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1-3-2014
Dear Friends,
As a new year brings new beginnings we also turn to a new year full of changes and new beginnings for our Diocese of San Joaquin.
The Diocese of San Joaquin vs. Schofield trial will begin next week. Our chancellor, Michael Glass, anticipates that the trial may take up to two weeks to complete. Following the completion of the trial the judge usually has three months to render a decision. Chancellor Glass will be sending the diocese regular updates as the litigation process continues in his “From the Chancellor” updates. (This is just a friendly reminder. As always, if you are contacted by any media during the trial please do not respond to any questions but refer them to the diocesan offices or the chancellor for any answers to their questions.)
On a more upbeat note, we are also anticipating the arrival of Bishop David Rice in the diocese. Bishop David is coming with his wife, Tracy, on February 17th and anticipates finding a home in the Fresno area. He will be travelling around the diocese for the first six weeks after his arrival in an attempt to meet as many of you as possible, spend time with the clergy at the clergy retreat, and to see as many of our congregations as he can in that short time. Please do make an effort to come to your local deanery meetings scheduled during those first six weeks of his arrival in order to meet him in person.
On Sunday, February 23, our Presiding Bishop will be with us to formally welcome Bishop Rice as a bishop in the Episcopal Church. This Service of Dedication and Celebration of the Ministry of David Rice will be held at 4 pm, February 23 at St. Paul’s in Modesto with a reception following the event. Everyone, absolutely everyone, in the diocese is invited! We hope as many of you as possible will be able to be there for this festive celebration with our Presiding Bishop on her second visit to our diocese since the split and to heartily welcome both Tracy and Bishop Rice.
Some of you may have heard that the diocesan offices are moving to Fresno. This is partially true. The office of the Bishop and Canon to the Ordinary are relocating to Fresno. The office of our Administrator, Ellen Meyer, will remain in Modesto. We will have two locations for our diocesan offices. This is not unusual; there are a number of dioceses which have multiple locations for diocesan offices. We will let you know soon if we will retain just one phone number for the diocese and also identify which address will be our primary mailing address.
The Special Convention to elect a new Provisional Bishop will be held Saturday, March 29th at St. Paul’s in Bakersfield. The business meeting and election will take place in the morning and a Celebration and Seating of the new Provisional Bishop is scheduled for the afternoon. Great food and wonderful music are planned, so this promises to be a festive gathering of the diocese as we move into our future. Once again, absolutely everyone is invited…but for this event we ask that you register! The registration form for the Special Convention can be found here. Please do plan to come and celebrate with all of us together as a diocese.
The Primate of New Zealand is planning to attend the Special Convention to honor Bishop Rice. We, as a diocese, are honored to have a Primate from the Anglican Communion come and visit our diocese. Not every diocese in the Episcopal Church gets a visit from our own Presiding Bishop during his/her tenure. We, as a diocese, are blessed to have The Right Rev. Katherine Jefferts Shori visit us twice during her term as Presiding Bishop. Even fewer dioceses are afforded the opportunity to welcome a Primate from other provinces of the Anglican Communion. And now we are blessed with the anticipated presence of the Primate of New Zealand at our Special Convention. People around the Anglican Communion are watching, showing support through their visitations, and praying with us as we re-emerge from our struggles. We are not alone in this communion of prayer and support from around our own Episcopal Church and around the Anglican world.
To assist with all of these transitions and events Bishop Talton has appointed a Transitions Team much like the team used during the transition of the diocese from Bishop Lamb to Bishop Talton. The Transitions Team will meet every other week by phone and its membership is; Bishop Talton, Michele Racusin (president of the Standing Committee), Stan Boone (Standing Committee representative), Jan Dunlap (Vice President of Council), George Sitts (Diocesan Council representative), Canon Cullinane, Administrator Ellen Meyer, Treasurer Marion Austin and Chancellor Michael Glass. Bishop Rice will join the Transitions Team when he arrives in the diocese and the team will continue to meet until Bishop Rice decides that the team is no longer needed.
These will be a very full and busy first few months of the new year for the diocese. I hope that as many of you as possible will plan on attending the celebrations planned in both the northern and southern end of the diocese as we welcome Bishop Rice and thank Bishop Talton for his service to our diocese.
I pray God’s blessing on all of us as we enter a new year of ministry together as the Diocese of San Joaquin.
Canon Kate+ |
| “Participating in God’s Reconciling Love” |
| From The Bishop of the Diocese of San Joaquin … |
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From the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin
Service of Dedication and Celebration
of the Ministry of
David C. Rice
as a Bishop of the Diocese of San Joaquin
The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presider
Sunday, February 23, 2014
4:00 p.m.
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
1528 Oakdale Road
Modesto, CA 95355
209-576-0104
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| From The Episcopal Church… |
 Episcopal Church Mission Enterprise Zones,
New Church Starts Grants Announced
[From ENS – December 17, 2013] Bishop Stacy Sauls, Chief Operating Officer of The Episcopal Church, has announced the first recipients of the grants for Mission Enterprise Zones and for New Church Starts.
These two innovative Episcopal Church initiatives are funded through the Five Marks of Mission triennial budget, approved by General Convention July 2012. In the budget, $2 million was allotted for the work of establishing Mission Enterprise Zones and for supporting New Church Starts for the First Mark of Mission, To proclaim the Good news of the Kingdom.
Matching grants were available for up to $20,000 for a Mission Enterprise Zone and up to $100,000 for New Church Starts.
Thirty grants totaling $1.3 million were awarded to 27 dioceses, including one to an Episcopal/Lutheran initiative. The committee continues to meet monthly to review new applications.
Applications were reviewed and considered by the Local Mission and Ministry Committee of Executive Council, serving as the review committee for the grant applications.
Grant Recipients
The following are the grant recipients, the sponsoring diocese and the amount:
- Allston Project, Diocese of Massachusetts, $100,000
- Canton/Fells Point Mission, Diocese of Maryland, $100,000
- Divine Power Yoga, Diocese of Chicago /Metro Chicago Synod, $100,000
- Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Hurricane Shelter, Sewing Clinic, Diocese of Honduras, $20,000
- Episcopal Development Agency of Thomasville, Diocese of Georgia, $20,000
- GEORGE: Center for Community – An Artist’s Space, Diocese of Olympia, $20,000
- Grace Church – Episcopal, Diocese of Oklahoma, $100,000
- Hmong Ministry Planting Initiative, Diocese of Minnesota, $100,000
- Holy Apostles Episcopal Sudanese Church, Diocese of South Dakota, $20,000
- Iglesia Santa Maria, Diocese of Arizona, $100,000
- Kairos West Community Center, Diocese of Western North Carolina, $20,000
- Korean Ministry of St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Diocese of El Camino Real, $20,000
- La Iglesia Detroit, Diocese of Michigan, $100,000
- Latino Ministry Leadership Development, Diocese of Southwest Florida, $20,000
- Lawrence House Service Corps, Western Massachusetts, $20,000
- Living our Baptismal Covenant Together, Diocese of Idaho , $20,000
- Mission Christ the Liberator (Cristo Libertador), Diocese of Dominican Republic, $100,000
- Organizing Latinos for Mission, Diocese of San Diego, $20,000
- Our Lady Of Guadalupe Episcopal Church, Diocese of Olympia, $100,000
- Reviving Cultural and Ministry Needs of the Penn Hills Area, Diocese of Pittsburgh, $20,000
- Seeds of Hope Neighborhood Center, Diocese of Maine, $20,000
- St. Columba Church Replant, Diocese of Hawaii, $20,000
- St. Mary in Palms Spanish speaking ministry, Diocese of Los Angeles, $100,000
- St. Matthew’s Mission Enterprise, Diocese of Northern California, $20,000
- The Matthew 25 Project, Diocese of Los Angeles, $20,000
- Trinity Episcopal Bread and Roses Ministry, Diocese of Virginia, $20,000
- Urban Core Mission Enterprise Zone, Diocese of Southern Ohio, $20,000
- Warriors of the Dream – Transforming Violence, Building Leaders, Diocese of New York, $20,000
- Westside Ministry Partnership, Diocese of Northern Indiana, $20,000
- Young Adult Ministry Development Team, Diocese of Iowa, $20,000
General Convention Resolution
General Convention 2012’s Resolution A073 established “the Mission Enterprise Fund, to be administered by a grants committee for that purpose established by the Executive Council, with $1 million for the 2013-2015 triennium.” It also states that “Diocesan Standing Committees and Bishops partner to create ‘Mission Enterprise Zones,’ defined as a geographic area, as a group of congregations or as an entire diocese committed to mission and evangelism that engages under-represented groups, including youth and young adults, people of color, poor and working-class people, people with a high-school diploma or less, and/or people with little or no church background or involvement.”
Text here: http://www.generalconvention.org/gc/resolutions?by=number&id=a073
For more information contact the Rev. Thomas Brackett, Episcopal Church Missioner for New Church Starts and Missional Initiatives, at [email protected]
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| From Integrity of Diocese of San Joaquin… |
Register Now!
Join the Integrity LGBT and Allies Winter
Retreat at ECCO!!
The 2nd Annual Winter Retreat for the San Joaquin Chapter of Integrity will be held at ECCO in Oakhurst on January 24 – 26, 2014. We are thrilled to have the Rev. Dr. Caroline ‘Caro’ Hall, President of Integrity USA, as our 2014 Retreat Leader. The retreat beginsFriday evening, January 24th as we arrive at ECCO and gather for fellowship, snacks and a movie.
On Saturday, the Rev. Dr. Caro Hall, Integrity President, leads our retreat program throughout the day. On Sunday, after morning Eucharist (joined by our friends from St. Raphael’s, Oakhurst) and free time, we enjoy lunch together before departure.
Accommodations at ECCO are $119 per person/double room and include 2 nights lodging and 5 meals. Registration deadline is January 6th. For questions or to register contact the Integrity – San Joaquin Diocesan Organizer, Jan Dunlap at 661.201.2630 or [email protected]. Click here to get registration form.
About our Retreat Leader: One of Caro’s passions is helping people who feel excluded from a Christian faith community because their beliefs don’t fit the mold, to realize that Christianity is a lot bigger and broader than they thought and that God’s abundant love is available to everyone. Her background is in social work and non-profit management. Caro is English but has lived in the U.S. for more than 20 years – most of them in Los Osos, where she is now priest-in-charge of St. Benedict’s. She met her spouse at the Findhorn Foundation in Scotland where she lived for several years in the 1980s. Caro is the author of the just-published “A Thorn in the Flesh: How Gay Sexuality is Changing the Episcopal Church”. She also serves on the board of People of Faith for Justice, and is a founder of the Coalition of Welcoming Congregations.
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SAVE THE DATE – CLERGY RETREAT – Spring 2014
Dear Clergy,
Please plan to save the dates of February 25 – 27, 2014 for our next clergy retreat. Great news is upon us! The Rev. Gay Jennings, President of the House of Deputies, has agreed to be our retreat leader at that time for a Pre-Lenten clergy retreat. We will once again be at St. Anthony’s retreat center in Three Rivers.
This will be our first retreat with our new bishop, Bishop David Rice, in attendance with us. Please do mark your calendars now to save the dates. More information about the retreat itself and about registration will be coming soon.
We are looking forward to The Rev. Gay Jennings being with us for this Pre-Lent retreat and to having some significant time as clergy together in this diocese with our new bishop. Please do plan to join us and mark your calendars now.
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From the Diocesan Office…
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Upcoming Meetings:
- Transitions Committee Teleconference Meeting, Tuesday, January 7, 2014, 4:00 p.m.
- Diocesan Council Meeting, Saturday, January 18, 2014, 10 a.m., Holy Family, Fresno
- Standing Committee Meeting, Saturday, January 18, 2014, 12:00 noon, Holy Family, Fresno
- Integrity Retreat, January 24-26, 2014, ECCO, Oakhurst
- Northern Deanery Meeting, Saturday, February 22, 2014, TBD
- Celebration of Ministry for Bishop Rice, Sunday, February 23, 2014, 4 p.m., St. Paul’s, Modesto with The Most Rev. Bishop Katharine Jefforts Schori presiding
- Clergy Retreat, February 25-27, 2014, St. Anthony Retreat, Three Rivers, CA
- Southern Deanery Meeting, Saturday, March 1, 2014, 11:00 a.m., St. Paul’s, Bakersfield
- Central Deanery Meeting, Sunday, March 16, 2014, 3 p.m., Holy Family, Fresno
- Special Convention, Saturday, March 29, 2014, St. Paul’s, Bakersfield
Do you wish to see what else the Diocese is up to? Click here for The Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin calendar.
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From Our Parishes and Missions…
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Speaker Series to begin in January at St. Francis, Turlock
St. Francis Church in Turlock is organizing a speakers’ series to begin in January, 2014 and extending through the 2014 calendar year. We already have a wide variety of topics to be offered, and invite you to visit us for our first event on Tuesday, January 14th at 6:30 p.m. The topic will be “Getting the Most out of the Affordable Care Act” (aka Obamacare). The presenter, Howard Grieshaber, is a state-certified expert on the Affordable Health Care Act and will answer all your questions regarding the many choices in health insurance that are now available.
Future topics that will be offered in the series by local experts include:
— A Victory Garden That’s a Victory for All: Growing Your Local Food Bank from Your Own Backyard
— Beautiful but Deadly: Poison Plants in Your Backyard and Pasture that Can be Harmful
–The Perils of Self-Publishing: Fundraising and Income from Effective Use of the Internet
— Getting the Most out of the Current Real-Estate Market: Investments, Property Flips, and Solid Value
–A number of other topics of general interest to the public will range from archeology, psychology, and history to music and art.
We invite you to join us at St. Francis in the New Year! Tuesday, January 14th at 6:30 p.m. At 915 East Main St, Turlock. Please contact the Rev. Kathie Galicia at 209-324-1677 or email [email protected] for more information.
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| For our Diocesan Prayer Calendar….click here |
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| Bishop’s and Canon’s Calendars… |
Bishop Talton’s Calendar
January 7 Transition Team Teleconference Meeting
January 18 Diocesan Council Meeting, Holy Family, Fresno
Standing Committee Meeting, Holy Family, Fresno
February 23 Service of Dedication and Celebration of Bishop David Rice of
the Ministry of Bishop Rice, St. Paul’s, Modesto
March 29 Special Convention, St. Paul’s, Bakersfield
Bishop Rices’s Calendar
February 23 St. John the Baptist, Lodi
February 23 Service of Dedication and Celebration of Bishop David Rice of
the Ministry of Bishop Rice, St. Paul’s, Modesto
February 25-27 Clergy Retreat, St. Anthony Retreat, Three Rivers
March 1 Southern Deanery Meeting, St. Paul’s, Bakersfield
March 2 St. Michael’s, Ridgecrest
March 5 Holy Family, Fresno
March 8 Northern Deanery Meeting, St. Anne’s, Stockton
March 9 St. James, Sonora
March 16 St. Paul’s, Visalia
March 16 Central Deanery Meeting, Holy Family, Fresno
March 29 Special Convention, St. Paul’s, Bakersfield
March 30 St. Paul’s, Bakersfield
Canon Cullinane’s Calendar
January 5 St. John’s, Tulare
January 12 St. John’s, Tulare
January 18 Diocesan Council Meeting, Holy Family, Fresno
Standing Committee Meeting, Holy Family, Fresno
January 19 St. John’s, Tulare
January 24-26 Integrity Retreat, ECCO
February 23 Service of Dedication and Celebration of Bishop David Rice of
the Ministry of Bishop Rice, St. Paul’s, Modesto
February 25-27 Clergy Retreat, St. Anthony Retreat, Three Rivers
March 1 Southern Deanery Meeting, St. Paul’s, Bakersfield
March 8 Northern Deanery Meeting, St. Anne’s, Stockton
March 16 Central Deanery Meeting, Holy Family, Fresno
March 29 Special Convention, St. Paul’s, Bakersfield
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