| | View the weekly checklist of important upcoming dates and deadlines for clergy, wardens, and staff. | | |
Please note: The diocesan office will be closed Thursday 9/4 & Friday 9/5 for a staff retreat.
Important Finance Notices:
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 with limited capacity, so please RSVP. There will be a lunch at no cost to follow. 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 Charlotte does in her job:
I serve as the Coordinator for Children, Youth, and Family Ministries and as Co-Director of Towel Ministry in our diocese, where I help plan conferences, retreats, mission trips, and family events that foster fellowship and connection. I also oversee the Youth Council, training high schoolers in leadership as they plan and lead our events. In all these roles, I love creating spaces where young people and families can grow in faith and community together.
What Charlotte loves about her job:
I grew up in this diocese, and the very programs I now coordinate are the ones that shaped me into the minister I am today. It’s an incredible honor to pour love back into these ministries while connecting with youth, their families, and the churches that support them. My hope is that together we help every child and teen feel needed, valued, and, most importantly, loved.
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The process for developing and discerning the diocesan budget is an intentional process that involves multiple opportunities for participation from many people throughout the diocese. The proposed draft budget is shared with the wider diocese every September through the annual Budget Road Tour. The 2025 Budget Road Tour will take place on Zoom. Copies of the draft budget are provided to those who participate in the presentation. On the Budget Road Tour Zoom meeting, the executive team (Bishop, Treasurer, and CFO) presents the proposed budget, answers questions and welcomes participant suggestions. If any suggestions are offered, people are invited to provide creative ideas to maintain a balanced budget.
September 3 | 5:30 p.m. | Zoom Meeting (Passcode: Budget)
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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.
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September 9 | 11:00 a.m. | Zoom
October 14 | 11:00 a.m. | Zoom
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Middle School Retreat is right around the corner. Gather with middle schoolers from across the diocese as we talk about what it means to get lost, make mistakes, and receive unconditional love. Registration is open and this event was at max capacity last year. Please register early to ensure that your middle schooler’s spot is secure!
Email Charlotte Garcia with questions.
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Cost: $150
September 13-14
Lake Logan Conference Center
| | Disaster Response & Recovery Team Spotlight | | |
“'After 33 years, Chimney Rock is home,' Linda said. 'It’s hard to walk away from the people you built a community with. But, I don’t know if I’ll be strong enough to stay once Carter Lodge is gone.'
Linda grew up in Asheville, North Carolina. In 1992, she married Joe and they started Carter Lodge. They lived and worked at the 17-room inn featuring a deli, market and scenic views of Broad River in Chimney Rock, North Carolina."
Linda is a parishioner of The Church of the Transfiguration in Bat Cave, NC. Read her full story from Episcopal Relief & Development.
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Is God inviting you to serve on the board of the
Episcopal Foundation of WNC?
| | | | The Foundation makes grants and loans to groups affiliated with the Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Western North Carolina for capital and program projects. Each board member makes a modest financial gift to the Foundation (minimum $10). Ideal candidates will have served on a vestry and have familiarity with parish financial documents, or a willingness to learn. We need three Adult Laypersons, one from each of the following Deaneries: Foothills, Piedmont, and Western. | | |
Attention all small parishes! Charlotte Garcia, our Diocesan Coordinator for Children, Youth, and Family Ministries, is on a webinar panel for meaningful youth ministry programming in smaller churches.
This session dives into designing meaningful events, building excitement, and crafting welcoming spaces for youth. We’ll also cover budgeting, planning, and strategies for reaching kids with fewer resources.
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September 9
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Zoom
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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! | |
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. | | |
All are invited to join for the 3rd Annual Pride Mass at St. John's, Sylva. This special service is part of the Sylva Pride Festival (Sept. 5-7).
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September 5
5:30 p.m.
St. John's, Sylva
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Join Grace Church in the Mountains for a worship service on the lawn followed by live music, children's activities, and a delicious meal!
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September 7
10:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Grace Church in the Mountains
Waynesville
| | | Join us for a special liturgy for care of creation featuring special guest musician Katie Knowles who will lead us in hymns such as"Come Thou Fount," "How Great Thou Art," and more. Chairs will be provided by St. James but you are also welcome to bring your own lawn chair. | |
September 7
5:00 p.m.
St. James
Hendersonville
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Trails of St. John Ribbon Cutting
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All are invited to celebrate this special event. Members of Holy Hikers WNC are expected to attend as the national chapter salutes five years of monthly hikes across North and South Carolina mountain trails.
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September 7
1:00 p.m.
St. John in the Wilderness
Flat Rock
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An Evening of
Celtic Music
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Skip Cleavinger (Uilleann Pipes & Tin Whistles), Rebecca Cleavinger (Fiddle) Michele Warner (Irish & English Vocals) & Steve Warner (Guitars & Irish Harp)
Sung in Irish and English, with songs that span the Atlantic Ocean and celebrate the Irish and Scots heritage.
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September 7
7:00 p.m.
St. James
Black Mountain
| | | 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
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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.
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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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Sept 28 | 5:30 p.m.
St. George's, West Asheville
| | 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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Join Rev Wendy and Chris Pinzino, and Rob Field for a sacred time of Centering Prayer to deepen your practice. With comfortable accommodations and healthy meals, participants can
"rest in God" - away from the distractions of work and home.
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September 15-18
Lutheridge Conference Center
Arden, NC
| | 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. | |
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
| | 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. | |
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! | | | | |
