Newsletter
November 2020, Issue No. 332
The 62nd Annual Convention of the Diocese of Northwest Texas - Recap
The 62nd Annual Convention of the Diocese of Northwest Texas was held Friday, October 16, 2020 via Zoom. Convention began with the Holy Eucharist at 10AM on Friday with the Rev. James P. Haney V as Celebrant. The service was held at St. Paul’s on the Plains, Lubbock and broadcast live on the diocesan Facebook page. Click here to view a recording of the Convention Eucharist. Bp. Mayer had been feeling under the weather the week of Convention, and out of an abundance of caution during these times of the pandemic, chose to not participate in person at the service and gave his charge on Zoom during the business portion of the meeting. To read Bishop Mayer's charge, click here. 

The business meeting began at 1:00 PM. Only those persons with a vote (canonical clergy with a cure, elected lay delegates, wardens and ex-officio members) were invited to participate in the Zoom meeting. All other persons were invited to view the proceedings via Facebook Live. The meeting was recorded and is also available on our Facebook page. Click here to view the convention business meeting.

The 2021 Diocesan Budget was adopted during the meeting, as were the 2021 Apportionment amounts. In addition, elections were held to elect persons to the Northwest Texas Board of Trustees, the Standing Committee and the Executive Council. The results from those elections are below:


We thank everyone who attended Convention in this new virtual environment. It was not our usual family reunion, which we all love, but diocesan business was attended to and it was wonderful to see the faces of old friends from around the diocese Friday afternoon!
Good Shepherd's Building Finds New Home at National Ranching Heritage Museum
On October 6 and 7, the building that most recently housed Church of the Good Shepherd in Brownfield made a three county journey from Brownfield to Lubbock to become the fifty-second historical ranch structure at the National Ranching Heritage Museum on the Texas Tech campus. To read more about the move, click here.
St. John's Episcopal School Animal Blessing
Father Richardo Lopez laughs after Cooper, a dog he was blessing, tore off his face mask to lick his face during St. John's Episcopal School animal blessing in Odessa. Father Rick is the priest-in-charge at San Miguel Arcangel, St. John's, and St. Barnabas' in Odessa, and he is the chaplain at St. John's Episcopal School in Odessa.
Would you like to highlight any news or happenings at your church?
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Check out the ministries below to see how your apportionments are changing lives and making a difference in our diocese.

Youth News
Renee Haney, Diocesan Youth Coordinator
There is a peace that surrounds us in the prayers from the Book of Common Prayer.
 
For the past twelve years, I have been part of summer camp and many things have changed over these years. Each summer we have new campers, new counselors, some new songs, new crafts and new games. But there are several things that don’t change each year. We still have our banners, dance, and campfire. And most nights we gather together as a camp family to pray The Order for Compline from the BCP.
 
Many Episcopalians are not familiar with compline. Most prayer books do not automatically open to page 127. But many CQ campers ask to pray it each night we are together and some campers even get upset if another activity prevents this service from happening.
 
What about compline do the youth like? It is short, but I don’t think that is the reason. It is familiar, and many don’t need a prayer book to participate, but I don’t think that is it, either. I think it is in the company of this camp family that campers, counselors, and staff find comfort in the words of the prayers. Just the opening sentence, “The Lord Almighty grant us a peaceful night and a perfect end. Amen,” is comforting. Why? Because we believe that God listens to us and this affirms it. We can turn our fears and concerns over to God and we believe that God hears our prayers.
 
Other prayers in the compline service, also bring a sense of peace to our crazy world: “Be present, O merciful God, and protect us through the hours of this night, so that we who are wearied by the changes and chances of this life may rest in your eternal changelessness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
 
In spite of all that is going on, God is changeless, God never leaves us. Young people may appear to be “calm, cool and collected” and have not a care in the world. They may be acting like they aren’t concerned by school, life, peer pressure, you name it. I believe that, like so many of us, they are often worried and scared. And when we can’t articulate our feelings, compline and other prayers in the prayer book, can be especially comforting.
 
During the month of November, I will be sending out care packages to youth in the diocese who I have contact information for (those who registered for CQ@home or another youth event).  I will be including our Compline Booklet from camp and encourage them to rely on God to walk this journey with them and remind them they are not alone. Please join me in lifting up ALL youth and those who minister with them in your prayers. And remember, we all can count on God.
 
If you know of any youth (in grades 2nd -12th) that I can send a care package
to—please let me know by sending me their name, grade, home address, and phone number to [email protected] or by texting or calling me at 806-445-3667.
If you have any questions, please contact Renee Haney, Diocesan Youth Coordinator and Camp Director at 806-445-3667 or [email protected].
Canterbury at Texas Tech
Mtr. Leann Wigner, Canterbury Chaplain
As COVID-19 rages out of control within Lubbock and on the campus of Texas Tech, Canterbury has been thinking creatively about how to address the needs of students on campus. At the beginning of the semester, we began a COVID-19 food pantry with the help of the Lubbock Episcopal churches because food insecurity among students has drastically increased during the pandemic. This past month, students have learned that dorms will close just prior to Thanksgiving and not reopen again until January 20, increasing the possibility of food insecurity among international students and students who live off campus. Such a break in classes will limit the amount of work-study hours available to students, particularly international students who rely on such employment. On Monday, November 2, we will partner with Schlotzsky's on 19th street to provide students with free sandwich coupons in order to promote our food pantry more widely to the students of Texas Tech. We have also partnered with St. Paul's Thrift store which will provide vouchers to any Tech students in need of clothing. If you know of any Tech students in need during this difficult time, please send them our way, and if you would like to contribute funds to our food bank, please click on the link below.
If you have any questions, please contact Mtr. Leann Wigner, Chaplain at Canterbury Episcopal Campus Ministry at Texas Tech at 575-631-5345 or [email protected].
The Bishop's Staff will be working remotely until further notice. All staff members have access to email or can be reached at the office telephone number 806-763-1370.

November, 2020*
30-1               ..       SOM - School of Ordained Ministry - ZOOM
4                 .       .   Bishop Mayer and Clergy Weekly Meeting, 11am - ZOOM
6 Standing Committee Meeting, 12:30 pm - ZOOM
11                           Bishop Mayer and Clergy Weekly Meeting, 11am - ZOOM
18                           Bishop Mayer and Clergy Weekly Meeting, 11am - ZOOM
19                           Trustees Meeting - ZOOM

December, 2020*
2                 .       .   Bishop Mayer and Clergy Weekly Meeting, 11am - ZOOM
4-6   .            ..      . SOM - School of Ordained Ministry - ZOOM
9     ..                      Bishop Mayer and Clergy Weekly Meeting, 11am - ZOOM
16                           Bishop Mayer and Clergy Weekly Meeting, 11am - ZOOM


Dates are subject to change depending on federal, state, and local laws concerning COVID-19 physical distance restrictions and at the Bishop's discretion.

All items in purple indicate the bishop's presence.

The full events calendar can be found on our website.
2019 Parochial Report Data Now Available
More Episcopal Church news can be found here.
General Convention Task Force Invites Episcopalians to Participate in Survey "Social Justice and the Episcopal Church: A Call for Stories."
In the work of contemplating the theology of social justice advocacy in The Episcopal Church, the Task Force recognizes that different people have vastly different perspectives and experiences. For some, social justice advocacy may seem somewhat peripheral to their spiritual lives in the church; for others, social justice may have become an important focal point of their theology over time; for still others, the struggle for social justice is fundamental to and inseparable from their experience of what it is to be a Christian. The members of the Task Force would like to gather stories and deeper perspectives to support their work on behalf of the Church and invite Episcopalians to consider sharing their experience by completing the survey, “Social Justice and the Episcopal Church: A Call for Stories”. Due on or before November 5.

To read more, click here.

Holding on to Hope: A National Service of Healing and Wholeness
Presiding Bishop Michael Curry will lead a live-streamed prayer service from Washington National Cathedral, Holding on to Hope: A National Service for Healing and Wholeness, on All Saints Sunday, November 1, at 4:00-5:30 p.m. EST. In the midst of pandemic, racial reckoning, and a historic election, the live-streamed service will gather Americans for prayer, song, lament, hope, and a call to love God and neighbor. To tune into this service, click here.
Save the date for a DAY OF LOVE on Friday November 13, 2020 to bring awareness to World Kindness Day and the ONE THOUSAND DAYS OF LOVE campaign. Highlight good deeds in your homes, congregations, and the community focusing on the positive power and the common thread of love that binds us. November 13 will be a day devoted to the transformative potential of both large and small acts of love. 

To learn how you can take part, download the DAY OF LOVE Toolkit! If you want to get started on an Act of Love of your own, download the ACTS OF LOVE Guide designed to help children, youth, and adults share love in their home, their community and throughout the world.
Other Opportunities

November 4, 1:00pm, EST
The Science of Well-Being

November 5, 3:00pm, EST
Structuring Conversations for Connection and Collaboration

November 7
Webinar: Finding Our Way to the Truth Book Release

November 14
Pádraig Ó Tuama: Poetry and Prayer in Times of Conflict

November 18
Mapping Systemic Racism in Your Community (An Urban Perspective)


More Episcopal Church events and webinars can be found here.
The 2021 United Thank Offering grant application materials are now available. The focus of this year's grants is Recovering with Love and Gratitude: An Episcopal Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Local Contexts. The deadline for submission of a completed application (and required documents) for the first round of grants is 5pm (Eastern) on Friday, February 26, 2021. For more information, click here.
More grants and scholarships through the Episcopal Church can be found here.
Give

The Episcopal Church is at work in the world every day, with more than 6,000 parishes locally, nationally, and in ten foreign countries--all of which are working to be the hands and feet of Christ in the world. In this season of giving, please make a gift and support the many ways in which we, together, can witness to the loving, liberating and life-giving way of Jesus Christ.

To read more about the work that your gifts make possible or to give a donation to the Episcopal Church, click here.
Support

Support the Diocese of Northwest Texas when you shop using Amazon Smile. Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible Amazon Smile purchases to the Episcopal Diocese of Northwest Texas when you shop at this address: amazon.com/ch/75-0800662.

AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. The same products, same prices, same services. Support the Episcopal Diocese of Northwest Texas by starting your shopping at Amazon at smile.amazon.com.
Episcopal Diocese of Northwest Texas
Attn: Leann Wigner
Canterbury Chaplain & Communications Coordinator
1802 Broadway
Lubbock, Texas 79401
806-763-1370