E-Communiqué: Good News for Parent and Child, Grants to 24 Churches, Countdown to Camp and More

Forward to a friend so they can

"Let the Little Children Come to Me"

by Nancy Chafin

When All Saints Sharon Chapel in Northern Virginia launched its Catechesis of the Good Shepherd ministry in 2001, it had only a few families with children. But Sharon Chapel felt called to begin this ministry and reach out to young families in the community – particularly young families just beginning their journey of faith – often prompted by the birth of a child.

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is a Christian formation program serving children from infancy, toddlerhood, through age 12. It brings parent and child together in an “Atrium” space for religious learning that is immersive and interactive – teaching children about the life of Christ, the Eucharist, and other sacraments and traditions in the church. It also equips parents to incorporate religious activities into daily life at home.

Since starting the program in 2001, All Saints' Catechesis grew from serving three families to more than 100 newcomers and many more online through its weekday Parent Toddler evangelism and outreach. Once the pandemic hit, All Saints’ ministry partnered with local Episcopal parishes like St. George’s, Arlington, and other churches from around the U.S. All Saints received a surge of newcomers online, mostly parents in Northern Va., Md. and D.C., who wanted to nurture the spiritual lives of their children in this unique, holistic approach. Read on.

Announcing the Recipients of the 2023 Diocesan Grants

The Executive Board of the Diocese is pleased to announce the recipients of the Bishop’s Appeal and Peter James Lee Small Church Revitalization Grants. This year, 12 proposals were funded through the annual Bishop’s Appeal and 12 proposals were funded through the Peter James Lee Small Church Revitalization Fund. Below are just a few of the grants awarded. All churches are invited to apply for a diocesan grant to meet a need in your church community or facilities. Letters of Inquiry for the 2024 grant cycle will be accepted in February 2024. Stay tuned for more info!

Here's just a sampling of the grant awards:

Christ Church, Winchester: Provide food for students in need

Holy Comforter, Richmond: Expand Hispanic service

Holy Cross, Dunn Loring: Replace HVAC and install LED lighting

Our Saviour, Montpelier: Restore sanctuary and enhance liturgical space

St. Mary's, Fleeton: Repair and painting of church roof

St. Gabriel's, Leesburg: STEAM programming for Educando con Amor community

St. George's, Fredericksburg: Pilot small group in an Episcopal context to engage community

St. Peter's, New Kent: Diaper assistance program

See Full List of 2023 Grants

Camps Staff Ready to Roll

Last week, 35 cabin counselors and lead staff members gathered in Richmond for an overnight retreat and training in preparation for the start of Shrine Mont Camps in June. Nearly all staff positions are filled, but we are still looking for camp nurses. This is a great gig for a school nurse who is off for the summer. Please spread the word!

Still need to sign up for camp?

If you have not yet registered your camper(s), don't wait. Many camp sessions have reached capacity. Camps with spots still available include: St. George's Session 1, St. Elizabeth's, St. Andrew's, Lil's, All Saints, and Family Camp. Register for camp

If you're new to camps and want to see more of the camp experience, or you're a camp regular and just want a camp fix, we have fun videos and more on our Instagram pages and TikTok @shrinemontcamps.

Is God Knocking on Your Door?

Discernment Retreat for Lay and Ordained Ministry

July 28-30 at Richmond Hill

Is God calling you to new or deeper ministry? Explore your calling at a Diocesan Discernment Retreat. This is an opportunity to learn more about the process of discernment and to begin deep listening in a small group. Information will be presented about lay ministry, the ministry of deacons, and the ministry of priests. If you are interested, speak with your parish clergy and they can provide a referral for you to attend the retreat. For more information, check out the Diocese's discernment pages here.

Possible Child Care for Delegates to Annual Convention

The 229th Annual Convention of the Diocese will take place Nov. 2-4, 2023, at the Fredericksburg Expo and Conference Center. The Diocese is exploring the feasibility of providing child care for clergy and lay delegates during Convention. To assess this, we ask interested lay and clerical delegates to email Nerissa Crockett no later than June 30. Please include in the email the age(s) of your child(ren).

Wanted: Clergy and Lay Leaders for Mutual Ministry Reviews

The Diocese is now offering training to become a facilitator for Mutual Ministry Reviews (MMR). The training will provide each facilitator with tools to assist with the congregational discernment process focusing on the following areas: ongoing discernment of God’s call for the congregation’s mission and ministry; stewardship and growth resources for the realization of the mission and ministry of the Church; identification of responsibilities during the time of clergy transition; identification of leaders for the wider church; and empowerment of lay ministers.

Training Dates

Please register with the Eventbrite link next to the date you would like to attend.

Wednesday, June 14, 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Grace, The Plains Register here

Wednesday July 26, 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., St. Stephen’s, Culpeper Register here

Wednesday, August 16, 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., St. James the Less, Ashland Register here

Questions? Contact Gloria Parham.

The

Episcopal

Diocese of Virginia