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January 20, 2021
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Volume 11, No. 20
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The Rev. David Rose Receives
Humanitarian Award
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The Rev. David Rose with award presenter Lula Seabrook
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At the 30th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Observance Day in Effingham County, the Rev. David Rose was caught by surprise during the ceremony. Lula Seabrook, one of the planning committee members of the event, said of Rose, "He is one that exhibits love and is not about politics," Seabrooks said. "... He is just one who is everywhere for everyone in Effingham County."
After gathering his thoughts, Rose, who serves as the Priest-in-Charge at St. Luke's in Rincon, spoke to the crowd, saying, "Again, it's unexpected," he said. "I don't believe I'm doing anything different than what a normal Christian should be doing. Thank you and God bless you all as we move forward together."
 The award is given annually at the celebration, which typically coincides with MLK Day Parade. This year participants gathered at the Effingham County Fairgrounds in their cars, and cheers were replaced with honking of car horns.
Rose adds, "This is a critical moment in our lives when standing up for truth, love, justice, and equality will define us as Christians, followers of Jesus Christ, in the eyes of our various communities. It is not always easy, but it is necessary." |
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The Rev. Galen Mirate Called as Interim Rector
The Very Rev. Galen Mirate has been called to serve at Christ the King, Valdosta as Interim Rector in addition to her current duties as Priest in Charge of St. John and St. Mark's, Albany. Her interim ministry follows the death of the founding Rector, the Very Rev. Stanley White.
Mirate was raised up for ordained ministry by Christ the King. She currently serves as the Dean of the Albany Convocation. Her call began on January 1, 2021.
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Second Round of PPP Funds Now Available
Churches will continue to qualify for PPP funds through the CARES Act. If a congregation received funds during round one, they could apply for a second round of funds if they can demonstrate a 25% loss in revenue through a one quarter comparison from 2019 to 2020, for example, comparing Q2 2019 against Q2 2020. They following highlights include: - First round of lending is going out through Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs). Determine if your bank falls into those categories. The larger banks do not.
- Approved use of funds and conditions for the loan and forgiveness remain the same
- Calculation still 2.5X average monthly payroll costs
If you feel, your congregation is interested in applying and meet the qualification, please reach out to your banking contact immediately. You'll need to pull together financial reports and submit the application as soon as possible before the funds are dried up.
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Adapting COVID-19 Guidelines
We have not heard many major reports in the news about the spread of COVID-19 through worship services. However, this is partly due to the difficulty of proving that someone contracted the virus in worship and not, for example, at a restaurant. Even though it has not attracted major attention, we have seen many cases of transmission of the virus occurring in congregations that have tried to offer worship as usual.
To date we have been fortunate in the Diocese of Georgia in preventing major outbreaks in our congregations. This updated guidance is offered in response to changing circumstances in our communities. Together we can make it through this pandemic demonstrating our love for our neighbor by not overloading our hospitals and keeping vulnerable persons safe.
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Yellow Level
Fewer than 25 new cases per 100,000 people per day in your county and hospitals are at less than 85% capacity
- 25-50 persons for indoor in-person worship depending on size of space.
- 75 persons for outdoor in-person worship.
- Communion in one kind. Parishioners coming by to pick up consecrated host permitted.
- Some singing permitted.
- Some food and beverage outdoors.
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Orange Level
From 25 to 34.9 cases per 100,000 people per day in your county and hospitals are at less than 85% capacity
- 25-50 persons for indoor in-person worship depending on size of space.
- 75 persons for outdoor in-person worship.
- Communion in one kind. Parishioners coming by to pick up consecrated host permitted.
- No singing permitted.
- No food or beverages.
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Red Level
From 35 to 59.9 cases per 100,000 people per day in your county and hospitals are at less than 90% capacity
- No indoor in-person worship.
- 50 persons for outdoor in-person worship.
- Communion in one kind. Parishioners coming by to pick up consecrated host permitted.
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Dark Red Level
Above 60 cases per 100,000 people per day in your county OR hospitals are at greater than 90% capacity.
- No in person gatherings. Worship offered online only (livestream, pre-recorded, Zoom, etc.).
- Livestreamed or pre-recorded worship with a crew of up to 10 persons.
- Communion in one kind. Parishioners coming by to pick up consecrated host permitted.
- Singing if soloist or a singers from the same household are the only ones present when recording.
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Corrected links for guidance and information are found below.
The guidance is based on the case counts in your county as reported online here:
And the hospitalizations in your area of the state as reported online here:
Once your congregation moves to a more restrictive level, dropping to lower restrictions depends on
both the case counts and hospitalizations staying below the thresholds for 14 days.
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The Rev. RV Cate, Deacon at Holy Nativity, St. Simons Island, stands in front of a new painting by local artist and the congregation's newest vestry member, Judee Brooks.
 Members of St. Anne's, Tifton, chalked their doors in celebration of Epiphany.
The youth of St. Mark's, Brunswick, did more than chalk doorways - they chalked up their walkways!
The EYC of St. Augustine's of Canterbury, Augusta, spend their time together with the time old tradition of pizza and candy.
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Worship with the Diocese of Georgia in Bainbridge on Sunday
 On Sunday we will stream Morning Prayer at 10 a.m. from St. John's in Bainbridge with Bishop Logue as officiant and preacher, and assisted by the clergy and a lay reader.
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.
Have you adjusted your livestream schedule? Let us know! We have a running calendar that you can find here. Check to see if your schedule is correct, and if there are any changes, email Administrator Assistant Daniel Garrick at [email protected]. |
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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.
January 24 - January 30
In our diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for our congregations in Augusta, especially, Good Shepherd and St. Alban's. We also pray for our ecumenical partners in Augusta, especially the Catholic Churches of St. Ignatius of Antioch, St. Joseph, and St. Mary on the Hill. In our companion diocese of the Dominican Republic, we pray for the congregations in Barahona - Jesus the Pilgrim (Jesús Peregrino), Redemption (La Redención), and Lamb of God (Cordero de Dios).
January 31 - February 6
In our diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for our congregations in Augusta, especially, St. Augustine's, St. Mary's, and St. Paul's. We also pray for our ecumenical partners St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church in Adel, and St. Ann Catholic Church in Alapaha. In our companion diocese of the Dominican Republic, we pray for the congregations in Boca Chica -Grace (De la Gracia), Mount Zion (Monte de Sión), and St. Joseph (San José).
Additional Prayer Cycles (Updated on December 17, 2020)
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Diocesan Office Update and News
Diocesan Staff met with Diocesan Council via Zoom on Tuesday this week for their quarterly meeting.
Bishop Logue meets with the Board of Episcopal Youth and Children Services today on Zoom for a service of Holy Eucharist and the induction of new board members. EYCS provides need-based college scholarships for undergraduates and financial assistance for children who might otherwise not be able to go to Summer Camp at Honey Creek. The EYCS Trust has provided over $1,000,000 in college scholarships for over a thousand youth of the diocese, and in just the past few years, has given over $40,000 in summer camp scholarships. This Sunday, Bishop Logue will officiate and preach Morning Prayer online at 10 a.m from St. John's Episcopal Church in Bainbridge. To view the service, visit the Diocese of Georgia Facebook Page or the Diocese of Georgia YouTube page
In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Diocesan staff are not all in the office at the same time with some working remotely. 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.
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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 [email protected]. We want to hear from you!
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Chalk Blessings Abound
The youth from St. Mark's, Brunswick, left messages of God's love on the steps of the church.
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