Diocesan Convention will celebrate mission partnerships. New Vision: Frade, diocesan Hispanic leaders help form Coalition of Episcopal Latinos

Transcription

1 OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF DIOCESE OF SOUAST FLORIDA Volume 41 No. 5 October 2010 Aprendo porque Juego Photo by Char Vinik Children enrolled in the Aprendo porque Juego summer reading camp of El Centro Hispano de Todos los Santos at St. Ambrose, Ft. Lauderdale, learn through play. See p. 12 for a story about the partnership of St. Ambrose and El Centro in the New River Regional Ministry, a new way of being church. New Vision: Frade, diocesan Hispanic leaders help form Coalition of Episcopal Latinos Bishop Leo Frade and other Hispanic/Latino leaders from our diocese were part of the inaugural gathering of the Coalition of Episcopal Latinos la Coalición de Episcopales Latinos Sept at the Franciscan Renewal Center in Scottsdale, Ariz. At least 70 participants lay and ordained of all ages, some from as far away as El Salvador attended plenary and workshop sessions focused on immigration, evangelism, congregational development, communications and social media, and organizational structure, casting a vision of advocacy, formation, education, inclusion, activism and unity. Frade is a member of the board of the new organization. Other representatives from the Diocese of Southeast Florida were: Manny and Dalia Mesa, Braulio and Gloria Peruyero, lay leaders at San Francisco de Asis, Miami Lakes (now St. Margaret s and San Francisco de Asis); Canon Alejandro Hernandez, rector of Todos los Santos, Miami; Fr. Rafael Garcia, priest-in-charge of Holy Comforter, Miami; Fr. Mario Milian, associate at St. Thomas, Coral Gables: and Fr. Alberto Cutié, priest-in-charge of Church of the Resurrection, Biscayne Park. Cutié was one of the featured speakers, leading a workshop on Faith and Media; and Manny Mesa joined with See COALITION, Page3 Diocesan Convention will celebrate mission partnerships The 41st Annual Convention of the Diocese of Southeast Florida will be held Nov at St. Mary s, Stuart, hosted by the North Palm Beach Deanery. The convention theme is Global Partnership in Mission, reflecting the shared ministries of our diocese and its companion dioceses in the Caribbean and Madagascar, as well as current and proposed relationships with the Diocese of Haiti. Bishops of our three companion dioceses and Bishop Jean Zaché Duracin of Haiti have been invited to attend the convention. Duracin plans to attend and has also accepted the invitation of Trinity Cathedral to preach there on Sunday, Nov. 14. Bishop Todd McGregor, area bishop of Toliara in our companion Diocese of Antananarivo, Madagascar, and his wife, the Rev. Patsy McGregor, will be at the convention, and the convention banquet will be a benefit for their ministries. (See box, p. x.) Fr. Emilio Martin Fumero, rector of San Francisco de Asis in Cardenas, Cuba, will also be a guest at convention. Convention site Photo by Thomas Winter All convention events will be held in the Pittenger Center at St. Mary s, Stuart. The Rt. Rev. Dabney Smith, bishop of the Diocese of Southwest Florida, will be the preacher for the Convention Eucharist. Smith was elected bishop coadjutor of the Diocese of Southwest Florida on Dec. 9, He was consecrated See CONVENTION, Page2

2 2 The Net, October News CONVENTION from Page 1 as a bishop on Mar. 10, 2007 and seated as the fifth bishop of our neighboring diocese on Sept. 15, Prior to his election as bishop, Smith was rector of Trinity Church in New Orleans, La. After Hurricane Katrina he served on the Jericho Road Episcopal Housing Initiative and the diocesan rebuilding committee. All convention events, including the Eucharist, will be held in St. Mary s Pittenger Center. The St. Joe s Unplugged Band from St. Joseph s, Boynton Beach, led by Director of Music Charles Milling, will provide music for the Eucharist. Convention delegates will consider a resolution proposed by the diocesan Haiti Task Force and the World Mission Commission to establish a new companion relationship Smith between Southeast Florida and the Diocese of Haiti, prompted by relationships based on geographic proximity between the two dioceses and the large numbers of Haitian- Americans and Haitian immigrants living in our communities. Another factor prompting this proposal is the need for long-term commitment to rebuilding and restoration in Haiti following the Jan. 12 earthquake. If approved by convention, the proposed relationship would then need approval from the Diocese of Haiti and from the Presiding Bishop and the Executive Council of The Episcopal Church. Haiti would be the fourth companion diocese for Southeast Florida; our diocese currently has companion relationships with the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos; Dominican Republic; and Antananarivo (Madagascar). Two resolutions have been submitted by the North Palm Beach Deanery, one calling for the establishment of a Diocesan Committee on Higher Education Ministry that would investigate and report to Executive Board the feasibility of establishing new college and university chaplaincies in the diocese; and the other asking that Chapel of the Venerable Bede, on the campus of the University of Miami in Coral Gables, be asked to pay full diocesan assessment. The convention will also be asked to approve changes to diocesan Canons to comply with changes made by last year s General Convention to Title IV, the section of the Canons of the Episcopal Church dealing with clergy discipline; and to ratify changes proposed by General Convention to the Constitution of the Episcopal Church. Delegates will consider a proposed 2011 diocesan budget of $3,072,884, an increase of approximately 2.8 percent over this year s operating budget. Estimated income for 2011 is based upon a proposed assessment rate of percent, an increase of.75 percent from the current rate, percent. Clergy compensation guidelines for 2011 have also been submitted for convention approval. Elections will be held for the following positions: Four lay deputies, four lay alternates, four clergy deputies and four clergy alternates to General Convention 2012; one clergy and two lay members of the Standing Committee; two clergy members and one lay member of the Ecclesiastical Trial Court (and an additional clergy member and lay member to be elected conditionally, pending approval of the revision of diocesan Canon XVII, which concerns the make-up of the court); one lay member of the Trustees of the University of the South; and one clergy member of the Cathedral Chapter. Nominations (with biographies of the candidates) should be submitted to the secretary of convention, Canon Richard Miller ( rmillerxxx@aol.com) by Oct. 28. A nomination form was included in the fall Deanery Convocation information packets received by clergy and delegates, and is also available at under resources, diocesan forms. Copies of nominations should also be sent to Diocesan Coordinator Gail McShane, gail@diosef.org. The convention will also ratify elections held at deanery convocations, including the elections of three new deans: Fr. Mark Sims, Broward; Fr. Richard Aguilar, North Dade; and the Rev. Debra Andrew Maconaughey, Keys. Following last year s successful convention food drive, Episcopal Charities of Southeast Florida (EC- SEFL) is again requesting that all convention delegates and guests bring a gift of non-perishable food. The food collected will be donated to Mary s Kitchen, a ministry of St. Mary s that serves a weekly hot meal to needy members of the community and also provides meals for parishioners in times of illness, bereavement or other family emergencies. As a thank-you to the diocesan community for its support of Episcopal Charities ministries, ECSEFL will host a free breakfast, prepared by Mary s Kitchen volunteers, for convention delegates and guests, at 7 a.m. on Nov. 13. The annual Clergy Spouses Breakfast, hosted by Bishop Leo Frade and his wife, Diana, and the Clergy Spouse Planning Committee, will be held from 7:30-9 a.m. on Saturday in meeting rooms 1 and 2 in Pittenger Hall at St. Mary s. Lodging for convention will be at the Marriott Hutchinson Island Beach Resort in Stuart. For reservations call or go to The deadline for reservations is Oct. 22. Due to limited parking at St. Mary s, shuttle transportation will be provided from the hotel on both Friday and Saturday. Organizations and vendors that plan to have an exhibit at convention should contact Marilyn Hall, mhall46@bellsouth.net or Convention information and registration are online at click on registration. Reservations needed for both the convention banquet and the free breakfast on Nov. 13 should also be made on the convention registration form. Convention banquet, other fund-raisers, will benefit McGregors ministries This year s convention banquet, like the World Mission Commission dinner held on the Saturday evening after convention last year, will be a benefit for the ministries of Bishop Todd and the Rev. Patsy McGregor in Toliara, in our companion Diocese of Antananarivo, Madagascar. Fr. Marty Zlatic, chair of the diocesan World Mission Commission, rector of St. Joseph s, Boynton Beach and a chef who learned his Italian cuisine in Rome will oversee the menu and the food preparation for the banquet, which will be held following the Eucharist on Friday evening, Nov. 12. The cost is $30; banquet tickets are available at the convention registration page on the diocesan website, through Oct. 22, and after that only by from St. Joseph s, Boynton Beach: frmarty@stjoesweb.org. Table centerpieces of orchids and Malagasy crafts are being created for the banquet and offered for a donation of $100. The donor, as well as the donor s parish, will be recognized with a thank-you card on the table. The centerpiece is the donor s to take home; and because St. Andrew s School is providing all materials for the centerpieces, as well as making them, 100 percent of the donations will go to the McGregors. People Reaching People, the McGregors mission support organization, is also offering several other creative opportunities to donate. A matching gift challenge will match all donations received by Nov. 1 up to a total of $10,000; for a $50 gift a name and/or message will be engraved on granite at the Bishop s Gathering Place in Toliara; and there is an online auction through Dec. 1 at Checks for the centerpieces, the matching gift or the engraving should be made payable to Diocese of Southeast Florida, marked with the appropriate memo designation and mailed to: Will Harman, 1134 Island Dr., Delray Beach, FL The Net needs your support As we recognize the compelling need to expand the reach of the Good News into the virtual communities of social media, is a newspaper still useful? With Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and a growing world of other media and websites at our disposal, is there a reason to continue killing trees for Get The Net If you re not receiving The Net at home, or if you d like to make sure that a friend or neighbor receives the paper, it s easy to subscribe. Go to click on News and events, The Net, and you ll find a link to the subscription form. a publication on paper? You obviously think so, because your generous support for The Net for the past eleven years makes me confident that you share my belief in the importance of using every tool available to communicate with each other, and to share the message of the transforming love of Jesus Christ with all people. A diocesan newspaper in the homes of the people of our diocese can flesh out incarnate the stories behind headlines online or the 140 characters of a Twitter post, and can introduce to the whole diocesan family some ministries, ideas and disciples that have much to offer to all of us. So I am once again asking for your financial support to make sure that The Net remains a part of the vibrant mix of Communications Ministry in our diocese. An envelope for your donation in support of The Net should be enclosed with this issue. If you do not have an envelope and would like to make a donation, go to click on donations and scroll down to The Net, or make your check payable to Diocese of Southeast Florida, marked for The Net, and mail to: Diocese of Southeast Florida, 525 NE 15 Street, Miami, FL Mary W. Cox, editor

3 News The Net, October New grant-making program planned to strengthen leaders, support innovation Bishop Leo Frade has proposed a new diocesan program of $1 million in grants over the next four years to congregations and ministries to strengthen clergy and lay leadership and encourage innovative approaches to mission. The proposed Bishop s Ministry Grants would be part of a consolidated long-term diocesan strategy for Growing Healthier Ministries. Key elements of this strategy are already in place: Grants and assessment reductions awarded by the Parish Finance and Assessment Commission; Human Needs grants and outreach ministry grants from Episcopal Charities; and the resources and training already provided to nearly half of diocesan congregations through the Nehemiah Process. New elements proposed are an increase in the level of grants and loans to congregations from the Property and Loan Committee, and the Bishop s Ministry Grants Program. During the summer diocesan senior staff and a Steering Committee appointed by the bishop convened at his request to develop a working draft for a new grants program, funded from the proceeds of the sale of the church property at Guardian Angels, Lantana. A summary draft outline of the plan was presented to clergy and lay leaders at the Nehemiah Retreat in September and to the diocesan Executive Board at its Sept. 28 meeting for review and input. Other groups are also being given an opportunity to offer their suggestions. One part of the plan has already been implemented: Frade s call for a tithe $100,000 to be set aside for specific grants to Episcopal Charities and the Duncan Center, and an amount to be divided among our companion dioceses. Current plans are for three types of ministry grants: Leadership Development Grants, which would provide for training for clergy and lay leaders in such areas as language proficiency, preaching, grant writing, music enrichment, stewardship innovations, new member ministry, communications technologies, marketing and evangelism; Seminarian and Ministry Placement Grants, which would provide matching funds for a congregation to assist with support for the salary and benefits of a seminarian or other ministry professional; and Deanery Cluster Grants, which would support creative ministry initiatives involving multi-congregational, regional or diocesan participation. After receiving a draft of the Bishop s Ministry Grants program from the Steering Committee in mid-october, Frade will review and revise, and will present the entire strategy to the Diocesan Convention. COALITION from Page 1 Frade in a panel presentation on Sept. 17 for the House of Bishops, also meeting in Phoenix. (See box below.) Our vision is to bring together Latino people in the Episcopal Church, said the Rev. Floyd Naters Butch Gamarra, assisting priest at St. Mary s Church in Los Angeles and a CEL board member. That vision includes reconciliation, unity, advocacy and evangelism, as well as serving as catalysts for change with issues of concern to Latinos, including immigration, leadership development and equity involving clergy deployment, benefits and salaries, he said. A priority is to create local chapters and to send representatives to Nuevo Amanecer, the Nov biennial event designed to help start and to strengthen Latino ministries, co-sponsored by the Rev. Anthony Guillén, Episcopal Church missioner for Latino/Hispanic Ministry. Cutié is also scheduled to be a speaker at that gathering. Guillén called the Scottsdale gathering a very positive one. Cuban guest Photo by Braulio Peruyero There is some sort of ethnic gathering for all of the other groups and there has been relatively little for Latinos, he said. We hunger to have opportunities to get together to learn from each other, to celebrate our gifts and to be a united voice. He described CEL and his office as two different components of the same ministry, which strives to incorporate fully Latinos into the life and leadership of the Episcopal Church. While Guillén s role includes strengthening existing Latino Episcopal ministries and evangelizing and embracing new members, CEL is uniquely positioned to challenge the church. I see their role as one of networking, of being a voice for issues that relate to Latinos/Hispanics that the office may not be able to speak to or should not speak to, he said. The group also hosted bishops of the Episcopal Church and their spouses and partners at a festive buffet-style dinner, where they were entertained by a mariachi band that provides music for the Spanish language service at Trinity Cathedral in Phoenix. Frade called the gathering a moment of maturity for Latino Episcopalians that can only facilitate a more effective way of carrying our message to Latinos, both within and those still outside the Episcopal Church. Frade, who preached Sept. 19 at Trinity Cathedral s Spanish language service, said CEL would help to usher in new culture, enthusiasm and a change in the DNA of the Episcopal Church. Cutié, whose congregation grew in months from about 28 members to 250, agreed. CEL can bring a greater awareness to a richly diverse Latino community, that the Episcopal Church is here for them as a spiritual home and alternative to what they ve grown up with, he said, adding that few were really aware of the Episcopal Church. At a grass roots level, it s a matter of getting people in the door. Then they ll see what we re about. We just have to get the word out. Adapted from an article by The Rev. Pat Mc- Caughan, national correspondent for the Episcopal News Service. The CEL gathering provided an opportunity for Latino clergy from Southeast Florida to meet the new bishop of Cuba, the Rt. Rev. Griselda Delgado Del Carpio (second from left). With her are, left to right, Fr. Alberto Cutie, Canon Alejandro Hernandez, Fr. Rafael Garcia and Fr. Mario Milian. An introduction to Coalición de Episcopales Latinos (CEL) Statement by Manny Mesa at a panel discussion on Latino/Hispanic ministry, House of Bishops, Phoenix, Ariz., Sept. 17, The Hispanic/Latino Ministry is starting to flourish in our church. It has been a long and difficult journey. Now we are looking forward to the day that our efforts will yield an abundant crop. Our Bishop Leo Frade said that we need an organization that is efficient and independent that represents all Hispanic/Latino people of the church, that allows us to double our effort and reassess the evangelization mission and the struggle for the rights of our Latin American brothers and sisters. Hence, CEL is an organization that strives to provide a united voice for the interests of the Hispanic/Latino people and the Hispanic ministry in our church. It is an organization that advocates with a united voice for the issues related to the Hispanic people; that promotes and develops leadership of Hispanics/Latinos within the Episcopal Church; that reviews and advocates for the necessities of the Hispanic/Latino clergy, including salaries, positions of leadership, continuing education and benefits. We pledge that we will work together with the Misionero Oficial del Ministerio Latino/Hispano of the Episcopal Church.

4 4 The Net, October News Services in Portuguese begin at St. Nicholas On Oct. 17, after a year of preparation, Latin Portuguese Ministry of Southeast Florida began a regular schedule of worship in Portuguese at St. Nicholas, Pompano Beach. The fledgling Lusophone (Portuguese-speaking) congregation is believed to be the first Episcopal Portuguese language ministry in this country. From the time I came to this diocese, I have felt the need to respond to God s call to serve the large Brazilian population in our midst, said Bishop Leo Frade. The reality is that the largest Brazilian population in the U.S. resides in our diocese in fact, the three towns in the United States with the largest populations of Brazilians are in the Pompano Beach area of Broward County. Frade had been bishop of Southeast Florida for less than a year when he called for the offering at the First Step diocesan visioning conference in April 2001 to be dedicated to the development of ministry with Brazilians in our area. But it was Jose and Glenda Sanchez not until last summer that this ministry began to take shape, when Frade welcomed to the diocese Fr. Jose de Jesus Sanchez and his wife, Glenda. A former Roman Catholic priest from Mexico, Sanchez did missionary work in Brazil and is fluent in Portuguese. Sanchez is currently in the process to be received as an Episcopal priest; while he is completing this process he is licensed to preach and perform all the functions of a lay pastor. For the past year the Sanchezes, who became U.S. citizens last month, have been getting to know the Portuguese-speaking community in Southeast Florida, visiting with families and participating in Brazilian community events. Now, with the support and assistance of Fr. Tim Thomas, rector of St. Nicholas, and his congregation, Portuguese-language ministry in the diocese is formally launched. Sunday Eucharists in Portuguese are at 1 and 7 p.m., with weekday services Tuesday through Friday at 7 p.m. There is also a Saturday 7 p.m. service in Spanish. Jose and Glenda are wonderful people who have made connections with Brazilian groups throughout Broward and Miami-Dade counties, Thomas said. Our vestry and congregation are thrilled to have them with us to lead this exciting new ministry. For more information in English or Portuguese about Latin Portuguese Ministry of Southeast Florida, go to Prayers of the Heart Photo by Mary W. Cox Fr. James Reho introduces participants in the Recovery Workshop to a healing meditation technique. Recovery workshop offers resources for healing Give thanks to the Lord was the theme of Recovery Ministries 12-step workshop, held at Trinity Cathedral, Miami, on Sept. 11. The day was full of thanksgiving for healing, along with tools for continuing the life and work of recovery but there was one regret: Few people came to take advantage of the resources offered. Fr. Roger Tobin, retired rector of St. Thomas, Coral Gables, looked at the small gathering as he began his presentation on relapse prevention and noted that, There are probably more than 14 people in our diocese who are addicted there are probably more than 14 clergy Tobin, who is now working as a pastoral counselor in private practice, specializing in addiction and recovery, told his own story of alcoholism, relapse and recovery. He said he determined to stop drinking in 2002, but it was not until the end of April 2008, after an intervention by family and friends, that he announced in a candid and public letter to his congregation that he was an alcoholic and would be taking a leave of absence for treatment of his illness. Even after his return to a warm welcome from his parish, he still had one more relapse in December of that year. I go to a lot of meetings, he said. Tobin described relapse with the metaphor of cooking a frog: Put the frog in cold water and gradually heat it The frog doesn t know it s cooking till it s dead. If you re not moving toward recovery, you re moving toward relapse, he said. The best way to prevent relapse, he said, is to stay in community: It s important to stay in the center of the herd. He urged the group to be evangelical about recovery. In the second presentation of the day, Fr. James Reho, assistant at Trinity Cathedral, offered a meditation technique, Prayers of the Heart, based on the traditions of desert spirituality. Like the desert abbas and ammas of the early Church, he said, we can be healed of shame by finding God in a place we can visit inside ourselves. Guilt, he said, is about what we ve done or not done; but shame, which is characteristic of the disease of addiction, is about our very sense of ourselves. The healing of shame, he said, is key to sobriety. Shame isn t something that gets fixed, but it s something that can be healed and transformed. Reho led the group in the meditation exercise. The preacher for the 12-Step Eucharist that ended the day was Fr. Stuart Hoke, who teaches a course on addiction at General Theological Seminary and has spoken at the diocesan Recovery Workshop for the past two years. He served as interim at St. Thomas while Tobin was in treatment. Denial is the number one symptom of the disease, he said, adding that denial can be broken through confrontation and education. People are clamoring to be made whole our job is to go out and tell our stories. Retired Bishop Calvin O. Schofield, Jr., who was celebrant for the Eucharist, told the group, Today was a real revelation for me very helpful. We need to keep throwing it in front of people that this is a disease and that there is help available, Schofield said. Wendy Barraco, chair of Recovery Ministries for the diocese, reminded the group that congregations can be members of Recovery Ministries of the Episcopal Church; the rate for a parish membership is $100 per year. She said that the diocesan committee is planning another workshop for Jan. 8 at a location in the northern part of the diocese. For more information on addiction and recovery, go to or contact Wendy Barraco, finstratbarraco@bellsouth.net.

5 News The Net, October Church as a verb... McNeal challenges clergy to be missional The Rev. Dr. Reggie McNeal is very funny. He s also a revolutionary, working to bring about the end of Church As We Know It. Church is not a what, it s a who. Christianity is a movement, not an institution. Missional followers of Jesus begin to understand church as a verb. God has taken to the streets, and he s not even waiting for the church to go with him he s going wild out there! I m not here to help you do church better, the pastor, author and consultant told diocesan clergy at the annual Clergy Conference, Sept. 7-8 at the Duncan Center. I m here to help you be church. McNeal s wry humor at the expense of himself, other clergy and the 20th century mainline church in general, sparked gales of laughter and lively discussion. His topic was The Missional Church, which, he said, means not just a new scorecard, but a whole new game. McNeal defines the Missional Church as The people of God partnering with him in his redemptive mission in the world. God is a missionary, he said; God pursues; God is a show-off. Our job is not to think up plans and ask God to bless them, but to ask how we can participate in what God is already doing in the world. Our prayer as we move through our daily lives, looking at our neighbors and our communities, should be, God, help me to see what you see. Becoming missional, he said, requires three shifts of focus: from internal to external; from programdriven ministry to people development; and from church-centric leadership to apostolic leadership sent out. Christianity is the fastest-growing faith in the world, McNeal said; but in places like China and India, where the Gospel is spreading at rates of perhaps 40,000 new Christians a day, they re not planting churches. It s viral neighbor-to-neighbor, house churches, small communities of faith. Yet in the West, we ve managed to double the Revolutionary message Photo by Mary W. Cox Reggie McNeal warns diocesan clergy to move beyond a church-centric focus for ministry God s not sitting around waiting for church people to get it. rate of disaffection in the past 20 years We want to have church conversations, and the culture wants to have God conversations. We can no longer be church-centric, he told the clergy; we need to meet people where they already are: in the workplace, in Wal-Mart or Home Depot, Starbucks or Burger King, in schools or at sports events and in virtual communities online. We have one job: to be people of blessing, he said. Church people need to know that they can do this, that they can be church in the routine of daily life. The language of service eventually leads to conversation about God, he said, adding that we don t have to be ashamed to let these conversations happen. Jesus is still very popular he s just not associated with the church. He s associated with the poor, the disenfranchised, the anti-religious-establishment people. He told of a church whose members were challenged to ask people they encountered during the week, How may I ask God to bless you? God showed up and showed off in extraordinary ways through these encounters, he said. One problem, McNeal said, is that all of our measurements for church growth and church success are based on what s happening in church, with metrics like worship attendance and number of pledges. As the church moves from an internal to an external focus, it needs new ways to measure what s working. Start reporting community service hours by members, he suggested, or hours spent by clergy and members engaging in discussions about community concerns at civic meetings; how many community groups use church facilities, how many meals the church has served to hungry neighbors, or how many children from a local school use church facilities for afterschool activities. Celebrate the reallocation of resources, he advised. McNeal warned that shifting a congregation to missional focus will be met with resistance. He devoted a large part of his final session with the clergy to strategies for dealing with transition and the inevitable conflicts that come with change. Your church will not vote to go missional, he said. Your strategy is to be a viral agent create ways for people to get exposed to the virus. He reassured the clergy, There is a far greater willingness among laypeople to go missional than you imagine. He urged them to stay focused on people-development, rather than program. He left the group with four suggestions: Go first be the change; face your own demons your fear and your need to control; build a support group you can t sustain this kind of change by yourself; keep the long view, the kingdom view ask if people are moving toward God because of what you re doing. We re all busy, McNeal said. You want to know that what you do matters. Churches reach out through partnerships with schools Several congregations are already involved in one kind of missional ministry suggested by Reggie McNeal a variety of partnerships with local schools. For some time, established after-school programs like Paul s Place at St. Paul s, Delray Beach, and My Backyard at St. Margaret s and San Francisco de Asis, Miami Lakes, have been providing tutoring, recreation and enrichment and above all, a safe place to be after school hours for neighborhood students. A new after-school program has just begun at St. Ambrose and El Centro Hispano de Todos los Santos, Ft. Lauderdale. (See story p. 12.) St. Gregory s and Chapel of St. Andrew, Boca Raton, participate in Blessings in a Backpack, a nationwide program with the goal of ensuring weekend meals for children whose weekday nutrition is dependent upon free or reduced-price school lunches. Volunteers meet on Wednesday afternoons at St. Gregory s to fill backpacks with lightweight, easyto-prepare or ready-to-eat foods such as fruit rollups, juice boxes, peanut butter, mac-and-cheese, instant noodles and cereals. On Fridays the backpacks are delivered to Hammock Point Elementary School and distributed to children participating in the program. On Mondays the children return the backpacks to be filled again for the next weekend. St. Mary's, Deerfield Beach, has begun a relationship with a nearby elementary school; the church collected 36 backpacks and three boxes of school supplies to be distributed to students at the beginning of the year, and parishioner Irene Myrie has let the principal know that the congregation is ready to be on-call for other needs that the students may have. This year the Episcopal Church Women of St. Anne s, Hallandale, in partnership with the Lions Club of Aventura, held its third annual back to school shopping spree for close to 100 children from area schools. On Aug. 7 the children, along with 25 members of St. Anne s, went shopping at Hallandale Beach Wal-Mart; each child was partnered with parishioners and had a $50 gift card with which to purchase clothing, shoes or school supplies. Church partnerships with public schools range from donations of school supplies to classroom volunteering and mentoring. Watch for future stories about these ministries.

6 6 The Net, October News Jungle explorer Episcopal Charities moves forward with resources, grants, networking On Aug. 28 an energetic group of volunteers of all ages gathered at Church of the Intercession, Ft. Lauderdale, to help prepare the property for its new ministry a partnership with Episcopal Charities of Southeast Florida. With ECSEFL s executive director, the Rev. Donna Dambrot, as priest-in-charge, Intercession has begun to serve not only as the site of its own revitalized outreach ministry program/community center, but also as an Episcopal Charities congregational outreach resources center open to all in the diocese. The first in a series of workshops will be held at Intercession on Oct. 23 a training session on welcoming visually impaired people into all services, activities and ministries of a faith community. Future workshops are planned on such topics as creating a free website for an outreach ministry, grant proposal writing and community gardening. The congregational resource center is also intended to provide a space equipped for conducting online grant research. The first gathering of ECSEFL Messengers was held at Intercession on Oct 2. Messengers representing 10 of the 30 congregations now involved in the messenger program participated in the morning of worship, education and networking. Morning Eucharist at the outdoor altar was followed by a presentation by the Rev. Vanessa Stone on free technology available to help congregational ministries run more efficiently. Episcopal Charities President and Executive Director Donna Dambrot and Program Director Bonnie Weaver spoke about the role of the Messenger Network in the diocese. Messengers will share information during the year by , secure chat room opportunities and will meet again in the spring. Contact Bonnie Weaver, bonnie@ecsefl.org or for more information on becoming involved in the Messenger network. ECSEFL is currently reviewing applications from 35 parish-based outreach programs for funding for this year s diocesan Human Needs Grants. Applications are being processed in preparation for the meeting of the Matthew 25 Committee, a panel of clergy and lay representatives from throughout the diocese who review the applications and make recommendations for funding to the Episcopal Charities board. Episcopal Charities also has a limited number of $1,000 Small Grants still available. To date, seven small grants have been awarded for start-up feeding programs and community gardens. For more information on this grant program, visit or contact Bonnie Weaver, Program, Grants and Resource Director at bonnie@ecsefl.org. Episcopal Charities has set a goal of helping to create 100 new outreach ministries in the diocese by Since January of this year 21 new ministries have been founded or guided through ECSEFL s Feeding Our People initiative. On track! says Dambrot. Photo by Marise Estime/Pompano Pelican Representatives of three Episcopal congregations Holy Spirit, West Palm Beach, Holy Redeemer, Lake Worth, and All Souls, Miami Beach joined with other church and non-profit leaders in a Garden Workshop on Sept. 11 at The Fruitful Field: Parkway/Tedder Community Garden in Pompano Beach. The workshop was co-sponsored by Episcopal Charities of Southeast Florida and Parkway United Methodist Church. The Parkway/Tedder Community Garden was started two years ago as a joint project of Parkway and the Tedder Neighborhood Watch to re-connect people and creation with each other and with God. The day began with a tour of the garden s six acres; the group walked through individual plots, a citrus forest, a food forest, food pantry plots and an area planted in South Florida native plants. Along the way there were explanations of mulching and microorganisms and the basics of Deacon Charles Humphries from All Souls, Miami Beach, marvels at the towering banana plants in Parkway/Tedder Community Garden. At right is Anthony Armstrong, one of the Parkway/Tedder team leading the garden tour. Workshop provides introduction to community gardening Bishop Leo Frade and his wife, Diana, will lead will lead a pilgrimage to Greece and Turkey, Mar , The Holy Land pilgrimage previously scheduled for January of next year has been canceled, due to low registration. There seems to be greater interest in the March pilgrimage, which will follow in the footsteps of St. Paul and St. John, Frade said. The trip will trace St. Paul s journeys to Athens, Thessaloniki, Corinth and Ephesus, and will offer a trip to the island of Patmos, where St. John wrote the Apocalypse. Part of the trip permaculture agriculture based on sustainable land use. The Community Garden is designed to be not only a place where neighbors can grow and share their own food, but also a site for hands-on learning about growing food in ways that are healthy for both people and the planet. There was fruit for sampling figs and Barbados cherries and time for the group to share information, ideas and experiences that they can use in planning their own community gardens. Episcopal Charities plans additional workshops next year on community gardening. It is part of our Feeding Our People effort, Bonnie Weaver, grants and resource director for ECSEFL, told The Pompano Pelican. We try to partner with churches in helping to share information, ideas and best practices that will benefit the community. We also supply grant funding for small gardens and other feeding initiatives. Frade will lead pilgrimage to Greece and Turkey in 2011 will be a four-day cruise that takes the pilgrims not only to Ephesus, where they will visit the site traditionally thought to be the house of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and to Patmos, but also to Mykonos, Rhodes, Santorini and Crete, where they will visit the Minoan palace of Knossos. The cost of this trip is $4,125 per person, double occupancy; this includes a $300 tax-deductible donation to Our Little Roses Ministries. The complete itinerary is posted at For reservations contact Globe Travel,

7 News The Net, October SE Florida cursillistas help launch Cursillo movement in Jamaica Ready to celebrate Photo by Vasco Coombs At Anglican Women s Cursillo #1 in Jamaica, Southeast Florida team members (left to right) Claudette Wray, Jean Robinson and Juanita Miller help Head Cha-cha Andrea Chin See (right) from Jamaica put the finishing touches on the dining room decorations for dinner. Fr. Bob Cummings, retired priest and missionary The Rev Dr. Robert Cummings, assisting priest and former associate at St. Mary Magdalene, Coral Springs, died on Monday, Sept. 20. He was 86. He was a scrappy priest, said Fr. Mark Sims, rector of St. Mary Magdalene. He d been in some wild places. Although Obituary Cummings had served various congregations in Central Florida, California and Virginia, immediately prior to coming to Southeast Florida in 1998 he had been a missionary in Honduras. I appreciate his work as a missionary there during my episcopacy, said Bishop Leo Frade. As part of his ministry in Honduras, Cummings helped with the renovation of Espiritu Santo in the coastal city of Tela, and had returned there to see the completed work at the church in October of In a report in The Net in February 1999, Cummings recalled his near-brush with Hurricane Mitch: The day I arrived, it started to rain. After five days I ran for the airport, just in front of the hurricane. He returned to Honduras in late November of 1998, bringing money and relief supplies collected here. Cummings is survived by his wife, Olga, and two sons, William and Chris. The Bishop Gray Retirement Foundation s financial assistance program continues to provide financial aid to low-income, elderly Episcopalians from three Florida dioceses Southeast, Central and Southwest who need help with the high costs of retirement community living and medical expenses. During 2009, we helped 23 Episcopalians, living in retirement communities, assisted living and senior facilities in the three dioceses, said Ginger Van Valkenburgh, the foundation s executive director. The foundation is financially sound, and continues to receive donations from individuals and parishes from the three dioceses, she said. Foundation assistance makes it possible for recipients to live at a variety of retirement, assisted-living and senior living facilities, including St. Andrew s Residence in West Palm Beach, which is owned and operated by the Diocese of Southeast Florida. To be eligible for the Bishop Gray Retirement Financial Assistance Program an individual must: Be age 62 or older, or 100% disabled; Be an Episcopalian in good standing with a history of involvement in the life of an Episcopal church in the Southeast, Southwest, or Central Diocese of Florida; Have assets that total no more than $5,000 for one person, $10,000 for two people; Have a referral from a clergy member of the individual s parish describing the amount of involvement the individual has had in the parish or diocese; Have an annual income of no more than $28,000 ($33,000 for two people). A full description of the guidelines is at Cursillistas from Southeast Florida joined with their sisters and brothers in Jamaica to lead that country s first Anglican Cursillo weekends this summer. Teams for the men s weekend, July15-18, and the women s, July 29- Aug.1, included cursillistas from our diocese and our companion diocese of Nassau and the Bahamas, as well as from Jamaica, working with Rector Bill Poinsett for the men and Rectora Sandra Becca for the women. Thirteen candidates participated in the men s weekend. Brenda McGintis from Church of the Ascension, Miami, who assisted with the men s weekend as well as serving on the team for the women, noted that the men were more young than old, In the September issue of the diocesan Cursillo newsletter, Counting on You, she explained that when the Happening movement for teens came to Jamaica from Trinidad, young adults, too, began to attend the weekends, although they are designed for adolescents. The young men s hunger for being spiritually fed made them ready and eager for the Cursillo experience, she said. Twenty-three candidates as diverse and youthful as the men attended the women s weekend. Deacon Bob Sullivan, diocesan Spiritual Director for Cursillo, served on the team for Jamaica. The thing that moved me the most was to see brothers and sisters in Christ from different nations, different ethnicities, different social and economic backgrounds all working together as the body of Christ, he said. That is what the church is supposed to look like all God s children working together to further the kingdom. The whole experience and these weekends were not only a blessing to the candidates, but a blessing to us all as a team, said diocesan Lay Director Vasco Coombs. With Cursillo established in the Diocese of Jamaica, the next weekends there are scheduled for February For more information on Cursillo, go to Bishop Gray Retirement Foundation helps elderly Episcopalians How to apply for assistance To apply for the Bishop Gray Retirement Foundation Financial Assistance Program, contact Ginger Van Valkenburgh, Executive Director, Bishop Gray Retirement Foundation: Ginger Van Valkenburgh Bishop Gray Retirement Foundation, Inc., 319 Raintree Court Winter Park, FL Tel: Fax: gvanvalkenburgh@earthlink.net Website: Presiding Bishop calls for Season of Prayer for Sudan Calling for a Season of Prayer for Sudan, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori issued a letter in September that details the importance of Sudan and the grave risk of violence as the country prepares for a referendum on January 9, 2011, that could lead to the secession of the southern part of the country. The Presiding Bishop urges three steps prayer, study, and action. I want to challenge us as a Church to pray for the people of Sudan, to learn more about the forces driving the violence, and to advocate for a peaceful referendum, and whatever the outcome, a peaceful future, she charged. A Season of Prayer for Sudan, with comprehensive information for use by individuals, churches, groups, and dioceses, has been prepared to better understand the situation and to engage in the process. This resource can be downloaded at

8 8 The Net, October Parishes in Progress The Net, October Three...Two...One...GREEN! Guest organist? For God s Glory Photo by Sarah Lidinsky Celebrating diversity As Fr. David Wilt, rector of Holy Trinity, West Palm Beach, preaches on Oct. 3, the Sunday when the parish welcomed pets for the Blessing of the Animals, an unlikely guest organist has taken his position on the organ bench, awaiting his cue for the next hymn. Photo by is Bervin Libert Members of the new youth band at Holy Family, Miami Gardens, have chosen the name, Sole Deo Gloria, For the glory of God alone. The young musicians, under the leadership of Holy Family s music director Ashworth Matthews, perform contemporary Gospel music. They made their debut at the parish s 10 a.m. service on Aug. 29, and will be part of worship on a regular basis once a month. Cleaning the coastline At the Aug. 29 ground-shaking for a new Youth Center and Gymnasium at St. Mark s School, Palm Beach Gardens, students Jacob Eassa (2nd grade) and Emma Powers (7th grade), Kay Carnes, head of school and Palm Beach Gardens City Councilman Eric Jablin stand at-the-ready with their detonators, as the St. Mark s rector, Fr. James B. Cook, and retired Bishop Calvin O. Schofield Jr. give the firing command. An explosion of green confetti, signifying LEED-certified green construction, showers the dignitaries and the more than 400 students and parents assembled for the event. Photos by Donn Colee Vestry member Susan Price and a young friend, James Freeman, share an all-american style on International Sunday at St. Faith s, Cutler Bay. The day was a celebration of the many cultures represented in the congregation. Music for the service was sung in Spanish, English, Latin and Swahili, with Caribbean drum accompaniment. Many parishioners wore the traditional clothing of their native, or ancestral, countries; and after the service everyone shared an international feast. Photo by Benjamine Reid Photo by Jo-Ann Murphy Daniel Ledo and Alexandra Junko from St. Stephen s, Coconut Grove (Miami) fill garbage bags at Matheson Hammock Beach Park and Marina in Coral Gables. St. Stephen s youth joined with community and school groups as part of the 25th International Coastal Cleanup on Sept. 25. At the Blessing of the Animals service on Oct.3 at Bethesda-by-the-Sea, Palm Beach, names of pets that had died during the past year were read aloud, giving parishioners the opportunity to remember and give thanks for the animals that had been part of their lives. In its continuing support of the Millennium Development Goals, Good Shepherd, Tequesta, is focusing this year on Goal #2: Achieving Universal Primary Education. The parish supports two students in a school in Guatemala, and is partnering with the South Florida Haiti Project in support of Ste. Marie Madeleine School in Bondeau, Haiti. Students in Good Shepherd s school will be establishing pen-pal relationships with students in Haiti and Guatemala. St. Mary s, Stuart, is celebrating Halloween with Trunk of Treat, inviting children of the parish and the community to come to the back parking lot of the Pittenger Center on the night of Oct. 28, dressed in their Halloween costumes, for a party and treats handed out from the decorated trunks of parishioners cars. In observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Holy Sacrament, Pembroke Pines, has hosted a series of Saturday evening seminars throughout October to raise awareness within the church and wider community of this issue. Topics have included teen dating and violence, and support and advocacy services available to victims. The final event of the series is an ecumenical service of prayer, healing and Eucharist on Oct. 30 at 7:30 pm. Fr. Bob Trache, rector of St. Mark the Evangelist, Ft. Lauderdale, and his wife, Liza Ragsdale, will lead a 16-day pilgrimage to the Holy Land, June 16-27, The cost per person (double occupancy) is $4,561, and includes airfare, taxes, ground transportation, lodging and meals. To download a brochure with complete information, go to and click on Holy Land Pilgrimage St. John s, Hollywood, celebrated its 100th anniversary as a congregation on Sept. 26. The guest preacher was the Rev. Barbara Cawthorne Crafton, known for her books and her website, The Geranium Farm ( which offers an array of resources for study and contemplation. On Sunday, Nov. 14, at 1 p.m., at Trinity Cathedral, Miami, art historian Ann Rose will discuss stained glass as Windows to the Sacred, and then lead a tour of the Trinity Cathedral s windows. This event, which is part of Interfaith Weekend in Miami, is free and open to the public. Following her talk, people are encouraged to visit Miami s historic and contemporary churches, synagogues and mosques and discover the treasures of stained glass art and inspiring architecture. A guided group tour will be available for those choosing to travel by trolley to view a select group of historic houses of worship and exceptional art glass windows in downtown Miami. For more information call Roberta Shevin, ext. 16. On Sept. 10 Canon Richard L.M. Barry and the vestry of Historic St. Agnes, Miami, hosted a dinner for the vestries of St. Kevin s, Opa-locka, and Transfiguration, Miami Gardens, to promote the shared ministries among the three North Dade congregations. On Nov. 17, St. Andrew s, Palmetto Bay, will offer the second of two free lectures on topics of urgent interest to parents, grandparents and foster parents of students in middle/high school and college. The first lecture, on Oct. 13, dealt with youth suicide risk; the Nov. 17 presentation is about cyber-bullying and victimization. The evening begins with refreshments at 6:30 p.m., followed by the lecture from 7-8:30. For additional information call the church office, St. Christopher s, Key Biscayne, celebrated Episcopal Schools Sunday on Oct. 3 with an ice-cream social following the 10 a.m. family service. From Oct St. Thomas, Coral Gables, invited families to save their spare change to pay their children for doing simple household chores. The children were then asked to donate the coins they earned to help purchase needed items for the preschool at neighboring Holy Comforter, Miami. St. Stephen s, Coconut Grove (Miami), celebrated its 100th birthday the weekend of Oct The festivities began with a Garden Party, with cocktails, dinner and dancing, on Saturday, Oct. 16, and on Sunday, Oct. 17, the guest celebrant and preacher for the 10:30 a.m. festival Eucharist was Bishop Mary Gray-Reeves of El Camino Real, who grew up at St. Stephen s. Children and adults at St. Paul s, Key West, collected dozens of notebooks, sets of pencils, crayons, markers, rulers and other school supplies, which they donated at the beginning of the school year to Kids Come First, a program that works year-round with children in need in throughout the Florida Keys. Deacon Sarah Fowler is now The Deacon of Key West. As of Oct. 1 her assignment is a ministry with both Key West congregations: She will be deacon at St. Peter s, serving at the altar there three Sundays a month, as well as working with developing ministries in that congregation. On the first Sunday of each month she will be at St. Paul s, where her title is associate clergy for pastoral care; she will co-chair the oversight of pastoral care in the congregation and assist with the development of lay pastoral ministries.

9 10 The Net, October From Our Bishop What are WE doing for Jesus and his Church? For many years I have asked myself a simple question every night before going to sleep: What have I done for Jesus this day? I must confess that more than once I have been unable to come up with a positive answer, and when that happens I am encouraged to try harder the next day. I have a friend who asks me every time he sees me, What are you doing this day to preserve, protect and perpetuate the Episcopal Church? Being the bishop of this diocese, I should have a positive answer for him every time he asks; but unfortunately there are days when I have to say that I have very little to show for my efforts. I hope that you are not going to go after me for dereliction of duty, because this doesn t mean that I am not working hard serving our Lord and his Church. I do work very hard, as I think all of my brother and sister bishops do, but there are times when each of us feels that our personal efforts are not accomplishing enough, that the rewards for our efforts don t show the results that we want. But recently it dawned on me that I have been using the wrong pronoun in asking those questions. Instead of asking, What have I done for Jesus this day? I should be asking, What have we done for Jesus this day? Instead of asking, What have I done this day to preserve, protect and perpetuate the Episcopal Church? I should be asking myself, What have we done to preserve, protect and perpertuate the work of the Episcopal Church? Like Elijah on Mount Horeb (I Kings 19:1-18), I have realized that I am not the only faithful one left, not the only one doing the Lord s work. God reminded Elijah that there were 7,000 faithful people who had never bowed their head to Baal. And God has reminded me that I am in the company of over 35,000 faithful in our diocese who are called to share the Lord s work with me. In the back of the Book of Common Prayer is a section called An Outline of the Faith, or the Catechism. There we read that, The ministers of the church are lay persons, bishops, priests and deacons. The Catechism also tells us that, The Church carries out its mission through all of its members. That s ALL of its members not just the bishop operating as the Lone Ranger! I am happy to tell you that we have faithful priests and deacons, who together with the laity of Southeast Almost every Sunday I visit different churches to confirm, receive and reaffirm the baptismal vows of hundreds of men and women, young and old, who have made their decision to serve the Lord in our church. I am always curious to know the reason why In most cases they tell me that they are there as a direct result of an invitation from a friend Florida and their bishop work day in and day out to make known to all people the transforming power of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, including all, excluding none. Almost every Sunday I visit different churches to confirm, receive and reaffirm the baptismal vows of hundreds of men and women, young and old, who have made their decision to serve the Lord in our church. I am always curious to know the reason why they are joining our church. In most cases they tell me that they are there as a direct result of an invitation from a friend to visit our church, followed by the pastoral ministry of the clergy and people of the parish. I challenge each of you reading this are you one of those who has invited a friend to visit our church? Have you cared enough to share with others the beauty of our church? I have always said that it is long past time for us to realize that sharing the Good News by telepathy simply doesn t work. We actually have to use words and be willing to take a chance that someone will say no to us. Think about a friend who is not part of a community of faith, or anyone you encounter in your daily life who could be in need of God s blessings wouldn t you want to share the best things you know, the transforming love of Jesus Christ and the joy of God s people together, with these friends and neighbors? If you have been praying to God for a blessing for you, it is now time to make a change. Let s not ask what God can do for us; instead, let s start asking ourselves what we can do for God. I invite you to join me each day in answering those two challenging questions: What have we done for Jesus today and also what have we done to preserve, protect and perpetuate our church? +Leo Frade Official publication of the Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida The Rt. Rev. Leo Frade, Bishop The Rt. Rev. Calvin O. Schofield, Jr. S.T.D., Retired Bishop The Rt. Rev. John L. Said Retired Bishop Suffragan Kathryn Blanton Convener of Communications Ministry Mary W. Cox Editor Catherine Kohn/PSPress Layout Editor John T. Cox Proofreader Letters to the Editor The Net welcomes letters to the editor. All letters must include the name, address, phone number, and if available, address, of the writer. Parish affiliation is also requested, when applicable. The Net reserves the right to refuse publication, and to edit letters for length, spelling and grammar. News & Information The Net invites news of parish ministries and activities, as well as commentary on church-related issues and events. Whenever possible, all material should be submitted electronically or on a disk or CD. Documents sent as attachments or on disk should be in Word, or in a format that can be opened in Word. Printed material should be an original document or a clean photocopy that can be scanned no faxes. Please include with all material the name, address, phone number and if available, address, of the contributor. Parish affiliation is also requested, when applicable. The Net reserves the right to refuse publication and to edit all contributions. Photographs should be high-resolution digital files or clear prints of film photographs, preferably on glossy paper. Photographs sized for a website are generally too small for print. Do not send hard prints made from digital photographs. All material letters, articles or photos should be submitted electronically to: EpiscoRat@aol.com, or by mail to: Mary W. Cox, Diocese of Southeast Florida, 525 NE 15 St., Miami, FL Net Deadline The next Net deadline is Nov. 10. If you have an announcement or calendar item for events in late December, January or February please have the information to The Net by Nov to EpiscoRat@ aol.com or mail to Mary W. Cox, DoSEF, 525 NE 15th St., Miami, FL (USPS ) is published bi-monthly, six times a year, in February, April, June, August, October and December by the Diocese of Southeast Florida. Subscription, $5 annually. Periodicals postage paid at Miami, Fla., and additional offices. POSTMASTER: Address changes to The Net, 525 N.E. 15th Street, Miami, FL

10 Points of View The Net, October Strength in community can accomplish great things By Arlene Holt Baker Excerpted from a Labor Day sermon given Sept. 5 at St. Margaret s and San Francisco de Asis, Miami Lakes, as part of the Interfaith Worker Justice Labor in the Pulpit program. Labor Day is a time when we celebrate and honor the worker for his labor. Yet this Labor Day too many of our workers are without work, though they wish to labor in the vineyards. It is a season of economic hardship for millions. This is a time when we must work, fight and pray for mercy and justice for those who suffer. As people of faith, we are called by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to do just that. As He has told us in the scriptures, our Holt Baker Christian mission is to protect the weak, the poor, the sick, the elderly and the young. Is the mission tough? Yes, it is tough. Do we get weary? Yes, we get weary. We can feel at times it is easier to turn our backs to others who may be hungry, who may suffer injustice, especially if we are concerned about the welfare of our own households. We may justify our actions by blaming those who suffer. In our great country with its vast resources and great masses of people, it s easy to do. But it is at these moments when our spirits are weakened by the overwhelming scale of pain and suffering and hardship it s during these times that we must remember the greatest commandment: We must love Him and one another. We then remember that we are not alone, that we share in a divine beauty and love that s larger than any of us, that brightens us and betters us. And that together, working with the spirit of love, we can accomplish great things, we can fulfill our responsibilities to protect ourselves and our communities; that we can provide for ourselves safe and adequate infrastructures for our health, our commerce and our education; that we can protect our families from risks that cannot be endured alone; and that together we will share the heaviest burdens. We can be frightened, but we step forward to find love, respect and community. Strength in community that s a powerful belief. And it reinforces a familiar African proverb that it takes a village. It s true, I believe, in the raising of children, but the village itself sometimes needs attention Here in southern Florida, your broad faith community has achieved great things. Earlier this year, South Florida Interfaith Worker Justice led a coalition that won a new ordinance to protect low-wage workers. It s called the Wage Theft Ordinance, and I'm told it s the first countywide ordinance of its kind. It gives fair recourse to our most vulnerable workers when they are shorted pay or denied pay for work they ve done This ordinance, which goes into effect in about a week, is a real victory for hard-working people. It s a nuts-and-bolts testament to the power of the faith community in the fight for justice Working together, guided by our faith, we have been blessed to help ease some of the pain of those suffering among us. We have helped some of our poorest, most frightened and victimized brothers and sisters Our nation is great enough, we re talented enough, smart enough, and good enough, that we don t need to prosper by trampling each other. We can conduct ourselves and our businesses honestly and openly, and together we can thrive and do good with each other. And in helping each other, we cleanse ourselves, we free ourselves and ease our own suffering. And we open ourselves more fully to God's love We are here for a reason. Love does guide us in the labor movement, just as it guides us in our faith. As we go forward from this Labor Day weekend, let s keep these fundamental truths in our heart. Arlene Holt Baker is executive vice-president of AFL-CIO. Our gracious welcome of immigrants is a reflection of God s grace A Pastoral Letter from the House of Bishops Phoenix, Arizona, September 21, 2010 There shall be for you and the resident alien a single statute, a perpetual statute throughout your generations; you and the alien shall be alike before the Lord. You and the alien who resides with you shall have the same law and the same ordinance (Numbers 15:15-16). So [Christ] came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God (Ephesians 2:17-19). Throughout our meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, we have reflected on the immigration crisis facing our host state, the United States, and all nations globally. A number of us visited the United States-Mexico border and saw first hand the many troubling and complex issues that face migrants, immigrants, the border patrol, local ranchers, and Christian communities seeking to minister to all of these groups. We are also mindful that similar border issues confront other nations represented in The Episcopal Church, especially countries in Europe, the Dominican Republic and Haiti, and Colombia and Ecuador. Holy Scripture teaches us that all human beings are made in the image of God, and that Jesus Christ gave his life for all people. Furthermore, both the Old and New Testaments declare the importance of hospitality to resident alien and strangers, a hospitality that rests on our common humanity. All human beings are therefore deserving of dignity and respect, as we affirm in our Baptismal Covenant (Book of Common Prayer, p.305). So our gracious welcome of immigrants, documented or undocumented, is a reflection of God s grace poured out on us and on all. In this light: (1) Ours is a migratory world in which many people move across borders to escape poverty, hunger, injustice and violence. We categorically reject efforts to criminalize undocumented migrants and immigrants, and deplore the separation of families and the unnecessary incarceration of undocumented workers. Since, as we are convinced, it is natural to seek gainful employment to sustain oneself and one s family, we cannot agree that the efforts of undocumented workers to feed and shelter their households through honest labor are criminal. (2) We profess that inhumane policies directed against undocumented persons (raids, separation of families, denial of health services) are intolerable on religious and humanitarian grounds, as is attested by the consensus of a wide range of religious bodies on this matter. (3) We call on the government of the United States and all governments to create fair and humane immigration policies that honor the dignity of people on all sides of this issue. In the United States, we seek a reasonable path to citizenship for undocumented workers; a plan to reunite families; and a viable system for receiving temporary or seasonal guest-workers, with clearly identified points of entry. These measures would free the United States border patrol to concentrate its efforts on the apprehension of drug traffickers, terrorists, and other criminals, and not on ordinary people who are simply seeking a better life for themselves and their children. (4) We acknowledge the duty of governments to protect their people, including the securing of borders. The church has always respected this duty, which is grounded in government s God-given duty to protect innocent people and punish wrongdoers (Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-17). (5) We recognize that racism and bigotry impact debates over migration and immigration. The Episcopal Church is committed to the eradication of all forms of racism, and decries the use of racial profiling in the arrest of persons suspected of being undocumented. (6) We confess our own complicit sinfulness as people who benefit from the labor of undocumented workers without recognizing our responsibility to them. We passively tolerate an economic and political system that accepts this labor from millions of undocumented workers, and which has received approximately $520 billion in social security revenue from them revenue from which they will never benefit. Yet at the same time we treat them as a threat. (7) We do not discount the concerns of our fellow citizens regarding the danger uncontrolled immigration poses to our safety and economic well-being. We insist, however, that these concerns be approached within the broader context of a national commitment and covenant to inclusion and fellowship across all lines for the sake of the common good. (8) We take seriously our commitment to and responsibility for our fellow citizens, as we strive to face the spiritual, moral and economic challenges of life in all sixteen nations represented in The Episcopal Church. We call on our fellow citizens to remember that the good of a nation lies beyond its own self-interest, toward a vision of a humanity restored in Jesus Christ, for in him you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ (Ephesians 2:13). (9) We offer for additional study a theological resource, The Nation and the Common Good: Reflections on Immigration Reform. God s grace be with us all. The bishops theological resource, The Nation and the Common Good: Reflections on Immigration Reform, can be found online at

11 12 The Net, June Our Diocese Creative collaboration: Regional ministries share vision, resources In a time of diminished financial resources, congregations around the diocese are discovering that there was a reason Jesus sent the apostles out two by two: We re not meant to go it alone. Two regional ministries, one in Ft. Lauderdale and one in Boca Raton, are exploring the rewards and challenges of sharing resources in collaboration for mission. Welcoming families Graduates Photo by Nancy McKirchy Photo by Lee Arnette Graduates of El Centro s summer reading camp not only improved their reading skills by as much as one grade level, but also created their own caps and gowns for the commencement ceremony. St. Ambrose and El Centro An arranged marriage that s working The Rev. Rosa Lindahl Mallow, priest-in-charge of St. Ambrose and El Centro Hispano de Todos los Santos, Ft. Lauderdale, describes the new partnership of the two congregations as an arranged marriage. We didn t fall in love we had to learn to love each other. The two mission congregations are part of the New River Regional Ministry, an effort initiated by All Saints, Ft. Lauderdale, to extend its ministry more widely into the communities of east/central Broward County. Four years ago All Saints began to reach out to the area s growing Hispanic population with El Centro, under the pastoral leadership of Lindahl Mallow, the parish s associate priest and Hispanic missioner. The new Hispanic ministry first held services in a park, then in a store-front. As the ministry expanded to offer a wider range of programs, especially for children and families in the community, it moved to a larger retail location. In January of this year, Rev. Rosa accepted the call to be priest-in-charge of St. Ambrose, a congregation struggling to remain financially viable, and the ministries of El Centro found a new home. St. Ambrose s parishioners didn t have much choice, Lindahl Mallow said. They have had some really painful moments, but it was matter of choosing life or choosing death the congregation very consciously chose life, staying with the pain and grief and looking for God s grace in it. It took a lot of courage [their] willingness to walk without seeing where they were going. I have enormous respect for this group of people. In July the two congregations came together for two celebrations. After a joint July 4 service, there was a picnic and a patriotic sing-along. On the evening of July 23 all members of the New River Regional Ministry were invited to share a Latino meal and a night of salsa dancing lessons. Music transcended the all differences, said Lindahl Mallow. See PARTNERSHIP, Page 13 The Rev. Debra Self (rear) watches as families whose children were recently baptized at Chapel of St. Andrew and St. Gregory s visit with each other before the Chapel s Family Sunday service. REMBR Neighboring churches become partners St. Gregory s and the Chapel of St. Andrew are less than four miles apart, yet each has been basically pursuing the mission of Christ independently. That s how Fr. Andrew Sherman, rector of St. Gregory s, describes the situation before the formation of REMBR, Regional Episcopal Ministry of Boca Raton, this summer. That model simply doesn t work anymore successful ministries are all collaborative, said Sherman, explaining why the two congregations decided to join forces for ministry that is collaborative, creative, mutually encouraging and supportive. The collaboration came about rather naturally: The Rev. Debra Self, who was designated priest-in-charge of Chapel of St. Andrew in July, had been assistant at St. Gregory s and was serving as temporary interim at the Chapel ( a loaner, in Sherman s words) after longtime rector Fr. Steve Zimmerman accepted a call to a church in Colorado a year ago. We count the beginning of REMBR to when Debra took over [as priest-incharge], Sherman said. Debra is that instant bridge to St. Gregory s that jump-started the regional ministry, said the Chapel s senior warden, Nancy McKirchy. Andrew and I have a special opportunity, Self explained. We worked together for six years he was my mentor He really believes in collaboration. Self continues to meet regularly with the staff of St. Gregory s. St. Gregory s and the Chapel also share the ministry of transitional Deacon Mark Andrew Jones, who is primarily based at the Chapel but also preaches about once a month at St. Gregory s. The two congregations already have combined healing teams and are sharing a confirmation class, an EFM group and a weekday Bible study. When the Chapel had a Sunday celebration honoring the families of children baptized during the year, baptismal families from St. Gregory s were invited. Even before REMBR, both congregations participated in the Family Promise program to help families move out of homelessness, and both are now sharing in the Blessings in a Backpack program at Hammock Point Elementary School. Both Sherman and Self are clear that each congregation retains its own identity. We each have something to offer the other, Self said. The Chapel is not the poor stepchild of St. Gregory s in any way. Sherman is specific about some of the different gifts that make the two churches a complementary match: St. Gregory s has more members and greater financial resources; the Chapel of St. Andrew has large meeting facili- See REMBR, Page 13

12 Diocese The Net, October Nehemiah retreat digs deeper into social media, ministry funding Social media are not going away it s not a fad, PR and marketing specialist Marvin Dejean told clergy and lay leaders the Nehemiah Retreat, Sept at the Duncan Center. Technology is going to change radically the way we talk to each other, the way we think about each other, the way we do church. We re on the cusp of a human revolution. The church has three goals, Dejean said: to communicate the Gospel, to connect people, and to give them a call to action. The first question we need to ask as we begin to use social media, he said, is how social media will improve the quality of ministry and help us accomplish these goals. Use social media like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, he told the group, to share the very culture of your church. In two Nehemiah workshops in February, Dejean had introduced the use of social media in church communications, and as he did then, he emphasized the need for a social media strategy, tools for measuring the effectiveness of each medium of communication and the understanding that social media are about interaction. You ll get feedback whether you want it or not! Websites should be dynamic and interactive, he said, and should reflect your passion. All online tools, he said, should be used to bridge the chasm between people who are already there [in church] and those in the virtual world. Content is king, he said, urging the group to keep all online content relevant and to make sure that the person who handles social media strategy for the church knows the communities you want to reach, both internal and external. Dejean led the group in exercises to help identify parish ministry goals and how social media could help accomplish those, and to assess the effectiveness of the parish website or to measure the success of a social media strategy. Around the room, laptops, Blackberrys and iphones were in action as participants checked their own websites against Dejean s suggestions, updated Facebook pages and, at Dejean s invitation, tweeted comments on the presentation. Much of the specific material Dejean presented can be viewed at enter Marvin Dejean to find his presentations on using social media and measuring the effectiveness of your social media strategy. On the second day of the retreat the group heard presentations by Sharie Blanton, a consultant to non-profit organizations, and Cheryl Chapman, executive director of Friends of Trinity Cathedral, on making wise budget decisions, finding and keeping givers, and identifying alternative sources of funding. After asking the group what financial challenges they face deficit budgets, property issues, personnel costs, varied cultural attitudes toward stewardship Blanton advised, First of all, you can t panic. She went on emphasize the need for a mission-driven budget. New ideas Photo by Mary W. Cox Fr. Orlando Addison and Jan Pushkar of St. James-in-the-Hills, Hollywood, discuss with Deb McLaughlin of St. John s, Hollywood, some of the new ideas presented at the Nehemiah Retreat. In the middle of budget meetings, remember why you re here. She suggested thoughtful review of what expenditures can be postponed or reduced, exploring creative and collaborative fund-raising projects, getting more people involved and effectively communicating needs. Chapman spoke of stewardship of donors. You need to know who s giving, when and how much, and build relationships, she said. Fund-raising is all about listening. Never, ever assume that someone can t give, she said. It s ok to ask. Look for potential major gifts and bequests, she advised. If we re not getting bequests, we re failing in stewardship. Find ways to let people sponsor a specific need music, altar flowers and candles, outreach ministries, she suggested. She told of asking cathedral parishioners to buy figures for the new Christmas crèche and engraving on the underside of organ keys the names of donors for the restoration of the instrument. Be intentional about everything you do, said Chapman. One on one is the best way to raise money, she concluded. In the final session of the retreat the group was given an opportunity for discussion of the proposed Bishop s Ministry Grants program. (See story p. 3) We re a people of stewardship, Dean Horace Ward reminded the group as the discussion began. Dream God s dream, he said. PARTNERSHIP from Page 12 One great gift that El Centro brings to St. Ambrose is children. Enrollment in the church preschool has grown significantly since the two congregations came together. Because of the school expansion, New River Regional Ministry has been able to purchase a bus for transporting students from two local public to a newly established after-school program. The classrooms at St. Ambrose have provided ample space for expansion of Aprendo porque Juego ( learn through play ), the Centro's literacy program and summer reading camp. Twenty-five children were in enrolled in this summer s six-week program, and by the end of the summer, all of the students had improved by an average of 22 percentage points on a state reading test. Two or three children moved up one grade level. Eighteen volunteers worked with the summer program, some of them teens and adults from St. Ambrose and All Saints, but also people from other denominations. Several of the literacy program s regular volunteers are Jewish, and some are even atheists, Lindahl Mallow said; all participate because they know they are making a difference. It s not just the kids being transformed it s the volunteers, too. The Rev. Angela Cortinas, All Saints new priest associate for children and family ministries, works with a bilingual Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program at St. Ambrose and El Centro, and is leading a combined youth ministry for all three of the New River congregations. Old ways of being church the stand-alone, independent congregation aren t working, Lindahl Mallow says. She believes a new model is needed more based on the ministry needs of the community and she has received a grant from the Episcopal Church Foundation to pursue exactly what she s doing at St. Ambrose and El Centro: regional multi-cell ministry in a post-parish environment. Her grant proposal states: We are committed to a process of transformation. We are intent on becoming an effective regional ministry group that can mobilize resources from each of the cells to do active ministry with measurable results. St. Ambrose parishioner Bill Evans is hopeful about the new partnership. I think it s a great idea exactly what the church should be doing and St. Ambrose wasn t doing any of this before. I watched my daughter volunteer this summer, and what she was able to do with those little kids was just miraculous. At graduation a parent spoke she said it was the first time she felt anyone teaching her child really cared about the children. I think Rosa s doing a great job. REMBR from Page 12 ties, committed volunteers and a tradition of excellent Christian formation, with a remarkable record of raising up disciples for ordained ministry. He cites St. Paul s example of the organic Body of Christ, each part making its unique contribution, all working together. Both priests admit that one compelling reason to find ways to work together is economic; the recession means that neither congregation has sufficient resources alone to do all of the ministry it s called to do. But economic necessity woke us up to the deeper truth that s there, Sherman said. This is a more effective way to do the ministry Christ has entrusted to us. What s excited me about regional ministry, he continued, is that it really feels fun to think about ways we can do mission together. Suddenly the vision of what we can do what we might be called to do has been enlarged. Self agrees. We re taking advantage of the situation we find ourselves in, but it s exciting I think this is the future of the Church. How does the Church work with this model? Sherman laughed. No one knows how to do regional ministry, he said. We re inventing this.

13 14 The Net, October Our Diocese St. Paul s is sharing its rector s sabbatical journey Canon William Chip Stokes, rector of St. Paul s, Delray Beach, and his wife, Susan, the parish s director of Children, Youth and Family Ministry, are on a three-month sabbatical this fall and the parish is sharing the journey. St. Paul s was one of 149 churches that received a grant from the Lilly Foundation under its 2009 National Clergy Renewal Program; the grant (close to $50,000) is not only funding the Stokes travels, but is also supporting the budget for supply clergy and the parish program of sabbatical-related activities. The theme of the sabbatical is Songs of silence, sounds of solitude. The grant proposal and the sabbatical plans are very intentional in seeking to create a variety of wilderness experiences that will allow Susan and me, as well as the people of St. Paul s, to try to listen for God in ways that are very different from those to which we are generally accustomed, Stokes told his congregation in a special sabbatical edition of the parish s e-newsletter this summer. Leaving on Labor Day, Sept. 6, the Stokes traveled to Thomas the Apostle Retreat Center in Cody, Wyoming, located a short distance from the western gate of Yellowstone National Park, for a week s transition into sabbatical time: Sounds of Silence, Songs of the Wilderness. Stokes reflected on his blog, In Yellowstone and Cody it was Creation writ large that struck me and captured my heart and imagination. That scale of awesome wonder calls forth a deep humility. It is something I will continue to celebrate and ponder. Phase II of the sabbatical was a 14-day course led by the faculty of St. George s College in Jerusalem, Ways in the Wilderness, which included journeys to the biblical wilderness, Sinai and the monasteries of Egypt and Petra. Into the wilderness Photo by Chip Stokes Canon William Chip Stokes and his wife, Susan, prepared for a desert journey: This picture is taken from Mount Scopus in Jerusalem with the Judean Wilderness behind us. Tomorrow morning [Sept. 22] we leave early for the Negev where, tomorrow night, we are sleeping in tents at an interfaith retreat center in the desert. On the evening before their journey into the Judean desert Stokes wrote: In most of the tradition of the desert fathers, this kind of withdrawal and separation was not merely or primarily for the sake of the self a form of narcissistic navel gazing. It was about withdrawing from the clamor and noise of the world so that one could be more open to God and God's voice; so that one could listen and obey. Ultimately, this kind of withdrawal is for the sake of the community. This is largely what my sabbatical is about. While their rector and his wife have been on their journey of exploration and contemplation, the congregation been offering a six-week Monday evening course on contemplative practices and centering prayer, and is following the themes of the Stokes travels in a Wednesday night Sabbatical Series, featuring shared reading, study and conversation. In September, the congregation s study focused first on the idea of wilderness in American history and culture and then on the role of wilderness in Judeo-Christian scriptures and faith. The next two parts of their journey are taking the Stokes to Celtic sites in Ireland and France, for exploration of Celtic spirituality and of their own family roots, and to the Lake District of England for Recollection in Solitude and the Romantic Poets. The congregation is continuing its parallel of the phases of the sabbatical with its own studies of Celtic spirituality and the Romantic poets. The final phase of the sabbatical will be a retreat, Nov , at Holy Cross Monastery, a Benedictine community in West Park, NY. Stokes will return to his parish on the first Sunday in Advent, Nov. 28. During the sabbatical period St. Paul s associate rector, the Rev. Kathleen Gannon, has been serving as priest-in-charge, but she said, We always have someone with us on Sundays all the clergy of the deanery have reached out to say, If you need anything, I m there. I value that so much, Gannon added. It means a lot to me and to the congregation. We are feeling blessed! For more about the sabbatical journeys of Canon Stokes and his wife and their congregation go to and click on the link for Sabbatical Directly beneath that is a link to Stokes sabbatical blog. Back to Church Sunday focused on invitation and welcome For the past two years two congregations one Haitian and one Hispanic have shared church facilities on North Miami Avenue in Miami s Little Haiti neighborhood. St. Paul et les Martyrs d Haiti, under the leadership of Fr. Smith Milien, priest-in-charge, and Iglesia Trinidad, led by Milien s wife, Deacon Marivel Milien, are both actively involved in the Nehemiah Process as part of their commitment to grow their ministries to their surrounding communities. One of the strategies discussed by the Nehemiah congregations at their August meeting was Back to Church Sunday a time to focus on invitation and welcome for both first-time visitors and former members who have not been active. Approximately two million people are estimated to visit a church somewhere each Sunday, but only about 15 percent of those people return or become active members of the congregation; Back to Church Sunday not only invites visitors, but also seeks to welcome them into the life of the congregation. St. Paul s and Iglesia Trinidad set their Back to Church Sunday for Sept. 12. Fr. Smith Milien tells what happened that day: The longtime parishioners of St. Paul s noted that over the years a number of persons have drifted away from the life of the church. St. Paul s is like many Episcopal and other Christian churches there are names on our church rolls that include members who do not attend church regularly or even occasionally. Therefore, the people of St. Paul s were given a challenge the charge was to invite family members, friends, godparents, godchildren and any other children of God to come back to church. The Gospel lesson for the day was Luke 15:1-10, in which Jesus teaches in parables about the mercy of God and joy in heaven when one who was lost has been found by the Lord. The men of St. Paul s were called to take responsibility to see that everyone in their household was at church on Sept.12. Our attendance for that day was 122 persons, compared to an average three years ago of 37; our average weekend attendance at St. Paul s in 2010 has been 106. Some who were present that day appeared to be guests, but they were not strangers to the church family indeed, they were family. The service that day (in French) included the baptism of two children, which added to the family celebration. After the liturgy, the reacquainted and renewed community shared in a bountiful lunch of Haitian cuisine hosted by the family of the newly baptized. The people of St. Paul s experienced a transformational event. These kinds of moments change souls and shape lives in Christ, and the church community will continue to grow in numbers and spirit from Sunday to Sunday. Iglesia Trinidad chose a similar plan for its Sept. 12 Back to Church Sunday its theme was Welcome a friend to church. Pledging that, No one will stay at home this Sunday, the people of Iglesia Trinidad used the occasion to invite everyone they knew. Each household was called to bring someone to church. At the 12:30 p.m. liturgy in Spanish attendance reached 87 a record for a congregation that averages 25 per weekend. Parishioners introduced each of their invited guests for an individual welcome from the congregation. A spiritual highlight was a moment of special intercessions, which included laying-on of hands and anointing; tears flowed, expressing the joy of being found and welcomed by God. At a luncheon after the service hospitality continued to flow from and into smiling hearts. St. Paul s and Iglesia Trinidad are already making plans for another Back to Church Sunday. The experience of Sept. 12 is proof positive of the spiritual power of inviting a friend to church. (Thanks to Fr. Richard Aguilar, priest-in-charge of St. Margaret s and San Francisco de Asis, Miami Lakes, for his translation from Spanish of Fr. Smith Milien s account of Back to Church Sunday. )

14 Youth Young adults grow in faith and service through Level UP In January of this year Holy Sacrament, Pembroke Pines, began a new ministry for young adults ages Level UP Ministry was founded to encourage young adults to Level UP their faith in God through Jesus Christ; Level UP their capacity for community service; and Level UP their stewardship and their supportive fellowship with each other. Led by Michael Sewell, Debby Prescott, Veronica Francis, Tony King and Michael Williams, the group meets at 5:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month. Meetings focus on relating the Bible and Christian teaching to the experiences of daily life. Discussion topics have included the importance of prayer; coping with tribulations of the workplace; financial responsibility; and mental health. About 20 young adults now participate regularly in the group. In addition to regular meetings for study, reflection and conversation, members also share recreational activities like bowling, movies and paintball, and have taken several road trips. Another essential aspect of Level UP is the ministry s commitment to a strong presence in the community. Outreach projects include LifeNet4Families (formerly Broward s Cooperative Feeding Program), where members work in the soup kitchen, dining hall and food pantry. The group anticipates that this relationship may expand to include collection of clothing, food and supplies for LifeNet. Level UP Ministry is also planning to work with Habitat for Humanity and Joe DiMaggio Children s Hospital and to participate in walks to raise awareness and funds for a number of causes. Community service is a fulfilling necessity the members enjoy, said Sewell. He added, These past months, Level UP Ministry has made substantial progress praying vigorously and dedicating [ourselves] whole-heartedly, the ministry will overcome any obstacle and reach its goals simply doing the work Christ has given us to do. To learn more about Level UP, levelupministry@holysacrament.org or mwsewell@aol.com. About 30 youth and adults attended the annual diocesan Youth Convention, held Aug. 6-7 at Hugh Taylor Birch State Park on Ft. Lauderdale Beach. The event provided time for fun reconnecting with friends from around the diocese and beginning new friendships; games; swimming and even breakfast on the beach but it was also a time for learning, worship and a business meeting. The major business of the convention was the election of Youth Commission officers for the the school year. The new president is Emily Gonzalez-Holland from St. Benedict s, Plantation; the other officers are Krista Lamberti, vice-president; Sophia Faiella, secretary (both from St. Stephen s, Miami); and Myles Bullock from St. Faith s, Miami, administrative assistant. This year s Youth Convention did not pass any new legislation, but did review the two resolutions submitted by By Emily Gonzalez-Holland the youth that were approved by last years Diocesan Convention and agreed to work for full implementation of those. One resolution called for restricting the use of bottled water at all church-sponsored events, and the other, for the appointment of a diocesan music committee to present a list of music resources to this year s convention and for the Bishop s Spring Conference in 2011 to be an experiential music workshop. The Rev. Nancy McCarthy, who served for many years as parliamentarian at Diocesan Convention, led a workshop for the youth on parliamentary procedure and the legislative process in the Episcopal Church. Other workshops included a presentation by Fr. Joel Turmo on the structure of the Episcopal Church and the roles of the four orders of ministry laity, bishops, priests and deacons; and a discussion led by Fr. Lee Davis that explored the question of Why me? NHLC inspires new ideas Happening is a life-changing three-day spiritual retreat for Episcopalian Youth all over the country. It is run by youth for youth, giving an opportunity for youth to grow even closer as a community while growing in their relationship with Christ. It is essential for our youth to have this retreat, so it is essential that we have the right tools to keep it alive and growing. National Happening Leadership Conference (NHLC) is a source for those tools a conference where youth come from all across the country to share their experiences with Happening and to help each other expand their Happening Programs. With workshops, small group exercises, the learning of new ice breakers, networking and more, NHLC is an amazing way to refresh the Happening Program. This summer (July 7-10) two youth from our diocese, Krista Lamberti and I, with adult leader Krisan Lamberti, attended NHLC 2010 at Montreat Conference Center in Montreat, NC. When I say Happening is run by youth for youth, I m not joking youth from around the country make up the Happening National Committee (HNC). Members of this group hold two-year terms and serve as the design team for the NHLC Conference. This conference was an eye-opening experience, revealing the amazing things that Happening is capable of doing. Many more doors have been opened for our diocese to grow in all aspects of the Happening movement. The numerous notes Krista and I took are definitely going to be put to good use, What we took from this conference was not just the basic information and new knowledge that we are eager to put to the test, but also the connection to a new network of people all over the country who are trying to accomplish something bigger and better with youth, all while they, too, are learning and growing in Christ. When Happening was revived three years ago in the Diocese of Southeast Florida we used and tweaked some of the Southwest Florida ideas; but since NHLC Dance happens Photo by Krisan Lamberti The Net, October Krista Lamberti, one of two Southeast Florida youth who attended the National Happening Leadership Conference in July, performs an impromptu dance accompanied by Fran McKendree, who led music for the conference. we are planning new and exciting things to add to this three day retreat. We hope that word of a new, better, more exciting program will get out, so that even more youth will want to participate in Happening. For more about Happening, go to Information on the next Happening weekend in our diocese will be sent to youth ministers and youth leaders and posted in Grapevine and on the youth pages of the diocesan website: Emily Gonzalez-Holland, a member of St. Benedict s, Plantation, is the newly-elected president of the diocesan Youth Commission, and has served on two Happening teams. Youth Convention elects officers for why bad things happen. The event also included opportunities for different worship experiences. Friday evening ended with a Kirtan Mass, contemplative worship in the style of the early church with music and chant based on Middle Eastern and Asian musical traditions. The service was led by Fr. James Reho, assistant at Trinity Cathedral, Miami, and members of the worship team that leads the Awakening service on the first and third Sunday evenings of the month at the cathedral. Father Reho and his crew truly opened up our hearts, souls and minds to a new way of glorifying Christ, said Gonzalez-Holland. The youth were asked to keep silence from the end of the Mass through Morning Prayer on Saturday, which began at sunrise on the beach with yoga. Reho and yoga instructor Suzanne Rutrough led the group in poses that began the day with relaxation and receptiveness to the presence of Christ. After this good start to the youth year, Gonzalez-Holland promises a great, successful year for diocesan youth ministry. Keep your eyes open! she said. Youth Christmas Ball Date: Dec. 11 Place: Holy Family, Miami Gardens Cost: $15 per person Dress: Cocktail or formal attire Registration will be from 6:00 6:30 p.m., followed by dinner and dancing. A donation of an unwrapped toy is suggested.

15 16 The Net, October Committed to Mission Madagascar inspires student s goal: To solve the problem of extreme poverty By Andrew Somers From June 26-Aug. 3, Andrew Somers, a student at Elon University in Elon, NC, and a member of the Chapel of St. Andrew, Boca Raton, was a summer intern in Toliara, Madagascar. Along with students from Ursinus College in Collegville, Pa., Somers worked with our missionaries, Bishop Todd McGregor and his wife, the Rev. Patsy McGregor, doing research for the development of the Miaraka Resort and Spa, a project planned to improve economic conditions in Toliara. The report below is excerpted from a summary of his experiences and from postings on his blog at I was nervous, curious and excited when the time came for me to leave for my summer internship in Madagascar. The thought of traveling halfway across the world by myself on four different flights, with no idea how to speak the native language, was very daunting to me. But when I landed in Toliara and found the Mc- Gregors, it felt almost effortless at first, almost as if I were returning home or at least as if I d been there before. When I arrived at their home in the slums, I was surprised I had actually expected worse, since Bishop Todd had told me they lived among the poorest people in the world. I moved in and felt pretty good about everything; the conditions were not extremely comfortable, but I was very okay with it. But by the second day, I started to feel the homesickness and culture shock that everyone had warned me about. I realized that I didn t really know anyone around there and could hardly communicate with the Malagasy people to make any friends. I knew the Mc- Gregors, but they were so much busier than I was at that point, and the team from Ursinus College was not coming until a week later. I wasn t sure what to do with myself. To heal this overwhelming feeling of uneasiness, the McGregors suggested that I should go out and tour the city of Toliara. I was walking around with Pierre, the McGregors watchman, who hadn t learned much English at all, and since I didn t know any Malagasy, we figured we would teach each other through simple signals and words as we walked through the city. I do not know if it was the fact that I was spending quality time with another human being, learning and gaining the trust of that person, or just that I had gotten out of the house and explored that made me feel so much better, but whatever it was, it worked amazingly. From the moment the other teams arrived, time seemed to speed up. At first we were all a little unclear as to what the McGregors and the Miaraka Resort board wanted in terms of research, but as time went on our work began to unfold itself. The research was fun, informative and interactive. We simply went to eight different hotels and asked to be given a guided tour of their establishment, which they graciously gave us every time. I learned a lot from talking to some of the hotel owners about what it takes to make poor areas like Madagascar improve their conditions. It was actually from talking to the first hotel owner that we gained the most information about economic development and how a hotel can make a difference. He told us about the way his hotel works with the people of the nearby village, hiring them as employees, teaching them how to make things the hotel can buy from them, and purchasing foods like rice and vegetables that are grown in the village. It was this discussion that helped us get a greater idea of how to make Miaraka Resort function, and also sparked my keen interest in making economic development part of my life s work. Throughout the weeks in Toliara, just from talking to people, I was Photo provided by Andrew Somers able to gain a much better understanding of where poverty comes from and why it s so hard to overcome. This Welcoming community Andrew Somers (back row, second from left) was welcomed by children, as well as adults, in the village of Betaola. understanding led to a greater desire in me to want to solve the problem of extreme poverty. The weeks flew by: We visited numerous hotels, taught English to numerous Malagasy, made reports and kept talking to people. I think the richest part of this entire experience for me was the understanding of how precious education is for people in this area. Education or the lack of it, I found, is a leading cause of the kind of extreme poverty in areas like Toliara. During the last week of my stay, I had to visit Betaola, a village that needs some agriculture projects that will help them harvest year-round and not just in the rainy season; my job was to report to Bishop Todd about the issues there. This involved my traveling with a translator a few hours west into the middle of nowhere to take notes on why this village was struggling with poor harvests. This also involved my living in the same conditions as some of the poorest of the poor in the world. We ate on the floors and we slept on something so hard it was second only to rock. Needless to say I was rather unenthusiastic about going at first. My mentality was more along the lines of, Ok, let's just get this over with, rather than, Okay, sweet this will be cool. It was the farthest I've ever been away from my comfort zone and yet it was amazing. The only thing I could possibly do was have an open mind and just do what they told me they needed. So I did, and I've never been treated with such hospitality and care. They had so little, yet knowing that I was American and trying to help them, they gave me so much. It felt surreal and amazing to me to hear the issues in this village directly from the people, as opposed to hearing it from someone else, and to live for a day among these people with their mud huts and hard beds. I think it was also very enriching for them as well having an American as their guest, taking pictures of them and trying to share with them what America is really like. For reasons I still cannot explain, the visit to Betaola proved to be one of the best and most intriguing moments of my life. Going to Madagascar was a miraculous opportunity for me. Madagascar may be one of the poorest countries in the world, but it is one of the richest in terms of community. I gained new experiences and new friends that opened my eyes and mind, and made me more mature; and I discovered my calling to a career in economic development. I could not feel any more blessed than I do. Diocesan mission team returns from Madagacscar The 14-member diocesan mission team returned Oct. 1 after two weeks of visiting and working with our missionaries, Bishop Todd and the Rev. Patsy McGregor. We were able to accomplish so many things, too many to list first and foremost was the building of relationships, with the team from Madagascar and among ourselves, said the team leader, the Rev. Debra Andrew Maconaughey, in an message to the team and its supporters on Oct. 2. First-hand reports from the team, along with many photographs, are on the mission website, A full report of the mission trip will be published in the December issue of The Net.