Sunday • August 4th & Sunday • August 11th
Sunday, August 11th

9th Sunday After Pentecost

Lower Cape Fear Deanery
Save the Date & Budget Information for the
137th Annual Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of East Carolina

The 137th Annual Convention will be held at the Hotel Ballast in Wilmington NC on February 6-8, 2020 . For budgeting purposes, please note the following:

  • Registration has increased to $190 per attendee.
  • Hotel Ballast Accommodations: $141 per night (includes parking)
  • Note: If you are not an overnight guest of the Hotel Ballast there is a daily parking fee $12.00 (self parking) and $15.00 (valet parking).

The Convention Committee makes every effort to keep costs low for convention, however, with the increased cost of venues and catering it was necessary to increase fees for 2020. Please note that our last fee increase was in 2014.
Updates from the Executive Council of East Carolina

The Executive Council met at Emmanuel Church in Farmville on Friday, June 7, and took the following actions:

  • Approved the minutes of the Executive Council meeting on April 5 at Diocesan House. (Click here to read the approved minutes.)
  • Approved giving $50,000 from the Foreman Charitable Remainder Trust to Christ Church, Elizabeth City, toward their capital campaign. (The Foreman gift was given by J. W. Foreman of Christ Church, Elizabeth City).
  • Amended the Diocesan Budget on recommendation presented from the Finance Committee. The Treasurer reported from the Finance Committee that Parish pledges are projected to be at 9% for 2019, not the 10% proposed in the 2019 Budget. This would be $156,000 less income than budgeted. Additionally, the Diocesan Convention expenses were over budget. The 2019 Adopted Budget included $46.7K from operating reserves. The adjustments stated above require additional funds from operating reserves for a total of $218,000 for 2019. Finance committee reported that next steps are:
  1. An analysis of parish pledge income
  2. An analysis of expenses and operating reserves
  3. Restoring operating reserves to 3 month reserves

The minutes of this meeting will be reviewed and approved at the next meeting. The Executive Council will meet on Friday, September 13, from 9:30 AM - 3:00 PM at St. Anne's, Jacksonville . Click here for a listing of the members of the Executive Council.

The Executive Council is often referred to as "the Convention between Conventions", as it is the elected body empowered to make particular decisions for the diocese between diocesan conventions. Click here to read the canons regarding the Executive Council.
Around the Diocese
Celebration of New Ministry at St. John’s, Wilmington

The people of St. John’s, Wilmington invite those around the diocese to join them for a celebration of their new ministry with the Rev’d Eric Moulton, whom Bishop Rob Skirving will institute as Rector on Wednesday, August 7th at 6pm.

St. John’s Episcopal Church
1219 Forest Hills Drive
Wilmington, NC 28401

Clergy: Cassock, Surplice tippet, and hood
Reception to follow.
A Trek Toward the Kingdom of God

Recently the Rev’d Sarah Smith of St. Andrew’s on the Sound, Wilmington co-led a group of youth from around the state on a trek in the Appalachian mountains. An article about this experience was written by Colin Halloran and published by the Episcopal News Service last week. If you’d like to read it, click here.
Iconography Retreat

Holy Trinity, Fayetteville is hosting an upcoming iconography retreat from September 5-8 . All are invited to attend and learn the ancient art of "writing" an icon. No former art experience necessary. The renowned Iconographer, Brenda Fox, will guide participants through a step by step process of learning to create an icon from start to finish. This will be a time of contemplation in prayer and painting. Click here to view the retreat schedule and registration information.

Holy Trinity Episcopal Church
1601 Raeford Rd.
Fayetteville, NC 28305
31st Annual Conference on Church Music in the Anglican Tradition

This year's Conference on Church Music will take place at Trinity Center from August 15th through 18th. Our clinician will be  Dan Bara, Professor of Choral Music and the Director of Choral Activities at the Hugh Hodgson School of Music at the University of Georgia. To learn more about the conference and get registered, click  here. The deadline is this Thursday, August 1st.
Resources & Events for
 Ministry & Faith Formation
Foundation Grant Application Now Live

The Grant Committee of the Foundation of the Diocese of East Carolina urges anyone with program or project needs to apply for grants that will be awarded for 2019 through the Endowment's Undesignated Funds. These funds will be available to the applicant no later than January 31, 2020.

The grant application must be completed and in Diocesan House by September 1st. The foundation page on the website can be found here , along with this year's grant application.

For questions or assistance, please contact  Terry Everett  via email or phone (252) 796-7044.
Clergy Continuing Education

Diocesan funds are available to assist clergy with the expense of continuing education. Grant requests for funding for education programs, domestic or foreign may be submitted on the same form found here .

Grant requests for 2019 are to be submitted by:
  • April 26, 2019, with notification of grant awards for CE to recipients by May 3, 2019.
  • August 30, 2019 with notification of grant awards for CE by September 4, 2019 (for events September 2019 through February 5, 2020)

Applications are to be submitted to the Rev. Deacon Andy Atkinson via email .
Summer Youth & Formation Update

Click here to read the July edition of the Diocesan Youth and Formation update.

Reminder: registration is open for yOUThREACH, Happening, Senior High Fall Break, & Fall Conference for Middle Schoolers. All registration info can be found in the update linked above.
International Women of Color and Wellness Conference Sponsored by the Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing
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This conference is designed to speak to the issues that confront women of color around the world and to offer insights into some remedies that can be engaged on a day to day basis, even in the midst of the most undesirable circumstances. It will take place at All Saints Episcopal Church in Atlanta, GA from October 24th through 26th . It will offer strategies for developing daily practices to support the inner capacity that each person has to engage their life in ways to release the energy of resilience and re-invention.

The conference is open to any woman who wishes to attend, but the focus will be upon women of color only. The conference fee is $100 per person and scholarships are available. Click here to learn more and register to attend.
Leading for Discipleship Conference
“Leading for Discipleship”, a conference for clergy and lay leaders who wish to explore what it means to lead congregations into deeper discipleship. It will be held at St. James, Wilmington from Monday, Sept. 30 through Wednesday, October 2. Led by the Rev. Canon Dr. Rob Droste and Dr. Robert E Logan, we will discuss innovative ways to engage Episcopalians in discipleship. Click here  to learn more and to register. Cost: $150. Space is limited. Hosted by St. James’ Parish and by the Diocese of East Carolina.

Contact the Rev'd Jay Sidebotham via email for more information.
Transition Ministry Conference

Fr. Michael Singer will be attending the Transition Ministry Conference in September along with approximately 40 other Transition Officers from around the Episcopal Church. Clergy who are considering transitioning out of their current ministry and are hoping to get their names shared throughout the wider church are invited to fill out this clergy information form.

If you have questions or desire to have your name presented at the conference, please contact The Rev'd Michael Singer , Interim Transition Ministry Officer.
2019 Episcopal Cursillo Ministry Conference

This year's Cursillo Ministry Conference will take place in Kansas City, MO from October 3-5. This is a great opportunity to meet and connect with Cursillo leaders from all over the country. Worship together and grow in your abilities to bring Christ into our environments. Workshops and speakers will build on the conference theme: "LOVE from the Heartland - Evangelism and Action." Click here to learn more and register.
Open Positions Around the Diocese
Reminders
Parish Audits

Reminder: Parish Audits are due back to Beth Nagy by September 1st. They may be submitted digitally via email or physically.
Interactive Deanery Map

As a reference, we have created a map on Google Maps listing all worshiping communities in our diocese. They are also color coded according to deanery. If you download the Google Maps app on your phone, you can open the map there in addition to opening it in your browser.

Not only is this a quick way to see which parishes are a part of what deanery, but it also allows you to get directions to each parish, should you need them. Click here to access the interactive deanery map.
Click here to learn about events going on in parishes and in communities around the diocese.
News to Share?
Contact Lindsey Harts if you have news, notes, or stories you would like to share with the people of the diocese.
For news regarding the wider Church, check out the Episcopal News Service and Anglican News Service websites by clicking the icons to the right:

Diocesan Life:

News & Notes:   Lindsey Harts

To Schedule a Meeting at Diocesan House:

Youth, Young Adult, or Campus Ministry
News and Updates: Emily Gowdy Canady

Spanish Language Ministries: The Rev'd Fred Clarkson

Submitting to News & Notes?
Deadline is noon on the Thursday of the preceding week.
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