August 9, 2023 | Volume 13, No. 32 | |
Dr. Lisa Kimball to Keynote Convention | |
Bishop Logue with Dr. Lisa Kimball and the participants in the 2022 Lay Ministers Conference at Honey Creek. | |
|
Inspiration is a gift of the Holy Spirit. You can see it when a group gathers, an idea comes to several people at once, and the path forward is clearer than it was moments earlier. When Dr. Lisa Kimball led the Lay Ministers' Conference at Honey Creek last fall, that was the effect in the room as she assisted leaders in naming how their particular ministries flow out of and are grounded in their identity as baptized Christians. Answers to the question, "What ministry do you love?" varied from serving as Senior Warden, Altar Guild member, Lay Eucharistic Visitor, Youth Leader, to Verger, and all said with the conviction and passion in the understanding that these ministries informed their life both in and out of the church building This experience is why Dr. Kimball will be our keynote speaker for the diocesan convention meeting in Augusta this November 9-11.
"I am so pleased that Dr. Kimball can lead us in our convention this year," Bishop Logue said. "She is a transformational leader who loves Jesus and knows in her bones that the gifts we need are already present within the Body of Christ and that when we use those gifts to the glory of God our communities as well as our churches thrive."
Dr. Kimball is the Vice President for Lifelong Learning and the James Maxwell Professor Chair of Lifelong Christian Formation at the Virginia Theological Seminary. She is a passionate advocate for lay ministry, the full inclusion of all generations, digital literacy, and leaders who are confident teachers of the faith. She is currently directing a 5-year, $1.5M grant project Baptized for Life: An Episcopal Discipleship Initiative in the Lilly Endowment Inc. Called to Lives of Meaning and Purpose Initiative.
| |
Registration for Convention 2023 now open | |
|
Registration for the 202nd Convention of the Diocese of Georgia is now open!
Convention will be held at the Episcopal Day School at Church of the Good Shepherd in Augusta, GA on November 9-11, 2023.
To see a list of convention hotels, click here.
To register as a delegate, guest, clergy spouse, or vendor, click here.
| |
William W. "Buck" Crosby (1936-2023) | |
|
The Diocese mourns the death of William "Buck" Crosby of Brunswick, Georgia, an Episcopalian whose life of service had an huge impact on his church and community.
Crosby was a long time participant in Diocese of Georgia including service as a member of Standing Committee and a deputy to General Conventions of the Episcopal Church. In gratitude for his faithful service not just to his beloved St. Athanasius' Church in Brunswick, but also to the Diocese of Georgia, Bishop Scott Benhase honored him with the Bishop's Award in 2012. He is pictured here when honored at the diocesan convention.
| |
|
Crosby was a star athlete in high school and at Benedict College. A coach and lifelong educator, Crosby began his career teaching at his alma mater, the segregated Risley High School. He is remembered for holding the community together as they weathered integration. Along the way, he moved from teaching at Risley to Glynn Academy where he rose in the ranks to administration. He also served with distinction on too many organizations to number. He and Velma, his best friend and beloved wife of 69 years, worked together as a force for good in Glynn County. She retired as a school principal and he as interim superintendent of the school system. The Crosbys are pictured together here in 2019.
"A good coach brings out the best performance from every one of their players on the field," Bishop Logue said. "A great coach helps every player to be a better human being." He added, "I often say 'I am glad to be on the team' about my service in the Diocese of Georgia. That sentiment is one I learned from my mentor and friend, Buck Crosby. Whether the school system, the hospital board, or the Standing Committee - everywhere he served - the groups Buck was part of were stronger because of his God-given gift for bringing out the best in others."
The funeral will be on Saturday, August 12 at 11 am at St. Athanasius Episcopal Church in Brunswick. The Rev. DeWayne Cope will preside with Bishop Logue as preacher.
| |
Reminder: Safe Church Policies adopted
by convention
| |
|
Almost a year ago Diocesan Council approved the update of our Diocesan Safe Church policies in order to be in compliance with The Episcopal Church's Model Policies.
Part of this adoption of the policies includes a provision that all parishes must update and adopt their own policies and procedures in line with the new policies by convention 2023. If there are amendments to the Diocesan policies, they must be submitted in advance of implementation at the parish to the Bishop’s Office by emailing them to Canon Joshua Varner at jvarner@gaepiscopal.org.
The full policies as approved by Diocesan Council are available on the Diocesan website here. Additional information and an opportunity for questions will offered at Convention. To read more about the differences of the old versus new polices, click here for a past edition of From the Field.
| |
Conflict Transformation Workshop for Clergy | |
|
The Conflict Transformation Workshop for Clergy offers practical skills in dealing with low to mid-level conflict in congregations of all sizes. Participants will learn their preferred conflict response style and ways to effectively use other response styles. They will be provided opportunities to practice active listening skills, neutral ways of speaking, and collaborative skills in a variety of learning formats. The reasons for conflict in churches, disruptive behaviors, and feelings of powerlessness will be explored. Each participant is asked to bring a conflict he/she is dealing with for group discussion purposes. Time is devoted to developing an action plan for addressing the conflict. The workshop is based on training developed by the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center and is facilitated by the Revs. Walter Hobgood, Melanie Lemburg, and Becky Rowell.
Held at the Diocese of Georgia Retreat Center at Honey Creek, Waverly GA, the workshop begins on Monday, September 25 at 1 pm and ends Friday, September 29 at noon. Tuition for clergy in the Diocese is underwritten by the Diocese. Tuition for out-of-diocese participants is $1000 per person. All participants are responsible for room and meals, which will be provided on-site.
To register, click here: https://bit.ly/ConflictTrans. Once you have registered for the program, you will receive a confirmation email that includes a link to then register for meals and lodging. You must complete both registrations in order to be fully registered for this event.
For more information, contact the Rev. Becky Rowell at browell221@gmail.com.
| |
Project Resource opportunity for Fall 2023 | |
|
Beginning on Sunday, September 10 through October 8, Project Resource will offer Zoom sessions for those interested in engaging in this stewardship program.
Project Resource teaches culture and systems change around financial development in the worldwide Episcopal Church. Project Resource provides teaching, focus, and adaptable resources to equip clergy and lay leaders to develop their year-round annual stewardship campaigns and plan, ask for, and receive major gifts.
Project Resource:
- helps church teams to gather the best resources to transform all areas of stewardship and explore internal narratives of money while addressing societal shifts, organizational change, and leadership challenges.
- assists teams in interpreting the training curriculum, session by session, relative to their cultural and regional context.
- empowers participants to leave the conference with a working plan and measurable objectives tailored specifically for their own congregation.
Church Teams:
Project Resource trainings equip stewardship teams to plan and develop year-round stewardship ministries that can be replicated and adapted for years to come. An ideal church team would consist of at least 3 members including the clergyperson, stewardship ministry chair, and other committed lay leaders.
Church teams will complete the course with:
- A comprehensive stewardship calendar for year-round planning
- A detailed roadmap for launching their annual campaigns
- Practical training on crafting personalized invitations
- Insight into generational and individual donor motivations
The course fee is $450 for a team of three members, with an additional cost of $125 per extra team member.
For further details and registration, please visit https://project-resource.org/fall2023. You may also contact Canon Easterlin at keasterlin@gaepiscopal.org with any additional questions about the program.
| |
Christ Church in Valdosta is searching for a Director of Christian Education. Resumes and applications will be accepted until Friday, August 4th. Please call (229)242-5115 or email office@christchurchvaldosta.org for the application. To read the full job description, click here. | |
St. John & St. Mark in Albany held their annual breakfast for the teachers and staff of the neighborhood elementary school. | |
The ECW and friends at St. Andrew's in Darien cooked dinner for 74 high school football players. | |
At the Backpack Blessing at Saint Paul's in August, students were able to get a new tag for their bag. | |
The Golden Girls of King of Peace in Kingsland enjoy a lunch together. | |
The Rev. Wallace Marsh offers a blessing for students and educators at St. Thomas in Thomasville. | |
The Rev. Al Crumpton at Our Savior in Martinez offers a Backpack Blessing. | |
The Rev. Susan Gage blesses the bags of students and educators at St. Barnabas in Valdosta. | |
The Rev. Shayna Cranford, Deacon from Trinity in Cochran, serves as the guest preacher at Christ Church in Savannah as she continues her formation toward ordination to the priesthood this December. | |
|
Cursillo #127
When: September 7-10
Where: Honey Creek
Participant Registration
Team Application
| |
New Beginnings #60
When: October 20-22, 2023
Where: Honey Creek
Participant registration here
| |
Happening #108
When: November 17-19, 2023
Where: Honey Creek
Candidate registration here
|
Conflict Transformation Workshop for Clergy
When: September 25-29, 2023
Where: Honey Creek
To register, click here.
For more information contact
the Rev. Becky Rowell at browell221@gmail.com.
| |
|
Clergy Conference
Fall Clergy Conference: October 2-4
The Fall Conference will be a deep dive into the Gospel of Mark with the Very Rev. Cynthia Briggs Kittredge, a New Testament scholar who is Dean and President of the Seminary of the Southwest. This is to prepare us for preaching Year B of the lectionary, with its readings from Mark's Gospel. The conference will be held at Honey Creek.
| |
Diocesan Convention
November 9-11, 2023
To register, click here.
| |
We want to hear from you! | |
If you would like to have your submission considered for From the Field, it needs to be sent to Communications Manager Liz Williams (lwilliams@gaepiscopal.org) by noon on Tuesday. | |
Prayer 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 2023 one year prayer cycle is online here: 2023 Prayer Cycle.
August 13 - 19
In our diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for our congregations in Savannah, especially Christ Church, the Mother Church of Georgia. We also pray for our ecumenical partners in Savannah, especially the Catholic Cathedral of St. John the Baptist and Ascension Lutheran Church. In our companion diocese of the Dominican Republic, we pray for St. Barthlomew (San Bartolomé) in San Cristobal.
August 20 - 26
In our diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for our congregations in Savannah, especially St. Francis of the Islands and St. John’s. We also pray for our ecumenical partners, especially the Lutheran congregations of Redeemer and St. Luke’s. In our companion diocese of the Dominican Republic, we pray for the congregations in San Francisco de Macorís, especially The Good Samartian (El Buen Samaritano), Jesus the Nazarene (Jesús Nazareno), and The Nativity (La Natividad).
31-Day Prayer Cycles - Revised February 28, 2023
We also offer 30-day prayer cycles for those who wish to pray daily for the clergy and clergy spouses: Diocesan Prayer Cycle and Clergy Spouses Prayer Cycle. (Updated 2/28/2023)
| |
Diocesan Office Update and News | |
|
Bishop Logue will be in Brunswick in Saturday for the funeral of Buck Crosby. He will make his visitation to St. John & St. Mark's in Albany on Sunday.
Photo: The Logues with the Rev. Patti Davis, Deacon and her husband Rod at St. Patrick's in Pooler. Bishop Logue asks deacons to accompany him to congregations without a deacon as a part of lifting up these servant ministers in our Diocese.
To view Bishop Logue's full visitation calendar, click here. (Updated for 2024 - 6/20/2023)
Canon Lasch will be celebrating and preaching at St. Paul's in Savannah on Sunday.
The office is still in summer office hours of closing at noon on Fridays.
Executive Assistant to the Bishop Maggie Lyons is on vacation this week.
Executive Director of Honey Creek Dade Brantley is on vacation this week.
The best way to reach a staff member is via email as we will always get back with you promptly in many cases and in 24-72 hours when working on more pressing matters. Staff e-mails can be found here with a list of responsibilities so you know who to contact for what.
You may also reach diocesan staff by phone at (912) 236-4279.
| |
And the award goes to.... | |
|
Brandy Holland from Grace in Waycross was awarded Teacher of the Year for Ware County Schools for the 2023-23 school year. Her husband, the Rev. Donald Holland, is currently serving at Grace as
Priest-in-Charge.
| | | | |
