Episcopal eNews from Northern Indiana |
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Ecumenical Connect (E-Connect) is a transformational ecumenical ministry process in Indiana and Kentucky. Modeled after a program in the ELCA Indiana-Kentucky Synod, this partnership between the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, The Episcopal Church, Presbyterian Church U.S.A, and The United Church of Christ is funded by a Lilly Foundation Thriving Congregations Grant.
Learn more about E-Connect from Bishop Doug in the video below.
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E-Connect Informational Webinar
When: June 23, 7/6 p.m. (EDT/CDT)
Location: Zoom
Join The Rev. Canon Terri Bays for an informational session on E-Connect. Learn about the three different options and ask questions as you discern if your faith community would benefit from participating in E-Connect. |
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Bishops United Against Gun Violence |
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The Unholy Trinity: The intersection of racism, poverty, and gun violence |
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This is Wear Orange Weekend, a time to wear orange as a witness against gun violence which takes more than 100 lives and wounds more than 200 others each day. Wear Orange began in 2013, shortly after Hadiya Pendleton's friends wore the color in her honor when she was shot and killed in Chicago at the age of 15 -- just one week after performing at President Obama's 2nd inaugural parade. Show your support by sharing your pic on social media telling the world why you are wearing orange. Be sure to include the #WearOrange hashtag so your message will be included in the national conversation!
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In 1976, the General Convention of The Episcopal Church declared that “homosexual persons are children of God who have a full and equal claim with all other persons upon the love, acceptance, and pastoral concern and care of the Church" (1976-A069). Since then, faithful Episcopalians have been working toward a greater understanding and radical inclusion of all of God’s children.
Along the way, The Episcopal Church has garnered a lot of attention, but with the help of organizations such as Integrity USA, the church has continued its work toward full inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Episcopalians. In 2003, the first openly gay bishop was consecrated; in 2009, General Convention resolved that God’s call is open to all; in 2012, a provisional rite of blessing for same-gender relationships was authorized, and discrimination against transgender persons in the ordination process was officially prohibited; and in 2015, the canons of the church were changed to make the rite of marriage available to all people, regardless of gender. In 2018, General Convention resolved that all Episcopalians can be married in their home churches (2018-B012).
To our lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender brothers, sisters and siblings: “The Episcopal Church welcomes you!”
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In celebration of Pride 2020, people from around the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana shared what Pride means to them. Watch the video above. |
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EDNIN Youth Summer Camp
Dates: June 13-19, 2021
Location: Camp Alexander Mack (Milford, Ind.)
Our EDNIN Youth Summer Camp takes place next week. Please keep all of our campers, camp staff, and missioners for camping ministries in your prayers. We pray that this week will be impactful and transformational for all involved.
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Sr. High Mission Week
Dates: July 4-10, 2021
Location: Camp Alexander Mack (Milford, Ind.)
Cost: $350
Don't forget to register your high school aged youth for Sr. High Mission Week. Our week will be spent at Camp Alexander Mack July 4 - 10 giving back to their community. We know that in giving back, we are giving to others what God has given to us. Along with volunteering on the grounds, we will also get to experience the new high ropes course, rock wall, and zip line among other exciting activities. If your teen has completed 9th - 12th grade they can register online using the button below.
This will be the seventh summer of mission and being able to serve the Camp Mack community will be an honor and a blessing. We will be housed in Mission Village. Like the Episcopal Youth Camp, we will have COVID-19 protocols in place to follow, making our mission week a safe and successful week. We have been working with Camp Mack for several months to come up with a list of projects for us to complete as well as planned activities for us to have for our evenings.
We will have two adult staff members per cabin. If you are interested in being an adult staff member for Sr. High Mission Week or have any questions, please contact Canon Carol Bianchini by email or call (574) 551-3087.
**Please note: any medications must be in the original containers.
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Want to continue growing in your evangelism leadership skills? Join Staff Officer for Evangelism Jerusalem Greer for a six-week course on evangelism leadership. This course, which also meets evangelism licensure requirements with bishop approval, is offered through Bexley Seabury’s Baptismal Pathways program.
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Becoming Beloved Community Commission |
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Deradicalization Survey
The Office of Government Relations is asking Episcopalians to complete a brief, confidential survey on perceptions and existing initiatives on deradicalization within The Episcopal Church.
In January of 2021, Executive Council asked the Office of Government Relations and the Office for Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Relations to consult with ecumenical and interfaith partners and other departments on the church-wide staff to develop a plan for The Episcopal Church’s holistic response to Christian nationalism and violent white supremacy. Information gathered from the survey responses will help guide this work.
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Juneteenth Prayer
We pray, O Lord, for change.
Jesus you revealed God through your wise words and loving deeds,
and we encounter you still today in the faces of those whom society has pushed to the margins.
Guide us, through the love you revealed,
to establish the justice you proclaimed,
that all peoples might dwell in harmony and peace,
united by that one love that binds us to each other, and to you.
And most of all, Lord, change our routine worship and work into genuine encounter with you and our better selves so that our lives will be changed for the good of all.
Amen
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Summer Saunter
Date: June 12
Time: 10/9 a.m. (EDT/CDT)
Where: Potato Creek State Park
Come to Potato Creek State Park in North Liberty, Indiana for our Holy Hikes: Northern Indiana Summer Saunter on Saturday, June 12. We’ll gather at the Porter Rea Cemetery parking lot at 10 a.m. EDT to walk trail 4, a easy 2.5 mile loop that falls on the easy side of its moderate rating. All ages and abilities are welcome.
Pre-registration is not necessary, but if you wish to email Dean Brian Grantz to let him know to look for you, that is very helpful. 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.
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Garden Elements: Aspects to Garden Spirituality
Good News Gardens June Gathering
Date: June 15
Time: 7/6 a.m. (EDT/CDT)
Where: Zoom
In this month's Good News Gardens Gathering, we are thrilled to welcome Jeannie Marcucci who will present on "Garden Elements: Aspects to Garden Spirituality."
Jeannie Marcucci is a candidate to the diaconate in the Diocese of New Jersey, with a September ordination planned. Jeannie has a master’s degree in Landscape Design from Columbia University and has practiced landscape design in the Delaware Valley for over twenty years with a focus on residential and small-scale commercial projects. Jeannie also trains DIY homeowner gardeners with in-home garden consultations and guest-speaking events with local farmers markets and community-supported venues. “Good Morning in the Garden,” a weekly blog/newsletter, is the main writing vehicle for Jeannie as “the garden evangelist.”
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EDNIN Creation Care on Facebook
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“When we ask ourselves who Jesus might be, we must look in the mirror and at each other. Just as we look for Jesus in others, people are looking for Jesus in us.”
- Miriam McKenney
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Evangelism Huddle
Date: June 16*
Time: 12 p.m./11 a.m. (EDT/CDT)
Where: Zoom
Our June mentors will be the Rev. Canon Anthony Guillén, director of Ethnic Ministries and missioner for Latino/Hispanic Ministries, and the Rev. Samuel Borbon, associate missioner for Latino/Hispanic Ministries and program development. Together we will look at the gifts and challenges of practicing Episcopal evangelism with Latin and Hispanic communities. This is a conversation open to all who are interested.
*Evangelism Huddle is held the third Wednesday of each month.
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Episcopal Public Policy Network |
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Action Alerts
The Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations (OGR) identifies 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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Ask Congress to Help Fight COVID-19 in India - A deadly wave of COVID-19 is spreading throughout the country of India, with immense human cost and suffering. Experiencing one of the world’s worst outbreaks, the country has broken the world’s single-day record for new cases. India’s hospitals have completely run out of rooms, and there are severe shortages of critical medical supplies.
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Urge Congress to Enact Police Reform - Over the past year, many of us have participated in calls to end police brutality and address the violence of systemic racism, and on this day, the one-year anniversary of George Floyd’s death, we continue to grieve and to agitate for change. Last year, The Episcopal Church’s Executive Council acknowledged “the deep pain and grief in Black communities and widespread multiracial protests across the nation due to the ongoing racialized killings” and passed resolutions addressing the issue of police violence and police reform. As outlined in these resolutions, the Office of Government Relations is urged to push for police reform as part of overall efforts to address racial justice and criminal justice reform. Episcopal Church policies urge increased accountability, transparency, and responsiveness with the aim of making our communities safer.
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Tell Senate to Support Safe From the Start - Earlier this year, we called on you to take action in support of the Safe from the Start Act (H.R. 571). A similar bill has now been introduced in the Senate. Like H.R. 571, the Keeping Women and Girls Safe from the Start Act of 2021 (S. 765) expands the ability of the U.S. government to prevent gender-based violence and provide early interventions at the onset of humanitarian emergencies. By formalizing the Safe from the Start initiative currently administered by the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Aid (USAID), the legislation will help strengthen staff training and integrate important interventions to mitigate risks for gender-based violence in all humanitarian sectors. In addition, S.765, like H.R. 571, will enhance partnerships with local organizations to strengthen capacity, update objectives for the protection and empowerment of women and girls, and institute congressional reporting requirements to ensure progress and accountability.
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Congress Weekly
Date: Thursdays
Time: 1-1:30 p.m. (ET)
Congress Weekly is a fast-paced, 30-minute conversation about the policies and legislation we are advocating for. They take place weekly on Thursdays from 1:00-1:30pm ET. Registration is required. If you already registered for one of the first six sessions, you MUST register again using this link.
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Faithful Stewards Commission |
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Get Busy and Creative
from Episcopal Church Foundation Vital Practices
Here is a story about what can happen when the people of a congregation unite around the love of their faith community, a vision to strengthen it, and the joyful inclusion of everyone.
In 2019, the leadership of Holy Family Episcopal Church in Angola, Indiana, faced a sad reality. If the congregation did not rally to financially support their new young and popular rector, they might lose him when the grant funding his curacy ended. So they got busy and creative.
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Welcome to The Community of Mary, Mother of the Redeemer (CMMR) |
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Dear Siblings in Christ,
I am delighted to welcome one of the newest Religious Communities in the Episcopal Church to our diocese. The Community of Mary, Mother of the Redeemer (CMMR) was formally founded in 2017 when Fr. Jason Prati, Debbi Rhodes and Fr. Rob Rhodes entered into a shared novitiate to learn to live under a monastic rule. They took their first vows in September of 2018 and the community has continued to grow in membership and witness. Last summer, as part of the process of formal recognition by The Episcopal Church, they began a discernment process for a bishop to serve as their Episcopal Visitor / Protector. I was one of the bishops they asked to be part of that discernment. From ZOOM Calls to an in-person meeting in Southern Ohio, God seemed to providentially open up an opportunity for the community to establish an abbey in our diocese at Trinity Church Michigan City. Fr. Rob Rhodes has been called to serve as Priest In Charge and we will continue to discern collaboratively their life and ministry in our diocese.
May God, who has begun this good work, bring it to fulfillment!
Every blessing,
Doug
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United Thank Offering (UTO)
2022 Annual Grants
Applications Due: February 4, 2022
The United Thank Offering (UTO) Board is pleased to announce the availability of their 2022 UTO Annual Grants, with an application deadline of Feb. 4, 2022. These grants are awarded for projects in The Episcopal Church and throughout the Anglican Communion, each year with a different focus.
For 2022, the focus is Care of Creation: Turning love into action by caring for God’s creation to protect the most vulnerable — who will bear the largest burden of pollution and climate change — through justice, advocacy, environmental reparations, and the development of formational materials.
The United Thank Offering was founded to support innovative mission and ministry in The Episcopal Church and to promote thankfulness and mission in the whole church. One hundred percent of UTO thank offerings are granted the following year. These awards have supported everything from staff positions to conferences, creation of educational resources, and building projects.
Application information and forms are available here. Please note: The application deadline is earlier this year due to General Convention and Executive Council schedules.
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Commission on Ministry Continuing Education Grants
The following individuals have been awarded Continuing Education Grants through the Commission on Ministry.
- The Rev. Matthew Cowden - Doctor of Ministry in Preaching ($1,000)
- The Rev. Jen Fulton - Gathering of Leaders, Sewanee, sabbatical ($850)
- The Rev. Bernie Hartsough - Conversational Spanish lessons ($700)
- Marie Gambetta - Dove Faith Café Storyteller Training ($300)
- Steven Slaubaugh - Forma Conference & Bexley Seabury class ($350)
Here's an additional bit of great news - There are still monies left in the Continuing Education grant fund so if you discover an educational opportunity for which you would like financial support, please fill out the application and forward it to Missioner Michelle at info@ednin.org. The remaining monies are first come, first serve until they are gone.
Applications are open to clergy or parishioners at least 18 years of age who regularly attend a faith community within the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana. Grant awards are a maximum of $1,000 and may be used for continuing education to enhance your ministry.
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COVID-19 Vaccinations
Anyone age 12 and older may now schedule a COVID-19 vaccination appointment. Click here to register or call 211 (866-211-9966) if you do not have access to a computer or need assistance. Walk-in appointments are also accepted at most vaccination sites.
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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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Province V News and Events |
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"Making Friends with Conflict" Part 1: A leadership webinar
Date: June 10
Time: 7-8:30 p.m. (EDT)
Where: Zoom
Cost: $25
Conflict is part of human relationship and community. This workshop will help you better understand conflict and how good conflict management can develop deeper relationships and more resilient communities. This Workshop is perfect for those who would rather avoid conflict or for those who are looking for additional skills in managing conflict.
Topics of this workshop include:
- The basic definitions of conflict (and styles of dealing with conflict)
- How conflict gets out of control (levels of conflict)
- The gifts of conflict
- Some strategies to manage yourself (and invite others along) so that conflict results in higher levels of trust and stronger relationships.
For $25, you receive:
- Access to the event
- Copies of any resources that are presented (including presentation slides)
- Free coaching consultation with either Heather or Nancy
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News from Across The Episcopal Church
and Anglican Communion
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Anglican hospital in Gaza draws on global support for...
Tensions over the evictions of Palestinian families in East Jerusalem boiled over last month into 11 days of fighting between Israel and Hamas. Before agreeing to a May 21 ceasefire, Hamas fired rockets from the Gaza Strip ...
Read more
www.episcopalnewsservice.org
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UTO grant to help mourning families on Standing Rock...
When a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe dies, the person's family begins a prolonged period of grieving, spending up to a year in mournful contemplation that is rooted in the sacred Sioux rite of the "keeping of the ...
Read more
www.episcopalnewsservice.org
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Poor People's Campaign, lawmakers unveil sweeping...
Lawmakers and leaders of the faith-based Poor People's Campaign unveiled a sweeping new resolution on May 20 designed to eradicate poverty in the United States, with activists touting it as a broad-based...
Read more
www.episcopalnewsservice.org
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Presiding Bishop Michael Curry's statement on the...
Presiding Bishop Michael Curry's statement on the violence in the Land of the Holy One [Episcopal News Service] Presiding Bishop Michael Curry issued the following statement on May 13 as fighting continues to escalate in Israel and the...
Read more
www.episcopalnewsservice.org
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Canadian primate's statement on discovery of residential ...
Canadian primate's statement on discovery of residential school mass grave [Anglican Church of Canada] Last week the chief of the Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation revealed news of the discovery of the bodies of 215 children at the site of an...
Read more
www.episcopalnewsservice.org
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At George Floyd memorial service, Episcopalians remember ...
Bishops, priests and laypeople from across The Episcopal Church gathered online on May 25 for a memorial service to mark the first anniversary of the murder of George Floyd.
Read more
www.episcopalnewsservice.org
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Concert for the Human Family celebrates connection...
The Episcopal Church's upcoming Concert for the Human Family seeks to unify people across boundaries at the intersection of faith, art and justice. Though planning for the concert was underway well before the COVID-19...
Read more
www.episcopalnewsservice.org
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Localized ordination programs open doors to ministry for ...
Six months after making history as the first Latina ordained as a priest in the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania, the Rev. Yesenia Alejandro is now feeding an average of 1,000 people a week at a South Philadelphia church...
Read more
www.episcopalnewsservice.org
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How does prayer affect pain? This priest is leading a...
When the Rev. Dr. Marta Illueca was a child, her Roman Catholic family was traditional and powerful. Her father Jorge was elected president of Panama in between stints as president of the United Nations Security Council...
Read more
www.episcopalnewsservice.org
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Pentecost presents an opportunity to heal divisions,...
The celebration of Pentecost - a feast marking the birth of the Christian church and spiritual renewal - rippled across The Episcopal Church in music and worship during the " One in the Spirit: Pentecost Way of Love...
Read more
www.episcopalnewsservice.org
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Q&A: The Rev. David Chavez brings lifelong experience in ...
The Rev. David Chavez has spent nearly all his life breathing in the culture, customs and geography of the United States' southern border, from his childhood in the 1980s growing up between border communities in Arizona...
Read more
www.episcopalnewsservice.org
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'Live, study, pray' project to connect student housing...
The Episcopal campus ministry at the University of Georgia in Athens is undergoing a dramatic transformation, and the disruptions caused by the pandemic are only part of the story.
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 June 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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