Let Us Know Your 2018 Wardens and Vestry

Priests or Wardens, please answer a 4-minute survey to let us know who you wardens and vestry are for 2018. It is critically important that the Diocese know how to contact these key leaders. This is especially true in case of a disaster (see the article below), but is helpful for everyday matters as well. If you already sent this 2018 information in to the Diocesan staff, you need not also complete the survey at the link below.

Wardens and Vestry Survey Link

The Loose Canon

Prepare Now for Hurricane Season

	Hurricane Clean Up at Honey Creek

Hurricane Season starts Friday, but the first named storm of the season has already blown through. While the coast is especially vulnerable, we know tornados spawned by a storm heading up through Georgia or even western Alabama can be just as devastating. There are some critical steps you can take in the coming week that will alleviate last minute concerns. 

Update Inventory

Forms like this set Church Inventory Forms  offer a way to get down serial numbers for your more expensive office equipment and other key data that will assist if the church suffers damage. Once forms are completed, make a few hard copies to share among leaders. Best practice is also to scan the forms and place as a Google Doc, in DropBox, or another online storage site so they can be accessible from any computer once the storm has passed. In addition to these paper forms, record a smart phone video of church offices, narrating the equipment, and get photos of the church organ or other high cost items and place these at an online storage site. These will be invaluable to assist in making an insurance claim.

Identify Potentially Vulnerable Parishioners

Identify senior citizens, disabled persons, single mothers, and those living alone. Add any families living in trailers, or in low lying areas prone to flooding. Have a plan for who will contact these persons in order to insure that they are in safe areas. To the degree we can, the Diocese will assist in identifying locations in safe areas with churches and homes open to those who need assistance. Make sure everyone you assist in leaving their homes has needed medicines. 

Update AlertMedia Contacts

The Diocese will once again use the AlertMedia system to remain in touch with parish leaders. Clergy should always keep the Diocese up to date on email and phone numbers. Completing the form in the article above on Wardens and Vestry will permit us to add the Junior and Senior Warden to the contacts for that system.

Work on a Comprehensive Preparedness Plan

The above are a few minimal steps you can take now. If a storm path looks like it could impact your congregation and you don't have a plan, the Diocese of Southeast Florida has created emergency plans with their  11th Hour Checklist . But we do have time and this should serve as a reminder that every congregation needs a Disaster Preparedness Plan. To help in this process, we recommend this guide from Episcopal Relief and Development: Disaster Preparedness Planning Guide.

While Georgia may once again be spared the catastrophe we have seen elsewhere, we do know that some Episcopal churches will be hit by natural disasters each year. We owe it to one another to prepare.

The Rev. Frank Logue
Canon to the Ordinary

Bishop's Visitation to St. Paul's Savannah

Bishop Scott Benhase made his annual visitation to the Collegiate Church of St. Paul the Apostle in Savannah. Gathered after the service are, from left: Dean William Willoughby, Ana Carter (received), Robert McDowell Fogle (received), Stephen Curler (confirmed), Deacon Susan Gahagan, Bishop Benhase, Kevin Veitinger (received), Fr. Michael Chaney, Fr. Charles Todd, and Deacon Sara Zevallos. Julianne Johnson (not pictured) was also confirmed.

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