Congregational Support Monthly Newsletter

‌

View as Webpage

February 2020

Please click here to view "The Common Cup" Memo from Bishop Provenzano

Visit the Congregational Support Website

Build Spiritual Strength for the Life of your Church with your Vestry and Leadership!

February 28, 10 – 3, Mercer School

February 29, 10 – 3, St. Mary’s, Lake Ronkonkoma

Revive is nearly here! Come spend a day with master teacher Dawn Davis, Canon for Spiritual Formation, in the Anglican Diocese of Niagara, Canada. We will spend the day on discipleship and formation for congregational leaders. Tired of those Vestry arguments that circle the drain of easy, fast, cheap and never touch the spiritual heart and call of our work? As we know church activity doesn’t directly translate into spiritual growth and that spiritual depth and maturity of your leader’s hearts is one of the greatest determinants of congregational health and growth. Bishop Provenzano has asked us to focus on teaching and building up our congregations. Revive provides curriculum, videos and small group designs to do just that. Come and be encouraged, spend an insightful day with Dawn Davis and build up your leaders with the spiritual power needed for our changing ministry landscape. February 28 at the Mercer School of Theology , and February 29 at St. Mary’s, Lake Ronkonkoma.

First Tuesday Clergy Event

March 3, 2020

Sr. Helena Marie CHS Spirituality of Bluestone Farm, Church Food Pantries, Gardens and Spiritual Growth in Communities.

Many of us have church gardens, food pantries or host Farmers Markets at our churches and see teaching and spiritual potential for the wider community. Sr. Helena Marie, Community of the Holy Spirit (CHS) is a farming sister and environmental educator at Community of the Holy Spirit at Blue Stone Farm and Living Arts Center in Brewster, New York. Originating as a teaching order, the Sisters of the CHS reinterpreted their charism to teach people how to reconnect with, cherish, and protect the earth. “Based on the principles of organic agriculture and animal husbandry, bio dynamics, permaculture, and the importance of re-skilling for the future, the farm is an ever-evolving entity with its own ethos, personality and interconnections. The type of education we offer is not usually in the form of classes and workshops, although occasionally we do offer these. Rather, it is experiential: putting one’s hands in the soil, tending plants, taking care of animals, growing our own food, preserving food for winter, and living the deep rhythms of the cycles of nature, the growing season and the monastic liturgical year. It is, in fact, Earth literacy that we seek to advance, in the context of the sacredness of all creation.”

Invite Welcome Connect Newcomer Ministry Regional Trainings! Get your team there!

March 14: 10 – 3 Mercer School of Theology: Register here!

March 21: 10 – 3 St, James, St. James: Register here!

March 28: 10 – 3 St. Stephen and St. Martin’s, BK: Register here!

Recruit your team of 4-8 people now for Invite Welcome Connect! If you can, to make the most out of your team's participation in the workshop, prepare with the following:

Print out the attached calendar and fill in all of your church's important dates; include worship, special events, holidays and seasonal changes.
Download the outline for the neighborhood prayer walk here, and schedule a walk and debriefing session with your church or team before attending the workshop.

The calendar will help you get creative with already scheduled events. The prayer walk will bring God's insight about your town and future possible ministry to the table.

Clergy Pilgrimage: Register Now!

In the Footsteps of St. Paul - Apostle, Teacher, Disciple

May 11 - 22, 2020 Turkey and Greece

Clergy are invited to join in a study tour of the places of the early Church exploring Pauline ministries, the events of Acts and the writing of John’s Revelation. We will travel with a biblical scholar exploring the issues of the early church, dwelling in the word mining the spiritual and practical formation of disciples who live with power, passion and commitment to God’s mission in the world. We will be touring and studying the places and events covered in the New Testament book of Acts and Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians, Philippians, I and II Corinthians, Ephesians, and the book of Revelation. Read, pray, sign up now! The Pilgrimage is limited to 30 participants.

Financial assistance is available to clergy serving under-resourced parishes with the following structure:

1/3 of cost paid by clergy
1/3 of the cost paid by the parish (remember that there is $2,000 in your contract for continuing education per year.)
1/3 of the cost paid by the Bishop.

Each portion for the full trip is approximately $1,300. There are additional expenses for private rooms, etc. Please see the brochure in the link below for more details. (If your parish is not under-resourced or is located in a resource-rich area, please see if there are any alternative resources in your parish beyond your annual continuing education first before applying for assistance.)

Click here to register!