Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Taizé Comes to Texas, Teen's Eagle Scout Project Builds Labyrinth, Vision Plan Released

Taizé Comes to Texas

We are blessed to have the brothers of Taizé with us in Austin, March 21-23 and at St. John The Divine, Houston, on April 25-27. Click above to learn more.

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Bishop Releases 'Vision 2020' Five-Year Strategic Plan
This is a strategic plan for the next five years, leading up to the year 2020. In this plan, we take a critical look at our accomplishments and refocus our planning. We outline our remarkable history, place our mutual ministry into context and include information from a survey of staff, board members, lay leaders and clergy. Click here to read it. 

Free Clergy Spouse Retreat, April 4-5, at Camp Allen
This free retreat is an invitation from JoAnne Doyle, Larry Harrison and Susan Fisher for all active clergy spouses. Join for fun, food and fellowship. You can even sign up for skeet shooting or horseback riding. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. on April 4 and ends April 5 at 3 p.m. Register here.

Sign Up for Diocesan Youth Choir Camp, July 6-12
The Diocesan Music Commission will present Diocesan Music Camp for musicians in rising grades 4-8. The camp will be expanded to include both vocal and instrumental music instruction. Interested campers can apply here.  Scholarships are available.  For more information, contact Dr. Linda Patterson 979.836.7248.

THE Conference Opens Registration for May 2-4 Event
Bishop Rob Wright of Atlanta, joins Jamie Clark-Soles, author and professor of New Testament at Perkins School of Theology, SMU, Dallas as keynoters for THE CONFERENCE on evangelism, stewardship and formation, May 2-4, 2014. Learn more here.

Bayou City Service Corps Seeks Fellows for 2014-15
Young adults are encouraged to apply for Bayou City Service Corps. Bayou City is a year-long program starting in August that exists to provide young adults (ages 18-32) the time and space needed to search for truth, work for social and economic justice, live in community, and be challenged into a more deliberate way of life. Fellows will work at a Houston based non-profit. Benefits include housing, insurance, stipend and $2,000 end-of-service award. Participants do not have to be Episcopalian, so pass on to your friends of other faiths! Click here to read more or apply.

National Renovaré Conference Comes to Houston, April 3-5
Renovaré is a ministry committed to Christian spiritual formation. The Diocese of Texas is a co-sponsor this year, and the conference theme is “Formation for whole life: identity, community, and mission.” Register now.

TENS Conference Opens Registration for June 6-7 Event
The theme for this year's TENS Stewardship Conference is Walking the Way. Sister Joan Chittister, The Rt. Rev. Robert Wright, Bishop of Atlanta, and The Rev. Canon Charles La Fond, Canon Steward at St. John's in Denver, will serve as keynote speakers. You can visit in person, sign up for a live webcast or a recorded webcast. Click here to learn more.

Malawi Trip Seeks More Participants
Join other Episcopalians, June 12-29, and travel to our partner diocese in Southern Malawi to stay with local families, worship, participate in ministry and learn about their cultural history. You will learn what is being done to improve the lives of Malawians and where challenges still exist. A river safari is included. Cost is $3800 which covers airfare from Houston or Austin, accommodations, entrance fees and most meals. Partial scholarships are available. Email Nancy Parish at NancyP@stdave.org. For more information click here. Applications and a $500 must be submitted as soon as possible. Full payment will be required by April 14.

Walking the Mourner's Path Group at Palmer Memorial, Houston
Walking the Mourners' Path, a small group program for those mourning the death of a loved one, will be offered at Palmer this spring, beginning after Easter. Meeting for 8 weeks on Tuesday evenings, the faith-based group will be led by trained facilitators and follows a curriculum. Palmer is located at 6221 Main St. in Houston and invites all interested persons to contact facilitators Sue Hamblen at essayhamblen@att.net for more information.

Join a National Gathering to Challenge Violence, April 9-11
Presentations, workshops and panel discussions examining violence in all its forms in American society, with a hard look at what can be done, are the elements of  a special Episcopal Church gathering: Reclaiming the Gospel of Peace: An Episcopal Gathering to Challenge the Epidemic of Violence. Bishops, clergy and laity from throughout the Episcopal Church are invited to gather April 9 – 11 at the Reed Center and Sheraton in Oklahoma City, OK (Diocese of Oklahoma). Read more.

Mike Endicott Visits Houston for Weekend of Healing Ministry
The Rev. Mike Endicott will return to St. John the Divine, Houston, for a weekend of healing ministry, April 30 - May 4. Learn more here.

More than 1,000 Kids are Already Registered for Summer Camp
Spring Break usually brings a large influx of parents thinking about summer camp. There are over 1,000 campers registered for Camp Allen this summer and some sessions have filled. March and early April is the time to pick your session and process your application online at www.campallen.org

Diocese of West Texas to Participate in Walk to Action to Prevent Child Abuse
As a member from St. Alban’s, Harlingen, Kathy Dittman, is on the PCAT (Prevent Child Abuse Texas) Board and suffered the tragedy of losing her two-year-old daughter to abuse by a caregiver. St. Alban’s has rallied around her, brining in many team members with their own experiences with child abuse, and each year, Team DWTX grows. This year the walk will be held on November 1, and DWTX would love help from the Diocese of Texas. To learn more contact Laura Shaver, communications officer for the Diocese of West Texas at laura.shaver@dwtx.org or visit walktoaction.org.

More Upcoming Events

March 21 - The Missing Link Concert at St. Thomas, Houston

March 22 - Cruzando la Frontera con Jesus, Houston

March 24 - Samuel T. Lloyd at Seminary of the Southwest

March 28 - Bishop Doyle Speaks at Houston ECW Luncheon

March 29 - Altar Guild Workshop, Round Rock

Click here for a full calendar.

Need a Job?
To see job opportunities, visit our employment page.

UPDATES & CHANGES

Change EmailClergy Contact Changes | E-News Archive | Employment Opportunities | EDOT Gallery | Safe Church Training | Supply Clergy  | Update Church Info | People & Places

Emmanuel, Houston, Makes Video of Cardboard Testimonies [more]

Teenager's Eagle Scout Project Creates Labyrinth at Katy Church [more]

Iglesia Episcopal San Mateo Holds Free Eye Clinic for SW Houston [more]

Houston Chronicle Profiles Christ Church Cathedral First 175 Years [more]

Austin Episcopalians Embrace SXSW [more]

 

 

 

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Quotes

  • "Christianity is not a theory or speculation, but a life; not a philosophy of life, but a life and a living process." Samuel Taylor Coleridge
  • "Most people are willing to take the Sermon on the Mount as a flag to sail under, but few will use it as a rudder by which to steer." Oliver Wendell Holmes
  • "Perfection, in a Christian sense, means becoming mature enough to give ourselves to others." Kathleen Norris
  • "Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can." John Wesley
  • "The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried." G. K. Chesterton
  • "One of our great allies at present is the Church itself. Do not misunderstand me. I do not mean the Church as we see her spread out through all time and space and rooted in eternity, terrible as an army with banners. That, I confess, is a spectacle which makes our boldest tempters uneasy. But fortunately it is quite invisible to these humans." C. S. Lewis
  • "When we say, 'I love Jesus, but I hate the Church,' we end up losing not only the Church but Jesus too. The challenge is to forgive the Church. This challenge is especially great because the church seldom asks us for forgiveness." Henri Nouwen, Bread for the Journey
  • "Christians are hard to tolerate; I don't know how Jesus does it." Bono
  • "It's too easy to get caught in our little church subcultures, and the result is that the only younger people we might know are Christians who are already inside the church." Dan Kimball