News & Events in the Episcopal Diocese of Maine |
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Volume 23, Number 9
May 6, 2021
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Camp Bishopswood invites the diocese to worship |
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Join us for an online diocese-wide service this Sunday (May 9) presented by Camp Bishopswood!
The service will be available anytime after 7:30 am on YouTube or you can watch the 'premiere' with others on Facebook at 10:00 am.
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Help raise 100,000 for the Zoorob Scholarship Fund |
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Join with us to raise 100,000 for the Zoorob Scholarship Fund!
Marc and Ralph are the sons of Archdeacon Imad Zoorob, who leads the only Episcopal congregation in all of Lebanon and Syria. The explosion at the port of Beirut in August of 2020 caused hundreds of deaths, thousands of injuries and impacted a country already suffering from an economic downturn and political turmoil. While the Zoorobs sustained no serious injuries in the explosion, it amplified their fears about raising their sons in a country in profound turmoil.
The Zoorobs became aware of the international boarding program at Lincoln Academy in Newcastle, Maine, and Ralph and Marc applied and were accepted! Through a partnership between Lincoln Academy and the Diocese of Maine, the Diocese is raising funds to bridge the scholarship gap so Marc and Ralph can attend Lincoln Academy until they each graduate. The funds raised cover the costs of tuition, room, and board outside of financial aid offered by Lincoln Academy.
Help us meet our fundraising goal - We are asking churches and individuals to donate to this worthy cause.
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Renewal of Baptismal Promises and Ordination Vows |
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Join us in person or online for a diocese-wide service renewing baptismal promises and ordination vows at the Cathedral Church of St. Luke, Portland on Tuesday, May 18 at 11:00 am !
For those joining us online, you can access the service on the Cathedral's livestream channel here. Those planning to attend Eucharist in-person, please register here and read more about the street and parking garage options here.
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Sign-up for Seeds of Hope's Annual Hero 5K |
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Seeds of Hope Neighborhood Center in Biddeford is one of three Jubilee Centers in the diocese. They work to find meaningful solutions to poverty, isolation and despair in a welcoming and compassionate environment with their community neighbors.
Sign up here. Email your picture. Dressing up as your favorite hero is highly encouraged! Then schedule your 5K and be a hero to everyone at Seeds of Hope.
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Pints & Perspectives with Arise Portland |
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Arise Portland, a project funded in-part by the diocese, works to connect seekers and skeptics for meaning-making, spiritual grounding, and healing.
They have moved their recurring gatherings, Pints & Perspectives, from a meeting at a local pub to an online version during the pandemic, but it is still a space for real and honest conversation about the pressures we all face and our world. Arise Portland is an eclectic group: some of us are Christian and some are not; many of us are in our 30s and 40s but some of us fall well outside that range; more than 75% of us are queer identified; many of us are educators, activists, healthcare providers and clergy.
The next gathering will be Wednesday, May 26 at 6:00 pm with a discussion topic TBA. Join via this Zoom link. (Meeting ID: 812 3098 9036 Passcode: 099321) All of us are seeking a community where we can expand and deepen our spiritual lives. Read more about Arise here. Questions? Send an email!
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News From Our Congregations |
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The people of St. Luke's, Wilton enjoyed each other's company and their Labyrinth while taking care of some spring yard work on the grounds.
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Parishioners of St. Brendan the Navigator, Deer Isle (Judy, Barbara, and Bud) met to tackle St. Brendan's section of Route 15 for the Deer Isle Roadside Clean-Up. Mother Earth sends her gratitude!
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Above are a few photos taken by Bishop Brown during his visitation to St. Thomas, Winn -- where all are vaccinated! Keep up with the bishop on Instagram @bishop_thomas_brown.
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St. Paul’s, Brunswick is embarking on a two-year, anti-racism program. This will further the ongoing work of St. Paul’s in anti-racism and in community-building over the greater Brunswick area. They are seeking a half-time coordinator to help shepherd this work in the wider community. Please read the full Sacred Ground Coordinator job description and application instructions here. Applications due June 10th.
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The Rev. Nathan Ferrell, Rector of Saint Mary's, Falmouth who also serves as a Navy Chaplain has announced that he has been deployed to Isa Air Base, Bahrain for 9 months beginning in November. Read his note to the congregation here in their monthly newsletter.
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The Episcopal Church gathered thousands together online to mark two years since the church began using the Sacred Ground curriculum, a 10-part discussion series for small groups that traces the history of systemic racism in America, from its roots to its present realities. During the gathering, everyone joined in thanking Caroline Russell of St. Paul's, Brunswick for her donation which extended the licensing for Sacred Ground materials for the entire Church for another three years! Read the full article in ENS here.
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All are invited to attend a book launch for The Gatherings with author Shirley Hager and Mawopiyane as they share their remarkable experience exploring authentic, mutually supportive relationships between Indigenous People and settlers in Wabanaki territory.
The Rev. Shirley Bowen, Maine Episcopal priest and Director of Seeds of Hope in Biddeford, is one of the Mawopiyane making up the panel!
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The Portland Press Herald announced that St. Nicholas, Scarborough has a new priest. Read more about Rev. Dr. Ted J. Gaiser and his new call to serve the people of St. Nick's here.
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The next World Too Beautiful service on May 19 will feature our Climate Justice Council chair, the Rev. Dr. Jenny Reece. Jenny is a retired priest of the diocese who has opened the Oranbega Retreat Center in Orland, Maine. She will reflect on lament and grandeur in nature, using the poetry of Gerard Manley Hopkins. Join on May 19 at 5:45 pm using this Zoom link (ID: 821 7619 2486) or phone 1.301.715.8592.
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Please join with the congregation of St. Alban's, Cape Elizabeth in saying goodbye and thank you to the Rev. Lynne Carter-Edmands, their Transition Priest-in-Charge. We pray for Lynne and the people of St. Alban's during this transition.
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Let us pray for the people of India in these catastrophic times. |
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On this Mother's Day, we give thanks to God for the divine gift of motherhood in all its diverse forms. Let us pray for all the mothers among us today; for our own mothers, those living and those who have passed away; for the mothers who loved us and for those who fell short of loving us fully; for all who hope to be mothers someday and for those whose hope to have children has been frustrated; for all mothers who have lost children; for all women and men who have been our substitute mothers and we who have done so for those in need; and for the earth that bore us and provides us sustenance. We pray this all in the name of God, our great and loving Mother. Amen.
by the Rev. Leslie Nipps
(Morehouse Publishing, 2000), p. 364
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Sacred Ground group leader gathering for Maine May 25 |
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The Racial Justice Council will be hosting a gathering for all of those in the diocese who have facilitated the Sacred Ground program for their church or organization on Tuesday May 25 from 5:00 to 6:30 pm via Zoom. (Click here to join. Passcode:144329)
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Stewardship webinar for Diocese of Maine churches |
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The diocesan office has partnered with The Episcopal Network for Stewardship (TENS) to create webinars just for clergy, lay leadership, and stewardship volunteers in the Diocese of Maine!
- How to create a narrative budget from a spreadsheet or financial report (the numbers, stories and images)
- What is a case statement?
- Measuring community impact
- Writing and teaching the elevator pitch
Click here to register. Find recordings of the previous diocesan stewardship webinars as well as this one after it's conclusion here on episcopalmaine.org.
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An evening with Rev. Cn. Stephanie Spellers |
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