Commemoration and Action - George Floyd Memorial Service 5/25

May 25 marks the one-year anniversary of the murder of George Floyd, which ignited a worldwide racial reckoning. You are invited to join Episcopalians in an prayer, reflection, and action.

Virtual service of commemoration on Tuesday, May 25, at 8 p.m. ET:

A service led by six Episcopal bishops and featuring a reflection by Presiding Bishop Michael Curry will air on the Facebook pages of several dioceses including:

• The Episcopal Diocese of California

• The Episcopal Church in Colorado

• The Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis

• The Episcopal Diocese of Michigan

• The Episcopal Church in Minnesota

• The Episcopal Diocese of Missouri

• The Episcopal Diocese of Washington

The pre-recorded service includes a prayer of lament from George Floyd Square in Minneapolis, a candlelit remembrance from Ferguson, Missouri and prayers in places of protests across the U.S. Learn more here.

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Engagement Options:

In addition to joining the service online, you are invited to engage in social media and advocacy:

Racial healing engagement on social media: All are invited to record a ten-second video of themselves lighting a candle and to post that video to personal social media during or after the May 25 service. Participants are asked to describe one thing in their post that they commit to do toward racial healing and justice in memory of Floyd and all victims of racial injustice. Those posting should also consider sharing a link to the commemoration service from one of the participating dioceses’ Facebook pages.

Take action: The Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations offers the following opportunities to learn about and take direct action on legislative efforts for police reform.

• Urge Congress to Enact Police Reform Many police reforms need to take place at the local level, but members of Congress have introduced legislation that would set national standards and would attempt to bring about lasting change to the ways that police departments operate. Click the link above to take action.

• Nine Actions on Police Reform Click the link to take action today to learn about and address police violence in your community.

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Stay Connected:

If you would like to continue to receive invitations to events like the George Floyd Memorial, register for The Episcopal Church Racial Reconciliation newsletter here.

Content for this blog post was pulled from an email sent by The Episcopal Church Department of Reconciliation Justice & Creation Care on May 25, 2021.

Guiding Principles for In-Person Worship as the Vaccination Process Progresses

On Wednesday, May 19, the clergy and lay leaders of our diocese met for their monthly meeting. In response to the updated mask guidance from the CDC, we spent time discussing updates to the diocesan policy regarding in-person worship. Several resources, which are shared below, were reviewed. Clergy and Senior Wardens were encouraged to share the materials with their respective vestry and to come to a decision on what is the best course of action for their individual faith community.

• Guiding Principles for In-Person Worship as the Vaccination Process Progresses

• CDC Choosing Safer Activities Infographic

• Compassion Fatigue and Burnout Presentation by Katie Mears (PowerPoint or PDF)

• Mayo Clinic Q&A Podcast: The Guidelines and Nuances of Wearing a Mask (5/18/21) - Linked below

CDC Mask Guidance Update

Episcopal eNews for May 2021

What is happening around the Diocese, Province, and wider church? Find out in the May enewsletter.

https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Episcopal-eNews-for-May-2021.html?soid=1111191717432&aid=6_fZHKBdn-c

Gathering on Sacred Ground: Recording and Resources

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Warm greetings to all who registered for Gathering on Sacred Ground, with Presiding Bishop Curry! 

We are so grateful to all the participants and facilitators who shared their Sacred Ground stories, grateful for the poetry and the song, and grateful to the Presiding Bishop for blessing us and calling us forward.  We are also deeply moved by how many of you registered: 4121! – and that approximately 3200 of you attended or watched the simultaneous livestream on YouTube (many more since). We are indeed living members of the Jesus Movement! 

You can find and share the event recording on the main page of The Episcopal Church website as well as the main Sacred Ground page.  Stay tuned for a closed captioned version of the recording and for an FAQ that responds to your most popular questions posed during the gathering. In addition, check out this wonderful story about the gathering in the Episcopal News Service.  

The program leaflet is here, including the Litany of Repentance and prayers for racial justice, with sources listed (find more on the Religious Resources page of the Sacred Ground webpages). The Sacred Ground Is… poem created by the Trinity Church Santa Barbara circle is here. 

Weblinks related to the gathering are listed below: 

• Support The Episcopal Church’s work for racial reconciliation, healing and justice - The Episcopal Church is very pleased to offer this curriculum at no charge… and, if you are inspired and touched by the work and are in a position to make a gift to help it grow, here is the link.

• Episcopal Asset Map - This map shows the hundreds of locations across the Church that have registered a Sacred Ground circle

• Becoming Beloved Community Where You Are Resource - The best place to start when discerning “What comes next?” after Sacred Ground and where God is calling you in the lifelong journey toward truth, healing and justice

• Becoming Beloved Community – The Episcopal Church’s vision for racial healing, reconciliation and justice, plus resources, curricula and more

• Racial Justice Audit and upcoming webinars - The Racial Justice Audit surveyed Episcopal Church leaders about their experiences of racism, racial identity, and power in the life of our church. – read the audit and attend the upcoming webinars to learn more

• From Many, One - Conversations Across Difference is a campaign inviting Episcopalians and our neighbors to engage in one-to-one listening and sharing across the many differences that separate us.

• Register for FREE tickets to the May 22 Concert for the Human Family – This inspiring virtual event will include the postlude song (“Welcome to the Show” by Kory Caudill and Wordsmith), “From Many, One” conversations across difference, and a post-concert conversation with Presiding Bishop Curry and guests

• Social Justice and Advocacy - Episcopal resources and events on community organizing and working for justice that take us “from the pews to the public square”.

• Summary of Anti-racism and Dismantling Racism Trainings - select list of trainings by groups familiar with the Episcopal Church

Finally, a few statistics that may be of interest: of the 4121 registrants,

• 720 were facilitators  

• 3013 were participants 

• 432 have been both participant and facilitator 

• 235 were from other denominations/faiths (highest #’s: Lutheran, Catholic, Presbyterian) 

In closing, we loved bearing witness to the growing community building around Sacred Ground.  May there continue to be ripples of spirit that bring us closer to God’s and our dream of beloved community.  After the event Katrina was out for a walk and saw someone wearing a T-shirt that said “Teamwork for Dream work.”   

May it be so! 

Webinar Recording:

Watch the webinar recording on the Episcopal Church website here. We will also let you know when a more accessible version with closed captions is available.

Thanks again,

Rev. Canon Stephanie Spellers
Canon to the Presiding Bishop for Evangelism, Reconciliation and Creation Care

Katrina Browne
Sacred Ground Curriculum Developer
Consultant, Becoming Beloved Community 

Phoebe Chatfield
Associate for Creation Care and Justice
Presiding Bishop's Office

For more information on how to engage with issues of racial justice and reconciliation, check out The Episcopal Church Becoming Beloved Community webpage.

From email sent from sacredground@episcopalchurch.org on May 4, 2021.

Giving Is Worship: Stewardship Ministry Workshop Resources

Thank you to all that participated in the Giving in Worship workshop. It was a great evening with a presentation by Carrie Wilson, stewardship chair at Holy Family (Angola) on how to make the most of the TENS resources. We were also privileged to have the executive director of TENS, Davey Gerhard, deliver our keynote for the evening. A recording of the workshop and links to the slide decks presented are linked below for those that were unable to attend the workshop and those that attended but want to review the content.

Giving is Worship Zoom Recording

Carrie Wilson’s “How to Use TENS” presentation

Davey Gerhard’s “Giving is Worship” presentation

Carrie Wilson’s “How to use TENS” presentation

Davey Gerhard’s “Giving is Worship” presentation

First Annual Earth Day Event Resources

Thank you to all who participated in the Creation Care Commission presents: First Annual Earth Day Event!

Below are links to some resources discussed today.

• First Annual Earth Day Event Slide Deck

• Place Matters: Reflections on Place and the Armenian Genocide - A version of The Rev. Dr. Nate Warne’s talk that was published today.

• Upcoming events

  • Composting 101 Workshop

  • Holy Hikes: Northern Indiana Facebook page

• Stay connected!

  • Creation Care Commission website

  • Creation Care Facebook page

Giving Is Worship: Stewardship Ministry Workshop

Date: April 28
Time: 6:30-8 p.m. (EDT)
Where: Zoom

It's never too early to start thinking about your annual giving campaign. Join the Faithful Stewards Commission and the ONES Network for this workshop on how to make the most of the TENS resources, led by Carrie Wilson, the stewardship chair at Holy Family (Angola). Following a time of Q&A, the executive director of TENS, Davey Gerhard, will deliver a keynote on "Giving is Worship."

Episcopal eNews for April 2021

There is a lot happening in the Diocese and the wider church this month! Learn more about them in our Episcopal eNews for April 2021.

Pastoral Plan Update for In-Person Worship (March 2021)

28 March 2021 

Dear Sisters, Brothers, Siblings, 

Grace and peace be with you in Jesus, the Crucified and Risen One! 

After several conversations with Dr. Greg Poland, a vaccinologist and infectious diseases expert and head of Mayo Clinic’s Vaccine Research Group, and in consultation with our missioners, I have decided to amend our Pastoral Plan for In-person Worship.  These accommodations were shared with Clergy and Lay Leaders during our ZOOM Call on Wednesday, 24 March.  A Summary Notes document from Dr. Poland was also shared with the Clergy and Lay Leaders. 

I would like to identify the protocols that remain in place for all in-person worship: 

1. Any person not feeling well, experiencing symptoms including fever, coughing, sneezing, is asked to remain at home, consider getting a COVID 19 test and if necessary, call your health care provider. 

2. Continue physical distancing of 6 feet. 

3. Well ventilated space. 

4. 25% of full capacity 

5. Appropriate masks worn properly. 

6. Having hand sanitizer available. 

7. Continued contact tracing. 

For those faith communities that have chosen to offer in-person worship, it is important to underscore that a hybrid experience of in-person and virtual worship should continue to be offered so that everyone connected to your faith community may join in worship. 

Another adaptation that has been made is the opportunity for 4 to 8 people in a choir to sing in-person physically distanced and properly masked, in the setting of 25 % of full capacity in a well-ventilated space.  Those gathered for in-person worship, observing the protocols above, can sing softly while properly masked.  You are also encouraged to continue to check the State of Indiana Coronavirus Dashboard on a weekly basis. 

An updated checklist can be found here.  If you have any questions, please contact me or one of our missioners.  We stand ready to continue to support you in any way we can. 

Lastly, I give thanks to God for all those who have given of themselves, in so many ways, during this pandemic.  I also encourage you to get vaccinated and if you have questions or concerns, discuss them with your health care provider.  COVID 19 fatigue is real, even with the availability of the COVID 19 vaccines, we must remain diligent in attending to these safety protocols. 

Be assured of my prayer and support.  Please thank your clergy and lay leaders for their good work on your behalf. 

This comes with a brother’s love… 

Doug

The Rt. Rev. Dr. Douglas E. Sparks
VIII Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana 

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Resources:

• Download the Revised COVID-19 Regathering Checklist (Rev. 3/28/21)

• Questions to consider when planning to safely regather in-person (Rev. 3/28/21)

• Listen to the recording of the Clergy/Lay Leader Zoom call from March 24, 2021

• Summary notes from Bishop Doug’s conversation with Dr. Greg Poland

Composting 101 Workshop with Master Gardener Jo Cimoch

The EDNIN Creation Care Commission and the Cathedral of Saint James are excited to welcome Master Gardener Jo Cimoch to give a Zoom workshop on composting on May 2, at 1:30 pm (EDT). Jo has been composting for years and will be a tremendous asset to those looking to learn how to make better use of what some of us may have thought to be 'waste' over the past decades. Join us to learn how your table scraps can be both a valuable addition to your garden and a great way to reduce waste and pollution.

Two composting kits will be given away during this Zoom workshop!

Registration is required. Sign up here.

Questions? Email Steven Slaubaugh

Indiana Bishops Oppose Elimination of Gun Licenses

On March 9, Bishop Doug Sparks and Bishop Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows sent the following letter to Governor Eric Holcomb urging the opposition of House Bill 1369. A copy of the letter was sent to all members of the Indiana Senate.

Dear Governor Holcomb:

The Indiana House recently passed House Bill 1369, which would eliminate the need for citizens of our state to obtain a license in order to carry a handgun. This is an ill-considered piece of legislation that will make our state a more dangerous place to live, and we urge you and the members of the Indiana Senate to oppose it.

Evidence from across our country confirms that states with stricter gun laws experience fewer gun deaths. Yet the House is proposing to get rid of a law that helps to keep guns out of the hands of people who should not have them, even as gun violence in our state is on the rise.

Indiana’s rate of gun deaths increased 30 percent from 2010 to 2019, compared to a 17 percent increase nationwide, according to data gathered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The rate of gun suicides increased 19 percent during that same period, compared to a 13 percent increase nationwide, and the rate of gun homicides increased by an alarming 57 percent compared to a 26 percent increase nationwide.

These are alarming statistics, but they don’t tell the whole story. This escalating violence takes a particular toll on our most vulnerable communities. Gun violence is the leading cause of death among children and teens in our state. It wreaks vastly disproportionate devastation on communities of color, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, it poses a singular danger to domestic violence victims who may not be able to flee their gun-owning abusers, and to people struggling with mental health issues.

If passed, House Bill 1369 would also intensify the danger faced by law enforcement officers across our state. And that, no doubt, is why it is strongly opposed by the Indiana State Police.

We Hoosiers are hardy people, and we do not expect our elected officials to solve all of our problems for us. But we should be able to rely on the state legislature not to make our state more violent and not to place its people at greater risk.

We are participants in Bishops United Against Gun Violence, a network of more than 100 Episcopal bishops working to curtail the epidemic of gun violence in the United States. We acknowledge the importance of Second Amendment rights, but we object when those rights are understood so broadly that vulnerable people are put at risk. The current handgun licensing law does not present an undue burden on gun ownership, and our state will be safer if we keep it on the books.

We strongly urge you to oppose this legislation.

Faithfully,

The Rt. Rev. Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows
Bishop of Indianapolis

The Rt. Rev. Dr. Douglas E. Sparks
Bishop of Northern Indiana

Cc: Members of the Indiana State Senate

The Rt. Rev. Dr. Douglas E. Sparks Bishop of Northern Indiana

View a PDF of the letter here.

Episcopal eNews for March 2021

Click the link to view the Episcopal eNewsletter for March 2021.

Town Hall for Parents of Episcopal Youth Campers - March 27

Saturday, March 27, 2 p.m. (EST)

Parents of all current 2nd-8th graders!! We are excited to announce that plans for the 2021 EDNIN Kids Summer Camp are well on their way. As with most events this year, things will be slightly different, but we are doing everything we can to make sure we have a safe, successful, IN PERSON camp experience for your kids. In order to better communicate with those thinking of sending their kids to camp this summer, the camp directors will be holding a Town Hall to answer any questions that you have and let you know about some of the changes your kids might see at camp this year. To register for this Zoom meeting, click HERE. You will be able to submit your questions when you register for the meeting. Before you register, please review the Covid protocols we have already established for this summer's camp. You can find them HERE. We are looking forward to another great summer camp and can't wait to see everyone!

2021 Episcopal Youth Camp Staff Application

Dear Camp Staff Applicant,

We’d love to know if you’re interested in being on staff for this wonderful week! Once again this year we are using an electronic application. Please note that you will need to fill out the application in one sitting as there is not a way to save it and return, but it is short, so you should be OK. If you’d prefer to print and mail the application, please feel free to simply go to the application site and print and fill it out by hand. Please complete the staff application by April 1, 2021. We plan to be in touch with everyone by April 15 to let you know whether we can use your gifts at camp this year – and with luck, be able to give you an idea of where you may be working. As you consider your ability to take part in this wonderful ministry, here are some important dates to consider.

June 13-19: Please plan on clearing your schedule for the full week of camp. While emergencies can arise in anyone’s schedule, please start out planning on being there for the whole week – it is best for our campers and our camp community.

May 23: First mandatory pre-camp staff meeting via zoom starting at 2 p.m. EST

June 6: Second mandatory pre-camp staff meeting via zoom starting at 2 p.m. EST

June 13: New Staff Orientation 9:30 a.m. EST, All Staff Eucharist 11 a.m. EST

For staff applicants that have children planning to attend camp, you will be asked to pay a discounted fee of $150.00 per child. If this cost is prohibitive to you, we ask you to start by asking your parish for assistance. However, please do not hesitate to contact us as well.

Camper registration will be online and will be available at ednin.org/episcopal-youth-camp. Campers from previous years will receive postcards directing them to register online. Parishes will be asked to include the camp dates and info in the weekly announcements and bulletins. As our active camp supporters, please check with your rector to make sure that the information is available in your parish. Sharing your camp experiences with others can also encourage new campers to attend! Thank you all for prayerfully considering being a part of this amazing time for our youth.

If you have any questions or need more information, please email us at episcopalcamp@ednin.org or call Cindy at (260) 348-7061, Megan at (260) 515-1888, or Jodi & Daniel at (574) 226-6347.

In Christ,
Cindy, Daniel, Jodi & Megan
Camp Directors

Spring is arriving and with it a new year of Good News Gardens ministry

Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Curry describes Good News Gardens as “A way of planting seeds for a new heaven and a new earth,” in this video invitation to join with others in this transformational agrarian ministry that feeds body, mind, and spirit. Good News Gardens is a church-wide movement of individuals, congregations, schools, colleges, seminaries, monasteries, camps and conference centers involved in a variety of food and creation care ministries – gardening, farming, beekeeping, composting, gleaning, feeding, and food justice advocacy. Collectively good news gardeners share their abundance, their prayers, and the Way of Love in their communities and beyond.  

“Our call as the Episcopal branch of the Jesus Movement is to follow Jesus Christ and his way of love, growing in faith and action, in order that we can bear witness to his way of love in and for the world,” said Jerusalem Greer, Episcopal Church staff officer for evangelism, “And we believe that one place we can bear witness to this love is through our relationship with the land. We believe that when we commit to planting more (be it beehives or herb gardens), praying more (with our words and our deeds), and proclaiming more (through our stories and our bounty) in order to share the loving, liberating, and life-giving Good News of God’s love with all people, we will find ourselves, our church, and our world transformed. Good News Gardens offers individuals, congregations, and dioceses a way to join in this transformation work intentionally.”

The benefits of joining Good News Gardens include a monthly newsletter, community support via the Agrarian Ministries of the Episcopal Church Facebook Group, and invitations to monthly gatherings and digital workshops, including “How to Host a Community Garden Training.” Available on demand, this introductory community garden workshop is hosted by Derrick Weston, manager of the Rockrose Community Farm, Baltimore, Maryland and co-host of the Food and Faith Podcast and Pat Munts, small-farm and acreage coordinator for Washington State University (WSU) Spokane County Extension and the Spokane Conservation District, Spokane, Washington.

Joining Greer in this ministry is Brian Sellers-Petersen who has joined the evangelism and creation care team as the Good News Gardens consultant and is shepherding a large portion of the community engagement.  Sellers-Petersen, author of Harvesting Abundance: Local Initiatives of Food and Faith, also currently serves as agrarian missioner for the Diocese of Olympia in Washington state and senior advisor to the Society for the Increase of the Ministry based in New York. He is also a member of the General Convention Task Force on Creation Care and Environmental Racism. Most of Sellers-Petersen’s career has been with international relief and development organizations including 18 years with Episcopal Relief & Development. He lives in Roslyn, Washington in the Diocese of Spokane and is a member of the Church of the Resurrection.

“Brian Sellers Peterson has done more to teach me about our call as stewards of land, environment, and nature than any single person I have known,” said the Rt. Rev. Greg Rickel, Episcopal Diocese of Olympia, “He has the knowledge, but more than that, the passion for this connection.  Through that passion and skill, he has helped transform our culture here in Olympia, with gardens, bees, connection, and advocacy. We need a lot of good news right now, and Good News Gardens is just that, with some amazing practical implications for our Church and our world.”

To join Good News Gardens, view last season’s workshops, or to find out more information, visit: https://www.episcopalchurch.org/good-news-gardens/.

Questions about the program? Email Good News Gardens or call Greer at 212-716-6219.

-Information from press release sent by The Episcopal Church Office of Public Affairs

Episcopal Church Toolkit for COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution

The Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations has put together a toolkit for COVID-19 vaccine distribution. This toolkit is designed as a compilation of ideas and educational resources to help your local Episcopal Church work with the government to help end this pandemic. Churches and church leaders (lay and ordained) can serve as important trusted bridges between public health officials and congregations.

The following information is provided:

• Background

• 10 Actions to Help Everyone Get Vaccinated

• Government COVID-19 and Vaccine Rollout Plan

• Vaccine Hesitancy

• Additional Resources

• Sample Message to Your Congregation or Ministry

• State-by-state COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Information

Absalom Jones 2021

The Feast of Absalom Jones

In the video below, Bishop Doug Sparks remembers the life, witness, and ministry of Absalom Jones, the first Black priest in The Episcopal Church. You can read more about Absalom Jones in the 2018 edition of Lesser Feasts and Fasts.

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Service of Morning Prayer to Commemorate the Feast of Absalom Jones

Saturday, February 13, 2021
11/10 a.m. (EST/CST)

Christ Church Cathedral (Indianapolis) will host the annual Service of Morning Prayer to commemorate the Feast of Absalom Jones.  The service will be broadcast on the YouTube-Live Channel  ,the Cathedral Facebook page and website. Bishop Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows will preside, and Bishop Deon Johnson of the Diocese of Missouri will preach.

The Episcopal Church’s annual Feast of Absalom Jones commemorates a man who was born into slavery in 1746 in Delaware and worked for eight years to buy his wife’s freedom so that their children would be free. His master refused to allow him to purchase his own freedom, but in 1784 granted him a manumission. A gifted lay preacher, Jones led the founding of the Free African Society, a mutual aid benevolent organization in Philadelphia that became the first black Episcopal church in the United States. He was also a lay leader at a white-led church in Philadelphia until the church’s leaders forced segregation during worship. He was ordained an Episcopal priest in 1804.

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Episcopal eNews for February 2021

Click the link to view the February 2021 newsletter.

Letter from Bishop Doug - COVID 19 Vaccine

Dear Sisters, Brothers, Siblings,

Grace and peace be with you in Jesus, the Light for all people!

I am writing to encourage every person in our diocese who is able to receive the COVID 19 Vaccine...to consider getting vaccinated. I'm confident in the research that developed the vaccines and grateful to God for the scientists along with the thousands of people who offered themselves for the clinical trials these last many months...so that we, members of the human family in this nation and throughout the world, could receive a life-saving vaccine. I know there may be some who may be concerned about taking the vaccine. If you are, I encourage you to talk with your healthcare provider, share your concerns so that they can be addressed by medical professionals you trust. I often invoke the Anglican principle...All may, None must and Some should...in addressing questions and important decisions in our common life. I am encouraging you to consider this principle at this crucial time in our common life as well. Glory to God whose power working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine. Glory to God from generation to generation in the Church and in Christ Jesus, forever and ever. Amen! This comes with a brother's love.

The Rt. Rev. Dr. Douglas E. Sparks
VIII Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana