Dear community of the Diocese of Olympia,

While we continue to navigate the uncertainty and ever-evolving situation of this current health crisis, our weekly diocesan newsletter, Across the Diocese, will remain slightly truncated and be focused on sharing out resources, important information, points of connection between our worshiping communities, and virtual events for the benefit of the entire diocese.

Blessings,

Josh Hornbeck

Canon Missioner for Communications

In the cosmology of North and South American peoples, Turtle Island is the geographic region covering Canada, United States, Central America, and South America. Join together online Sunday, April 25, at 11:00am to worship Jesus with Episcopalians from all over the Diocese of Olympia led by our Circles of Color and focused on the languages, cultures, and experiences of the First Peoples of Turtle Island, with a specific focus on communities from within Province 8. This online service is a chance for diocesan-wide worship, learning, connection, and conversation, as well as an opportunity to give our working clergy a Sunday off from preaching and presiding.

The One Service will include a Town Hall webinar after worship with Bishop Rickel and members of Circles of Color to process the worship experience and go deeper into dialogue around issues of race and culture in our diocese, with special attention to the experiences of Indo-Hispanic/Indigenous peoples and a specific focus on communities from within Province 8. And join us beginning at 10:00am for a musical prelude featuring music from churches across the diocese! All are welcome, and congregations are encouraged to “attend” together in whatever ways you can – viewing parties, online watch parties, or whatever means are safe and responsible given the state of the pandemic at that time.

Follow the links below beginning on April 25 at 10:00am to join us for the service on either our diocesan Facebook page or YouTube channel.

Now is the time to register for this year’s intensive session of the The College for Congregational Development. We are trying something new this year: a shorter intensive time together in person preceded by five weeks of online learning. All participants will engage in a five week course of online learning beginning May 1 which will include 1.5 hours weekly on Zoom as well as video assignments, light reading, and one homework assignment that involves visiting a congregation they do not currently attend (online visits are okay!). These five weeks of online learning will allow us to be together for a shorter time in person, and to try out a new venue (Fort Worden, Port Townsend, WA) where physical distancing and pod-housing are available. We will also be accepting 50 participants this year, in order to avoid crowding any indoor spaces. The College in Olympia is very hopeful that many of our participants will be vaccinated by the second week of June, but we are making these changes to ensure that we can provide a safe environment for all our participants regardless of vaccine status in this year as we transition out of pandemic into whatever life looks like next.

Here is the information you need to know: Please register as soon as possible, as space is limited, but no later than April 16. Online learning begins the week of May 2. Please plan to spend 1.5 hours engaged in learning on Zoom, with up to one additional hour per week (on average) viewing learning videos or engaging in reflective work. In-person learning at Fort Worden will begin the afternoon of Monday June 14, and conclude by noon on Friday June 18. If you have questions about any of this please do not hesitate to contact Canon Alissa Newton – [email protected].

If you missed Faith Formation's mini-conference - Better Together - you can now catch both incredible keynote presentations and all of the amazing workshops!

Follow the link below for all of the great content that will help you come away with a renewed enthusiasm for faith formation in 2021.

Looking for a way to help out St. Luke's Edible Hope Kitchen from the comfort of your own home? Check out their Amazon Wishlist! You can find the link below, on their website, or Facebook page. Every donation goes towards keeping the kitchen stocked and safe so Edible Hope Kitchen can continue to serve the needs of the Ballard community.

Please make sure all donations are delivered during business hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00am-1:00pm

New Formation Events Added! During this continued time of online gathering, churches across the diocese have being offering online formation events and classes. Follow the link below to see current offerings and find links to submit your church's online formation events!