null
September 21, 2016
Volume 8, Number 3
In This Issue
 
 




This Sunday's Lections
Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Track 1 
Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15
Psalm 91:1-6, 14-16
1 Timothy 6:6-19
Luke 16:19-31
or
Track 2
Amos 6:1a, 4-7
Psalm 146
1 Timothy 6:6-19
Luke 16: 19-31
Go   here for the full text.
Join Our Mailing List
Convention Update!

The 195th Convention of the Diocese of Georgia will be held November 9-12 at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Augusta, Georgia.

Elections

The convention will elect persons to serve on the Board of the Corporation, Church Disciplinary Board, Diocesan Council, General Convention Deputies and Alternates, the Standing Committee, and a Trustee for the University of the South. 

Names and biographies received by September 30th will be printed in the October 5 edition of From the Field. 

Go  here for a full description of the roles and information on how to submit nominations.

Registration
Go   here  to register. For a video featuring Canon for Administration Katie Willoughby on how to register, go  here.

Friendly Reminder about Reports
Annual Reports are due by 5 PM on Thursday, September 29th. Examples from last year may be found here:  2015 Convention Book
For more information, contact Rebekah Stewart rstewart@gaepiscopal.org
Happening #97
Happening #97 was held this past weekend at Honey Creek Retreat Center. Ashley Walker from St. Francis, Savannah (at right) served as the rect or. A total of 32 candidates and 45 staff members were present, representing more than 25 different congregations (both Episcopal and non-Episcopal). 

Here is what two of the candidates had to say about the weekend:

From Jay White:
This past weekend, I attended Happening for the first time. From the very beginning, we were thrown into various tough situations with the people that would later be in our small groups for the rest of the weekend. Throughout the weekend there were lots of surprises that helped us grow close to one another and discover that our initial impressions were very incorrect.
Happening offered many deep spiritual and emotional moments that all of the participants went through together, and I am positive that nearly everybody was very happy to have gone. We all emerged from the experience with joy from our new friendships and the knowledge that we are all loved by God.
  
Jay White is at the far right in this photo with his brother Ethan and cousins Jay and Isabelle at Happening #97.

From Seth Holloway (below with Sarah Wiggins):
After months of being pestered by Ashley Walker and other friends to sign up for Happening #97, I finally did. Still, I was very skeptical about it going  in, and had no idea what to expect. Thankfully, I kept my mind open and it paid off. 

Not growing up in an Episcopal church, the services and ways of worship were very different from anything I had experienced before. But, I was still shown love by all my friends and complete strangers in the most unexpectedly meaningful ways. I was able to see through Happening that as followers of Christ, we are all called to love one another, regardless of the different traditions that make up how we worship. This is what I think epitomizes the Happening weekend as well as Christianity as a whole - people having the ability to show love for one another  same way God has shown His much greater love for them. I am thankful for this past weekend giving me that understanding and helping me follow the way!
#SMS16
It's time to share your church life on Social Media
Sunday, September 25th has been designated Social Media Sunday--the day when Christians everywhere are encouraged to share the good news via social media. Started at Trinity Episcopal Church in Tariffville, Connecticut in 2013, Social Media Sunday has grown in the three years since to include people of faith everywhere. 

Suggestions include using the hashtag #SMS16 with posts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Go even further and add the hashtags #Episcopal and #DioceseofGeorgia. Instagram a selfie with the choir or congregation; tweet the sermon; update your status on Facebook to show that you're at church; share a photo of your beautiful building and your beautiful friends.

And then, at the end of the day when you check those sites do a search for the hashtags and see how social media connects us and helps us share the good news!

To print out some bulletin inserts created by Acts 8, go here.  

At the House of Bishops

Bishop Benhase with Michael Curry, the Presiding  Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the U.S. at the House of Bishops meeting earlier this week. To find out more about the House of Bishops, go here.
The Loose Canon
Use a Facebook page as an Entryway into your Church
Facebook offers a helpful glimpse into your church community for those who are interested in attending, but who have yet to cross the threshold for a liturgy. Facebook also offers a way to stay engaged with current members through the week and offers them things to share with family and friends. As such, social media offers a helpful doorway into your congregation for prospective parishioners.
  
Key Points to Consider
  1. Make sure your Facebook page has accurate information on the "About" tab so any visitor will know the location, web address, full physical address and mailing address, service times, and so on.
  2. Use photos and videos to maximize views and likes. These can and should be your own photos, but can also include material created by others including the Diocese of Georgia and the Episcopal Church. You should also have a photo Minister for your congregation if possible. (See my tips for that ministry here: Church Photography is Church Development and A Church Event Photography Primer)
  3. Post a variety of material so that your Facebook page is not only about church events, but may include a link to a local newspaper article on a parishioner, or a thought provoking essay that might generate comments. 
Use Multiple Administrators
I encourage congregations to have  two to four administrators for the congregation's Facebook account. These should include clergy, and anyone who is already working on a newsletter or the bulletin, and also include a parishioner willing to become a Facebook Minister for your congregation. This is someone willing to post 2-4 times a week most weeks. The roles for each of these administrators will be different.
  1. The clergy should post to the page anything she or he is already sharing with the church. If you post a blog or sermon to the parish's website, please also post a link on the Facebook page. If you email the congregation about an event,  make sure the notice also goes to Facebook. Include a link to the parish's Facebook page in your email signature.
  2. Anyone working with a newsletter or bulletin can also make sure that upcoming events shared in those outlets are also posted on the Facebook page.
  3. Beyond these, the Facebook minister will agree to share materials from good sources including sharing From the Field and the eCrozier from the Diocese and the routine posts offered on the Episcopal Church's Facebook page such as  video from our Presiding Bishop.
  4. The primary event photographer for your congregation should be an administrator so that photos do not have to first go to another person and then find their way to the page.
By using these multiple administrators, your Facebook page can remain active without becoming a time-consuming chore for any one person.
-Frank
The Rev. Canon Frank Logue
Diocesan Office Update     
Bishop Benhase will attend the wedding of his son John Benhase and Sarah Durham at Christ Church Savannah on Saturday, September 24th. He will attend the Fall Clergy Conference, September 25-27 at Honey Creek. To view the Bishop's full visitation calendar, go here. 

Canon Logue is working with the Rev. Liam Collins and Victoria Logue to put on the Fall Prayer Retreat at Honey Creek this weekend. He will attend the Fall Clergy Conference, September 25-27 at Honey Creek.
Canon Frank Logue hosted 26 guests from 19 dioceses and the Episcopal Church Center staff in Savannah this week. The meeting was for his counterparts in dioceses in the southeast United States. Thanks to Christ Church Savannah as the Mother Church of Georgia took good care of the group when they met at the parish house. The group is pictured here at 17hundred90 for a dinner out on the town.
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. 
Prayers for September 18 to 24
In our diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for our congregations in Savannah, especially St. Peter's. We also pray for our ecumenical partners in Savannah, especially Messiah Lutheran Church and St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church. In our companion diocese of the Dominican Republic, we pray for Holy Cross (Santa Cruz) in Santa Fe.

Prayers for September 25 to October 1.
In our diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for our congregations in Savannah, especially St. Paul the Apostle and St. Bartholomew's Chapel. We also pray for our ecumenical partners in Savannah, especially the Catholic congregations of St. Frances Cabrini and Saints Peter and Paul as well as St. Paul's Lutheran Church. In our companion diocese of the Dominican Republic, we pray for St. Matthias (San Matías) in Santana.
Atonement, Augusta
Many Hands Making Light Work
What began as a maintenance project at the Church of the Atonement, Augusta, turned into the first step towards rebuilding a youth presence after  many years of not having people able or passionate enough to be able to keep the ministry going. 

The vestry had voted and given their approval for a project to rebuild the handicapped entrance and when they started asking for a start date, the first and only date that the volunteers were all available was also scheduled as a lock-in for the church's youth.
At first the vestry didn't want to interfere with a youth event at the church but they learned that the youth wanted to help with the rebuild to do something for the church after being able to attend camp at Honey Creek this year.

The youth that showed up at the lock-in in July were Kayla Swarmer, Michael Fickling, Jeremy Brassell, Jacob Leavitt, and Destiny Leavitt. The adult volunteers/chaperones were Joshua Swarmer, Kenneth Mattson, Michelle Mitchell, and Nancy Brassell. At 8 AM the work began and by 2 PM that afternoon, the deck boards as well as the support posts were in place and by the following evening the team had finished the work. Everyone from L.o.C. decided to get a plaque in honor of the the ramp rebuilt in loving memory of John M. Smith (who recently passed away), a longtime member of the parish for his undying love and dedication of and for everyone in the congregation at the Church of the Atonement.
The newest member of the Body of Christ
 
Luella Renee Hayes is marked as Christ's Own Forever in Baptism at King of Peace, Kingsland.
Upcoming Events

Fall Prayer Retreat: September 23-24
For more information, go here.

Fall Clergy Conference: September 25-27
For more information, go here. 

Diocesan Council Meeting: September 30-October 1
St. Paul's, Albany

Disaster Preparedness Plan Due October 1
Email to Fr. Charles Todd at frcharles@stpaulsavannah.org
 
Cursillo: October 6
For more information, go here.

Commission on Ministry and Standing Committee: October 14-15
Trinity, Statesboro

CreekFEST: October 21-22
For more information, go here.
 
Integrity: October 28-29
For more information, go here.

River Retreat: November 5, 9 AM to noon
Presented by the Creation Care Commission, look for more news in next week's From the Field.

195th Convention of the Diocese of Georgia: November 9-12
For more information, go here. 
Like Us on Facebook

Keep up with us on Facebook at our page Episcopal Diocese of Georgia on Facebook  

 

Follow Us on Twitter

Follow Us on Twitter

The Diocese of Georgia also shares news 140 characters at a time through Twitter @GA_Episcopal

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

 View our videos on YouTubeThe Diocese of Georgia also has a YouTube Channel where you can watch past videos and subscribe to get updates when new videos are posted.

Send your news and events to newsandevents@gaepiscopal.org ,
so we can feature them in upcoming issues of From the Field.


 

Sincerely,                                       
            
Diocesan Staff                             
Episcopal Diocese of Georgia