COMING EVENTS

Deanery Spring Convocations  - SPB—May 7. 5:30 p.m., St. Gregory’s, Boca Raton; Broward—May 14, 7 p.m., St. Marti’s, Pompano Beach; ND—May 15, 7 p.m., Holy Cross, Miami SD—May 8, 7 p.m., St. Andrew’s, Miami; Keys—May 17, 10 a.m., St. Paul’s, Key West

Diocesan 12-Step Retreat  - May 2-4, Duncan Center

Cursillo Sunday - May 4

Safeguarding God's Children - May 10, 8:30 a.m.-noon, Holy Trinity, West Palm Beach; May 17, 9 a.m.-noon, St. Mark’s, Palm Beach Gardens; May 29, 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Bethesda-by-the-Sea, Palm Beach

20^th Anniversary Open House - May 18, 3-5 p.m., St. Laurence Chapel

Retired Clergy and Spouses Luncheon - May 20, 11 a.m., Duncan Center

Grant Application Workshop   - May 22, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., St. Mark the Evangelist, Ft. Lauderdale

Annual Deacon’s Retreat - May 23-24, Duncan Center

Black Church Forum - May 31, 11 a.m., Historic St. Agnes, Miami

Social Justice Ministry meeting - June 21, 9 a.m.-noon, Atonement, Lauderdale Lakes

Summer Camp at DaySpring - June 15-20--Elementary Camp; June 22–27--Youth Camp

Lambeth Conference- Jul. 16-Aug. 3

Women’s Cursillo- Jul. 17-20, Duncan Center

Diocesan Youth Convention- Aug. 8-9, St. Benedict’s, Plantation

Men’s Cursillo  - Sept. 25-28, Duncan Center

Happening #23 (Gr. 9-12) - Oct. 17-19, St. Mark the Evangelist, Ft. Lauderdale

Social Justice Ministry—Archdeacon Fritz Bazin is working to form a diocesan Social Justice Ministry. He has asked each parish to identify persons who feel a particular call to help with social justice issues, so that they can not only form a parish-level committee, but can also represent the parish on a deanery social justice council. Interested persons are invited to a first meeting of the group on May 21, from 9 a.m. to noon, at Church of the Atonement, Ft. Lauderdale; the gathering will focus on immigration issues. Lunch will be provided following the meeting. Registration is required for both the meeting and the lunch, and will be available online at  www.diosef.org/register.html. For additional information, contact Archdeacon Bazin, jfritzbazin@gmail.com or 800-268-9993 or 305-373-0881.

Hurricane readiness—We don’t like to think about this, but hurricane season begins June 1. If you do not have a parish disaster preparedness plan in place, now’s the time! A number of helpful resources are available at http://www.diosef.org/hurricane.html. If there have been any recent changes to contact information—email, home phone and cell phone—for clergy and wardens, please be sure the Diocesan Office has this information.

Lambeth Conference—From Jul. 16 through Aug. 3 Bishop Frade will join other bishops of the Anglican Communion at the University of Kent, In Canterbury, England, for the Lambeth Conference, a gathering held every 10 years at the invitation of the Archbishop of Canterbury. Information on this important occasion for all bishops to be together for worship, study and conversation can be found at http://www.lambethconference.org/index.cfm. In a message posted on Apr. 23 at http://www.lambethconference.org/lc2008/news/news.cfm/2008/4/23/Archbishop-of-Canterbury-Better-Bishops-for-the-sake-of-a-better-Church  the Archbishop of Canterbury urged the people of the Anglican Communion to join with their bishops in preparation for Lambeth with prayer and reflection on the Gospel of St. John.

Black Church Forum--On May 31, at Historic St. Agnes, Miami, the Theodore R. Gibson Chapter of the Union of Black Episcopalians, the diocesan Office of Immigration and Social Justice and the diocesan Commission on Anti-Racism will present a forum on “The Relevance of the Church in a Multicultural and Pluralistic Society.” This first in a series of community forums will focus on whether there is a need for the black church in today’s society. The forum will begin at 11 a.m., and lunch will be served. Advance registration is encouraged; registration will be available online at www.diosef.org, or participants may call 305-493-8486 and request a registration form by mail.  The cost of is $10 per person.  For more information contact Kathleen Walker, 305-417-3261.

Follow-up to Bishop’s Spring Conference—The presentations made by Bill Wrenn, Missioner for Evangelism and Stewardship of the Diocese of North Carolina, at the Bishop’s Spring Conference are now posted at http://www.diosef.org/bill_wrenn.html, and are also available there in downloadable PDF format. He has given us permission to use any or all of his material.

Next year’s BSC—Mark your calendars now for the next Bishop’s Spring Conference, Mar. 13-14, 2009. Our speaker will be Diana Butler Bass, scholar and author of six books, including the best-selling Christianity for the Rest of Us.

Safeguarding God's Children—Three Safeguarding God’s Children training sessions will be offered in the North Palm Beach Deanery in May: May 10, 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Holy Trinity, West Palm Beach (click here for registration information); May 17, 9 a.m.-noon, St. Mark’s, Palm Beach Gardens (call 561-622-0956 for information); and May 29, Bethesda-by-the-Sea, Palm Beach, 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. (call Kim Pyle, 561-655-4555, ext. 14, or email Kim at pyle@bbts.org).

Cursillo Weekends—It’s time to begin submitting applications for candidates for the Cursillo weekends coming this summer and fall. Applications for the women’s weekend, July 17-20, must be in by June 15, and the deadline for applications for the men’s weekend, Sept. 25-28, is Aug. 24. Cursillo Sunday, May 4, would be a good time to identify potential candidates and talk with them about Cursillo. See your parish Cursillo representative or your rector for application forms, and for more information about Cursillo go to http://www.sefcursillo.org/.

Grant application Workshop--Episcopal Charities will offer a Grants Application and Information Workshop on Thursday, May 22, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at St. Mark the Evangelist, Ft. Lauderdale. Lunch will be provided. The Basic Human Needs Grants Application for 2008-2009 has been sent to all rectors and can also be downloaded from the Episcopal Charities website, www.ecsefl.org. The deadline for submitting applications is Aug. 15 at 5 p.m. Participants should obtain and review the application before the workshop and bring it that day for advice about filling out the form.

January 2009 Pilgrimages—In January of 2009 Bishop Frade and Diana will lead two pilgrimages: a 15-day trip to Egypt and Rome, departing Jan. 2, and a 10-day Holy Land pilgrimage, departing Jan. 27. Click here for complete information on the Egypt/Rome trip and here for the Holy Land pilgrimage. Space is very limited for both trips, and reservations will be honored on a first-come first-served basis. A $300 per person tax-deductible donation to Our Little Roses Ministries is included in the cost of the tickets for each trip.

Proposed Commemoration of Thurgood Marshall—The Diocese of Washington is proposing that the Church include Thurgood Marshall on its liturgical calendar, and celebrate his feast on May 17 (the anniversary of his victory in Brown v. Board of Education). The matter is under consideration by the Church’s Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music and will be discussed at the General Convention next summer by the convention’s Committee on Prayer Book, Liturgy and Music. Information and liturgical resources for a commemoration of the Christian witness of Justice Marshall can be found at http://www.edow.org/news/window/2008/may/marshallliturgy.html.

Green idea—Want to save some trees by reducing junk mail? If you regularly receive catalogues you don’t want, you can let the companies know that you don’t want to receive their mailings by going to www.catalogchoice.org to opt out of these mailings. Their list includes a huge number of catalogs, and the service is free.

Episcopal Motorcycle Riders—Mark Andrew Jones of Chapel of St. Andrews, Boca Raton, would like to hear from other Episcopalians who are motorcycle enthusiasts and would be interested in forming an Episcopal Motorcycle Riders group in our diocese. This was a project started by Mark and his fellow cyclist Doug Drouin of St. Paul’s, Delray Beach, shortly before Doug’s sudden death last month. If you’re interested in fellowship and some community outreach ministry with fellow Episcopalians on motorcycles, contact Mark at brmarkandrew@bellsouth.net or jonesmar@nova.edu. 

Sanctus Bell wanted--Holy Comforter, Miami, has had a ministry relationship for several years with Holy Trinity Episcopal Church and school in Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua, and Fr. Dwight Morgan and members of his congregation are planning another mission trip next month to this sister congregation. Holy Trinity needs a Sanctus bell—something that’s simply not in their budget--and Fr. Morgan would like to take them one. If your church has a Sanctus bell (not the heavy gong-type, but the kind with two or three small bells) that you no longer use and would like to donate, please contact Fr. Morgan at revdmorgan7@yahoo.com or (305) 643-2711.

 Sermon resource-- Fr. Ron Johnson, rector of St. James the Fisherman, Islamorada, has developed a sermon resource website, including both subscription and free material, as a homiletic resource for clergy. The site, Revised Common Lectionary Gospel Sermons, is at www.rclsermons.com.

Episcopal Church Archives Black History exhibit--The Archives of the Episcopal Church has launched an electronic publication and online exhibit titled "The Church Awakens: African Americans and the Struggle for Justice." The multimedia exhibit, available here, covers the period of enslavement to the present, with emphasis on the Civil Rights era. As an educational resource for Church settings, the exhibit is designed to expand on the strength of reader input and future research.

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CLICK HERE TO VIEW UPCOMING PARISH EVENTS

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CLERGY CHANGES

 

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Parishes in Transition:

St. Mark the Evangelist, Ft. Lauderdale—Fr. Gary Hamp, interim; no longer receiving names

St. Andrew’s, Miami—Fr. Gary Verell, interim; receiving names, effective 5/10

Guardian Angels, Lantana—Fr. David Kennedy, interim; search process continuing

Transfiguration, Miami Gardens—Fr. Tom Shepherd, interim

St. Anne’s, Hallandale—Search committee formed; Fr. Keithly Warner, supply.

St. Paul’s, Key West—Search committee formed; Canon Kerry Robb, interim

St. Philip’s, Pompano Beach—Fr. Ornoldo Surgeon, supply

Holy Sacrament, Pembroke Pines—Fr. Wilson Brown announced resignation as rector, effective 5/18, to accept a call to the Diocese of Southwestern Virginia.

St. James the Fisherman, Islamorada—Rector announced retirement, effective 5/31; search committee formed.

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F.Y.I.—Information from our Parishes and Around the Church

The Rev. Patsy McGregor and Cheryl Harman will host a meeting on Saturday, May 10, at 10 a.m. in the youth room at the Chapel of St. Andrew, Boca Raton, for anyone interested in participating in a mission trip to Madagascar sometime in 2009. This mission team will be limited to 12 persons, but there will be future opportunities. For information, contact Cheryl Harman at 561-330-3388 or 561-271-7151 or CMH103@aol.com.

Trinity Cathedral, Miami, invites everyone to “An Evening at the Garden,” May 30, beginning at 7 p.m., at Miami Beach Botanical Garden. The event, which will feature fine dining, entertainment, a silent auction and a raffle, will benefit Trinity Cathedral Outreach Ministries. Tickets are $75 per person or a table of 8 for $525. Contact Hanno Mueller at 305-776-0769 / hgmueller@aol.com or the Cathedral Office 305-374-3372 for tickets.

The Episcopal Church Center at the University of Miami (Chapel of the Venerable Bede) is seeking a Business Manager/Chapel Administrator for mid-May.  This full-time position includes benefits.  Knowledge of basic accounting plus familiarity with Quikbooks and other computerized financial programs is necessary.  Because of the small full-time staff (two!), the position is multi-faceted and includes administrative, financial, secretarial and other duties.  For more information, contact The Rev. Frank J. Corbishley at 305-284-2333 or fcorbishley@miami.edu. 

St. Thomas, Coral Gables, is renovating its chapel and has 12 oak pews in excellent condition to give away. The pews are nine feet long and 24 inches deep, but could be cut to other sizes. If you have—or know of—a need for these pews, call the office at St. Thomas, 305-661-3436.

Church of the Atonement, Lauderdale Lakes, is seeking a part-time organist/choir director. Call the church office at 954-731-6100 for information, or send resume to Church of the Atonement, 4401 W. Oakland Park Blvd., Lauderdale Lakes, FL  33313.

Youth Ministry kicks! Change lives every day! St. Joseph’s, Boynton Beach needs a Youth Minister to lead: Beach Services, Mission Trips, Wednesday Night Madness, Bonding Experiences, Outreach, Music…among other activities. For details or to apply, go to http://www.stjoesweb.org/html/YouthMinisterWanted.html.

Episcopal Charities of Southeast Florida would like to contract with two persons with very specific skills for limited part-time assistance, perhaps two half-days per month: (1) A “techie” to act as liaison between the EC staff and the web designer on website updates and maintenance; and (2) someone with grant-writing experience to assist staff with preparing and writing grant requests. For further information contact Episcopal Charities President Charlie Ring, 561-799-6424 or Charlie@ecsefl.org.

St. Andrew’s Residence, in downtown West Palm Beach overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway, offers affordable efficiency and one-bedroom apartments for active seniors. Rents start at $462 per month, including utilities, and all applicants must be 62 or older. For more information call 561-655-1504.

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Additional Events and Opportunities
(click on links below for more information!)

• Faith Formation Summit 2008
• The Summer Collegium 2008 (conference on small church ministry) - at Virginia
  Theological Seminary
• "Everyone Everywhere" World Mission Conference, June 5-8, 2008
• Personal Spiritual Deepening Program from Shalem Institute
• DMin Program at Sewanee
• Duncan Center Programs--Spring 2008
• Sewanee Church Music Conference--July 14-20, 2008

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