 1984, he earned a Master of Science degree in Mental Health Counseling from Fort Valley State College.

In the late 1990s, Doster felt a call to serve the church as a priest, particularly to serve as a supply priest offering respite to full-time clergy. The diocese discerned that call with him and on November 22, 1997, Bishop Henry Louttit, Jr. ordained him to the priesthood. 

Predeceased by his wife Robin, who died in 2007, and their son, Daniel, he is survived by two daughters, Christopher Robin Doster Eagy (Ted Eagy); Sally Doster Powell (Gerald Powell Jr.); three grandchildren, Brian Eagy, Benjamin Powell and Logan Powell and one great grandchild, Holly Eagy.
God Willing and the People Consenting 
The Rt. Rev. Scott Anson Benhase 
will ordain
The Rev. Deacon Terri Walker Degenhardt
The Rev. Deacon Lawrence Michael Jesion
to the Sacred Order of Priesthood
 
Saturday, May 13th at 10:30 AM
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Augusta, Georgia
Canon Frank Logue will Preach
 
The Nelsons Retire from Full-time Ministry
St. Thomas Isle of Hope celebrated the ministry of the Rev. Richard Nelson as Rector and Deacon Geri Nelson as Deacon on their final Sunday with the congregation. The Nelsons leave St. Thomas as Richard enters retirement after 30 years of ordained ministry.

 They arrived in Savannah in 2004 from the Diocese of Western North Carolina where they both served at the Church of the Holy Family in Etowah. The Nelsons are riding off into the sunset heading for a trip out west to launch their retirement.  

The Rev. Richard Nelson
Born in Cadillac, Michigan, Richard received his Bachelor's of Arts degree  from Central Michigan University in 1976. He earned a Master's in Divinity from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary in 1983 and was ordained to the diaconate and then priesthood that same year. On graduation, he served in Chicago as a Curate at the Church of the Ascension and then as Rector of St. Alban's. He served two churches in Sarasota, Florida, before moving to North Carolina to serve at St. James in Hendersonville. He and Geri married in 1990. In the Diocese of Georgia, Richard has been active in Cursillo and in the Savannah Convocation's School of Religion.
 
Deacon Geri Nelson
A native of Pikeville, Kentucky, Geri was ordained to the diaconate by Bishop Robert Johnson Jr. on December 18, 1999, and was assigned to the Church of the Holy Family in Etowah, North Carolina. Geri also trained as a spiritual director, graduating from Sursum Corda, a school for spiritual directors.
 
While serving in the Diocese of Western North Carolina, she was a member of the Deacons' Council. She was the Council's Convener at the time she moved to Savannah. At St. Thomas, Geri initiated the "Sneakers for Success" project to provide children in need with good shoes. This ministry distinguished the church as a Champion of Children, a designation given by  the First Lady of Georgia in 2005. Geri also started a Seasons of Grief Program at the church. In the Diocese of Georgia, Geri served on the Commission on Ministry, the Deacons Formation Committee, and the Bishop Search Committee. She also served at Honey Creek Summer Camp. Above, Geri is pictured at right, taking part in Savannah Beer & Hymns.
Around the Diocese
Members of five congregations in the diocese including St. Anne's Tifton, St. Barnabas ValdostaChrist Church Valdosta, St. Thomas' Thomasville, and Grace Church Waycross gathered to celebrate Earth Day on Saturday morning on the Little River in southwest Georgia. "Down to the River to Pray" included peaceful paddling, prayers, reflection, and a little adventure! The Diocese's Creation Care Commission and Georgia interfaith Power & Light (GIPL) co-sponsored the event and plan to offer one more this season, in early June near Savannah.
 
Some of the furnishings that were original to the Green Meldrim House at St. John's Savannah have been returned after being absent for 125 years. An exhibit of these original furnishings opened to the public on April 26th and can be seen by calling 912-232-1251 or emailing wcorbin@stjohnssav.org for details.





Christ Church Savannah on Sunday celebrated the anniversary of the ordination of Bishop Henry Louttit to the priesthood. The Bishop points to himself in a photo from April 25, 1954 on display at the church, taken when he was ordained by Bishop Albert Rhett Stuart.
Get Ready for the Revival with Evangelism Workshops
In advance of the Presiding Bishop's Revival on September 17th at Honey Creek, s ome of the top Evangelists in the Episcopal Church are coming to the Diocese of Georgia to lead workshops focused on Evangelism. This is evangelism training for those who feel averse to the word "evangelism" as it is usually practiced.

The Rev. Canon Stephanie Spellers (left) is the Presiding Bishop's Canon for Evangelism and Reconciliation. Also from the Episcopal Church staff on the team for the training will be Carrie Boren Headington, Missioner Evangelist, and Jeremy Tackett, Digital Evangelist. 

The training will cover an array of ways, all true to our Episcopal way of being, in which we can share our faith with those we already know both in person and on social media. 
The same 3-hour workshop will be repeated in June on the east and west sides of the Diocese, so that we can provide workshops within two hours of every Episcopalian in the Diocese. Register at no-cost using the links below. 

Saturday, June 24 from 1-4 pm
St. Peter's Episcopal Church
3 West Ridge Road, Savannah, GA 31411
Sunday, June 25 from 1-4 pm
St. Anne's Episcopal Church
2411 Central Ave. N., Tifton, GA 31794


The Diocese of Georgia's Episcopal Youth and Children's Services (EYCS) awards numerous college scholarships each year. If you, or someone you know, is heading to college from the Diocese, please share information about this program. We are also asking that parishes download the bulletin insert available here and the flyer here to distribute and post. For more information, go here
Register Now for Honey Creek Summer Camp

School is almost out, which means Honey Creek Summer Camp is coming up fast. Go to honeycreek.org/camps to register for one or more of the camp sessions. For more information, go 
here.

T he proposed changes to the Canons of the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia are out for comment until Thursday, May 11th. At its May 12th meeting,  Diocesan Council will consider feedback and amend the proposed changes as needed. Have you provided feedback yet? Please go here to do so.

For an Executive Summary of the proposed changes, the full canons with the proposed changes shown in color, and a chart showing the current delegates to convention compared to the proposed representation, go here.
Update from Georgia Southern's Campus Missioner
Parishes with graduating seniors who will be attending Georgia Southern in the fall are asked that they forward contact information for their students to the Campus Missioner the Rev. Charles Todd at  epicentergsu@gmail.com or via text to 912-441-9027.
 
Weekly Tuesday gatherings on the campus will continue throughout the summer. Prospective/new students on campus for SOAR (Southern's Orientation Advisement and Registration) events are invited to join the group which begins with Mass at 6:30 PM followed by dinner and discussion/activity.
The Administrator's Corner 
Quick Tips on How to Run a Successful Meeting
Our lives, workplace, and yes, even the life in the church, are full of 
m eetings. Given the busy nature of our lives, one of the biggest challenges is to host a time efficient and productive meeting. There are lots of articles and advice out there
 on how to facilitate a good meeting. Recently, I ran across an article that has some quick advice to follow on how to facilitate and run several different types of meetings.

The Diocese has previously provided recommendations related to how to develop a strong Vestry meeting agenda and framework. However, these four recommendations focus primarily on facilitation of the meeting and follow-up once an agenda has been set. I've edited the recommendations for length, but you can read the full article
As the meeting leader, consider the following:

Provide an Overview
Even if you start with an agenda in place, conversations can still take plenty of twists and turns. At the beginning and conclusion, take a moment to provide a brief overview of the agenda, conclusions you drew and the decisions that were made.

Assign Action Items
Why do most meetings feel so unproductive? Sometimes a meeting results in a lot of talk without a whole lot of action. It is important to assign action items at the close of every meeting. That way, there's no question about who's responsible for what.

Ask for Questions
Before everybody leaves that meeting room, it's important that you ensure that everybody has a solid understanding of what was talked about. Does anybody require any clarification or have an unanswered question that still needs to be addressed? Asking if there are any final questions is a great way to do that.

Send an Email
Send a brief message to everybody who was included in the meeting. Thank them for their time and then provide a breakdown of who's responsible for what moving forward and when the next meeting is.

Recognize that agendas and even styles of meeting facilitation should be tailored to the desired outcome of the conversation. For example, a strategy meeting is going to look a lot different from a standard monthly Vestry meeting. Following these four recommendations can help the person managing the meeting enable a successful outcome and provide clear next steps for follow-up conversations.

Katie Willoughby
Canon for Administration
Bishop's Visitation 
The Vestry, the Day School Board, and the Finance Committee of St. Thomas' Church Thomasville reaffirmed their Baptismal vows during Bishop Benhase' visitation last Sunday. Shown from left, front row: the Rev. Dwayne Varas, Rector; Bishop Scott Benhase, Carl Blackmore, Tracy Poole, Will Poole, Virginia Poole; Back row (l to r):  Joshua Long, Madi Cook, Brianna Beach, Deacon Scott Mithen. 
Share your news in From the Field
Send your news, events and photos to  so we can feature them in upcoming issues of From the Field. Deadline for submissions each week is Monday at 4:30 PM.  
Prayers for Weekly Liturgies
Our one-year prayer cycle combines prayers for every congregation in the Diocese of Georgia with prayers for our ecumenical partners and for our Companion Diocese of The Dominican Republic. The 52 weekly prayers are available in one document  found here. 

April 23-29
In our diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for our congregation in Fitzgerald, St. Matthew's, and for our ecumenical partners in Fitzgerald, especially St. William's Catholic Church. In our companion diocese of the Dominican Republic, we pray for St. Mark's (San Marcos) in Haina. 

April 30-May 6
In our diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for our congregation in Harlem, Trinity, and Catholic churches in Cuthbert and Donalsonville-St. Luke's and the Church of the Incarnation. In our companion diocese of the Dominican Republic, we pray for Mount of the Transfiguration Church (Monte de la Transfiguración) in Jarabacoa
Diocesan Office Update and News  
Bishop Benhase is on retreat through April 28. On Sunday, April 30, he makes his visitation to Christ Church Frederica on St. Simons Island in the morning and St. Richard of Chichester on Jekyll Island in the afternoon. The Bishop's full schedule is available  here.  

Canon Logue is in Saluda, North Carolina, overseeing some minor work at the Clergy Cottage. On Sunday, he will preside at the Eucharist at St. Thomas, Savannah, with Deacon Alex Moreschi preaching. 

This Sunday, April 30, through Tuesday May 2, Bishop Benhase and Canon Logue will gather with deacons and priests at Honey Creek for the Spring Clergy Conference. Canon Willoughby and Director of Communications Anna Iredale will join the assembled on Tuesday.

The Rev. David Rose of St. Luke's Rincon will officiate at the noon service Thursday to be held at St. George's Chapel, Diocesan House. 
Taking Your Home Church on Your Travels

When members of Christ Church Savannah travel they send photo dispatches back demonstrating that the church travels with them. Here Organist-Choirmaster Timothy Hall, shares the shield on a stop at Trinity Church, Princeton when he traveled north to attend the American Guild of Organists Gala held at Princeton University Chapel. 
Events
Spring Clergy Conference
Sunday, April 30-Tuesday, May 2
Honey Creek Retreat Center
For information, go here.

Diocese of Georgia Finance Committee
Thursday, May 4
1 PM at Diocesan House

Trainings for Vestries, Administrators and Communicators, May 14
Postponed until the Fall.
Education for Ministry, 
June 1-3
Honey Creek Conference Center
Contact Diocesan EfM Coordinator Misty Graham at 352-281-6805 or misty.mcintyre.graham@gmail.com for more information here.

Evangelism Training
Saturday, June 24 from 1-4 pm
St. Peter's Episcopal Church
3 West Ridge Road, Savannah, GA 31411 
Register  here.  

Evangelism Training
Sunday, June 25 from 1-4 pm
St. Anne's Episcopal Church
2411 Central Ave. N., Tifton, GA 31794
Register here.
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