| | View the weekly checklist of important upcoming dates and deadlines for clergy, wardens, and staff. | | | |  | |
We look forward to seeing all registered guests and delegates this
Saturday, November 8
at Christ School
Banners & Banner Stands
Please bring parish banner and banner stand to line the gym at convention!
Whova
Whova has officially been launched for 2025 Convention and email invites to all voting delegates at the email with which they registered. Please check your registered email, and contact Katie if you have any issues.
| | | The Diocesan Office will be closed on Monday, November 10 to give staff a day off after Convention. | | |
What Anna does in her job:
Anna is the Campus Missioner to Appalachian State University as part of the Presbyterian Episcopal Campus Ministry (PECM). She is the coordinator for 3rd Place, the storefront location where PECM meets and that serves as a ministry to the campus and the town of Boone for groups needing a place to create community. She also serves as the Missioner for Creation Care and Social Justice at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Boone.
What Anna loves about her job:
I love accompanying students in their faith journeys as they ask deeper questions about faith and life. I also love that as the coordinator for 3rd Place, I get to meet people from many different walks of life who are all aspiring to create deeper connections and make the world a more loving, kind, and beautiful place to be.
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We are so thrilled to announce that the Multicultural Center at Church of the Epiphany in Newton led by the Rev. Oscar Rozo has received 1 of 11 Becoming Beloved Community grants approved by the Episcopal Church's Executive Council.
"Projects include renewal of a multicultural center impacted by Hurricane Helene; curriculum and educational programs highlighting race history; health screenings in migrant farm communities; and a youth program partnership that focuses on addressing food insecurity; among many more."
| | We are still accepting orders of the "Bearing Witness: Helene Story Series" cards. You may order them or visit the dedicated the webpage through the buttons below. | | Disaster Response Spotlight | | | | Last week Hurricane Melissa landed in the Caribbean, impacting our close ministry partners in Cuba, and many others. We lift up our prayers for them, and stand with them as they begin their recovery. Episcopal Relief and Development has been a crucial partner in our own recovery, and their team is already at work in the region. We commend their work to you and ask you to give to their relief efforts as you are able. | | This Week Around the Diocese | |
Good Shepherd's Marvelous Medical Loan Closet | |
By Rachel Baughn
We all experience times in life when we get a little banged up, worn out, something breaks... and daily routines suddenly become a challenge. All kinds of physical aids have been invented to make navigating life slightly easier. But, when you no longer need the equipment, what can you do with them?
Patterned on a program run by First United Methodist in Franklin, NC, Helga Reaves helped establish a Medical Loan Closet in an unused office at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Hayesville. It has proven a great benefit to many over the past couple of years.
To use the closet, members simply check the inventory to find the equipment they need and then fill out a simple form indicating what was borrowed and when. According to Helga, you will be amazed at what you can find in the “closet” – crutches, canes, shower seats, bed rails, potty seats, rolling walkers, knee scooters, ice machines, even bed pans!
The program is easy to set up and maintain and even easier to use. With our aging population, it's a concept that other churches may want to adopt to help their members share resources without having to wait on insurance or scouring resale shops for used equipment when the need is immediate.
Good Shepherd, Hayesville
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High School Fall Conference
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A weekend retreat for high schoolers where we will discover our connection with:
the sky above us - God, Heaven, loved ones gone before us
the earth below us - our responsibility to creation, community, and one another
the fire within us -our calling, passion, and the Spirit moving through us
Email Charlotte Garcia with questions.
Cost: $225 per person
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November 21-23
Lake Logan Conference Center
| | Becoming Beloved Community Workshop | |
This workshop includes interactive exercises, videos, and small group discussions. Participants explore how institutional and systemic racism impedes our ability to create an inclusive community. Facilitators from the Building Beloved Community Committee hope to raise awareness that dismantling racism is a spiritual discipline grounded in our Baptismal Covenant.
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November 14 | 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Online
AND
November 15 | 9:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Parish of the Holy Communion
Holy Trinity, West Jefferson
| | To submit an event, please review the submission guidelines and email event details and a photo for consideration to katie@diocesewnc.org. This space is reserved for diocesan, parish, and conference center events. | | |
The Episcopal Church Women of Grace will be hosting a rummage sale in the parish hall. Proceeds help send our youth to Camp Henry as well as assisting with outreach and church projects.
Everyone is invited to attend!
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November 8 | 8 a.m.-12 p.m.
Grace, Asheville
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Color Beyond the Lines:
A Film Screening
| St. James Outreach Commission will host a screening of David Weintraub’s award-winning film Color Beyond the Lines, marking the 60th anniversary of school desegregation in Henderson County. The film explores how integration improved resources but erased Black community schools like 9th Avenue School. Donations will support the Foundation’s Grow Our Own Scholarship Fund to help build a more diverse education workforce. | |
November 9 | 3:00 p.m.
St. James, Hendersonville
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Beginning at St. Francis (outdoor) Chapel, we’ll hike at a comfortable pace up the Rufus Morgan Trail to an overlook for the readings, continue in silence to Geyer Longs Rock, reflect on how we’ve experienced God, and end at the chapel for the Holy Eucharist, with an optional communal lunch overlooking Kanuga Lake afterward.
This will be the last hike of the 2025 season.
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November 15 | 8:45 a.m.
Kanuga
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Mental Health First Aid is a course that teaches you how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illness and substance use disorders. The training gives you the skills you need to reach out and provide initial help and support to someone who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem or experiencing a crisis.
If you are interested in participating in the class please email the church at stjohnsmarionnc@gmail.com. There is no charge for the class, but we do ask that you bring your own lunch.
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November 17 | 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
St. John's, Marion
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Led by The Rev Karla Woggon and joined by musicians including Jonathan Halsey & Elizabeth Barr Bryant.
Taizé is a simple, meditative form of worship, calling us to dwell deeply on Christ's presence around and within us. Mantra songs (like "Jesus, Remember Me"), prayerful silence, and short readings guide the focus of the prayer in a candle-lit environment.
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November 30 | 5:00 p.m.
Christ Church, Sparta
| | | Centerpiece Jazz Benefit Concert | |
This is a free concert, but donations are highly encouraged. The Backpack Ministry is currently serving Hillcrest Elementary School with 167 bags filled with food items. This important Ministry enables food-insecure students to have access to nutritious food items on the weekends.
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December 7 | 5 p.m.
Grace, Morganton
| | | | Leadership in Ministry is a twice-a-year, peer-based clergy leadership development program. It is part of the Pastoral Excellence Program of the Center for Lifelong Learning of Columbia Theological Seminary. Many participants have attended for several years, with some participating for over a decade, reaping the benefits of long-term commitment to person and professional growth. | April 27-29 AND October 12-14, 2026 | | Have a story or event to share? | | Thank you for being a part of our Diocese! | | | | |
