TENS membership renewed: new password will allow access to 2024
stewardship materials
The Diocese of Los Angeles has renewed its membership in TENS: the Episcopal Network for Stewardship, which offers stewardship resources, teaching and training opportunities.
The diocese's membership provides access to TENS materials for all its congregations. To log on, visit the website, select "Annual Pledge Campaign" from the navigation bar and "Walk in Love" from the dropdown menu. The password for 2024 is Ephesians5:2. (Note: the password is case sensitive and there are no spaces. No user name is required.) Materials are available in English and Spanish and in MS Word and PDF versions.
The theme for the year is Walk in Love, "a celebration of the joy and gratitude we have for God and our community that lead us to share our stories, our journeys, and our gifts," according to TENS. "Our resources are making a special effort to lift up diverse voices as we share the stories that inspire us to share our wealth, works, and wisdom with our ministry."
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IRIS invites diocesan community to 'Under My Roof,' an online discussion of refugee ministry
[IRIS – Feb. 27, 2024] In the spirit of Lent, Interfaith Refugee and Immigration Service (IRIS) warmly invites our Episcopal family to “Under My Roof," a reflective Zoom gathering as we explore the sacred journey of welcoming refugees into our community. Join us for two workshops, on March 8 and 15 at 10 a.m., for information on how to help lighten the path for those seeking refuge, guided by the spirit of Lenten renewal.
These workshops motivate and empower our congregations for the mission of refugee resettlement, which is the foundation of IRIS's life-saving work. We will explore the various ways and levels to which we may collaborate, engage, and participate to support newly arrived families and welcome them under our roofs, literally or figuratively.
To register, click here or email Ruben Tomasian, IRIS’s Capacity Building and Community Outreach manager, at rtomasian@ladiocese.org.
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Episcopal Service Corps seeks applicants for 2024-25 service year
The Episcopal Service Corps invites young leaders ages 21 to 32 interested in a transformative outreach and discernment experience to apply online for the 2024-25 program year through the end of May.
Those interested are encouraged to take an online discernment quiz.
Episcopal Service Corps is a network of young adults who commit to a year of transforming themselves and the world through community-building, local collaboration, prayer, and action while living in locally organized intentional communities within the U.S.
Each corps member serves at a community-based nonprofit, working in immigration and refugee resettlement, housing justice, education for at-risk youth, and more. Members receive housing, health coverage, and stipends to cover living expenses, transportation, and food.
Participants live and learn together, developing mutually supportive community, authentic relationships, and life-giving ways of communicating. In addition to service, they commit to learn about issues of justice and spiritual practices, including prayer, meditation, and spiritual direction.
Read more here.
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Planning under way for 81st General Convention:
Episcopal Church provides information, resources
The 81st meeting of General Convention will convene June 23 - 28 in Louisville, Kentucky. A major portion of its business will be the election of the 28th presiding bishop of The Episcopal Church; the Most Rev. Michael Curry will conclude his nine-year term in November of this year.
The Rt. Rev. John Harvey Taylor will represent the Diocese of Los Angeles in the House of Bishops. Deputies from the diocese to the triennial meeting – elected at Diocesan Convention in 2022 – are:
Clergy deputies:
The Rev. Canon Melissa McCarthy
The Rev. Antonio Gallardo
The Rev. Fennie Hsin-Fen Chang
The Rev. Rachel Nyback
Clergy alternates:
The Rev. Canon Kelli Grace Kurtz (first alternate)
The Rev. Dominique Piper
The Rev. Guy Leemhuis
The Rev. Canon Ian Davies
Lay deputies:
Kathryn Nishibayashi
Canon Andy Tomat
Thomas Diaz
Alan Herendich
Lay alternate:
Cameron Johnson
Former first alternate Alan Herendich became the fourth lay deputy after the death of Canon Julie Dean Larsen on Sept. 11, 2023.
General Convention resources
The General Convention Office of The Episcopal Church recently released information about the June meeting, including the work-in-progress Reports to the 81st General Convention (better known as the Blue Book), the proposed budget, and the process of nominating candidates for election as the next presiding bishop.
The Blue Book
This compilation of reports from groups carrying out the work and governance of the church is available online. Additional reports will be added in the coming weeks.
2025-27 Proposed Church-wide Budget
During its January meeting, the Executive Council approved a budget presented by the new Joint Budget Committee. The budget proposal is now “locked” until General Convention, when it will be open for discussion and adoption. Learn more about the revised budget process.
Presiding Bishop Nominating Committee
The Joint Nominating Committee for the Election of the Presiding Bishop (JNCPB) met Jan. 9-11 in Phoenix, Arizona, to discern which bishops to invite to join them for an in-person meeting in March. The committee will announce its slate of nominees in the weeks following that meeting. Canon Steven Nishibayashi, secretary of convention for the Diocese of Los Angeles, is co-chair of the committee, which includes members from the House of Deputies and the House of Bishops. Read more here.
House of Deputies Blue Book Podcast with Julia Ayala Harris
The inaugural episode of this new resource for exploring resolutions and topics that will shape the direction of GC81 features a conversation with deputies Megan Carlson and David Sibley, who have spent the past year working on the importance of wellness in the church as members of the Task Force on Individuals with Mental Illness and the Task Force to Advise the Church on Denominational Health Plans.
'Toward GC81'
This "roundup of updates, news, and events related to the 81st General Convention” is issued by the Office of Public Affairs. The most recent issue is here. Subscribe here.
General Convention Office newsletter
Issues of the General Convention Office’s monthly newsletter are linked here. To subscribe, click here.
House of Deputies newsletter
The monthly newsletter may be read here in English and Spanish.
Visitors to General Convention
Online registration is open for visitors to the convention. An onsite registration area will also open June 21. Visitor registration fees for the entire convention are $150 in advance, or $180 at the site. The cost for day visitors is $50 per day. Youth ages 12 to 18 will pay $50 for the whole convention. Access to the exhibit area only is $20 per day.
Visitor registration fees allow access to all areas of General Convention, including visitor galleries in the House of Bishops and House of Deputies, legislative committee rooms and hearings, the exhibit area, and worship services.
All registrants will be required to show a photo ID and sign a liability waiver and photo release agreement when they pick up their badge at the registration area.
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ECF workshop for church leaders will focus on planned giving
James W. Murphy, CFRE, director of Stewardship Resource & Operations for the Episcopal Church Foundation, will conduct "Setting Up a Planned Giving Program for Your Parish," a workshop on Saturday, March 16, 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, 580 Hilgard Avenue, Westwood (Los Angeles) 90024.
"Take the mystery out of planned giving for your parish," Murphy says in the workshop invitation. "Learn in easy-to-understand terms how planned giving differs from annual stewardship and capital campaigns, and how your parish can build endowments and other funds through wills and life income and various other gifts.
"After a review of the planned giving instruments, you will learn about the importance of a parish vision, building trust among parishioners, and how to invite others to remember your parish through estate gifts and financial planning, taking into account the many recent tax law changes."
Clergy and lay leaders of congregations with an existing planned giving ministry or endowment, as well as those without one, will benefit from this workshop, says Murphy, who oversees ECF’s financial resource programs: planned giving, donor solutions, including ECF’s Donor-Advised Fund program, and its new on-line fundraising resource hub ECF360.
Active in ecumenical collaborations, Murphy works with congregations, dioceses, and other Episcopal organizations to enhance and develop their programs and resources. He is the author of Faithful Giving: The Heart of Planned Gifts (an interfaith book on planned giving). He is general editor and a contributing author for Faithful Investing: the Power of Decisive Action and Incremental Change, an ecumenical book on socially responsible investing; and a contributor to One Minute Stewardship and We Shall Be Changed from Church Publishing. Murphy holds a certificate in fundraising from New York University's School of Continuing and Professional Studies, a master's degree in Christian Spirituality from General Theological Seminary, and a bachelor's degree from New York University's Stern School of Business.
To register click here or call St. Alban’s Church at 310.208.6516.
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ACTION REQUIRED
Changes to California Paid Sick Leave laws
From the State of California Department of Industrial Relations:
Starting on January 1, 2024, employers must generally provide 5 days or 40 hours of paid sick leave to their employees in California. The Labor Commissioner has updated the paid sick leave poster and 2810.5 employee notice in English, Spanish, Korean, Tagalog, Chinese Simplified, and Vietnamese. All employers should post the new poster. An employer previously providing less than 5 days or 40 hours of paid sick leave per year will need to provide employees a new copy of the notice.
Links to download the posters and read FAQs are here.
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SAVE THE DATE
Date announced for all-diocese confirmation service at cathedral
The all-diocese confirmation service for 2024 will be held on Saturday, May 11 at St. John's Cathedral. Bishop John Harvey Taylor will preside and confirm candidates presented by any congregation that does not have an episcopal visitation this year.
Registration information for the service will be announced soon. The cathedral is located at 514 W. Adams Blvd., Los Angeles 90007. To contact the cathedral office, email churchoffice@stjohnsla.org or call 213.747.6285.
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Grant applications open for 2024 Episcopal creation care projects
The Episcopal Church’s Task Force on the Care of Creation and Environmental Racism is offering an additional round of grant funding for up to eight projects that seek to bolster creation care and environmental justice work. The deadline to apply online is March 22.
A total of $100,000 is available for funding eco-ministry projects that address climate change, environmental degradation, and the inequitable and systemic impacts of environmental racism. The grant committee is interested in supporting programs that go beyond secular environmental work to provide resources for faith-based community organizing and theological reflection.
As with the previous funding round, projects that support The Episcopal Church’s goal of reaching net carbon neutrality by 2030 will be favorably considered, along with projects that develop climate change resiliency. Read about last year’s recipients.
In 2022, The Episcopal Church’s General Convention allocated funds to the task force to continue supporting local and regional eco-ministry efforts, recognizing “care of creation and environmental justice as integral and ongoing parts of the church’s loving, liberating, and life-giving work.”
Learn more about The Episcopal Church’s creation care initiatives.
Stay connected to learn about future creation care grants opportunities.
Leer en español
Photo: Jacob Lund/Shutterstock
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New web-based app automates Episcopal parish register portion of the annual parochial report
[Episcopal News Service – Jan. 16, 2024] The General Convention Office has released a new web-based app that helps tally items on the annual parochial report relating to church services and attendance.
The parish register app allows users to track aspects of every liturgy that takes place in their congregation and then adds that data to the church’s parochial report, the Rev. Molly James, deputy executive officer of General Convention, told Episcopal News Service. Every congregation in The Episcopal Church is required to complete the parochial report annually. This year’s report based on 2023 data is due March 1.
“It tracks everything related to worship, so that at the end of the year, when you go to fill out the parochial report, the number of Eucharists you have, the number of baptisms, your average Sunday attendance – all of the math is done for you,” she said. Data that is entered during 2024 will be compiled for the parochial report that is filed in 2025.
Read more here.
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REGISTER TODAY
'New Camino' seminar will offer a fresh take on Latino/Hispanic ministries
Join the Program Group on Hispanic Ministries and the Rev. Canon Anthony Guillen, The Episcopal Church's missioner for Latino Ministries, for New Camino, a two-day in-person seminar with a fresh take on Latino/Hispanic ministries.
New Camino, to be held Friday and Saturday, March 22 - 23 at St. Paul's Commons in Los Angeles, is all about reimagining and revitalizing Latino/Hispanic ministries. "Come and be a part of this transformative journey, exploring new ways to serve communities in our diocese," says the seminar announcement.
Participants will have the opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals who are passionate about Latino/Hispanic ministries. Through engaging workshops, inspiring speakers, and interactive sessions conducted in English, attendees will delve into innovative approaches and fresh perspectives and together forge a new path forward.
"Whether you're a church leader, a volunteer, or simply interested in learning more, this event is for you!" according to the announcement. "Discover practical strategies, gain valuable insights, and build meaningful connections. Let's come together and create a stronger, more inclusive future for Latino/Hispanic ministries."
Read more here.
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Becoming Beloved Community grant application process is open
[The Episcopal Church – December 11, 2023] The next round of Becoming Beloved Community grants – allocated by General Convention – is open for applications through March 1. About $200,000 is available for new and existing projects that help increase engagement in racial justice, healing, and reconciliation.
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Deacons on the Road 2024
Deacons of the Diocese of Los Angeles have been on the road all year, preaching and worshiping with congregations throughout the diocese and frequently offering a forum about the diaconate.
“It has been our joy to visit large and small congregations," says Archdeacon Laura Siriani (pictured at left), "encouraging active ministry in a world that needs to know the way of love more than ever."
Currently, 32 deacons serve congregations from Santa Barbara to Rancho Santa Margarita and east to San Bernardino. Their ministries reach people on the margins and in the social gaps: immigrants, those who are homeless, those who are incarcerated, patients and their families, and those in recovery. Deacons preach, teach, lead studies, and pastor in their congregations.
Our deacons are eager to tell their story. If you would like a parish visit from a deacon during Lent or beyond, please contact the Ven. Laura Siriani at lsiriani@ladiocese.org.
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Commission on Ministry announces new discernment schedules
Over the past five years, the Commission on Ministry of the Diocese of Los Angeles has been taking deliberate steps to streamline and clarify the discernment process for people wishing to enter lay or ordained ministry. They have re-imagined the congregational discernment committee training and manual, re-worked and published a new discernment website, have provided input into crafting a new lay licensing certification program, and launched the Diocesan Discernment Information Gathering, just to name a few.
Training for congregational discernment committees is required as part of the discernment process, so that all clergy and committees are working from the same guidelines. Beginning in 2024, training for congregational discernment committees will now be held four times per year at different locations around the diocese, instead of at individual parishes.
If you are clergy currently working with a parishioner on discernment, please take note. If you feel your discerner is ready or almost ready for a congregational discernment committee, please ask your chosen committee members to attend a training at one of the locations listed below. Registration for committee members can be scheduled by contacting Cameron Johnson at cameratta@aol.com. Additional Spanish-language training may be scheduled as requested.
Saturday, March 16, 2024, 9:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Discernment Information Gathering
St. Paul's Commons, Echo Park
How is God calling YOU? We’re often surprised that God calls us … all of us. Today’s world pulls us in so many directions that it's sometimes hard to discern. Have you been wondering where God is calling you in your life, your work, your church and beyond? The Commission on Ministry (COM) in the Diocese of Los Angeles wants to help those seeking answers to these questions. Please join us as we explore what answering a call can mean in your life.
Saturday, March 16, 2024, 1 p.m. (English), 2 p.m. (Spanish)
Discernment Committee Training
St. Paul's Commons, Echo Park
Saturday, July 20, 2024, 10 a.m.
Discernment Committee Training
All Saints'/Todos los Santos Church, Oxnard
Friday, November 8, 2024, time TBA
Discernment Committee Training
Diocesan Convention, Riverside Convention Center
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La Comisión del Ministerio anuncia los nuevos horarios de discernimiento
En los últimos cinco años, la Comisión del Ministerio ha estado tomando pasos deliberados para optimizar y clarificar el proceso de discernimiento. Se ha re-imaginado el entrenamiento y el manual para el discernimiento congregacional, se ha revisado y publicado una nueva página de internet de discernimiento, se ha proporcionado ideas para la elaboración de un nuevo programa laico de certificación y licencias, y entre otras cosas se ha iniciado las Conferencia Informativas Diocesanas para el proceso de discernimiento.
Es un requisito que los comités congregacionales reciban entrenamiento, para que de esa manera todos los comités y todo el clero utilicen las mismas guías. Empezando en el 2024, se realizarán los entrenamientos para los comités congregacionales de discernimiento cuatro veces al año en diferentes lugares alrededor de la Diócesis, en lugar de hacerlo individualmente en las congregaciones.
Si usted es un/una sacerdote que en este momento está trabajando con un miembro de su congregación, favor tomar nota de esto. Si usted cree que la persona que está discerniendo ya está lista o casi lista para reunirse con un comité congregacional de discernimiento, favor de preparar a los miembros que elijan para que participen en uno de los entrenamientos que se encuentran enumerados a continuación. Para registrarse en alguno de los entrenamientos, favor de comunicarse con Cameron Johnson en cameratta@aol.com. Si se necesita entrenamiento en español, el mismo se puede programar al solicitarlo.
Horario del 2024 para el Entrenamiento de los Comités Congregacionales de Discernimiento
Sábado, 16 de marzo del 2024; 1 p.m. (inglés); 2 p.m. españo
Conferencia Informativa de Discernimiento
St. Paul's Commons, Echo Park (Los Angeles)
Sábado, 20 de julio del 2024; 10 a.m.
All Saints'/Todos los Santos, Oxnard
Viernes, 8 de noviembre del 2024; Hora pendiente a determinarse
Lugar: Convención Diocesana, Centro de Convenciones de Riverside
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Selected links from items previously published in the Resource Roundup are below for your reference.
FROM THE DIOCESE
Reserve St. Paul’s Commons retreat, event space
Canon Anilin Collado, retreat center manager, is available to assist with all reservations and pricing schedules; she may be reached by email at retreat@ladiocese.org or phone at 213.482.2040, ext. 250. Full information, including photos and capacity of event spaces, is available online.
Information about new services being offered by Episcopal Community Federal Credit Union, based at St. Paul's Commons.
Contact: The Rev. Canon Susan Russell, srussell@ladiocese.org
For information about Diocese of Los Angeles requirements, contact Canon Anilin Collado, missioner for Human Resources, at acollado@ladiocese.org or 213.482.2040, ext. 250. Related information: Who should take Safe Church training?
Checks to the diocese must be made out to “The Protestant Episcopal Church” or “Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles.”
Mileage rate: The current IRS mileage rate (as of January 1, 2024) is 67 cents per mile.
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FROM THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
Louisville, Kentucky, June 23 - 28, 2024
Joint Nominating Committee for the
Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church
Prayer (please include in liturgies until General Convention)
Almighty God, source of all wisdom and understanding: Look graciously on your church, and so guide the hearts and minds of those who will choose our next presiding bishop, that we may receive a faithful pastor who will care for all of your people, equip us for our ministries, and proclaim your word to us and to the world, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Nominating Committee news
Facebook
Twitter (@PB28Nominations)
Instagram
Exhibit Hall registration for General Convention
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'Beloved Community' resources
Responding to racism, police brutality, and community trauma
General Resources
Episcopal Racial Reconciliation Resources, including sections on how to ACT, PRAY and LEARN:
Police Reform
Racial Justice Action and Prayer
A Year of Prayers to End Racism
Scriptures related to justice, lament, and solidarity, to assist with preparing a liturgy, finding direction and encouragement, or calling communities to work for justice:
- Exodus 22:21-23
- Micah 6:8
- Isaiah 58:6-12
- Isaiah 61
- Psalms 10, 13, 89, and 103
- Luke 4:16-21
- Ephesians 6:12-20
- Hebrews 13:1-3
- Hebrews 13:1-3
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CURRICULA
Women's Lectionary by Wilda C. Gafney: weekly study (register here)
Christian Nationalism study guide
A three-week study guide to The Psychology of Christian Nationalism: Why People Are Drawn In and How to Talk Across the Divide by Pamela Cooper-White, from the Engagement Across Difference Ministry of the Diocese of Los Angeles.
Bearing Witness
A free video-based study program that shares the stories of people living in Palestine and Israel and the remarkable ministries of the Diocese of Jerusalem. From American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem (AFEDJ).
Love God, Love God’s World
A nine-session, film-based curriculum, ideal for Episcopalians anywhere on the journey with creation care and environmental ministry. From the Creation Care ministry of The Episcopal Church.
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Listings for clergy employment in the Diocese of Los Angeles are here. (Scroll down the page.)
Listings for lay employment are here.
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Resource Roundup, a weekly publication for clergy, wardens, church office staff and lay leaders of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, is emailed on Tuesdays (alternate weeks from mid-June to mid-August). Items for inclusion may be sent to Janet Kawamoto, editor, at news@ladiocese.org by noon on Monday. | | | | |
