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 ...

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.

BUSINESS SESSION AND HOLY EUCHARIST:

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— Presiding Bishop Michael Curry

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

More information in English here, in Spanish here, and in French here.

"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.

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

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.

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 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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.