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Highlights:
- Opening Prayer
- Meet the new Campus Ministry Developer!
- Young Adult / Campus Ministry retreat
- Migration with Dignity
- Trafficking: Faithful Response and Support Training
- Break the Silence Sunday
- Christmas Light webinar
- Sermon Roundtable
- Forma Conference
- The Brood
- Book Corner
- Using Picture Books for Racial Healing
- Episcopal Parish Network
- Clergy Retreat
- Agrarian Ministry Certificate Program
- Religious Life Sunday
- Advent Resources
- Sketchy Friends Retreat
- Networking Conversations
- Affiliated Organizations
- Upcoming Events and Webinars
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What Are You Missing?
Are you seeing everything in this email?
You may need to click on "View Entire Message" at the bottom to see it all!
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Featured Articles and Events | |
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Meet the new
Campus Ministry Developer!
Province V is proud to introduce you to Eric Richey!
Eric Richey will begin work as Province V’s Campus Ministry Developer in January, 2025. He has spent nearly two decades sharing in Christ’s ministry alongside high school and college students, most recently serving for over 9 years with CCO Campus Ministry. Since 2021, the primary focus of his work with the CCO has involved training, coaching, and encouraging congregations as they sought to lovingly welcome and disciple college students in their unique ministry contexts. Eric lives with his wife, Alicia, and their 6 children, in a racially, socioeconomically, and ideologically diverse urban neighborhood in Cincinnati, OH. In recent years, they have been blessed to find a spiritual home in the Episcopal Church and they actively participate in the life of the community at Church of the Advent.
If you are interested in connecting with Eric, fill out this form, and he will be in touch with you in early 2025!
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Midwinter Student / Young Adult Retreat
February 7-9, 2025
Chicago, IL
Open to students in higher education and young adults
Registration
Friday, Feb 7:
4 pm - Arrive at the HI Chicago Hostel (24 E Ida B. Wells Drive) and check in any time after 4pm.
6:30 pm- Program Begins - Snacks, fellowship, and music in the Nichols Room.
Sunday, Feb 9:
12 noon-ish - end after Eucharist on Sunday Morning
Packing lists and further information will be announced as we get closer.
This location is in the Central Time Zone
Questions or want to help with planning? Contact Ben Adams
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Migration with Dignity
The Episcopal Church’s Commitment to Migration With Dignity Is More Important and Relevant Than Ever
In the wake of election results that point to harder times ahead for our migrant neighbors, the Province V Migration Ministry Network met on November 19 and agreed that we must continue to elevate the Christian values that call us to serve the cause of justice for those who have come here seeking safety and freedom.
Will you help us?
Earlier this year, our province and the Episcopal Church’s General Convention adopted a resolution – Migration With Dignity– which is “a statement of specific principles about migration that resonate with the teachings of Jesus and our baptismal promise to respect the dignity of every human being." This resolution envisions a response to the challenges of global migration that is rooted in well-established and long-accepted universal human rights. It sets a clear course for Episcopalians to follow in the days and years ahead.
Your support can play a vital role in pushing back against injustices, allowing us to advocate for humane immigration practices that uphold human dignity. Here are some ways you can take direct action to support our immigrant communities and make a meaningful impact:
1. Advocate for Immigrant Rights
Join our upcoming advocacy events and activities! The Province V Migration Ministry Network is planning to offer a webinar on January 19 which will focus on specific steps we can all take to oppose injustice and support Migration With Dignity. Throughout the coming year, we will recommend practical ways that you and your congregation can make a difference. To stay informed, please join our email list.
CONTINUE READING this whole, very helpful, article.
If you have questions or would like further information about the Province V Migration Ministry Network, please email one of the co-conveners: Jack Lloyd jack.lloyd@earthlink.net or Silvia Huth silviahuth@yahoo.com or visit the Province V Migration Ministry webpage.
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Trafficking: Faithful Response and Support
Join this online course to learn how to recognize human trafficking and support those reentering our community after human exploitation. This 90 minute course will introduce participants to the basics of trafficking, how to respond when trafficking is suspected, and how their community can help those on their journey from surviving to thriving.
Monday, Jan 13, 2025, 7-8:30 pm ET / 6-7:30 pm CT
Registration link
Thursday, Jan 30, 2025, 7:30-9 pm ET / 6:30- 8 pm CT
Registration link
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Break the
Silence Sunday
While this is scheduled for today, you perhaps didn't have a chance to plan for this. You are invited to download the resource to save for another time.
Visit Province II, scroll down to the "Diocese of New York" and click the picture to get the .pdf.
You can also visit The Diocese of New York's website.
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Register for the December 5, 2025 webinar. | |
Christmas Light: Reflecting on the Incarnation
Sometimes hearing old truths in a new setting provides us new insights and depths of understanding. So, heat up some cider, sit by the fire, and listen as Robin reads a whimsical, imaginative tale of God’s decision to become Contigo, a baker known for his gift of song. As we prepare for Christmas during Advent, take a break from parties and planning to ponder the mystery of the Incarnation and what it means for us.
Robin Gottfried directs the Center’s Contemplation and Care for Creation program and is the author of The Audacious Great Singing School Adventure.
Registration is required
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Sermon Roundtable
The newest offering for congregations from Episcopal Preaching Foundation!
Do you want to take your preaching to the next level?
Do you want to deepen pastoral connections within your parish while also engaging in Christian formation?
Would you like members of your congregation to know more about how to read the Bible like a preacher, and what goes into crafting a sermon?
Then Episcopal Preaching Foundation’s Sermon Roundtable program is for you. This 12 week program is led by the regular preachers in a parish- lay or ordained- with all materials available online for in-person, online, or hybrid meetings on your own schedule. Thanks to a generous grant from the Lilly Endowment’s Compelling Preaching Initiative, this program is offered at no cost to participating parishes.
Sermon Roundtable is now accepting applications for the Spring 2025 and Fall 2025 cohorts. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until Feb 1st. To register for upcoming Zoom informational sessions (1 PM Dec. 12th and 10 AM Dec. 17th), or for any other questions, please email the Rev. Mariclair Partee Carlsen, National Coordinator at mparteecarlsen@preachingfoundation.org.
See more information.
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Forma Conference
January 27-30, 2025
Waycross Camp and Conference Center
The theme for Forma Annual Conference is "Come Away Together" which comes from Mark 6:31-32: "‘Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.’ Plenaries will explore themes of rest, retreat, and Sabbath. Join us January 27-30, 2025 at Waycross Camp!
Click here to register for this on-site event!
You can also review other on-site locations.
Visit the website to learn more about hosting an on-site event or participating via the virtual event.
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TREES! (Tree Grants)
Available to those in Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin
Faith in Place is offering this Tree Canopy Grants opportunity to support community organizations that plant and maintain trees on their property. Why? Because trees are an integral part of a healthy and thriving community and a way to care for our future generations.
More information and application
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The Brood: An Inclusive Ministry for Foster, Adoptive, and Kinship Families
In October 2021, with the support of the Diocese of Southern Ohio, "The Brood" launched. The Brood is a community of joyful belonging for foster, adoptive, and kinship families. We meet in-person and online, and families from anywhere and everywhere are invited to join us for our virtual caregiver support groups, book groups, and spiritual retreats. To learn more, contact Rev. Olivia Hamilton at olivia@calvaryclifton.org or sign up for our newsletter here!
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Book Corner
A richly illustrated collection of stories from the New Testament.
In this new children's Bible, Anglican priest and biblical scholar Rob James offers adaptations of fifty stories of Jesus’ life and ministry, as well as the experience of the early Church, designed for oral storytelling. From the Annunciation to the Resurrection appearances to Paul’s travels, Fifty New Testament Stories for Storytellers introduces children to the key events of the New Testament, whether at home, in church, or in school. Each story is beautifully and diversely illustrated by Anglican priest and artist Amanda Ruston, offering visual inspiration to readers and listeners alike. Designed for new and experienced storytellers, each two-page narrative is built for dramatic verbal delivery and audience participation. Ideas for enhancing the story are offered at the end of each narrative, which help bring the text alive.
“Fifty New Testament Stories for Storytellers . . . is an excellent resource for immersive and interactive biblical storytelling that will resonate with audiences of all ages.”
—Roger Hutchison, author of The Gift of Baptism and Sparrow's Prayer
Order from any Episcopal bookstore, Amazon, ChristianBook, or your favorite bookseller.
Hardcover | 9781640657403 | List Price: $19.95
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Using Picture Books for Racial Healing
Picture books offer an excellent way to discover, discuss, and share stories about topics that many people did not study in school but that are crucial to the work of repairing, healing, and seeing God in each other. Registration is open for Dismantling Racism training sessions taking place in the coming months. Miriam McKenney leads the trainings, which take place on Zoom.
A training course occurs during one month, so you only need to sign up for one.
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December 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 12 noon - 1 pm ET / 11 am - 12 noon CT. Sign up here.
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See the full calendar for next year.
Email the Diocese of Southern Ohio's Missioner for Beloved Community, Miriam McKenney, to learn more.
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Upcoming
Workshops
To see more information or register, visit the page with the full list of workshops.
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Finding Growth Opportunities Outside the Traditional Church Model 12/3 3:00pm ET. Registration.
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Crisis in the Sudans: Action Needed to Save Lives 12/10 3:00pm ET. Registration.
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Being Human & Pastoring Toward the Good Life 12/11 3:00pm ET. Registration.
Thanks to EPN for sponsoring Big Provincial Gathering 2024!
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Clergy Contemplative Renewal Immersions
The application window for the Contemplative Renewal Immersions at Holy Wisdom Monastery is open through January 31, 2025. This is an opportunity to journey as part of a cohort of pastors from across the country and multiple Christian traditions for two years of contemplative practice and renewal. The journey begins with two immersions at Holy Wisdom Monastery, an ecumenical Benedictine monastery nestled in 140 acres of restored prairie on the north edge of Madison, Wisconsin. The summer immersion will be held June 23-30, 2025. This will be followed by a winter immersion January 22-28, 2026 and small group online gatherings running through the summer of 2027. This program offers early and mid-career clergy the opportunity to nourish their spiritual center by developing life-long, covenantal relationships between clergy peers. It also supports clergy by developing their own spiritual practices and resilience.
Deadline is January 31, 2025.
To learn more and apply, please go to: https://holywisdommonastery.org/eccsr/contemplative-renewal-immersions/
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Agrarian Ministry Certificate Program
Agrarian Ministry Certificate - Launching in 2025
The Agrarian Ministry Certificate will be a new, hybrid program with the Stevenson School of Ministry and the Procter Center. Its purpose is to prepare church leaders to teach, lead, and inspire their faith communities to steward the land in a way that is faithful to our call as disciples of Jesus.
Brian Sellers Petersen of the Faithful Agrarian and Jerusalem Greer of the Procter Center, co-founders of the Good News Garden Movement, will convene the certificate program.
This certificate combines online convenings, a directed final project, and an in-person retreat at the Procter Center. Learn more.
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Religious Life Sunday
What is Religious Life Sunday?
The General Convention of The Episcopal Church approved resolution 2022-B004, “Foundation of Religious Life Sunday,” to be held each year on the 3rd Sunday of Epiphany. This observance focuses our efforts to tell all Episcopalians and Anglicans about our monastic and Christian Communities and what we offer the church.
Are you longing for spiritual companionship and for resources to help on your spiritual journey? Are you seeking to deepen your relationship with God and to center your life on Christ?
We believe that religious life has something to offer everyone!
As monks and nuns, sisters and brothers in religious life, we are trained and formed by traditions and practices that foster spiritual growth and discernment. The communities that we build among ourselves spill over in love as we offer hospitality to all in Christ's name. We teach about prayer, lead retreats, give spiritual direction, give guidance in writing and living a rule of life, make presentations about the spiritual journey, and provide spiritual friendship. We are also eager to welcome new members to enter into our life and to carry forward our ministries and traditions.
Visit the website to learn more.
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Advent Resources from ERD
Episcopal Relief and Development has created this collection of free and downloadable resources to help you spread the word about Gifts for Life within your congregation or community. One person can have a big impact. But when a community works hand in hand, it can create something even more powerful!
Gifts for Life is the perfect opportunity to bring your congregation together and watch it have a major, lasting impact. It's easy to spread the word about Gifts for Life this Advent too with our Church Resource Toolkit: a series of downloadable materials to share with your parish!
Download here
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Sketchy Friends Retreat
DeKoven Center’s Sketchy Friends Retreat is a wintertime sketch event, offering you a cozy place to be with your sketch friends for a 3-night stay, 4 classes and 6 fun and unique sketch opportunities! Your instructors will be Patti Fallon (Sketching with Paint Markers), Kris Von Stockum (Mixing Up the Composition), and Rachael Pasch Grossman (Sketching with Gouache). We will be learning new techniques and visiting local iconic restaurants to practice … including the famous Well’s Bros Pizzeria and Hob Nob Supper Club.
Beautiful and historic Taylor Hall, provides class space, lodging and dining facilities, ample parking, elevator access and complimentary WiFi. We are located on the shores of Lake Michigan in the Southside Historic District of Racine, WI.
Our guest rooms offer unique charm with a comfortable and restful atmosphere. Shared bathrooms offer privacy stalls. Our meals will be shared in our beautiful dining room. We will develop a meal plan to accommodate food allergies and special diets including vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free options.
For more information and to register, please visit the link below:
https://www.dekovencenter.org/sketchy-friends-2025
Thenk you to DeKoven, who was a sponsor of BPG 2024!
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To get a reminder for any of these events, reply to this email. A special reminder is sent for each network.
ALL are welcome to attend these Zoom conversations. Please share the information with friends, colleagues, and in your parish newsletter. Most network meetings last about 60 minutes. See their webpages or email their contact for more information. For a full list of Networks and other Affiliated Organizations, visit the Province V website.
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Archivists
Date of next meeting:
Dec 9, 11 am ET / 10 am CT
Zoom link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89950734030 (password: 5)
Convener: Brian Wilbert, Ohio
webpage: https://www.provincev.org/archivist.html
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Creation Care
Date of next meeting:
Dec 9, 1 pm ET / 12 noon CT
Zoom link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82932843412
(password: 5)
Convener: Jeanette Ettin, Eastern Michigan
webpage: https://www.provincev.org/creation.html
Blueberry Award Books to Green your Children's Formation Programming!
Looking for ways to incorporate Creation Care into your Children's Formation offerings and programs? Want some new ideas for engaging kids in learning about God's creation? Hoping young families and tweens can be incorporated into Creation Care initiatives at church? Come join us for a fun and fast paced introduction to the Blueberry Awards, a new children's literature book award annually honoring the 35 best nature & climate books of the year for kids ages 3 through 10 and up!
• Learn about how the Blueberry Awards, announced annually in mid - March just in time for Earth Day activities and programs, can be your yearly reference for great Creation Care books for kids!
• Hear book-talks of some of the 2022 and 2023 books!
• Find out how churches in Evanston IL have used Blueberry Awards books to supplement their Children's Formation programs.
• Learn how to apply Blueberry criteria to nature and climate books to avoid creating climate anxiety in kids (and learn about mitigating it, too!)
Biography
Martha Meyer is the founder of the annual Blueberry Award, showcasing the year's best climate and nature books for kids 3 -10+, announced in mid-March every year, just in time to be ready for Earth Day! She's a Children's library assistant at the Evanston Public Library and manages the Kids Newsletter. She's also the former Green Team leader at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Evanston and represents St Luke's at our city's Interfaith Action Subcommittee on Climate and Climate Justice. She worked with that committee to create Evanston's first annual all faith Earth Day Prayer for the Planet on Earth Day eve. She's a graduate of the Certificate in Contemplation and Creation Care at Deep Green Faith and was grateful to study under Jerry Cappel and other teachers and leaders in that program. She's both a Healing Minister and a Eucharistic assistant at St. Luke's and works on the Formation Committee, helping to create Eco-Friendly programming.
Contact Info
Martha Meyer
Cell 847-644-5563
msmeyer@cityofevanston.org
(mmeyerii@gmail.com home, but checked less often)
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Young Adult / Campus Ministry
SPECIAL DATE: Meet the new Campus Ministry Developer
Date of next meeting:
Jan 14, 11 am ET / 10 am CT
Zoom link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88386235160
(password 5)
Convener: Matthew Lukens, Michigan
webpage:
https://www.provincev.org/yacm.html
Campus Ministers meet the new Campus Ministry Developer on Jan 14!
Young Adult and Student event!
Feb. 7-9, 2025
Chicago
Registration is open
If this is your ministry area, make sure that you're part of the Google Group!
province-v-yacm@googlegroups.com
This is a new group name, so please update in your address book.
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Dismantling Racism
Note Date!
Date of next meeting:
Jan 9, 1 pm ET / 12 noon CT
Zoom link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83673680882
(password: 5)
webpage:
https://www.provincev.org/dismantlingracis
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Lay-Led Congregations
Date of next meeting:
Dec 14, 11 am ET / 10 am CT
Join the network as we work with a leadership coach to develop a plan for the network going forward.
Zoom link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81619667819
(password: 5)
Convener: Jim Mogensen, Michigan
webpage:
https://www.provincev.org/layledcongregations.html
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Migration Ministries
Date of next meeting:
Jan 21, 8 pm ET / 7 pm C
Zoom link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81246380265
(password: 5)
Conveners: Silvia Huth, Michigan and
Jack Lloyd, Chicago
webpage: https://www.provincev.org/migration.html
Read the full Migration with Dignity article, which includes many helpful steps for you to take in your ministry context and local community. Join us for a conversation in January!
Episcopal Migration Response Network
Episcopal Migration Ministry hosts an Asylum and Detention Ministry Network that meets virtually on the fourth Wednesday of every month. The Ministry Network’s collaborative work and conversation focus on best practice-sharing in areas of direct service, organizing, advocacy actions, Christian formation and worship resources, and community education to protect asylum, promote humane and dignified alternatives to detention, and to support asylum seekers and those harmed by the immigration detention system. Learn more and register to attend meetings here.
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Youth and Children
Convener: Carmen Piggins, Michigan
webpage:
https://www.provincev.org/youth.html
Zoom Link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87530910317 (password: 5)
Join into conversations with others!
ALL Youth and Children Ministers
Jan 16, 3 pm ET / 2 pm CT
This is the first of these gatherings! If your ministry leads you to working with children and youth, we welcome you! You might be lay or ordained, volunteered or paid, in a parish, community setting, connected with a camp, or diocesan staff. We look forward to this time together!
Diocesan Youth Workers
If you are the youth minister for your diocese (or the main contact for youth work in your diocese), you are invited to join this conversation. Contact Carmen Piggins for the dates and details.
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There are a number of organizations affiliated with the Episcopal Church and working across Province V. These groups have a "structure" that is more organized than a network. They have resources and information that are useful in your local ministry contexts.
For a full list of Affiliated Organizations, visit the Province V website.
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Register Your ECW or Women’s Ministry
The national ECW is asking all parish and diocesan Episcopal Church Women (ECW) and Women Ministries to register their group.
They need your contact information to better serve you. Registration is as simple as completing the an online form. As they gather this list of ministries, they will be able to assist those groups that register with a wider umbrella of support services.
https://ecwnational.org/register-your-ecw/
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Church Periodical Club Update
Watch for the Epiphany Challenge and check out the website.
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United Thank Offering
Download all of the details!
Find information about the Christmas resources here.
Order your UTO Lenten materials by Jan 8.
Saturday, December 7, 2024 from 9a-11a Eastern Time: Final Open Office Hours
You can find the link to register along with all of the dates and times for open office hours on the helpful hints page.
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Plainsong Farm and Episcopal Service Corps announcement
Plainsong Farm in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is cultivating a place where people are needed and belong - a place where people use their bodies to tend the land, nourish their neighbors, and ground themselves in hope and life-giving rhythms.
Plainsong’s Residential Fellowship invites young adults, ages 21 to 32, to live into rhythms of tending, nourishing, and grounding. The fellowship offers immersive experiences and education in small-scale regenerative agriculture, spiritual practice, and communal living. Plainsong Farm is an ecumenical ministry whose fellowship is a part of the Episcopal Service Corps program. Applicants from all denominations, traditions, and levels of faith commitment are welcome. Apply for Plainsong's 2025 fellowship (January 19 - October 31) via the Episcopal Service Corps Common Application. https://episcopalservicecorps.org
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Young Adult Service Corps
Seeking Episcopalians ages 21 to 35 interested in international mission engagement, the church’s Young Adult Service Corps (YASC) is accepting applications for 2025 placements. The deadline to apply online is Jan. 31.
For more than two decades, YASC participants have served in areas of administration/communication, agriculture, community development, education, health care, parish ministry/chaplaincy, social services, youth work, and more, while participating in the daily life and ministry of churches, cathedrals, and dioceses around the Anglican Communion. Learn more in this new “Discover YASC” video.
Read the full press release.
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Financial Assistance
Financial assistance for Episcopal deacons and those in formation
The Fund for the Diaconate offers two types of supportive financial aid – monthly stipends for basic living expenses, and one-time grants. Visit the website for details. https://www.fundfordiaconate.org/supporting-grants.html
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ECF is excited to announce that 2025 applications are now open for the Fellowship Partners Program! Since 1964, ECF has supported over 200 dedicated lay and clergy leaders through this program, empowering them with resources for advanced academic studies and specialized ministries that strengthen The Episcopal Church's mission and impact. Fellows who are selected have a significant track record of going on to share their knowledge, experience, and best practices with the wider Church in transformative ways. We encourage all applicants to begin early to ensure a strong application. The deadline to apply is March 11, 2025, and the selected Fellows will be announced in June 2025.
Click here for more information: https://www.ecf.org/programs/fellowship-partners-program
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Upcoming Events and Webinars | |
Province V Executive Board | |
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Do you have questions about Province V? Would you like to be more involved in planning the events that are offered at the provincial level? The Executive Board of the Province meets monthly on fourth Tuesdays at 3 pm ET / 2 pm CT via zoom.
Contact your diocesan representative to the Executive Board:
Mr. Rick Stanitis, Northern Michigan, President
The Rt. Rev. Matthew Gunter, Wisconsin, Vice President
The Rev. Garron Daniels, Springfield, Secretary
Ms. Rebecca Elfring-Roberts, Chicago, Treasurer
Ms. Louisa McKellaston, Executive Council Representative
The Rev. M.E. Eccles, Executive Council Representative
Ms. Laura Jackson, Chicago
Dr. Elizabeth Jordan, Great Lakes
Ms. Lesley MacKellar, Indianapolis
Mr. Luke Thompson, Michigan
Ms. Betty Bowersox, Missouri
The Rev. Dr. Terri Bays, Northern Indiana
The Rev. Steve Godfrey, Northern Michigan
The Rev. Rachel Harrison, Ohio
Mr. Edward Lasseigne, Southern Ohio
Ms. Carol McCrary, Springfield
The Rev. Marlene Hogue, Wisconsin
Heather Barta, Province V Coordinator
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