June 17, 2020
Volume 10, No. 41
IN THIS ISSUE
Join Our Mailing List
 



Diocesan House Goes Solar

A mock up of the potential layout of the solar panels on the roof of the diocesan office.

The diocese has received a generous anonymous donation of $25,000 from a foundation that is focused on promoting solar energy across the United States. This donation will cover the costs of 17 panels that will be installed on the roof of the diocesan office. The solar panels will reduce the energy consumption by 20% in the first year.

The diocesan staff continues to work on solutions to make the diocesan office more energy efficient, and the solar panels are an exciting new development!  The project will be lead by RockBridge Energy, LLC , based in Savannah. 

We have a number of congregations continuing to work with Georgia Interfaith Power and Light (GIPL) on solar initiatives. The Diocese encourages congregations to reach out to Canon Easterlin to begin assessments on potential options for grants and low cost options for solar installations.
Summer Camp
Dear Friends,

In May we announced that we would not hold summer camp sessions in June, but we held out hope for some sort of gathering in July. Unfortunately, it has become clear that holding large in-person gatherings of youth from across the Diocese still creates too great a health risk for our young people and those with whom they are in contact. We are sad to announce that there will be no in-person camp in July 2020. 

One of the things that campers routinely name when asked about their favorite parts of camp is the chance to be with one another. While we cannot do so in-person this summer, we are working on a few virtual gatherings in July. If you or your youth are interested in being part of putting this program together, please contact me at  jvarner@gaepiscopal.org.

God's Peace,
Rev. Joshua Varner
Canon for Children & Youth
A Note on In-Person Worship
As parts of the state re-open for business, the Diocese of Georgia will continue to restrict in-person worship for the month of June. Churches following later than others in reopening is based on information from epidemiologists. With any respiratory-based sickness, sharing the same air for long periods of time increases risk of infection, so that attending a church service carries a different risk than grocery shopping. Bishop Logue is in constant communication with the Rt. Rev. Rob Wright, Bishop of the Diocese of Atlanta, to make sure that all precautions are taken before opening up our churches for any in-person services in the state. The two dioceses are currently working on guidelines for a process that will be more like turning a dimmer switch with a phased approach rather than a light switch with everything as it was before the pandemic started. 
Digital Vacation Bible School to Start Soon
Register for our Digital Vacation Bible School


Beginning on June 22, the diocese will offer a digital Vacation Bible School experience.  VBS will begin on Monday, June 22 and end on Friday, June 26.  Our theme for the week is "Who is My Neighbor?" Each day participants will watch a video interpretation of  a story from the Bible. We will begin with Jesus' commandment to Love God and Love Neighbor, and the rest of the stories will help us explore what that looks like, even if being a good neighbor isn't always the easier choice. 

Our video resources, including Bible stories and Art Responses, have been created for this VBS by different youth leaders and clergy across the Diocese. E ach day will begin with an opening Zoom session with music and worship, led by the Rev. Joshua Varner, Canon for Children and Youth. Then we will have our  story time, an art activity, and end with more music and worship. Each video will be available on our Diocesan Youtube Channel and will be linked from our  VBS website. Everyone is welcome to go at their own pace, or join the Zoom calls as we stream the story videos together and then talk about them. If Tuesday's lesson looks more doable on Monday, then feel free to switch it up! 

VBS will begin at 9:30am on Monday, June 22, led by Canon Varner. If you plan for your child to attend VBS, we ask that you register in advance if possible. Your registration helps us make sure we know the ages of the children participating and that we're creating age appropriate content. In addition, it allows us to communicate directly with you with appropriate reminders and opportunities.  To register for the week, click here. 

For additional questions, contact the Rev. Canon Joshua Varner at  jvarner@gaepiscopal.org .

Subscribe to our new YouTube Channel
The current Diocese of Georgia YouTube Channel will become an archive of videos of Bishop Benhase's episcopacy. To subscribe now to the new Diocese of Georgia YouTube Channel click this link at then select "subscribe"
Last Day to Order Your Honey Creek Swag!



Worship with the Diocese of Georgia tonight and Sunday
Tonight, the Diocese will offer Evening Prayer again online at 6 p.m. with the sermon given by Bishop Logue. This Sunday, we will stream Morning Prayer at 10 a.m. from the Chapel of Our Savior at Honey Creek.

These liturgies are stored on both 


Find Livestream Worship 
There are a lot of options each day for Episcopalians in the Diocese of Georgia to worship online and now they are listed in one place. The Livestream Services calendar tells the time, location, and which liturgy the congregation offers for the whole Diocese. Click the image above or this link: Livestream Services Calendar.
Upcoming Ordinations
As we have seen across the board, despite changes in how we worship, the Church remains one.
In that spirit, we announce the following ordinations:

Vocational diaconate
July 24, 2020 - Rita Spalding

Priesthood 
June 27, 2020 - the Rev. Leeann Culbreath

All ordinations will comply with the guidelines and recommendations of public officials and healthcare professionals. You can still participate in each service by watching the livestream through each respective Facebook page. 
Diocesan Office Reminder
 



Your diocesan staff continues to work remotely, and the best way to reach us is through email. The office phones are currently being forwarded, so if you don't get an answer please leave a detailed voicemail. We'll make sure to get back to you as soon as possible.

Thank you for your continued patience as we navigate current conditions.
Around the Diocese

The Rev. Leeann Culbreath at St. Barnabas, Valdosta provides Prayers Under the Portico for parishioners.


The Rev. Joe Bowdon shows up "on set" for Church of the Good Shepherd, Augusta's morning service.
 


St. Patrick's, Albany hosted a  celebratory parade for their 2020 graduates.
Prayers for Weekly Liturgies
Our one-year prayer cycle combines prayers for every congregation in the Diocese of Georgia with prayers for our ecumenical partners and for our Companion Diocese of The Dominican Republic.   

The 2020 one year prayer cycle is now online here:  2020 Prayer Cycle

June 14 - 20
In our diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for our congregation in Moultrie, St. Margaret of Scotland.
We also pray for our ecumenical partners in Moultrie, especially Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. In our companion diocese of the Dominican Republic, we pray for Holy Spirit ( Espíritu Santo ) in Las Carreras.

June 21-27
In our diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for our congregation in Quitman, St. James. We also pray for our ecumenical partners, especially St. Jude Catholic Church in Glennville. In our companion diocese of the Dominican Republic, we pray for the St. Peter the Apostle ( San Pedro Apostól) in Los Conucos.

Additional Prayer Cycles
We also offer 30-day prayer cycles for those who wish to pray daily for the clergy and clergy spouses:  Diocesan Prayer Cycle and  Clergy Spouses Prayer Cycle .
Diocesan Office Update and News

Bishop Logue will travel to Honey Creek this week to film Sunday's Morning Prayer service. 

Canon Easterlin, with assistance from staff members Maggie Lyons and Daniel Garrick, is working with the auditors to complete the audit for fiscal year 2019.

The Rev. Canon Joshua Varner is preparing for the upcoming Digital Vacation Bible School that begins next week.

Liz Williams is working on a diocesan website redesign.

In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19,  Diocesan staff will be working remotely until further notice. Email will be the quickest way to get in touch with the staff, although you are still welcome to call us on the phone! If we miss your call, please leave a voicemail with a detailed message. Staff e-mails can be found here.
Let Us Know!

What are you doing to keep community right now? Are you gathering for virtual coffee hours, delivering groceries to your neighbors - let us know! Send any updates or photos to our Communications Manager Liz Williams at lwilliams@gaepiscopal.org. We want to hear from you!
Canon for Hospitality Just Needs a Minute

Our Canon for Hospitality, Jameson Easterlin, needs a minute with Bishop Logue during last week's Diocesan 
Council Zoom Meeting.
Like Us on Facebook


Follow Us on Instagram
The Diocese of Georgia posts photos from our churches as well as diocesan events at 
 
Follow Us on Twitter
Follow Us on Twitter
The Diocese of Georgia also shares news 140 characters at a time through  Twitter  @GA_Episcopal
 
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
  View our videos on YouTube The Diocese of Georgia also has a  YouTube Channel  where you can watch past videos and subscribe to get updates when new videos are posted.