| | View the weekly checklist of important upcoming dates and deadlines for clergy, wardens, and staff. | | |
Important Finance Notices:
The annual Budget Road Tour took place last Wednesday. Watch the recorded zoom meeting and review the proposed budget here.
CPG MAP access forms for new online bill pay - due
2024 Church Audits - due
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To honor the one year mark of Helene, we are holding a Diocesan Eucharist at Lake Logan Conference Center. This event is open to all. There will be a lunch at no cost to follow, so please RSVP. Please join us as we continue to heal and rebuild together.
We are grateful that Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe will be joining us for this time of worship and fellowship.
This is a family friendly event! There will be programming for kids and youth after worship and Lake Logan is graciously inviting all to spend their day on property - enjoy the lakefront, play in the creek, go for a hike, or just rest in the beauty of God's creation at Lake Logan.
| | September 27 | 10 a.m. | Lake Logan Conference Center | | |
What Linda does in her job:
My current role as Benefits Administrator is to enroll, change &/or terminate employees for the churches in this Diocese; Assign Church Pension Bill Payers & Administrators in the My Admin Portal (MAP) system; Assist the CFO with the Parochial Reports, Diocesan Income Reports, Open Enrollment process and any other misc assignments that are needed as well as assist the churches with any help that is needed in the MAP system or questions in general.
What Linda loves about her job:
What I love most about my job is the people I work with at the Diocesan Office and all the churches. With my 35 years of insurance experience, I am able to help the churches with their pension/benefits and property/casualty insurance.
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As we look ahead to another wonderful program year it is time to make sure that our leaders are up to date with their SafeChurch training.
As part of this process, we wanted to share information about the Praesidium Academy Administrator Basics webinar training. This is a great opportunity for those who are new in their role as the Praesidium Administrators to learn how to use Administrator account features. Please note these training courses are not hosted by the Diocese of WNC, so we are unable to help with registration.
| | October 14 | 11:00 a.m. | Zoom | | Disaster Response & Recovery Team Spotlight | | Please watch this most recent video from Bishop José for updates on our ongoing recovery work. | | Is God inviting you to serve on the Nominating Committee? | | | | The Nominating Committee puts forward nominees for all offices and other leadership positions to be appointed or elected by the Diocesan Convention, Executive Council, or Bishop and works to encourage systemic equity in the process of identifying nominees. Ideal candidates will have some familiarity with the ministries of the Diocese and know people in the Diocese outside of their own parish. We need one Adult Layperson and one Clergyperson at large (from anywhere in the Diocese.) | | This Week Around the Diocese | |
Good Shepherd, Hayesville Welcomes New Music Director
Written by Kathy Rarey
Edited by Katie Knowles
Good Shepherd, in Hayesville, is delighted to welcome Teresa Lemaire as our new music director. Teresa brings a wealth of experience, a joyful spirit, and deep passion for both teaching and performing music.
Music runs in Teresa’s family. Her mother, Janice, still lives in Woodstock, Georgia, and is a talented musician herself. Her late father was a flautist who played an important role in shaping Teresa’s early musical journey.
Teresa holds a Bachelor of Music from Southern Methodist University in Dallas and a Master of Music from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. She works as a music teacher and freelance performer, playing at weddings, parties, and services of all kinds. She especially loves teaching middle school students.
Over the years, Teresa has served Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Catholic, and Unitarian Universalist congregations, and she continues to sing and play flute at Immaculate Heart of Mary in Hayesville. At Good Shepherd, she is excited to work with a choir that she already describes as “fantastic.”
“You care about the music and about each other,” she says. “The welcome I have received is so warm. Thank you.” Her goals for the choir include building confidence in reading and sight singing, always keeping service to the music as the highest priority.
Outside of church, Teresa’s love of music continues to flourish. She has a special passion for Brazilian chorinho, an early 20th-century jazz style that combines technical skill, improvisation, and community. Locally, Teresa plays flute and tenor saxophone in the Tristate Community Band and participates in productions at The Peacock Playhouse.
| | | | All Souls Counseling 5K Benefit | |
We are proud to sponsor the Mental Health Matters Walk/Run for Awareness, a family-friendly 5k hosted by All Souls Counseling Center (ASCC). The purpose of this event is to raise awareness of the mental health resources available in our community and help to end the stigma around seeking help. In addition to being active, come out to learn about some of the mental health and supportive resources available in WNC. Sign up and join our team to support this worthy cause!
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September 20
9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
UNC-Asheville
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Discernment Day is intended to help those who feel a call to service, through ordained or lay ministry. We will help answer questions such as: What am I getting myself into? Why do I feel called? What are the first steps? Do I have to move to attend seminary? We will cover topics such as Commission on Ministry, Iona School for Ministry, Ordained Ministry (priest or deacon), and lay ministry. We hope this experience will help you find a path to your call.
Please Register to receive lunch.
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October 4
10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
St. Luke's, Asheville
| | High School Fall Conference | |
Save the date for Fall Conference!
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.
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November 21-23
Lake Logan
Conference Center
| | 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. | | A special Choral Evensong blending Appalachian music and the centuries-old tradition of sung prayers and psalms, with the St. Philip's Choir and guest artists The Harrows and Friends, celebrating the Feast of the Holy Cross. | |
September 14 | 5:00 pm
St. Philip's, Brevard
| |  | Chamber Music Series: Cuarteto Latinoamericano | |
Asheville Chamber Music Series 2025-26 Season Opener Presents Cuarteto Latinoamericano – “Quartets from the Americas: African echoes.
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September 14 | 4:00 p.m.
St. Matthias, Asheville
| | We will gather at St. Francis (outdoor) Chapel, across the road from Kanuga Inn. We’ll hike the Rufus Morgan Trail, reflect on how we’ve experienced God, and end at St. Francis Chapel for the Holy Eucharist. | |
September 20 | 8:45 a.m.
St. Francis Chapel, Kanuga
| | | Award Winning Harpist: Amber Joy Koeppen | The award winning harpist will share an eclectic collection of some of her favorite works for solo harp and will also be joined by two special guest students. Come enjoy an engaging concert full of great music and interesting stories. | |
September 21 | 4:00 p.m.
St. John in the Wilderness, Flat Rock
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Contemplative Pride Mass
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The Table at St. George's (a small, monthly contemplative gathering) and All Souls are partnering for a contemplative pride eucharist.
All are welcome.
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September 28
5:30 p.m.
St. George's, West Asheville
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An Evening with WNC Writers
| This event will showcase a talented lineup of authors, each sharing distinctive voices and stories rooted in the heritage and culture of WNC. Guests will enjoy an afternoon of readings, discussion, and live music celebrating the region’s literary and artistic spirit. The evening will also highlight the newly released poetry anthology Had I a Dove, with proceeds from book sales benefiting flood victims. | |
October 4
4 p.m. - 6 p.m.
St. John's, Marion
| | | Holy Communion Festival of the Frescoes | Come celebrate the beauty of fall at the Annual Festival of the Frescoes with the Parish of the Holy Communion at Holy Trinity Church, Glendale Springs. The festival includes crafters, artisans, bakers and others selling their wares. Additionally, there is the famous Granny’s Attic rummage sale. Visitors are invited to view and learn more about Ben Long’s The Lord’s Supper Fresco at Holy Trinity. All are welcome. | |
October 11
9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Holy Trinity, Glendale Springs
| | The harvest-season celebration takes over the fields in front of the Valle Crucis Conference Center. Craftspeople from across the region, High Country musicians and the community of Valle Crucis are busy putting together a joyful celebration this year. Admission to the one-day festival of mountain traditions is FREE, and ample parking is available in the adjoining field for $10 per vehicle. | |
October 18
Valle Crucis Conference Center
| | | John Philip Newell: The Great Search | |
In this time of transition, so many of us are longing for a spirituality of intimacy with Earth rather than a spirituality of alienation from Earth, and a vision of interrelatedness instead of division. John Philip points to a path of healing and transformation for us, both individually and together.
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October 21 | 6:00 p.m.
St. James
Black Mountain
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This Holy Hikes retreat will explore the intersection of Christian spirituality and Native Wisdom and spirituality. Rev Dr Timothy Ross, a professor and member of the Western Cherokee Nation, will lead our discussions. Father Josh Stephens, Rector of St John in the Wilderness, will lead daily liturgical services. All faiths and backgrounds are welcome.
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October 26-29
Valle Crucis Conference Center
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The Episcopal Creation Care Gathering is an annual church-wide event focused on the work of Christian ministry, mission, and living on earth. These gatherings create space for conversation, learning, and practice as we explore the deep relationships that bind together spirituality, justice, ecology, discipleship, and evangelism.
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September 18-20
Procter Center
London, Ohio
| | Are you in transition and asking, “What’s next?” Reconnect with the Divine and explore the art/science of self-care as you reflect on what is uniquely yours to do. Join author/mystic Renee Trudeau for a deeply restorative self-renewal retreat just for women. Rest in stillness, meditation, nature, Yoga Nidra and much more. | |
September 19-21
Art of Living Retreat Center
Boone, NC
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Healing Winds Conference is associated with International Order of St. Luke the Physician. Come for a relaxing retreat focused on Christian Healing. Take time for rest, reflection, and prayer. Learn how to pray for others more effectively. This is a great event for prayer ministers of any experience level.
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September 26-28
Lake Junaluska
Conference Center
Waynesville, NC
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Join The Rev. Karla Woggon on a soul-enriching pilgrimage along the rugged Atlantic coast to Santiago de Compostela. Through reflection, prayer, and shared journeying, we walk in a rhythm of step, breath, and spirit—carrying one another’s hopes and forming sacred fellowship. This journey leads not only to Santiago, but inward toward clarity, connection, and renewal.
Contact Karla Woggon at soulsauntering@gmail.com with questions.
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September 26-28
Lake Junaluska
Conference Center
Waynesville, NC
| | Have a story or event to share? | | Thank you for being a part of our Diocese! | | | | |
