July 30, 2024 E-News

July 30, 2024

In this edition of ENews:

Diocese Responds to Park Fire
Bishop Megan Visits St. Paul's Crescent City
Camp Living Waters Wraps Another Great Year
Stewardship Conference Scheduled for August 24
Voting: A Matter of Faith
Carbon Neutral 2030 Action Plan Workshop Scheduled for September 7
Season of Creation 2024 Announced

Missioner for Disaster Resilience

The Park Fire — Our Diocese Responds

Left: Park Fire evacuees receive (Re)Start bins, Center: Angie Hoenninger and Nancy Stratton help an evacuee at St. Peter’s, Red Bluff, Right: Fred Reynolds and Gail Locke of St. Peter’s, Red Bluff help a fire evacuee.

Since beginning last Wednesday, The Park Fire has grown to become the fifth-largest fire in California history.

As of the writing of this article, the Park Fire is:

385,064 acres (601.6 square miles)
4 counties
26,578 people evacuated
109 structures destroyed

For current information on the fire, visit the CalFire Park Fire Incident Page.

In response to this tragedy, our diocese has:

Opened three Evacuation Resource Hubs
Provided over $8,000 in immediate financial need relief
Applied for emergency grants
Begun distribution (on a limited basis) of Project (Re)Start bins

If your congregation is a (Re)Start congregation, your bins will be called for when the time is right and the need is identified. The (Re)Start coordinators will be contacting active congregations with an update regarding our current situation.

There are no material needs at this time, and no resource donations will be accepted by the diocese on behalf of the Park Fire survivors.

Volunteers to assist with providing assistance to our neighbors in need would be welcome. Please contact me if you would like to volunteer at one of our resource hubs.

No matter who or where we are, there are two actions that are desperately needed at this time: prayer and financial donation. Please add to your devotions a prayer for the survivors, responders, volunteers, and any who are impacted by this disaster, and back that prayer with a gift to the Bishop’s Disaster Fund.

Give Now. The disaster fund has been critically low for months and is needed now, more than ever. Special offerings from the congregation, family gifts, one-time donations are all welcome, and are truly needed. Remember, 100% of your donation is spent on disaster resilience.

Give to Disaster Resilience

A Prayer for the Park Fire

God, bless each and every person affected by this fire and surround them with Your love, protection and angels. Let them know there are many of us out here praying for them and their loved ones.

We give You all the praise and glory forever, Lord, and know that even in the darkest hours, You are always with us.

Amen.

Around the Diocese

Bishop Megan visits St. Paul's Crescent City

Top left: Bishop Megan, assisted by Deacon Cindy Wood, leads worship. Top right: Michael (Mike) Tompkins, Jr. Warden of St. Paul's and member of the ECS Board, presents a check for an ECS grant to Camp Living Waters. Bottom: Bishop Megan with the congregation of St. Paul's.

On Sunday, July 28, Bishop Megan travelled to the farthest north church in the diocese to worship with St. Paul's Crescent City. Assisted by Deacon Cindy Wood, Bishop Megan presided and preached at the service, and gathered with members for fellowship. Thanks to the folks of St. Paul's Crescent City for your faithfulness and hospitality.

Camp Living Waters Wraps Another Great Year

Many thanks to the clergy and folks who plan and produce Camp Living Waters. This year about 20 campers were able to experience the beauty of God's creation in a safe, fun, and supportive environment.

Office of the Bishop

Spaces still available for Stewardship Conference

on Saturday, August 24

Please join us for this year’s Stewardship Congregational Leadership Conference on Saturday, August 24 from 9:00 am–10:00 am. This year’s session will have a special focus on every member canvass resources for your annual stewardship campaigns. We’ll discuss the basics, share resources, and talk about why you should consider an every member canvass to achieve not only your stewardship goals, but how an every member canvass can support your pastoral care efforts as well as help in identifying future goals for your congregation.

To register, go to: https://form.jotform.com/240366571427155

We’re excited to announce that we will have a diocesan-wide New Camino training on September 27 & 28, 2024 at St. John’s, Chico. The Rev. Anthony Guillen, the Episcopal Church’s Missioner for Latino/Hispanic ministries will be here to help us explore opportunities for Latino/Hispanic ministry in our diocese. This training is suitable for individuals as well as church teams.

Please go to: https://form.jotform.com/232965467198170 to indicate your interest in attending and to receive updates regarding lodging and expenses.

Diocesan Convention Registration is Open

Links to the following documents may be found here:

Call of Convention
Convention Schedule at-a-Glance
House Rules
Governance Nomination Instructions
Resolution Instructions
Keynote Speaker Info
2024 Congregational Range Sheet
Important Convention Dates and Deadlines
Filing Alternate to Delegate Form
Filing Alternate Vacancies Form

Commission for Intercultural Ministry

Voting: A Matter of Faith

Preaching on the Importance of Voting

Thursday, August 8

12:00 pm — 1:00 pm

Webinar

With less than 100 days left until the General Election in November, there is greater focus on the importance of voting.

Interfaith Power and Light, our Carbon Neutral 2030 partner, is offering a webinar that provides helpful guidance and encouragement to faith leaders as they consider preaching on the importance of voting through the lens of faith. Nonpartisan resources will be shared.

For more information about the webinar and to register, go to this link:

https://interfaithpowerandlight.org/event/voting-a-matter-of-faith-preaching-on-the-importance-of-voting/

St. John’s, Roseville, to Begin a New Series of Sacred Ground Dialogue Circles

St. John’s, Roseville, will begin a new series of Sacred Ground Dialogue Circles via Zoom in August 2024. Regular circles and Deeper Dive circles will be offered again. The 11-part series is built around a powerful online curriculum of documentary films and readings that focus on Indigenous, Black, Latino, and Asian/Pacific American histories as they intersect with European American histories. To learn more, please view this video by Presiding Bishop Michael Curry about the Sacred Ground program.

Last year, St. John’s offered “Deeper Dive” dialogue circles to participants who have already completed Sacred Ground. Two facilitators went through the Deeper Dive materials from the Sacred Ground website for each session and chose those that they believed would spark the best conversations. The sessions followed the same topics for the 11 sessions, but discussions went much deeper. We had two Deeper Dive circles and two regular circles via Zoom. Everyone began and ended together in the same room, and then we were divided into breakout rooms for the circle discussions. Deeper Dive participants were very positive about the experience.

This series will be held via Zoom so that all may participate, regardless of distance and circumstances. We have found it works best to space the sessions at least two weeks apart to allow time for participants to complete the work in between sessions.

The sessions are scheduled for:

August 14, 28
September 11, 25
October 9, 23
November 13
December 11
January 8, 22, 2025
February 1, 2025

Please contact Diane Williamson, dianewilliamson864@gmail.com,

or 916-300-6384 for more information or to sign up.

Did You Know?

A non-partisan informational series for the Episcopal Church about voting by the Public Policy Advocacy Group at Trinity Cathedral

What does the Episcopal Church Say about Voting?

As Episcopalians, we know that our Christian faith is something that affects our social and communal lives as well as our private lives. More than ten resolutions passed by our General Convention in recent years stress the importance of voting rights, opposing voter suppression and ensuring that all citizens have the right to vote.

The Office of Government Relations has launched a very helpful Episcopal Church program to promote and facilitate local non-partisan voter engagement efforts. This informational series is based on that program. We hope not only to encourage YOU to vote, but to inspire you to share this information and bring others to the polls.

“Cast your vote, not on a partisan basis, not based on your biases, but vote your values. Vote the values of human dignity and equality. Vote the values of the rock on which this country was built. Vote.”

— Presiding Bishop Michael Curry

For more information:

Vote-Faithfully-2024-OGR-Election-Engagement-Toolkit.pdf

Commission on the Environment

Save the Date - Carbon Neutral 2030 Action Plan Workshop

Saturday, September 7

10:00 am to 12:30 pm

On Zoom

The Fearless Faith Post Revival Committee and the Commission on the Environment will present a nuts and bolts Zoom webinar providing:

How-to guidance to prepare your church’s Action Plan to be Carbon Neutral by 2030
Stories from diocesan churches about creating their plan and implementing energy efficiency recommendations
Info on technical resources and funding for designing and financing energy efficiency projects

The Agenda and Zoom info for the webinar will be posted in August.

Hope to see you there!

For more information and questions, contact - bob.wohlsen@gmail.com

What is the Season of Creation?

The Season of Creation is a time to renew our relationship with our Creator and all creation through celebration, conversion, and commitment together. During the Season of Creation, we join our sisters and brothers in the ecumenical family in prayer and action for our common home. The season starts September 1 – the Day of Prayer for Creation, and ends October 4 – the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology beloved by many Christian denominations. Throughout the month-long celebration, the world’s 2.2 billion Christians come together to care for our common home.

How can I learn more about The Season of Creation?

Creation Justice Ministries in partnership with One Home, One Future, a coalition effort of US faith denominations (including The Episcopal Church) and organizations for visible and collective creation care and climate action by faith leaders, will be hosting a webinar (on August 1 at 6 pm Eastern) to introduce the Season of Creation and show efforts that churches and denominations are making to celebrate the season as a central part of the liturgical calendar. Also, the Faith and Climate resource, produced by the SALT Project, will be highlighted to use as a possible guide throughout the season.”

For more information about the Season of Creation and to register for the

webinar, go to this link.

Job Openings in The Diocese

The Office of the Bishop is seeking a Missioner for Communications

View Job Description here.

The Trinity Cathedral Choir of Sacramento is looking for a new Soprano Choral Scholar for the 2024-25 season. The choral scholar acts as a paid section leader and soloist under the supervision of the Canon Precentor & Director of Music.

More information can be found here: https://sierracanon.wordpress.com/2024/07/09/trinity-cathedral-choir-seeing-a-new-soprano-choral-scholar/

Clergy Openings in The Diocese