Several years ago I lost a dear friend unexpectedly, and his widow sent me a meditation that she received on the day he died. Since then, I have read it many times, and especially on hard days, it brings great comfort. The author is theologian and priest, Henri Nouwen. It reads: Hope and faith will both come to an end when we die. But love will remain. Love is eternal. Love comes from God and returns to God. When we die, we will lose everything that life gave us except love. The love with which we lived our lives is the life of God within us.

Bishop Curry is pleased to announce that Jen Manning will serve as the Missioner for Youth, Campus, and Young Adult Ministries. She will join the staff on June 20. Manning is a lifelong Episcopalian and growing up she spent almost every Sunday serving as an acolyte and singing in the choir at her home parish of St. Thomas in Huntsville. Her love of parish ministry led to a 12-year calling as a youth minister at St. Thomas and St. Stephen's, Birmingham, and St. James, Fairhope. She also spent two years as a Parish Administrator at St. Stephen's before pursuing a successful career in nonprofit development and special events management.

Manning returns to ministry with a unique hybrid skill set that touches program development, mentorship, training, and community engagement. She is passionate about serving young people, and is excited about continuing the work that her predecessors have put into making the Diocese of Alabama known for its engagement with young people and young adults.

Now is the perfect time to plan for your parish's annual stewardship campaign in the fall. Schedule a 30-minute Zoom call with Claire Cotten, Director of Mission Funding for the diocese, to work through a simple checklist and make sure you're ready for stewardship season. Claire is here to share best practices and help your parish create a culture of giving and gratitude.

As we know, Christian Formation for all ages is essential to the health and vitality of a church. There are many good methods and curricula available including Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and Godly Play that are being used fruitfully throughout the diocese. StoryMakers is an excellent new curriculum which emerged from Calvary/St. George in New York City and is based on formation through art and creativity.

Join the StoryMakers team online for an informational meeting June 15th and learn how your church can become StoryMakers. The session will run 30 min with 15 minutes of Q+A. You can sign up here. I hope that you or someone from your church will consider joining the StoryMakers team for this upcoming informational session. If you would like support in getting StoryMakers (or another curriculum/method) started at your church please contact me, The Rev. Cn. Geoff Evans, at gevans@dioala.org

Please join us on Saturday, August 12, 2023, for the 26th Annual Jonathan Daniels Pilgrimage. We will gather in the courthouse square in Hayneville, Alabama, and begin our pilgrimage procession at 11 am. The procession will travel from the square to the old County Jail where Daniels was among those detained for a week after being arrested in Fort Deposit for picketing white-only businesses. The procession continues to the site of the old Varner’s Cash Store, where Daniels was killed. The procession ends in the Lowndes County Courthouse, where a service of Holy Communion will be celebrated in the courtroom where the man who shot Daniels had been tried and acquitted by an all-white jury. Register for the pilgrimage here.

Jonathan Daniels Youth Pilgrimage

The youth pilgrimage is a weekend of service and remembrance for youth grades 9th-12th grade. We will gather at Episcopal Church of the Ascension (315 Clanton Avenue Montgomery, AL 36104), with registration from 5:30-6:30pm, on August 11th. The weekend will conclude on August 13th around 2:00pm.

Diocesan Job Opportunity: Canon for Mission Support

The Diocese of Alabama is currently accepting applications for the Cannon for Mission Support position. This person provides day to day financial oversight of the Diocese, serves as Assistant Treasurer and Assistant Secretary of the Diocese, has key roles in administration of church insurance and church pension fund administration, is responsible for property management and to the fullest extent supports the implementation of the vision of the bishop and diocesan leadership, building a strong connection with the bishop, staff, clergy, and lay leaders. This position is open to lay and ordained candidates, reporting directly to the bishop. Please submit a resume and cover letter by June 15, 2023 to Dr. Jordan Rippy. The job description can be found here.

On May 29, 2023, parishioners at St. John's Episcopal Church of Montgomery, Alabama, gathered in its historic bell tower to ring the church bell for the fallen at St. John's annual "For Whom the Bell Tolls" Memorial Day event. This event is an occasion of remembrance and healing for the fallen who were willing to sacrifice themselves for the freedoms we hold dear. The event was preceded by a liturgy composed by St. John's Rector, the Rev. Dr. Duncan Johnston. Also in attendance was St. John's Associate Rector, the Rev. Dr. Deonna Neal (an Air Force Academy graduate and former member of the U.S. Air Force). The names of the fallen service members were provided by St. John's parishioners. Nearly 100 names were called out, and parishioners rang the bell for each one of the fallen. Names included service members from the Second Seminole War (1838) to the Global War on Terror.

Trinity, Florence is seeking a Children's Ministry Coordinator. You can view the job description here.

St. John's, Decatur seeks a full-time Director of Communications. You can veiw the job description here.

Ascension, Vestavia Hills is seeking a part-time Youth Minister. Click here for more information.

Ascension, Montgomery seeks a Children's and Youth Minister. View the job description here. For more information or to submit your resume contact The. Rev. Drew Brislin.

The Church of the Epiphany, Leeds, is in search of a part time Office Administrator to work two four-hour days per week. For more information or to submit a resume and references email epiphanyleedsrector@gmail.com.

Episcopal Place is searching for a Director of Development. Resumes can be submitted to Tim Blanton.

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