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In this edition of ENews:
- Vestry Essentials Conference a big success
- Bishop Megan Visits St. James, Yuba City
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FaithX Schedules Informational Zoom Meeting about Vitality Improvement Program
- EYE Registration Deadline Extended
- Center for Bible Study offers 4-part Class on Ephesians
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Vestry Essentials Conference a big success | |
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On Saturday, March 4, more than 80 vestry and mission committee members from around the diocese gathered online for the first of two Congregation Leadership Conferences: Vestry/Mission Committee Essentials: Tools for New and Seasoned Members
Following an opening Plenary Session by Bishop Megan, participants joined in several virtual workshops: What Every Vestry/Mission Committee Member Should Know; Pastoral and Spiritual Leadership; HR basics, Legal and Financial Matters; and Effective meetings and Communications.
Workshops were presented by Bishop Megan, Canon Julie Wakelee, John Nykamp, Diocesan Treasurer, Kati Braak, Director of Operations, and Michelle Karimi, Executive Staff Support.
The next Vestry Essentials Conference will be on Saturday, March 25, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at Grace Church, St. Helena. Cost is $25. In person only.
For more information, or to register, visit: bit.ly/2023VestryEssentials2CLC
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Bishop Megan Visits St. James, Yuba City | |
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On Sunday, March 5, Bishop Megan Traquair joined the members of St James celebrating Holy Eucharist, sharing a potluck lunch with the newest members of St James, and discussions with the Ministry team concerning where we are as a congregation, what we see as our future and how we envision working toward that vision.
This March St. James will celebrate the tenth anniversary of its commissioning as a congregation organized around its baptismal gifts (aka Total Ministry). In worship the St James community continues to enrich its lay led Morning Prayer as well as Holy Eucharist. St James’ formation work has included Sacred Ground training for attendees from three local Episcopal churches as well as weekly bible study. She saw the Re-start bins and heard how St James had supplied three infant bins to Sutter Creek.
After a morning of sitting, she visited her favorite tractor and the church’s 11,000 square foot community garden that provides fresh produce to church food banks as well as the Salvation Army and the Christian Assistance Network. The bishop challenged us to work on providing back-ups to our ministry team. A challenge that will require us to gently discover our new members gifts and invite them to participate more fully in their faith community, a community pledged to partnership in worship and study, in mission, and in support of one another.
With God’s help St James will strive to meet its mission to “Feed God’s Sheep”, living out their call to help others, whenever and however they can.
— Cal Cornils | Deacon, St James
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Sonoma County NOW in collaboration with Blacks United of Sonoma County to welcome Catherine Meeks | |
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Time to have a real discussion about Racism in Sonoma County.
Catherine Meeks, PhD, a 2022 recipient of the President Joseph R. Biden Lifetime Achievement Award for Service, is the Executive Director of the Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing.
She is the author of six books and one inspirational CD. Her latest book is The Night Is Long, But Light Comes in The Morning: Meditations on Racial Healing; she is the editor of the bestselling book, Living Into God’s Dream: Dismantling Racism in America, and co-author of Passionate for Justice: Ida B Wells as Prophet for Our Times.
We are proud to be the Sonoma County Chapter of the National Organization of Women and working with Blacks United of Sonoma County. We hope to see all of you at this special ZOOM meeting.
For questions, please contact Amy Nykamp, President of Sonoma County NOW, at info@nowsonoma.org.
Monday, March 20, 2023 | on Zoom
6:00 pm — 7:30 pm PST
| Clerics Unleashed in Chico, Hilarity Ensues | |
Left: The (Un)usual Suspects: the Rev. Dr. William Stomski, Interim Rector at St. John's Chico, and the Rev. Dr. Richard Yale, Rector Emeritus at St. John's.
Right: William and Richard, joined by Pastor Ben Colahan of Faith Lutheran Church in Chico, get their groove on.
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In a display of true ecumenism, on Saturday, March 4, Rectors of St. John's Chico, past and present, joined forces with a local Lutheran pastor to perform in the second annual Community Lip Sync Challenge in Chico. The event is a fundraiser for the Music Therapy Impact Fund, part of the North Valley Community Foundation.
To see their performance, click here: https://vimeo.com/805332454
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Vestry Essentials: Tools for
New and Seasoned Members
Saturday, March 25 | 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Grace, St. Helena | In-person Only
Join Bishop Megan and key members of the Office of the Bishop staff to network with vestry members from around the diocese. Participants will learn crucial information about the basics and nuances of vestry service, including running effective meetings, personnel best practices, and more.
$25 per person includes lunch | Four or more persons for $100
Scholarships available to congregations from Range A and B.
View Congregation Range Sheets Here
Register here: bit.ly/2023VestryEssentials2CLC
Questions? Contact Michelle Karimi at michelle@norcalepoiscopal.org
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FaithX Schedules Informational Zoom Meeting about Vitality Improvement Program | |
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Thank you to those who have applied for the FaithX program. Below is an information sheet for those who are still thinking about applying.
Below the flyer (which you can click to see larger), please note there is a new information session with the FaithX staff next Wednesday, March 16.
In order to allow more churches to participate in this great program, we are extending the application deadline by a week. Please contact me at julie@norcalepiscopal.org with any questions.
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Informational meeting on
Thursday, March 16 at 9:00 am (PT)
Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82788333518pwd=eFRIOGExeFY4Y1JDSVByeGFIOXliQT09
Meeting ID: 827 8833 3518 – Passcode: 496081
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Missioner for Church Life | |
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Episcopal Youth Event Deadline Extended
The deadline to apply for the 2023 Episcopal Youth Event has been extended to March 29. If you know any youth ages 15-19, and who are enrolled in high school for the 2022-2023 school year, encourage them to apply here. Adults 21 and over who are interested in serving as chaperones are also encouraged to apply.
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Welcome to the Evangelism Zone | |
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TryTank will be launching a new newsletter in March: Evangelism Zone!
It is a free resource for congregations looking to invite new people.
Why it matters: In net numbers, the Episcopal Church would stop declining and be a growing denomination if each congregation added one new member per month!
- The newsletter will come out each week with one quick, actionable evangelism tip.
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Past tips will also be kept on the Evangelism.Zone website.
Sign up today so that you don’t miss an issue! You can do so here.
TryTank Experimental Laboratory is a lab for church growth and innovation. It is a joint project between Virginia Theological Seminary and the General Theological Seminary. TryTank offers inventive approaches to the challenges facing the Episcopal Church.
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2023 TENS Stewardship Information
Our diocese is a member of TENS, the Episcopal Network for Stewardship, and the 2023 campaign materials, Rooted in Abundance, will be available soon.
To access this resource, please email Mack@norcalepiscopal.org for the login information. Also, as part of the diocese, you can access TENS webinars.
Throughout the year, TENS provides training for vestries, stewardship committees, dioceses, and provinces to help prepare lay and clergy stewardship leaders for pledge campaigns and to talk about year-round stewardship. To learn more, go to: https://www.tens.org/webinars-events/tens-webinars/
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Summer Camp Opportunities
Updated Summer Camp information is available on the diocesan website here. You will find links to learn more about the Pathways Youth Pilgrimage, Camp Living Waters, as well as this summer’s camp opportunities at Camp Galilee, The Bishop’s Ranch, and St. Dorothy’s Rest.
The link to the 2023 Camper Scholarship request form can be found here as well. If you have any questions, contact the Rev. Mack Olson, Missioner for Church Life: Mack@norcalepiscopal.org
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Episcopal Community Services | |
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Episcopal Community Services of Northern California 2023-2024 Annual Grant Cycle Begins
ECS is pleased to announce that the 2023-2024 Annual Grant Cycle has begun!
Episcopal congregations throughout the Diocese of Northern California can apply for a number of grants, including:
- The Ministry Development Fund (1 year)
- The Warren Dunning Memorial Social Justice Grant (3 years)
- The Barry L. Beisner Multi-Year Grant (up to 5 years)
- The Bishop Jerry and Jane Lamb Grant (youth/young adults)
- The Healing and Health Ministries Mini-Grants
- The Rev. David & Catherine Cavanaugh Memorial Grant (1 year, with option for 2 renewals)
Information about each of these grant opportunities can be found on the ECS website, www.norcalecs.org.
Letters of interest for these grants are recommended, but are not mandatory. Information about Letters of Interest are also found on the ECS website. Letters of Interest are due to Betty Harrison-Smith, Grants Chair, by March 15, 2023 (bettyharrisonsmith@gmail.com).
The actual request for funding (Request for Proposals, or RFP) is due to the Grants Chair by May 1, 2023. The Request for Proposals document can also be found on the ECS website.
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Episcopal delegates resume in-person presence at annual UN women’s commission | |
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres (at podium and on screens) addresses the opening of the 67th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. The priority theme for the 67th session is “Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.” Photo: UN Photo Service | |
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[Episcopal News Service] By Melodie Woerman | Posted March 6, 2023
Episcopal delegates to the 67th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women gathered for a breakfast meeting at the Episcopal Church Center in New York on March 6 to begin their work at the annual international event promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment.
Over 8,700 delegates from across the world —a record number—are attending the March 6-17 event held at U.N. headquarters and offsite locations around the city. It’s the first time in four years UNCSW has been held in person. The 2020 event was postponed because of the coronavirus and both the 2021 and 2022 events were held online.
One thing that makes this year’s session unique is that the United Nations is working on its first-ever Global Digital Compact, to be published in September, Lynnaia Main, The Episcopal Church’s representative to the United Nations, said during the breakfast meeting.
“This UNCSW is incredibly significant because its final outcomes document will feed into the recommendations for that compact,” she said, noting that delegates will be sharing information about technology resolutions that have been adopted by General Convention.
The theme of the March 6-17 commission is innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. According to the latest progress report on the Sustainable Development Goals, it will take 286 years to achieve gender equality at the current pace of improvement.
“Roll up your sleeves, because we’ve got a lot of work to do,” Main said.
The nine Episcopal delegates representing Presiding Bishop Michael Curry come from six provinces across the United States, as well as from Colombia which is in Province IX.
Read the full article
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Job Opportunities in The Diocese | |
Saint Luke’s | Auburn is seeking a part-time Parish Mission Coordinator to assist the Clergy, Vestry and parishioners in the mission and management of the church. Read the Position Description Here. | |
Grace Church | Fairfield is seeking a part-time bilingual Children's Outreach Worker to assist the Rector in planning and implementing outreach activities for children in the community. Read the position description here. | |
Clergy Openings in The Diocese | |
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We have a brand-new new page on our website, listing pending clergy openings in the diocese: https://www.norcalepiscopal.org/site/open-positions/
For job descriptions or questions, please contact transitions@norcalepiscopal.org or call Cn. Julie at 916.442.6918 x 214
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The ENews is published weekly on Tuesdays.
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The Episcopal Diocese of Northern California
Making Disciples, Raising Up Saints & Transforming Communities for Christ
www.norcalepiscopal.org
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