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.

Join us on Saturday, March 20, 10AM PST.
Learning objectives include:

  • Learning how to separate Stewardship from Fundraising

  • Best practices to grow Generosity in your ministry

  • How to build a year-round calendar of Stewardship Formation, Liturgy, and Action

  • Four easy things you can do to keep the conversation on gratitude going!
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. 

Here is additional important information regarding 2020 Parochial Reports from the Secretary of General Convention.
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.
Salt & Light: The Year of Evangelism
The Year of Evangelism
By: Canon Christian Gillette

What comes to mind when you hear the word “evangelism?”

Awkward conversations? Missionaries in far off lands? Questionable theology? If that sounds about right, then I want you to know that you are not alone. To be perfectly honest, the concept of Christian Evangelism used to make me really nervous. I couldn’t quite get the nerve up to “share my faith” because I had been taught that it needed to look and sound a certain way. And because that “certain way” seemed awkward at best, and coercive at worst, I avoided it! But that was before I learned what Christian Evangelism is really all about.

What if I told you that the word “evangelism” simply means “bringing good news?” Because that’s exactly what it means! That’s it. There’s no transaction involved, there are no expectations from the one to whom the good news is given, no convincing that needs to be done. Read More
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 cgillette@edsd.org 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. 
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 dianelopezhughes@me.com or Deann Rios, Co-Missioner of Peace & Justice for the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego, at drios@edsd.org
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 colin@refugee-net.org.
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 cgillette@edsd.org 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. 

In order to help encourage this kind of discipleship, The Episcopal Church has created a comprehensive small group guide, entitled "Building an Intentional Small Group Ministry." This resource, as well as others, can be found at DiscipleshipEDSD.org

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 cgillette@edsd.org
Amendments to Congregational By-Laws
A number of congregations are concerned about how to hold annual meetings as required by their by-laws, including whether virtual meetings would be required. The Standing Committee is required to approve any amendments to congregational By-Laws. Below, we are offering a template for By-Law amendments that could be approved by the Bishop and Standing Committee under a streamlined process.
 
This process is based on the changes made to the diocesan canons to accommodate complications of the pandemic. These changes hinge on a Declaration of Extraordinary Circumstances, which includes the Coronavirus Pandemic. Once the Declaration is in effect, the Bishop and Executive Council have significant latitude in modifying our methods of doing business, which could include granting a “waiver, relaxation or other adjustments of the mandates of bylaws or other governing documents that would be applicable to a congregation.” 
 
Accordingly, we are offering this template to congregations to use if they wish. If your Bylaws do not allow for virtual annual meetings, you may either work these into your Bylaws or adopt them as an addendum to the Bylaws. 
 
If your Vestry or Bishop’s Committee votes to incorporate the Amendment below into its By-Laws, you MUST apply for the Bishop’s approval under the streamlined process that has been approved.

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 weekMore 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 ctumilty@edsd.org or Executive Assistant to the Bishop, Keren Mondaca, at kmondaca@edsd.org.
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.
Checklist to Resume In-Person Worship
Due to a spike in Covid-19 cases, indoor worship is suspended in our diocese. Both the bishop and the state of California have issued guidelines for in-person worship. A congregational checklist that consolidates and simplifies these guidelines can be found here.

Some counties have also issued separate guidelines and requirements, so please check your local county guidelines. Please note that San Diego County requires that a Reopening Plan be posted in a public place. The template for the plan can be found here. 
COVID-19 Resources
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.
If you have or need any type of resource that is not listed here, please email Christian Gillette, Canon for Evangelism and Discipleship with your materials or request. 
Diocesan Staff: Working Remotely
holy trinity building
Due to COVID-19 the Diocesan Staff will be working remotely. You can find contact information for each of the staff members here. Feel free, as always, to call Bishop Susan, Canon Gwynn, Canon Christian, Rev. Kirby, or Chris for any reason. Please email the other members of the Diocesan Staff as their cell phone numbers are not listed.