Here is a collection of a few of the good things that Episcopalians and their congregations have done that made the news this past week. And other news fit to print.

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Here is a collection of a few of the good things that Episcopalians and their congregations have done that made the news this past week. And other news fit to print.
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Here is our weekly collection plate, offering a few of the good things that Episcopalians and their congregations have done that made the news this past week. And other news fit to print.

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Here is our weekly collection plate, offering a few of the good things that Episcopalians and their congregations have done that made the news this past week. And other news fit to print.

Read more »

Here is our weekly collection plate, offering a few of the good things that Episcopalians and their congregations have done that made the news this past week. And other news fit to print.
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Parish office prayers before Holy Week. Father Tim Schenck writes on his blog "Clergy Family Confidential" the following:

Ode to a Copier A Prayer for Holy Week

Holy Week, dear friends, will soon draw nigh;
From St. Mark’s-in-the-Bowery to Christ Church, Shanghai.
Parish secretaries and their rectors, too,
Thinking of the bulletins that will ensue,
Drop to their knees and begin to quake,
Praying their copiers will stay awake
Through Maundy Thursday and the rest;
Without behaving as if possessed.
Rectors wonder with uncertainty,
“Should I have purchased the extended warranty?”
Misfeeds, toner woes and a paper jam
Always seem to accompany the Paschal Lamb.
Why this happens is a great unknown,
A mystery worthy of the bishop’s throne.
So stoke the incense, say your prayers;
anything to stave off copier repairs.
As the dark shadows of Tenebrae now approach;
may your copier behave without reproach.
And as we begin the Good Friday fast,
May it wait ‘til Low Sunday to breathe its last.

An acre for anyone

Reese Rickards of St. Albans Episcopal Church in Salisbury, MD reports, "St.Albans is allowing anyone from the community to obtain a plot of their land and grow whatever they desire. But no matter what type food or flower that someone chooses to grow on God's Acre, 10% of it is required to be donated to the needy." Rickard said, "They have to agree to tithe what ever they raise, not to us but to... any agency that is helping the poor folks."

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Here is our weekly collection plate, offering a few of the good things that Episcopalians and their congregations have done that made the news this past week. And other news fit to print.

Read more »

Here is our weekly collection plate, offering some of the good things that Episcopalians and their congregations have done that made the news this past week. And other news fit to print.

Read more »

Here is our weekly collection plate, offering some of the good things that Episcopalians and their congregations have done that made the news this past week. And other news fit to print.

Read more »

Here is our weekly collection plate, offering some of the good things that Episcopalians and their congregations have done that made the news this past week. And other news fit to print.

Dominoes fall for Haiti

The global fight against poverty has triggered a chain reaction in San Antonio. sound of dominoes falling. Students at Saint George Episcopal Day School toppled more than 15,000 dominoes representing the number of dollars the students have raised for struggling schools in Haiti. The "chain of love" event is part of the One Campaign to fight world poverty. This is the fourth year the school has participated. Watch the dominoes fall on the video.

Food for kids backpacks

Volunteers at Christ Episcopal Church, Warren, OH, are making sure local third-graders have enough food for the weekend. To do so, they have spent every Thursday evening since last September packaging food and snack items that are distributed to the children on Friday. Second Harvest Food Bank provides the food. Tom Eastman, a volunteer, said the 150 backpacks are for third-graders at Horace Mann and Willard schools. The items put in the bags include beef stew, peanut butter, juice, milk, macaroni and beef, applesauce, cereal and granola bars. h/t to Neva Rae Fox

Blessing boats

Strong winds Sunday blew in an abundance of blessings for more than 300 vessels at the annual Pass Christian, Mississippi. Blessing of the Fleet. For the Pass Christian community the blessing is steeped in tradition. It has been an anticipated event for 33 years. Organizers said it is more than a ceremony, it is part of their heritage. “Fishing is one of the most dangerous industries in the world,” said Rev. Chris Colby of Trinity Episcopal Church. “Pleasure boats are fun but everyone needs to be safe in those boats, too — so they also need a blessing for safe travel.”

Here is our weekly collection plate, offering some of the good things that Episcopalians and their congregations have done that made the news this past week. And other news fit to print.

Read more »

Here is our weekly collection plate, offering some of the good things that Episcopalians and their congregations have done that made the news this past week. And other news fit to print.

Read more »

Here is our weekly collection plate, offering some of the good things that Episcopalians and their congregations have done that made the news this past week. And other news fit to print.

Read more »

Here is our weekly collection plate, offering some of the good things that Episcopalians and their congregations have done that made the news this past week. And other news fit to print.

Read more »

Here is our weekly collection plate, offering some of the good things that Episcopalians and their congregations have done that made the news this past week. And other news fit to print.

Read more »

Here is our weekly collection plate, offering some of the good things that Episcopalians and their congregations have done that made the news this past week. And other news fit to print.

Read more »

Here is our weekly collection plate, offering some of the good things that Episcopalians and their congregations have done that made the news this past week. And other news fit to print.

Read more »

Here is our weekly collection plate, offering some of the good things that Episcopalians and their congregations have done that made the news this past week. And other news fit to print.

Read more »

Here is our weekly collection plate, offering some of the good things that Episcopalians and their congregations have done that made the news this past week. And other news fit to print.

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Here is our weekly collection plate, offering some of the good things that Episcopalians and their congregations have done that made the news this past week. And other news fit to print.

Church provides safe haven and more for kids

... musicians performed Tuesday for the annual holiday party at Cornerstone Kids ... where inner-city youngsters receive gifts donated by the community as well as new shoes from the Krewe of Alegria's Kickin' for Kids program. "Some places give you education and they shoo you on your way," said Marvin Lindsey, grandfather to 6-year-old Nija Capers. "Here they're more involved with the kids. It offers spiritual input as well as education, and the family members are involved. You can't beat that." Started in 1983 as a place for neighborhood children to hang out, Cornerstone Kids Club was operated as money allowed by the House of Prayer Episcopal Church. When the church merged with St. James Episcopal Church to form St. James House of Prayer Episcopal Church, the club became a fixture. In 2002, it obtained nonprofit status, shortened its name and opened its doors five days a week with a mission to help at-risk children.

Church camp offers lessons for youth

Plastered to a sheer rock face, or hanging precariously 35 feet off the ground – no matter which situation they found themselves in, each member of the Boys and Girls Club learned the importance of trust this past week. Whether they were repelling and rock climbing, or maneuvering their way through a high ropes course, the students learned that it was impossible for them to achieve success without working together.

Good news, bad news

An extended stay in a North Charleston halfway house helped Nellie Gash escape the temptations of the street and rebuild a life ravaged by crack cocaine and prison. At 44, Gash is sober, employed and enrolled in Trident Technical College. She hopes to get a place of her own soon and move out of Magdalene House, a nonprofit that helps women try to break the cycle of addiction and incarceration. Gash credits Magdalene House with saving her life. But as she prepares to graduate from the program, she wonders if the same helping hand will be around to lift others from their cycles of despair. After two years in operation, Magdalene House is almost out of money and struggling to keep its doors open.

Updated. Monday, July 20, 2009 Here is a collection of a few of the good things Episcopalians did at General Convention these past two weeks that did not necessarily make the news.

The following list is based on a list from the Diocese of Connecticut web-site. Thanks to Karin Hamilton for keeping up with this and sharing it with the folks at home.

Updated: When we first posted this, we said that the "view legislation" page is broken. It is now fixed. We will begin the process of updating links.

We have been cautioned that it will take time, a week or two maybe, for the legislation page to be completely updated and for a summary of every action that was taken to be created.

Here is the link to view the legislation of the 75th General Convention.

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Here is a collection of a few of the good things that Episcopalians and their congregations have done that made the news this past week. And other news fit to print.

Read more »

Here is a collection of a few of the good things that Episcopalians and their congregations have done that made the news this past week. And other news fit to print.

Read more »

Here is our weekly collection plate of a few of the good things that Episcopalians and their congregations have done that made the news this past week. And other news fit to print.

Read more »

Here is our weekly collection plate of a few of the good things that Episcopalians and their congregations have done that made the news this past week. And other news fit to print.

Read more »

Here is our weekly collection plate of a few of the good things that Episcopalians and their congregations have done that made the news this past week. And other news fit to print.

Read more »

Here is our weekly collection plate of a few of the good things that Episcopalians and their congregations have done that made the news this past week. And other news fit to print.

Read more »

Here is our weekly collection plate of a few of the good things that Episcopalians and their congregations have done that made the news this past week. And other news fit to print.

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Here is our weekly collection plate of a few of the good things that Episcopalians and their congregations have done that made the news this past week. And other news fit to print.

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Here is our weekly look at just some of the good stuff going on in The Episcopal Church:

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Here is our weekly look at just some of the good stuff going on in The Episcopal Church:

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Here is our weekly look at just some of the good stuff going on in The Episcopal Church:

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Here is our weekly collection plate of a few of the good things that Episcopalians and their congregations have done that made the news this past week. And other news fit to print.

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Our weekly collection of good news about The Episcopal Church:

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News from Haiti and coverage of services honoring Martin Luther King, Jr., dominated religious news this week. Here are a trio of worthy stories that may have escaped notice:

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The most eye catching story of the week comes from the Wilmington North Carolina area congregation of Holy Cross. It's a new church plant. But there were some serious obstacles to overcome before it begin to worship in its own sacred space:

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St. Andrew's in Ann Arbor is featured this week as it celebrates its 180 history of ministry in that city, its large and growing children's minstry and its 27 year old tradition of providing a free breakfast in the city to anyone who's hungry.

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This week's news bring accounts of a parishioner in Hilton Head finding a fire truck for the people of the Dominican Republic, a Cathedral and its artwork, a bishop blessing the shrimpers, parish nursing and yet another congregation supporting ministry to the homeless.

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Oddly enough, for Easter Week, most of the stories featuring the ministry of the Episcopal Church's congregations seem to focus on our outreach to active duty and retired military personnel. There are stories of congregations taking up special collections for those deployed overseas, supporting their families left here at home and building housing for those living on the street.

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The news on Episcopal parishes some weeks determines the theme: this week that theme is parish decline, transition, survival and recovery -- transitions brought on by declines in church going, changes in age demographics, local economic declines, and the larger current recession.

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This week the Saturday Collection comes with a theme - Earth Day. Many Episcopal congregations around the country merited notice for their observance of Earth Day this year, and for their ongoing commitment to the environment.

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There's news this week of Episcopal Church groups reaching out to victims of domestic violence, hungry children, people in inadequate housing and people who want to know something more about the history of where they live. Read on for a snapshot of some of the local ministry of the Episcopal Church.

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We start this week's Saturday collection with a report of what appears to be a revival of Evensong in Southern California:

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Good things Episcopal Churches are doing to make their communities and the world a better place:

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Much of the press coverage of the Episcopal Church this week focused on the ordination of the suffragan bishops in the Diocese of L.A. over the weekend. But there was still plenty of other good news to report about the local ministry of the Episcopal Church's parishes.

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It's been a relatively slow week in the news, at least in terms of reporting of the day-to-day ministry of Episcopal congregations. Most of the attention has focused on the Pentecost letter from the Archbishop of Canterbury and his proposals to various group in the Anglican Communion. But reports of the everyday ministry of the Episcopal Church continue in spite of the primary attention being elsewhere, whether in the religious or the secular media.

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This Saturday the news of the diverse ministries of the Episcopal Church in its congregations across the country brings us stories about the founding of a Hospice, congregations providing business incubator support for new "green" businesses, pet ministry, missionary work overseas, and civic redevelopment.

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Good news of Episcopal Churches supporting their communities through ministry:

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If there's a theme this week to our Saturday collection of parish news, it's one of prayer in response to violence. While most of the Anglican and Episcopal Church news this week was focused on the Presiding Bishop's visit to England and the events of the Executive Council meeting, the parish news seemed to detail the ways that people of faith are choosing to respond to violence in their communities.

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Many US churches are reflecting on the the relationship of church and state and celebrating freedom of worship on this weekend where Independence Day falls on Sunday. Liturgies of reflection on freedom and how far it extends or has not extended to citizens and non-citizens alike to a rodeo actually held in a church! Also check our Daily Episcopalian essay here. What will you and/or your church be doing?

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This week the Saturday Collection of the ministries of Episcopal churches features neighborhood gardening initiatives, continued ministry in Haiti, the transition of a church building into a thriving soup kitchen and the opening of a new immigrant center.

First up this story from Newton Kansas about a new community gardening initiative based at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church:

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Good news of Episcopal Churches making their communities a better place for all people.

Camp for kids who parents are in prison

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This week's Saturday collection is focused on kids and ministry to children both in the United States and internationally. We're in the middle of summer and that means most diocesan and parish summer camps are in full swing. Two of the diocesan camps have gotten special attention from the media this week.

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Stories of churches being church in their communities and around the world:

Lending a hand in New Orleans:

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This week's Saturday collection starts off with the ministry of one of the oldest monastic communities in the Episcopal Church doing what monks have traditionally done, being a center of teaching and learning for the communities around them.

In particular, the community at Emery House is showing the people of West Newburyport MA the benefits of small farm agriculture viewed through the lens of spirituality:

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This week the news of ministry of Episcopal congregations seems to be focusing on the ways that Episcopalians are reaching out to support children and families in harms way. From finding treatment for children who can't access health care to creating programs for families who have lost loved ones, there's plenty of mid-August ministry going on.

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This week's Saturday Collection has stories of cooperation, feeding children, rebuilding and empowerment all happening because of Episcopal congregations around this church putting their faith in Christ into action.

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Most of the congregations of the Episcopal Church seem to be working hard behind the scenes to get ready as parishioners return from summer vacations, children return to regular Sunday formation programs and the congregations get back into the rhythm of regular church life. Perhaps that's why there's slim pickings this week when we scan the secular press for news of the Episcopal Church. We're all so busy getting ready for the next 9 months that most o the work of the church is happening where the world can't see it.

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There's not much news of congregations this weekend, but this particular story caught my eye as I was poking around online. An Episcopal parish in Covington Georgia recently was willed a working 1983 firetruck by one of its parishioners.

The Episcopal Church of the Good Shephard was willed the working vehicle by Dr. David Simons, a nationally know physician who conducted research into chronic muscle pain and other areas.

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Some weeks there's an obvious thread that ties together the stories about the ministry and work of the congregations of the Episcopal Church. Some weeks it's more of a potpourri of stories. This is one of those weeks, but the three stories that we have this week are so compelling that they don't need a meta-narrative to be featured.

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This week's Saturday Collection features innovative outreach fundraising, a congregation that discovered that it has an architectural treasure, another one celebrating an important milestone and a congregation in California that has invested enough in green energy technology that its energy systems are going to be a source of income for the congregation.

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This week's collection highlights two congregations expanding their ministries and Massachusetts clergy speaking out this election season.

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A fire, a protest, and a convention comprise our Saturday collection this week.

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This week's collection brings us stories of medical ministry to people across the country struggling to find appropriate treatment, and two congregations on the west coast finding new ways to reach out and share the Good News with people in their community.

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Episcopal congregations have been busy this week and there are a few interesting stories in particular to highlight: A new interdenominational thrift store with "treats", a cathedral recreating green-space in the downtown and a parish that now has its own eponymous brew.

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This week's collection of parish news around the Episcopal Church has a congregation partnering with local business to renovate a homeless shelter, a parish celebrating three hundred years of ministry to a community and youth sleeping outside in the middle of the city in solidarity.

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This week's news from parish ministries around the Episcopal Church has rightly focused on the ways congregations are responding to community need especially during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. And there are just too many of those to mention, so on behalf of the Episcopal Café staff, consider yourselves all lauded by us.

But of course there's more going on:

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You can tell that it's Advent out there because this week's news coverage of the ministries of Episcopal parishes is pretty sparse. That doesn't mean things aren't happening. It means that the focus right now is on making the shift into preparing for Christmas and helping congregation members do what they need to do to prepare for the winter.

There's one story this week in particular that's taken the task of preparation for winter really seriously.

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This week's Saturday collection features a parish pet, a personal account of one parish's involvement in sheltering homeless families, and another parish's 100 year observance of yearly tradition.

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Alternative liturgies are featured in this week's Saturday Collection, with one congregation doing a modern adaption of Evensong for Superbowl weekend, a PA parish doing a U2'charist to raise funds for the Sudan, and an Interfaith worship service in Rochester NY. There's an account of a particularly industrious way to raise money for a parish Food Bank and of a different twist to Youth ministry.

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A miscellany of interesting and encouraging bits from the news - kids against hunger, Lady Gaga Mass, and knitting your way into the royal wedding:

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It's been sort of slow the past few Saturdays, but today the Saturday collection is back with three stories of local ministry and parish events worth noting.

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