Exploring Evangelism, Outreach, and Missional Ministry |
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You are invited to be a part of an exciting new workshop that will enable you to step into our calling to share The Good News of Jesus Christ with the people in our lives. If you want to learn more about evangelism and inviting people into Christian community, then this workshop is for you!
Join Canon Christian Gillette on zoom beginning next week, on Wednesday, March 3, from 5pm- 6pm (and then for subsequent sessions, date/time TBD) to start learning the basics of evangelism: What is it? How do we do it? We’ll talk about how to utilize the digital tools that we’ve learned over the past year to reach out to people online. We’ll also be learning how to form and lead missional communities- both virtually and in real life. If you don’t know what a missional community is or what digital evangelism could even look like, don’t worry. We’ll start from the beginning and learn together how to live as missional-incarnational people- or what I like to call, a family on mission.
This ongoing workgroup is open to both lay and clergy, young and old; anybody who wants to learn how to do genuine, non-awkward evangelism.
If you are interested in attending the introductory session on Wed. March 3 from 5pm-6pm, please email Canon Christian at [email protected]
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Litany of Prayer for Vietnam Veterans Sunday |
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By: The Rev. Dr. Frank Munoz
Miltary Missioner, EDSD
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Vietnam Veterans' Recognition Act of 2017 designated March 29th as the day to commemorate the service and death 58,000 Americans, nearly 500,000 Americans and 850,000 allies that served during the war in South Vietnam (November 1, 1955 – April 30, 1975). The men and women who served did not get any thanks when they returned home; most were treated with ridicule and insults. Their service has passed in our churches with little or no mention. Historically and traditionally, Veterans' Day has been more a civic than a sacred observance. As with New Years Day, Mother's Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and others, Veterans' Day is not a part of the liturgical calendar — although sometimes our churches have observed these days in some manner. The Episcopal Diocese of San Diego has designated Sunday March 28th as a day to recognize the service and deaths of our veterans and their families. The honor and thanks for veterans should be in a context of prayer. This is not the time for a rehearsal of our national concerns, but when we assemble for worship, it is as citizens of God's kingdom in Jesus Christ, not as citizens ultimately subject to any nation. In worship, we celebrate the good news of God's grace and love manifest in Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace, Lord and Savior of the world, in whom all the creation is redeemed and is to be restored for the glory of God.
Fr. Munoz will deliver to you certificates of commemoration, lapel pins and buttons for distribution at your services. Please contact him at [email protected] or at 858-395-0203
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Diocesan Military Cycle of Prayer Now Available |
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Third Sunday in Lent – The First Sunday after Christmas 2021
The week of March 7, 2021 – Third Sunday in Lent
On our military cycle of prayer we pray for all staff and patients of the Veterans Medical Center, San Diego.
The week of March 14, 2021 – Fourth Sunday in Lent
On our military cycle of prayer we pray for the crew of USS Lincoln (CVN-72).
The week of March 21, 2021 – Fifth Sunday in Lent
On our military cycle of prayer we pray for the crews of Expeditionary Strike Group 3.
The week of March 28, 2021 – Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday
On our military cycle of pray we pray for all Vietnam Veterans.
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Transformation Academy Beginning in March |
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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.
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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
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Breakout 1: The Rev. Rebecca Dinovo
Responding to Injustice: What is the role of the Church Biblically and Theologically?
Breakout 2: Deann Rios and the Rev. Janine Schenone
Make a Difference through Advocacy and Protest
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Diocesan Staff Changes: Welcome Anabel |
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The Diocesan Staff welcomes a new accountant, Anabel Gil-Cazarez, to the staff. Anabel was born and raised in Mexico and is happily married with two children. With a diverse background in accounting, Anabel will be responsible for general diocesan accounting, HR, and more. You can expect to work with Anabel when following up on Parochial Reports, Congregational Annual Reports, Monthly Operational Reports, and in preparation for audits.
“I am very grateful to have the opportunity to belong to an institution like EDSD, and I hope to contribute and do my best during this time,” said Anabel. You can contact Anabel and welcome her to the Diocese at [email protected].
Destiny Cisneros will be leaving the Diocesan Staff on February 26. Her work and ministry have been filled with love and care. We wish Destiny well and look forward to hearing about the wonderful, future ministries she will develop.
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Holy Cross Begins New Journey |
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Holy Cross has been a pilgrim congregation since its beginning. Having started as a mission in 1986, the congregation has never built its own building. Holy Cross has worshipped in a deli, next to animal rescues, and for the last eight years, rented in a business park in Bressi Ranch, a section of Carlsbad. Holy Cross is making a bold step to move out of our current building in Carlsbad. I am pleased to announce that for the next six months, Holy Cross will be space sharing with Oceanside Sanctuary as we explore a more fulsome revisioning and relocating process. Read More
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Saturday: RefugeeNet offers Live Show and More |
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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].
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Revive Programming for Lent |
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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.
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Lenten Creation Care Book Study |
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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].
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New TENS Resources and Log-in for 2021 |
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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.
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ATTENTION: Parochial Reports Due March 1 |
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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.
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PPP Loans and Grants on Parochial Report Form |
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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.
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RenewalWorks for Lent: Where is God Calling Us to Grow? |
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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.
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Building Intentional Small Groups
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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].
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Beware of Phishing Attempts |
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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. |
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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.
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Faith to Go: Your weekly formation resources |
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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
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EDSD.org Under Construction |
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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.
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Resources for Emotional Support |
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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.
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Public Statement of our Commitment |
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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. |
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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. |
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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.
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Diocesan Staff: Working Remotely |
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