In this edition: Racial Justice & Reconciliation Commission statement; sermon by the Rev. Emily S. Gibson, Fun Fact; Did You Know?; Check it Out!; news from the diocese, Episcopal Church, and Anglican Church.

"Like so many of you, the members of the Racial Justice and Reconciliation Commission (RJRC) of the Episcopal Church in Delaware lamented the loss of George Floyd when he was murdered by Derek Chauvin in May of 2020. We continue to grieve the countless lives lost to police brutality and racial violence..." — Racial Justice and Reconciliation Commission (RJRC)

On Thursday, April 22, RJRC issued a statement on the verdict of the Derek Chauvin trial. The statement was posted to the diocesan website, as well as the diocesan Facebook page. If you haven't had a chance to read their statement, you can view by clicking on the button below. Bishop Brown's statement, originally posted in last week's edition of The Net, is also provided.

This week (week of April 18), in our diocesan Cycle of Prayer, we hold up in prayer the St. Martin's in the Field Church, Selbyville, the Rev. Glenn A. Duffy pastor, and the Rev. Deacon Tom McCormick. For the 2020-2021 diocesan Cycle of Prayer click here.

Being a Top-Notch Hybrid Church Masterclass: six-hour online course with a practical application, Wednesdays, June 9 and 16, 12-3pm

Held over two three-hour days, one week apart, the class provides the research, tools, and customized training to meet the immediate need of church leaders to become a hybrid congregation offering in-person and online worship and missional experiences. The focus of the masterclass is to equip leadership teams with very practical and actionable learning that can be applied immediately. These experts are not church people who can do this on the side. Rather, they are experts in their field who are wanting to share their vast knowledge with the church. More information and registration here.

Virtual Organ Concert featuring Lawrell D. Arnold, St. Anne's, Middletown, Friday, April 30, 7pm

St. Anne’s is pleased to welcome Lawrell D. Arnold as a guest musician who will perform on the new Viscount Organ. Mr. Arnold is a Brooklyn, NY native with almost 35 years of experience at the organ console and almost 25 years as a music educator. Lawrell is the interim organist of Trinity Episcopal Church, Roslyn, NY. View the concert on the Saint Anne’s website here, or Facebook page here. Everyone is welcome!

This summer the Choir School of Delaware will be putting on its first-ever camp musical, Sister Act. Students entering grades 5-12 are eligible to enroll. Students will have the opportunity to work with our region's most accomplished musicians, theater directors, and choreographers while putting together this wonderful production. Informal auditions are required. Additionally, campers will also have opportunities for:

Due to the pandemic and social distancing precautions, space is limited. The Choir School will work with families that demonstrate financial need and will not allow financial barriers to exclude students from this opportunity for growth and development. Enroll here.

•   Pray for all who have been impacted and those who have died from COVID- 19 and/or its variants, during worship services and programs.

See full resolution here.

Episcopal Asiamerica Ministries, Church Planting announce virtual “Church Planting in the Asian Diaspora” conference: May 13-15, 7pm, register by May 7

The Episcopal Church’s Asiamerica Ministries is partnering with the Church Planting and Redevelopment Office to offer a virtual conference on Church Planting in the Asian Diaspora. The conference will bring together a diverse group of storytellers to share their experiences of church planting as Asian American Episcopalians, and in Asiamerican contexts. More information here

Nashville artist Kory Caudill partners with diverse team on transformative, timely project — a new artistic collaboration led by the Episcopal Church and Presiding Bishop Michael Curry that explores the powerful intersection between art, justice, and faith, will launch May 22 with a free digital broadcast filmed at Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral. More information

Skofstad of South Bend, Ind., has been named public affairs officer for The Episcopal Church. In this role, she will serve as a member of the Presiding Bishop’s staff. More information

At its April 2021 meeting, the Executive Council of The Episcopal Church approved United Thank Offering (UTO) grants to support 16 Episcopal Church and eight Anglican Communion missions and ministries, in its second round of COVID-19-related mission and ministry funding. Three historical grants were also awarded for projects that fall outside the regular parameters of the granting process but within the historical practices of UTO. More information

A Year in the Life, filmed throughout the pandemic using COVID-safe protocols, explores how Episcopal schools, ministries, and congregations have adapted to the challenges of the year – from food insecurity to calls for racial justice to worship through restrictions – and more. In this first episode, we visit Trinity Episcopal Church in Ambler, PA. In Spring 2020, the United States and the wider world were gripped by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and a movement against systemic racism catalyzed by the murder of George Floyd. Congregations across The Episcopal Church were inspired to action, taking the call to seek and serve Christ in all persons into their communities. Trinity, whose congregation is mostly White, reflected on how they were being called to action even within the confines of the pandemic. Visit our blogpost for this episode: Taking a Knee in San Francisco by the Rev. Christine Trainor. Watch A Year in the Life here.

In celebration of Earth Day, the Episcopal Church’s Office of Government Relations is pleased to announce a new Creation Care newsletter series on climate change impacts and policy solutions. As followers of Christ, we are called to respond to climate change because of our charge to respect the dignity of every human being and to be good stewards of God’s creation. This resource examines the importance of the Paris Agreement, land use decisions, climate migration, the energy transition, and a green recovery as lenses to explore the far-reaching impacts of climate change and our role as Christians to respond to this crisis. The resource also highlights this disproportionate impact of climate change on developing nations, low-income communities, communities of color, and Indigenous people. Readers can view the entire resource here or subscribe to the Episcopal Public Policy Network to receive the final newsletter in your inbox. The series will conclude in this final week of April with a Spanish translation coming shortly thereafter.

The following is a transcript of the opening remarks of Presiding Bishop Michael Curry at the Executive Council of The Episcopal Church, which met virtually on April 16. These remarks have been lightly edited for clarity. Read more in English and Spanish here

The following are the opening remarks of President of the House of Deputies Gay Clark Jennings at the Executive Council of The Episcopal Church, which met virtually on April 16. Read more in English and Spanish here

Seeking to ease the financial strain of the COVID-19 pandemic on its dioceses, the Executive Council of The Episcopal Church approved a resolution allocating up to $40,000 to any diocese requesting assistance over the next 18 months. More information in English, Spanish and French here

Report offers insights into race and power in the church. After two years and more than 1,300 surveys, the ground-breaking Racial Justice Audit of Episcopal Leadership is now available to the wider church and public. The audit identifies nine “patterns” of systemic racism – ranging from the historical context of church leadership to current power dynamics -- that will also be highlighted in three public webinars in May and June. More information in English and Spanish here

The Episcopal Church’s Tell Me Something Good series launches second season, watch here

Tell Me Something Good, a web series from The Episcopal Church that launched in the fall of 2020, returns for a second season. This series highlights positive stories from around the church through conversations with a variety of guests. More information

United Thank Offering (UTO), along with the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts and the Cathedral Church of Saint Paul in Boston, will host the second annual Theology of Gratitude Conference. More information

Read invitation and link to participation form in English and Spanish here

Churches around the Anglican Communion are deeply involved in the fight against racism, both within the structures of the church itself, and in wider society. The year 2020 was marked by an increase in support for the Black Lives Matter movement, following the death of George Floyd, an African American, at the hands of police officers in the US. Many churches released statements in response to the tragedy, affirming a commitment to racial reconciliation. Covid-19 has also disproportionately impacted minority groups. Churches around the world have been doing what they can in the fight against racism. More information

“For more than a year the attention of the whole world has been primarily focused on health and healthcare, as countries across the globe respond to the Covid-19 pandemic”, the Deputy Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, Dr Will Adam, said. “And during that time, the value and appreciation we place on healthcare workers has also increased, as we rightly recognise the incredible hard work they have done, particularly those on the front line in critical care, to support patients with Coronavirus and other illnesses. “The new Anglican Health and Community Network will support Anglicans working across the world in health care, whether in clinical settings or in the community. It has long been recognised that, in many parts of the world, Churches are best placed to reach ‘the last mile’ in hard to reach communities — whether it is in disseminating disease prevention education; or organising community clinics. More information