Diocesan Life March/April 2012

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A Space Apart Women's Retreat sponsored by Cathedral Church of the Nativity

[From Canon Mariclair Partee, Cathedral Church of the Nativity]

You can download the registration form here:
Download 120104RetreatRegistration2012

Renewal Assembly IV: Empowered Leaders, Renewed Congregations

Renewal Assembly III: Finding Your Voice

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

Registration is open for the Renewal Assembly III on November 12.

“Finding Your Voice” is the theme of the third Renewal Assembly, which will be held on Saturday, November 12.  It will be a time when participants will be engaged in using the power of recollection to identify the blessings of their past to empower their voice to give shape and articulate the future.
 
The day will begin with a special video with Bishop Paul interviewing two guests.  This will be followed by small group discussions and a time for corporate and personal prayer.  The schedule will run from 9:00 AM – 1:30 PM, and will include a light luncheon.
 
The Assembly will be hosted at eight sites: Christ Church, Towanda; St. Mark’s, New Milford; St. Luke’s, Scranton; Holy Cross, Wilkes-Barre; St. John’s, Palmerton; Trinity Church, Easton; St Andrew’s, Allentown; and, St. Alban’s, Sinking Spring.
 
Registration is open on www.diobeth.org.  The registration is found by clicking on “Register for Diocesan Event” on the right column of the homepage.  Registration closes on October 31.  All registrants will be assigned to the most appropriate host site.

Registration closes on Oct. 31.

Thank you for you support.

See you on November 12,
Charles

Calendar of Events updated July 12, 2011

Here is the latest calendar of events for all events we have been made aware of in the Diocese of Bethlehem. If you have an event you want added, please contact Kat Lehman and she will be happy to include your event. Even better! Be your own reporter! Take photos and write a story to go with it and you might find it published here, on the Facebook site, tweeted, on the web or even in Diocesan Life! If you have questions, just let her know.

The latest calendar is in Microsoft Word for easy cut and paste into most newsletters. The one posted here is updated monthly and we post weekly updates to the Facebook page. Check it out!

Download 110712calendarofevents

Fall Continuing Education Offerings at Moravian Theological Seminary

[From the Office of Continuing Education courtesy of Steve Simmons]
(unless otherwise noted, all are at the Bahnson Center, 60 W. Locust, Bethlehem, PA)

To register, please go to the Continuing Ed site for the Seminary found here:
http://www.moravianseminary.edu/conted/index.html

The Calling: What Is Religious Leadership Now?
Dates: September 13 and 20 (Tuesdays)    7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Fee: Free

Using segments from the PBS series “The Calling,” we will explore the character, challenges, and rewards of ordained and lay leadership in contemporary faith communities. These sessions will be co-facilitated by Deborah Appler, Steve Simmons, and Walter Wagner, who are both ordained clergy and faculty at MTS.
________________________________________________________________

Ho’oponopono: Practicing Forgiveness, Balance, and the Abundant Life
Date:  September 16-17 (Friday and Saturday)        Time: Friday, 6-9 p.m.; Saturday, 9:30 a.m.- 5:30 p.m.
Program Fee: $140
Contact Hours: 9 (.9 CEU)

In this workshop, kahuna and master teacher Harry Uhane Jim will introduce traditional Hawaiian practice of managing trauma and transforming chaotic patterns of life into order and profound peace. As Harry puts it, “Live peacefully inside and out instead of exhausted outside, chaotic within. Stop negotiating and start navigating!”
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Theology, Literature and Coffee
Dates: September 19, October 3, & October 17 (3 Mondays)  2:30-4:30 p.m.
Site: Wellness Game Room, Luther Crest Retirement Community, 800 Hausman Road, AllentownProgram Fee: $25 (Early Reg. Discount: $20 by 9/12/11)

Enjoy a time of learning and fellowship as theological themes in selected literature are are presented and discussed.  Beverages will be provided. If you wish, you may buy TLC books from the Moravian Book Shop at a 10% discount.  Selections include: (9/19) The Inferno by Dante Alighieri, (10/3) Tinkers by Paul Harding, (10/17) Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamott.
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Scripture Talks: Muslims and Christians Share Cherished Passages

Dates: September 27- November 1 (Tuesdays) 7 p.m. (6:30 on September 27; 7:30 on October 18)
Program Fee: $15
Contact Hours: 10 (1 CEU)

Sharing about key meaningful passages in the Qur’an and the Bible can deepen our mutual understanding of ourselves and of one another. The presenters will provide starting points for frank and respectful roundtable discussions. The Program is co-sponsored by the Pennsylvania Dialogue Center and Moravian Theological Seminary, and will be facilitated by Walter Wagner, Lutheran pastor, adjunct faculty member at MTS and Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, and by Muslim Scholars and Leaders from the Pennsylvania Dialogue Center
_____________________________________________________________________________

Pastoral Counseling Retreat
Date: September 30 (Friday)     9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Site: St. Francis Center for Renewal , 395 Bridle Path Road, Bethlehem
Program Fee: $70 (incl. lunch)   [Early Reg. Discount  $60 by 9/16]
Contact Hours: 5 (.5 CEU)

The Use of Art Media in Therapeutic Environments

In the context of music, scripture and meditation, we will experience self-directed image making using art media, and also other-directed image making in therapeutic role play, exploring their use in both personal growth and counseling practice.  Studio artist and art therapist Dorothy Heine Rudolph will lead us through the day.
_________________________________________________________________________

Making Sense of Our Lives through Story
Date: October 5 - 26   (Wednesdays) 7-9 p.m.
Program Fee: $50 (Early Reg. Discount $40 by 9/21)

It has been said that “We don’t so much have stories. We are our stories.” Using Christina Baldwin’s book, Storycatcher: Making Sense of Our Lives through the Power and Practice of Story, we will explore the narrative shape of our own lives as a source of self-discovery and growth. The sessions will be led by Emily Wallace, MAPC and Spiritual Director.
__________________________________________________________________________

The Walter Vivian Moses Lectures in Moravian Studies

Instructions for Body and Soul:  Moravian Pastoral Care in the 18th Century
Oct. 13  (Thursday)    9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Program Fee: Free
Contact Hours: 2 (.2 CEU)

In these lectures, Dr. Katherine Faull of Bucknell University will discuss pastoral care through the life cycle as practiced by Moravians in the 18^th century in their individual and corporate life at “the intersection of care for the body and soul,” drawing out some of its implications for our own life in community.
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The Challenges of Being an Ethical Therapist
Date: October 14 (Friday)   Time: 1:30 – 4:30 p.m.
Program Fee: $50 in advance; $60 at the door (All tuition monies will go to Moravian Counseling Scholarships.)
Contact Hours: 3 (.3 CEU)

 The purpose of this workshop is to enable practitioners in the caring professions to cultivate an awareness of their own need to establish clear ethical boundaries while maintaining an empathic and helpful relationship with clients. 

Andrew H. Johanson, Jr., D.Min., LMFT, Adjunct Professor at Moravian Theological Seminary in the Department of Pastoral Counseling, and is a psychotherapist in private practice in Lansdale, and Bethlehem.
__________________________________________________________________

Irene Marold Lectures in Biblical Studies

White Fire: Biblical Texts and Folkloric Tradition
Date: October 25 (Tuesday) 4:00 – 8:30 p.m.   (Lecture 1: 4:00 p.m.; Lecture 2: 7:00 p.m.)
Site: Prosser Aud., Haupert Union Building, Moravian College
Program Fee: Free

In these lectures, Dr. Howard Schwartz, three-time winner of the National Jewish Book Award and Professor of English at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, will introduce us to a rich tradition of Jewish folklore involving biblical characters and themes, and invite us to let it broaden and deepen our own readings of the Bible.

Pastoral Care Week Lectures

Health and Wealth: A Widening Gap?
Date: October 28 (Friday)   Time: 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Program Fee: $25
Contact Hours: 3.5 (.35 CEU)

  A large and growing body of evidence suggests that there is a direct and decisive correlation between one’s socioeconomic status and one’s state of health and longevity.  Using clips from the PBS documentary, Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making Us Sick?, area health professionals and community leaders will discuss disparities in health access and outcomes across social and racial/ethnic lines, and lead us in a conversation about how we as a society can improve the health and well-being of all our citizens.
__________________________________________________________________

Couillard Memorial Lectures

A New Pentecost: A Theology of the Spirit for the Third Millennium
Date: November 4 (Friday)                     Time: 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Site: Prosser Aud., Haupert Union Building, Moravian College
Streaming Video Available
Program Fee: Free
Contact Hours: 3.5 (.35 CEU)

Pentecostalism has exploded in recent decades as the vanguard of a world Christian movement. These lectures will provide an overview of the pentecostal theology and pneumatology (the doctrine of the Holy Spirit) that has emerged in the last twenty years,  and discuss the nature and role of theology considered from a Pentecostal and pneumatological perspective.

Amos Yong, PhD, is J. Rodman Williams Professor of Theology at Regent University School of Divinity in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
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Vital Worship in the Smaller Church
Date: November 12  (Saturday)  9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Site: Bahnson Center, Moravian Theological Seminary, 60 W. Locust, Bethlehem
Program Fee: $15 ($50 for congregational teams of 4 or more)
Contact Hours: 3.5 (.35 CEU)

In this workshop, we will look at principles and resources for worship in the smaller congregation (many of them available for free or at little cost), and share our own experiences with creative and transformative worship in the “compact” (70 or fewer in worship on a typical Sunday) church. 

David De Remer, DMin, is senior pastor of St. John’s United Church of Christ in Nazareth, and serves as an adjunct faculty member at Moravian Theological Seminary and Princeton Theological Seminary.
________________________________________________________________

Seminary Information Session
Date:  November 12 (Saturday)   10-12 a.m.
Fee: Free

Faculty, staff, and students offer an overview of our Master’s and Dual degree programs, our Graduate Certificate in Formative Spirituality, and information on the admissions process, scholarships, and financial aid.
________________________________________________________________

MAPC Professional Counseling Day
Date: November 18                  12:00 noon – 2:00 p.m.
Program Fee: Free
Contact Hours: 2  (.2 CEU) (Lunch included)

Social media are everywhere, yet their impact on personality and relationships (including therapeutic relationships) is only beginning to be understood.  Barbara Keller, Consultant for Misconduct Prevention, Vocation and Education Unit, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and a panel of area counselors will help us explore some of the possibilities and challenges that Facebook, Twitter, and other social media pose to counselors and clients.
________________________________________________________________

Words and Whispers of God: A Spiritual Formation Workshop with Bishop Kay Ward
Date: Saturday, December 3    9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Fee: $30 (Lunch included)

Come and explore how we use words to speak of God and how God may use those same words to speak to us.  Through written words, by our own hand, we may read the whispers of God.  No previous experience is necessary. If you can write a grocery list, you are qualified for this workshop.

Kay Ward, D.Min., educator and author, is a bishop in the Moravian Church and former MTS faculty member.  Her books include Of Seasons and Sparrows, Heading Home, and Hoping for Spring.

 

Diocesan Life for June 2011

Open publication - Free publishing - More anglican

If you would like the issue in a .pdf, you can download it here. It's 2MB:

Download June2011_DiocesanLife_SMALL

Diocesan Life for May 2011

Open publication - Free publishing - More diocesan life

You can download the .pdf version if you like below:

Download MAY2011_DiocesanLife_SMALL

Jesus Loves a Growing Seed, May 14 (Corrected)

Download the flyer in .pdf here:

Download Jesus loves a growing seed flyer-REVISED

Diocesan Training Day on April 2nd

Registration opens today and closes March 23rd. Cost is $17.50 and includes lunch.

A day set aside for learning about opportunities and resources for ministry in congregations, and celebrating ministries we share. There will be 13 different workshops spanning all aspects of ministry to select from this year. Please plan to join us for a wonderful day of learning.

Workshops include:
All Day Workshops (one workshop in both sessions)

#1 Ministry of the Lay Eucharistic Visitor (all day workshop) - The Rev. Edward Erb -- Two-part course leads to licensing. Morning session - Biblical, theological, and historical background. Afternoon session - resources and practical considerations (ex. HIPAA rules, safety, and health concerns)

#2 Understanding and Working with ChurchPost (all day workshop) - Mr. John Goodell, Owner of ChurchPost -- A hands-on guide to using ChurchPost, our electronic newsletter platform, to communicate effectively and immediately with your members and visitors.

Session I - 9:45am to 11:15am

#3 Wardens/Vestry 101 - The Rt. Rev. Paul Marshall and The Ven. Howard Stringfellow - Introduction for new wardens and vestry members or a refresher for experienced vestry members to the roles, responsibilities, and realities of parish leadership.

#4 Bringing Financial Sanity to the Family - Mr. Dan Charney - The program, Financial Sanity, designed by Nathan Dungan, founder and president of Share Save Spend, consists of four one-hour sessions.  This training helps you to become familiar with the program, and will cover session one of the program to give participants a feel for what it is all about.

#5 Transitional Formation in Parishes - Ms. Kim Rowles - In periods of individual transition it is especially important to support and lead members in our communities to an intentional life with Christ, this session will help outline a plan for individual parishes dealing with middle to high school transition, high school to college transition, and couples to family transition.

#6 - Come Let Us Worship - A Workshop for the Laity and Clergy - The Rev. Laura Howell & The Rev. John Francis - This session will explore some of the tools the Book of Common Prayer gives us for daily worship.  It will provide some practical suggestions for parish prayer that may be led by the laity as well as the clergy.

#7 - Evangelism as Prayer and Faith Sharing - The Rev. Jane Bender, The Rev. Doug Moyer,  and Mrs. Carol Keane - The Unbinding the Gospel series doesn't give answers as to how, when and where.  Come learn how many ways this lively resource can be tailored for your use.


Session II -- 1:15pm to 2:45pm

#8 Enabling Ministries: Forward Life Planning - Mr. Charlie Barebo - Develop your parish's capabilities to deliver ministries by strengthening its approach to Forward Life Planning.

#9 Treasurers’ Workshop - Mr. Bruce Reiner -- This workshop will focus on cash receipts, cash disbursements, internal controls, and audits.

#10 - The Confirmation Conundrum - The Rev. Canon Anne Kitch - Explores the rite of Confirmation and the many questions it raises.  Includes an overview of the history of Confirmation in the Episcopal Church and the theology of Confirmation as it is express in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer.

#11 - Health Ministries - Mrs. Diana Marshall - Health ministry plays a unique and critical role in facilitating the health of clergy, staff and congregations.  Health ministry looks different from congregation to congregation, reflecting the unique needs, interests, and resources of the faith community.

#12 - Incorporating New members into the Episcopal Church - The Rev. Canon Andrew Gerns- The course will introduce a simple, easy-to-understand, process of incorporating new members into a congregation. It will also describe various kinds of visitors and newcomers and show how to integrate the worship and theology of the Episcopal Church into our evangelism.

#13 - Training for Regional Discernment Teams - Members of the Commission on Ministry - This training session is designed to help both clergy and laity understand the purpose and structure of regional discernment as practiced in the Diocese of Bethlehem.

You can click here to register. Download the Diocesan Training Day brochure on our web site here.

Video will keynote Renewal Assembly February 19

“Can you share how you experience God’s presence in your life, particularly in the moments of prayer?” asks Bishop Paul in the keynote video prepared for the Renewal Assembly, February 19.

The video has been prepared specially for “The Call to Prayer and Discernment” which will take place in six sites across the diocese from 9 AM – 1 PM on Saturday, February 19. Registration is now available on www.diobeth.org.  “A copy of the video will be made available on DVD to every congregation in the Diocese,” reports Charles Cesaretti, chair of the Diocesan Renewal Committee, which is sponsoring the event.

Bishop Paul interacts with Mother Laura Howell and Father John Francis about personal and corporate prayer in the keynote video for the February 19 Renewal Assembly.

 

 

Jeffrey Kemmerer of Grace Allentown, an engineer by profession and a gifted videographer and video editor by avocation, created the video.  “Kemmerer has contributed his services to producing and editing the video featuring Bishop Paul, Father John Francis of Christ Church Reading and Mother Laura Howell of Trinity Bethlehem,” reported Bill Lewellis in the newSpin newsletter. “Editing video is a bit like the movie Groundhog Day," Kemmerer shared as he prepared the finished product. "You start with a normal day, full of stops, starts, stutters and other imperfections, and you live the day over and over again, improving it with each iteration." Jeff deserves the gratitude of our diocesan community.

The Assembly will begin with the video and will be followed by small group reflection and discussion -- similar to the process at Diocesan Convention.  After the video and group discussion, a Bible Study will be introduced by members of the Diocesan Commission on Lifelong Faith Formation. “We will introduce the meditation on Holy Scripture called Lectio Divina. This approach to the Scripture is not only a reading but it is praying with the text,” opines Mother Hillary Dowling Raining, of Trinity Bethlehem and the Commission. 

The six sites for the Assembly will be:  Christ Church, Towanda; Trinity Church, Carbondale; Trinity Church, West Pittston; Trinity Church, Pottsville; St. Anne’s, Trexlertown; and, the Cathedral Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem. Lunch will be provided.

Registration closes on Feb. 9. Registrants will be assigned to the most appropriate site. Registration is found on www.diobeth.org, clicking on “Register for Diocesan events” on the right column of the homepage.

Diocesan Life February 2011

Hello everyone! Here is the latest edition of Diocesan Life. We are now wrapping around a new, independent paper called the Episcopal Journal. Of course, our online version doesn't include that news, but you should receive it in your mailboxes this week. As always, if you have stories, photos, news, please pass them along to Kat Lehman. The file is in .pdf formate and is 2.3 MB in size.

Download 1102_DiocesanLifeFINAL_SMALL

Trinity, West Pittston to host MUSICare Project Concert

[From Fr. John Major]

On Wednesday, December 8 at 5:15 p.m., children from infant through age 5 and their parent or other adult caregiver will have a chance to experience the joy of  making music in a playful, age-appropriate way.  The event will include a free demonstration of  Music Together ®, a relaxed music program where infants, toddlers, preschoolers and the grown-ups who love them learn to share and appreciate songs, rhythms and simple instruments in a fun, interactive way.  Santa Claus will also stop by for a sing-a-long and visit with the children.
 
The evening of fun and music is free and open to the public, but reservations are requested.  Trinity Episcopal Church is located at the corner of Spring Street and Montgomery Avenue in West Pittston.  For more information or reservations, call 570-654-3261.
 
For more information on Trinity's MUSICare Project featuring Music Together visit www.trinityepiscopalchurchwestpittston.org.

Communications Workshop

Diocese of Bethlehem Communication Workshop
Cathedral Church of the Nativity
321 Wyandotte Street
Bethlehem, PA 18015
Saturday, June 26th from 8:30 A.M. to 3:00 P.M.
Communicating the Gospel is what Christians are called to do; we are called to
spread the Good News! Come learn about communication as ministry, electronic
newsletters, blogs, print publications and social networking in this one day
workshop.
Register online at www.diobeth.org
call Kat Lehman at 610-691-5655 x235 for more info.

Download the brochure for the workshop here:

Download 100626Brochure

Share Save Spend Workshop, June 12 in Whitehall

[From Dan Charney, Diocesan Stewardship Missioner]

God's Way or My Way?  Which path will be best...? How can we best manage our money for God's purposes?  

The Diocesan Stewardship Commission is pleased to offer you the opportunity to hear and learn from a leader in the field. On June 12 at St. Stephen's in Whitehall, Nathan Dungan, President of Share Save Spend will offer some of his 20 years experience helping youth and adults link their money decisions to their values..  
 
"Nathan Dungan has a philosophy and framework for financial planning in families that redirects attention to values and makes the distinction between wants and needs....It has changed the way I've talked about money and lived about money with my children."
                                                                       Krista Tippett, host of NPR's Speaking of Faith
 
Each diocesan parish has received a brochure and poster containing seminar details.  Please speak to your priest, Sr. Warden, or parish information contact to receive a copy.
 
Whether or not you can attend the workshop, you can help us by downloading and sharing the attached poster with folks you know who would find the day important. Attached also is an article by Nathan Dungan.
 
Register online at www.diobeth.org by choosing Diocesan Event Registration.  Or call Rosie Hummel at 610-691-5655.  Registration closes June 1.

Dan Charney, Stewardship Missioner

Download 2010.ShareSaveSpend Poster.pdf

Download 2010.Dungan.ConfrontingtheConsumerCarnival.pdf

"The Gospel According to Disgust" E@ster Term Residency

E@STER TERM at The Cathedral Church of the Nativity

The Rev. Matthew Moretz, the creator of Fr. Matthew Presents: www.frmatthewpresents.com, will present "The Gospel According to Disgust"

The latest frontier in psychology is the study of disgust.  Different than fear, disgust is the aversion to certain icky things that abound in our world. Thanks to being married to a psychologist, Fr Matthew has discovered that our new scientific knowledge of disgust has a powerful resonance with the wisdom of the Christian faith.  In fact, some of our discoveries have been prefigured by Holy Scripture and church practices!  Fr Matthew will introduce you to the study and treatment of disgust, and provide a fresh, if somewhat disgusting, look at our entire Christian tradition.

E-Residency course is held Wednesdays from April 14 to May 12 at

7:00 PM in Sayre Hall Dining Room.

posted by Kat Lehman

Diocesan Training for Ministry

Saturday, April 24, at St. Stephen's Wilkes-Barre. Online registration: February 20 to April 19. Twelve workshops. Download a 464KB pdf file of the brochure below.

Download 2010 Training Day Brochure-2.pdf

Diocesan Training for Ministry

Saturday, March 28
St. Stephen's Wilkes-Barre
8:15 am – 9:15 am  Check-in and Hospitality
9:15 Opening Prayer and Welcome
9:45 am – 11:15 Workshops
11:30 Eucharist
12:30 Lunch
1:15 Workshops
2:45 Commissioning and Departure

Register online and find more information here.

See description of workshops below.

One in Christ? [Presentation at ECW annual meeting]

What is Christian unity? What would it look like if we had it?  On Wednesday, May 13, The Rev. Maria Tjeltveit will explore these questions in her presentation, One in Christ? at the annual meeting of our diocesan Episcopal Church Women at Kirby House. Maria is rector of Mediator Allentown and serves the Diocese of Bethlehem as Ecumenical and Interfaith Officer. She will lead an exploration of the ecumenical movement, including dialogues on the national and international level as well as in our own parishes. This is an opportunity to learn and to share our experiences of working together and connecting with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Jesus prayed that “they all may be one.” Come find out how we, as women and as members of the body of Christ, seek to live out Christ’s prayer.

Send reservation, $12, to Catherine Jeffery, 1839 Ulster Road, Allentown, by May 1. No reservations accepted after this deadline. Call Catherine at 610-868-6682

Does your church need a website?

Does your church need a parish website? Would you like it to be free or very, very cheap to operate? Would you like your web-site to be so easy to maintain that even you can do it? Well, you can have all this ... but you have to act fast! I will be "Cooking up a Parish Website" or two at the Diocesan Training Day on March 28 at St. Stephen's in Wilkes-Barre (Find the description here.) and I am looking for two churches in our diocese that need a web site. I am looking for a church without a web-site or with one that is very old and either out of date or one where it is a pain-in-the-neck to maintain. I prefer a smaller church, although I know some larger churches may fit the bill, so it's first-come, first-serve.