Welcoming All into God's Peace Together |
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The Second Sunday After the Epiphany
Worship Service at Grace
This Sunday, January 16, 2022
11:00 a.m.
Priest: The Rev. Louise Kalemkerian
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Grace Episcopal Church
5958 Main Street, Trumbull CT 06611
Office Phone
203-268-2809
email:
office@gracetrumbull.org or click button
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The Rev. Louise Kalemkerian,
Priest-in-Charge at Grace
Contact Rev. Louise via the Grace Office
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The Grace Church Prayerline
Grace Church is happy to pray for you. You can submit your prayer request on line by clicking the button below or mail it to our church office at
Grace Church, 5958 Main Street, Trumbull CT 06611
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Greetings!
John 2:1–11
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.”
And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.”
His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.”
So they took it. When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.”
Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
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Collect for The Second Sunday after the Epiphany
Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world: Grant that your people, illumined by your Word and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ’s glory, that he may be known, worshiped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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Psalm 36, Verse 9
For with you is the well of life,
and in your light we see light.
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Sermons and Reflections
The following is a sermon for this coming Sunday, January 16, 2022, The Second Sunday after the Epiphany written by Susan Butterworth. The readings for this Sunday may be found by clicking on the "Readings" blue button above.
Light, Epiphany 2 (C) – January 16, 2022
“Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, and your faithfulness to the clouds…
For with you is the well of life, and in your light we see light” (Psalm 36: 5, 9).
In today’s reading from the Gospel of John, we encounter Jesus at the very beginning of his ministry. Jesus has been recently baptized and recognized as Lamb of God, Messiah, Son of God, and bearer of the Holy Spirit by his cousin John the Baptist, the leader of a popular renewal movement. People have come to the banks of the Jordan from far and wide, to be baptized, cleansed, purified in living water, to counter the corruption and stagnation of the established temple worship in Jerusalem. Jesus may have been a follower of John the Baptist; certainly, he came all the way from Galilee to be baptized by him. Jesus would support John’s message about refreshing worship practice; he frequently found himself at odds with the temple authorities.
But that is jumping ahead. Jesus knows, John the Evangelist knows, and we know what is to come, but the folks on the ground, Jesus’ family, friends, and followers are still at the beginning of the story.
Jesus and his first followers, drawn from among the followers of John, have returned to Galilee, where they are the guests at a wedding. Jesus’ mother clearly is aware of her son’s special gifts, and when the wine runs low, she asks him to do something about it. Jesus responds with the words, “My hour has not yet come.”
The season of Epiphany, in the northern hemisphere, coincides with the season of growing light. After the winter solstice in December, it takes some time to feel the new light, but at last, in January, we begin to notice a new strength, a growing life, in the light. John the Evangelist has proclaimed that Jesus, “The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world” (John 1:9). Like the January light of Epiphany, that true light takes time to emerge and grow, to increase in strength.
In the reading from his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul speaks of spiritual gifts, gifts of wisdom, healing, working miracles, prophecy, discernment of spirits. In the story of the wedding at Cana, we see Jesus growing into his spiritual gifts.
The central claim of the Gospel of John, John’s thesis, so to speak, is that Jesus is Son of God, the source of eternal life. The purpose of John’s book is to help his readers, members of John’s first-century community of Jewish followers of Jesus, to truly believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and the bearer of new and eternal life for those who follow him. John lays it out, with John the Baptist setting the stage for Jesus, the one who is greater than he. Both Johns proclaim that Jesus is the true light, the Messiah. Then the evidence is presented in the form of signs and miracles. Jesus, of course, knows who he is, and his mission, like John the Evangelist’s, is to make others believe, so that they may have eternal life in the Kingdom of God. So, growing into his mission and spiritual gifts, Jesus performs his first sign at the wedding. He transforms water into wine. Good wine. From living water, the water of baptism, Jesus creates new life.
Wine, for the friends and followers of Jesus at the wedding, even before the Last Supper and the Eucharistic table, was a powerful symbol of sustenance and life. Wine carries a message of transformation – grapes transformed by fermentation into wine – a message of re-creation and refreshment, of new life. Today’s reading from Isaiah speaks of God’s promise of fertility and abundance, using the image of marriage: “You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate; but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her, and your land Married; for the LORD delights in you, and your land shall be married” (Isaiah 62:4).
The wedding at Cana embodies the image of fertility and new life prophesied in Isaiah, while the miracle of transforming water into wine expands the idea of new life to imagine a life in Christ, a life infused with the Holy Spirit. For Jesus’ followers, the miracle at Cana is the first sign on the road to a new way of being, a revelation of the Kingdom of God.
In the Gospel of John, there are three simultaneous audiences for the message of salvation, of new life in Christ. Jesus’ audience is his family, friends, and followers. Jesus offers signs that he is the Messiah, the light and savior of the world, so that they may believe and be transformed to new life. John tells the tale to his first-century community, presenting and explaining those same signs, so that they will believe and be transformed, like water into wine. John further addresses his future audience, the contemporary reader in each era to come, leading to us, here and now. John, with Jesus, offers us the evidence that the Kingdom of God awaits us, a new life, a way of being that is hospitable, abundant, generous. A life where each one of us contributes from our abundant gifts, activated by the Holy Spirit.
On this second Sunday after the Epiphany, in the new and growing light of Christ, scripture asks us to trust the signs, to believe that life in Christ is creative and renewal is possible. Transformation, like the growing light of Epiphany, is gradual. May we allow our gifts of the spirit to emerge and grow, as the Spirit chooses, with God’s help.
Let us pray: Gracious God, your glory is revealed in the miracles of Jesus. Help us to believe. Help us to trust in our spiritual gifts, given by your Holy Spirit. Help us to remember that transformation is a process, that your call is planted and grows in us, like the growing light of Epiphany. Help us to be steadfast in the certainty of rebirth into eternal life. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.
Susan Butterworth, M.A., M.Div, is a writer, teacher, singer, and lay minister. She leads Song & Stillness: Taizé @ MIT, a weekly ecumenical service of contemplative Taizé prayer at the interfaith chapel at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She teaches writing and literature to college undergraduates and writes book reviews, essays, and literary reference articles.
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Transition and Worship Update
Worship Info for this Sunday in RED Below
The most likely and preferred (by Grace parishioners) option for the future is merging with another parish in the area. If merger is chosen and agreed to by both parishes, the time frame will most likely be in 2022. This was further discussed at the Grace Annual Meeting on June 27, 2021 and Parish Meeting on October 3, 2021.
From Fiona:
Hi all,
Sunday Service Schedule:
This Sunday, January 16th: 11:00 a.m. Eucharist service at Grace Episcopal Church with Rev. Louise Kalemkerian. (No virtual available)
January 23rd: 10:00 a.m. Morning Prayer at St. Peter's Episcopal Church, Monroe. Virtual available via website and facebook: stpetersonthegreen.
St. Peter's requests when attending in person to help keep each other safe. Wear a mask - you will need to keep it on (and over your nose!) while you are inside St. Peter's. Dress warmly - we will have windows and doors open and fans running to promote air circulation. Vaccinated and boosted - Yes? Great! If not, consider joining us online only.
January 30th: No service at Grace or St. Peter's
Febuary 6th: 11:00 a.m. Eucharist service at Grace Episcopal Church with Rev. Louise Kalemkerian. (No virtual available)
Stewardship Update:
Thank you for your continued support and the return of your pledges. Pledges and donations are still being received. Please pray about Grace Church and how you might support with pledges or donations.
Thank you and God Bless.
Fiona Varker, Senior Warden
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To Parishioners and Friends of Grace
Stewardship in 2022
Please mail your pledges and contributions to Grace Church, 5958 Main Street, Trumbull, CT 06611. Non-pledge contributions are gratefully accepted and you may also request envelopes if you want to send a periodic contribution but not pledge.
If you prefer to pay via PayPal, the link is on the Grace Website. Additional donations to Grace may also be made via the Grace Website or by check.
Your pledges and contributions are being processed, recorded and deposited and are much appreciated. The bills still roll in and Grace needs to stay current with our salaries and services!
Thank you.
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Food Ministries - Giving Opportunities |
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Trinity Episcopal Church Food Drives
Next First Friday Food Drive Friday, February 4th
Trinity Episcopal Church holds a monthly food drive collection on the first Friday of every month. Below is the schedule for the next few months. Please contribute as you are able. All drop-offs are in the parking lot.
ALL FOOD DONATED GOES TO LOCAL FOOD PANTRIES IN BRIDGEPORT, STRATFORD, & TRUMBULL
SAVE THE DATES FOR TRINITY'S FIRST FRIDAY FOOD DRIVES:
FEBRUARY 4*
MARCH 4*
APRIL 1
MAY 6
JUNE 3
*WEATHER DEPENDENT
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Grace is the Cereal Church
Cereal and other food items are needed for the Local Food Pantries. If you want to bring milk for donation, please look for the no refrigeration required, shelf stable milk in the supermarket juice/beverage aisle or the coffee aisle. Either shelf stable almond milk or dairy milk is appreciated.
During the current period of some in-person worship and "Church in Deployment" (Sundays with no worship services at Grace), please continue to drop off your contributions and they will be delivered to the Food Pantries. Thank you!
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The Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport (CCGB) Selected to Benefit in Stop & Shop Floral Program
Brighten up your day with a bouquet of flowers that fights hunger in the local community! CCGB has been selected by local Stop & Shop store leadership as the benefiting hunger organization in the Stop & Shop Bloomin' 4 Good Program for the month of December! The Stop & Shop Bloomin' 4 Good Program, which launched in February 2021, is an easy way for shoppers to give back as part of the regular shopping routine. Every $10.99 Bloomin' 4 Good Bouquet with the red circle sticker sold supports a hunger organization local to the Stop & Shop in which it was purchased. According to Feeding America, every $1 donation to a local hunger organization can provide 10 or more meals to someone in need.
As part of this ongoing program, every month at every Stop & Shop location a different local hunger organization is selected to benefit from the sale of the Bloomin’ 4 Good Bouquet. CCGB was selected as the December beneficiary by local store leadership at the Stop & Shop located at 1790 Post Road East, Westport CT. CCGB will receive a $1 donation for every $10.99 Bloomin' 4 Good Bouquet purchased at this Stop & Shop location in December!
“Flowers can make someone's day, brighten up a room or spread a smile,” said Tom Larson, Interim President & CEO of The Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport. “Now they can fight hunger too! We are thrilled to be chosen to benefit from this unique and impactful Stop & Shop Program, as the demands of those in need are higher than ever this year.” The Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport (CCGB) is a non-profit based in Bridgeport, CT. Founded in 1945, CCGB works to leverage hope and change lives, by meeting the needs of people at risk and breaking the cycle of poverty and crisis in the Greater Bridgeport area. Learn more about CCGB by visiting www.ccgb.org. For more information about the Stop & Shop Bloomin' 4 Good Program, please visit stopandshop.bloomin4good.com.
CCGB Virtual Food Drive
CCGB welcomes monetary donations to their Virtual Food Drive. To make a contribution to the CCGB Virtual Food Drive, click the blue button below.
The challenges faced by our poorest neighbors are significant, but hope abounds! We at The Council are acutely aware of the unmet needs throughout Greater Bridgeport, and with your help are making a difference.
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Significant Storm Emerging: Here's When, What To Expect: CT News
Posted Thu, Jan 13, 2022 at 9:15 am ET, |
Updated Thu, Jan 13, 2022 at 9:25 am ET
Please enjoy the weather today as temperatures rise into the mid 40s, it turns colder on Friday with more wind and on Saturday the high temperature will be around 15 degrees.
It appears snow will begin across all of Connecticut after midnight on Sunday and then turn to rain on Monday. The transition to rain will happen quickly at the coast and there may be a period of icing in interior sections of the state Monday morning, but everyone will transition to rain at some point on Monday, according to the National Weather Service. The wind gusts will also pick up as the storm arrives.
WTNH News 8 chief meteorologist Gil Simmons said, via News 8, that "A storm will track right over Connecticut Sunday night-Monday with snow to a mix and rain. Very strong wind gusts with coastal flooding possible too with a few power outages." (Read more at WTNH News 8).
The National Weather Service said there may be a period of heavy snow that could lead to snow accumulation for inland and northern sections of the state before the transition to sleet and then rain takes place. At the immediate coast the snow is expected to change to plain rain relatively fast in the early morning hours on Monday.
COVID-19 School Cases Climb By Over 6,200 In One Week
Here are the coronavirus infection, vaccination and school cases: town-by-town
Posted Thu, Jan 6, 2022 at 8:26 pm ET, Updated Fri, Jan 7, 2022 at 6:04 pm ET
CONNECTICUT — The number of COVID-19 cases among Connecticut PK-12 students and staff has skyrocketed over the past week.
On Thursday, the Department of Public Health reported 7,612 new infections for students, up from 1,363 for the week prior.
DPH logged 2,338 positive COVID-19 cases among school staff, an increase from 477 recorded the previous week.
To read the rest of the article, click the blue button below.
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Trumbull To Hold Community Forum Thursday On Diversity
The forum will be hosted by the Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Task Force.
TRUMBULL, CT — Trumbull's Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Task Force will host a community forum from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday to find out "How have you felt included or excluded in Trumbull?"
Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the forum will be held via Zoom; the link and password for which are in the Facebook post below.
"The purpose of this task force shall be to strengthen Trumbull's identity as a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community," officials said on the task force's webpage. "The Task Force shall identify programmatic, community, and legislative practices with regard to racial, social, sexual, and gender equity and diversity."
Update! Our Community Forum next week will be taking place via Zoom.
January 13 at 6:30pm
Webinar ID: 879 7972 0096
Password: 329423...
To read the rest of the article, click the blue button below.
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Local News From the Trumbull/Monroe/Easton/Redding Daily Voice |
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COVID-19: Here's When Fourth Shot May Be Needed, Moderna CEO Says
The chief executive officer of Moderna has gone on record saying when another round of COVID-19 vaccine booster shots could be required.
Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said this week that due to the efficacy of the vaccine potentially waning over time, a fourth booster could be required before the fall of 2022.
Bancel made the proclamation at a Goldman-Sachs-organized healthcare conference, noting that his company is working on a booster shot dedicated to combating the Omicron variant of the virus, which will likely be made available within the next two months.
According to recent studies, booster doses are approximately 75 percent effective in preventing symptomatic infections two weeks after a shot is received; however, its efficacy wanes dramatically between five to 10 weeks later.
"I will be surprised when we get that data in the coming weeks that it’s holding nicely over time — I would expect that it’s not going to hold great,” he said. “I still believe we’re going to need boosters in the fall of ’22 and forward.”
The country has seen an unprecedented surge of new COVID-19 cases, as the country contends with the highly-transmissible Omicron variant, which has spread rapidly, though symptoms have largely been mild for those who contract the virus.
Nationwide, the seven-day average is now more than 574,000 new cases daily as states have seen a record number of new infections being reported.
“We have been saying that we believe first this virus is not going away,” Bancel said. “We’re going to have to live with it.”
COVID-19: Positivity Rate Down; Hospitalizations Up In CT; Latest Rundown Of Cases, Deaths
The light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel could be in sight in Connecticut as the state starts plateauing from the post-holiday surge of newly confirmed infections, though hospitalizations remain on the rise.
After spiking up near 25 percent, the positive daily COVID-19 infection rate was down to 21.24 percent, according to the Department of Public Health's latest update on Wednesday, Jan. 12, down from 23.85 percent the previous day.
In total, on Tuesday, Jan. 12, 34,460 COVID-19 tests were administered, which resulted in 7,318 laboratory-confirmed cases of the virus.
Nineteen new COVID-19 patients were admitted to Connecticut hospitals, as the number being treated for the virus rose up to 1,939, the majority of whom are not fully vaccinated.
According to state health officials, of the 1,939 COVID-19 patients hospitalized, 1,324 (68.3 percent) have not completed their vaccination series.
Officials said that unvaccinated persons had a 3.3-times greater risk of testing positive for COVID-19 compared to an unvaccinated person. Unvaccinated people also had a 17.2-times greater risk of dying from the virus compared to vaccinated individuals.
Since the pandemic began, there have been more than 13.95 million COVID-19 tests administered in Connecticut, resulting in a total of 619,185 cases since March 2020, including more than 9,000 fatal infections.
A breakdown of which populations have received the most vaccines, by age group according to the most recent update from the Department of Public Health:
- 65+: >95 percent
- 55-64: >95 percent;
- 45-54: 87 percent;
- 35-44: 89 percent;
- 25-34: 82 percent;
- 18-24: 76 percent;
- 16-17: 82 percent;
- 12-15: 74 percent;
- 5-11: 32 percent.
To read the rest of this article click the blue button on the left below.
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AA Meetings at Grace
For Information click blue button below
AA groups have regular meetings at Grace. Instead of meeting in the Lewis Hall Meeting Room for now, groups are meeting in the larger Undercroft Parish Hall. For now this space allows for socially distanced meetings. The space was cleaned and AA will provide cleaning going forward. One restroom will be used by AA and the other will be closed during meetings. For details on available meetings, and restarting meeting, please go to grace-eye-opener.org or click the button.
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C.A.R.E.S and Confident Health
The C.A.R.E.S. Group Joins Forces with Confidant Health
The C.A.R.E.S. Group is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing education, support, resources, and hope for families, friends, and anyone with a loved one affected by mental health and substance use disorders.
To expand our reach and increase access to resources needed by the individuals and communities we serve, C.A.R.E.S. has aligned with Confidant Health, a virtual clinic specializing in substance use and mental health.
Mondays from 7pm-9pm EST.
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C.A.R.E.S.
VIRTUAL HOPE & SUPPORT GROUP
MONDAYS
7:00 - 9:00 PM
* All meetings are free of charge
Please contact us using the info below for assistance of any kind.
855-406-0246
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St. Pauly's Clothing shed at
GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
is open!
The clothing donation shed at Grace Episcopal Church, 5958 Main Street, Trumbull, CT, is open to the public.
If you are not familiar with the clothing donation shed, it’s designed to give community members a uniquely clean, convenient, and well-cared-for option to donate their used clothing to. St. Pauly Textile Inc., the company that has provided the shed, partners with businesses and various organizations to distribute donated items both here in the U.S. and worldwide, where they are ultimately re-worn by people who need them. Grace Church funding for donated clothing, and additionally has the option to use donations to serve community needs.
With over 1,300 clothing drop-off sheds in place, St. Pauly Textile Inc. collects over 90,000 pounds of clothing every day and estimates that this clothing ends up in 44 different countries (including the U.S.) yearly. In 2019, the company was able to help keep over 20 million articles of clothing out of landfills, which clothed an estimated 2.5 million people worldwide. The company was founded in 1996 and is an A+ rated member of the Better Business Bureau.
Accepted items: clothing, shoes, belts, purses, blankets, sheets, curtains, pillowcases, and stuffed animals. NO FURNITURE OF ANY SIZE. NO TOYS. NO CARRIAGES. NO CAR SEATS. NO CRIBS. NO APPLIANCES. NO GLASS ITEMS. DONATION MUST FIT INTO THE SLOT IN THE FRONT OF THE SHED. DO NOT LEAVE ANY ITEMS OUTSIDE THE SHED.
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The Blessing of homes at Epiphany-tide
Since the Middle Ages there has been a tradition that on (or near) the feast of the Epiphany we pray for God’s blessing on our homes, marking the entrance with chalk (an incarnational image reminding us of the dust of the earth from which we were made). We mark the main door of our home with the initials of the Magi and the numerals of the new year, connected with crosses:
20 + C + M + B + 22
The initials remind us of the legendary names of the Magi – Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar – and also stand for the Latin motto: Christus mansionem benedicat, “May Christ bless this house.” In the Book of Exodus, the Israelites marked their doors with blood so that the Lord would pass over their homes; but in this ritual, we mark our doors with chalk as a sign that we have invited God’s presence and blessing into our homes.
It is traditional to write the inscription on the lintel, above the door, but it can be written anywhere near the entrance. The following prayer may be said while the entrance is marked:
The three Wise Men,
C Caspar,
M Melchior,
B and Balthasar followed the star of God’s Son who became human
20 two thousand
22 and twenty-two years ago.
++ May Christ bless our home
++ and remain with us throughout the new year. Amen.
May this Epiphany Blessing be a reminder that Christ is incarnate in the love and care we manifest to each other in our ordinary daily lives together.
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A word from the brothers of the Society of Saint John the Evangelist
Brother, Give Us A Word
Light
You are the image and likeness of the Holy One. You are aglow with the infinite beauty of Christ’s light.
-Br. Nicholas Bartoli, Society of Saint John the Evangelist
For more information on the Society of Saint John the Evangelist, please visit their web site at: http://ssje.org/ or click the button below.
SSJE is a monastic community of The Episcopal Church & The Anglican Church of Canada
Brother, Give Us A Word is a daily devotion
The Society of Saint John the Evangelist is an independent, 501(c) (3) non-profit tax exempt U.S. corporation.
© 2015 The Society of Saint John the Evangelist, All Rights Reserved
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The Episcopal Church in Connecticut
Participating in God's Mission
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A Prayer by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Eternal God out of whose mind this great cosmic universe we bless thee. Help us to seek that which is high, noble and Good. Help us in the moment of difficult decision. Help us to work with renewed vigor for a warless world, a better distribution of wealth, and a brotherhood that transcends race or color.
Have a highlight to share?
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by the Rev. Ranjit K. Mathews,
Canon for Mission Advocacy, Racial Justice & Reconciliation
TO BE POLITICAL
One of many teachings that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. shared through his life is that as baptized followers of Jesus, our ministry will inevitably be political. He didn’t necessarily name this; but he certainly embodied it.
As Episcopalians, however, it is important that we name politics and that as followers of Jesus, we will have to be political to move into the work that Jesus told us to do, in his name.
Episcopalians find the word “politics” within Church settings difficult because when we hear the word, we think of electoral partisanship. And of course, Churches should never be sites of political partisanship. However, by the very nature of following Jesus and how he called us to live:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18-19)
We will be political. And like renowned Rabbi Danya Ruttenburg says, “my tradition has policy implications.”
This is but one of the many ways, we can learn from the life of Dr. King.
If we are not able to acknowledge the deeply political dimension of the Gospel, we end up making the Dr. King holiday an idol we worship, celebrating the man, but evading the call to embody the work of Christ.
The reality is the holiday has become a national and even an ecclesial idol, a chance for a majority of the United States and people of faith to talk about a so called “post-racial society, pontificate in a book club about racial justice,” but stopping from taking the next collective step forward as a society to challenge systemic injustice. The holiday has become an opiate to embodied justice work.
Jesus never called us to worship him; but to follow him. It is always time to talk, ponder, and stretch our own moral imagination to the life of Dr. King; but we should not stop there. Our communal reality calls us to embody, to live a life that is radiant with justice. What we profess on a Sunday morning needs to live on, on a Monday.
In what ways can you take another step forward in embodying the Gospel? In a culture of silence, speak the Truth in Love. Do some research on the Poor People’s Campaign. There are endless opportunities and I invite you to take the next right step.
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Provisional Lay Worship Leader Licenses Extended
If you currently hold a "Provisional Lay Worship License," you’ve likely noticed that it expires on 12/31/2021. The Commission on Ministry has extended those Lay Worship Leader Licenses through December 2022. No action is needed on your part for this extension.
Learn more about Licensed Lay Ministers, including Worship Leaders, and the application process on our website or by contacting Bernice Fleming, ECCT Administrator for Licensing & Training.
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Resources for Parishes Discerning Merger
God is good. All the time. When churches begin to think about merger, a flood of emotions come into the room. Sadness, anger, and confusion are often part of the journey. And yet, mergers are ultimately about hope and new life. When churches merge, the parishioners become part of a new church family, finding collaborative partners and a lived resurrection experience. Parishioners of the merged parishes form a new parish, exploring their context with new eyes. How is God calling them to share God’s love in new ways given the new energy and new possibilities? None of this is to deny that it is not hard, emotional work. There needs to be time for storytelling, grieving, and the sharing of memories. There needs to be time to give thanks for all that has been, and there are practical questions involving the church buildings that need to be explored. This holy work creates a holy space to listen for God’s dream for the future. ECCT has created a new resource to aid you as you explore, "Is God calling you to imagine a future with a merger?" Read more.
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Camp Washington - Life changing events for adults and children |
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For Information on Camp Washington, See ECCT website for details or www.campwashington.org.
Camp Washington
(860) 567- 9623
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The Camp Washington Fund
The Camp Washington Fund touches virtually all aspects of the our community. When you give to the CW Fund you are giving to the future of Camp Washington, our programs, and people.
The CW Fund is the most direct way that you can support our commitment to the stewardship of God’s creation, affirming and supporting discipleship, and exploring new ways to join in God’s mission of reconciliation and restoration.
To Donate, click the blue button
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