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Bishop Skelton Calls a Fast Day. Plus Resources and Prayers for Peace in the Holy Land

From Bishop Skelton

From Bishop Skelton Resources and Prayers for Peace in the Holy Land October 16, 2023 Greetings, People of the Diocese of Olympia, Like me, you have probably been watching and listening in horror as the events in Israel and Gaza continue to unfold. The stories coming out of Israel are both heartbreaking and traumatizing to us, but especially to Jewish communities around the world that fear anew for their safety and future. At the same time, the scenes emerging from Gaza of innocent civilians attempting to flee or unable to flee are unbearable. In the midst of all of this, I […]

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Fwd: From Bishop Skelton: Visit from Bishop Ernie Moral of the Episcopal Diocese of the Southern Philippines

Fwd: From Bishop Skelton: Visit from Bishop Ernie Moral of the Episcopal Diocese of the Southern Philippines

  From Bishop Skelton Visit from Bishop Ernie Moral of the Episcopal Diocese of the Southern Philippines September 21, 2023 Greetings, People of the Diocese of Olympia,   The Diocese of Olympia is delighted to welcome Bishop Ernie Moral, his wife Mrs. Shirmen Moral, and Mr. Gideon Bustamante, the Regional Development Officer at Episcopal CARE Foundation Inc. Bishop Moral, the Bishop of the Diocese of the Southern Philippines (EDSP), and his party will visit us for two weeks in late September and early October, primarily focusing on Creation Care learning exchange and potentially expanding our partnership. Bishop Moral will also […]

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Across the Diocese – August 11, 2023

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View as Webpage August 11, 2023         Holy Cow Survey and Holy Conversation Updates Three weeks left to respond to the Holy Cow Survey! We are inviting all clergy and lay members in the diocese to provide us with your input. Take the survey, today! Help us reach our goal of hearing from all of you! And if you have yet to participate in a Holy Conversation, please see the list of locations remaining and select one that is most convenient for you. We don’t want you to miss out on the opportunity to provide us your […]

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“What’s Your Joy?”: A Sabbatical Journey

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What is joy?   What is your joy?     Where does it comer from?         How do you know it when you see it?           How can you live a life filled with joy regardless of circumstances?  While I’m away on Sabbatical (May 1st – July 31st of 2023), I’m inviting our community to explore Joy. I’m suggesting we do this together, while we’re apart, and that we will share our discoveries when we’re reunited in August. Here are a couple of suggestions on how we will do this together:

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We give thanks… for you.

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Dear St. Christopher’s Friends, Members, and Supporters, At St. Christopher’s we have much to be thankful for… there have been physical additions to our facilities like the new flooring downstairs or the gazebo and the new playground equipment outside. We’ve had marvelous programs and events the Thanksgiving potluck, Evensong, and new book studies. And there are signs of recovery from the Pandemic all over.   But we are most grateful for God’s work in and through you. So many of you give of your time and talent and treasure. You come to worship. You pray for this community. You share […]

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Bishop’s News – Special Edition: A Message from Bishop Rickel to the People of the Diocese of Olympia

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A Message from Bishop Rickel July 15, 2022 Bishop Rickel reflects on his time as Bishop of Olympia and shares plans for the future. Video Transcript A Letter from the Standing Committee of the Diocese of Olympia Dear friends, Rest assured that the Standing Committee of the Diocese of Olympia was informed of Bishop Rickel’s decision in advance of this announcement and already are proactively responding. The Standing Committee met with Bishop Todd Ousley of the Presiding Bishop’s Office of Pastoral Development to discuss best practices for transition in the Office of the Bishop. Our immediate goal is to reassure […]

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Bishop’s News – Special Edition: Bishop Rickel’s Statement on the HBCU Bomb Threats

Bishop’s News – Special Edition: Bishop Rickel’s Statement on the HBCU Bomb Threats

Bishop Rickel’s Statement on the HBCU Bomb Threats February 2, 2022 Dear Ones, As many of you are well aware by now, yesterday, on the first of February and the first day of Black History Month, several of our historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) were terrorized with bomb threats. Sadly, this incarnates the reality that we still have a long collective way to go to reach Beloved Community and that any notion that we can now stop talking, working, and struggling toward it is an illusion. I want to say first how sorry I am to our African-American and Black […]

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Advent Calendar – daily text devotional for you.

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Receive daily text devotions by subscribing to our text message Advent Calendar. Simply text ADVENTCAL to 360.810.3292 to join. Text STOP ADVENTCAL to stop receiving messages. Text MENU or HELP for options. A ministry of St. Christopher’s Community Church, Olympia.

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Across the Diocese: New Youth Ministry Coordinator | Mental Health Awareness Month | Young Adult Stories of Quarantine

Across the Diocese Easter Banner

  View as Webpage May 22, 2020 ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ A Note from Communications Office Dear community of the Diocese of Olympia, While we continue to navigate the uncertainty and ever-evolving situation of this current health crisis, our weekly diocesan newsletter, Across the Diocese, will remain slightly truncated and be focused on sharing out resources, important information, points of connection between our worshiping communities, and virtual events for the benefit of the entire diocese. Blessings, Josh Hornbeck Canon Missioner for Communications One Diocese, One Church, One Day to Worship Together June 7, 11:00am Join us for an all-diocese worship […]

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Need a prayerbook? Here’s where to get an ELW or BCP…

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At St. Christopher’s we us several sources for our worship and print them up in the bulletin. Mostly though, we use the Book of Common Prayer (BCP) of the Episcopal Church and Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW) of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. It’s a good idea to have one or both of these at home for personal use and for times when you might gather in small groups at home or elsewhere. Having your own will also be handy in the near future as social distancing restrictions are lessened. We will not be able to share hymnals, prayerbooks, or […]

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Lent, Holy Week, & Easter: A Coronavirus Update.

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Dear Ones,

I’ve received notice from Bishop Rickel of the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia that all diocesan congregations will remain closed to the public through Holy Week and Easter.

This has not come as a surprise to most clergy, including myself. And I have been talking with my colleagues about backup plans prior to this announcement. So here is our plan…

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Being the Church in the Face of COVID-19: A F.A.Q. of Worship and Events at St. Christopher’s

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Dear St. Christopher’s and Friends,

A number of you have asked similar question or very good questions, all of which deserve an answer. Here is what I’ve heard…

Q: Is St. Christopher’s closed or will it be closing?
A: No. Our building is closed to the public and Washingtonians have strict measures in place about gatherings, but many things are taking place online and off. The outdoor worship spaces remain open for you to use individually – the Labyrinth, the Stations of the Cross, and the Columbarium. The Open Hands foodbank garden is still slated to go on. And we are adding more and more online worship, fellowship, and learning opportunities.

Q: Will there be another Eucharist online? How does online Eucharist work?
A: Yes. We are pre-recording a Eucharist and posting it Saturday night/Sunday morning each week. We post it on Facebook at facebook.com/stchristopherolympia and we post links to the video on our website’s front page – www.StChristopherOlympia.org .

… read more …

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Beyond Livestream Worship: Keeping Faith Communities Connected in the Face of COVID 19

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By the Rev. Ken Howard

This is the first in a multipart series on strategies and tools for doing and being church in the face of COVID19

The COVID19 pandemic is not the first time Christianity has been faced with the moral question of how to respond in the face of pandemic. In fact, the question is nearly as old as the Church itself. One of the first times was during the third century Roman plague. Something likely akin to Ebola, the so-called Cyprian plague (after Bishop Cyprian of Carthage) which ravaged the Empire from 250-270 CE.

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