Episcopal eNews from Northern Indiana |
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Letter from Bishop Doug - COVID-19 Vaccine |
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Dear Sisters, Brothers, Siblings,
Grace and peace be with you in Jesus, the Light for all people!
I am writing to encourage every person in our diocese who is able to receive the COVID 19 Vaccine...to consider getting vaccinated. I'm confident in the research that developed the vaccines and grateful to God for the scientists along with the thousands of people who offered themselves for the clinical trials these last many months...so that we, members of the human family in this nation and throughout the world, could receive a life-saving vaccine. I know there may be some who may be concerned about taking the vaccine. If you are, I encourage you to talk with your healthcare provider, share your concerns so that they can be addressed by medical professionals you trust. I often invoke the Anglican principal...All may, None must and Some should...in addressing questions and important decisions in our common life. I am encouraging you to consider this principal at this crucial time in our common life as well. Glory to God whose power working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine. Glory to God from generation to generation in the Church and in Christ Jesus, forever and ever. Amen! This comes with a brother's love.
The Rt. Rev. Dr. Douglas E. Sparks
VIII Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana
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This February, we are celebrating Black History Month by featuring quotes on our social media accounts from Black saints and Black leaders in The Episcopal Church or Anglican Communion. Please take a moment each day read the quotes, give thanks for these people and like or share them to your page! |
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Becoming Beloved Community Commission |
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Service to Commemorate the Feast of Absalom Jones
Date: February 13
Time: 11/10 a.m. (EST/CST)
Christ Church Cathedral in Indianapolis is hosting a service to commemorate the Feast of Absalom Jones that will be broadcast on their Facebook page and website. Bishop Deon Johnson of the Episcopal Diocese of Missouri will preach.
The Episcopal Church's annual Feast of Absalom Jones commemorates a man who was born into slavery in 1746 in Delaware and worked for eight years to buy his wife's freedom so that their children would be free. His master refused to allow him to purchase his own freedom, but in 1784 granted him a manumission. A gifted lay preacher, Jones led the founding of the Free African Society, a mutual aid benevolent organization in Philadelphia that became the first black Episcopal church in the United States. He was also a lay leader at a white-led church in Philadelphia until the church's leaders forced segregation during worship. He was ordained an Episcopal priest in 1804.
Find an updated biography of Absalom Jones in Lesser Feasts and Fasts 2018, available online.
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Lenten Workshop on Implicit Bias and Micro-aggressions
Date: March 13
Time: 10/9 a.m. (EST/CST)
Where: Zoom
The Daughter of the King Diocesan Assembly of Indianapolis is offering a free Lenten course/seminar on implicit bias and micro-aggressions. This workshop will provide participants with an understanding of unconscious bias and its connection to micro-aggressions along with tools and proactive everyday strategies for positive outcomes. The facilitator for the session is Melinda Messineo, Ph.D., a professor sociology and former interim associate vice president for diversity at Ball State University. To attend this workshop, please RVSP to Karen Sullivan by Sunday, February 28. In your email, please include your name as well as the name of your faith community and diocese. |
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New Missioners for Camping Ministries Announced
Bishop Doug Sparks is pleased to announce our new Missioners for Camping Ministries, Daniel and Jodi Kallenberg, Cindy Spice, and Megan Spice-Frede! Listen to his announcement in the video below.
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Save the Date for Youth Summer Camp!
Save the dates of June 13-19, 2021 for our Diocesan Youth Summer Camp to be held at Camp Mack! More details to come!
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Jr./Sr. High Winter Gathering
Date: February 27
Time: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. (EST)
Where: St. Anne's Episcopal Church, Warsaw
Cost: $10 per person
Join us for a day of fellowship, crafts, games and worship! Diocesan and state COVID precautions will be in place as all participants are required to wear a mask and practice physical distancing. Students must also bring a completed medical form with them in order to participate.
Since this event will be in Warsaw, we will be following the COVID color map for Kosciusko County. If the color for positive cases of Covid is in the RED zone we will be limited to 25 participants. If we are in the ORANGE zone, we are limited to 50 participants. Registrations will automatically stop at 25 participants. However, if you were not in the first 25 registrants, please call Carol Bianchini at 574-551-3087 between February 24-26 by noon to see if there are openings do to the Covid Color Zone.
Since we are not able to hold our Annual Diocesan Winter Youth Retreat at Wawasee, we are exploring the possibility of having a Fall Retreat for 2021. More into to come!
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Life Transformed - The Way of Love in Lent (revised for 2021)
Date: Saturdays, February 27, March 6, 13, & 20
Time: 10/9 a.m. (EST/CST)
Where: Zoom
Facilitator: Bishop Doug Sparks
The journey through Lent into Easter is a journey with Jesus. We are baptized into his life, self- giving, and death; then, we rise in hope to life transformed. This Lent, communities are invited to walk with Jesus in his Way of Love and into the experience of transformed life. Together, we will reflect anew on the loving actions of God as recounted in the Easter Vigil readings. Together, we will walk through the depths of salvation history into the fullness of redemption. This Quiet Day for Lent ties the Easter Vigil readings to the seven practices of the Way of Love. Drawing on the ancient practice of setting aside Lent as a period of study and preparation for living as a Christian disciple (known as the catechumenate), this curriculum encourages participants to reflect on salvation history; walk toward the empty tomb; and embrace the transforming reality of love, life, and liberation. As we stand with the three women at the empty tomb, we hear his call to go and live that transformed reality.
- Session I: Introduction to the Way of Love and a Rule of Life; TURN: Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ (Romans 6:3-11)
- Session II: PRAY: Israel’s Deliverance at the Red Sea (Exodus 14:10-15:1); LEARN: Learn Wisdom and Live (Proverbs 8:1-8, 19-21; 9:4b-6)
- Session III: BLESS: A New Heart and a New Spirit (Ezekiel 36:24-28); REST: The Valley of Dry Bones (Ezekiel 37:1-14)
- Session IV: WORSHIP: The Gathering of God’s People (Zephaniah 3:12-20); GO: The Empty Tomb (Luke 24:1-12)
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Mid-Winter Prayer Hike
Where: Pokagan State Park
Date: February 13
Time: 10/9 a.m. (EST/CST)
Winter weather in Northern Indiana is unpredictable. In case of inclement weather, watch the Holy Hikes Facebook page for cancellation notices. In any event, always use your discretion about travel on the day of the event. All ages are welcome.
Please wear a mask and practice physical distancing.
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Faith Climate Action Week
Faith Climate Action Week, April 16-25, 2021, is an opportunity for Christians to offer praise and thanksgiving focused on creation care and Earth Day. The theme this year is Sacred Ground: Cultivating Connections Between our Faith, our Food, and the Climate. For more information, see https://www.faithclimateactionweek.org/
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Harvesting the Sun
The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, "an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization working to forge practical solutions to climate change", has approached EDNIN to explore the possibility of adding solar solutions to diocesan parishes. Read more about this initiative which was implemented in the Diocese of Arizona.
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The Water of Life: Jesus!
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EDNIN Creation Care on Facebook
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Episcopal Public Policy Network |
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The Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations (OGR) has identified several opportunities for Episcopalians to participate in our democracy. If there is a topic below that you are passionate about, please click the link and send a message to your members of Congress.
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Our schedule has been updated!
If you have not previously visited EDNIN Virtual Worship on Facebook, please do so and join us live throughout the day as you are available or go back when you have free time to watch the recorded videos. |
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Constable Fund Grants
Application Deadline: February 15
The deadline is approaching for the Constable Fund Grants for the 2021 grant cycle. The Constable Fund provides grants to fund mission initiatives that were not provided for within the budget of The Episcopal Church, as approved by General Convention 2018, with a stated preference for work in the area of religious education. In 2020, Constable Grants ranged from $2,500 to $50,000. The 2020 grants totaled $209,500.00, distributed among nine grant recipients. Learn more.
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National Fund for Sacred Spaces
Application Deadline: March 15
The National Fund for Sacred Places is a matching grant program that offers financial support and technical assistance to active faith communities who are working to preserve their historic houses of worship. Matching grants for capital improvement projects range from $50,000 to $250,000. They are hosting a one-hour introductory webinar at 2/1 p.m. (EST/CST) on Wednesday, February 10 for anyone wanting to learn about the National Fund for Sacred Places and whether your sacred place would be a good fit for the grant program. To learn more about how historic houses of worship can participate in the National Fund, visit their website. Letters of Intent for the National Fund will be accepted until March 15, 2021 through their online grant portal.
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Security Guide for Churches
from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security
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The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency within the United States Department of Homeland Security published a security guide in December titled, "Mitigating Attacks on Houses of Worship" that can be found here. Please take some time to review this documentation. It is important that each of our faith communities are prepared for any emergency situation that could arise.
If you have not already done so, we would encourage your faith community to put together a security team. St. Andrew's (Valparaiso) has done a lot of work in this area and has presented to groups within the Diocese on a couple of occasions. Please reach out to them if you have any questions on how to get a security team up and running.
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News from the Episcopal Church |
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Episcopal Migration Ministries issues response to...
Episcopal Migration Ministries issues response to Biden's executive orders. President Joe Biden signed three more executive orders on Feb. 2 aimed at reversing Trump administration immigration policies. The three orders...
Read more
www.episcopalnewsservice.org
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Church volunteers help elderly parishioners make vaccine ...
With COVID-19 vaccine rollouts varying widely from state to state, some states have been criticized for their confusing and dysfunctional vaccine appointment systems. One of those states is Massachusetts, which - despite...
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www.episcopalnewsservice.org
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Suburban parish partners with Detroit church to open...
Christ Church Cranbrook, an Episcopal parish in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, has partnered with First Baptist Institutional Church in Detroit to open a community resource center that will serve a variety of needs in...
Read more
www.episcopalnewsservice.org
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Idaho church featured in Sundance film about...
Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Hailey, Idaho, never ceased to be a place of worship, but for one month in 2019, it took on an additional role - indie film set. The church's role, as the primary set of the new film "Mass,"...
Read more
www.episcopalnewsservice.org
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Executive Council eyes plan for pandemic aid to...
The Episcopal Church's Executive Council pledged to assist cash-strapped dioceses during the pandemic, committed the church to "deradicalization" efforts after the U.S. Capitol riot and received an update on a racial audit ...
Read more
www.episcopalnewsservice.org
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Diana D. Akiyama ordained and consecrated as the 11th...
The Rt. Rev. Diana D. Akiyama was ordained and consecrated as the 11th bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Oregon on Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021, at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Portland. Akiyama was the first Japanese-American...
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www.episcopalnewsservice.org
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Faith-based refugee resettlement groups describe what it ...
Daad Serweri had been waiting for five years to come to the United States as a refugee. Having worked as an interpreter for the U.S. Army in Afghanistan, he was eligible to come to the country on a Special Immigrant Visa.
Read more
www.episcopalnewsservice.org
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Episcopal-supported NGO continues to provide teens with...
On March 13, 2020, two days after the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic, the staff of the Guatemala Youth Initiative began to strategize ways to continue to provide contraception, sexual education and...
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www.episcopalnewsservice.org
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Presiding Bishop meets with members of Congress for...
Presiding Bishop meets with members of Congress for virtual Morning Prayer [Episcopal News Service] Presiding Bishop Michael Curry held a virtual Morning Prayer service with nine members of Congress and some of their staffers on Jan. 26, sharing...
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www.episcopalnewsservice.org
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Maryland congregations commit to reparations, following...
A historic Episcopal church in Baltimore has committed to setting aside $100,000 to reparations, to fund an initiative that will contribute to local racial justice causes. Memorial Episcopal Church also pledged to...
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www.episcopalnewsservice.org
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Q&A: Washington Bishop Mariann Budde says church should...
Many Episcopal bishops, priests and deacons feel called by faith to bear public witness on issues of the day, but few have been as prominent or outspoken in recent years as Diocese of Washington Bishop Mariann Budde.
Read more
www.episcopalnewsservice.org
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Presiding Bishop joins call for Christians to counter...
Presiding Bishop Michael Curry joined the Rev. Elizabeth Eaton, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, for a webinar on Christian nationalism hosted by the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious...
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www.episcopalnewsservice.org
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Oklahoma Episcopalians raise money for AME church's...
The Diocese of Oklahoma raised more than $164,000 in its annual Bishop's Appeal, but the money will not support Episcopal ministries this year. Instead, Oklahoma Bishop Poulson Reed traveled to Tulsa this week to present...
Read more
www.episcopalnewsservice.org
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Executive Council reflects on events in Washington,...
Reactions to the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol and this week's inauguration of President Joe Biden dominated the opening remarks of The Episcopal Church's presiding officers on Jan. 22, as Executive Council gathered...
Read more
www.episcopalnewsservice.org
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Please email any events, articles, or notifications to be included in the next monthly enewsletter to Canon Christopher Hillak, Missioner for Digital Communications
by February 25. Thank you!
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The Episcopal Diocese
of Northern Indiana
117 N. Lafayette Blvd.
South Bend, IN 46601
(574) 233-6489
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