May 24, 2017
Volume 7, Number 39
God Willing and the People Consenting
The Rt. Rev. Scott Anson Benhase
will ordain
Thomas Lemuel Barron and Leslie Anne Dellenbarger
to the transitional diaconate
Saturday, May 27th
10:30 AM 
Collegiate Church of St. Paul the Apostle
Savannah, Georgia
Canon Frank Logue will Preach
In This Issue
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This Sunday's Lections
6th Sunday of Easter

 
Go here 
f or the full text.
Honey Creek Has a Wish List

A first aid kit, some paddles, and a glove--these are just a few of the items on the Wish List that Thomas Greneker, Camp Director at Honey Creek, has put together and posted on Amazon.

There are pink arrows (with the comment "hard to lose"), archery targets (a deer and hog), Monopoly games, an iron ("gotta melt those fuse beads!") and more.

There are items on the list in a variety of price ranges and reading the comments is almost as much fun as knowing that you'll be helping Honey Creek make 2017 the best summer campers have had!

Go 
here to get started. Go here to sign up for Camp!

 
Around the Diocese
The Rev. Sierra, Rudy and Julia Mae Reyes will be moving to Denver, Colorado where Mr. Reyes will enroll in the graduate program of the Iliff School of Theology at the University of Denver. For six years Ms. Reyes has served as Associate Rector at Christ Church, Savannah. We wish them well and Godspeed!
(Mills Fleming photo)




Bishop Benhase and the clergy of the Diocese praying over the Rev. Leigh Hall and the Rev. Sierra Wilkinson Reyes at the Spring Clergy Conference. Hall has been called as Rector of St. Nicholas, New Hamburg in the Diocese of New York.

St. Philip's Episcopal Church, Hinesville celebrated the third anniversary of the Daughters of the King, May 21, 2017. Gathered, from left,  JoAnn Coefield, Edna Brown (founder of the Order at St. Philip's), Maggie Perez, Debra Ortiz, Sheryll Craven (and Sam) and the Rev. Denise Ronn.

Evangelism Sunday is also known as Loud for the Lord Pants Day at Grace Church Waycross! In their loud pants, Grace strives to stand up for the marginalized, oppressed and voiceless! Let the pants speak!
 

Congratulations to the latest graduates of the Church Development Institute! Front row from left: Sarah Eubanks, Lily Anne Robinson, Diane Van Houtan, the Rev. Kelly Steele, Elise Miller; Back row, from left: the Rev. Dwayne Varas, the Rev. Leigh Hall, the Rev. Guillermo Arboleda, the Rev. Alan Akridge, Allan Van Houtan, the Rev. Jeff Wallace; (not pictured) Gawain deLeeuw, Greg Wellstead, Skip Wright, Cary Wooten and Amy Rose. 
Invitation to Silent Retreat at the Convent of Saint Helena
The Sisters of the Convent of Saint Helena in North Augusta, S.C. invite those who seek holy ground within which to rest, reflect and pray, to join the sisters and other seekers for one of the 2017 Silent Retreat Weekends: June 2-4, October 6-8, or December 1-3.

These retreats begin on Friday evening at 5 PM Vespers and end after 1 PM Sunday lunch. Silence begins after the 7 PM Compline service on Friday and continues until Eucharist on Sunday. Spiritual direction with one of the sisters can be included on Saturday. The cost is $160, all inclusive, (single room with private bath, meals and one spiritual direction session).

Make a reservation through www.osh.org or with the Office Manager at guests@osh.org or 803-426-1616.
Project Resource 2.0
"Thank You:" Still the Magic Word   

Loretta Brandon, a member of Trinity Statesboro, will be sharing insights from Project Resource 2.0 in the coming months.

Mothers the world over are fond of teaching their children the two magic words: please and thank you. (In the South, add ma'am or sir, if you know what's good for you!) And guess what-Mom is still right.

At the Project Resource training, speakers from the Episcopal Church Foundation waxed eloquent on the concept of "thank you," and according to their figures, each donor to your parish's annual giving should be thanked in writing at least 7 times-and more if you can squeeze it in! There are many ways to do it.

The first and most obvious thank-you is a hand-written note to each person who has made a pledge to the annual campaign. Depending on the size of your congregation, this may be a major effort; that's why you need a stewardship team. 
  1. After the first of the year, a letter should go to each donor from the previous year's campaign, thanking them for completing their pledge of the previous year.
  2. In April or May, write an article for your newsletter, bulletin, or Website to talk about the status of your current campaign. How many pledges are up-to-date? How many behind? What has been funded? How were the gifts of your congregation valuable? What did we not have the money to do?
  3. After the first quarter (and each thereafter), write a personal letter to each donor confirming their pledge, their amount given, and the amount of the pledge still due.
  4. Use written communication as an introduction to the next annual campaign. What was the theme of the last campaign? Are there suggestions for a theme for this fall's campaign? 
  5. Committee chairs can write personal notes of thanks for efforts by their team.
  6. The young people of the church can write thank-you notes to congregation members who helped keep the EYC program active.
  7. And the list goes on, limited only by your imagination.
Most of us say "thank you" many times in a day, but very few of us put that sentiment on paper. Most of us also know from personal experience that receiving that written "thank you" carries more meaning, more reflection, and more commitment than the fleeting words.

May has a lot of things: birthdays, Cinco de Mayo, Mother's Day, Memorial Day. Why not make every day in May a good time to thank those who support the church as it does God's work in the world?

Bishop Benhase will lead Project Resource Workshops in the Central, Augusta, Savannah and Albany Convocations starting in August. Sign up below.
August 26
Central Convocation
Annuniciation, Vidalia
Sign up 
here.
October 21
Augusta Convocation
Holy Comforter, Martinez
Sign up  here.
September 9
Savannah Convocation
St. George's Savannah
Sign up  here.
October 28
Albany Convocation
St. Paul's Albany
Sign up 
here.
Bishop's Visitations

Bishop Benhase made his annual visitation to Trinity Statesboro on Sunday. Front row, from left: Trinity Youth Missioner Josh McMains, Gavin Nelson, C.J. Jordan, Cierra Jordan, Susan Reagan, Angie DiCiro, Curt Andersen, Sullivan Brannon with her mother, Danielle, Charles Brannon, Patty Woods, Meredith Nobles.

Back row, from left: Jim Bastarache, Bill Price, Deacon Steve Darby, Acolyte Gennevieve Wright, Bishop Benhase, Acolyte Thom Mortimore, Trinity Rector Joan Kilian, Fred Richter, Earl Woods, Samuel Nobles. Not shown: April Burke and Aiden Womack who were received, and Tim Stahl who was baptized/confirmed.

Rev. Buzz Yarborough, Vicar at St. Richard of Chichester (far right) welcomed Bishop Benhase (center) and the Rev. Alan Akridge (far left) of St. Mark's Brunswick on Sunday, April 30th. On the Bishop's right is Betty Murray who re-affirmed her faith 70 years after she had been confirmed. On his left is Michelle Orlins who was received into the Church. Front row from left: Sofia Quintinar, Thames Cranz, Mary Helen Branch, Ketura Cranz, Michael Martin, Benjamin Quintinar, Alex Banks, Caden Thompson. Second row, from left: Evi Akridge, Lexi Snyder, Heaven Bryan, Sarah Carpenter, Katrina Crews, and Jon Abbott Havens. Third row: the Rev. Alan Akridge, Mary Catherine Lyons, Laura Parrish, Adam Standridge, Betty Murray, Bishop Benhase and Michelle Orlins; Curtis Crews, Daniel Chandler, Diane Altenbach. Back row: Mike Parrish, Jackson Havens, Jack Breslin, and Will Borden. 

The Diocese of Georgia's Episcopal Youth and Children's Services (EYCS) awards numerous college scholarships each year. If you, or someone you know, is heading to college from the Diocese, please share information about this program. We are also asking that parishes download the bulletin insert available here and the flyer here to distribute and post. For more information, go here
Share your news in From the Field
Send your news, events and photos to  so we can feature them in upcoming issues of From the Field. Deadline for submissions each week is Monday at 4:30 PM.  
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. 

May 21-27
In our diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for our congregation in Jesup, St. Paul's. We also pray for our ecumenical partners in Jesup, especially St. Joseph's Catholic Church. In our companion diocese of the Dominican Republic, we pray for EspĂ­ritu Santo, the congregation of the Holy Spirit in Las Carreras.

May 28-June 3
In our diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for our congregation in Kingsland, King of Peace. We also pray for our ecumenical partners, especially St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Folkston. In our companion diocese of the Dominican Republic, we pray for Santa Marta (St. Martha's Church) in Los Cocos.
Diocesan Office Update and News  
Bishop Benhase will ordain Thomas Barron and Leslie Dellenbarger to the transitional diaconate at the Collegiate Church of St. Paul the Apostle, Savannah on Saturday, May 27 at 10:30 AM. He will make his annual visitation to St. Thomas' Isle of Hope on Sunday, May 28 at 10 AM. The Bishop's full schedule is available  here.  
 
Canon Logue will preach at the ordination of Thomas Barron and Leslie Dellenbarger.

Canon Willoughby will be out of the office on Friday and attending the ACS Conference in Nashville, Tennessee next week.

The Rev. Kevin Kelly, Rector of St. Michael and All Angels, Savannah, will officiate at the noon service Thursday to be held at St. George's Chapel, Diocesan House. 
Lending a hand
 Sullivan Brannon, who was baptized Sunday at Trinity Statesboro, offers a hand with Bishop Benhase's crozier.
Events
Ordination
10:30 AM Saturday, May 27
Thomas Lemuel Barron and Leslie Anne Dellenbarger 
Collegiate Church of St. Paul the Apostle, Savannah

Education for Ministry, 
June 1-3
Honey Creek Conference Center
Contact Diocesan EfM Coordinator Misty Graham at 352-281-6805 or misty.mcintyre.graham@gmail.com for more information here.

Hometown Missions for Youth
June 4 to June 7
St. John and St. Mark's, Albany
For information, contact the Missioner for Youth, the Rev. Joshua Varner at Evangelism Training
Saturday, June 24 from 1-4 pm
St. Peter's Episcopal Church
3 West Ridge Road, Savannah, GA 31411 
Register  here.  

Evangelism Training
Sunday, June 25 from 1-4 pm
St. Anne's Episcopal Church
2411 Central Ave. N., Tifton, GA 31794
Register here.  

Project Resource 2.0 with Bishop Benhase
August 26, 9:30 AM to noon
Annunciation, Vidalia
Register 
here


Project Resource 2.0 with Bishop Benhase
September 9, 9:30 AM to noon
St. George's, Savannah
Register  here.
 
Revival: Boundless Love Fearless Faith
September 17, 2 PM
 
Fall Clergy Conference
September 17-19
Honey Creek Retreat Center

Project Resource 2.0 with Bishop Benhase
October 21, 9:30 AM to noon
Holy Comforter Martinez
Register  here.

Project Resource 2.0 with Bishop Benhase
October 28, 9:30 AM to noon
St. Paul's, Albany
Register  here.
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