The Latest eRISEN: March 5th 2011 Bishop Wolf's Retirement Special Edition

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

eRISEN March 5th, 2011 issue

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Bishop Wolf Announces Her Retirement

This afternoon at Diocesan Convocation, The Rt. Rev. Geralyn Wolf announced her intention to retire by the end of 2012. Listen to the podcast of her announcement, and read her letter to the Diocese below. You can also download and print her letter to share with others, as well as a letter from the Honorable Scott Avedisian, President of our Standing Committee, about the official process moving forward.

Podcast of her Convocation Announcement

Can't see the Podcast? Download it here

Letter from Bishop Wolf
March 5, 2011
Dear Friends in Christ,

Three weeks ago I celebrated with thanksgiving the fifteenth anniversary of my consecration as the XII Bishop of the Diocese of Rhode Island. Your support and affection during these years are gifts that I treasure and words are inadequate to express the love and appreciation that I have for you and for the people of our state.

As Christians we are called to serve Christ as best as we are able and then to accede to the contributions and vision of those who would follow. So it is that on this fifth day of March, 2011, I officially inform you of my intention to retire by the end of 2012, and hereby call for the election of my successor. By then, I shall be approaching my 66th birthday and the 36th year of my ordained ministry.

This was a very difficult decision for me to make, for I am truly invigorated by the ongoing challenges of episcopal ministry. However, it is the duty of every Christian to continually discern God’s will. Through prayer and conversation with others, I recognized that this was where the Lord was leading and have informed the Presiding Bishop’s office of my decision.

During the next twenty months or so, I will continue to have the honor of serving as your Bishop, gladly fulfilling the responsibilities of this sacred office. Having served in two dioceses during a change in diocesan bishops, I am well aware of the anticipation, excitement and anxiety that are part of this process and equally aware that on a daily basis, most things remain the same.

The crozier, one of the signs of the Episcopal Office, reminds us that the work of Christ, the Good Shepherd, never ends though the person who represents the shepherd is bound by the changing seasons of human life.

So it is a change of season for me, whom you have entrusted with this blessed ministry, and by extension it is a season of change for our beloved diocese. I believe that God is inviting us to give thanks for all that we have received, to look to the future in hope, and to trust in his unfailing love. May our ministry during this time of transition be a faithful response to this holy invitation.

I write this with enduring affection and gratitude.

Yours faithfully,

+Geralyn Wolf
Bishop of Rhode Island

The Latest e-RISEN: February 24th 2011

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

eRISEN February 24th 2011 issue

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Diana Butler Bass Video Preview for Convocation 2011 (Don't forget to register by Feb 27th)

Our 2011 Diocesan Convocation features Diana Butler Bass, the bestselling Author, Speaker, and Episcopalian. For a fun preview of what she has to say, watch this clip of her visit to Trinity, Copley last year. Then, on March 5th, come gather with hundreds of your fellow RI Episcopalians for an exciting day of learning and discussion of evangelism and the future of our Church.

For more information on Diana and her books, or to register, visit our website. Remember to register by February 27th to avoid late fees! See you there.

Episcopal Youth Mission EYE 2011

This is the year! Mission EYE (Episcopal Youth Event) is a triennial event for youth currently in grades 9-12, attended by delegations of youth and chaperones from all 109 diocese and 3 regional areas of the Episcopal Church. It is a gathering of young leaders in our denomination and a significant opportunity for building, sharing, and fulfilling our call to mission in the world. Come gather with 1500 other young Episcopalians on the campus of Bethel University St. Paul Minnesota, June 22 -26, 2011.


This year’s event is themed “Come together: intimately linked in this harvest work” and will call participants into a greater awareness of and commitment to God’s mission in the world. There will be three full days of worship, fun, sharing, praying, learning, singing, and working. The primary event will be followed by an opportunity to remain on campus for three more days of urban mission in the Greater Twin Cities Area, or rural locations throughout the diocese. The RI delegation will discuss the possibility of staying on for this extra project

Adult Youth Leaders throughout the Diocese of Rhode island are now planning together to form the delegation from Rhode Island. Youth leaders are looking for interested young people in our parishes who demonstrate a leadership capacity, a clear commitment to their Christian identity, and a desire to engage God’s mission in the world. These young people should be able to participate in all aspects of the event, lift up our covenant for being in community with respect for the behaviors and boundaries of others, and excited to take their learning home to their diocese, congregation, and community.

The cost is yet to be determined but will include airfare, a registration fee to cover meals and lodging at the event, and shuttle service fees. Usually one third of the total cost is paid by the family of the participant, one third paid by the parish, and one third paid by budgeted diocesan funds. Ten percent of each registration fee will be used specifically to respond to mission opportunities at the event, in keeping with the Five Marks of Mission and Millennium Development Goals.

Interested youth leaders and young people should contact Mary Ann Kolakowski, (401) 274 -4500 x247 maryann@episcopalri.org  or Catherine Thenault CAThenault@cox.net . The deadline for notifying us of your interest in attending is February 15, 2011, so don’t delay in contacting us. More information about EYE can be found here http://www.episcopalchurch.org/eye2011.htm

CDC Invitation for Grant Applications to support your parish

The Commission on Congregational Development invites applications for grants to support parishes and missions in the Diocese. Grant money is available for new or significantly expanded programs that seek to transform the life of the congregation and which support a documented plan for development.

This year, we have particular interest in collaborative proposals that will bring together different congregations and will invite participation from those outside the parish community. Please note that CDC grants are not awarded for bricks and mortar projects. Grants may be made for up to three years, with annual renewal dependent upon a review process. We encourage applicants to think big. The aim of these grants is to support the mission of the Diocese to “live in Christ, transform the world.”

Application Process

1. Submit a one-paragraph description of the proposed program via email to betsy@episcopalri.org by March 15.

2. Selected applicants will be notified by April 15 and requested to submit a full application which will include a development plan.

3. Full application is due on June 1.

4. Finalists will be interviewed by members of the CDC during the summer.

5. Grantees will be notified by August 1.

The Latest e-RISEN events Newsletter: February 4th 2011

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

eRISEN February 4th 2011 issue

Want to subscribe to the eRISEN mailing list? Want to submit your event? Just visit eRISEN our website

Convocation 2011 with Diana Butler Bass

Saturday March 5th, 2011
9:00AM to 3:00PM
The Marriott, One Orms Street, Providence RI
Register online (see below) by Feb 27th to avoid late fees!

This year will be better than ever, with bestselling author, scholar and speaker Diana Butler Bass! Diana will be speaking to us on the topic of evangelism, to continue where Reggie McNeal left off at last year's Convocation. Weren't there last year? That's alright. Reggie inspired us to re-think the purpose of church, and to reach out especially to those in the community who may never walk through the church building’s door. This year Diana Butler Bass will talk to us about how to be the good news of Christ in our communities, and why God calls us to do so even in today's culture!


Check out her books, the Bestselling “Christianity for the Rest of Us” (2006)and "A People's History of Christianity" (2009). Come prepared to take part in God's mission for the world, and the future of the Episcopal Church in RI!

Schedule
8:00-9:00 Check in
9:00-9:30 Welcome and Worship
9:30 – 10:30 Plenary with Diana
10:30-10:45 Table discussions
10:45-11:00 Break
11:00-12:00 Plenary with Diana (to include feedback and questions from table discussions)
12:00-1:00 Lunch & Social time
1:15-2:15 Plenary with Diana
2:15-2:45 Final Q&A and discussion
2:45 wrap-up
3:00 Adjourn

Registration Info
Don't see the ticket form below? Click here to register on our website instead

• Remember to register by February 27th to avoid additional late fees!
• You can pay by credit card or by check. Please note: To pay by check click “show other payment options” underneath the orange “order now” button below.
• Registration is being done online only this year, and we cannot accept mail registrations. If you or someone you know can’t register online for any reason please call 401-274-4500 or email gloria@episcopalri.org. We are more than happy to help!
  
  
  
  
  
  

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RISCC At the Cathedral: Intercontinental Children’s Advocate to Speak to RI 1/30/2011

The Rhode Island State Council of Churches and its members will join in a Service of Prayer for Christian Unity, Sunday afternoon, 3 p.m., January 30, 2011, at St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral, 271 North Main Street, Providence. All are invited, and service leaders will include Episcopalians, Lutherans, Quakers, Baptists, Methodists, Congregationalists, Unitarians, Orthodox and Roman Catholics. This service will not only emphasize unity, but the practical purpose of unity to work for the benefit of all creatures and peoples.

The focus will be “Children and Poverty”, and our guest preacher will be the Rev. Gloria White Hammond, pastor, physician, community activist and co-founder of My Sister’s Keeper, a humanitarian group focused on freedom and healing for enslaved and abused women and children of Darfur and the southern Sudan.

Rev. Gloria, as she is called, received her MD at Tufts Medical School, and her Master’s of Divinity degree from Harvard Divinity School. She pursues an active pediatric practice and spearheads projects for the benefit of high risk girls and women in the Boston area as well as Africa. She and her husband the Rev. Ray Hammond are also co-pastors of the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church of Boston.

Music for the service will be provided by the West Bay Chorale. and the offering from the service will be shared by My Sister’s Keeper and the Rhode Island State Council of Churches.

The Rhode Island State Council of Churches has promoted justice and unity among the churches of Rhode Island since its founding in 1937. Members include 12 Protestant denominations, 8 Orthodox denominations, several independent church organizations, and a number of independent congregations. The Council maintains an effective advisory presence with members of the RI State Legislature as well as government officials at the state and Federal level, and coordinates emergency funds for Rhode Island churches.

In the 1990’s the Council initiated a forum of interfaith leaders including and beyond the Christian churches. This has involved leaders of Jews, Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus. This forum is maturing into a regular interfaith network and the Council is in process of reforming itself to broaden its mission into an interfaith community.

RISEN Magazine's Winter 2011 issue "Discipleship, Evangelism, and Other Dirty Words"

This Winter's issue of RISEN, "Discipleship, Evangelism, and Other Dirty Words" has been printed and mailed so keep an eye on your mailboxes. Can't wait? you can view it in a fun e-book gadget at the bottom of this page or on our website

RISEN Magazine is The Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island's award winning News and special interest magazine.  Each issue of RISEN centers on a timely theme and features articles that aim to inform, enlighten and inspire. It is published quarterly and has a circulation of around 9,000 with an estimated readership of 23,000.

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