The

By Pat McCaughan

For Emmanuel Church in Fullerton, it’s creating an early learning center. For St. Thomas of Canterbury Church in Long Beach, it’s launching a music studio. For St. Timothy’s Church in Apple Valley, it’s developing a senior residence on unused land.

The “it” for each congregation is enterprise – discovering ways to maximize resources to benefit their local communities and earn extra income. They were among seven Southland churches who participated in the second Episcopal Enterprises Academy, which teaches churches how to plan, develop and execute projects.

The three were determined to have the most realistic and achievable plans, competing in a “Fish Tank” matchup inspired by the ABC-TV reality show “Shark Tank," in which prospective entrepreneurs pitch business plans to potential investors.

“It’s all done lovingly, but there are winners,” said the Rev. Canon Jaime Edwards-Acton, founder of Episcopal Enterprises. All participants are winners after the five-week session, though, because each one leaves with a business and communication plan, a feasibility study and an idea of how to move forward, he said.

Bishop Diocesan John Harvey Taylor applauded Episcopal Enterprises’ second graduating class “and this year’s winners, (who) together invite us all to the frontier of meaningful ministry in the 21st century – glorifying God and caring for God’s people, identifying ministries that honor the baptismal accountability we have with our neighbors while at the same time helping sustain the church.”

Taylor said: “I look forward to doing all I can to support the academy this year as it looks for ways to make its resources more broadly available, aiming to make service and justice the literal business of the church.”

Read more here.

Canon to the Ordinary Melissa McCarthy, chief of diocesan staff, announced Feb. 23 that Diane Pound has joined the diocesan staff as executive assistant to the bishops.

Pound succeeds Canon Abigail (Gail) Urquidi, who after some 15 years in that role – beginning under Bishop J. Jon Bruno – is now interim administrator for the diocese's finance office, where she serves as the main point of contact for congregations in finance matters.

Pound has been assisting on an interim basis in various diocesan roles for about year, most recently as interim assistant to the bishops. She comes to the Southland from the Diocese of Massachusetts, where was executive assistant, first to the canon to the ordinary and bishops suffragan – including Bishop Suffragan Barbara Harris, first woman bishop in the Anglican Communion – and later to the bishop diocesan, serving five different bishops during her 12-year tenure. Pound was involved in the Massachusetts diocese's major capital campaign, which raised more than $32 million. For that project, she worked with CCS, the firm now assisting with a similar effort here in the Diocese of Los Angeles.

"The Holy Spirit sent us an amazing gift in Diane, whose experience in Massachusetts prepared her for her ministry in Los Angeles in countless ways," said Bishop John Harvey Taylor. "She quickly became a beloved member of our St. Paul’s Commons family in exile. Her arrival was a double blessing because it enabled Canon Gail Urquidi’s promotion to interim administrator for finance, where she is bringing her administrative brilliance and deep roots in the diocese to bear in helping us better care for our constituent institutions during this wilderness time. More exciting news is to come soon about Canon Urquidi’s new ministry."

Prior to her time at the Diocese of Massachusetts, Pound worked for more than 20 years for computer technology company Digital/Compaq/HP. She moved to California about two years ago to be near her daughter, Michelle, who was married here last February.

Pound is "a big baseball fan (Boston Red Sox and now L.A. Dodgers and Angels!)," she says, adding, "I am very excited to be here and I look forward to working with everyone."

She can be reached at [email protected] or 213.482.2040, ext. 243. Urquidi's email address is [email protected]; her phone extension is 270.

Evelina Fradejas, a member of St. Thomas' Church, Hacienda Heights and an active member of Episcopal Asiamerica Ministries (EAM) at a diocesan, national and international level, died Feb. 18 at her home with her family at her side.

Survivors include eight of her 13 siblings, and many nieces and nephews. The family is observing a novena until Friday, Feb. 26; other service arrangements are pending.

"Eve was a very active member of EAM and had attended most of our national and international conferences under my watch," wrote the Rev. Fred Vergara, missioner for Asiamerica Ministries for The Episcopal Church, who called Fradejas an exemplary lay leader. "She served as secretary of the Filipino Convocation and was with us in many meetings in the U.S. including EAM Consultations in Kaoshiung, Taiwan and Seoul, Korea and Filipino Convocation in Vancouver, Canada."

Fradejas also is remembered in EAM as unofficial photographer, musician and, with members of her family, organizer of ballroom dances, Vergara noted. "Whenever the Fradejas are present in the FilCon, there is always a ballroom dance."

Read more here.

The Rev. Horace Douglas Judson, priest of the Diocese of Los Angeles and member of the family that owns one of the United States' most renowned stained glass studios, died Feb. 22 of congestive heart failure. He was 85, and had been suffering the effects of Alzheimer's for about three years.

Survivors include his wife, Kathern L. Macklin Judson; their three children, Earl of South Carolina, Joel (Midori) of Los Angeles, and Pamela (Jud) of Georgia; and eight grandchildren, ages 8 - 18. Joel Judson has just been released from the hospital after a bout with COVID-19, and is recovering at home.

Services will be held at a future time at St. Gregory's Church, Long Beach, where the Judsons have been members in recent years. He will be interred in St. Gregory's columbarium.

Doug Judson served at St. Michael the Archangel Church, El Segundo (1993-94); St. Timothy's Church, Compton, 1981-1989; St. Francis' Church, Palos Verdes Estates, 1978-1981; and at several congregations in the Diocese of San Joaquin.

Read more here.

The Rev. Nancy Katherine Shier, assistant priest at Church of Our Saviour, San Gabriel, and Immanuel Church, El Monte, died suddenly on Feb. 23. She was 84.

Survivors include her son William and daughter Katherine and five grandchildren. A memorial service will be held on Sunday, Feb. 28 at 1 p.m. outdoors at Church of Our Saviour, 535 W. Roses Road, San Gabriel 91775 (626.282.5147). The service will also be streamed online on Facebook.

Shier ministered to the English-speaking congregation at Immanuel Church, and did pastoral work at Church of Our Saviour. “I help keep people connected to the life of our church who may have become limited in their ability to attend it,” she wrote in a brief biographical sketch.

Read more here.

Presenter: Davey Gerhard, Executive Director of the Episcopal Network for Stewardship (TENS). Register here.

Learn valuable tools and best practices and procedures to help you serve as treasurer for your congregation. Register here. Presenter: The Rev. Michele Racusin, CFO of the Diocese of California, former CFO of the Diocese of Los Angeles

Zoom. Register here

Learn valuable tools and best practices and procedures to help you serve as treasurer for your congregation. Presenter: The Rev. Michele Racusin.

Additional information about the workshop series is here. All workshops are livestreamed and recorded, and will be made available for on-demand viewing here.

The Rev. Canon Susan Russell, canon for Engagement Across Difference and leader of the Diocese of Los Angeles' One in the Spirit initiative, has launched a series of Lenten reflections on its blog. The most recent entry, posted on Feb. 23, is titled "Vision is the first step toward change." To read the blog, click here. To receive the reflections by email as they are posted, scroll to the bottom of the page, enter an email address, and click "subscribe."

Episcopal Prison Ministry Community will present a free screening and discussion of Belly of the Beast, a 2018 documentary film directed by Erika Cohn on Saturday, March 20 at 12 p.m. The film will be available for viewing March 18 - 20; the discussion will feature attorney Cynthia Chandler, founder of Justice Now, who led the investigation.

Belly of the Beast is a New York Times Critics Pick documentary that shows how an unlikely duo discover a pattern of illegal sterilizations in a California women’s prison. Filmed over seven years with extraordinary access and intimate accounts from currently and formerly incarcerated people, Belly of the Beast exposes modern-day eugenics and reproductive injustice in California prisons. The NY Times describes the film as "timely and bracing"; the Los Angeles Times calls it a "thrilling legal drama."

To register and receive the links for the screening and discussion, email to [email protected].

Stillpoint: The Center for Christian Spirituality will offer a one-day online retreat titled "Enneagram: Through the Lens of Stances," led by Joey Schewee, on Saturday, March 20, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.

"The Enneagram is an ancient personality typing system that identifies nine personality types expressed individually and in relationship to others. The Enneagram acts as a unique tool for understanding and explaining human behavior, the underlying motivations that drive behavior, and the gifts we all have for the transformation of non-productive encounters with others," says the release from Stillpoint.

"Whether you're new to the Enneagram or not, this retreat will provide the basic tenets of the Enneagram system and how knowing ones-self can allow us to lead more whole

lives, while also going deeper into stance work. Enneagram wisdom shows our unique imbalance in the three centers of intelligence: thinking, feeling and doing. Learning to balance these three centers frees up enormous amounts of physical, emotional, and spiritual energy."

Joey Schewee (pictured above left) has been a student of the Enneagram for more than 20 years. As an Enneagram mentor, she completed an intensive three-year apprenticeship with her mother, Suzanne Stabile, in 2006, and has taught in tandem with the Enneagram master for more than a decade.

The retreat will be held virtually by Zoom. Cost is $60 per person (students $25). Ten scholarships are available. For information and to register in advance, click here.

Nonviolent resistance was a philosophy at the heart of the U.S. civil rights movement in the 1950s and 60s. The Guibord Center will host Vedanta Society leader Swami Sarvapriyananda speaking on "Satyagraha: The Heart of Nonviolence" on Wednesday, March 24, 4 - 5 p.m. via Zoom.

"As people of faith and goodwill seek justice, they often choose a path of nonviolent action without being aware of its underlying spiritual practice and principles," says the event announcement. "Mahatma Gandhi developed the concept of satyagraha and used it in India's struggle for rights and independence." In the 1950s, the Rev. James Lawson, colleague of Dr. Martin Luther King and U.S. Representative John R. Lewis, studied satyagraha in India and brought it to the U.S., where it became a guiding principle of the U.S. civil rights movement.

Swami Sarvapriyananda, spiritual leader of the Vedanta Society of New York, has been a monk in the Ramakrishna order for over 25 years. In his words, "Mahatma Gandhi's principled teaching and practice of nonviolence is a light of hope and inspiration in our troubled and divided world. Nonviolence is a natural expression of our innermost spirituality, and the oneness of, not only all humanity, but all existence."

To participate in the event, register in advance here.

The Guibord Center works to increase understanding among Los Angeles' diverse religious communities. It was founded by the late Rev. Gwynne Guibord, a priest of the Diocese of Los Angeles.

Hillsides, the residential and community program in Pasadena for at-risk children and families, will hold its annual gala and auction, "Raising Hope" online on Saturday, Feb. 27.

There is no charge this year for the program, which will be held online. The virtual reception will begin at 5:30 p.m.; the program at 6 p.m. Fritz Coleman, longtime local NBC weatherman, will again serve as master of ceremonies. Donations, as well as auction bids, are encouraged and welcome.

Online auction items now are available for viewing. Silent, live and paddle auction bidding will open on Feb. 24. For more information, or to register, view auction items and donate, click here.

Hillsides, founded in 1913 by Episcopal Deaconess Evelyn Wile as an orphanage, now offers a wide range of programs to assist at-risk families and children and youth in foster care. It is an institution of the Diocese of Los Angeles. More about Hillsides is here.

Men in the diocesan community are invited to "Exploring Male Friendship in the Maori and Oglala Lakota Traditions," an online workshop on Saturday, Feb. 27, 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., offered by the Orange County-based Center for Spiritual Development.

The Rev. Canon Robert Two Bulls of the Episcopal Diocese of Minnesota and the Most Rev. Don Tamihere of the Anglican Diocese of New Zealand will lead discussions of how their Oglala Lakota and Maori (respectively) traditions view friendships between men. Participants will hear insights that will be helpful in deepening their own friendships and starting new ones.

The workshop is the first of five in a series titled "On the Road: A Spirituality Series for Men - Friendship Series" to be presented in 2021. It is sponsored by the Rt. Rev. Diane Jardine Bruce and Stephen Bruce, who is a member of the Center for Spiritual Development's program development team. The center is a ministry of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange, a Roman Catholic order based in the City of Orange.

According to Bruce, attendees of the workshops will:

Future dates and topics include:

Saturday, April 24, 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Presenters: Daniel Smith-Christopher, Ph.D., and Jordan Christopher, Ph.D. candidate

Via Zoom. Fee: $40

Saturday, May 22, 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Presenter: David Robinson, S.J., Ph.D.

Via Zoom. Fee: $40

Saturday, October 2, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Presenters: Jim Clarke, Ph.D., and Joe Lonergan, M.Div.

In-person at CSD. Fee: $60

Saturday, October 30, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Presenters: Jim Clarke, Ph.D., and Joe Lonergan, M.Div.

In-person at CSD. Fee: $60

Fee for the Feb. 27 workshop is $40 per person. For additional information and to register, click here, call 714.744.3172, or email [email protected]. Information about the full series is here. SATURDAY, OCTOBER

The Center for Spirituality at Christ Church, Ontario, will present "Beyond Materialism: A Critical Time for Disciples" on Wednesdays in Lent, beginning Feb. 24 and concluding on March 24, 6:30 p.m., via Zoom. "What is a Christian response to the present plight? As people of faith, we can look at this pandemic as a launch pad rather than just a depressing and unproductive time in our life," says the Rev. Gianluigi Gugliermetto, center director.

Gugliermetto will lead the discussions, based on Walter Brueggemann’s Materiality As Resistance: Five Elements for Moral Action in the Real World (Presbyterian Publishing Corporation, 2020) "to re-think the ways in which we habitually make use of our money, our food, our bodies, our time, and our places as Christians." For information on how to join the Zoom sessions, click here.

Gugliermetto is an Episcopal priest, rector of Christ Church, Ontario, and director of the Center for Spirituality. He has published in the fields of inter-faith dialogue, the history and theology of Anglicanism, and theology and sexuality (theology of desire). He also enjoyed a brief flirt with film studies.

My Work To Do has announced that it will hold new sessions on Tuesdays and Wednesdays beginning Feb. 23 and 24, respectively.

Founded in 2018, My Work To Do is an online affinity group designed to help white people build stamina for discussing racism, systemic injustice, racial healing, reconciliation, and justice in their everyday lives. "Black, Indigenous and People of Color allies are welcome with an understanding this is a white-centered, and therefore not always safe, space," according to the program's website.

"We invite those feeling lost or overwhelmed into the conversation, especially white people who might not have a local anti-racism program or accessible discussion happening in their life," the invitation continues.

Each session is a listening and learning circle that meets via Zoom for 90 minutes. Themes include housing discrimination, implicit bias, whiteness as a function, and systems of white supremacy, and "where we go from here." It is "space to learn, share, heal, and grow."

Upcoming "Getting Started" sessions for new ​participants are:

​A "Going Deeper" series for those who have already participated in a Getting Started session will be held on Thursdays, Feb. 25 and March 4, 11, 18 and 25 at 5 p.m. Register here.

My Work To Do is supported by donations; there is no direct cost for the sessions, but participants are asked to pay what they can. So far, some 800 people have undergone the program; 80 percent of them report "increased stamina for discussing race" after participating.

Episcopal Communities and Services has announced new training sessions for By Your Side Vigil Companions, a program that trains volunteers to be a compassionate presence for those nearing the end of life.

"This year has brought all of us to an acute awareness of life’s fragility, and of the immense value of being companioned," says the course announcement. "The mission of By Your Side, which has always been to be supportive of people in palliative care and to be at the bedside at the end of their lives as needed, has had to adapt to the realities of COVID. We‘ve needed to ask: 'How can we practice presence without proximity?' We have also grappled with the need many of us feel to talk about what we are living through, perhaps to grieve. Together we are exploring being together, in the hospitals, in our communities, over technology or the phone, in whatever ways we can."

Each of the three training programs will be conducted in 2-hour sessions over five weeks via ZOOM. Session dates and times are:

There is no obligation to volunteer at the completion of the training. A fee of $70 ( which includes all materials) is due by the second class. Scholarships are available. CE credit (12 hours) for nurses is available for an additional $30.

For more information or to register, contact Susan Brown, By Your Side administrator, at [email protected] or 818.822.6044. Enrollment is limited to 30 people.

Bishop Diane Jardine Bruce and The Gathering invite the diocesan community to a panel conversation and discussion on “Who Shall We Be? Theological reflections on being Asian Pacific American Christians in today's world” on Sunday, Feb. 28, 4 - 6 p.m.

This virtual event, held on Zoom, will focus on how Christians make meaning and respond to the events of the world. The conversation will feature Heidi Kim, director of the Melrose Family Center for Servant Leadership at the Breck School and formerly The Episcopal Church's staff officer for racial reconciliation; Winnie Varghese, priest for Ministry & Program Coordination at Trinity Church, Wall Street; and Gale Yee, Nancy W. King professor of Biblical Studies emerita at Episcopal Divinity School. Yein Kim, rector of St. Alban's Episcopal Church, Westwood, will moderate the conversation. More information about the presenters is here.

The program is hosted by The Gathering - a Space for Asian Pacific American Spirituality, a ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles to Asian Pacific Americans. There is no charge, and all are invited to attend virtually. Advance registration is required: click here.

For additional information, email [email protected] or visit the Gathering website here.

The first will be The Great Vigil of Easter on Saturday, April 3 at 8 p.m., coordinated by the Rev. Canon Susan Russell with participation by Taylor, Bishop Suffragan Diane M. Jardine Bruce and Canon to the Ordinary Melissa McCarthy and people from all over the diocese.

The second service, on the second Sunday of Easter, April 11, will be a simple celebration of Holy Eucharist conducted by Taylor and Canon Kathy O'Connor.

Both services will be livestreamed and available for viewing on demand on the diocese's Facebook page and YouTube channel.

Lenten study program to focus on Presiding Bishop Curry's Love Is the Way

Designed for online book groups, the curriculum includes bilingual English/Spanish study guides with video presentations from the Rev. Canon Melissa McCarthy, the Rev. Antonio Gallardo, the Very Rev. Canon Gary Hall, Missioner for Youth Ministries Gabriel Vasquez-Reyes and Bishop John H. Taylor. The resources now are available on the One in the Spirit webpage.

For more information contact the Rev. Canon Susan Russell at [email protected].

The Episcopal Church Women of the Diocese of Los Angeles encourage all to take part the Church Periodical Club's triennial Quilt Fundraiser by bidding on one of two handmade quilts; the "Aloha" (pictured at top) and the "Star." Bids are accepted here until Feb. 28.

The Church Periodical Club is an independent, affiliated organization of the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church, dedicated to the worldwide ministry of the printed word and to the promotion of Christian mission, according to its website. It is the only organization in the Episcopal Church dedicated solely to providing free literature and related materials, both religious and secular, to people all over the world who need and request them and who have no other source for obtaining them. Prayer Books, books for seminarians, educational materials, medical textbooks, agricultural manuals and books for those in local and global mission are some of the publications The Church Periodical Club supplies.

Blood supplies are critically low in California, and congregations in the Diocese of Los Angeles have stepped up to help replenish them by hosting blood drives. Currently scheduled events are listed below.

Donors may save up to 15 minutes by completing pre-donation reading and answering health history questions here, rather than filling out forms on the day of donation.

All donors and staff will be screened before entering the facilities.

3209 Via Lido, Newport Beach 92663

Register here or call 1.800.RED.CROSS (1.800.733.2767)

Sponsor code: stjamesnewport

Reservations may also be made at the church website here or by calling the church office at 949.675.0210. St. James' Church has also scheduled a blood drive on Wednesday, May 26.

Holy Trinity Episcopal Church

100 N. Third Avenue, Covina 91723

Information: 626.967.3939

Red Cross reservations here or call 1.800.RED.CROSS (1.800.733.2767)

Sponsor code: HTEC

Holy Trinity will offer a blood drive each month. Upcoming dates are: Thursday, March 18; Thursday, April 15; Thursday, May 6. Reservations through the Red Cross are required.

All Saints Church

132 N. Euclid Avenue, Pasadena 91101.

Reservations here or call 1.800.RED.CROSS (1.800.733.2767)

Sponsor code: ASEC

Information: [email protected]

Donations will be by appointment only, scheduled through RedCrossBlood.org. Upcoming dates at this location are April 20, June 22 and Aug. 17.

St. Alban’s Episcopal Church

12692 Fifth Street, Yucaipa 92399

Register here or call 1.800.RED.CROSS (1.800.733.2767)

Sponsor code: ST ALBANS

Will your church host blood drives in 2021? Send the information to The Episcopal News ([email protected]) for inclusion in the calendar.

By David Paulsen

[Episcopal News Service - Feb. 22, 2021] The U.S. Supreme Court on Feb. 22 declined to hear the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth’s appeal of a state court ruling, leaving more than $100 million of diocesan property in the hands of a breakaway group and potentially forcing five of the diocese’s congregations to vacate their buildings.

Fort Worth Provisional Bishop Scott Mayer acknowledged “disappointment” that the nation’s highest court let stand the Supreme Court of Texas’ May 2020 ruling against his diocese. Mayer met with clergy and lay leaders of the diocese by Zoom to discuss next steps now that the legal case is drawing to a close.

“I ask for your prayers and urge us all to stay focused on the saving gospel of Jesus Christ and on our mission and ministries in the days ahead,” Mayer said in a Feb. 22 written statement. He encouraged Episcopalians to focus on “the important goal of continuing our worship of God and our ministries in this diocese of the Church in as uninterrupted a manner as possible.”

The Episcopal Church partnered with the Diocese of Fort Worth throughout the litigation process. Presiding Bishop Michael Curry issued a statement on Feb. 22 expressing support for Episcopalians in Fort Worth.

“On behalf of your family who is The Episcopal Church, I want you to know that while we cannot know your pain and hardship, we stand with you in sorrow and disappointment,” Curry said. “You have been so constant and faithful in your witness to our Lord Jesus Christ and his way of love.”

Read more here.

[Episcopal News Service - Feb. 23, 2021] Washington National Cathedral on Feb. 22 tolled its bell 500 times, once for every 1,000 people who have died from COVID-19 in the United States. As the cathedral marks the death toll topping a half million this week, millions of people are receiving vaccinations against the coronavirus.

Daily vaccinations peaked at 1.7 million Americans a week ago, but that pace slowed after a winter storm battered much of the country, according The New York Times. President Joe Biden has set a goal of vaccinating 1.5 million people a day in the race to curb the virus’ spread. About 44 million have received at least the first dose of one of the COVID-19 vaccines.

National Cathedral, the seat of the Diocese of Washington in the nation’s capital, has tolled its bell each time an additional 100,000 coronavirus deaths have been reported. The livestream of this week’s bell tolling also included prayers of mourning from interfaith leaders.

“This gesture cannot replace the lives lost, but we hope it will help each American mourn the toll of this pandemic,” the cathedral said.

The cathedral also has launched a memorial project for COVID-19 victims. Survivors can submit the names of loved ones who have died, and the latest submissions will be read during virtual prayer services each week.

A video from the cathedral is here.

By Tracy Sukraw

[Diocese of Massachusetts - February 17, 2021] As the one-year anniversary of the death of Bishop Barbara C. Harris on March 13 approaches, Bishop Alan M. Gates and Bishop Gayle E. Harris are inviting people and congregations in the Diocese of Massachusetts – and across The Episcopal Church – to include remembrances of her in their prayers and liturgies.

In a letter of invitation issued to congregations in the diocese on Feb. 11 – the 32nd anniversary of the historic consecration of Barbara Harris as the Anglican Communion’s first female bishop – Gates and Harris remembered her as “a courageous pioneer, an outspoken prophet and an indefatigable champion of God’s justice and witness to God’s grace.”

Read more here. Above: Retired Bishop Suffragan Barbara Harris leads the Diocese of Massachusetts in singing hymns during its 2014 electing convention. Photo: Matthew Cavanaugh/Diocese of Massachusetts

Lent Madness, the lighthearted annual competition pitting saints of the church against each other for the Golden Halo, began this year on Thursday, Feb. 18, the day after Ash Wednesday.

Lent Madness, also known as the "saintly smackdown," was founded in 2010 by the Rev. Tim Schenck, rector of St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church in Hingham, Massachusetts. In seeking a fun, engaging way for people to learn about the men and women comprising the Church’s Calendar of Saints, Schenck came up with this unique Lenten devotion combining his love of sports with his passion for the lives of the saints.

The format is straightforward: Thirty-two saints are placed into a tournament-like single elimination bracket. Each pairing remains open for a set period of time and people vote for their favorite saint. Sixteen saints make it to the Round of the Saintly Sixteen; eight advance to the Round of the Elate Eight; four make it to the Faithful Four; two to the Championship; and the winner is awarded the coveted Golden Halo. "The first round consists of basic biographical information about each of the 32 saints," according to Schenck and the Rev. Scott Gunn, executive director of Forward Movement, which has sponsored the tournament since 2011. "Things get a bit more interesting in the subsequent rounds as we offer quotes and quirks, explore legends, and even move into the area of saintly kitsch."

Besides the daily saint bios and voting link, the Lent Madness website includes weekly Monday Madness videos, the Saintly Scorecard and information about how to participate in Lent Madness as a congregation.

For more about Lent Madness, and to participate, visit the website here.

St. James in-the-City Church, Los Angeles

Live-streamed and on demand here

Center for Spirituality in Ontario

Information here

Enrollment: Ashanti Smalls, [email protected]

A series of interactive online meetings using Matthew Fox’s book Original Blessing as the springboard for exploration and reflection. The series, which began Oct. 12, is for persons of any age or walk of life, who share an interest in processing their inner journeys. Participants may join at any point, though regular participation is presumed. Sessions are led by the Rev. Gianluigi Gugliermetto, director of the Center for Spirituality. Suggested donation is $7 per session.

Via Zoom. Register in advance here

Information: [email protected] or here

This virtual event, held on Zoom, will focus on how Christians make meaning and respond to the events of the world. The conversation will feature Heidi Kim, director of the Melrose Family Center for Servant Leadership at the Breck School and formerly The Episcopal Church's staff officer for racial reconciliation; Winnie Varghese, priest for Ministry & Program Coordination at Trinity Church, Wall Street; and Gale Yee, Nancy W. King professor of Biblical Studies emerita at Episcopal Divinity School. Yein Kim, rector of St. Alban's Episcopal Church, Westwood, will moderate the conversation. The program is hosted by The Gathering - a Space for Asian Pacific American Spirituality, a ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles to Asian Pacific Americans. There is no charge, and all are invited to attend virtually.

Zoom. Register here

Presenter: Davey Gerhard, Executive Director of the Episcopal Network for Stewardship (TENS).

September 2022

Join Bishop Guy Erwin of the ELCA and Canon Jim Newman of the Episcopal Church for a 13-day journey across central Europe to Oberammergau, Germany. The day-long Oberammergau Passion Play is produced every decade and is a four-century “thank you” to God for saving the people of this picturesque Bavarian Alpine village. Experience this spiritual event and look at the culture and religion of Poland (Warsaw, Krakow, Auschwitz and Czestochowa), Hungary (Budapest), Czech Republic (Bratislava), Austria (Vienna & the Salzkammergut) and Germany (Oberammergau & Munich). Cost is $4,899 from Los Angeles including $450 taxes/airline surcharges.) Information: Jim Newman, 3590 Grand View Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90066; 310.391.5522 or 888.802.6722; [email protected]. A full itinerary is here.

ALTADENA: Church Office Administrator, St. Mark's Episcopal Church. Part-time (20-25 hours/week, Monday - Friday). Responsible for church communications, maintenance of office a records, assisting with financial operations, administrative support for the rector and other staff. A full job description is here. Salary is commensurate with experience. Contact: The Rev. Carrie Patterson Grindon, rector, at [email protected]

CLAREMONT: Spirituality center executive director. The Center for Spirituality & Practice (CS&P), a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing resources for those seeking wisdom and spiritual practices for their daily lives, seeks a committed spiritual practitioner and high-capacity nonprofit leader to be its first executive director. A respected name in the spiritual enrichment landscape, the Center runs the multifaith/interspiritual website SpiritualityandPractice.com which offers a vast array of resources for the spiritually hungry. The new executive director will collaborate with founders Mary Ann and Frederic Brussat to advance their legacy and develop the organization into its next phase. A detailed position profile can be found here.

HOLLYWOOD-LOS ANGELES: Seeds of Hope Food Distribution Associate. Bilingual (English-Spanish). This position will be an essential part of the Seeds of Hope team getting healthy, nutritious food to more families in need in Los Angeles and surrounding counties. Job duties include picking up, sorting, organizing and delivering produce; providing great customer service; documenting quantities and submitting data for reports. Work hours are full time, but variable. Valid Class C driver's license, experience with driving 16-ft or larger truck required. Full job description is here.

SANTA ANA: Office Manager, Church of the Messiah. Part-time. The Office Manager will serve as the focal point for parish business operations, and is responsible for a broad range of administrative, specific operational and oversight functions. Bilingual proficiency (English/Spanish) required. More information is here.

Additional job listings are here. Listings are free: send information to [email protected]. Applications for jobs must be sent to the contact included in the listing.