Gift Idea: EpiscopalRI Logo Swag

"We know the Anchor stands for hope, and we know our hope is in the Cross of Christ" was the most tweeted quote from Bishop Knisely's address to Diocesan Convention last month (hear more here). It was a phrase he spoke when introducing our new diocesan logo (left), to explain why we chose the imagery we chose, and tell what he learned this last year about the vision of the people of this diocese.

If you're one of the many people who contacted us afterwards wanting to buy swag with our logo on it to help keep this vision close to heart, you're in luck! this week we've launched our own Zazzle store where you can purchase keychains, tee shirts, bumper stickers and more. Check it out! There is even still a little time left to order Christmas gifts.

The Great Shuffle: Reorganizing Office Space at Diocesean House

If you’ve been to the Diocesan House recently you may have noticed things are a little topsy-turvy at the moment.  We’re re-arranging, and there are two rather exciting reasons behind the temporary chaos.

First and foremost, over the past year with a new Bishop and Canon to the Ordinary, the staff has been exploring new ways of working together. With new leadership comes new vision, new mission, and new responsibilities. As we settle into these changes, it only seems natural to re-arrange the office to facilitate the new ways we are working together.

Secondly, we have rented our Diocesan Annex to Hallworth House, who is one of our closest affiliated institutions. The annex will give them the space they need to expand their burgeoning outpatient program, with access to North Main at street level.

This arrangement is mutually beneficial because the annex has been largely underutilized this past year. Most meetings that once took place in that space have moved out into churches around the diocese.

What will the changes look like when you come visit us? The resource center books are now available for you to browse and borrow in diocesan house, any time you visit. Feel free not to bring them back if you find a book that has a duplicate. There will also be welcoming comfortable places around the office where you can sit and read, chat, or pray.

The other major change you’ll notice will be that the Finance department is moving into the vacant offices on the first floor, and the large room they’ve been sharing will be returned to its original use as an open conference room.  The Chapel and Higgins room downstairs will remain as they are. Having the first floor offices occupied will make entering our front door a more welcoming experience and enable us to unlock that door on a regular basis without worrying about theft or confused visitors not knowing where to find reception.

When Finance moves downstairs, Episcopal Charities will be moving upstairs. It will be wonderful to have Peggy more closely involved in our daily office life, as Charities is such an integral part of our diocesan work together.

Please bear with us as, our people and furniture settle into their new homes.

New RiteWorship License for all RI Episcopal Churches

With less than one month left in the year, you may be looking at renewing your church's copyright licenses for music. Before you do, take note. The Diocese of Rhode Island has already purchased Church Publishing's Riteworship subscription for all of our churches, effective 1/1/14.

If you have subscribed to Riteworship in the past, you don't need to renew your current subscription. If you aren't familiar with the program, check it out here to see what it includes before you renew your other licenses. The music you use may already be covered by Riteworship.

In addition to permission to use the music included in the program, Riteworship has a nifty church bulletin builder that may make your Parish Administrator's job a whole lot easier. There is a

free 30 day trial if you would like to acquaint yourself with Riteworship's tools before your subscription starts on 1/1/14

So how will this work? When Church Publishing sets up your riteworship account, your church will receive an e-mail notification with your account login details and instructions. When you first log on, you can change your password to one of your choosing. That will be the password, along with the email address on the account, that your church will use to access the program each time.

To get started you may want to view the 13-minute riteworship introductory video on YouTube. It’s a helpful and easy-to-follow video led by the person most responsible for the program’s development. Or if you prefer, you can download the User’s Guide here.

Finally, Riteworship has a wonderful tech support staff ready to answer any questions not covered by the video and User Guide. You can reach Anita by dropping an e-mail to CPIeProducts@cpg.org or by calling 800-242-1918 and hitting prompt 2 then prompt 1.

Advent Calendar

Click to open the window for today's meditation in the 2014 SSJE Advent Calendar