Sept. 12, 2019
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Hello!

An exciting new event for the youth of our dioceses will take place on Saturday, October 19 - the inaugural  Michigan Episcopal Chorister Festival (MECFest) . I have been working with colleagues in the Diocese of Michigan to organize this chorister festival for the dioceses of lower Michigan and hope many choristers will participate.  

The festival will take place on Saturday, October 19th from 9:30-4:30pm at the Cathedral of St. Paul in Detroit. 

This collaborative event is intended to encourage the development of chorister programs in our parishes, promote singing as a form of spiritual formation, and provide an opportunity to come together in a larger group for fun, high-quality music and liturgy. It is open to all choristers (boys ages 8-voice change; girls ages 8-18) and choir directors will be able to observe rehearsals, network with one another, and share ideas and success stories. 

To register, please email me at  music@StThomasBC.org  and include your choristers' names, ages, and any dietary restrictions/food allergies. In order to assure enough time for music to be learned adequately, the deadline for registrations is October 1st. 

I look forward to having you and your choristers join us for this exciting event! Please contact me with any questions.

In Christ, 

Stephen White, Ph.D.
Director of Music, 
St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Battle Creek
UPCOMING EVENTS
Sept. 22
Reception of Daniel Snyder to the priesthood in the Episcopal Church at 10am at St. John's, Grand Haven .
Sept. 28
Wheat Planting and potluck at Plainsong Farm. RSVP .
October 3
Celebration of New Ministry with St. Mark's, Newaygo and the Rev. BJ Heyboer at 7pm.
October 8-10
AMEN Conference for all Episcopal clergy in Michigan. Email Ann Emenheiser with questions or download registration form .
October 12
Save the date: Daughters of the King Fall Assembly at Trinity, Three Rivers from 9:30-3:00pm.
October 19
Chorister Festival at the Cathedral of St. Paul in Detroit.
Oct. 22-24
LARC Retreat at the Augustine Center in Conway. Info & Registration.
October 24
Celebration of New Ministry with St. Andrew's, Grand Rapids and the Rev. Molly Bosscher at 7pm.
November 2
Confirmation at Diocesan Convention. Register Candidates.
November 14
Celebration of New Ministry with St. John's, Sturgis and the Rev. James Lively at 7pm.
May 8-20
Journeys of Paul - Pilgrimage through Greece. Info and Registration.
July 7-11
Save the Date:  Episcopal Youth Event at Howard University in Washington, DC for high school-aged youth and adult leaders.
EDWM in the NEWS
"Christ Episcopal Church is hosting its second Sparkle and Shine sale from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Aug. 31, in the parish hall... "
"...Loving Spoonfuls, located at St. John's Episcopal Church in Grand Haven , offers hungry people in the community nutritious meals twice a week..."
NEWS & UPDATES
DCDI to Kick-Off New Season of Congregational Development Training
New iteration of DCDI begins on Saturday
We stern Michigan and Eastern Michigan's collaborative program, the Diocesan Congregational Development Institute, will pick up again this weekend, kicking off their new iteration of training for congregational teams of 2-4 people.

DCDI is a leadership training program focused on the ministry of developing the spiritual, community and organizational life of a congregation through a hands on approach to learning. Its goal is to equip parish teams to lead congregations into the future through:

  • Developing discipleship to provide spiritual leadership
  • Building leadership skills in individuals and parish teams
  • Cultivating a culture of experimentation

Interested in gathering a team? Questions about the program? Visit our website to learn more or email Canon Bill Spaid at wspaid@edwm.org.
Save the Date:
Episcopal Youth Camp 2020
Save the date for Episcopal Youth Camp 2020! We will once again gather at Camp Newaygo for several weeks of Episcopal camping. We look forward to another great year of camp!

  • Senior Camp - June 14-20, 2020
  • Middle Camp - August 2-8, 2020
  • Junior Camp - August 9-15, 2020

Bill and Yvonne Fleener have agreed to volunteer as co-directors for next summer at EYC. The Fleener family has a decades long history with our diocesan camping programs and both Bill and Yvonne have served as counselors and mentors at EYC.

If you are interested in volunteering for next summer's program, please contact Bill at wfleenerjr@gmail.com. Registration and staff applications will be available later this year.
CLERGY TRANSITIONS
OPEN SEARCHES
Church of the Mediator, Harbert seeks a full-time Rector. View the listing.
St. Christopher's, Northport seeks a part-time Rector. View the listing .
OPPORTUNITIES & RESOURCES
2020 United Thank Offering Grants
UTO grant process is now open for next year's funding
The 2020 United Thank Offering grant application materials are now available. The focus of the 2020 UTO grants is  Bless - share faith, practice generosity and compassion, and proclaim the Good News of God in Christ with hope and humility. The deadline for submission of a completed application (and required documents) is 5pm on Friday, March 6, 2020.

Journeys of Paul Pilgrimage in Greece
Join the pilgrimage May 8-20, 2020
Join Bishop Hougland and other pilgrims from around the Dioceses of Western and Eastern Michigan in Greece next Summer as they walk in the footsteps of Paul.

The deadline to register is November 8th. Click here to learn more, including pricing, airfare, itinerary, and more.
CONGREGATIONAL CALENDAR
Sept. 13
"LOOK and SEE: A Portrait of Wendell Berry" documentary at Hope Reformed Church in Holland at 7pm, with Grace, Holland .
Sept. 14
LOOK and SEE: A Retreat around the Writings of Wendell Berry at the Outdoor Discovery Center, 9:15-3:45pm, with Grace, Holland .
Sept. 15
Mass in the Grass by the labyrinth at Holy Trinity, Wyoming with Grace Sudanese from 10-1pm. Worship is followed by Sudanese lunch for $10/plate or free will offering.

16th Annual Pig Roast at St. Mark's, Newaygo from 12-3pm with live music, auction, bake sale, and flea market. $10/adult or $5/child.
Sept. 19-21
Icon retreat with the Rev. Peter Pearson from 9-5pm daily at St. John's, Mt. Pleasant . $350/person. Call to reserve - 989-773-7448.
Sept. 24
Feeding the Soul of the City concert hosted by St. Paul's, Muskegon featuring AnDro (celtic/folk/world music) at 12:15pm.
Sept. 28
Grand Haven Hispanic Heritage Fiesta, organized by St. John's, Grand Haven , from 10am-10pm in central park. View the event website .

The Rev. David Brower will celebrate 40 years of ordained ministry. The celebration takes place at St. Luke's, Kalamazoo at 1pm.

Food Summit at Emmanuel, Petoskey for organizations, congregations working on food insecurity ministries from 9-12pm.
Sept. 29
Nature Walk at St. Timothy's, Richland from 3-5pm.
October 4
Blessing of the Animals at St. Philip's, Beulah at 6:30pm.
October 5
Steak or Salmon Dinner at St. Gregory's, Muskegon from 5-7pm. $15 or $20 for two entrees.

Blessing of the Animals at 4pm at Christ Church, Charlevoix .
October 6
Choral Evensong at St. Thomas, Battle Creek featuring the St. Thomas Scholars at 4:30pm.
October 22
Feeding the Soul of the City concert hosted by St. Paul's, Muskegon featuring Matthew Ball (boogie-woogie/jazz piano) at 12:15pm.
November 26
Feeding the Soul of the City concert hosted by St. Paul's, Muskegon featuring Lee Murdock, "The Christmas Ship" (folk guitar) at 12:15pm.
December 31
Blood Drive with the Red Cross at St. Paul's Muskegon from 10-3pm.
Aug. 30-Sept. 9, 2020
St. Paul's Muskegon is organizing a pilgrimage to Ireland and the Isle of Iona - "In the Footsteps fo St. Patrick, St. Brigid, and St. Columba". For information, contact the Rev. Mary Frens at 231-519-2792.
Featured Congregational Event:
Food Summit at Emmanuel, Petoskey
Join Emmanuel, Petoskey for a morning of networking, learning best practices, and discovering opportunities for collaboration with other community leaders involved in feeding initiatives and ministries.

Keynote Speaker: Kim Baker, Executive Director, Manna Food Project

Workshops: Working with Native American organizations, Best practices in Food Pantries, Hot Meal Ministries, and Grant Writing

Please RSVP by calling the Church Office at 231-347-2350 ext. 110.

Participants are invited to bring printed materials about feeding initiatives and ministries they are involved in to share with others.

We hope you are able to participate in this community wide event!
CONNECT

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This newsletter is edited by Katie Forsyth, Canon for Evangelism & Networking. Email Katie.
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