Week of March 25th, 2024

Give glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine:  Glory to him from generation to generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever.  Amen. (Ephesians, 3:20, 21)

Introduction:

Below, please find this week’s communications and reminders from The Episcopal Diocese of Montana.  We hope you will find the weekly update useful.

 

Week of March 25th, 2024

Good Friday Offering

I hope you will consider sending your Good Friday offering to the Province of Jerusalem. In the words of Bishop Michael Curry: Last May, I had the privilege of meeting the Rev. Canon Faiz Basheer Jerjes and his colleague, Sinan Hanna, of St. George’s Anglican Episcopal Church in Baghdad—the only Anglican church in Iraq. After a moving conversation, Fr. Faiz asked one thing of our church: “Please don’t forget us.”

I assured him that we would not forget— and I need your help to honor that pledge, not only to him, but to the whole Anglican Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East, which we have supported through the Good Friday Offering for over a century, through conflict, pandemic, and humanitarian disasters. The Episcopal Church will not forget them. We will not forget our siblings in Christ who cannot worship God freely. We will not forget those caught in the crossfire between warring factions in the land where our Lord walked. We will not forget that every human child of God— Palestinian, Israeli, Iraqi, Cypriot, Lebanese, everyone—deserves safety and security. As we mark our Lord’s passion and death on Good Friday, we remember those whom he loves facing injustice and oppression today, and remember the urgency of love—true, sacrificial love. To give now.

Director of Formation

Please welcome the Rev. Sadie Koppelberger, the rector of Christ Church, Kalispell as the Diocese’s newest member of the Camp Marshall/Diocese team. This is a part-time position. Most of Rev. Sadie’s time will be spent at Camp Marshall in the summer, but will also be a resource for the diocese. You can reach her in this role at formation@diomontana.com

Amicus Brief with Montana Interfaith Power & Light in support of Held vs. State of Montana

There is a draft amicus brief that is being filed by Montana Interfaith Power & Light in support of the Montana youth suing the state of Montana to uphold the “healthful environment” clause in the Montana constitution (Held vs. State of Montana). Bishop Marty is intending on signing to it this week, representing the diocese as the bishop. Each congregation can also join in. The draft brief is here. To sign on please go to this website.

 

Confirmation Class open to the Diocese

Rev. Greg Smith and Rev. Rowan Larson will be teaching a hybrid Confirmation/Enquirers class at St. James’, Bozeman and is open to the Diocese.

To register, please click on the link below: www.stjamesbozeman.org/2024confirmation

The zoom link for the class is:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85426422301?pwd=L1djdFE5ZzErdG5NUE1zN24zNUp5QT09

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

“Calling all Middle/High School Students!

We want to see YOU at the Spring Youth Event being held in Butte this April 12-14th!  Please click the link for more info, to register and to pay.  We would love to have you!  If you are an adult who is willing to drive, cook or chaperone, please contact Janelle Willett (info in link.)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Calendar at a Glance:

Save The Dates:

    • March 28 – Maundy Thursday
    • March 29 – Good Friday (Diocesan Office Closed)
    • March 30 – Bishop @ Incarnation, Great Falls for Vigil and Easter
    • March 31 – EASTER! He is Risen!!
    • April 1 – Easter Monday (Diocesan Office Closed)
    • April 3 – Clergy Zoom
    • April 3 – Senior Wardens without Clergy Zoom
    • April 7 – Bishop Visitation to St. Michaels & All Angels, Eureka
    • April 8-12 – Bishop in Navaholand
    • April 9 – SWAT Zoom
    • April 12-14 – Spring Youth Event (diocesan-wide) at St. John’s, Butte
    • April 15 – Names of Congregational Audit to Finance
    • April 16-18 – Clergy Conference @ Camp Marshall
    • April 16-18 Canon Mikayla Dunfee @ Transition Ministry Meeting
    • April 21 – Bishop Visitation to Christ Church, Kalispell
    • April 22 – Passover and Earth Day
    • April 23-26 – Bishop at House of Bishops meeting (Charlotte)
    • April 27 – Province VI Synod meeting Zoom with elections
    • April 28 – Bishop Visitation to St. Stephen’s, Stevensville
    • May 1 – Clergy Zoom
    • May 2-4 – Bishop at Ordination of new California Bishop
    • May 5-9 – Province VI Bishop’s Retreat
    • May 12 – Bishop Visitation to St. Andrew’s, Polson
    • May 19 – PENTECOST
    • May 19 – Bishop Visitation to St. Peter’s Cathedral

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

At Camp Marshall:

New leadership at Camp Marshall

The Camp Marshall Commission for the Episcopal Diocese of Montana gratefully announce the hiring of James Gartner as Camp Director and Rev. Sadie Koppelberger as Formation Director.
James and his fiancé Sarah come most recently from active ministries at Holy Spirit Parish in Missoula. They met while working at Camp and claim to be life long Episcopalians. Several qualified candidates were interviewed, and after interviews and reference checks, we unanimously agreed to offer James the position. He has already moved to Camp and begun the new position. He will be the year round caretaker responsible for facility maintenance, food service, and rental host among other things.
Sadie currently serves Christ Church Kalispell as their full time rector. She will cut back her time at Christ Church to 3/4 to allow time for planning and implementing the summer camp program. She will stay at the camp during the camping season but work from Kalispell the rest of the year. Program Director responsibilities include summer staff recruitment, training and supervision, program development, and general camp promotion. Christ Church’s vestry and the parish members in general hope for the synergy of those positions.
We are excited to be rebuilding the Camp Marshall program post Covid. But we need members of the greater Camp Marshall community to encourage potential staff and campers to join us this summer, and continue their prayerful support.
Please keep Camp Marshall, James, and Sadie in your prayers.
Yours in Christ,
Tom Carlson
Camp Marshall Commission
Camp Marshall is now hiring summer counselors!

The brochure that has more information can be located here.

Summer Camper Registration is open.

Please contact James Gartner, Camp Director at camp@diomontana.com if you have need/questions for camper scholarships. Please share the brochure found here.

Grace Camp

Camp Marshall’s major outreach program to the broader community is Grace Camp. This camp is for children who have one or more incarcerated parent. The children may be with extended family or in foster care. There is no cost to attend. Parishioners around the diocese have created quilts for the children to take home. If you would like to donate funds to this program please contact James Gartner at camp@diomontana.com. Please share Grace Camps brochure with any individuals or agencies that might have a child that fits this program. The brochure is here.

Click here to donate Thrivent Choice funds to camp.

State of Montana Charitable Giving Campaign – SECGC # for Episcopal Diocese/Camp Marshall is 5614

 

General News Around Our Diocese:

Congregational Newsletters
Click here to read church newsletters from around our diocese.

 

United Thank Offering:

Important Changes That The United Thank Offering Will Be Implementing In 2024.

The United Thank Offering (UTO) Ministry will be implementing some important changes in 2024 and here is the link for a description of the changes that will be coming into play:

https://www.episcopalchurch.org/uto/changes-coming-to-how-uto-distributes-printed-materials/?mc_cid=17353f8e6c&mc_eid=23aee4b14d

Since our Diocese was fortunate enough to have received a UTO grant in 2022 and an extension for that grant this year, I would like to request that all parishes in our Diocese plan to hold a UTO Ingathering in 2024 at a time when it would be convenient for the parish to hold the Ingathering.

If your parish currently does not have a UTO Coordinator, please appoint someone to serve in that capacity and please have that person register your parish at:

https://www.episcopalchurch.org/uto/register-your-parish/

Parish UTO Coordinators will be responsbile for receiving communication from UTO, for working with your Rector and/or Vestry to set a date for your parish’s UTO Ingathering and for ordering UTO ministry materials for your parish’s UTO Ingathering.

Please don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any questions.

FYI, UTO will be distributing some updated ministry materials in 2024 after the General Convention has taken place.

Vicki Van Rensselaer
UTO Coordinator for the Diocese of Montana

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Office of Government Relations

This is the beginning of a series of social media posts on work on GC 80 resolutions.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheEPPN/posts/pfbid0q1XgdZHdXwNzKR7UfA8fj1ZHyNz2mFnNgwVQKjHT5in2fcaQJSV6XkdPjvkAUgwbl

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/C40ndZ-Mimk/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

X (when are we going to stop saying formerly known as Twitter): https://x.com/TheEPPN/status/1771203133240234124?s=20

 

Urge Congress to Protect Children’s Safety OnlineThe bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act would promote transparency, provide safeguards to protect children, and require social media companies to provide a safe environment for children.

Updated: Summary of General Convention Resolutions on Abortion and Women’s Reproductive HealthNote: this resource has been updated to add a simple paragraph emphasizing the church’s support for IVF since 1982.

Episcopal Church Statement on Immigration Reform

Join Ecumenical Advocacy Days for the spring summit May 17-19“Faith in Action: Advancing Human Rights and Peace for All” is back in-person this year in D.C.!

Vote Faithfully 2024 Election Engagement Toolkit! It’s finally here! Help your congregation help your community engage in the 2024 U.S. election.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

God’s people around the world:

Ministry Partner Matters-February

Episcopal Relief & Development Lent Resources

Explore Gifts for Life | Episcopal Relief & Development

 

Other news and upcoming Events:

Press Release Digest from The Episcopal Church – Welcome to “The Episcopal Church Press Release Digest,” a roundup of press releases, announcements, and other updates from the Office of Public Affairs.  Click here to read

Montana Interfaith Power & Light- January

UTO E-News – March

UTO Coordinator’s E-News – January

CPG (Church Pension Group) Connect

 

Resources:

Episcopal Church Lent Resources

Are You Interested In Reading The Bible From Beginning To End ?
Since April 2014, the website putnamafield.org has encouraged people to read the Bible from beginning to end, reading at the very reasonable rate of 3 to 7 pages per day (depending upon the size of the print of the Bible that you choose to use for the reading).  Starting on Monday, April 10, 2023 (the day after Easter), the tenth complete reading of the Bible will be offered on that website.