VOL 4 April 2015 ISSUE 4 The San Joaquin Anglican The Bishop s Corner The Right Reverend Eric Vawter Menees A lleluia, Christ is risen! The Lord is risen indeed, alleluia! This traditional Easter greeting speaks to the very foundation of our life in Christ. Everything in the life of Jesus was verified on that first Easter morning when the women found the empty tomb and then encountered the risen Lord in the garden. Without the resurrection, Jesus was simply a nice teacher, a terrific person and a tragic figure an innocent person wrongfully put to death. With the resurrection Jesus is the Son of God, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. With Jesus resurrection everything changed. Not only history but the reality of our existence here and in the life to come. Because Jesus was raised from the dead, when we as his adopted children take our last breath on earth, the very next second we take our first sweet breath alongside of Jesus in heaven. But not only are we granted a blessed eternal life with Jesus to come because of his resurrection we are open to a life of grace and peace here on earth. This is not to say that life is without its problems, hurts and pains. It is to say that because Jesus rose from the dead, just as he promised to do, we can trust every one of his promises. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 (Continued on page 2) Bishop s Schedule And Diocesan Calendar April 2-3 Diocesan Offices Closed April 4 Bishop @ St. James Anglican Cathedral for Great Vigil of Easter April 5 Bishop @ St. James Anglican Cathedral April 6-7 Diocesan Offices Closed April 7-13 Bishop on Vacation April 14 Rural Dean s Meeting April 15 Pastoral Visitation & Installation of Fr. Jack Faucett as Vicar of Jesus Our Savior Anglican Church, Modesto April 18 10 am, Diocesan Council Meeting @ Diocesan House April 19 Bishop @ St. Alban s, Los Banos April 21 Noon, Standing Committee Meeting via WebEx @ Diocesan House April 25 2 pm, Ordination of James Sweeney, Phillip Berghuis, Dennis Mann, and Jeffery Stugelmeyer to the Diaconate @ St. James Cathedral April 26 Bishop @ St. Augustine s, Hollister April 26 4 pm, ECCO Commission Meeting @ ECCO April 27-29 Spring Clergy Conference @ECCO
(Continued from page 1) The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. John 10:10 And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. Matthew 28:20 These promises of Jesus and a hundred others are what we can hang our life on and pin our hopes to. Because of his resurrection, because of his presence with us right now, because of his love, this present life has meaning and hope! Alleluia, Christ is risen! The Lord is risen indeed, alleluia! Did You Know? Over 40 teenagers gathered at the Cathedral for the Winter Youth Retreat? Fr. David Brown was installed as the 2 nd Vicar of St. Andrews in the Desert Anglican Church in Lancaster on St. Patrick s Day? April 25 th Philip Berghuis, Dennis Mann, James Sweeney & Jeff Stuglemeyer will be ordained to the Sacred Order of Deacons? Deacon Steve Veselsky will be ordained to the Sacred Order of Priests on May 10 th at Epiphany, La Mirada? That the 2 nd Deacons Day of 2015 will be on April 25 th at the Cathedral before the ordination service? Diocesan Strategic Plan Over the past year the Diocesan Council has worked diligently to seek the Lord s Vision and Mission for the Diocese. As we met and prayed, dreamed and hoped, we were consistently reminded of the Great Commission of Jesus - And Jesus came and said to them, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. Matthew 28:18-20 In light of the Great Commission we discerned the Lord calling us to this vision: To lead an apostolic community, under authority, that brings people to Jesus Christ. In order to put legs to the vision we developed the following mission: To equip, train, support and encourage clergy and lay leaders to bring people to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. (Continued on page 3) April 2015 THE SAN JOAQUIN ANGLICAN Page 2
(Continued from page 2) Lastly, at our most recent meeting, we finalized the strategic goals for 2015. It is our desire to set the bar high because the Lord deserves our very best efforts to live out this vision and mission. I am making these strategic goals known in order to seek your support in meeting these goals and to ask you to hold me as your bishop, along with the Diocesan Council and the Standing Committee, accountable in making every effort to achieve these goals. Bishop Menees ANGLICAN DIOCESE OF SAN JOAQUIN BALANCED SCORE CARD VISION STATEMENT LONG-TERM STRATEGIC GOALS TO ACCOMPLISH VISION MISSION STATEMENT To lead S1: To provide clergy and lay leaders a variety of tools to bring people to -- and disciple To equip, train, support, an Apostolic them in -- Jesus Christ. and encourage Community, S2: To continuously improve administration, communication, and ministries of this Diocese. clergy and lay leaders under authority, S3: To regularly offer training and development opportunities for clergy and lay leaders. to bring people that brings S4: To fund Diocesan operations while allocating 50% of revenue to ministry and outreach. to a saving relationship people to Jesus Christ. VALUES STATEMENT We value accountability, collegiality, transparency with Jesus Christ 2015 Annual Objectives to Accomplish Long-Term Strategic Goals 2015 GOAL Focus on S1[a]: Conduct 4 Deanery meetings with different forms of support and tools at each meeting. 4 meetings Clergy and S1[b]: Grow Diocesan-level youth ministry participation by 10% compared to previous year. 10% growth Lay Leaders S1[c]: Conduct Anglican 4th Day weekend with 10% participation growth from previous year. 10% growth S2[d]: Seek and install a Canon of the Ordinary. 100% installed S2[a]: Add at least 5 new best practices / compliance checklists to Rectors' / Wardens' and 5 Continuous Treasurers' Manuals. Improvement S2[b]: Provide all churches with templates for disaster preparedness and ministry continuity. 100% of Ministries S2[c]: Start the process to plant 2 new congregations in our Diocese. 2 & Missions S2[d]: Conduct a complete review of Diocesan Canons to assure alignment with Diocesan 100% aligned mission, vision, and values. S3[a]: Conduct 1 Clergy Conference with at least 70% of Diocesan clergy in attendance.. 70% Professional S3[d]: Conduct 1 Clergy Retreat with at least 70% of Diocesan clergy in attendance. 70% Development of S3[b]: Conduct 4 Deacon Days with at least 30% participation at each meeting. 30% Clergy & Leaders S3[c]: Offer 6 on-line training courses for clergy and lay leaders. 6 S3[e]: Complete development of a process for licensing of lay Chaplains in the Diocese. 100% completion S4[a]: Exceed budgeted revenue by 15% with part of the surplus allocated to 2016 missions. 15% Financial S4[b]: All churches in the diocese participate in an audit process in 2015. 100% Outcomes S4[c]: Complete training of all church treasurers,' 100% S4[d]: All churches in the diocese shall have met their tithe commitment for 2015. 100% 5 (Continued on page 4) April 2015 THE SAN JOAQUIN ANGLICAN Page 3
(Continued from page 3) ACNA CATECHESIS SUMMIT IN ATLANTA The ACNA Catechesis Task Force conducted its first Summit of Catechists in Atlanta, Georgia, on March 19-21, 2015. The ACNA College of Bishops established the Catechesis Task Force to prepare a strategic plan for catechetical instruction in the new Province. The initial fruits of this Task Force was the new Anglican catechism, To Be a Christian, which was published on an experimental basis in 2013. The new catechism has been favorably received and, thus far, has been translated into twelve languages and introduced throughout the Global South, as well as in the ACNA. The Task Force is now moving forward with developing plans for preparing additional materials and strategies that may be used in Anglican churches effectively and authentically to teach an orthodox expression of the Christian faith in the Anglican tradition. Fifty leaders and catechists from throughout the ACNA assembled together in Atlanta to discuss the development of a plan to be presented to the College of Bishops. Among the outcomes developed at the Summit, the group made plans to offer a downloadable PDA catechism application, establish an online Wiki catechism site, and publish a commentary on To Be a Christian. Additionally, teams were established to work together to develop resource materials to assist families in developing family worship, provide dioceses with parochial school catechism curricula, and develop catechetical materials for youth formation. The Diocese of San Joaquin was represented at the Summit by Mrs. Cyndi Telander, lay catechist at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Stockton, and Jim Sweeney, Lay Pastoral Leader at St. Anselm s Church in Elk Grove. Cyndi will be participating in the team, led by Fr. Lee Nelson of the Task Force that has been assigned to develop materials related to family life and marriage for use in family and pastoral ministries throughout the ACNA. Jim has been asked to work with Fr. Joel Scandrett of Trinity School of Ministry to author catechist s notes that will be added to the Commentary on To Be a Christian. He will also assist as a canonical consultant to the team, led by Fr. Jack Gabig of Nashotah House Theological Seminary, that is preparing licensure standards for lay catechists that will be proposed to the College of Bishops in the future. April 2015 THE SAN JOAQUIN ANGLICAN Page 4
New Vicar for St. Andrew s in Lancaster Lancaster, California (Mar. 17, 2015) St. Andrew s Anglican Church in the Desert welcomed the Rev. David Brown to the family Tuesday night and celebrated as the Bishop of the San Joaquin Diocese, the Rt. Rev. Dr. Eric V. Menees installed him as the church s Vicar. The Rev. Brown was ordained in 2004 and served at St. Clement s in Woodlake until 2011 and served by filling in for vacancies throughout Porterville and Sonora. It was in 2013 that he became the Interim Vicar of St. Augustine s in Hollister. After a year, Bishop Menees introduced the Rev. Brown to the St. Andrew s church family. I am excited that soon I will be able to spend more time with the people of St. Andrew s and also to become more involved with the communities of Lancaster and Palmdale, said the Rev. Brown. St. Andrew s is a very caring and prayerful church that very much wants to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. St. Andrew s Anglican Church in the Desert was founded in 2008 and is a member of the Anglican Church in North America. Ministries include Daughters of the Holy Cross that meets the second Wednesday of each month, Anglican Fourth Day, Tuesday Night Bible Study and Care Net Women s Resource Center Outreach. Worship services are held every Sunday at 10 a.m. My expectation is that God will continue to do wonderful work at St. Andrews adding new disciples and empowering them for service in the community, sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, said Bishop Menees. St. Andrew s is a loving Christian community committed to loving God, loving one another and serving the community. St. Andrew s Anglican Church is located at 2034 West Ave. K-4 in Lancaster. They can be reached at 661-722- 8737. April 2015 THE SAN JOAQUIN ANGLICAN Page 5
And With Your Spirit A Liturgical Update from Father Jonathan Kanary The Anglican Church in North America was initially formed from several different groups, who use several different versions of the Prayer Book. This creates difficulties as we work toward full unity especially since, in the Anglican tradition, our liturgy is one of the go-to places to discover and explain what we believe. One of the Archbishop s first actions was to call for the development of a new revision of the Book of Common Prayer, so that all of us in the ACNA could have truly common prayer once again. The first draft liturgies to be released were the Ordinal, followed by rites for Eucharist, and Morning and Evening Prayer. For the last couple of years we have used these liturgies at all our diocesan events and services. Many of you are using them in your parish as well. In January, I was asked to serve on the Liturgy Task Force. In February, I attended my first meeting, in Bedford, TX (near Fort Worth). Right now the Task Force is hard at work on drafts for Baptism (almost done) and Confirmation (getting close). These will hopefully be approved for trial use by the College of Bishops at their June meeting meaning we may get to use them in our parishes later this year. The Task Force also formed a number of subcommittees to help move the work along. Although the process is slow, a lot is being accomplished, and I am both honored and excited to be part of the project. You can be part of it, too! The reason for approving liturgies for trial use is so that parishes can test-drive them (so to speak) and see what works, what doesn t, and what can be strengthened or improved. So if you are using the draft versions of the Eucharist or Daily Office liturgies, and you have thoughts and suggestions, please send your feedback to liturgytaskforce@anglicanchurch.net. Help us develop a Prayer Book that will truly serve and bless the Church for many years to come. To learn more about Texts for Common Prayer and the Liturgy Task Force, go to http://anglicanchurch.net/?/main/ texts_for_common_prayer + + + The Rev. Jonathan Kanary is the Curate at Saint Columba Church in Fresno. Father Jonathan was born and bred in Oklahoma. He earned a degree in literature at Patrick Henry College in Purcellville, Virginia, then served with Smyrna Ministries International for several years. He came to Saint Columba after completing his Master of Divinity at Nashotah House Theological Seminary in 2011. Father Jonathan is passionate about preaching and teaching, pastoral ministry and spiritual direction, theology and Scripture and worship. He also likes to laugh. In his spare time he continues to read literature (everything from classics to science fiction), sings and plays music, enjoys old-fashioned dancing, and drinks hot tea year-round. Email Father Jonathan @ jkanary@saintc.net. April 2015 THE SAN JOAQUIN ANGLICAN Page 6
Dear Diocese of San Joaquin, Going to Work with Dad February 21, 2015 I had the privilege of going to work with our Almighty Heavenly Father in the Southern Philippines working at a tutorial center, farm, and medical mission, all thanks to your prayer and financial support. On this trip I learned that global missions is not only about the team that is sent out to come along Christ in the work He is doing abroad, but it is also very much about the sending church, which is you! I wanted to personally thank you for all your prayers and the financial sacrifice you made so that I can go and serve alongside the Lord. I m sure you are wondering what I actually did while I was there, so here is a very short recap. If you would like to know more, please contact me so we can get together and I can tell you the whole story! Week 1: Sigay Kauyagan is the name of the tutorial center at which we were working. It means bright future and that is exactly what this center was providing for the local children. Countless children explained that they came to the center for the free use of the computers and extra tutoring help, but the real reason they kept coming back is they felt the peace and joy of Jesus Christ. Ministering to Muslim children is long and relational work. Many of the children knew we were Jesus Followers but they didn t have a personal relationship with Christ. By building trust and being a safe place, we were able to show them the love of Christ so that they could hear the gospel. While we were there, we taught them an English lesson focusing on verbs, nouns, and adjectives. We also taught multiplication tables, and my favorite lesson was CPR, First Aid, and the Heimlich. While working at the center I discovered I had a gifting and passion for teaching. I also read to the older children the book: You Are Special by Max Lucado and had them break into small groups to talk about what it meant to only care what God thought of you. It was a very fruitful time working with these children. Week 2: We spent two days working on an agricultural farm. This farm was used to teach new farming techniques to local farmers and the local agriculture college students. The main focus was teaching them not to deplete the soil of all its nutrients through the slash and burn technique, but instead to make fertilizer from compost and the goat droppings. They also used teaching as a (Continued on page 8) April 2015 THE SAN JOAQUIN ANGLICAN Page 7
(Continued from page 7) funnel to build relationships to then introduce Christ to the farmers and ask them to join in Bible study. We spent most of our time clearing land of weeds to plant new flowers that would strengthen the land. The mission organization we were with is very holistic; their vision is to see community development in order to reach people for Christ. Much like how Christ met the people s physical needs in order to reach their spiritual needs. Week 3: This was by far my favorite part of the trip: MEDICAL MISSIONS! How it worked was we had four days of medical missions where we traveled from village to village partnering up with local doctors, nurses, and city officials to see 200-600 patients a day to give them free health care. We had families register and we got a sheet of paper describing their symptoms from them, and then they would come and get their vital signs taken from us, the nursing and pre-med students. After that they would go to a health lecture on either: hygiene, LBM (Loose Bowel Movement), or High Blood Pressure and would be invited to continue classes that would later on turn into Bible studies. Then they would see one of the physicians; there was a doctor from Simi Valley, CA and one from Germany. They would receive the medications at the free pharmacy. This portion of the trip gave me clarification on what I want to do with the rest of my life. The Lord has given me a heart to serve as a medical missionary and a passion to work to organize similar medical missions in the future. Lord, now let your servant depart in peace according to thy word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for your glory to your people Israel (Luke 2:29-32). Brothers and Sisters, I saw the Lord at work in the Philippines, I have seen the salvation of Christ in the people we were working with, and I saw Christ in His beautiful natural creation! I can leave this place with peace in my heart for I know the Lord is working mightily here. My goal for this trip was to see God work in powerful ways, and I did; my eyes were opened to the Lord s beckoning whispers for His creation to come back to Him. I urge you to continue to pray for the work that still needs to be done in the Philippines, but also in our global church today. Prayer is our most powerful weapon as the church still faces persecution and hardship. Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to go to work with Dad and humbly serve the Filipinos, and for all your prayer, love, and support! Thank you and God Bless, Milagro Margarita Menees April 2015 THE SAN JOAQUIN ANGLICAN Page 8
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Protecting the Sheep Spring Clergy Retreat April 27-29, 2015 with The Rev. T. Craig Isaacs, MDiv, PhD Vicar at St. David s, San Rafael & Clinical Psychologist Director of Threat Management Service Dr. Isaacs is a certified Personal Protection Specialist (PPS); Licensed Marriage Family Therapist; ordained priest in the Anglican Church of North America; and the author of Wolves Among the Sheep: Protecting Your Church from Violence (2011) and Wolves Among the Sheep Workbook: A Guide to Creating a Violence Protection Plan and Training Your Security Team (2013). He has completed professional protection training at the Executive Protection Institute, is a Nine Lives Associates member, and has received additional training in threat assessment and management at the Gavin de Becker Advanced Threat Assessment and Management Academy. Dr. Isaacs is an experienced evaluator performing assessments for child protective services and custody evaluations for high-conflict divorces. He has taught seminary classes in pastoral care and in recognizing and dealing with evil, including dealing with cults and ritual abuse. He has been an expert witness for murder and rape cases involving cultic or spiritual issues, and also maintains a private practice in psychotherapy. In addition to directing Black Watch Threat Management Services, Dr. Isaacs continues to perform psychotherapy as well as leading St. David s Anglican Church in Marin County, California. He is also author of Revelations and Possession: Distinguishing Psychological From Spiritual Experiences (2009). For more about his book or his psychotherapy practice visit drcraigisaacs.com. The Retreat begins with registration at 4 pm and follows with dinner at 6 pm on Monday. The Retreat closes after the 10 am Eucharist on Wednesday. Per person pricing for 2 nights, 5 meals if registered before April 13 th : Double & Quad $99 Day Use $70 Private rooms are available on a case by case basis at the rate of $189 Any registrations received after April 13 th will pay full price. + + + Sadie Beling Program Coordinator Evergreen Conference Center Oakhurst 43803 Hwy 41 Oakhurst, CA 93644 ph. 559.683.8162 fax. 559.683.4971 www.eccoyosemite.org Sadie@eccoyosemite.org April 2015 THE SAN JOAQUIN ANGLICAN Page 10
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Students Entering Grades 4-6 June 28 July 1, 2015 $225 Cost: $325 For ALL registration forms click here Cost: $325 For grades 9-12 July 19-24 2015 July 26-31, 2015 Camp San Joaquin is a Christian camp located in the Sequoia National Forest. It is off the Generals Highway at an elevation of 7,500 feet. For directions to camp, please visit www.campsanjoaquin.com. Cabins are comfortable but simple and require campers to bring bedding. Camp San Joaquin has plenty to do and see in the big outdoors including biking, swimming, archery, and hiking. These are all Christian camps offered by the Anglican Diocese of San Joaquin. Our purpose is to invite our students to know and to love Jesus and to enjoy the creation that He has given us. April 2015 THE SAN JOAQUIN ANGLICAN Page 12
Bishop s Note series-- The Bishop's Note is a pastoral message published weekly by Bishop Eric Menees. To subscribe, send an email message with your email to receptionist@dioceseofsanjoaquin.net. The San Joaquin Anglican is published monthly by The Anglican Diocese of San Joaquin, California. Submissions will be accepted for consideration anytime; Contributions must be received by the 20 th of the month for possible inclusion in the newsletter in the following month. Please send these to sandfrogers@mediacombb.net and cc: melody@ctkridgecrest.org Thank you! April 2015 THE SAN JOAQUIN ANGLICAN Page 13