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January 25, 2017
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Volume 7, Number 21
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This Sunday's Lections
Fourth Sunday After
Epiphany
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Go
here
for the full text.
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Tornado Hits Home for Episcopalians
The rectory of St. John and St. Mark's Church in Albany (shown above and below) is uninhabitable and the rector's family has moved into temporary housing.
An EF3 Tornado with winds 130 MPH roared through the Radium Springs area of Albany leaving devastation in its path. "There's a great, great need here," said the Rev. Deacon Joy Davis of St. Patrick's, Albany. "An entire trailer park was leveled. A lot of the people affected were laborers just making it paycheck to paycheck. They came out of the storm with nothing."
The rectory, parish house, and sanctuary at St. John and St. Mark's Church were severely damaged causing the relocation of the Rev. Johnny and Nicki Tuttle and their son Elijah. Two large plate glass windows and the roof of the home of the former rector, the Rev. William Stewart, were also damaged. Stewart and his wife Sharon have also relocated.
St. Patrick's and St. Paul's will hold a community service on Wednesday at 6 PM at St. Paul's Church to pray and raise funds for the Church of St. John and St. Mark and members of the community affected by the storm. The liturgy will be a Holy Eucharist with a Healing Service. A spaghetti supper will be held afterwards.
This is the second storm to hit the Albany area this month. On January 2 a storm tore through the historic district and suburbs and took down approximately 30,000 trees, causing major property damage. Clean up was ongoing from that first storm when Sunday's tornado hit.
For those looking to contribute to relief efforts, please do so through the Bishop's Discretionary Fund which will be used to support parishes and individuals in need. Go online here:
http://bit.ly/OnlineGivingtoBishopsFund and select Bishop's Fund or text-to-give EDOG to 73256. Cash or checks made out to the Bishop's Fund can be sent to or dropped off at 611 E. Bay Street, Savannah, GA 31401-1296.
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Lead, Grow, Share
Check out this short, fun video that shows what we've done, how far we've come and where we want to go!
To make your donation online, go
here
; text to give EDOG at 73256 or by mail to the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia, 611 E. Bay Street, Savannah, GA 31404.
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Deacon Jim Keyes Aton, Jr., MD (1933-2017)
The Diocese of Georgia mourns the death of the Rev. Deacon Jim Keyes Aton, Jr. Aton was baptized in 1942 and confirmed by the Bishop Henry I. Louttit, Sr. (father of the Bishop of Georgia) in 1945. He and his wife, Joan, had four children. A dermatologist by profession, Aton was serving as the President of the St. Stephens AIDS Ministry when through these experiences, he felt a call to serve as a vocational deacon. He also helped manage a soup kitchen and organized the diocesan HIV/AIDS Committee. Bishop Harry Shipps ordained Aton to the Sacred Order of Deacons on December 13, 1988 at St. Augustine's Church, Augusta. The Very Rev. Neal Phelps preached. Dr. Aton continued to head diocesan AIDS ministry through 1994, though he continued to serve in AIDS ministry. He retired from actively serving as a deacon in July 2010. St. Augustine's will hold his funeral on February 13 at 11 a.m.
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Diocesan Community Update
 The vestry of All Saints Tybee Island requested Bishop Benhase appoint the Rev. June Johnson as their Vicar following a search.
Johnson earned her Bachelor's Degree in Music Education from the University of Georgia and went on to teach music in public schools. She would later work in office administrative work. She and Kent Failing have been married since 1990. Active for many years in the Baptist Church, she found her way to the Episcopal Church before a move brought her to All Saints, Tybee Island, as a parishioner. Following a call to the priesthood, she earned an M.Div. from the Candler School of Theology in Atlanta. Johnson has been serving as the Vicar of Holy Nativity, St. Simons Island. She previously served at St. John's, Bainbridge.
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Mission in the Dominican Republic
Team from St. Peter's Savannah Helps Others to See
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Alan Peaslee sees a patient in the clinic. |
Twenty missioners on a team sponsored by St. Peter's Savannah arrived safely in the Dominican Republic on January 21, and began work immediately, sorting through 6,000 pairs of eyeglasses and other optical supplies that had been shipped earlier. The team includes one ophthalmologist, three optometrists, and three opticians, along with other support staff who will conduct five days of optical clinics for the residents of the city of San Pedro de Macorís and nearby communities before returning home on January 28.
 The day after arrival, the team worshiped with the congregation of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, located next to the medical facility where the optical clinics are held, and on Monday morning they saw 119 patients from the local Episcopal school. To see more photographs from this mission trip, click here.
This 2017 trip marks the fourth year in a row that St. Peter's has sponsored a mission team to the Dominican Republic. Three other Georgia teams sponsored by the Southeastern Convocation, St. Anne's Tifton, and Christ Church, Valdosta have trips planned later this year. To learn more about the Diocese of Georgia's work in the Episcopal Diocese of the Dominican Republic, click here.
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Register Now for Cursillo this March 2-5
Cursillo is a short course in Christianity which equips Christians for leadership
and service to change the world for Christ through:
- an opportunity to grow in faith and spirituality
- a deeper understanding of the teachings of Jesus and how we can serve Him and experience of living and sharing with others in a loving and caring Christian community and realizing that this can be extended into our own environment
- a continuing community that gives support and encouragement to help Christians carry out their Baptismal Vows.
Cursillo includes a three-day weekend that begins on Thursday evening and concludes on Sunday. The weekend includes 15 talks, five meditations and a Eucharist every day.
The Cursillo weekend is not a retreat, but an opportunity to meet clergy and laity seeking to strengthen our faith. It provides an environment to experience the reality of the gift of God's love through shared prayer, individual meditation, worship, study, fellowship, laughter, tears, and unconditional love.
The Next Cursillo Weekend is March 2-5 at Honey Creek Conference Center.
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Youth News
Report from the Winter Youth Retreat
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1Book1Diocese
Living into God's Dream this Lent
 Bishop Benhase encourages the people and churches of the Diocese of Georgia to join together during Lent in reading
Living into God's Dream: Dismantling Racism in America. "This important book offers an invitation for us in the Church to have a serious conversation about race," said the Bishop. "It's high time we stopped talking at one another or passed one another by, and sat down and talked to and with one another.
Living into God's Dream: Dismantling Racism in America is an excellent study guide to help us have those deep conversations. I strongly urge all our parishes to use this resource for your Lenten study."
While the dream of a "post-racial" America remains unfulfilled, the struggle against racism continues. This book is a report from the front, combining personal stories and theoretical and theological reflection with examples of the work of dismantling racism and methods for creating the much-needed "safe space" for dialogue on race to occur. Its aim is to demonstrate the ways in which a new conversation on race can be forged.
Living into God's Dream: Dismantling Racism in America addresses issues such as reasons why past efforts to achieve genuine racial reconciliation failed, the necessity to honor rage and grief in the process of moving to forgiveness and racial healing, and what whites with privilege and blacks without similar privilege must do to move the work of dismantling racism forward.
The authors of this important book discuss why dismantling racism in the 21st Century has to be different from the work of the past and offer ways for that journey to progress.
Living into God's Dream: Dismantling Racism in America is available through any bookseller via the ISBN (
978-0819233219) or through Church Publishing and other online retailers. Information is online at
1book1diocese.georgiaepiscopal.org
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Lenten Prayer Retreat March 24-25 at Honey Creek
Find the deep connections that will permit your life to be lived not out of a sense of never being or having enough, but in the power and presence of God. Come expecting God to be present to you. The Rev. Liam Collins is teaming up again with Canon Frank and Victoria Logue to offer a Lenten Retreat at Honey Creek. The 2017 Lenten Retreat will meet March 24 at 5 p.m. and conclude by 2 p.m. on the 25th.
Photos are from the winter prayer retreat. The rates for the conference including three meals are: Lodge 1 Single $144, Lodge 1 Double $99.50, Lodge 2 Single $133, Lodge 2 Double $94, Cottage $90, and Campers and Commuters $64.
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Administrator's Corner
Stewardship Campaigns: How to Build the Case?
 Over the next year, the Administrator's Corner will continue to share resources provided by Project Resource on annual, campaign, and planned giving.
Many of our parishes are holding their annual meetings to formalize budgets and elect new vestry members. This is an excellent time to consider as clergy, vestry members, and lay leaders how your church tell its story as it relates to pledged giving.
Successful stewardship campaigns require a good case development. Below is a simple exercise a vestry can use during a meeting to begin the conversation on how to communicate its mission and "case statement" for pledged contributions. This exercise will then lead into a formal communications and activities plan in support of your stewardship campaign.
The overarching question is what is your parish's impact on its members, community, and beyond?
By telling your story you can effectively encourage your members to engage time, talents, and financial support for the mission of your parish. I encourage your vestry to ask itself to consider this activity at its next meeting. All you need to do is allocate 20-30 minutes to start the conversation. Keep in mind this is just one exercise in a stewardship planning process, however, knowing your story lays a strong foundation for further efforts
Instructions: Provide a sheet of paper with the following questions.
What do we do that Jesus would recognize and love?
What do we provide?
How do we change lives?
What results to society do we provide which make change?
How has one life been changed by our mission?
Why should a pledge contributor invest in this work?
Spend 1-2 minutes reading and self reflecting, allow 20-30 minutes for discussion, and close out with a way to capture the conversation and plan the next steps.
Keep me updated on your progress!
Katie Willoughby
Canon for Administration
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Diocesan Office Update and News
 Bishop Benhase will consecrate the new chapel (
pictured at right) at St. Peter's, Savannah, this Thursday evening. His next visitations will be to
Grace Church, Waycross, on Sunday morning and to
St. Paul's, Jesup in the afternoon. For the Bishop's complete visitation schedule, go
here.
Canon Willoughby and Canon Logue will teach a train the trainers session on Project Resource this Saturday in Statesboro. To find out how you can benefit from the training, see the link below.
The
Rev. Kelly Steele will officiate at the noon Eucharist to be held at St. George's Chapel at Diocesan House.
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Bishop's Visitation
Nancy Nehila (left) and Donell Carnegia (fourth from left) presented to the congregation after being received into the Episcopal Church during Bishop Benhase' visitation to St. Margaret of Scotland, Moultrie. Also shown with Bishop Benhase are the Rev. Deacon Sally Shovar-Byers (second from left) and the Rev. Stan Christian, Vicar at St. Margaret's.
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Behind This Week's From the Field Banner
All of the youth who attended the Winter Retreat and the adults who led them!
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Share your news in From the Field
so we can feature them in upcoming issues of From the Field. Deadline for submissions each week is Monday at 4:30 PM.
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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. The 52 weekly prayers are available in one document
found here.
January 22-28
In our diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for our congregations in Augusta, especially, the Church of the Atonement and Christ Church. We also pray for our ecumenical partners in Augusta, especially Advent Lutheran Church, Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church, and The Church of the Resurrection Lutheran Church. In our companion diocese of the Dominican Republic, we pray for
La Transfiguración (
the Church of the Transfiguration) in Banî.
January 29-February 4
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 - Jesús Peregrino (
Jesus the Pilgrim) and La Redención (
Redemption).
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Thank you!
Parishioners from St. Michael's and All Angels thanked Don Callahan and his team at Callahan Realty who contributed 6,000 pounds of food to the I AM Food Pantry.
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That's a Wrap
Youth take part in a game, wrapping a team member in toilet paper,
during this past weekend's retreat at Honey Creek.
Don't try this at home.
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Events
Integrity Georgia Meeting,
January 28
12 Noon to 2 PM
Christ Church, Savannah
For more information, contact Clayton Thomas
here.
Diocesan Council, February 3-4
St. Francis' Church, Savannah
Project Resource Stewardship Training, February 11
Church of the Good Shepherd, Augusta
Go
here to register.
Happening #98, February 17-19
Honey Creek
Registration cloeses February 10
Go
here for more information.
Cursillo #122, March 2-4
Honey Creek
Go here for more information.
Project Resource Stewardship Training, March 4
St. Anne's, Tifton
Go here to register.
Clergy Spouses Retreat, March 10-12
Honey Creek
Go here for more information.
Church Development Institute (CDI) March 17-18
Honey Creek
Go
here for more information.
Church Development Institute (CDI) Augusta March 17-18
Our Savior, Martinez
Go
here for more information.
New Beginnings #50, March 24-26
Honey Creek
Go here for more information.
Project Resource Stewardship Training, April 8
St. Peter's Savannah
Go here for more information.
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Register Today for Diocesan Training Series
Dates, locations and registration details have been finalized for the series of trainings to be held throughout the Diocese in the coming months. Please register for the training nearest you by clicking on the appropriate link below!
Trainings for Vestries, Administrators and Communicators
Canons Frank Logue and Katie Willoughby will lead Vestry and Administrators' Training in Albany, Augusta, Savannah, and the Southeast Convocation.
Sunday, March 12, 2-5 pm at St. Patrick's, Albany
To sign up for the Communicators' Roundtable, send an email to Anna Iredale, [email protected] and indicate which session you'll attend.
Project Resource Stewardship Training
Created by the College for Bishops, Project Resource gathers the best wisdom in our church on annual stewardship, major gifts, and planned giving campaigns. We will hold one training a month from February through April.
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