The Latest eRISEN: Biweekly Events Calendar

You can view the latest issue of eRISEN, our biweekly email events calendar, at the link below:

 eRISEN, November 19th 2009

Want to sign up to the eRISEN mailing list? Want to submit your event? Just visit the eRISEN page on our website.

Creative Writing Contest Deadline Extended

DEADLINE HAS BEEN EXTENDED UNTIL NOVEMBER 30th 2009!

RISEN Magazine, a publication of the Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island, is pleased to announce its first creative writing contest! The venture aims to support writers who are called to create in the Image of our Creator God, and to introduce RISEN's 22,000 readers to these inspired authors and their works.

Entries are being accepted in the categories of Poetry and Short Fiction. The winning work in each category will receive a $500 prize and see their poem or story appear in the Winter 2010 “Creation and Creativity” issue. When submitting, remember RISEN Magazine's mission to inform, enlighten, and inspire. Entries should express artistic excellence as well spiritual truth, and should be appropriate for the RISEN issue they will appear in.

Visit our website to download the submission guidelines and forms,  and join our facebook page to recieve updates and deadline reminders!

Photo Albums from Convention and The Cathedral's 80th Anniversary Eucharist

Visit the link below to view online photo albums from the 219th Diocesan Convention and The Cathedral of St. John's 80th anniversary on October 23rd and 24th 2009.

www.facebook.com/episcopalri

(don't worry, you can view them even if you aren't a facebook member!)

Louisiana and Rhode Island Update: Pete Nunnally's visit

Pete Nunnally, Director of Volunteers for Episcopal Community Services in the Diocese of Louisiana will be visiting Rhode Island next weekend. Episcopal Community Services is continuing the rebuilding work begun after Katrina, now focused on long term, sustainable community growth and development. There are still plenty of projects for parishes and individuals to be involved in, and plenty to learn about working in an urban environment similar in many ways to our own. Pete’s own story is compelling; a spring mission trip with his home parish in northern Virginia turned into a complete life reorientation.

St. Martin’s in Providence will be hosting Pete and invites you to an informal reception on Saturday afternoon, November 7 from 4 to 6 PM. We’ll serve light refreshments and have time for Pete to present some of what’s happening in New Orleans and respond to questions. This is an excellent opportunity for you and your congregations to learn more about what’s happening in New Orleans and to strengthen the relationship between our two dioceses. For more information please call the parish office at 401-751-2141 or email The Rev. Clare Fischer-Davies at rector@stmartinsprov.org .

The Bishop's Convention Address

219TH CONVENTION OF THE DIOCESE OF RHODE ISLAND

24 OCTOBER 2009

ADDRESS TO CONVENTION

THE RIGHT REVEREND GERALYN WOLF

 “Be watchful, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong.”
1 Corinthians 16:13

First and foremost, thank you, thank you to each of you who give so generously of your time and talents to the ministry of the Church, both in your congregation, and for the benefit of the diocese as a whole. We come together to give thanks for the blessings of this life so generously given to us by our beloved Jesus; for the renewal of friendships and the meeting of new people; and to face together the important realities that challenge our church and call forth our creative and faithful response.

We gather at a time when unemployment in our state is 13% and parishes and people are anxious about economic security. Budgets are very tight, and some churches have had to reduce staff and programs. Church leaders are concerned about membership, stewardship, decreasing income from endowments, and the viability of our congregations over time.

We know that the familiar church is passing away. I do not mean that The Church — the Body of Christ — is dying, but that our human structure of the earthly church is troubled and we are being called to discover a re-formed character. And, while there are many visions of this “new” church, and many books and speakers have sparked our imagination, we have yet to grasp adequately an expression of the faith that is both rooted in our historic beliefs and traditions and coherent for these changing times and the culture of New England.

I believe that we are living in the throws of a corporate Holy Saturday. Jesus’ body has been removed from the cross, and the promised rebuilding of the temple has yet to occur. Holy Saturday is the day when nothing seems to be happening, only mourning and sadness, and grasping at what will come next. Every main line denomination, including the Roman Catholic Church and Jewish communities has lost a significant number of members, and 15% of the population claims no religious identity at all. We are not alone in this season of anxiety. Christendom in the Western world is mourning for what was lost and not quite sure of what is to come; grieving as Cathedrals become tourist attractions and pews are empty on Sunday morning.

Holy Saturday, is a time of anxious waiting: faithful to Jesus and his promises, uncertain as to how and when they will occur, but endlessly bound to his Risen Life.

In times like this it is important to remain faithful and vigilant because the Evil One “prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour,” knowing that in our anxiety we are vulnerable to unproductive behaviors.

One of these is to become insular, focused on our particular congregation, concerned more with survival than with proclamation. We all know that in turning inward, we are neither salt nor light for others. As a church, we need to be keenly aware of the world around us and the conditions which characterize our age. We need to go apart with God in stillness, and into the world with vigorous faith.

Another behavior to which we are vulnerable is to blame others for our situation. Casting fault provides temporary emotional relief, but it does not address the underlying problems, and is a way of escaping the truth and responsibilities of a given situation.

When Jesus was crucified he did not focus on himself but on Mary, his mother, John his disciple, and the two thieves crucified with him. We do not hear him uttering words of blame, only forgiveness, blessing and hope.

Inspired by Jesus’ response, I have the gall to think that this is one of the most challenging and engaging times to be a Christian, an Episcopalian, and part of the Anglican Communion. I believe that God is doing something new across Christendom, and if this is a time of grave uncertainty perhaps it is because the trumpet is sounding and a wake-up call is arousing us from our complacency.

I am encouraged by signs of new life in our diocese, exemplified by ten characteristics of congregations that are experiencing significant transformation.

1. They changed their attitude. They got honest with themselves, owning their responsibilities. Instead of acting as victims they re-set their vision;
2. They are people of abundance instead of scarcity. They speak of God’s blessings in their life, of gratitude and thankfulness. They experience the joy of giving instead of complaining that they don’t have enough;
3. They place a high priority on Christian formation for all ages, acknowledging that informed believers make faithful disciples;
4. They see new comers not as sources of money, but as people who are seeking a Christ-centered community;
5.  They create an environment of mutual responsibility member to member, organization to organization;
6. They develop achievable goals, and rely upon shared ministry to accomplish them;
7. They move from triangulation and gossip to effective ways of communication;
8. They unashamedly give voice to the core of the Christian faith: to the sinful failings of the human condition, redeemed through the transforming love of the Word made Flesh.
9. They use new technologies in the service of evangelism and proclamation, and
10. They expect people to worship every Sunday; hearing the Word of God, and receiving the Bread of Life.

No church has all of these characteristics, but each church has some. I invite every Vestry and Bishop’s Mission Committee to reflect seriously on these ten signs of congregational vitality.

 Stewardship and Evangelism are two key words for our Diocese today.

Imagine the witness of our ancestors, who gave money towards the building of our churches, schools, orphanage, and nursing homes; who gave memorials of bibles and prayer books, statues, and pews. Some donors were people of great means, but most were working people, immigrants, who thanked God every day for their blessings. They were people of vision and sacrifice, creating a church for their own time and for generations to come.

What would it look like for us to follow their example and contribute significantly, joyfully, so that the mission of the church will flourish today, and in future generations? This is a critical question for our diocese, for it challenges our spiritual attitude towards money. Scripture tell us that if the gifts are freely given, the ministry will prosper, if not the tree will be pruned.

Another challenge for us is membership? I’ve never visited a church that didn’t want new members, and by extension more money. But, Jesus didn’t send out the seventy-two to balance the budget, but to baptize, to invite people to let go of their old lives and to experience new life in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

It is shown that the most effective evangelism is relational, people inviting people to church. However, there are new forms of invitation, using internet techniques, to bring people together around various interests and events.

Some congregations support mission trips, soup kitchens, suppers and fairs as events to encourage participation. Regardless of the method, the goal of our evangelism must be rooted in faith filled invitation and incorporation, for we live in a highly spiritual age and it is the spiritual life for which people hunger.

If you search the internet for either Stewardship or Evangelism you will find an amazing array of ideas and opportunities.

As a diocese, we have had committees, special speakers, and programs, on both these topics and have supported attendance at Province I and national events. Our next opportunity to gain the tools for effective ministry is at Diocesan Convocation, this coming February. However, it is in the local church that ideas are transformed into action.

Soon, we will be presented with a new three year budget, developed over the past year, in which everyone was invited to participate during three hearings held last Spring. It is tight, it is manageable, and it speaks to our commitment to do those ministries which are best done as a diocese through our common giving. However, we can’t do everything; we cannot fulfill the whole of the gospel mandate. No diocese or congregation has the resources to do it all, but as members of Christ’s Body the whole church attempts to do the whole ministry, in which we play our part.

Our goal is to focus on the priorities we have set, with a commitment to growing our churches and increasing our stewardship, and from time to time to evaluate and clarify our direction, knowing that it is better to do a few things well, than attempt more than is possible.

Our apportionment dollars form our common purse for mission. One of the ministries we fund together is Hispanic ministry. We now have two congregations, and what may be news to you is that they have a combined average Sunday attendance of 260 people, with one priest between the two churches. Our proposed diocesan budget for the next three years includes funding for one additional bi-lingual full time priest, the planting of two new Hispanic congregations, and the strengthening of our call to urban ministry.

On the administrative side of the budget, we have the smallest staff in over 40 years, and I cannot say enough about their faithfulness, professionalism, incredibly hard work and dedication. They are true Christian servants, whose goal is to help and assist our churches in carrying out God’s mission. Some have suggested that we need to increase our number, and I agree, but not now. Staff compensation, set in the 2010 budget, will remain largely unchanged for three years unless there is a change in our financial situation.

Every church in our diocese has people who are creative thinkers, good cooks, technologically saavy, visionary, hospitable, welcoming, Christ-focused: all the gifts necessary for effective ministry in a new age, and these gifts need to be placed on the lamp stand so that they are used for the challenges at hand.

I believe that we are on the threshold of a new resurrection in the Church, but it is up to all of us to leave the tombs of our hesitation, roll back the rock of nostalgia, and discover what the Risen Lord wants for the extension of his reign in the world of today. It will not be the church of our memories, but a different, authentic expression of God’s kingdom in our midst.

Year after year, I offer a Convention Address only to watch it evaporate into thin air. This year, I invite you to share this with the leaders of your church, paying particular attention to four parts: what it means to live in Holy Saturday, the ten characteristics of transforming churches, new models for evangelism, and what you’re going to do about your attitude toward money.

It is important that we listen to each other’s thoughts on these topics, and engage in conversation for the purpose of sharing ideas, and strengthening mutual ministry. To this end, I extend an invitation to everyone who has discussed these four points in their church, to join me for breakfast and conversation on Saturday, January 16, at 8:30AM, at the Cathedral.

Listen to a section of the Collect for Holy Saturday. … Grant [O, Lord that] as the crucified body of your dear Son was laid in the tomb and rested on this holy Sabbath, so we may await with him the coming of the third day, and rise with him to newness of life…. (BCP, 221)

The Christian message is a message of newness of life and eternal hope. “We need believers who are informed, engaged, missional, and faithful.” [The Rt. Rev. Mark Lawrence] We need generous spirits, thankful hearts, and works of mercy, so that our Holy Saturday will lead to the Feast of Resurrection.

Resources from the 219th Diocesan Convention are now available online

Our Diocesan Convention is an assembly composed of Bishops, Clergy, and Delegates who all sit as one body for the purpose of attending to the business of the Church. On October 24th of this year was the 219th Annual Diocesan Convention of the Diocese. The theme was "Shared Blessings".

You can download a copy of the Bishop's Convention Address, and read a statement from the Bishop's Office about what this year's actions really mean for the Diocese by visiting the convention page of our website at

http://www.episcopalri.org/NewsEvents/DiocesanConvention/tabid/191/Default.aspx

At the above link you can also read the resolutions as they were submitted, and as they were passed.


The 219th Diocesan Convention also approved a new budget for 2010, and the detailed budget will be published at the above link as soon as it is available. There are some adjustments necessary, due to the changes required by Convention's actions.

From the Projo's front page: Bishop Wolf speaks on the Vatican invitation to Anglicans

October 21, 2009
Yesterday Providence Journal Staff Writer Richard Dujardin spoke with Bishop Wolf on the phone about the Vatican's recent announcement, and today an article with Bishop Wolf's comments appeared on the front page of the paper.  Click on the link below to read the full article, titled "R.I. Episcopalians cite little effect from Vatican invitation to Anglicans"

http://www.projo.com/religion/content/LOCAL_CHURCH_REACTION_10-21-09_CSG5LSH_v11.3a63636.html

What's Happening with Youth in the Diocese, By Ian Holliday

First, by way of introduction, I'm Ian Holliday. I'm a member (and summer employee) of this diocese with a degree in journalism who currently lives in exile in Massachusetts. I'm going to be blogging here every Monday (or every other Monday, or on as many Mondays as possible) about a subject that's very important to me: youth in the diocese.

It wasn't long ago that I was a youth in the diocese, and I'm still involved with many of the ministries that cater to them. By giving the many wonderful youth programs of the diocese more coverage here on the blog, our hope is to raise their profile among Rhode Island Episcopalians, and get people excited about the potential that exists here.

When I was in high school, I had mixed feelings about church-related youth activities. I enjoyed being part of my parish's youth group, but I rarely participated in diocese-wide activities. And when I did, the experience wasn't always great (but that's a different story you can read about in the current RISEN). The one youth event I loved right away was Happening. I went to my first one when I was a senior in high school, and I've been back to every one since (except the one that happened while I was in Chile), including the most recent weekend, #65, which took place October 9-11 at LaSalette Retreat Center in Attleboro.

Happening is often difficult to describe. At its simplest, it's a weekend youth retreat led by and created for high-schoolers, with the goal of making God's love for all of us a more tangible reality. Further details are usually kept secret because one of the key elements of the weekend is surprise.

This doesn't always sit well with parents. How would you feel if your child said, "Mom, Dad, my friends want me to go to this thing called Happening, but they won't tell me anything about it. Also, I'll be gone for two nights and it costs over $100"? But this doesn't have to be a point of contention. Scholarships are available for those that can't afford the cost of the weekend, and coordinators Harold Guise and Mark Sidla are happy to answer any questions parents may have.

For those young people whose parents are trusting enough to allow them to go, Happening can be one of the best experiences of their lives. It was for me.

For more information about Happening, or to sign up for Happening #66 (April 30 - May 2, 2010) contact Harold Guise (hguise@mail.uri.edu, 481-9642) or Mark Sidla (mark.sidla@gmail.com, 636-1946)

P.S. Sorry about the pun in the title of this post. I couldn't resist.
-Ian

A Letter to Rhode Island from the Presiding Bishop

October 13, 2009

The Most Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori

Presiding Bishop and Primate

The Episcopal Church

Dear brothers and sisters in Rhode Island:

I continue to give thanks for your commitment to mission, and for the faithful leadership and ministry of Bishop Wolf.

I know that economic issues are challenging you, as they are many others, across the United States and the world. Parish and diocesan budgets have been affected both by changed employment and unemployment realities, and even more so by the poor performance of investments in the last two years. The Episcopal Church as a whole is also suffering because of these economic challenges.

I understand from your bishop that the vast majority of your congregations have worked sacrificially to make sure that the work of the larger church goes forward, both through your individual congregations' diocesan giving, and together through your 21% contribution to The Episcopal Church. Your generosity has greatly aided the mission work of the larger church in this country and around the world. Your ability to share what God has given you has helped to provide for Episcopal chaplains for our troops in Iraq, salaries for priests in places like Mexico and Liberia, resettling refugees from war-torn places like Sudan, and the education of children in all parts of our Church. I am deeply grateful for your faithful support of so many ways in which the whole Church serves God's people.

It would be easy in times of economic duress to play it safe, and to think only of our own needs. Yet Jesus calls us to the risk of loving our neighbors, nearby and far away. In times of suffering we must work even harder to put the needs of others before our own, to be the Good Samaritan, to remember that we are our brothers' and sisters' keeper, and that it is always "more blessed to give than to receive." When you gather together in your Diocesan Convention, I pray that you will continue your partnership in God's mission, both locally and throughout the world.

I give thanks for your creative leadership, your sustaining ministry, and your engagement in mission on behalf of "the least of these" (Marthew 25). I remain

Your servant in Christ,

EDS Announces the Matriculation of our own Rebecca Gettel

This morning I recieved the press release below from Jules Smith at EDS. It describes this fall's Matriculation ceremony, and features our own Rebecca Gettel! Rebecca is indeed from St. John's, Barrington, as the article tells, but what it doesn't tell is that for the last couple of years she served as the full-time Youth Minister there.  We will miss her while she's living in Cambridge, and wish her the best on this next step towards her ordination!

-Ruth and the Diocesan House

Rebecca Binns Gettel of Barrington, Rhode Island Matriculates at Episcopal Divinity School

October 7, 2009, CAMBRIDGE, MA: Episcopal Divinity School celebrated its 2009 fall Matriculation ceremony September 16, welcoming 21 newly matriculating students into the seminary community. Rebecca Gettel of Barrington, Rhode Island was among those who signed the book that officially marks her enrollment. Gettel is from St. John’s Church, Barrington in the Diocese of Rhode Island. She is currently enrolled in the Master of Divinity program. The matriculating students are candidates for EDS’ master of divinity degree, master of arts in theological studies degree, or a graduate certificate in theological study