The Diocese
of NH has announced plans for a capital campaign in 2022. The theme is From
Deep Roots, New Life – Funding a Flourishing Church. There will be three
phases: Discernment, going on now; a Feasibility Study, beginning in 2022 and
taking 4-5 months to complete; and Campaign Solicitations, which typically
takes 5-8 months.
Unlike most
capital campaigns which are designed to raise money for building renovation or
new buildings, this campaign is focused on programs:
Episcopal
Missional Communities
Continued support for clergy and lay leaders, providing for
gathering space, and other assistance critical to strengthening these
communities.
Missional communities are new shoots of
the vine that offer alternative forms of worship and community. Dinner
churches, nature churches, digital churches are all examples of different ways
of “being church” that are being raised up here in New Hampshire. Since 2014 we
have seen these new sprouts emerge such as Church of the Woods, The Mission in Franklin,
The Digital Mission, and Christ the Way Community.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIeekIAFmIA
School for Ministry
Salary for a full-time dean, stipends for faculty, upkeep
and improvement of the physical space, curriculum fees, and scholarships for
students.
The School for Ministry was launched in 2020 to develop leaders for our congregations, both lay and ordained, raised up locally from our congregations. Many of these congregations are appropriate for part-time ministry, so the school has a particular focus on bi-vocational leaders.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuqG26YomuE
Bishop’s Curates Fund
Endowing this fund will ensure that the Diocese of New
Hampshire will continue to attract talented young clergy.
The Bishop’s Curates Fund provides
support for congregations to hire promising, newly ordained clergy, that they
otherwise would not have been able to afford. They bring new ideas, energy, and
vision to the congregation and the diocese. The Bishop’s Curates Fund was
started in 2020 and has supported five clergy leaders so far.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQHw0pDkAHw
Ministerial Development Fund
Endowing this fund will continue to help build strong
congregations with dynamic clergy.
The Ministerial Development Fund connects early and mid-career clergy with great potential with congregations who have similarly great potential but cannot yet support full-time clergy. These funds provide three fully funded years, and tapering support for two years. This fund was started in 2016 with support from the Episcopal Church Foundation and the Lilly Endowment. To date it has enabled seven dynamic clergy leaders to engage and grow their congregations.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8HvAwSF8IY
Coaching Fund
Endowing this fund will continue to help church leaders
develop and adapt to our changing times and ministries.
This fund provides for coaching for newly ordained clergy, or clergy and lay leaders who are stepping into new calls, to help navigate the landscape of their congregations. Coaches help leaders clarify and define specific goals, challenges, next steps, and provide oversight that leads to successful follow through. Since its inception in 2020, the coaching fund has helped numerous leaders in our churches grow and develop their leadership.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwLJsVWlKcw
Be sure to take a look at the videos when you have a moment – they give a more in-depth picture of each program to be funded, and you’re likely to see someone you know!!
Stay tuned: more information will be forthcoming when it is available.
Blessings, Caroline
The remaining Sundays at 8:00 and 10:00 AM
This Sunday-September 19th
17th Sunday after Pentecost
at 8:00 and 10:00 a.m.
The
Collect
Grant us, Lord, not to be anxious
about earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed
among things that are passing away, to hold fast to those that shall endure;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy
Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen
First
Lesson Proverbs
31:10-31
In this lesson
from the Book of Proverbs we find a poem to a woman of worth who embodies
attributes beyond charm and beauty, all of which have their source in their
allegiance to God. In an agrarian
culture where the economic and social well-being of the household was primary,
the industry and ability of ranking women were essential to the success of the
extended family and its dependents. The
virtues of the ideal woman described in this acrostic poem are substantially
economic; she is an astute businesswoman, managing with excellence all that is
in her charge. She is charitable to the
poor and extends herself for the needy, displays wisdom, and teaches kindness.
Psalm
1
The Lord makes fruitful those who
choose the way of righteousness.
The
Second Lesson James 3:13–4:3, 7-8a
In this New Testament epistle
believers are to cleave to wisdom that is pure, peaceable, gentle, and full of
mercy and good fruits. The Christian
community must recognize the results of worldly attitudes and desires:
jealousy, disorder, quarrels, even murder.
Prayers are too often offered for the wrong motives, but a harvest of
righteousness is sown for those who sow in peace. The wise will refuse evil and draw near to
God, and in doing so, they will find that God has also drawn near to them.
The
Gospel Mark 9:30-37
In the gospel Jesus foretells his
death and resurrection as the Son of Man, bidding his disciples to have a
servant ministry and to learn to welcome him and God in a child. The several
sayings are linked together by the theme of Jesus’ lowliness and readiness to
suffer for others. His followers’
difficulty in understanding him and their discussion concerning which of them is
greatest stand in sharp contrast to their Lord’s teachings. Jesus’ action and words with regard to the
child remind us of another saying: whatever is done to the least member of the
community is done to him.
Updating the Prayer List
Please let Deb know if you need someone added to the prayer list. Thank you.
Save the Date!
Sat. October 9th 9am – 1pm
Tamworth Farmers’ Market
St. Andrew’s-in-the-Valley Pie Sale
As with last year, we will not be sponsoring our Harvest Dinner and Pie Auction due to Covid-19. Instead, we will be offering pies (and other goodies) for sale at The Tamworth Farmers’ Market!
Calling all bakers! Please consider your favorite recipes….the more pies we have, the more we can sell!
Reminders:
--you can use aluminum pie plates, if you so choose
--pies and pie plates will be sold together
--there is a sign-up board in the Parish Hall to help plan on the type and
quantity of pies. Please stop by and add your pie!
Weekly updates and more information will be posted here!
Tina, Lin and Jean DeThomas
Contemplative Practice returns on Zoom
Tuesday, September 14th from 9:00-10:00am
Teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart.
Psalm 90:12
The pace with which we move through our days can cause our hearts to be weary and distracted. We can feel disconnected from our lives. Making room in our life to pause, sit in silence, and simply be can help us reconnect and strengthen our hearts.
Each Tuesday morning our session will draw upon the Christian contemplative tradition, monastic spirituality, Buddhist meditation, and self-compassion practices. Our time together will include prayer, guided meditation, contemplative sharing from the heart, conversation, and fellowship. Newcomers are welcome at each session.
If you would like to learn more or have questions, contact Christi Humphrey at cchumphrey@comcast.net.
Christi offers a Tuesday evening contemplative practice, virtually, through Bethany House of Prayer, Arlington, MA. If you are interest in this offering visit https://www.bethanyhousearlington.org/contemplative or contact Christi.
Beloved,
be my wisdom,
my way of seeing,
knowing by your love.
Be my gentleness,
my soul meeting another.
Let my wisdom be
tender respect for all.
You who are so gentle with me,
by your grace
let my gentleness
be my good life.
Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Unfolding Light
www.unfoldinglight.net
