Summer Update – Bishop’s Letter to Parish Clergy and Wardens

by | Jun 21, 2022

June 2022

Dear EDOW Clergy and Warden Colleagues,

I write with greetings, prayers of gratitude for you, and hopes that, amid the many responsibilities you carry, you are able to find time for rest and renewal this summer. While the world never stops and we are among those called to lead and to care for others, we are also in need of care and time to fill the inner wells from which we draw strength and compassion.

Summer is also a time of planning, and as you cast your gaze toward the fall, I commend to you the offerings of the School for Christian Faith and Leadership. Of particular value are the courses on faith exploration, Discover, Embrace, Become; an online confirmation class called CREATE, and a wide variety of other on-demand offerings. The School can also assist in tailoring a class to your particular context. Please contact the Rev. Jenifer Gamber for more information.

Another resource that may be of value to you is our Annual Giving Campaign toolkit that provides you with all the materials you need for your congregation’s financial stewardship efforts. This year’s theme is See, I am doing a new thing. Look for sessions through the School to introduce this program soon. Members of the Financial Resources Committee are standing by to be of help to you. Register to attend a workshop.

Your diocesan staff is also planning ahead, and I’ve included below the dates of diocesan events through the summer and fall. Please add to your calendars whatever is helpful or pertinent to you and the people of your congregation.

Let me close with words of encouragement and exhortation from the Apostle Paul that provide us with a compelling vision of what it looks like to follow Jesus in His Way of Love:

Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor.

 

Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.

 

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are.

 

Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. . . .Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

 

Romans 12:9-18:21

I thank God for all of you.

Faithfully,

Bishop Mariann

 

UPCOMING DIOCESAN EVENTS

Annual Giving Workshops
Saturday, July 9 | 10:00 a.m. | Grace, Silver Spring
Saturday, July 28 | 7:00 p.m. | Online by Zoom

The Financial Resources Committee of the Diocese of Washington is pleased to offer two summer workshops using the Annual Giving Toolkit. In addition to sharing specific materials from the EDOW Toolkit, we will also be discussing the possible impacts of fundraising as we emerge from a global pandemic.

Questions? Contact the Financial Resources Committee.

Priesthood Ordination
Saturday, July 23 | 10:00 a.m. | Washington National Cathedral

By the Grace of God and the people consenting The Right Reverend Mariann Edgar Budde will ordain to the Sacred Order of Priests, Catherine Manhardt and David Frederick Potter on
Saturday, July 23, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. at Washington National Cathedral.

Your prayers and presence are requested and clergy who are planning to process are encouraged to RSVP. The color of the day is red.

The service will be livestreamed and the link will be posted on the EDOW calendar.

Questions? Contact Archdeacon Sue von Rautenkranz.

Connecting with Your Community
Saturday, July 30 | 10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. | Church of the Ascension, Sligo Parish

Connecting with your community is central to the vitality of every congregation, but it can seem daunting to step outside our doors into the neighborhood. Drawing on the practices of Asset Based Community Development, we will gather for a half-day to practice going out into the neighborhood to notice what God is up to. Participants will leave with tools to bring back to their congregation.

Click here to learn more and register. Come as an individual or a team.

Questions? Contact the Rev. Anne-Marie Jeffery, Canon for Congregational Vitality.

Congregational Growth Grants Fall Application Cycle Dates
The application cycle opens Monday, August 1 and closes Friday, October 7

EDOW Congregational Growth Grants support the efforts to grow healthy and vital congregations and create fresh expressions of Episcopal worshiping communities. The diocesan congregational growth grants offer an opportunity for parishes and ministries to dream, explore and undertake “a new thing.”

Questions? Contact Mildred Reyes, Missioner for Latino/Hispanic Ministries and Diocesan Initiatives.

Repairing the Breach: A Symposium on Reparations
Saturday, October 1 | 10:00 a.m – 3:30 p.m. | Calvary Episcopal Church, DC

We will come together as a diocese for a full day of programming to continue our shared work to reckon with our diocesan history of participation in anti-Black racism and learn more about the legacy of benefit we’ve received from that participation.

Click here to learn more and register – and please invite members of your congregation to attend.

The Reparations Task Force will have a two-session curriculum ready in July for your congregation to learn about reparations and prepare for the symposium. Click here for the flyer.

Questions? Contact the Rev. Peter Jarrett-Schell, chair of the Reparations Task Force.

Fall Diocesan Confirmation Service
Saturday, October 15 | 10:00 a.m. | Washington National Cathedral

Registration for the fall Diocesan Confirmation Service will open on September, 9, 2022. For resources to support candidates as they prepare for confirmation, including EDOW’s online confirmation program, contact the Rev. Amanda Akes-Cardwell, Missioner for Faith Formation and Development.

Questions? Contact Archdeacon Sue von Rautenkranz.

Clergy Conference
Monday, October 24 – Wednesday, October 26 | the Maritime Center, Linthicum Heights, MD

Diocesan staff and your regional deans are at work planning the Clergy Conference program. The focus this year will be on clergy wellness and how we walk alongside one another in our call to serve God’s people. We will provide ample time for you to gather with peers and to explore new collegial relationships. The Rev. Dr. Allison St. Louis will be our conference leader. More details to follow soon; for now, please hold these dates on your calendars.

Questions? Contact Allen Fitzpatrick, Executive Assistant to the Canons.

Workshop Day on the Diaconate
Saturday, October 29 | 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. | Location to be announced

The Ven. L. Sue von Rautenkranz, Archdeacon of the Diocese of Washington, along with members of the Commission on Ministry and the Standing Committee, deacons, and priests with experience serving with deacons, will share their knowledge of diaconal ministry as well as practical next-steps in a day filled with presentations, small group information sessions, and worship. Registration will open on August 29, 2022. Learn more about the Workshop Day, including requirements for who must attend.

Questions? Contact Archdeacon Sue von Rautenkranz.

Regional Gatherings
Tuesday, October 18 | 6:30 p.m. | Online | South DC, North Prince George’s, Southern MD
Thursday, October 20 | 6:30 p.m. | Online | North, Central and South Montgomery
Tuesday, November 17 | 6:30 p.m. | Online | North and Central DC

This year, in an effort to be mindful of our resources, regions will meet in combined groups. Please add the applicable date to your calendar and notify your congregation’s Diocesan Convention delegates and alternates. Registration, materials, and voting information will be shared closer to regional gathering dates.

Questions? Contact the Rev. Andrew Walter, Canon to the Ordinary and Chief Operating Officer.

Christian Formation Leaders Retreat
Friday, November 4 – Saturday, November 5 | Claggett Center

Join children, youth, and family formation leaders for rest, rejuvenation, and spiritual refreshment. This overnight retreat is a time for formation leaders to be in communion with one another and with the Rev. Amanda Akes-Cardwell, Missioner for Faith Formation and Development. The retreat will feature teaching, worship, downtime, and fellowship. 1-2 Formation leaders from each parish are invited to attend, however, space is limited. Registration opens September 1.

Questions? Contact The Rev. Amanda Akes-Cardwell, Missioner for Formation and Development.