Leadership
Lent, Holy Week, & Easter: A Coronavirus Update.
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…
Being the Church in the Face of COVID-19: A F.A.Q. of Worship and Events at St. Christopher’s
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 …
Beyond Livestream Worship: Keeping Faith Communities Connected in the Face of COVID 19
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.
The Gospel in Community: StC’s Annual Report for the 2019 Year
Our Annual Meeting was held on Sunday, January 26th. You can find a pdf of our annual report for 2019 by clicking the link below: The Gospel in Community: Worship, Formation, Ministry MissionThe 2019 Annual Report & Mission Proposal
Scam Alert!
We’ve seen notices like the one I’ll quote below from both our bishops now and it’s just a matter of time before someone tries it from some other clergy you might know…
Annual Meeting, Sunday, Jan. 26th
Our Annual Meeting is coming on Sunday, Januaryt 26th following an abrieviated 10:30am service.
More than just business, this meeting celebrates God’s work in us and through us during the previous year and shares what ministries are planning to accomplish (by God’s grace!) this coming year. We’ll also elect our leadership and approve our budget.
All members are asked to attend and vote.* This is an open meeting and all are welcome. We look forward to spending this time with you.
Bishop Rickel’s Advent Message
Our Episcopal Bishop, Greg Rickel, sends greetings and offers these thoughts during the Advent season, the four weeks of preparation leading up to Christmas.
ELCA Churchwide Assembly 2019 Concludes – Here’s a summary…
CHICAGO (Aug. 14, 2019) — Gathering under the theme “We are church,” voting members of the 2019 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) made a number of key decisions to further the mission and ministry of this church. The assembly, the chief legislative authority of the church, met Aug. 5-10 at the Wisconsin Center in Milwaukee. Read more here about what was decided…
Sadness, Anger, Grief: Bishop Rickel Responds to the Shootings in El Paso and Dayton
Dear Ones, Yesterday, I was just about to blog some reflections on the Camino after being off the trail and home, and that will come… but it seemed so trivial when I received the word of yet another mass shooting in our country. I completely understand why the Mayor of El Paso felt the need to say the words to his fellow citizens, “Don’t worry, we are all safe.” But I had to wonder, how can any of us make that assurance? I am sure those words would be cold comfort indeed to the 20 families who lost loved ones […]
A Call to Discipleship
In this invitation, Eaton unites with the Most Rev. Michael B. Curry, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church; the Most Rev. Fred Hiltz, primate, Anglican Church of Canada; and the Rev. Susan C. Johnson, national bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada.
Overcoming Self-Doubt:
5 ways to get beyond imposter syndrome By Kristen Glass Perez. Thanks to WomenOfTheELCA.org. Reposting from https://www.boldcafe.org/5-ways-to-get-beyond-imposters-syndrome/ Recently, I received a request from a friend who is an expert in her professional field. She wanted to share that she was quoted in a national publication via social media, but felt awkward posting it herself. She asked me to post it for her. I was happy to do so. As soon as I posted it, I saw many other posts of strong individual achievements on my social media feeds. I noticed that few women posted about their own successes while male […]
Bishop Jaech: God’s Promise for our Lenten Journey
Dear Friends in Christ, As we enter Lent and head towards Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Easter, here is a story from Luke’s Gospel that jumps out at me. This translation is by Eugene Peterson in The Message. “Not long after that, Jesus went to the village of Nain. His disciples were with him, along with quite a large crowd. As they approached the village gate, they met a funeral procession—a woman’s only son was being carried out for burial. And the mother was a widow. When Jesus saw her, his heart broke. He said to her, ‘Don’t cry.’ Then […]
Bishop’s Leadership Conference: Save the Date!
Bishop’s Leadership Conference (Dio Olympia) – Save the Date! We will be meeting April 26-May 1, 2020, at Fort Worden in Port Townsend! More details will be available in the coming months, but make sure to mark your calendar now and save the date for the second installment of this powerful time of connection, learning, and community! Fr. James says, “This is an amazing leadership conference. I went in 2018. Anyone invested in the ministry and mission of St. Christopher’s is invited and would benefit! Please come talk to me about joining the team we will be sending.” In past […]
Walk Again: Discerning the Future with Bishop Rickel
Eleven years ago, Bishop Rickel traveled throughout the diocese on his first walkabout, meeting the people of the diocese and visiting churches across Western Washington. Now, as we enter into a new phase of our life together, Bishop Rickel and representatives from our governing bodies will be traveling the diocese again for a series of conversations on our common vision and the road ahead. It will be a year of dialogue, a year of listening, and a year of growing together as the Episcopal Church in Western Washington. Join us for Bishop Rickel’s Walk Again. Saturday, April 6th, at St. […]
“Changing Lives for Christ” : The Annual Report of 2018
Please click this link to view our Annual Report for the Year 2018. Please click this link to view our Annual Report for the Year 2018.
5 Resources for Better Church Meetings
Reposted from ECF Vital Practices, by Brendon Hunter, Feb. 21, 2018. This month we offer five resources to help your vestry or other church group have more engaging and productive meetings. Please share this digest with new members of your vestry and extend an invitation to subscribe to ECF Vital Practices to receive Vestry Papers and the monthly digest. 1. The Consent Agenda: More Efficient MeetingsThe Consent Agenda: More Efficient Meetingsintroduces the concept and practice of using a consent agenda and how this makes space for strategic mission and ministry discussions without adding to the length of a meeting. – 2. Creative JuicesCreative Juices looks […]