The Episcopal

Diocese of San Joaquin

Friday Reflection

6/26/09

Dear Friends,

The next ten days will be exciting in the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin.  Many parts of our communal lives will be coming together not only for individuals in this diocese but for one of our Parishes and for our engagement with the Episcopal Church and the wider Anglican Communion.

On Saturday, June 27, 2009 Deacon Suzy Ward will be ordained to the priesthood at the Church of the Saviour in Hanford.  The ordination will begin at 1:00 p.m.  We will be blessed by the presence of Bishop Nedi Rivera who is returning to this diocese to preach at the ordination.  Since this is the first ordination of a woman to the priesthood in this diocese I hope everyone will make a special effort to attend.  Clergy are asked to vest with red stoles and be part of the procession.  This is a major step forward for this diocese as we recognize the place of women in all four orders of ministry in this church.

I have been meeting weekly with former and present members of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Modesto to reconstitute St. Paul’s when we resume control of the building on July 1, 2009.  Fr. Michael McClenaghan, the vestry and members of the new congregation called Wellspring continue to be respectful and open to us during this transition.

I have appointed seven members of St. Paul’s to be the reconstituted vestry and the Rev. James Stickney as the Priest-in-Charge.  A first meeting of this vestry and Fr. Stickney has been scheduled for July 1, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. at St. Paul’s.  All vestry meetings are “open meetings,” and everyone is invited to gather with the vestry on that date. 

At Thursday’s meeting there was considerable discussion  about the first Sunday service at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.  The Sunday schedule for July 5, 2009 is as follows:

            10:00 a.m.      Celebration of the Holy Eucharist

I will be the celebrant and preacher.  Fr. Stickney will be introduced.  Canon Hall and other clergy will attend.  Clergy will vest and process.  Congregations of the Episcopal Diocese are asked to send representatives to this service and to send their parish banners to bring their support of St. Paul’s

After the service there will be a festive reception and barbeque.  Everyone is invited to this day of Celebration. Please join us.

On Monday and Tuesday, July 6 and 7, the deputies from this diocese and I will be making our way to Anaheim for the General Convention that begins on July 7, 2009.  We look forward to this gathering of the Episcopal Church to do the work of the community.  It will be an opportunity for all of us to demonstrate to the wider church that the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin is very much alive and ready to take our place in the councils of the church.

Peace

+Jerry

From the Diocesan office…

Be a part of Episcopal Life San Joaquin:  Doris Hall, the Editor of Episcopal Life San Joaquin (affectionately known as “The Wrap”), sent this information about the deadlines for the August issue.  “If you have something for the August issue of Episcopal Life San Joaquin that you cannot send by e-mail, please send it to me to arrive by next Friday, July 3.  I can accept material by e-mail up to Tuesday, the 7th, or even Wednesday, the 8^th, but I will be in Anaheim fotr General Convention without an address for regular mail.  My cell phone is 559-250-6324.  Call me if you need to.  Thank you” 

Doris Hall’s address is 1295 N. Wishon, #1-F, Fresno, CA 93728.

Celebration Service at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Modesto:  Bishop Lamb invites everyone to join the Episcopal congregation at St. Paul’s for the service July 5. “Please make plans to join your brothers and sisters at St. Paul’s on July 5, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. to celebrate and give thanks for the return of the buildings. I hope every congregation of the Diocese will be represented at the service. There will be a reception/barbeque following the service. If you plan to attend this service, please bring the banner from your congregation. Clergy who are able to attend are asked to vest and join in the procession. Green stoles are to be worn.”  Congregations are asked to send their banner to support St. Paul’s.

Samantha Bland, a member of Christ the King, Riverbank is organizing the barbeque reception that will follow the service.  Nearby churches joining the St. Paul’s congregation for the celebration are contributing.  Christ the King—tri tip, St. Francis—fruit salad, St. Paul’s—desserts, St. Anne’s—salads. Others coming from locations farther away may bring a side dish or drinks.  Samantha’s phone number is 209-527-3922 if you need to contact her.

Safeguarding God’s Children: Congratulations to the people of the diocese who have completed Safeguarding Online.

Grace Episcopal Church—Brooke Drake, Jan Dunlap, John Eastridge, Cathy Henry, Lori Toia, and the Rev. Tim Vivian.

Christ the King—Georgia Hoard, Bill Latham

Diocesan Office—Juanita Weber

The Diocese of San Joaquin requires all staff and volunteers who work with children in our churches and church leaders to take this training.  Please contact Juanita Weber jweber@diosanjoaquin.org if you have questions.

Save the Date:  Province 8 Clergy Women's Conference, September 28-Oct. 1 2009, Mercy Center, Burlingame, CA.  There is a new website for the September conference.  Registration materials are now available through this website: www.imagineprov8.org.

Commission on Ministry is forming Regional Discernment Committees:  The Commission on Ministry (COM) is seeking individuals to serve on three Regional Discernment Committees. The primary purpose of each Committee is to meet with applicants seeking ordination, and discern with them God's call to serve the Church. The Committee will also provide spiritual support to the applicant.

Each Committee will meet approximately 6 times between September 2009 and March 2010, and prepare a final report to the Bishop and the COM. Training and orientation will be provided. A complete description of the role of this Committee is found in the handbook, Discerning Paths of Ministry, Appendix 7. A link to this handbook is on the front page of the diocesan website: http://www.diosanjoaquin.org

Interested individuals should contact their parish clergy, or email Valerie Leyva: vleyva@diosanjoaquin.org

Supply clergy for Summer Vacations:  If you are planning to be away from your parish and you need to find a priest to supply, here is a list of clergy available in the diocese.

Justo Andres

Keith Brown

John Burk (retired in Monterey, but will travel)

Stan Collins

Kathy Galicia (Sunday mornings)

Ken German

Mark Hall

Neil Lawson (after June when Suzy Ward is ordained priest)

Basil Matthews

Jim MacDonald

Donna McNiel

Dave Pina (his services are on Saturday)

Norm Van Walterop

If you have any difficulty contacting these individuals, call the diocesan office.

--Mark Hall, Canon to the Ordinary, 209-609-7044

Suzy Ward will be ordained priest:  Deacon Suzy Ward is the first woman to be ordained to the priesthood in the Diocese of San Joaquin. The service is on June 27 at 1:00 p.m. at the Church of the Saviour in Hanford. A reception will be held after the Ordination Service, and you are cordially invited to attend. 

Camp San Joaquin is holding two camps in July through August 1:  An Art Science Ecology Camp Monday, July 27 to Saturday, August 1, and Enrichment Camp Wednesday July 29 to Saturday, August 1 are planned to conclude with Camp San Joaquin Day festivities and lunch for all on August 1.  Camp San Joaquin is a Christian summer Camp located in the High Sierra region of the Giant Sequoia National Monument at an elevation of 7,000 feet.  It is owned and operated by Camp San Joaquin, Inc.  Registration forms are available from the Camp San Joaquin registrar, 559-732-4821.

Camp Noel Porter is the place to be this summer!   The Diocese of Northern California has invited the Diocese of San Joaquin to participate in their camping program for kids this summer. Camp Noel Porter is located one mile from Tahoe City on the beautiful west shore of LAKE TAHOE.  Visit the website at www.campnoelporter.org for info and registration forms. There is still space available in all sessions. If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Tammie at 530.583.3014 or email: campnoelporter@sbcglobal.net

There will be nine camping sessions from June 14 through August 9.  Beginner Camps are for children ages 6, 7 and 8, juniors are grades 4 through 6, junior-hi are grades 7 to 9 and the senior camp is for teens in grades 10 to 12.  There are also some junior/junior-hi camps for grades 4 through 9.  Check the Camp Noel Porter Web site for more information.  Driving time from Stockton is two hours and 45 minutes, from Fresno it is just four and one-half hours, and from Bakersfield it takes just over six hours.

Youth camping experience for Diocese of San Joauqin:

Where:  Brannan Island State Park on the Sacramento River near Rio Vista

When:  August 10-14

Who:  Youth Junior and Senior High.  Adults too!

What:  We have a group camping area that can handle 30 total, we can

also get additional space as necessary.  We will have at least two

boats for use, one speed boat for water skiing, one sail boat.  We

would like at least ten adults.

Cost:  $50 per participant.

For more information contact Canon Mark Hall markhall@diosanjoaquin.org or Steve Bentley Herb-and-Jamaal@hotmail.com.

Music Camp in Lodi:  Applications are now be accepted for the Ninth Annual Summer Music Camp, sponsored by St. John’s Episcopal Church in Lodi. It will take place July 20-24, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at 1055 S. Lower Sacramento Rd. (just south of Vine St.) The camp is for children who have completed 1st Grade through 8th Grade. There is a fee of $50. Students are involved in music learning through choir, handbells, recorder playing, music theory, recreation, snacks and more! This year, composers George Frederic Handel and Michael Bedford will be studied and their music performed. Pre-registration is required! ($70 after July 10th!) call 369-3381 or e-mail at randyknutson@sbcglobal.net  The music camp application is attached

The Episcopal Church REALLY wants you!  Volunteers are needed at the General Convention of the Episcopal Church July 8-17, 2009 at the Anaheim Convention Center. This is your opportunity to participate in this once-every-three-years event.  You can find information on the General Convention Web site and register as a volunteer online, http://www.gc2009.org/volunteers.

Benedictine Experience at Bishop’s Ranch, Healdsberg: The Rev. Basil Matthews will be the director of the twenty-fourth Benedictine Experience at Bishop’s Ranch in the Diocese of California.  To be held in the summer, July 5-12, 2009, the Benedictine experience is a time spent in community designed for those—young and old, active and retired, laity and clergy—who wish to nurture and strengthen their daily lives through prayer and spiritual companionship.  Modeled after that balanced way of life set out by St. Benedict in his Rule, giving due attention to body, mind, and spirit, the experience provides a framework for growth in personal faith and support for bearing witness to Christ at home, work, and church.  For more information you may contact Fr. Basil at basil.m@earthlink.net.

New books for your summer reading: The second book penned by the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church, Gospel in the Global Village: Seeking God's Dream of Shalom is now available. Her first book, A Wing and a Prayer: A Message of Faith and Hope, was published in 2007 by Morehouse Publishing. The books can be ordered through Episcopal Books & Resources at www.episcopalbookstore.org , or by phone (800-903-5544); or direct from the publisher by calling 800-242-1918 or by visiting www.churchpublishing.org.

Gospel in the Global Village - Seeking God's Dream of Shalom: By Katharine Jefferts Schori, In this second book by Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori, she explores issues and challenges of deep concern to the Episcopal Church, the wider Body of Christ, and the world at large. Arranged thematically, her essays reflect on the travel, issues, people, and passions that have driven the first three years of her episcopate. She places particular emphasis on the Millennium Development Goals, plus the turmoil within the Anglican Communion and the Episcopal Church in the United States.

Excerpt: “Beware of religious leaders who are unwilling to serve the greater good, who insist that God loves only some, or who say that a portion of humanity is not worthy of respect or dignity. That is a hamstrung and limping version of the great dream of shalom, salaam, or shanti (the Sanskrit word for peace). As in the dream of Martin Luther King, Jr., we seek a world in which all children can grow and play together, unconcerned by those accidents of birth or life that others see as all-defining. We seek a world where the poor hear good news, the ill are healed and the hungry fed; where prisoners are forgiven, set free, and restored to community; where no one studies war any more. We seek a world in which the systems that maintain some in servitude or slavery are abolished, where all have the minimal right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But even more, we seek a world where all have the right to full and abundant lives at peace with their neighbors.”

Lifting Women's Voices - Prayers to Change the World: By:Rose, Te Paa, et al This stunning collection of prayers from women throughout the Anglican Communion is organized according to themes of the U.N. Millennium Development Goals.  It makes direct connections between women’s personal lives and global concerns of women everywhere, showing the interrelatedness, for example, between a woman’s prayer for her infant in America and the plight of child laborers in developing countries.  The prayer selections are representative of women from of all parts of the Anglican world. Members of the editorial board include Jane Williams, Phoebe Griswold, plus women from Asia, South America, and the Middle East.

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News and Notes from Congregations...

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