Thursday, October 28, 2021 |
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St. John's Mission Statement
St. John's is a Christian community that intentionally gathers
to experience God's love through Episcopal worship, education,
fellowship, and ministry to the wider community.
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The Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost
October 31, 2021
Please join us for our celebration of Holy Eucharist at 9:00 am in the church.
Come, pray, sing, receive Holy Communion,
and join us for fellowship following our liturgy.
The mask requirement has been lifted, except for:
- If you are not vaccinated or are immuno-compromised,
aaaaaayou may want to consider wearing a mask
- Children ages 2-12 and teacher must wear a mask
Sanitize your hands, keep some social distance and limit physical touch
Collect for the Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost
Almighty and merciful God, it is only by your gift that your faithful people
offer you true and laudable service: Grant that we may run without stumbling
to obtain your heavenly promises; through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Readings for Sunday
Deuteronomy 6:1-9
Psalm 119:1-8
Hebrews 9:11-14
Mark 12:28-34
If you are not able to attend, please join our livestream service:
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Reflection on Mark 12:28-34
David Lose
What rules do you follow? I don’t mean the rules set by your city, state, or national government, but rather the rules you set for yourself. Sometimes we’re not even aware of them. We may have rules about how much we want to save, about how much time we want to spend with family or friends, or about when we can surf the internet. But we almost always do have some rules – formal or informal, conscious or unconscious – that we follow. What are some of yours?
I ask this because I think the rules we follow reveal what’s important to us. And I think that’s what’s going on here. Jesus is revealing a lot about himself – and the God whose kingdom he proclaims – by answering this question about commandments.
“Given how many commandments there are – more than 600!” the scribe asks, “which do you think is most important?” And Jesus doesn’t give just one, but two. First, love God. And second, love each other. Except that from the way Jesus links them together I think
he means that these two laws can’t really be separated, that they can’t really be understood apart from each other. You can’t love God, in other words, apart from loving each other.
Now why would Jesus do that? Or, perhaps more to the point, why would God do that? Insist that the only way to love God is to love each other?
The answer, I think, isn’t really that difficult. Any parent knows that the thing you hope most for your children is that they love each other. Jesus introduces us to a God whose love in abundant and wide and everlasting and – perhaps more than anything else –parental.
As a wise friend once said to me, a parent is only as happy as her or his least happy child. So also with God. And so God says that the best way to love God is to love each other.
The best way to honor God is to honor each other. And the best way to be in relationship with God is to be in relationship with each other. Why? Because God loves us with the love of a parent, wanting only and always the very best for all of God’s children. When we realize this we are, indeed, not far from the kingdom of God.
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Altar Flowers
The Altar Flowers are given by Tom Brzeczek
in honor of his sister Susan’s birthday and her wedding anniversary to Don, and his brother Tim’s birthday.
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2022 Stewardship Campaign |
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While St. John's needs your monetary pledge, we hope that you will also give of your time and talent. Our stewardship campaign this year focuses on using the gifts that God has given us in order to transform the lives of all people.
Each week of the campaign, we will have the opportunity to hear from members of parish about their own gifts that they have been given by God and how they choose to share those gifts with St. John's and the broader community. A written reflection will appear in our
E-Newsletter and a spoken reflection will be heard at our Sunday liturgy.
Stewardship is not only about treasure; it is also our time and talent. Yes, we do need your generous contributions to operate the parish, but we also need your time and talent to transform our lives and world by serving Christ in all people and loving our neighbor as ourselves.
As you discern your stewardship gift, your vestry encourages you to prayerfully consider an increase in the amount you will pledge. The table below offers you a visual example of how a percentage increase would effect your weekly giving. Your generosity is greatly appreciated.
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Reflection on Stewardship
Jane Ferguson
Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone
It was January of 2019. Our annual meeting had just concluded and an announcement had been made by our interim priest, Rev. Wilson: if anyone was interested in serving on the Calling Committee to search for our new priest in charge, they should make our Jr. Warden David Dennehy, aware of their interest. For some reason that day, I felt a strong urge to volunteer. As the daughter of a former priest of St. John’s, the title, “Calling Committee,” was familiar to me, but I had absolutely no prior experience in serving on one. My main stewardship in the church had always involved music. Music was where I had always felt comfortable and where I felt I was called to serve. So, I figured I would be a watcher and a learner on the Calling Committee and learn from all the other committee members who may have served in the past.
To my great surprise, David approached me a few weeks later and asked if I would be willing to serve, not just on the Calling Committee but as the Chair! I humbly replied that I didn’t know if I was qualified, but that I would accept the invitation and would do my best. Now I was really venturing into uncharted territory! I would be expected to make up agendas, schedule and conduct meetings, communicate with lots of emails, do research, make visual aids, and communicate with Rev. Wilson and Rev. Laura from the diocese. I was nervous and doubtful of my abilities. I had stepped out of my comfort zone.
I won’t say that I didn’t have to work hard or that it wasn’t a time commitment. But I quickly was reminded that at St. John’s, “where there’s a will, there’s a way.” The members of St. John’s are an extraordinary group of people who are encouraging, non critical, and get the job done. Everyone took a part, was encouraging, accepted each other’s rights to their opinions, and actually made the whole experience fun. I again would like to thank those who served and who gave me so much encouragement as a novice, in seeing this process through from start to finish: Alice B., Helena L., Lynn B., Lynn Y., Tim A., and Bob D. Being part of the small group of people who took the steps to search, find, interview, and finally recommend Rev. Roger to the vestry, was a valuable and fulfilling experience. But even better, it taught me that I could do what I doubted I could do, and that I had gifts I had not yet used or tried.
Building on those experiences and themes, I would like to make an invitation on behalf of our wonderful, “world-class” organist and choir director, Cheryl Seppala, myself, and the rest of the current choir. I would like to encourage those in our “extraordinary” congregation who might love the idea of making music a part of their stewardship, but doubt their ability, to just give it a try.
Join the choir! Become a part of making a joyful “noise” to the Lord. I promise that you, too, will find joy in taking part, being encouraged, experiencing acceptance, and definitely having fun! Step out of your comfort zone and find your new comfort zone and unexplored gifts through music.
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Celebrations of Life
In times of grief, we are comforted with assurance of our faith, that those who die have the promise of newness of life in the resurrection.
Faye Cory
Please hold the Cory family in your prayers during this difficult time.
Due to health concerns and at the request of the family, the Celebration of Life for Faye will be limited to the family.
Notes of Care and Sympathy may be sent to:
The Family of Faye Cory
3649 Bonita Verde Dr.
Bonita, CA 91902
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Sarah Tolley
Please hold the Tolley family in your prayers during this difficult time.
The Celebration of Life for Sarah will be on Saturday, November 20th at 10:00 am at St. John's.
Notes of Care and Sympathy may be sent to:
The Family of Sarah Tolley
594 Los Altos Dr.
Chula Vista, CA 91914
Into your hands, O merciful Savior,
we commend you servants, Sarah and Faye.
Acknowledge, we humbly beseech you, sheeps of your own fold,
lambs of your own flock, sinners of your own redeeming.
Receive them into the arms of your mercy,
into the blessed rest of everlasting peace,
and into the glorious company of the saints in light. Amen.
Rest eternal grant to them, O Lord;
And let light perpetual shine upon them.
May their souls and souls of all the departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
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We Are Here For You!
We carefully gather in person at St. John's, we would like to remind you that we are here for you!
If you are not able to join us for our celebration of Holy Eucharist, we will bring Holy Communion to you. You may call the parish office (619-422-4141) and request communion to be brought to you by one of our Eucharistic Visitors.
If you, a family member, neighbor or a friend are interested in celebrating a significant event in your spiritual life, please know that you are welcome.
We would be honored to be a part of your Baptism, Holy Communion, Quinceañera Marriage, Renewal of Vows or Anointing of the Sick.
At St. John's, no matter who you are or where you are on your spiritual journey - you are welcome here
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We Are Available in Your Time of Need
If you have a pastoral emergency when the parish offices are closed,
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Thank You from Diane Gustafson
Diane Gustafson would like to express her sincere thanks to the many St. John’s parishioners (including some who have moved away) who have sent her cards, emails, and texts wishing a speedy recovery. It will be many weeks until she can come to church, but she feels the warmth of family and it is making this time easier for her.
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OUTREACH AND EVANGELIZATION |
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Blessings in a Bag for ECS HeadStart
Thanksgiving Food Collection for Episcopal Community Service's HeadStart Families
Sunday, October 17th through November 14th, St. John's will be collecting bags of groceries and money for our annual Blessings in a Bag collection.
Grocery bags with a list of food items will be available at church. Take a bag (or two), fill it with grocery items and return the bag when you come to church. Every Sunday, the bags will be brought to the altar along with our Eucharistic gifts during the offertory anthem.
All the bags will be blessed during our celebration of Holy Eucharist on November 14th and given to ECS HeadStart.
If you wish to make a monetary donation, envelopes will be available in the narthex.
You may place your donation in the offering plate or you may use the "Give Now" button on our website.
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Toys for Tots
As a Veteran/Military Friendly Congregation, St. John's will once again be a site for the Marine's Toys for Tots community collection program. Toys for Tots collects toys for less fortunate children who would not otherwise receive gifts at Christmas.
A Toys for Tots collection box will be available inside the gates at the entrance of the church on Monday through Thursday from 9:00am to 3:00pm.
The collection will take place through December 15th.
Please donate a toy:
- ages 1-14
- new
- in it's original packaging
- unwrapped
To give a monetary donation, visit toysfortots.org or write a check payable to Toys for Tots San Diego and place it in the offering plate.
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Hospitality: Hosts Needed!
Please join us for hospitality after the Sunday morning worship service.
If you would like to host a Sunday, you may sign up on the poster in Nale Hall or by calling or emailing Maria at 619-422-4141 or [email protected]
Refreshments should be individually portioned or wrapped, or served by a server who is the only one touching the serving implements.
Current Available Dates:
November 7
November 14
November 21
November 28
December 19
December 26
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Welcome to the Library
The Rev. Jack Tolley Memorial Library is open!
Please feel free to come in relax and read or borrow a book to take home.
Book topics include Christianity, Episcopal Studies, ethics and justice, lives of the saints, history, fiction, cookbooks, children's books.
All are welcome to come visit with each other, have a cup of coffee and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of the St. John's campus.
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Centennial Celebration
2022 will be our Centennial Year!
Our Centennial Liturgy will be on September 18, 2022.
In 1922, we were founded as a mission of St. James Episcopal Church and two years later chose the name St. John's.
In planning for our celebration, we will need your help on the following committees:
- Communications and Publicity
- Gala and Fundraiser
- Liturgy
- History and Archives
Lynn Young, Diane Gustafson and John Will have been sorting through many documents and photos on the history of St. John's. If you know some of our history please let them know.
Would you be interested in helping with any of these committees?
Do you have ideas of how we can celebrate this important milestone?
Please contact Maria Love in the parish office by calling 1-619-422-4141 or emailing [email protected]
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Sunday School
Sunday School is now available. Children ages 4 and up are welcome to come and learn about the Word of God with Heather Wallace.
Children must be masked in order to attend Sunday School. They will gather in the Sunday School Room before our service begins and return at the Sign of Peace.
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Child Care
Child Care is available during our Sunday Services. Ana, the daughter of Alex Valdez-Beer, will be staffing our child care room.
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Wednesday Morning Prayer and Bible Study
Join us for Wednesday Morning Prayer and Bible Study
on Wednesdays at 9:30 am as a Zoom meeting.
to be included in the Zoom meeting.
The Morning Prayer guide can be found here:
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Daughters of the King Prayers
All the women of the parish are invited to discern becoming a member of the Daughters of the King. If you have any questions, please contact Lynn Young (208-695-7735) or Linda Dennehy (619-429-4747).
If you have a special prayer request for Daughters of the King, you are invited to fill out a prayer card, found in the narthex. Drop your prayer request in the church-shaped box or in the offering plate. These requests are confidential and are separate from our printed parish prayer lists.
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Parish Prayer Lists
Birthday and Anniversary Prayers
We would like to acknowledge and pray for anyone celebrating a birthday and/or anniversary in the coming week. Please let us know by Thursday of the prior week so that we can get it in the Sunday liturgy. If you have a picture of you that we could post for your birthday and/or a wedding photo or current photo for those celebrating an anniversary, please email it to us - it would be great to allow everyone to see you.
Our Parish Prayer Intentions
Today and every day include some time for prayer, for yourself,
for your church family, and for those in need.
For our Military
Matt Jensen, Drew Shorkey, Cody Crossland, Cameron Ronie, Chariti Paden, Mark Stanfield, Sean Robinson, Jonathan Martinez, TK Nguyen, Christopher Lindshield, Timothy Lindshield, Jeremy Colton, David Sanchez, Jonathan Baldera, Nick Wyatt, Daniel Getreu, Jamal Warner, Matt Hernandez, Devon Strunk, Taylor Harrold, Jorge Zuazua, Katherine Milam, Sebastian Morales, Richie Lebron, Roberto Johnson and the crew of USS Essex.
Almighty God, we commend to your gracious care and keeping
all the men and women of our armed forces at home and abroad.
Defend them day by day with your heavenly grace;
strengthen them in their trials and temptations;
give them courage to face the perils which beset them;
and grant them a sense of your abiding presence
wherever they may be; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For Strength in Time of Need
Steve Magill, Gary & Shirley McCarren, Ann Lindshield, Lyne C., Kim B., the Mount family, Scott Hunter, the McClure family, David Bricknell, Diane Gustafson, Bernie Duignan,
Didi Moore, Lisa Means, Mimma Fonti and Glenn Dunn.
O God of heavenly powers,
by the might of your command you drive away from our bodies
all sickness and all infirmity:
Be present in your goodness with your servants,
that their weakness may be banished and their strength restored;
and that, their health being renewed, they may bless your holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For the repose of the souls of Sarah Tolley and Faye Cory.
Rest eternal grant to them, O Lord;
And let light perpetual shine on them.
May their soul, and the souls of the departed,
Through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
Cycle of Prayers for the Church
In the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer, we pray for the clergy and people of All Saints' in Vista.
In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer, we pray for the Episcopal/Anglican Province of Alexandria.
In the Military Cycle of Prayer, we pray for the crew of USS Roosevelt (CVN-71)
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Prayer Quilts
The leaders of the Prayer Quilt Ministry would like to remind
you that there are many quilts available for anyone in need
of prayer and support. This important ministry brings comfort and healing to many people who are suffering with illness.
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The Vestry
David Dennehy, Senior Warden
aaaaaa619-840-9994
Lynn Young, Junior Warden
aaaaaa208-695-7735
Bill Cheney, Treasurer
Terry Farrelly, Assistant Treasurer
Diane Gustafson, Clerk
Pamela Brittain
Tom Brzeczek
Ray Contreras
Jane Ferguson
Alejandra Valdez-Beer
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Upcoming Events at St. John's
Diocesan Convention
Friday, November 5th and Saturday, November 6th.
Celebration of All Saints' Day
Sunday, November 7
9:00 am
Daylight Savings Time Ends: Change Clocks
Sunday, November 7
2:00 am
Veterans Day
Thursday, November 11
Men of St. John's Meeting
Monday, November 15
6:00 pm
Vestry Meeting
Wednesday, November 17
6:30 pm via Zoom
Daughters of the King Meeting
Thursday, November 18
10:00 am in Nale Hall
Sarah Tolley Celebration of Life
Saturday, November 20
10:00 am at St. John's
Thanksgiving Eve Service
Wednesday, November 24
7:00 pm
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Parish Office Hours and Contacts
As our staff are now fully vaccinated, we are permitted to open our parish office.
Masking and social distance should be maintained when visitors are present.
The Parish Office will be open 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, Monday through Thursday.
Please call the parish office if you have any questions or concerns
(619-422-4141).
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Rev. Roger's Office Hours
Rev. Roger will be working half-days in the office on Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Sunday; and all day Wednesday and Thursday. He will be available by appointment. Please call the office (619-422-4141) to schedule an appointment.
In case of a pastoral emergency, Rev. Roger may be reached on his cell phone at
619-301-0724.
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Beware of Scam Emails & Phishing Attempts
If you receive a suspicious email from an address that seems to be Rev. Roger or another parishioner asking for a favor, it may be a phishing attempt. Scam emails mimic addresses we are familiar with and are very often full of grammatical errors.
Rev. Roger will never email you asking for funds or financial support by way of gift cards. If you receive an email that seems suspicious, do not open it or respond to it. Delete it immediately.
Phishing is a cyber attack that uses disguised email as a weapon. The goal is to trick the email recipient into believing that the message is something they want or need - a request from their bank, for instance, or a note from someone in their company - and to click a link or download an attachment.
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Your weekly newsletter highlights important events at St. John's Episcopal Church. You can also find news about St. John's at www.saint-johns.org.
We welcome your feedback, photos, and news items. Contact Maria Love at 619-422-4141 or [email protected].
Please submit your announcements by Tuesday of each week for inclusion in the Enews.
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Diocesan Convention
November 5 and 6
Declaration of Extraordinary Circumstances
We would like to point out specifically Resolution 20-01, the passed change to the canons that accommodates issues surrounding the pandemic. It seeks to allow certain activities that are unique to the extraordinary circumstances in which we find ourselves. Examples include permission to hold a virtual convention, and calculation of number of delegates for convention 2021. The Executive Council of the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego has voted to extend the declaration of extraordinary circumstances due to COVID-19.
The Budget is available for review here.
Review the Resolutions Facing Convention
The resolutions facing this year's Diocesan Convention are available for your review here.
Nominations for Servant Ministry Awards are OPEN!
Every year, Bishop Susan Brown Snook is happy to honor individuals throughout the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego for their diligent, faithful work in their church communities. Clergy have the option of nominating a layperson for the Servant Ministry Award to be presented by the Bishop at Diocesan Convention. Please fill out the nomination form for a volunteer from your community.
The Diocesan Convention agenda is listed below. (This agenda may change slightly as we draw closer to the event).
Friday, November 5
2:00 - 5:00pm Convention Workshops
5:15pm Opening Prayer and Conversation between Bishop Susan Brown Snook and Presiding Bishop Michael Curry
Saturday, November 6
8:00am Registration Opens
9:00am Convention Opening Worship
10:30am Business of Convention begins
4:00pm Close of Business
Please email the Director of Communications, Chris Tumilty with any questions regarding this year's virtual convention.
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Community Trunk or Treat
Saturday, October 30, 4-6 pm, 323 Maple Street
St. Paul's Cathedral and Mission Hills UMC invite you and your family to a Trunk or Treat Halloween Celebration. Join people of all ages at our annual celebration for a free, family-friendly night of spooky fun. Enjoy games, contests, crafts, and TRUNKLOADS of free candy for all! Masks will be required for participants ages 2+, except when eating or drinking.
For more information and volunteer opportunities,
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Creation Care Offerings
As we move through the Season of Creation this fall, the EDSD Creation Care Task Force and a number of churches in our Diocese are hosting events, services, and more to help us engage in learning and work focused on care for the earth, one of God’s most precious gifts to us. Here is the complete calendar of offerings, and below are details about two of them. To learn more about the EDSD Creation Care Task Force, contact Deann Rios at [email protected].
Wednesdays, Oct. 13 – Nov. 10, 7 - 8pm: Braiding Sweetgrass Book Study will reflect on essays focused on creation care by indigenous scientist and gifted storyteller Robin Wall Kimmerer who calls us to celebrate and live in reciprocity with the rest of the living world. Sponsored by Simpler Living of St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Environmental Stewardship Team of St. Bartholomew Episcopal Church. Contact Parth with any questions.
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Faith to Go
A Weekly, On The Go Resource for Parents and Non-Parents Alike
Hosted by the Faith To Go team in the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego, David Tremaine and Charlette Preslar. Joined each week by a special guest, the Faith To Go team highlights themes from the Sunday Gospel reading for you to take into your faith discussions and reflections throughout the week.
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Resources for Emotional Support
The coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak is changing life for all of us. You may feel anxious, stressed, worried, sad, bored, depressed, lonely or frustrated in these circumstances.
You're not alone!
Find resources to connect with real people that can help, here.
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EDSD Statement of Commitment
As part of the Jesus Movement and the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego, we pledge to love our neighbors and protect the most vulnerable among us, remembering our baptismal vows to "strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being." We live these pledges out by actively engaging in dismantling racism. For many of us, this will mean learning more about our racial identity, listening to those who have experienced racial prejudice, speaking out against racism, and showing up alongside those in our community working to change unjust systems in our society. We also live out this pledge at worship during this pandemic, by wearing face-coverings, respecting distancing guidelines, and foregoing the common cup.
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Episcopal Relief and Development
What Would Love Do: 1000 Days of Love
Love calls us to care for our neighbors and for our enemies. Love calls us to attend to those in prison, to those who are homeless, to those in poverty, to children, immigrants and refugees.
What would love do? To you, who so generously support the transformative work of Episcopal Relief & Development, love calls you to continue to sow seeds of lasting change
Visit Episcopal Relief and Development: One Thousand Days of Love to see how you can help.
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Reporting Misconduct
As part of our ongoing commitment to creating a safe haven for everyone, our diocese trains people in the prevention of misconduct and encourages all to report misconduct. All reported incidences are taken seriously and investigated thoroughly and confidentially. If you believe you have experienced misconduct of any kind, please contact Mr. John Seitman, ([email protected]), 858-793-4555 or Ms. Equilla Luke, ([email protected]), 760-583-0485.
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