DioBeth newSpin

ECW raised $20,000 for Kajo Keji ministries

Since October 2004, our diocesan Episcopal Church Women have raised some $20,000 through their sale of crafts made by the Mothers' Union of the Diocese of Kajo Keji in southern Sudan. That includes a recent transfer of $5,705, according to the jdiocesan World Mission committee.

All proceeds, not simply the profit, support the Mothers' Union ministry with orphans and widows as well as their vocational education projects such as sewing classes that include dress making and embroidery. Hefty postal costs have been offset by additional contributions.

The Mothers’ Union is the counterpart to ECW in many parts of the Anglican Communion.

The artistic renderings have been shown at diocesan conventions, parish  and fall and holiday craft shows. They include finely woven baskets of millet, palm leaves and split bamboo (all renewable sources, ecologically speaking) and small carved pieces.

Tribute to Bishop Manasseh

Bishop Manasseh Binyi Dawidi steps down as Bishop of the Diocese of Kajo Keji in southern Sudan at a time when his diocese has formed significant bonds within the Anglican Communion, finally able to establish itself in its homeland. Like Moses, Manasseh has led his people through the wilderness.

"They tell me that the war has driven the lions out of your tall grass to safety in other countries," Bishop Paul Marshall said during the sermon he preached during a January 2005 mission trip when invited to ordain 34 deacons and three priests, "But I tell you that there is still one lion in Kajo Keji. He is your bishop."

Download the story with photos below.

Download tribute_to_manasseh.pdf

Diocesan Life.February

I've uploaded the February edition of Diocesan Life below. If you haven't received hard copy yet, it should be arriving in mail boxes soon. One or two pages have been uploaded separately so you can choose to download only the pages that may be of interest to you.

newSpin 070124

The January 24 edition of newSpin includes the following items: Diocesan Training for Ministry Conference … Kajo Keji missioners return … If the Pope can go to Turkey … A Health Care Opportunity (a note from Bishop Pal) … February cycles of prayer and diocesan calendar … Senior High Mission Adventure … Walk a Mile … Sermons online … Donna Trebilcox … The website of Good Shepherd, Scranton … Diocese of Bethlehem podcasts … MDG bulletin inserts … ERD Lenten Devotional series … Make peace with your past … What the Good Word (Bishop Paul) … U2charist in Dallas … Fundamental of Parish/Faith Community Nursing Practice … Discounts on hardware and software for nonprofits … A healing president and devoted Episcopalian … Stress management in the face of change … Ecumenical study shows why congregations grow … An interview with the PB … Visibility for your church

Download 070124.newSpin.pdf

February Cycles of Prayer/Calendar

Download page A7 of the February edition of Diocesan Life to see the Cycles of Prayer for February and the diocesan calendar.

Download 070207a.pdf

What's The Good Word

This is Bishop Paul Marshall's January 2007 column for daily newspapers.


MP3 File

Ministering From Abundance

Father Andy Gerns, rector of Trinity, Easton, preached the following sermon, January 17, at St. George's Church, Lee, Massachusetts, in the Diocese of Western Massachusetts, on the occasion of the institution of the Rev. Donna Trebilcox as rector of that parish. She was previously the assistant at Trinity, Easton.

The sermon begins (John 2: 1-11):

Funny. This doesn't look like a wedding. It doesn't seem like a coronation, ether. And I was told to leave my tool kit at home because we are not installing anything here tonight. Not hot water heaters or wheelchair ramps and not rectors, either.

We are continuing ministries that God has gathered in this place. God brought you here from far and wide and long ago to be the people of God for and in this community of St. Georges and Lee, Massachusetts.

The Bible has several images for this kind of gathering and one of them, the one in this week's Gospel, looks an awful lot like a wedding.

I must admit that I am allergic to wedding imagery when it comes to talking about rectors and parishes...

Read the rest here.

Training for Ministry

The Diocesan Training for Ministry Conference  will take place at St. Stephen's, Wilkes-Barre on Saturday, March 3. The second downloadable file below, marked "conferencebrochure," includes a description of workshops, a map to help you on your journey to Wilkes-Barre and a registration form you may complete and return by regular mail before February 22. Hard copy will be sent to parishes.

Workshops:  (1) Wardens/Vestry, (2)Lay Eucharistic Ministers and Visitors, (3) Planned Giving, (4) Planning and Preaching Holy Week and Easter, (5) Treasurers, (6) AWE ... Kids.

Download 070303_conference.pdf

Download 070303_conferencebrochure.pdf

Mission Trip to Kajo Keji

After a journey of some 14,000 miles, four representatives of the Diocese of Bethlehem have returned safely from their mission trip to Kajo Keji in southern Sudan. They spent five days in meetings with representatives of the Diocese of Kajo Keji and its various ministries. They immersed themselves in the life of that diocese.

Stories, photos and reflections related to the mission trip will be posted on this blog as they are received.

Download below: (1) Departure photos, (2) Reflections by Howard Stringfellow, (3) Reflections by Jo Trepagnier, (4) Propellers on gravel, photos and commentary by Howard Stringfellow

Download Departure.Photos.pdf

Download stringfellow.Reflections on a Mission Trip.pdf

Download trepagnier.Reflections on a Mission Trip.pdf

Download propellers_on_gravel.HJS.pdf

What's the Good Word?

By Bishop Paul Marshall
In each of our encounters with those around us we give a message: presence or distance, worth or non-worth, interest or disdain ...

Download Bishop Paul's January column for secular newspapers below. More than 110 columns have been published over the past ten years by daily and weekly newspapers in notheastern Pennsylvania. The combined circulation of papers that publish the monthly column regularly is some 400,000.

Download 0701.What's the Good Word.pdf