From The Bishop-Elect: A Prayer for Those in Hurricane Sandy’s Path This Day

For those in Rhode Island and all along the East Coast, let us pray:

Holy God, sovereign of all creation, remember your people in harm’s way this day. Protect us from the storm that rages around us. Let us find safe anchor in your gracious providence through this night, and preserve us until the dawn. In Jesus, the bringer of hope’s name we pray.

Amen.

First Posted by Bishop Elect Knisely at http://entangledstates.org/2012/10/29/a-prayer-for-those-in-hurricane-sandys-path-this-day 

Canon's Corner: Hurricane Preparedness for Parishes

By The Rev. Linda Grenz, 
Consultant to the Bishop Elect

As we anticipate the arrival of a major storm, it is a good time to remind ourselves of the precautions we need to take with our buildings and the actions we can take as a faith community.

First: Bishop-elect Knisely and I would like to have each clergyperson’s cell phone number so we can contact you – both in the case of an emergency such as this one might become and just so we can contact you in general.  Please email that to RMoulton@episcopalri.org.  She keeps a list of all churches and clergy on the server that we can get on our IPhones as we travel around so getting this up to date is important.

Second: Check with your local emergency response office for information relevant to your community. Each congregation’s situation will be different, but here are some things to consider:

Buildings:

·      Batten down the hatches! Make sure windows are closed tightly – if you are near the coast you may need to consider additional protection. Check around the church yard to make sure there aren’t any cans, planters or other objects that have the potential to become flying missles.

·      Turn off propane tanks and unplug appliances -- especially computers!

·      Turn refrigerators and freezers to the highest setting and tape around the door frames to keep food as cold for as long as possible if electricity goes out.

·      If you anticipate that anyone will be in the church during the storm, put flashlights in key locations (with fresh batteries).

·      If you have a sanctuary lamp, it is probably best to extinguish the flame during the storm.

Pastoral Care

·      Make a list or, if you have one, review the list of people in your parish who live alone or who may be vulnerable for any reason (which isn’t just elderly people!). Find a way to make sure someone will check up on those folks to make sure they are OK or find help, if needed. You can do this in a variety of ways: recruit partners, let people self-select a partner, etc. You may also want to notify police and fire departments of vulnerable people, if that's your community's system. In any case, it is important to have a way to make sure that someone will check on people if that's necessary.

·      This is a good time to make sure your parish contact list is up to date.  Collect cell phone numbers, confirm addresses, etc. Also, you might want to gather as information about who will be out of town so you don’t go hunting for someone who is in Florida!

·      You may want to identify people who are ready, willing and able to assist should you need extra hearts and hands if the situation requires.

·      In any case, encourage people to follow emergency preparedness suggestions offered by your local community – and by common sense!

Service

·      If your parish hall serves as an emergency shelter or you plan to make it available as one, contact your local emergency response office for information and requirements.

·      If you think you might end up with folks coming to the parish for shelter (not as an official shelter but as a back up option), ask parishioners to bring blankets, pillows, air mattresses, water, food, baby supplies, etc. so you are equipped to handle that should the need arise. You can, for example, ask people to drop off boxes labeled with their name and then if the supplies aren’t needed they can take them home again the next Sunday.

·      Take time to talk about options, strategies, etc. so you have an idea of who to contact, things to do (or not do). Sometimes just talking about emergency preparedness can help us remember what we need to do to get ready.

The Episcopal Relief and Development website has some information you might find helpful: http://www.er-d.org/resourcelibrary. In particular, there is an article on how to set up an emergency shelter inyour parish hall. http://www.er-d.org/userfiles/Post-HOW-TO_Yonkers(1).pdf.

Thanks to all of you for being on the front lines of ministry at times like this. Please let us know if there is anything we can do. And know that we will hold you in our prayers in the days ahead.

~Linda   (on behalf of the diocesan staff)

Slideshow from the Celebration of Bishop Wolf's Ministry

Bishop Wolf Appreciation from Richard Bolig on Vimeo.

Diocesan Youth Event: All Hallows Eve Service

 

Jonathan Daniels House Seeks Executive Director

Jonathan Daniels House is a residential service community in the Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island  that is scheduled to welcome its first young adult interns this time next year, in the fall of 2013.

Meanwhile, the Jonathan Daniels House Board of Directors has launched a website and is searching for an Executive Director to develop, implement, and manage its programs. They hope to interview candidates these next few months, and you can download the job description here.

As a member of the Episcopal Service Corps, The Jonathan Daniels House will be part of an expanding network of 20+ communities for young adults in cities across the country, where participants live intentionally in Christian community and work alongside service agencies embedded in local communities while engaging in vocational and spiritual discernment.

The program is named for Jonathan Daniels, a martyr in the Episcopal Church who ministered in churches in South Providence, RI before heading to the south where he was killed saving another in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's. Read more about Daniels here.

The mission of Jonathan Daniels House is to honor Daniels by planting a new community in South Providence that is committed to continuing the work of service, justice, and reconciliation that he lived and died for. Keep an eye on their website for regular news updates as the next year unfolds.

Mayor of Warwick speaks at Celebration of Bishop Wolf's Ministry

 

Speech given by the Honorable Scott Avedesian on 9/23/2012 at the celebration honoring Bishop Geralyn Wolf's nearly 17 years of Ministry as Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island. She retires November 17th.

 

Have you heard the joke about the Mayor and the Bishop?

 

Normally, those types of jokes start along the lines of, “Have you heard the joke about the priest, the rabbi and the minister?” …and I’ve always wanted to suggest that maybe there is a way to have a joke about the Bishop and the Mayor.

 

However, today I have to tell you that, while we shared lots of laughs over the past few years, nothing about the work that Bishop Wolf has done in and for our Diocese could be considered to be a joke.

 

In thinking about what to say today, I thought about how I came to be in this spot. As a lifelong Episcopalian, I had been involved somewhat in Diocesan activities. But my involvement has increased a lot over the past several years, and it all stared when Bishop Wolf asked me to serve on the Committee on Resolutions. I didn’t even know what that Committee did, but she convinced me to be part of it.

 

From there it was a short trip to becoming a member of the Ecclesiastical Trial Court, the honorary chairman of the Episcopal Charities Fund and a member of Diocesan Council.

 

Through all of those activities an image of a thoughtful, principled leader became the way I viewed Geralyn Wolf. And the more I worked with her, the more my respect for her, and my support for her vision for the Diocese deepened. So it’s no surprise that when she and the late Ed Bennett asked me to run for an open seat on the Standing Committee, I immediately said yes. And, after a year on the Standing Committee, working closely with the Bishop to work through a number of different issues on church mergers, church polities and the like, I was elected the president.

 

And that’s really where the journey that led us to this day began. A month after becoming president, I went in to meet with the Bishop and, at the end of the meeting, she pulled out a folder and said, “Now I need to talk to you about something else.” And in January of 2011, I learned that the Bishop was going to announce her retirement in March.

 

I was, of course, concerned about what she intended to do and, quite honestly, I was petrified about what I was about to have to do. Two months later, the Bishop announced at convocation her intent to retire and we began a process that has led to the election of Bishop-Elect Knisley.

 

In retrospect, to most people it must have seemed like a very easy period of time and transition for the Diocese. The truth is, it’s enough material for a book. Who would have ever thought that, by accepting the Bishop’s request to serve the Diocese, I would learn the process of electing and consecrating a Bishop, of merging parishes, of removing a priest from service, or serving as the chancellor? Yet, through it all, Geralyn Wolf and Tom Bair provided the right amount of leadership, guidance and pastoral care to allow all of us to do our jobs.

 

When I think of the legacy of Gerry Wolf, I see an empowering, gifted leader who, although she had an opinion on issues, always listened to other points of view and really strove to reach consensus. While other Dioceses were being pulled apart amidst stories of breakaway parishes, Bishop Wolf used her talent to ensure that any separations were done with kindness, and an ability to return.

 

Whether closing parishes, changing parishes to missions, or assisting parishes as they merged, Bishop Wolf consistently put the thoughts and needs of the individuals in the pews first and foremost. You all know that religion is intensely emotional and personal for most people. Yet it would be all too easy to administer a Diocese without concern to that emotion. We have been blessed to have a leader who allowed emotion a place at the table while making sure that cooler heads always prevailed.

 

There are lots of similarities to our jobs. Just as a Bishop is responsible for leading a faith community, meeting the needs of those in spiritual and personal crisis and ensuring the viability of the church, so, too, is a Mayor responsible for the overall good of his community, assuring its stability, and addressing the myriad needs of a diverse group of residents and businesses. And, as faith organizations and municipalities work together as partners for the overall good, those roles sometimes intertwine. The Bishop and I always found an ability to learn from one another’s perspectives. And I know that my staff at City Hall, if ever on Jeopardy, hopes that the category for the Daily Double is “Facts about the Episcopal Church."

 

We have all learned to be stronger in faith and deeper in purpose from the example of ministry that we learned from Gerry Wolf.

 

Today the Diocese says thank you and presents you, Bishop, with a long-awaited trip to the Holy Land. On behalf of the Standing Committee, I thank you for your steadfast belief in the future of the Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island and in your never-ending optimism that good people will always prevail.

 

Today, I’m sure, brings many emotions with new beginnings and the closing of different chapters of life.

 

I will remind you what you said to me right before you walked to the west door of St. Paul’s Pawtucket to begin the Celebration of the Eucharist to start the electing convention that chose your successor. When I asked you your feelings that day and whether they were bittersweet, you flashed your trademark grin and you told me that it wasn’t time to be bittersweet. Instead, you looked at the congregation and you reminded me that we were in a church full of people and those people were filled with hope and enthusiasm for the future.

 

Well, those people today are full of gratitude, and still brimming with hope and enthusiasm. For that, we owe you a great big thank you.

Bishop Wolf & Bishop-Elect Knisely to Dedicate St. Mary's New Parish House

Haven't seen Bishop-Elect Knisely out and about in RI yet? This Saturday September 15th at 9:30am you have a good chance. Bishop Wolf and Bishop-Elect Knisely will be at St. Mary's in Portsmouth to cut the ribbon to the new parish house which has just been built.

 

Come say hello to the Bishop Elect for the first time, and to Bishop Wolf for what may be one of the last times before she retires. After the ribbon cutting there will be fellowhip over food, tours, and even a few mini-classes in St. George's Chapel which is the great room of the new building.

 

It is a joyous occasion for St. Mary's, as the parish begins to reap the benefits of a little creative thought on how to be good stewards of their resources, how to be true to their mission, and how to best impact and interact with the community outside their church.  Exciting plans are also in the works for the re-purposing and rehabilitation of St. Mary's old parish house. Read about it in RISEN magazine and dream big for your own home parish.

The Latest eRISEN: September 5th 2012

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

eRISEN: 9/5/2012 issue

Want to subscribe to the eRISEN mailing list? Want to submit your event or job listing? Just visit eRISEN on our website.

Letter from the Bishop-Elect: The Rev. Linda Grenz Joins RI Diocesan Staff

The Rev. Linda L. Grenz

People of the Diocese of Rhode Island,

During the interviews with the Search Committee for the 13^th Bishop of Rhode Island and during the walkabout presentations this past Spring, I emphasized my belief that the Diocese must be very intentional about leadership development and Christian formation for the laity as well as the clergy as it moves into the 21^st century. Since the election I have been thinking and praying about how we might sharpen our focus in these areas.

As I begin the transition to the Diocese of Rhode Island and assume the role of bishop later this Fall, I’d like to announce a staff addition made in consultation with Bishop Wolf, our Standing Committee President Scott Avedisian, and our Transition Committee Chair Lora MacFall. At my request, Bishop Wolf will invite the Rev. Linda Grenz to join the diocesan staff as my consultant during the transition process.

After the Consecration in November, I will name the Rev. Grenz as Canon to the Ordinary.

Many of you will recognize Linda’s name. She has had a long and successful ministry as an Episcopal priest serving in parishes large and small on the East Coast. She is the publisher and CEO of Leader Resources, which publishes the Journey to Adulthood curricula as well as a number of other faith formation resources. As part of that ministry she has been a consultant to parish vestries and dioceses across the country in leader training, management, development, and conflict resolution. She has done extensive work assisting congregations in developing effective Christian formation, evangelism, and stewardship programs. She has taught at General Seminary and served on the national church staff as the Coordinator of Adult Education and Leadership Development. She has a number of books in print on these topics and has been in demand as a speaker for years.

Linda is married to Del Glover, a retired DuPont Executive, who just completed his term as a member of the Episcopal Church’s Executive Council and was recently elected as a Trustee of the Church Pension Fund at the General Convention in July. Del has failed to truly retire several times, having served as the Associate Dean of General Seminary and as the chief administrative officer at Trinity Wall Street as well as The Riverside Church.

I am grateful to Bishop Wolf for her graciousness in supporting this call and making it possible for Linda and I to start working with all of you as soon as possible. I am also grateful that the present staff will continue to offer their important skills to the life and ministry of the diocese.  We all look forward to working together as a team to provide the diocese with the resources it will need to grow deeper in faith and to most effectively proclaim the Good News of God in Christ Jesus to our neighbors in Rhode Island.

 Yours in the shared ministry of the Gospel,

The Very Rev. Nicholas Knisely, Bishop-Elect

A Celebration of Bishop Wolf's Ministry

Photo by Mary Murphy

As we look forward to the ordination of the Very Rev. W. Nicholas Knisely as the 13th Bishop of Rhode Island on November 17, 2012, we remain mindful of how important it is to also express appreciation to our outgoing leader.

 

We ask that you join us for a Celebration of Bishop Wolf's Ministry on Sunday, September 23, 2012 at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in East Greenwich to thank Bishop Wolf (and her husband, Tom) for nearly 17 years of ministry with us.

 

The Transition Committee is arranging for delicious food, a festive atmosphere and a special slide show of photos from throughout the Bishop's years with us. All ages are welcome.

 

If you haven’t RSVP’d by mail or email yet, you can RSVP online here and/or donate online to Bishop Wolf's gift. When a bishop completes his or her ministry in a diocese, it’s customary for the people of the diocese to express their thanks with a gift, and we will be presenting Bishop Wolf and Tom with a check to help with the expense of the trip to Jerusalem they have dreamed about for some time.

 

The amount of your gift – whether large or small – is less important than your joining together with others in this offering.  

 

As we move closer to the ordination of our new bishop in November, please keep Bishop-Elect Knisely and his wife, Karen, as well as Bishop Wolf and Tom in your prayers. We appreciate your support and patience, and we look forward to your joining us for the festivities on September 23rd.