Week of September 16th, 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 September 16th, 2024
Calendar at a Glance:
Save The Dates:
- September 16-18 – A New Day is Dawning Conference
- September 19 – Finance Meeting
- September 25 – VPoll Practice for Clergy & Delegates @ 11am
- September 26 – VPoll Practice for Clergy & Delegates @ 6:30pm
- September 29 – Bishop Visitation to St. Andrew’s, Philipsburg
- September 30 – New Delegate Orientation Zoom @ 6:30pm
- October 2 – Clergy Zoom-optional
- October 2 – Senior Wardens without Clergy Zoom
- October 4-6 – Diocesan Convention, Helena
- October 7 – Diocesan Office Closed
- October 8-13 – Bishop on Vacation
- October 8 – SWAT zoom with Canons
- October 12 – Yom Kippur
- October 15- Province VI Zoom
- October 17 – Standing Committee Zoom
- October 17-23 – Canon for Administration Vacation
- October 20 – Bishop Visitation to St. James’, Lewistown
- October 24 – Foundation Zoom
- October 26 – Diocesan Council Orientation and Meeting Zoom
- October 27 – Bishop Visitation to Christ Church, Sheridan
- November 1-3 – Bishop at Presiding Bishop Investiture
- November 2 – Presiding Bishop Investiture
Diocesan Convention
Registration is now open! Please click here for more information and to register by September 15th!
There is a block of 40 rooms reserved at the Great Northern and the deadline for the rate of $180.00 is September 4, 2024. The block of rooms is under the Episcopal Diocese of Montana. The phone number is 406-457-5500.
Save the Dates!!
September 25th @ 11:00 am Practice VPoll electronic voting. Please let me know if you plan to attend in order to prepare.
September 26th @ 6:30 pm Practice VPoll electronic voting. Please let me know if you plan to attend in order to prepare.
September 30th @ 6:30 pm New Delegate Orientation with practicing VPoll electronic voting after the meeting. Please let me know if you will be attending this meeting and practicing VPoll so that I can send you the voting instructions ahead of time.
Diocesan Nominations are Open!!!!
Diocesan Council (3 year term) – 2 clergy and 2 laity
Diocesan Secretary (1 year term, can renominate) – either clergy or laity
Disciplinary Board – 1 laity for 1 year unexpired term (can be re-elected)
Foundation Board (3 year term) – 2 clergy
Standing Committee (3 year term) – 1 clergy and 1 laity
Women in the priesthood for 50 years!
Clergy & Delegates, at our Annual Diocese Convention on Saturday evening October 5th, while having desert, we will watch the documentary, Philadelphia Eleven. It chronicles the ordination of the first women who were ordained as priests within the Episcopal Church fifty years ago. Come watch and enjoy and consider showing this film at your church. Small churches can access this film (at a very reduced rate).
About the film. In an act of civil disobedience, a group of women and their supporters organize their ordination to become Episcopal priests in 1974. The Church of the Advocate in Philadelphia welcomes them, but change is no small task. The women are harassed, threatened and banned from stepping on church property. In this feature-length film, we meet the women who succeed in building a movement that transforms an age-old institution and challenges the very essence of patriarchy within Christendom.
View the trailer for the film at: https://www.philadelphiaelevenfilm.com/trailer.html
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Interest in FORMA 2025
Date:
Monday, January 27-Thursday, January 30, 2025
Locations:
The entire conference will stream through Zoom and participants can join us online from anywhere. A variety of onsite locations will also be available for those who wish to participate in the conference in community. More information on locations coming soon.
2025 Forma Conference Theme:
Our theme for 2025, Come Away Together (Retirémonos Juntos) comes from Mark 6:31-32: “‘Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.’ …And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves.” (NRSVA).
For more information visit: 2025 Forma Conference | Forma
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Save the date for Presiding Bishop-elect Rowe’s installation service
As announced at the close of the 81st General Convention, the installation of Presiding Bishop-elect Sean Rowe will be a simpler, scaled-down event this fall with a view toward reducing carbon footprint and increasing virtual engagement and participation.
The installation service will take place on Nov. 2 at the Chapel of Christ the Lord in The Episcopal Church Center in New York City with a prelude beginning at 10 a.m. ET and the service starting at 11 a.m. ET. There will be an extensive livestream production to support churchwide access and participation.
All are welcome and encouraged to attend virtually—and dioceses should begin thinking about organizing watch parties. The Episcopal Church Office of Communication will be supporting those efforts with customizable invitations and other assets, with more information available in the coming months.
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Project Resource, Fall 2024
Project Resource equips stewardship teams with strategic training and flexible resources to design and execute annual stewardship campaigns which can be replicated and adapted in future years. Project Resource is dedicated to fostering cultural and systemic advancements around stewardship as a ministry in the Episcopal Church.
5 Consecutive Sundays:
September 8 through October 6, Online via Zoom
2:00 to 4:00 pm PT / 3:00 to 5:00 pm MT / 4:00 to 6:00 pm CT / 5:00 to 7:00 pm ET
Project Resource:
- Helps church teams of clergy and lay leaders utilize effective resources to revolutionize all areas of stewardship and unravel internal money narratives while addressing societal shifts, organizational change, and leadership challenges.
- Guides teams through the training curriculum, session by session, taking into account their unique cultural and geographical context.
- Enables participants to conclude the conference with a customized working plan and measurable goals, designed specifically for their individual congregation.
Church teams will complete the course with:
- A comprehensive stewardship calendar for year-round planning
- A detailed roadmap for launching their annual campaigns
- Practical training on crafting personalized invitations
- Insight into generational and individual donor motivations
The course fee is $450 for a team of three members, with an additional cost of $125 per extra team member.
For further details and registration, please visit https://project-resource.org/fall2024.
At Camp Marshall:
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:
The United Thank Offering’s Vice President for Grants
The Rev. Rowan Larson, Rector of St. James’, Bozeman, is UTO’s Vice President for Grants. Questions relating to UTO grants can be sent to Rev. Rowan at rlarson@episcopalnetworks.org or to Vicki Van Rensselaer, our Diocesan UTO Coordinator, at terracecoast@aol.com
The Focus For 2025 UTO Grants
In 2025, UTO will fund projects focused on water, including but not limited to projects that:
*Address water issues such as desalinization, access, care of water sources, water rights and education about water resources.
*Increase water awareness (drought tolerance, flood prevention).
*Address health issues directly related to water quality (formula access for babies, aftermath of contaminated water, etc.).
*Address water needs of unhoused people (laundry, showers, bathrooms, drinking water).
*UTO recognizes that many water access issues today stem directly from historic trauma and harm done to marginalized people. Projects that encourage truth telling, acknowledge that historic trauma around water, and establish pathways towards healing also fit this focus.
Funding Range For 2025 UTO Grants
The UTO Board will accept applications from $1,000.00 to $55,000.00. Please note: UTO will ask you to request only what you need for your project so that UTO can fund as many grants as possible. In circumstances of extreme need, applicants may request up to $100,000.00; however, you must clearly justify why the project requires that level of support from UTO and show an adequate level of in-kind support.
Deadlines for Applying For a 2025 UTO Grant
Individuals and parishes that are interested in applying for a 2025 UTO grant should notify Bishop Marty of their interest by 5p.m. MST on Tuesday, October 15, 2024. Bishop Marty can be contacted at montanabishop@diomontana.com
The deadline for submitting grant application material to UTO personnel for a “completeness review” is 3 p.m. MST on Friday, January 10, 2025.
The final deadline for the submission of 2025 grant applications is 3 p.m. MST on Friday, February 7, 2025.
Since our Diocese was fortunate enough to have received a UTO grant in 2022 and an extension for that grant in 2023, all parishes in our Diocese are encouraged 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 would like some assistance in order to hold a UTO Ingathering in 2024, please contact Vicki Van Rensselaer, at terracecoast@aol.com
Vicki Van Rensselaer
terracecoast@aol.com
UTO Coordinator for the Diocese of Montana
Changing Immigration Conversations The U.S. immigration system is in desperate need of reform, and the politics of immigration in the United States are troubling. As Episcopalians, we ask that you also be involved in this moment—use this link to learn how you can engage more on immigration work.
Statement on President Biden’s Executive Order to Restrict Asylum
End the Use of Private Prisons The Episcopal Church advocates ending the use of private prisons. Please join us in this advocacy today!
Episco-Pols Season 3! – The 2024 U.S. election season is well underway, as is our Episcopal election engagement. This season of our podcast focuses on how Episcopalians can embody healthy, faith-informed civic engagement this election season.
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God’s people around the world:
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- April
UTO Coordinator’s E-News – May
CPG (Church Pension Group) Connect
Resources:
