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By Pat McCaughan

Carl Kubota, junior warden at St. Mary’s Church in Los Angeles, the diocese’s historic Japanese American congregation, initially had some reservations about receiving the coronavirus vaccine, mostly because of its speedy approval.

But as cases spiked throughout Los Angeles county, and after losing a cousin to the virus, Kubota, 54, a physical therapy supervisor at Centinela Hospital in Inglewood, changed his mind. “I just felt this vaccine is the only way to get ahead of this, to control it. I felt it was necessary to protect myself and my family.”

Receiving both doses, he said, felt like getting a seasonal flu vaccination or a tetanus booster shot: “I had a sore arm for a day, but that was about it.”

Now, he and other Southland Episcopalians are encouraging vaccinations, especially among communities of color, where COVID-19 mortality rates have been consistently higher than among whites.

Read more here.

The diocese's new series of online ministry workshops, titled "Servants of the Spirit: Gifts for Ministry," will continue throughout 2021.

Two workshops will be held each month; one on a ministry topic (usually the first Wednesday of each month, in the evening) and one on a financial topic (second Saturday mornings.) No workshops will be held in July or August.

TIC is understanding, recognizing, and responding to the effects of all types of trauma. A trauma-informed approach aims to help us create an environment that is sensitive to the needs of those effected by trauma. Presenter: Stacey Roth, LCSW. Register here.

If you haven’t started working on your 2021 budget, utilizing one or both of these methods of budgeting might help. If you are done with 2021 budgeting, and you’d like to think fresh for 2022 and get a jump on planning for that, this workshop is for you. Led by the Rt. Rev. Diane M. Jardine Bruce. Register 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.

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 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.

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 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. It is the first of five in a series titled "On the Road: A Spirituality Series for Men - Friendship Series" to be presented in 2021. 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 Steve Bruce, attendees of the workshops will:

Future workshop dates and topics in this series 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].

The Gathering: A Space for Asian American Pacific Spirituality invites the diocesan community to "Far East Deep South: Film Screening and Conversation with the Filmmakers Larissa Lam & Baldwin Chiu," on Saturday, Feb. 6.

The online screening will begin at 2:30 p.m.; the Q&A with the filmmakers will begin at 4 p.m., moderated by the Rev. Peter Huang from The Gathering and the Diocese of Los Angeles, with guest moderator the Rev. Katie Nakamura Rengers, Presiding Bishop Michael Curry's staff officer for Church Planting.

Far East Deep South explores the seldom-told history of early Chinese immigrants living in the American South during the late 1800s to mid-1900s through the eyes of Charles Chiu and his family as they travel from California to Mississippi to find answers about his father, K.C. Lou.

The film provides a window into the lives of the Chinese in the South and the discrimination they faced in the midst of segregation. Included in the story is the bond between the Chinese and Black communities as two groups disenfranchised by racism.The film highlights the struggles and perseverance of the Delta Chinese and explores the added challenge of exclusionary immigration policies, such as the Chinese Exclusion Act. Additional information on the film and filmmakers is available here.

The Gathering, a ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles to Asian Pacific Americans, holds events to engage topics relevant to Asian Pacific American communities and offers a space for Asian Pacific Americans to gather to share in their spiritual journeys.

The event is free and all are welcome to attend virtually. Advance registration is required: click here. For additional information, email [email protected].

Stillpoint: The Center for Christian Spirituality will present "Lectio on Life," a one-day retreat that "invites us to reflect on significant personal experiences in the light of Epiphany 2021, while enfolded in Stillpoint’s contemplative writing and listening community," according to the event announcement. The retreat, to be held online on Saturday, Jan. 30, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., will be led by Judith Favor, an active Quaker, retired UCC pastor and teacher at the Claremont School of Theology.

"The Lectio of Life invites us to reflect on significant personal experiences in the light of Epiphany 2021, while enfolded in Stillpoint’s contemplative writing and listening community.

"Adapting the practice of lectio divina as a template, we will revisit formative personal events over the past twenty years, as well as identifying significant spiritual learnings during the pandemic challenges of 2020. We will linger with our longings, and listen for hints of where Sacred Presence might be guiding us into an uncertain 2021. Twice during the retreat day, we have the option to hear and be heard in holy listening triads."

Cost is $60 per person. To register, click here.

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.

St. Mark's Episcopal Church

330 E 16th Street, Upland 91784

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

Sponsor code: stmarks

By appointment only. Donors must be healthy and identification is required.

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.

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

St. Alban's will host a blood drive on fourth Tuesdays through August 2021. Upcoming dates are: March 23, April 27, May 25, June 22.

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] The Episcopal Church’s Executive Council pledged to assist cash-strapped dioceses during the pandemic, committed the church to “deradicalization” efforts after the U.S. Capitol riot and received an update on a racial audit of church leadership, during a four-day meeting at which current events influenced much of the agenda.

Executive Council, the church’s governing body between meetings of General Convention, wrapped up its online meeting on Jan. 25 with a series of votes, including passage of a resolution responding to the pandemic’s economic toll. That measure did not yet endorse a specific package of financial aid, but Executive Council assured dioceses it will develop a plan and provide such relief “as soon as feasible.”

“Executive Council sees the financial strain of the pandemic on dioceses,” the resolution said. “Across the church, life and finances are hard and faithful work is exhausting. The future, financial and otherwise, is uncertain and uncharted. We witness the determined and costly efforts across our church to continue in the Way of Love.”

Churchwide leaders will meet in the coming weeks and months to finalize details of the financial relief to all dioceses. Such aid was promised partly in response to a letter this month to Executive Council from bishops of the 20 Southeast dioceses of The Episcopal Church’s Province IV.

Read more here.

[Religion News Service] Dozens of faith leaders participated in a virtual edition of the interfaith National Prayer Service hosted by the Washington National Cathedral on Thursday (Jan. 21), gathering digitally for a service that articulated a spiritual endorsement of diversity, healing and “repairing the breach.”

As both President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris watched with their families from the White House, the Very Rev. Randolph Hollerith, dean of the cathedral, and Bishop Mariann Budde, the Episcopal bishop of Washington, opened the service.

Budde said the gathering, a long-standing inaugural tradition, was meant to be “reflective of the many faith traditions of our land.”

Indeed, what followed was a 90-minute service that featured a dizzying array of mostly liberal-leaning faith leaders from across the religious spectrum, many of whom were some of former President Donald Trump’s most passionate religious critics.

Read more here.

By David Paulsen

[Episcopal News Service] The Episcopal Church is launching a campaign, “From Many, One,” to promote a new spiritual framework for Episcopalians to engage in tough conversations with family, friends and neighbors, bridging the intense divisions that threaten to tear apart communities in the United States and beyond.

Starting Jan. 18, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Episcopalians will be encouraged to invite others to join them in “conversations across difference” guided by four questions: Who do you love? What have you lost? Where does it hurt? And what do you dream?

The campaign, which rejects retribution, punishment and “othering,” is inspired by the Latin phrase on the U.S. seal: E Pluribus Unum. Although it was developed before the mob of Trump supporters took over the Capitol for several hours on Jan. 6, the church campaign is launching at a time when many Americans are reeling from recent events. The goal is to celebrate difference and promote healing by emphasizing listening and curiosity.

Read more 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. "Becoming More Human" will resume Jan. 11.

'Enneagram & the True Self' with Kathy Sperling

The Center for Spirituality-Ontario

Online: Learn more and register here

Learn how to connect authentically to God and Self, let go of old ways that no longer serve you, and find alternative pathways in the process. This is an introductory course; no previous experience with the enneagram is necessary. Participants will be asked to read a booklet in advance. Cost is $60. Kathy Sperling is a spiritual director, writer, musician, and facilitator. She is accredited by Providence Center and Pilot Light Program in Edmonton, and the Haden Institute Dream Training Program and Spiritual Direction Programs of Asheville, North Carolina. She operates out of St George's Center for Wellness & Learning in Edmonton AB, as well as online. She has published Solid Ground, a volume of poetry and images(2019), and is working on a book about her first year of exploring her dreams.

Girls Friendly Society - Los Angeles

Learn more and register here

Girls Friendly Society USA was founded at St. Anne's Episcopal Church in Lowell, Massachusetts, in in 1877 to provide friendship and support to young women who were leaving their homes to work in the city. Explore the lives of the first Girls Friendly Society members and meet the mill girls in a virtual field trip to the Tsongas Industrial History Center. Registration is limited to 30. Designed for girls in grades 4 - 6, but can be enjoyed by all ages.

The Center for Spirituality-Ontario

Online: Learn more and register here

A comprehensive class with presentations (1/3 of course time) and discussion (2/3) on the ways we can learn to recognize and resist the evil effects of individual or societal behaviors; as well as reflective guidance on how to orient your life in prayer for action and openness to God’s grace. Cost is $125. Peter Fritsch is an Episcopal priest and spiritual director. He holds a master's of divinity from Church Divinity School of the Pacific, Berkeley, and a bachelor's of music therapy from the University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA. Fritsch is the author of several books, and he is presently engaged in the study of evil from a spiritual perspective.

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.

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.

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.

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.