Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina | | | |
View the weekly checklist of important upcoming dates and deadlines for clergy, wardens, and staff. | |
Non-Partisan Election Engagement Ramps Up
As the November election approaches, one Asheville parishioner is taking action.
"Many people just don't know where to start," said Kim Hayes, a repeat participant of the Election Activator program from the Episcopal Public Policy Network. Hayes leads non-partisan initiatives to help people get out to vote, recognize misinformation, and talk about politics without getting angry.
Hayes has led information sessions at her parish, Grace Church in Asheville, and connects with the Episcopal Public Policy Network to offer resources for election engagement.
"Politics is part of our common life. What is the point of democracy if no one participates?" Hayes said.
Healthy civic engagement has been part of Presiding Bishop Michael Curry's initiative to help people understand where they fall on the political spectrum.
"Voting faithfully is about questioning the things we hear from a moral compass that is Christ-centered," Hayes said.
Election Activators do things like work the polls on election days, organize child care so parents can vote, set up a parish as a polling site, and provide information and tools to help people vote faithfully and confidently in upcoming elections. There are many ways to be involved in civic engagement.
Kim is available to offer workshops and help interested parties get started. If you would like to participate in Election Activators or offer something for your congregation, contact Kim Hayes at kimhys53@gmail.com.
Click here to find TEC resources for election engagement.
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Notice: The diocesan office will be closed September 11–12 while the diocesan staff gathers for a retreat. | |
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Our keynote speaker at the 102nd Diocesan Convention is Cherokee Tribal Elder Tom Belt.
He brings extensive knowledge of Cherokee history, culture, and language. As a teacher and scholar at Western Carolina University, he developed vital materials for preserving and teaching the Cherokee language, and prepared multiple cohorts of students to teach Cherokee language and culture.
Mr. Belt has worked closely with the American Philosophical Society and the Smithsonian Institution to develop and enact protocols for the treatment of Cherokee archival materials, in particular culturally sensitive materials in the Cherokee language. He also served as a consultant to multiple university programs, providing regular addresses and workshops at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Stanford, Yale, Duke, and Wake Forest regarding the importance and significance of indigenous languages and the worldview of Cherokee culture.
Tom was raised in a Cherokee-speaking family in Rocky Ford, Oklahoma. He later moved to the Eastern homelands in the early 1990s. He continues to live on the Qualla Boundary of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians where he first worked as a teacher in the Cherokee Central Schools.
Click here to watch a video of Mr. Belt's work.
Photo by Micheli Oliver
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102nd Annual Diocesan Convention
Cherokee Convention Center, Cherokee
Prelude Events: Thursday, Nov. 7 & Friday, Nov. 8
Open to delegates, guests, and visitors
Opening Eucharist & Reception: Friday, Nov. 8
Business & Keynote: Saturday, Nov. 9
Register Today
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Middle School Retreat
Middle schoolers, youth leaders, and chaperones please join us at Lake Logan Conference Center, September 14th-15th where we will dive into our faith and how our relationships with our families and friends play a key role in our relationship with Christ! Youth Council and Charlotte have planned a fun and exciting weekend full of fun and fellowship!
REGISTRATION
For any questions or to learn how to be a chaperone please email Charlotte Garcia at youth@diocesewnc.org.
Sept. 14–15 | Camp Henry/Lake Logan Conference Center
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Is God Calling You?
Join us to explore where or how God might be calling you. 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? I don’t feel ready, why do I feel called? What are the first steps? Do I have to move to attend seminary?
Speakers, table discussions, and Q & A time around topics such as Commission on Ministry, Iona School for Ministry, ordained ministry (priest or deacon), and lay ministry (formation, parish ministry, vestry, etc.) will be offered. We hope Discernment Day will help you find a path to answering your call.
Sept. 21 | 10 a.m.–2 p.m. | St. James Episcopal Church, Black Mountain
Register
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Virtual Budget Road Tour
Join us for the Budget Road Tour Zoom meetings, where the executive team (Bishop, Treasurer, and CFO) present the proposed budget, answer questions, and welcome participant suggestions. If any suggestions are offered, people are invited to provide creative ideas to maintain a balanced budget.
Please RSVP on the diocesan website to ensure you get the correct Zoom link.
RSVP for Tuesday
RSVP for Thursday
Tuesday, Sept. 24 & Thursday, Sept. 26 | Zoom
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To submit an event, please review the submission guidelines and email Sinclaire event details and a photo for consideration. This space is reserved for diocesan, parish, and conference center events. | |
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Centering Prayer Group
Join St. John's in Asheville at a new time for a centering prayer gathering following Martin Laird's Into the Silent Land. The new time for the gathering is earlier in the day, at 10 a.m. Contact the Rev. David McNair for more information: davidmcnair828@gmail.com
Thursdays | 10 a.m. | St. John's, Asheville
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Mountain Soul Presents The Lone Canary
Anchored in the rich loam of Folk/Americana music, The Lone Canary embodies the harmonious talents of Heather Camacho and Jesse Fox. Camacho graces the stage with her rich vocals, dynamic fiddle, and rhythmic percussion, complemented by Fox's gruff voice and acoustic guitar resonances.
Based in Rockford, IL, The Lone Canary is a long-standing musical alliance between Fox and Camacho, dating back to their high school years. Their collective journey resonates musically, delivering an authentic sound that is equal parts haunting and captivating.
Mountain Soul is a music ministry provided by Christ Church.
Christ Episcopal Church is located at 2543 US HWY 21 South in Sparta, NC, at the corner of HWY 21S and Chestnut Grove Church Road. All Mountain Soul events are FREE to the community! We do accept donations that go directly towards the next Mountain Soul event.
Sunday, Sept. 8 | 6 p.m. | Christ Church, Sparta
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Good News Gardens Field Days
A time to connect with each other and learn about what it means to be “Good News” in
Creation—including topics of botany, gardening, climate justice, and green burial
Join us on September 22-24, 2024 at Kanuga in Hendersonville, North Carolina.
We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Mallory McDuff as our keynote speaker on Wednesday evening. Mallory will speak to the intersection of agrarian ministry-churchland stewardship-creation care.
St. John’s in the Wilderness, Flat Rock, NC will join us in sharing news of their volunteer work in Kanuga’s Foster Education Garden. We will also hear from Delia Jovel Dubon from Tierra Fértil Coop, a Hispanic, worker-owned farm cooperative partnering with western North Carolina’s Episcopal Churches in food ministry.
Immerse yourself in a variety of engaging activities, from forest bathing and sound baths to music and stories around the fire. We'll also share a farm-to-table supper in the garden, fostering a sense of community and time to reflect on how to apply our learning.
Information: goodnewsgardens@episcopalchurch.org
Registration: https://kanugafielddays.campbrainregistration.com
Sept. 22–24 | Kanuga
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The Philadelphia 11 Screening
Gather, watch and discuss the meaning of this important history about the first women ordained as Episcopal priests. It is about how to break down barriers with grace and be true to oneself in the process. And it is about standing up to institutions that do not allow all people to be who they are called to be. The screening is free, but we'd appreciate an RSVP to director@vcconferences.org for set up and refreshment planning.
Sunday, Sept. 22 | 4 p.m. | Apple Barn at Valle Crucis
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Valle Rendez-view Gala Dinner
This is super exciting! Valle Crucis is hosting its first-ever Valle Rendez-View Gala Dinner! Music by the FABULOUS Belle Peppers, a gourmet dinner catered by Reid's (arguably the best caterers in the High Country), and general hilarity provided by your VCCC hosts. The event kicks off with drinks and some light schmoozing at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner, music, and possibly some dancing, if we're in the mood. Tickets for the dinner are $100 per person. All proceeds go to benefit the Valle Crucis Conference Center's ministry of hospitality.
Saturday, Sept. 28 | 5:30 p.m. | Apple Barn at Valle Crucis
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Tuesday–Thursday, October 1–3
Parish Administrators and Lay Ministers are crucial to the functioning of our churches and the health of our parish communities. They are communicators, confidantes, advisors, greeters, bookkeepers, event planners, space managers, schedule coordinators, caregivers, and so much more. That’s why Lake Logan hosts the Lay Ministers and Parish Administrators’ Retreat each year. We want to celebrate these champions of our diocese, engage in shared learning and professional development, and – perhaps most importantly – offer time and space for well-deserved relaxation, rejuvenation, and refreshment.
More Information and Registration
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Join Presiding Bishop Michael Curry and church guests to explore voting through a theological lens, highlighting it as an expression of care for each other and God's creation. Panelists will discuss faith-based civic engagement and the importance of Episcopal churches using their resources to support community voting.
Panelists include:
- Michael Curry - Presiding Bishop and Primate of The Episcopal Church; New York, New York
- Willie Bennett - Senior Congregational Engagement Officer, Episcopal Health Foundation; Houston, Texas
- Joyce Statz - Health and Justice Advocacy Network (HJAN), St. Matthew's Episcopal Church; Austin, Texas
- Amy Coultas - Canon to the Ordinary, Diocese of Kentucky; Louisville, Kentucky
- Alan Yarborough - Church Relations Officer, Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations; Washington, District of Columbia (moderator)
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