September 30, 2020
In this edition: Changes to Annual Convention, Bishop's COVID Response #16, Vote Faithfully, The Move, Fun Fact, Did You Know, Check it Out, Memorial House reopens ...
Hear Ye!
Hear Ye!
CHANGES TO
ANNUAL CONVENTION
See bishop's message below, followed by detailed changes, to include registration procedures.
A MESSAGE FROM THE BISHOP
236th Annual Convention
We are returning the convention schedule back to 'Plan A.' That is, we will host a single-day event on Saturday, November 21, as originally envisioned back in January, long before the pandemic hit.

I am thankful for so many folks who were helping plan the expanded three-day schedule. Back in June, we hoped we could generate an energetic, unifying, spirited online experience that would showcase the resilience of this remarkable diocese and spark renewed excitement for 2021 — all the while trimming the total hours we would all spend online. While I love this ambitious swing-for-the-fences attitude, the reality is that the added cost and complexity required to produce that kind of online event are not minor, and frankly the number of hours that the attendees would be online was growing, not shrinking.

Thus the secretary of convention and I have decided to return to the original plan: a joyful and energetic convention done simply. The convention will be open for anyone, all across the world, who wants to stream the event. We will still talk about racial justice, about the impacts of pandemic, and about our non-stop call to evangelism. We will still celebrate the Eucharist for the entire diocese to join. In short, we will still praise the loving name of Jesus Christ and give thanks for this Episcopal Church in Delaware which He has assembled to work and pray in His name.

So keep Saturday, November 21 on your calendars. And never stop swinging for the fences, especially in Christ’s name! This change to convention doesn’t for a second mean we shouldn’t dream big. Quite the opposite. I wonder if it just might mean we are called, at convention and beyond, to dream even bigger still.

In Christ,
+Kevin
BUSINESS SESSION AND HOLY EUCHARIST:
  • Call to Order: 9:00 a.m.
  • Holy Eucharist (to include bishop's address): 2:00 p.m.
  • To join business sessions and/or Holy Eucharist go to:

REGISTRATION INFORMATION:
  • Viewers Only: If you are planning to 'view' convention only there is no registration process — just click here to join us. All are welcome.
  • If you have vote, voice, or speaking role: The convention staff will handle your registration for convention and you will receive necessary details to join business sessions, allowing you to vote and speak. More detailed information will be sent via the Convention eNews next week (week of October 5).
“It is a Christian obligation to vote, and more than that, it is the church’s responsibility to help get souls to the polls.”
— Presiding Bishop Michael Curry

COVID-19 Update: Bishop Brown's Response #16
Coronavirus and Safety
Hello beloved of God across the Episcopal Church in Delaware,

Just this past week we passed a sad milestone: over one million people are known to have died worldwide from the novel coronavirus. In all likelihood, there have been many more lives lost to this deadly disease than we know. Let us pause and pray for the souls of our sisters and brothers across the world who are gone. Let us again remember the agony of surviving family and friends, the resolve of steadfast nurses and doctors, and the gratitude for those who lived through COVID-19. Read full response here.
One Million Lives Lost
China recorded the first known coronavirus death in January, 2020. Since then, over one million people have died. This prayer is from the Church of England website.
A prayer for all those affected by coronavirus
Keep us, good Lord, under the shadow of your mercy. Sustain and support the anxious, be with those who care for the sick, and lift up all who are brought low; that we may find comfort knowing that nothing can separate us from your love, in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
by the Rev. Michael Kurth
This article first appeared in the Fall edition of the Delaware Communion Magazine.
Fun Fact
Question: Who was the most reluctant bishop of the diocese?

Clue: He saw the diocese through one of the world's most turbulent times.

Answer: Here
Did you know?
The oldest book published in
North America is a book of
psalms
"The Bay Psalm Book is a metrical Psalter first printed in 1640 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was the first book printed in British North America. The Psalms in it are metrical translations into English. The translations are not particularly polished, and none has remained in use, although some of the tunes to which they were sung have survived (for instance, "Old 100th"). However, its production, just 20 years after the Pilgrims' arrival at Plymouth," is a significant achievement. More information
Check it out!
"Since Love is Lord of Heaven and Earth, how can I keep from singing?"
How Can I Keep From Singing? (also known by its incipit My Life Flows On in Endless Song) is an American folk song originally composed as a Christian hymn by American Baptist minister Robert Wadsworth Lowry in 1869. The restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic have meant that choirs are unable to sing in their churches. In May this year, over one hundred New York singers and musicians collaborated to record a moving version of this beloved hymn from their own homes.
Cycle of Prayer in the Episcopal Church in Delaware
This week (week of September 27) we hold up in prayer the Church of Saints Andrew and Matthew, Wilmington, the Rev. David T. Andrews, Jr., rector, The Rev. Canon Lloyd S. Casson rector emeritus. For 2020-2021 Cycle of Prayer Calendar click here.
News from the Episcopal Church in Delaware and community
Memorial House to reopen October 1, 2020
Space available to welcome fall retreat groups
We are delighted to announce the reopening of Memorial House! Experience all that Memorial House has to offer with so much surrounding beauty, full amenities, and the opportunity to create memories that will last a lifetime. Be assured that Memorial House is committed to the wellbeing of all guests. Every precaution is taken to ensure the conference center is safe. All federal health and safety guidelines are followed as well as guidance from our state and local governments. For full information see here.
Episcopal Campus Ministries (ECM) has been awarded $10,000 through the CARES Act!
ECM at St. Thomas is alive and well during these strange times. These amazing youths are really showing their flexibility and commitment. Their food bank ministry, the Blue Hen Bounty, continues to serve and grow. The college students who visit the pantry are of all ages and walks of life and are grateful for the assistance. ECM applied for and received funding from the CARES Act and were awarded $10,000. This money will do so much for the community and all the students who will be helped. Please keep these youth in your prayers as they continue to let their lights shine in the community and the world. More information
What is your diocese up to?
Here are some of the things your diocese is currently engaged in with information available on our website:
News from the Episcopal Church
General Convention Task Force seeks participants representing the diversity of the church for Safe Church Listening Groups. Responses requested by: October 18, 2020
The Task Force to Develop Model Anti-Sexual Harassment Policies & Safe Church Training is looking for Episcopalians interested in participating in Listening Groups related to the development of new and updated Safe Church (formerly called Safeguarding) training materials and approaches. More information in English. More information in Spanish. More information in French.
Sacred Spaces as Safe Places
Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry has issued the following statement: "The events in Louisville remind us of the need for safe spaces in times of conflict. Churches, synagogues, and mosques are houses of prayer, worship, and faith. Sacred spaces are safe places where the way of love and nonviolence, the way of peace, the way of justice, and the way of reconciliation can be affirmed and practiced. In deeply conflicted situations, these spaces can play a vital role in preventing escalation into upward spirals of violence. Respecting these spaces as safe places demonstrates a commitment to finding nonviolent solutions. This can help to broker peace and change that can move a community forward, in the direction of genuine justice and eventual reconciliation." Read full statement here.
Grants available for Young Adult and Campus Ministry, Application deadline November 20, 2020
Informational webinar offered October 1, 2020, 3:00pm EDT
The Episcopal Church announces its 2021 grants program for Young Adult and Campus Ministries currently engaged in or seeking new relationships with young adults on or off college campuses. Episcopal ministries or ecumenical ministries with an Episcopal presence are invited to apply. Eligible applicants include dioceses, congregations, or college/university ministries. Grant information and applications are available in English here and in Spanish here.
Walking with Asylum Seekers: A Training Series for Congregations
In the month of October, join Episcopal Migration Ministries, in partnership with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) and Lutheran Family Services of the Rocky Mountains (LFSRM), for a three-part training series for congregations interested in supporting and walking alongside asylum seekers. The three 90-minute virtual events will provide advocacy updates, resources for group discernment, ministry models, and important considerations when engaging in ministry with asylum seekers. More information
Episcopal Evangelism grants available for local and regional efforts, deadline November 15, 2020
Episcopalians and Episcopal institutions can now apply for the next round of the Episcopal Evangelism Grants Program, designed to fund local and regional evangelism efforts in The Episcopal Church. The grant program awards up to $2,000 for an individual congregation and up to $8,000 for multi-church, diocesan, and regional collaborations. The grants committee is seeking proposals that will:
  • Create and spread resources that equip Episcopalians and churches to become evangelists and to share and receive faith stories in daily life.
  • Create opportunities for people who are not part of a faith community to build their own loving, liberating, life-giving relationships with God in Christ.
  • Aim for lasting, broad impact.
  • Employ innovation and creativity.
  • Promote churchwide learning, understanding, and practical application.
More information in English here, in Spanish here, and in French here.
Bishop Michael Curry Preaches The Power Of Love To Find Hope In Troubling Times in new book
"The head of the Episcopal Church, Bishop Michael Curry, preached love when he presided over the marriage of Meghan Markle to Prince Harry. "When love is the way, we actually treat each other, well, like we are actually family," he said at the time. His message of love resonated well beyond the hallowed halls of St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. Now, in his new book, titled Love is the Way: Holding on to Hope in Troubling Times, he offers a road map on how to love one another." Read full WHYY interview here.
Committee issues communiqué regarding next steps toward full communion between Episcopal Church and United Methodist Church
During their meeting on July 30, 2020 via video conference, the members of The Episcopal Church – United Methodist Dialogue Committee agreed that the churches postpone taking action on the full communion proposal until their next General Convention/General Conference after 2021. More information
Episcopal Relief and Development Offers US Disaster Recovery Programs. You too can help!
Learn how to make donations for the relief of hurricane and fire survivors, as well as learn about other needed relief programs. Episcopal Relief & Development is providing resources for church and community leaders in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Visit the Faith-based Response to Epidemics page and read the latest press release.
Good Trouble for a Healthy Planet: 2020 Faith-Based Organization Consultation on Climate Emergency. Join the webinar September 24, 2020
The Episcopal Church, in collaboration with a coalition of interfaith partners led by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), will offer a virtual webinar on “Good Trouble for a Healthy Planet” on September 24, 10:00am-1:00pm EDT. It will address the impact of human activity on the planet and the urgent need for action to obtain sustainable and resilient communities globally and develop strategies for moving forward to address climate change. More information
Registration now open for New Community 2020 Virtual Conference, October 30-31, 2020
Registration is now open for the New Community 2020 Virtual Conference, hosted by The Episcopal Church Department of Ethnic Ministries. The theme is Weaving Our Diversity and Forming Life-Giving Relationships for the New Reality. This gathering of Asian, Black, Latino/Hispanic and Indigenous clergy and lay leaders provides a safe place to explore mission in ethnic ministries, share resources and best practices, hopes and dreams, needs and concerns, gifts and ministries, suffering and joy. More information in English. More information in Spanish.
New Episcopal Community leaders, redevelopers, and dreamers virtual conference offered in October. Register by September 23, 2020
The Episcopal Church Offices of Church Planting and Redevelopment, and Ethnic Ministries are partnering to offer a Virtual Genesis-Koinonia Gathering from October 1 – November 5, 2020. The annual conference is designed to inspire, mentor, and support new community leaders as they plan and plant their ministries, and to connect with and thank the diocesan leaders who support and oversee new missional initiatives. More information in English. More information in Spanish.
129 educational scholarships granted throughout Episcopal Church, Anglican Communion
One hundred twenty-nine educational scholarships, totaling $383,810.93 have been awarded to students in forty-six Episcopal Church dioceses and seven Provinces of the Anglican Communion for the 2020-2021 academic year. More information
Registration open for upcoming sessions of Virtual Episcopal Latino Ministry Competency course
October 12-16, 2020 and January 25-29, 2021
Registration is now open for the next two sessions of the Virtual Episcopal Latino Ministry Competency Course (VELMC), an innovative five-day intensive course designed for diocesan staff, clergy, lay leaders, and seminarians to gain practical knowledge and cultural competency for Latino/Hispanic ministry. Full information here.
News from the Anglican Communion
Anglican network warns of Covid-19 impact on indigenous communities around the world
Anglican indigenous leaders have reported from around the Communion that already stressed indigenous health systems now face pressure to perform on lower resources than non-indigenous health systems as they work to protect their people from the Covid-19 disease. Each of the Anglican Communion’s indigenous church leaders expressed concerns that national responses to the pandemic did not take into account the extra needs of older and at risk people in indigenous communities. Read full article here.
Update from Anglican Communion Office at the United Nations
The latest newsletter from the team at the Anglican Communion Office at the United Nations (ACOUN) has just been published. It contains news about a submission to the Human Rights Council about racial and gender inequality in Lebanese nationality laws; updates on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); a report on domestic abuse and Covid-19; and the views of an Anglican medical student from Burundi at an event exploring the impact of young women of faith on the Covid-19 pandemic. Click here to download the newsletter in PDF format; or click here to find it on the ACOUN web pages.
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