Join us for an exciting, new virtual learning and enrichment series. Together we'll dive deeper into four diocesan priority areas: Peace & Justice, Evangelism, Discipleship, and Leadership.
Transformation Academy is offered over four months and features national speakers and local leaders from our diocese discussing issues that transform the way we serve the Church's mission.
Get ready to “be transformed by the renewing of your minds” (Rom 12:2) as we learn together at the Transformation Academy!
Transformation Academy is an exciting series of keynote presentations coupled with two different breakout groups to dive deeper into transformational ministry. Please register for both the keynote presentation and a breakout group.
|
|
Peace & Justice Academy - Thursday, March 18
Peace, Justice, and Local Church Ministries
Rev. Traci Blackmon Minister of Justice & Local Church Ministries for the United Church of Christ
Breakout 1: Rev. Rebecca Dinovo
Pursuing Peace & Justice in EDSD
Breakout 2: Deann Rios
Pursuing Peace & Justice in EDSD
|
|
Discipleship Academy - Thursday, April 15
Formed for Relationship-Discipleship in the Episcopal Church
Rev. Canon Dawn Davis, Assistant Professor of Contextual Theology and Director of Leadership for Ministry Programs at Huron University College
Breakout 1: Dawn Davis
Let us Pray: Learning the formational practice of praying out loud
Breakout 2: Charlette Preslar -Youth Ministry
"What is Youth Group?" How to create and sustain a dynamic youth ministry
|
|
Leadership Academy - Thursday, May 20
Pivoting to New Realities: Adaptive Leadership for a Post-Pandemic Church
Breakout 1: Davey Gerhard
Year-round Stewardship
Breakout 2: Rev. Canon Gwynn Lynch
Vestry 101
|
|
Evangelism Academy - Thursday, June 17
Joining God in Mission
Dwight Zscheile, vice president of innovation and associate professor of congregational mission and leadership at Luther Seminary
Breakout 1: Rev. Frank Munoz
Military Missions: Welcoming our Military Neighbors
Breakout 2: Rev. Darin Johnson
Campus Missions: Welcoming our College Student Neighbors
|
|
Interim Diocesan Finance and Operations Consultants
|
|
As we announced last week, The Rev. Kirby Smith, our diocesan Chief Financial Officer, is leaving his position at the diocese on Feb. 19 for a call as priest-in-charge at All Saints' Vista. We are glad to continue in ministry with him in a different way!
Soon, we will open a search for Kirby's replacement on diocesan staff. For the next two to three months, we are pleased to welcome two familiar faces to our interim staff, both serving as part-time consultants. Julie Young, our former Canon for Finance and Administration, will come out of retirement to serve as our Consultant for Finance. Lesslie Keller, the recently retired Chief Executive Officer of Episcopal Community Services, will serve as Interim Consultant for Business Operations. We are so grateful for these good friends who will pinch-hit for us over the next few months while we prepare to search for a new head of our finance department.
|
|
|
|
Julie Young is the retired Canon for Finance and Administration for the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego who served under Bishops James Mathes and Katharine Jefferts Schori. Julie holds a Masters in Business Administration degree from UC Berkeley, and she is an active member of Christ Church in Coronado. Julie has an excellent track record of leading the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego toward financial and administrative stability. Julie can be contacted at [email protected]
|
|
|
|
Lesslie Keller has recently retired from Episcopal Community Services, where she served as CEO for many years. At ECS, she had oversight responsibility for a budget in excess of $24 million operating a variety of programs serving people suffering from mental illness, homelessness, addiction, and poverty. She has over twenty years’ experience as a CEO/CFO in nonprofit entities responsible for oversight of all operational activities, including alignment with strategic plans, community relations, fundraising, budget creation, financial monitoring, and working closely with Boards of Directors to achieve mission objectives.Lesslie can be contacted at [email protected]
|
|
Revive Programming for Lent |
|
Revive is a flexible program designed to help leaders of practical church ministry become confident spiritual leaders. Participants gain confidence in praying, understanding, and discussing scripture and will develop a sense of call to ministry.
Revive Lent is a supplemental seasonal resource for adapting the full program to fit this holy season. Six sessions, complete with outlines, video instruction, devotional practices, and discussion starters, are provided for small groups that want to grow in intimacy with God as followers of Jesus.
Revive Lent comprises 5 sessions:
- Session 1: Discovering your spiritual story
- Session 2: Telling your spiritual story
- Session 3: What is prayer, and how do we pray?
- Session 4: Making space and praying the Lectio and Visio Divina
- Session 5: Praying through the hurt
The program works well online, as communities continue to adhere to physical distancing guidelines. Through video conferencing platforms, participants are able to gather for sessions regularly.
Click here to learn more about Revive Lent and the full program.
The Episcopal Diocese of San Diego has provided access to the Revive programs for free. Please Contact Canon Christian Gillette at [email protected] as soon as possible for more information on how your congregation can participate in this exciting discovery and discernment process during the upcoming season of Lent.
|
|
Listening to Learn: Lent Speaker Series |
|
Christ Church in Coronado invites you to the Listening to Learn: Lent Speaker Series held on Wednesdays at 6pm throughout Lent.
As we lean into this last stretch of isolation during our prolonged season of pandemic, you are invited to use this time of quiet and quarantine productively by turning your listening ear to God and to each other. Now is our opportunity to discern who we are and where we are headed. Our Lenten time of reflection and listening will prepare us for rebuilding ourselves, our church, and our society come Eastertide.
It is time to get ready for post-pandemic life, a life to be made in God's image rather than our own. And the discernment of our life in Christ together begins with deep listening. Through prayer, education, and conversation in community, God's call to us will become more clear. Learn More
|
|
Making our Faith Places, Safe Places |
|
Interfaith’s Multi-City Racial Reconciliation Coalition is excited to announce the launch of “Making Our Faith Places Safe Places,” an anti-racism curriculum developed by more than 40 diverse faith leaders. We invite you to join the 15,000+ congregation members and counting to engage in the training during the Ghandhi King Season of Nonviolence.
Recognizing the importance of addressing racism and making places of worship safe for all, local faith leaders of the Evangelical Christian, Episcopalian, Catholic, Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, Jewish, Muslim, Bahai, and Sikh faiths came together and created “Making Our Faith Places Safe Places.”
Join the next “Multi-City Racial Reconciliation Coalition" meeting:
What: Walk-through of curriculum and forum for questions.
When: Tuesday, February 23, 2021 | 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
If you are unable to join us for the meeting, a recording of the training session and a written guide will be available upon request by filling out the form at www.interfaithservices.org/faith.
|
|
Lenten Creation Care Book Study |
|
Join us for a Diocesan-wide, virtual
Creation Care book study during Lent!
Wednesdays, Feb. 24 - March 24, 7-8pm
More than ever before, people of faith are called to pray, learn, and act for Creation Care! The Episcopal Diocese of San Diego invites you to read Climate Church, Climate World: How People of Faith Must Work for Change by Jim Antal along with others from across the Diocese and meet on Wednesday nights to discuss it - or watch the recorded discussions when you can. Together we will learn about our current reality, how our faith relates to stewardship of the environment, and what we can do to make a difference.
"Jim Antal shows how the church can engage in the urgent moral crisis of climate change. This book will inspire both the courage and conviction people of faith need to provide the leadership necessary to realize God’s dream of a just world in which humanity is reconciled to all creation.” -Desmond Tutu, Archbishop Emeritus
Each participant is asked to buy a book, and a free study guide will be provided. Sessions will be facilitated by clergy and leaders from St. Paul’s Cathedral, Camp Stevens, St. Luke’s, St. Timothy’s, and St. Margaret’s.
You can check out our book study flyer here, and register today!
If you have questions, please contact Diane Lopez Hughes, Co-Leader of Simpler Living at St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral, at [email protected] or Deann Rios, Co-Missioner of Peace & Justice for the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego, at [email protected].
|
|
Community Film Discussion on Racism in America |
|
Thursday, February 25, 12 - 1:30 p.m.
Hosted by St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church Peace & Justice Ministry
Backs Against the Wall: This film explores the extraordinary life of Howard Thurman, author of “Jesus and the Disinherited,” a core book in the Sacred Ground curriculum. Thurman was also a teacher, poet, in his heart a mystic, and proponent of the non-violent struggle for social change. Jesse Jackson, Otis Moss, Jr., and others speak about Thurman’s spirit being foundational in their lives. Congressman John Lewis calls him the patron saint of the Civil Rights Movement.
We hope you will join us for a 90-minute discussion of this compelling film over lunch.
|
|
New TENS Resources and Log-in for 2021 |
|
The diocese is a member of TENS (The Episcopal Network for Stewardship), an association of church leaders, both lay and ordained, “who are committed to living generously and helping others live lives of generosity.”
All churches in the diocese can access member resources, which include creative materials for the annual pledge campaign. To access TENS membership materials please contact Director of Communications, Chris Tumilty for the new TENS password.
|
|
ATTENTION: Parochial Reports Due March 1 |
|
The Rev. Canon Gwynn Lynch and the Rev. Kirby Smith held a meeting on January 25 to better understand the new parochial report format and how to treat items that were impacted by COVID-19.
|
|
PPP Loans and Grants on Parochial Report Form |
|
How to Handle PPP Loans and Grants on the Parochial Report Form
Since several congregations received the first round of PPP loans during 2020, we want to make sure things are treated consistently in the diocese. The instructions available at https://www.generalconvention.org/forms-and-instructions provide clear guidance about treating loans and/or grants.
At the advice of the Diocesan CPA Consultant and according to the latest in GAAP guidance, the diocese feels it is better to treat all PPP loans as grants--if in fact you believe that the entire amount will be forgiven and converted to a grant, even if it hadn't taken place before Dec 31, 2020.
If you know a portion will not be converted--then continue following the guidelines and treat that portion as a loan.
By definition, the PPP loans were used to pay for normal operating expenses (payroll, rent, utilities, etc.) in 2020 and should be reflected in line 5. If you did not include the PPP loan/grant in 2020, then you would have to show payment of the operating expenses from other sources, such as money from investments (line 4). Next year would be complicated, then, because you won't be able to match the timing of the revenue used to pay for the expenses in that period.
Our guidance is to put any or all of the PPP loan that you expect to be converted to a grant on line 5 and the full amount of the loan on line 22. Please contact Nagham Hakeem with questions.
|
|
RefugeeNet offers Live Show, Dancing, and More |
|
RefugeeNet invites you to register today by clicking here for a live show from 5 to 6:30 pm on February 27 that will include cooking and dancing lessons, African music, and life-changing testimonials that you can enjoy from the comfort of your home. Pre-order a reheatable meal prepared by our new Mama African catering project and we'll deliver it to your home the night of the event! And keep your eyes out for a range of auction items in the weeks ahead. Questions? Contact the Rev. Colin Matthewson at [email protected].
|
|
RenewalWorks for Lent: Where is God Calling Us to Grow? |
|
What is RenewalWorks and how can it help your church?
Through an anonymous online evaluation of each parishioner, and a series of guided workshop discussions with our staff, the RenewalWorks process helps churches (and the individuals in them) refocus on spiritual growth and identify ways that God is calling them to grow. The methodology has been tailored to the Episcopal tradition, adapting over 10 years of research that has uncovered key characteristics of flourishing congregations. It will inspire your congregation and leadership to rediscover who Jesus is, and what it means to follow him.
How does it work?
The RenewalWorks process begins with an anonymous, confidential, online survey (we call it the Episcopal Spiritual Life Inventory) taken by congregants, exploring that individual’s spiritual life. Individual responses are combined and viewed as a group, providing a snapshot of the spiritual vitality of the congregation based on research from more than 1,800 churches (of all denominations) and almost 500,000 congregants.
When can you participate?
Although you could launch RenewalWorks at any time, several congregations in EDSD are planning to participate in RenewalWorks during this upcoming season of Lent. This project is perfectly suited to the reflective spirit of this season and would provide an opportunity for us to seek God's direction together, even as we remain socially distanced.
Contact Canon Christian Gillette at [email protected] as soon as possible for more information on how your congregation can participate in this exciting discovery and discernment process during the upcoming season of Lent.
|
|
Building Intentional Small Groups
|
|
The purpose of an intentional faith-based small group is to build trusting relationships with God and one another. When we meet each other for conversation, practice, and prayer, we learn how to love. Call it a small group, discipleship circle, neighborhood group, life group or cell gathering – whatever the name, a small group provides space for prayerful support and accountability as we seek to live the Jesus Way.
Your small group may be a new discipleship group or you may decide to add a new level of intention to a circle like the vestry, Bible study, youth group, altar guild, choir, or chapters of the Episcopal Church Women, the Brotherhood of St. Andrew, or Daughters of the King. The goal is to open the door for God to works on us, in us, and through us, in powerful ways in the context of a small, intentional, dedicated group of disciples.
If you would like to know more about small group discipleship, or would like assistance starting a small group ministry in your congregation please email Canon Christian Gillette at [email protected].
|
|
Beware of Phishing Attempts |
|
If you receive a suspicious email from an address that seems to be Bishop Susan, but it is not from an @edsd.org email account, it is a phishing attempt. Bishop Susan will never email you asking for funds or financial support by way of gift cards. Nor will the bishop's emails be filled with grammatical errors. Every official email from the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego comes from an @edsd.org email address. |
|
Phishing is a cyber attack that uses disguised email as a weapon. The goal is to trick the email recipient into believing that the message is something they want or need — a request from their bank, for instance, or a note from someone in their company — and to click a link or download an attachment.
|
|
Faith to Go: Your weekly formation resources |
|
|
|
A Weekly, On The Go Resource for Parents and Non-Parents Alike
Hosted by the Faith To Go team in the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego, David Tremaine and Charlette Preslar. Joined each week by a special guest, the Faith To Go team highlights themes from the Sunday Gospel reading for you to take into your faith discussions and reflections throughout the week. More Here
|
|
EDSD.org Under Construction |
|
404 Error: Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.
EDSD.org is going through some changes. You may find that your bookmarked or saved links are now broken, or that information you're used to finding has been moved.
Please be patient as we work to update EDSD.org to better serve you into the future. If you have questions or come across a broken link, please email Director of Communications, Chris Tumilty. Thank you for your help while we work to better our digital presence.
|
|
Resources for Emotional Support |
|
The coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak is changing life for all of us. You may feel anxious, stressed, worried, sad, bored, depressed, lonely or frustrated in these circumstances.
You’re not alone!
Find resources to connect with real people that can help, here.
|
|
TENS Offers Resources for Virtual Stewardship |
|
The Episcopal Network For Stewardship (TENS) provides virtual stewardship materials that are free to all congregations in the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego via our diocesan TENS membership. This year, TENS is providing resources that help congregations with virtual stewardship campaigns.
TENS member resources are available to all congregations in the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego via the diocesan membership. For login information, contact Director of Communications, Chris Tumilty at [email protected] or Executive Assistant to the Bishop, Keren Mondaca, at [email protected].
|
|
Public Statement of our Commitment |
|
Any church in our diocese is welcome to use this statement, for instance as a clergy-vestry joint statement, or as an ongoing statement in your bulletin. |
|
As part of the Jesus Movement and the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego, we pledge to love our neighbors and protect the most vulnerable among us, remembering our baptismal vows to “strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being.” We live these pledges out by actively engaging in dismantling racism. For many of us, this will mean learning more about our racial identity, listening to those who have experienced racial prejudice, speaking out against racism, and showing up alongside those in our community working to change unjust systems in our society. We also live out this pledge at worship during this pandemic, by wearing face-coverings, respecting distancing guidelines, foregoing the common cup and refraining from congregational singing. |
|
The Episcopal Diocese of San Diego is here to support you through this difficult time. The sudden impact of COVID-19 on our community-life does not mean we need to give up community. Find a list of resources that can help here: including a bulletin for Morning Prayer, resources for online giving for your congregation, help in setting up video meetings, Faith at Home resources, and more.
|
|
Diocesan Staff: Working Remotely |
|
|
|
|
|
|
