By Ken Cochrane,Diocesan ERD Coordinator

This May, 138 diocesan coordinatorsfor Episcopal Relief and Developmentgathered in New Orleans for our an-nual meeting—and to see firsthandthe positive result ERD is having inthe region.

This early in the morning thetemperature in still in the low seven-ties, and the humidity is low. If this isNew Orleans weather, bring it on!Aboard our small bus, we passthrough the Garden District with itsstately homes in the “uptown style.”We turn right, then drive for severalblocks and enter the world of shotgunhouses—block after block, abouttwelve feet apart, each eighteen feetwide and seventy feet long. The streetsand sidewalks are surprisingly clean.

Here and there foundation postsstick up on lots vacant except forweeds that signify where a house oncestood. The debris piles are gone. Mostof the remaining houses are boardedup, their high-water marks still visible,yet we learn that most of these housesare certified restorable. Is the ownerwaiting for insurance money? A loan?Living in Houston? We don’t know. Ahouse trailer on the premises with aPVC drainpipe connected to the city

sewer indicates that the homeowner isliving onsite while trying to restorethe residence.

We stop in front of and enter anew house that is part of the JerichoRoad Housing Initiative: ERD and

Volume 136, Number 4 Telling the story of God’s people in the Diocese of Maine since 1872 August 2007

Non profitOrganization

U.S. POSTAGEPAID

Brunswick,Maine 04011Permit No. 34

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Congregations in Search......page 9Mainestream Calendars...…page 5Notes from the Cellar...........page 7People & Places..............pages 2–5Resourcefully Yours.............page 9To God’s Beloved in Maine...page 3Upcoming in Maine........pages 6–7Within our Communion...pp 12–15Youth News................pages 10–11

Copy for the October 2007issue of the NORTHEAST is due

22 AUGUST.

ERD diocesan coordinators view progress inhurricane-ravaged areas two years after Katrina

Above: Miss Edith, 92, of Bayou LaBatre, Alabama, is a recipient of helpfrom Episcopal Mission Exchange.Damaged by Hurricane Katrina, herhome was repainted and herwheelchair ramp repaired.Right: The Volunteer Tree at CampCoast Care, Mississippi, is“headquarters” for over 14,000volunteers from all 50 states and 14foreign countries.

By Ken Cochrane, Diocesan ERD Coordinator

This space is devoted to stories of need in Maine, in the nation, and around theworld.

• Volunteer for New Orleans at www.edola.org/odr_volunteer_maine.php. • Volunteer for Gulf Coast of Mississippi at www.dioms.org/coastcare.htm.• Form a volunteer group. Youth teams can call upon the Episcopal

Mission Exchange (see page 11) for help in organizing a mission team.• Donate through ERD. Dollars support vital ongoing programs as well as

defray the cost of feeding and housing volunteers—the same volunteerswho stretch those program dollars. For recovery from Katrina, there’s adecade to go, maybe longer. Consider making an annual donation.

Make checks payable to Episcopal Relief and Development and mail toERD, PO Box 7058, Merrifield VA 22116-7058. For tax-deductible credit-card donations, visit www.er-d@er-d.org or call 1-800-334-7626, x5129.

the giving corner

Two years later, still many ways to help hurricane-ravaged Gulf

See page 11 for more aboutEpiscopal Mission Exchange.

Photo by Jim DeLa, Diocese of Southwest Florida

Photo by the Rev. Kirby Price Colwell II, ERD Coordinator, Diocese of Ohio

See KATRINA, page 8

Episcopal Life Special Issue

This month the diocese has sup-plied to each church copies of aspecial Episcopal Life issue focus-ing on the U.N. Millennium De-velopment Goals (MDGs) andthe Episcopal Church. Please askfor it at your church and share itamong parishioners (MDG 7,Ensure Environmental Sustain-ability). Scattered throughoutthis issue of the Northeast you’llfind icons of the eight MDGs.

By the Very Rev. Dr. BenjaminShambaugh, Dean, CathedralChurch of St. Luke, Portland

St. Elizabeth’s Essentials Pantry wasfounded in Portland in July 2001 inhonor of St. Elizabeth of Hungary(1207–1231), who committed her lifeto relieving the poor and the sick. Thepantry is a welcoming, no-barrier pro-gram of new and gently-used dona-tions of nonfood essentials (such asdiapers, soap, toilet paper, shampoo,laundry detergent, and cleaning sup-plies) to the most needy among us.Having outgrown its previous loca-tion at the First Parish Church indowntown Portland, with the invita-tion of the bishop, dean, and vestry,St. Elizabeth’s Essentials Pantry movedto St. Luke’s in June.

Eight congregations in greaterPortland provide volunteer teams thatserve from 9:30 to 11:30 on Tuesdaymornings, with the pantry open from10 to 11.

The pantry now operates in thelower parish hall of the cathedral everyTuesday morning, under the directionof parishioner Dick Rasner. Althoughthe volunteer teams will remain inplace, more help is needed both onany Tuesday or other day of the weekbehind the scenes. Please call the of-fice or just come on Tuesdays to help.

I am personally thrilled that St.Luke’s can support this significantministry in such a concrete way. Myhope is that the presence of St. Eliza-beth’s in our midst and the true

hands-on opportunities it provideswill reawaken the love of outreachthat is in each of us. My prayer is thatSt. Elizabeth’s will continue in the tra-dition of St. Luke’s soup kitchen andfood pantry as both a vital componentand a visible symbol of the cathedral’smission of sharing Christ and Christ-ian love with the people of Portland.

By Deborah Oliver

From the Gulf Coast, to Haiti, to Lin-colnshire, and to their neighboringcommunities, members of the 67 con-gregations in the Diocese of Maine arepretty much all over the map: to learn,to heal, to put our shoulders intosome effort, to celebrate our commonfaith in Christ or our common hu-manity.

And the Northeast tries to keep upwith both what’s going on in the dio-cese and what members of the dioceseare active in both within Maine andoutside the state. As editor, I feelblessed and am inspired by the storiesyou share of your efforts.

This month, Ken Cochrane,diocesan ERD coordinator, tells mov-ingly of his experience with otherERD coordinators witnessing ERD’swork in the Hurricane Katrina–rav-aged areas of Louisiana and Mississip-pi. His article is another reminder thatwe Mainers keep going to the Gulfand doing what we can financially toassist in the restoration of homes—and that we return to Maine restoredourselves.

Elizabeth Maule, diocesan archi-vist, reminds us that many of ourchurches have fluid communities, andparishioners with our longest institu-

tional memories might reside in an-other state for part of the year.

In this issue we hear about twoU2charists, one in Norway (Maine,that is) and one in Lincolnshire (U.K.,that is), both of which grew out of afairly recent phenomenon birthedright here in Maine. U2charists usemodern music and joyous Euchariststo remind us of the necessity of ourcommitment to the Millennium De-velopment Goals.

Bishop Knudsen’s column cele-brates our great wealth in the Dioceseof Maine as shown by the growingnumber of ordained members whosupport the rest of us in our own min-istries.

News from the cathedral is fairlystunning in its breadth and the gen-erosity it extends to all of us in thediocese.

Daniel Summers tells with humorabout the fellowship and mind-stimu-lating activites of a group of twenty-and thirty-somethings in the Gar-diner–Hallowell area.

The Rev. Carolyn Metzler’s Tabletof the Heart contribution lends colorand body and spirit to the numbersthat appear on St. Thomas’, Winn,parochial report to the nationalchurch.

With the stories and images of

August 2007Page 2

Who is the Episcopal Church?In the Anglican Communion: A global community of 77 million Anglicans in 38 memberprovinces in 164 countries. The Most Rev. and Rt. Hon. Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury.

In the Episcopal Church: A community of 2.4 million members in 16 countries and 110 dioce-ses. Established 1789. The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop and Primate.

In the Diocese of Maine: A community of 17,000 people in 67 congregations. The Rt. Rev.Chilton R. Knudsen, Bishop.

“Our vision is that our congregations, commissioned and empowered by the Holy Spirit, willgrow as ambassadors of Christ’s reconciliation and to God’s world (II Corinthians 5:18ff). Toenable this to happen, we envision that: Congregations will develop the resources andleadership to support individual and collective ministry, and diocesan leaders will providesupport to these ministries.” (adopted by Diocesan Convention, 1994)

THE NORTHEAST is an official publication of the Episcopal Diocese of Maine,published six times annually. Submissions are invited and are subject to editing. Please e-mailmaterials to northeast@episcopalmaine.org or mail to THE NORTHEAST, c/o 184 Mountain St., Camden, ME 04843. Address changes should be mailed to the EpiscopalDiocese of Maine, 143 State St., Portland, ME 04101.

Deborah Oliver, Editor Graphic Design: Custom Communications Inc., Saco

Visit our website at www.episcopalmaine.org

DEADLINE FOR THE NEXT ISSUE IS AUGUST 22, 2007.

St. Elizabeth’s Essentials Pantry servescommunity from St. Luke’s parish hall

people and placesfrom the editor

The Diocese of Maine—all over the map

The cathedral is bustling

Photo by Nancy Mawhinney

On June 5, Bishop Knudsen was on hand along with Loring House and cathedralstaff, and numerous Essentials Pantry volunteers, to celebrate St. Elizabeth’s firstday at St. Luke’s.

Eight GreaterPortland churchesform pantry teams

The eight volunteer teams thatstaff the pantry hail from St.David’s (Kennebunk), St. Alban’s(Cape Elizabeth), St. Nicholas(Scarborough), St. Ann’s (Wind-ham), St. Bartholemew’s (Yar-mouth), and, from Portland, thecathedral, Trinity Episcopal, andFirst Parish UnitarianUniversalist Church.

If you or your church wouldlike to participate in the effort,contact Dick Rasner at 767-1616 or Rrasner@maine.rr.com.If you would like to contributebut cannot commit to staffing ateam, checks can be made out tothe diocese, with “St. Elizabeth’sEssentials Pantry” in the memoline, and mailed to the Dioceseof Maine, 143 State St.,Portland ME 04101.

See EDITOR, page 3

THE REV. GEORGE DAWSONThe Rev. George Dawson, retiredpriest of the Diocese of Newark andlong-time resident of Rockland, diedMay 16 at Pen Bay Medical Centerfollowing a long illness. He was amember of St. John the Baptist,

Thomaston. Condolences may be sentto his family at 18 Schooner Dr.,Rockland ME 04841-2564. Gifts inhis memory may be sent to Seamen’sChurch Institute of New York/NewJersey, 118 Export St., Port NewarkNJ 07114.

recent deaths

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:June is “ordination month” in our

life together, although it’s not the onlytime for ordinations (we thank Godfor Lee Karker’s priesting on May 17and the August 4 ordinations of SteveSummerson and Judy Burleigh as dea-cons). But June always holds two ormore large ordination services: thisyear on June 9 we ordained three tran-sitional deacons (God willing, MarthaKirkpatrick, Eckart Horn and Car-olyn Coleman will be ordained priestsin the future) and on June 23 threedeacons (Alicia Kellogg, Tom Gilbert,and Deborah McKean, who will offertheir entire lives to this ministry ofservanthood). Ordinations alwaysbless us with a huge scrapbook-of-the-heart filled with images and vignettesof grace and joy. Ordinations remindus that ALL are called to ministry;that, in truth, baptism is THE ordina-tion for the ministry of all Christians.

The Ministry of all Christians iswell-described in these powerful,forthright words from our Catechism:

Q. What is the duty of all Chris-tians?

A. The duty of all Christians is tofollow Christ; to come together weekby week for corporate worship; and towork, pray and give for the spread ofthe Kingdom of God. (Catechism,BCP, p. 856)

Ordained people are simply setapart to be “animators”; to motivate,encourage and sustain all people infulfilling their Christian duty. Or-dained people do not do ministry onour behalf. Their particular ministry isto support all ministry. And so doesthe Body grow and build itself up inlove, with each part of the Body work-ing as it should (see Ephes. 4:4–16).

Because ordained folks foster theministry of everyone, it’s not ever truethat they “take away the ministry ofthe laity”. God’s gracious economy isnot a zero-sum game; as more or-dained ministry is offered, more min-istry is born and thrives. Researchunderscores this multiplication of allministry, like abundant loaves andfishes offered to a hungry crowd.

(Confidential to lay people: if youever think that your ordained leadersare usurping your rightful ministries,tell them so with loving firmness. Iknow our clergy—I know they don’tmean to be doing that.)

When we gather as a diocesanfamily to ordain the men and womenwho have journeyed along the ordina-tion path, we also see assembled inone place, at one moment, nurturerswho have played a part in formingnew ordinands. Family members,teachers, mentors, supervisors, spiritu-al directors, sponsoring clergy, com-panions from the Committee on HolyOrders . . . all of them beamingproudly because their ministry ofChristian nurture is being mightily af-firmed. And in turn, these ordainedfolks offer nurture to us all; and so thenurtured become the nurturers . . .and the circle is complete. Pretty neat,huh?

Brothers and sisters, pray for theHoly Spirit to continue movingmightily as every aspect of our dioce-san ministry evolves and enlarges.God is so good to us.

Love in Christ,

August 2007 Page 3

TO GOD’S BELOVED IN MAINE

The Rt. Rev. Chilton R. Knudsen

A diocese full of ministerswith activity in Portland

The Rev. Wanda Thompson, a deaconof the Cathedral Church of St. Lukein Portland, is available to come tochurches around the diocese to talkabout the ministry of the diaconateand assist your church in reconnectingwith the cathedral, your home awayfrom home.

Your church might invite her to

participate as a deacon in a Sundaymorning liturgy, preach, or offer opendiscussions on the diaconate andcathedral ministries. Wanda can bethe bridge that reconnects yourchurch and the cathedral in the com-mon goal of ministry.

She can be reached at 797-2223and wjt1938@verizon.net.

The Rev. Wanda Thompson availablefor deacon visits

Photo by Nancy Mawhinney

On June 3, nineteen kneelers made by people from around the diocesewere dedicated at the cathedral. The cathedral’s Kneeler Guild has forseveral years sponsored a project to outfit the cathedral with kneelersrepresenting all the churches in the diocese. Here St. Luke’sparishioner Alison Dale displays the kneeler she made for thecathedral.

Kneelers from around the diocesededicated on June 3

MORE PEOPLE AND PLACES ON PAGE 4

this issue in mind as I read the newsfrom the bishop search committee, it’sclear how important you are to theDiocese of Maine and to our collec-tive identity. The diocese is enrichedand enlivened by each one of us; wemake up the Diocese of Maine. Whoare we?—we’re everyone, embracing

all ages and dimensions. As the candi-dates for the 9th bishop of Maine vis-it around the state (see schedule onpage 6), consider attending one of thesessions to listen to their stories and totell them something of our story. Letthem know that the Diocese of Maineis as important to you as you are to theDiocese of Maine.

Editor…cont’d from page 2

Page 4 August 2007

On Pentecost Sunday Christ Church,Norway, hosted the first U2charist tobe held in the western foothills ofMaine. U2charist was developed at St.George’s, York Harbor, and uses themusic of U2 to teach about the Mil-lennium Development Goals to erad-icate extreme poverty and hunger(goal 1) and global AIDS (goal 6).

The service was held across theroad at St. Catherine of Sienna Ro-man Catholic Church. For nearly 30years the two churches have had acovenant, renewed annually, to shareresources, space, outreach efforts, andliturgies, among other things.

Homilist Brenda Hamilton (St.Andrew’s, Newcastle) shared her expe-riences in Haiti. The Rev. GeoffreySmith was the deacon and the Rev.Anne Stanley celebrated. Father Bren-dan Harnett and a number of parish-ioners of St. Catherine’s attended theU2charist. The offering allowedChrist Church to make contributionsto Maisson de Naissance in Haiti andCHABA (Children Affected ByHIV/AIDS).

Christ Churchparishioners andmembers of theNorwaycommunityrejoiced at theMay U2charist.

U2charist arrives to Maine’s western foothills

Photos by Michelle Andrews, reproduced courtesy of BBC Radio Lincolnshire

On May 26, the nave at St. Swithin’s in Lincolnshire, England, was packedwhen the church became the first in the Church of England to host aU2charist, a Eucharist form developed at St. George’s, York Harbor. Bishop ofGrantham Tim Ellis was celebrant, and the Rev. Paige Blair of St. George’s(right, above) preached. To read more about U2charists, go to St. George’sWebsite (www.stgeorgesyorkharbor.org/) and click on the link to U2charists,or go to Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation (www.e4gr.org).

U2charist: From York Harbor to Lincolnshire

people and places

In May Eric C. Smith joined the staffof the Maine Council of Churches. Inhis role as congregational outreach co-ordinator, Smith will travel through-out Maine to bring the work of theMCC to individual congregations, as-sisting churches with their own mis-sion, and focusing on how individualscan work with the council on socialjustice issues.

Smith is a lifelong member of theFirst Parish Church, United Church ofChrist (UCC) in Freeport and is com-pleting four years of service as assistantminister for children, youths, and mis-sion with the First Parish Church,UCC, in Gorham. He has studied atboth the University of Southern Maineand Chicago Theological Seminary.

Smith’s philosophy is deeply root-ed in the scriptures. “As church mem-bers, we do not always agree aboutworship or theology, politics or eco-nomics,” he explains, “but as followersof Jesus, we are all called to work forjustice, on earth, as it is in heaven.

This means we can find commonground to work for the stewardship ofcreation, for the health and well beingof all people, and against exploitationand marginalization.”

Among other prior positions,Smith was assistant director of outdoorministries for the Maine Conference,UCC at Pilgrim Lodge in West Gar-diner. He has also served on the Na-tional Council of Churches’ YouthAdult Ministry Team, working to de-velop and share young adult ministrymodels across denominations.

He sees his new job with MCC asnot only adding “to the chorus of voic-es” but also providing “opportunitiesfor action.” He notes that “we need tobe not just listeners and speakers, butmore importantly, doers of the Word.”

Eric Smith can be reached at theMaine Council of Churches office, lo-cated at 19 Pleasant Avenue in Port-land (772-1918). Information aboutthe councilcan be found on the Web atwww.mainecouncilofchurches.org.

Maine Council of Churches names Eric Smithas congregational outreach coordinator

Meet the Chef

Mark Spahr of Winterport, aparishioner of St. Patrick’s,Brewer, was guest chef on June29 at Bangor’s Ronald McDonaldHouse for a Meet the Chefevening. Several St. Patrick’sparishioners were among theparticipants in the evening,which benefits the RonaldMcDonald House.

Photo by Michael Gleason

Page 5August 2007

people and places

At St. George’s, York Harbor, on May 13 Thomas N. Beecher II received hisCub Scout God and Me medallion from Bishop Chilton Knudsen. Alsopictured is his sister, Grace Beecher.

Scout’s honor

By Alice Jean Robinson,St. Anne’s, Calais

On Saturday, June 2, the bishopwas in Calais to participate in theground-breaking ceremony at St.Anne’s for a new parish hall. Afterthe bishop put the gold shovel in

the dirt, members of St. Anne’stook a hand at shoveling. Follow-ing the ceremony the group cele-brated a Eucharist in the church,followed by a luncheon.

The congregation entered acapital campaign to raise$300,000 for the hall, which is ex-pected to be in use by the fall.

Calais church breaks groundfor new parish hall

Standing by for the first shovelfuls of dirt at the groundbreaking are HiliaryProvencher, Junior Warden Geoff Maker, the Rev. David Sivret, BishopKnudsen, Tyler Provencher, and Senior Warden Wayne Sammer.

To place an event on this calendar,please contact Pam McClellan atpmclelln@episcopalmaine.org or 1-800-244-6062. Visit the calendar onthe diocesan Website(www.episcopalmaine.org) forupdates and additions.

August2 Mass on the Grass, S. Mary’s,

Falmouth, 6:30–7:30 pm. Outdoor,informal Eucharist. FMI 781-3366.

2–3 3rd Annual Art in the Cathedralshow and sale with Maine artists,Cathedral, Portland, 5–8 pm. FMIDick Rasner (767-1616) or CarolPatterson (775-6970).

4 Getting Started with Rite 13workshop, St. Francis’, Blue Hill,9:30–3:00. FMI ering@episcopalmaine.org.

4 Public supper, St. Mark’s, Augusta,5–6. FMI 622-2424.

5 Evening of fellowship and music, St.George’s, York Harbor, 7–9. FMI

office@stgeorgesyorkharbor.org.9 Mass on the Grass, see Aug. 2.16 Mass on the Grass, see Aug. 2.18 3rd annual Blueberry Festival, St.

Columba’s, Boothbay Harbor,8–12. Pancake Breakfast and YardSale. FMI 633-6313.

18 Scott King in concert, St. George’s,York Harbor, 7:30–9 pm. FMI RichErvin 439-1205.

20 Staff orientation for BION. FMIyouth@episcopalmaine.org.

21–25BION Teen Camp. FMIyouth@episcopalmaine.org.

22 Deadline for material to besubmitted for the Octoberissue of the Northeast.

22 Talk by missionary, Camden, seepage 12.

23 Mass on the Grass, see Aug. 2.26 Celebration of New Ministry with

the Rev. John Rafter, St. Thomas’s,Camden, 4 pm.

30 Mass on the Grass, see Aug. 2.

Mainestream

Diocesan Calendar

Maintained by the Rev. Betsey WilderDeleuse (1-800-244-6062 x25,bdeleuse@episcopalmaine.org)

August2–4 Aroostook Cluster3 Aroostook Cluster Golf Outing4 Deacon Ordination, Aroostook

Cluster5 All Saint’s, Bailey Island11–12Christ Church, Dark Harbor15 Homecoming, St. Mary & St. Jude,

Northeast Harbor19 St. George’s, Tenants Harbor (am)19 The Rev. Ian Bockus 50th

Anniversary Celebration, SouthwestHarbor (pm)

23 BION, Camp Bishopswood26 Popham Colony 400th Anniversary

(am)26 Celebration of New Ministry, St.

Thomas’, Camden (pm)27 Finance Committee Meeting #1 for

2008 Budget28–29Meetings in Rangeley

September2 St. Ann’s, Kennebunkport4 Finance Committee Meeting #2 for

Budget8 Diocesan Council, Belfast9 Homecoming, St. James, Old Town

(am)9 Homecoming, All Saints,

Skowhegan (pm)11 Lunch, Judicatory Leaders,

Portland13 Clergy Day, St. Mark’s, Waterville

(new date)16 Homecoming, St. Dunstan’s,

Ellsworth (am)16 Celebration of New Ministry, St.

Francis, Blue Hill (pm)17–25House of Bishops, New Orleans28 Tutu Institute Board Meeting,

Washington, DC29–30Mount Desert Island Confirmations

(am)30 Celebration of New Ministry, St.

Matthew’s, Lisbon (pm)

The Bishop’s Calendar

See CALENDAR, page 6 See BISHOP, page 6

Page 6 August 2007

September1 Public supper, St. Mark’s, Augusta,

5–6. FMI 622-2424.6 Mass on the Grass, see Aug. 2.13 Clergy Day, St. Mark’s, Waterville,

9:30–2:30. New date & program.13 Celebration of New Ministry with

the Rev. Claudia Smith, St. Francis,Blue Hill, 4 pm.

15 Safe Church Training, S. Mary’s,Falmouth, 8:30–12:30. Register at1-800-244-6062 x21.

18 Clergy Day, old date: please seeSept. 13.

20 Labyrinth Walk, Trinity, Portland,4–8 pm. FMI office@trinitychurchportland.org.

28–29Leadership training for fall Middle-School Event. FMI youth@episcopalmaine.org.

29 Safe Church Training, GoodShepherd, Houlton, 10–2:30.Register at 1-800-244-6062 x21.

30 Celebration of New Ministry withthe Rev. William Beau Wagner, St.Matthew’s, Lisbon, 5 pm.

October6 Hearing God’s story in Scripture,

with the Rev. Carolyn Metzler, St.Mark’s, Waterville, all day. FMICarlene Deschaine (622-9679) orAlice-Jean Robinson (454-2679).

6–7 Downeast Youth Event, St. Anne’s,Calais. FMI youth@episcopalmaine.org.

7 Celebration of New Ministry withthe Rev. Rita Steadman, St. John’s,Bangor.

13 Safe Church Training, St. Mary andSt. Jude, Northeast Harbor,10–2:30. Register at 1-800-244-6062 x21.

14 Celebration of New Ministry withthe Rev. Timothy Higgins, St. Ann’s,Windham, 4 pm.

18 Labyrinth Walk, Trinity, Portland,4–8 pm. FMI office@trinitychurchportland.org.

19–21Fall Middle-School Event. FMIyouth@episcopalmaine.org.

26–27Diocesan Convention. Bangor,Fri. to noon Sat. FMIwww.episcopal maine.org.

26 Youths at convention dinner,Bangor, 4–7 pm. FMIyouth@episcopal maine.org.

October4 Dinner, BTS and Judicatory Leaders,

Husson College, Bangor6–7 Homecoming, Trinity Church,

Castine (am)7 Celebration of New Ministry, St.

John’s, Bangor (pm)9 New Eng. Cons. of Church Leaders

(NECCL), Amesbury, MA11 Homecoming, St. Philip’s, Wiscasset

13 Augusta Area Fall Ingathering, ChristChurch, Gardiner

14 Homecoming, St. Columba’s,Boothbay (am)

14 Celebration of New Ministry, St.Ann’s, Windham (pm)

15–17 Advisory Committee, College forBishops, NYC

19 Fresh Start Retreat, Living Waters(am)

19–21 Homecoming, Aroostook Cluster25–27 Diocesan Convention, Bangor28 Celebration of New Ministry, St.

Bartholomew’s, Yarmouth

By the Rev. Kent Tarpley, chaplainto the Bishop Search Committee

Committee members have been visit-ing semifinalist candidates at theirhome congregations to further evalu-ate and assess their qualities to be thenext bishop of Maine.

Also, the semifinal candidateshave been invited to visit Maine inlate July and early August to see thediocese for themselves.

At a final retreat on August 10–11the search committee will select fromthe semifinalist group a finalist groupof between four to six candidates topresent to the diocese. Those namesand biographies will be announced tothe entire diocese in early September.

On September 21–23 at three dif-ferent locations (see box at right), thepeople of the diocese can hear andspeak with the finalists. Delegates atthe annual Diocesan Convention inBangor (October 26–27) will thenelect the bishop coadjutor (succeedingChilton) on the first day of the con-vention. Pray for us and pray for ourdiocese. Thank you.

DIOCESAN DISCERNMENT PROCESS: SEARCHING FOR THE 9TH BISHOP OF MAINE

Profile Profile Nominations Screening Area visits Electiondeveloped finalized January–March 2007 April–August 2007 August– OctoberSeptember 2006 December 2006 Sept. 2007 2007

Semifinal candidates visiting Maine, final candidates to meet members of the diocese in September

Events have been scheduled for September 21–23 in Au-gusta, Bangor, and Portland. Unless otherwise noted,events are public and open to all members of the diocese.Delegates to convention who will be voting in the electionare especially encouraged to attend one of the sessions.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 21, 8:00 a.m.Breakfast with the diocesan staff at the cathedral

FRIDAY, SEPT. 21, 2:00 p.m.Event for clergy of diocese in Augusta

FRIDAY, SEPT. 21, 7:00 p.m.Public event at the Senator Inn in Augusta

SATURDAY, SEPT. 22, 2:00 p.m.Public event at Peabody Hall, Husson College,

Bangor. Bus transportation from Aroostook Countywill be provided for this event.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 23, 3:00 p.m.Public event at the Hannaford Lecture Hall, Univer-sity of Southern Maine, Portland. Sunday’s event willinclude a panel discussion followed by a reception.The panel discussion will be taped and available on-line at www.bishopofmaine.org.

A DVD containing the September 23 panel discus-sion, along with individual interviews with the candi-dates, will also be sent to each congregation shortly afterSeptember 23.

Details on each session, including directions andmaps, are available at www.bishopofmaine.org.

Event schedule for the bishop finalists

Calendar…continued from page 5 Bishop…continued from page 5

Check the date on the Web

For up-to-date information on calendarevents, visit the diocesan Website

www.episcopalmaine.org

Don’t forget to submit your churchnewsletter or Website for considera-tion for the 9th Annual LULUAwards, with winners announced atDiocesan Convention in October.

The LULUs honor congregationalnewsletters and congregational Web-sites that best exemplify excellence incommunication and community-building.

Submit 3 issues of your churchnewsletter dated August 2006–August2007, or submit your church Web ad-dress. Application forms will be

mailed to each church and will also beavailable at www.episcopalmaine.org.

Get your application and materi-als in by October 1!

The Official Notice of the 188th Convention, the form forcertifying delegates, and information about positions forwhich nominees are needed, lunch, the election of the bishopcoadjutor, and much more was mailed to each congregationon May 24. This information is also available on the Web; vis-it www.episcopalmaine.org and click on Diocesan Conven-tion under the green Diocesan Life tab.

The Anglican Studies course optionbeing offered at Bangor TheologicalSeminary this fall will focus on howAnglicans engage and wrestle with the-ology and ethics.

The three-credit class, Theologyand Ethics: Anglican and EpiscopalPerspectives, will be taught by the Rev.Ann Kidder on Fridays from 9 to11:50 a.m.

Building on students’ basic under-standings of theology and ethics, thiscourse focuses on how Anglicans, andEpiscopalians in particular, engage andwrestle with theology and ethics. Stu-dents will study selected historical the-ological, and ethical dilemmas. In theprocess of that study students willidentify distinctive Anglican and Epis-copal qualities of theological and ethi-cal approaches.

The course will be taught from theBangor campus and available via videoconferencing for students at the Port-land campus of the seminary. The class

begins September 7 and runs until De-cember 14.

For additional information contactMichael Huddy, Director of Admis-sions, 1-800-287-6781 or MHuddy@bts.edu; or the Rev. Dr. Peg Thomas,Coordinator of Anglican Studies, 326-0892 or pegthomas@gwi.net. For fi-nancial assistance, lay people mayapply to the Diocese of Maine WolfFund. Clergy may apply to the Dioceseof Maine Loring Fund. Informationand the application forms are availableat www.episcopalmaine.org (click onthe green Congregational Resourcestab and then Forms).

Explore BTS course options atwww.bts.edu.

The Episcopal Diocese of Maine haseight geographical areas, each of whichis represented on the Diocesan Coun-cil. With Diocesan Convention ap-proaching in October, now is the timeto consider whether you, or someoneyou know, might be interested in rep-resenting your area on DiocesanCouncil. Deadline for nominations forarea representation on the council isSeptember 9, 2007.

The Diocesan Council generallymeets four times a year; members serve

two-year terms in administering thebusiness of the diocese between con-ventions. For more information, in-cluding information defining the eightgeographical areas, visit www.episcopalmaine.org and click on DiocesanCouncil under the green Committees& Commissions tab.

If you (clergy or lay) are interestedin serving in this important ministry tothe diocese, please have your priest,vestry, bishop’s committee, or a parish-ioner nominate you for consideration.

Wrestle with theology andethics at BTS this fall

upcoming in maine

Call to Diocesan Convention 2007

Page 7August 2007

Lulu Awards application deadline October 1!

Once again Les Petits Chanteurs fromHaiti will perform at several locationsin Maine. The boys’ choir of HolyTrinity Music School in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The music school offersinstrumental and vocal music educa-tion to rich and poor alike at two lo-cations in the Port-au-Prince area.

The schedule for their Maine con-certs follows:

Sept. 29 St Alban’s, Cape ElizabethSept. 30 St Luke’s CathedralOct. 1 Lorimer Chapel, Colby

CollegeOct. 2 St John’s, Bangor

Les Petits Chanteurs return this fall to Maine

Diocesan Council nominations are due by Sept. 9

the palm and the pine: the maine–haiti connection

By Elizabeth Maule, DiocesanArchivist (1-800-244-6062 x37,emaule@episcopalmaine.org)

Summer in Maine this year started outwith some quintessential days: pureblue skies, a few puffy white clouds,and tolerable temperatures and hu-midity levels. Visitors have arrived!

If you find yourself wanting todisplay photos from your archives forparishioners and visitors alike, here isa suggestion. Use an ordinary three-ring binder with archival photo pagesinside. You won’t need too manypages. The binder is easy to close, easyto put away at the end of services or

other gatherings, and just as easy toget out when needed.

Select a few photos and create la-bels that can be slipped into the sleevewith the photo. Try to put out anunidentified photo or two as well—somebody may recognize that event!

Rotate the photos every few weeksso that folks keep coming back to seewhat’s new. In addition to providingfresh interest, this also protects thephotos from overexposure and over-handling. Enjoy every second of ourprecious summer, and welcome all ourvisitors. And, please feel free to call ore-mail me if you need help with thisproject or have other questions.

Summer residents and guests will appreciate your church photos

notes from the cellar

the Diocese of New Orleans hope tobuild 500 houses over the next five toseven years. The house looks great—carpeted, air conditioned, all appli-ances installed—and it’s for sale for$115,000. Is this affordable housing?Yes, we are told, for the qualified buy-er, that is, one holding a regular job,having an annual income under$45,000, and qualifying for gap fund-ing if needed (an ERD-supported pro-gram).

“It’s more than building houses—we’re rebuilding families,” saysArchdeacon Dennis McManis, Oper-ations Manager in the Diocesan Of-fice of Disaster Response (ODR).“With your help, we are changing theroad to Jericho.”

SUPPORTING LONG-TERMPROGRAMS, CUTTING RED TAPEERD partners with the ODR to servesurvivors in and around New Orleans,with particular emphasis on the poor,elderly, marginalized, and underin-sured. This partnership includes long-term recovery programs such asgutting and rebuilding homes, health-care programs, child-care programs,and family case management, includ-ing the daunting task of applying for,appealing, and adjudicating federal,state, and private disaster assistance.

Even before Katrina struck,Louisiana rated dead last among thestates in health-care education. ERDcurrently supports several post-Katri-na programs, including suicide inter-vention/counseling. The TrinityCounseling and Training Center iden-tifies unmet health care needs and todesign appropriate health-care pro-grams, working in cooperation withthe medical schools of Tulane, Loyola,Xavier Holy Cross, and the Universityof New Orleans.

ERD is also supporting the St.

Thomas/Louisiana State UniversityHealth Clinic, one of two free clinicsnow open in New Orleans. ERD alsofunded the completion of mammo-gram and cardiology rooms, whichnow serve the poor and underinsuredwho otherwise would have to travel toHouma (69 miles) or Baton Rouge(90 miles) for medical care—or gowithout care entirely.

We stop at a church parking lot toinspect a mobile medical unit pur-chased by ERD. This big RV makesdaily runs through the low-incomeneighborhoods, providing on-the-spottreatment to residents working ondamaged homes.

SHEETROCK MINISTRY ANDHALLELUJAH HOUSINGOn the I10 Bay Bridge, we catch aglimpse of the damage potential of a

28-foot tidal surge driven by windsexceeding 150 miles per hour. Closeto our bus, work is nearing comple-tion where entire sections of thebridge had plunged into the water. Wepause to give thanks for twin spans.Once safely off the bridge, we see lit-tle except for concrete slabs and postswhere buildings once stood. It dawnson us that a bank used to be on one ofthe slabs; all that remains is the rustyvault. The vault door is open.

We stop at the headquarters ofCamp Coast Care in Long Beach,Miss. It’s on the grounds of St.Patrick’s Episcopal Church, which wasbuilt in 1890 and destroyed in 2005by Katrina.

Following the disaster, CampCoast Care was created by a partner-ship of ERD, Lutheran Episcopal Ser-vices in Mississippi, and the Diocese

of New Orleans. Since 2005 the camphas responded to the emergency needsof over 400,000 people, and nowERD is helping to support CampCoast Care’s recovery operations.

As in New Orleans, recovery pro-grams at the camp tackle gutting andrebuilding homes. As of March 2007,over 14,000 volunteers had passedthrough the camp, from all 50 statesand 14 foreign countries. Volunteershoused at the camp are trained by aprofessional construction staff; the re-sult to date has been 525 families re-turned to safe, comfortable homes.Other long-term programs in place in-clude individual case management,child care, food, and cleaning supplies.A medical clinic is on the grounds,housed in a double-wide trailer.

We visit an all-new home, de-signed in the Gulf Coast vernacularand built to withstand high water and160-mile-per-hour winds. The homeis the first in the Hallelujah Ministriesprogram. The goal is to build 400homes at a rate of 75 homes a year forthe next five to seven years. ERD, inconcert with the diocese and others,has helped to create this affordablehousing initiative, which will providegap funding through a credit union toqualified homebuyers.

It’s often one church’s ministrythat makes a lasting, memorable con-tribution. This is the case with St.Patrick’s Episcopal Church inPascagoula, Miss., whose SheetrockMinistry has donated 14,000 sheets ofdrywall to over 450 homeowners.ERD is supporting this ministry witha $145,000 grant to build a biggerand better warehouse.

ERD President Robert W. Radtkeaffirms that ERD will continue thedevelopment phase of its contribu-tions “until the Dioceses of Louisianaand Mississippi, working with thechurches and ERD, can make thetransition to meet their own needs.”

Page 8 August 2007

Katrina…continued from page 1

Jackie Lerigo helps Miguel Gonzalez, both of Florida, paint the inside of a home inBayou La Batre, Alabama. The home has been uninhabitable since HurricaneKatrina, which put it under more than five feet of water at the peak of the storm.Lerigo is a member of a Diocese of Southwest Florida team helping in Alabama aspart of an Episcopal Mission Exchange project.

Photo by Jim DeLa, Diocese of Southwest Florida

Volunteers rebuild houses—and families

Ask the ChaplainBy the Rev. Nancy Duncan, LCPC,Chaplain to Clergy Families (691-1036, famchpln@midcoast.com)

Dear Nancy,I am worried about our priest’s

family. There has been tension in thechurch and our priest seems tired anddiscouraged. I also know that her hus-band’s mother has health problemsand they are doing a lot of caretaking.How can I help?

Concerned

Dear Concerned,The care and feeding of clergy and

their families is critical to the health ofa ministry. Be caring and creative.Connect with the clergy spouse andask him how he is doing. Without go-ing into detail (or asking for details),acknowledge that it is a stressful timein the church and in his life. Lookhim in the eyes. Send him a note withyour concern.

Support your priest and his or herfamily. Talk to other church membersand use your imagination. Churcheshave surprised a couple by presentingthem with a gift of a weekend away.

Churches have provided casseroles orrestaurant gift certificates in times ofstress.

One church did a special “we loveour priest and family day” where oneSunday the church was filled withbanners, balloons, and signs thankingthe priest and his family for their loveand care. A member of one church pe-riodically invited a clergy spouse tolunch. Personalized notes are also ap-preciated. These gestures may seemsmall, but clergy families are verygrateful.

Clergy and their families needyour love and support. Use your imag-

ination to discover ways to help sus-tain them.

Nancy

This column has been fictionalized toprotect confidentiality. The Rev. NancyDuncan, chaplain to clergy families,can be reached for pastoral care or con-sultation at the contact informationabove.

Information about Clergy FamilyChaplaincy services are at www.episcopalmaine.org (click on the green Dioce-san Life tab for Clergy Family Chap-laincy).

Page 9

By Elizabeth M. Ring, Director,Diocesan Resource Center,Supporting Lifelong Learning772-6923, ering@episcopalmaine.org

A lectionary is a list of readings thatcreates an order of storytelling for thechurch as we listen to scripture inworship. The lectionary now in usewas part of the work that led to the1979 Book of Common Prayer and isvery different from earlier lectionaries.

Matthew, Mark, and Luke, withthe help of John, are the guiding sto-rytellers for each of the three years ofour present lectionary cycle. Each tellsthe story from the unique perspectiveof what stood out for them and whatthey thought would engage their audi-ence—much as we do when several ofus tell the “same” story, though eachstory comes out a little differently be-cause different things stood out foreach of us.

Each year we have the opportuni-ty to explore the story of Jesus’ min-istry through the unique lens of one ofthese gospel writers. This is a commonthread of the lectionary in the Book ofCommon Prayer and the RevisedCommon Lectionary (RCL), whichGeneral Convention adopted as ourlectionary, beginning in Advent 2007(it is optional before then).

The switch to the RCL will oftengo unnoticed because many of thereadings are almost identical—differ-ent in length by maybe a verse or two.

The most noticeable differencesbetween the current lectionary andthe RCL are in the Old Testamentreadings during the season after Pente-cost. In that period the RCL offers ustwo “tracks.” One track selects read-ings from the Old Testament that areclearly connected to the Gospel—they

may be quoted in the Gospel, tell par-allel stories, or demonstrate a contrastbetween old and new thinking. Theother track is a semicontinuous read-ing from the Old Testament. Thepsalms in all cases are chosen in re-sponse to the Old Testament reading.Hearing readings grouped differentlycan help us hear nuances and discoverinsights that we missed before.

Both the Book of CommonPrayer and the RCL use a similar,semicontinuous reading of the Epis-tles, focusing on different Epistles ineach of the three years.

THE RATIONALE BEHIND THELECTIONARY REVISIONUsing the RCL means that we arehearing the same words as most of ourAnglican partners and many of our ec-umenical colleagues around theworld. The journey of the EpiscopalChurch toward adoption of the RCLbegan in the mid-1960s. The RCL isthe result of the thoughtful work ofthe Consultation on Common Texts,a group of scholars, lay and ordained,from a wide representation of denom-inations in North America.

The background and lectionarycitations for the RCL are available onthe Web page of the Episcopal ChurchOffice of Liturgy and Music www.episcopalchurch.org/liturgy_music.htm) and on the Consultation onCommon Texts’ Website (www.commontexts.org/rcl/faq.html). ForwardMovement has just published a help-ful pamphlet, “Using the RevisedCommon Lectionary.” Please call or e-mail me if you need help finding re-sources. Enjoy the journey.

August 2007

By Robin Johnson, DiocesanCoordinator, United Thank Offering(872-0861, joenrob@adelphia.net)

This spring, the National UTO Boardawarded $2,439,342.46 with 104grants. Over $1 million was grantedin the United States; unfortunately,neither of the two applicants fromMaine received a grant this year.

According to Dot Smith, theprovince 1 UTO coordinator, thenumber of applicants with life-threat-ening need was “staggering” this year,and the board was faced with hugeand often heartbreaking decisionsabout how to disperse the funds. Withthe yearly offering down by over$113,000 in province 1 alone, the fo-cus has been on feeding and shelteringthe hungry and destitute, and manythird-world nations benefited fromour prayerful coins.

We can be thankful that our Na-tional UTO Board has their prioritiesin order and that we have beds to sleepin, full bellies, are protected by a roofover our heads and are surrounded byfamily and friends in safety and free-dom. Thank you, God for the gift ofperspective.

The Diocese of Maine is doing

our part well! Participation in theUTO has increased from 47 to 72 per-cent of churches in the last four years.Last year’s offering was a record dur-ing my tenure: $26.001.69. Let’s con-tinue to expand the circle of thankfulpeople in Maine by spreading thenews about coins for thanks. Helperadicate poverty and hunger throughthe UTO. Get a new ministry startedin your church if there isn’t one al-ready, and let me know how I canhelp.

The spring ingathering was takingplace while the August issue was inpress, and figures will be available forthe diocesan ingathering at a laterdate.

Maine churches approach75% participation in UTO:won’t you join our effort?

Get to know Revised Common Lectionary

resourcefully yours

See page 13 for more on RevisedCommon Lectionary resources.

Congregations in Search CHURCH STATUS

TRINITY, Lewiston Receiving namesST. ANDREW’S, Millinocket No longer receiving namesST. PETER’S, Portland Receiving namesST. PETER’S, Rockland Beginning processST. GEORGE’S, Sanford Working on profileST. BRENDAN’S, Stonington Receiving namesST. STEPHEN’S, Waterboro Working on profileST. ANN’S, Windham No longer receiving namesST. BARTHOLOMEW’S, Yarmouth No longer receiving names

St. John’s, Bangor, has called the Rev. Marguerite (Rita) Steadman as rector.She joins them in ministry August 1, 2007

St. Francis by-the-Sea, Blue Hill, has called the Rev. Claudia Smith as rector.She joins them in ministry August 1, 2007.

St. Thomas’, Camden, has called the Rev. John Rafter as rector. He began hisministry with them on July 1, 2007.

St. Matthew’s, Lisbon Falls, has called the Rev. Beau Wagner as rector. Hejoins them in ministry August 1, 2007.

St. Ann’s, Windham, has called the Rev. Timothy Higgins as rector. He joinsthem in ministry August 1, 2007. For information on any of these congregations, please contact the Rev.Canon Linton Studdiford at 1-800-244-6062, or lstuddif@episcopalmaine.org. Deployment information for many of these congregations is available atthe diocesan Web site, www.episcopalmaine.org.

Page 10 August 2007

By Daniel Summers,St. Matthew’s, Hallowell

What could be more fun than playinga team game of trivia with otheryoung adults? Well, winning a gameof trivia on a team with other youngadults is a nice plus.

Although the members of the St.Matthew’s Young Adult Ministry haveyet to actually experience the joy of awin at Tuesday Night Trivia at theLiberal Cup in Hallowell—we’re seri-ally defeated by an unstoppable jug-gernaut of Maine legislators—we didplace fifth recently. As evidenced bythis photo (the author is the fellow inthe middle with the large hair andblinking problem), the cash prize wasa good consolation for our thwartedambition.

In addition to lessons in trivia andgood sportsmanship, members of theministry meet regularly to sharemeals, discuss the Gospel, and talkabout our experiences of faith.

Sponsored by St. Matthew’s, Hal-lowell, and led by the Rev. Calvin San-born, the group often draws ten totwelve men and women in our twen-

ties and thirties to spend time in fel-lowship and prayer. Meetings areevery other Sunday evening, in addi-tion to our regular Tuesday night en-deavors, and generally end withCompline.

All are welcome, whatever yourfaith background or religious affilia-tion. Experts in sports trivia are espe-cially welcome.

St. Matt’s young adults takeon the state legislators—every Tuesday night

youth news youth news youth news youth news

DIOCESAN YOUTH CALENDARSTAFF ORIENTATION FOR BIONMonday, August 20 • Camp Bishopswood

BION TEEN CAMPAugust 21-25 • for youths completing grades 6–12 • Camp BishopswoodHave fun with new friends, enjoy activities, and explore faith whileliving in God’s beautiful creation.

MEET THE BISHOP CANDIDATESSept. 21, 7–9:30 p.m. • Senator Inn in AugustaSept. 22, 2–4:30 p.m. • Peabody Hall at Husson College in BangorSept. 23, 3-4:30 p.m. • Hannaford Lecture Hall, USM PortlandYouths are encouraged join the rest of our diocese in talking with thecandidates for diocesan bishop during the weekend they visit Maine.

LEADERSHIP TRAINING FOR FALL MIDDLE-SCHOOL EVENTDates and Location tbaYouths and adults prepare to lead.

DOWNEAST YOUTH EVENTOctober 6-7 (staff may arrive on Friday) • grades 6-12 • St. Anne’s,Calais. Six Calais churches join to present the 2nd annual weekend offun and exploration.

FALL MIDDLE-SCHOOL EVENTDate tba • grades 6-8 • Location tbaA weekend of fun, faith, and new friends

YOUTHS AT CONVENTION & BENEFIT DINNERFriday, October 26 • grades 6–12 • Bangor Civic CenterYouths serve as pages at this annual diocesan meeting. Youths andadults serve Friday dinner to benefit our international mission project.

LEADERSHIP TRAINING FOR HAPPENINGNovember 2–4 • Christ Church, GardinerTeam building, worship, and training for teen and adult leaders

HAPPENINGNovember 16-18 • high-schoolers • Christ Church, GardinerA deep weekend led by high-schoolers for high-schoolers. We’ll lookat questions about evil and how Christ overcame evil and helps us toovercome it.

Province 1 Youth Ministry Exchange: DIOCESE OF CONNECTICUTEVENTDecember 7–9 • high-schoolers • Diocese of ConnecticutMainers are invited to experience a youth event in the Diocese ofConn., which sent a dozen teens and adults to experience TEC in Mainelast spring.

SAFE CHURCH TRAINING for adults who work with teens or childrenFind dates and locations on the Web at www.episcopalmaine.org.

OFFERED ALL YEAR: Visits by a youth missioner and/or youth toyour congregation (call us!).

For more information, talk to your priest or youth group leader, callYOUTH MINISTRIES at 772-1953 x29 or 1-800-244-6062 x29, ore-mail us at youth@episcopalmaine.org. Check us out at www.maineyouth.org.

The young adult group from St.Matthew’s gathered at the Liberal Cupfor Trivia Night, winning 5th place thatevening. Shown here are Karen Jones,Jon Young (Christ Church, Gardiner),Ryan Corum (St. Matthew’s, Hallowell),Daniel Summers (St. Matt’s), RachelWhite, and Kristen Wagner (St. Matt’s).

BION CampDiocesan Youth Ministries’Believe It or Not . . . Camp

Choose from activities like duct-tape creations,

ultimate Frisbee, canoeing, music, swimming, campfires,

and s’mores. Worship God, be in crazy contests, find

friends, laugh, and be in focus groups about God and life.

For teens completing grades 6–12

Tuesday–Saturday

August 21–25, 2007

Download application from www.maineyouth.org

Page 11August 2007

youth news youth news youth news youth news

By Heather Blais, Assistant YouthMissioner

Fall 2007 will be crazy and spirit-filledfor youths and young adult ministries,packed with a week of camp, three re-treats, and other special events.

We start off in August with a weekfilled with fun, friends, and God atBelieve It Or Not (BION) Camp forteens entering grades 7–12, where wespend our days playing shaving-creamfootball, Frisbee golf, watermelonpolo, and other fun activities. In focusgroups we explore topics such as theMillennium Development Goals, howto help hurting friends, and How toDate 101. The entire camp will alsoget to spend a day with Bishop Knud-sen for activities, focus groups, and

our closing Eucharist. We will be sureto show her a good time at BIONCamp!

Then in September we’ll gathertogether with other youths, youngadults, and adults around the diocesein Augusta, Bangor, and Portland tomeet the final candidates for the nextbishop of Maine. That will be a timeto learn about each of the candidatesand to ask questions to help discernwhom God is calling to Maine.

Then the following weekend mid-dle-school and high-school youthswho are volunteering to staff the FallMiddle-School Event will gather andspend time learning what it means tobe a servant and to get ready for theupcoming middle-school retreatwhere over sixty youths will gather tomake new friends, explore their faith,

and simply have fun in mid-October.Soon after will be the second

Downeast Youth Event, held inCalais, Maine. Under the leadershipof Sherry Sivret of St. Anne’s, theCalais area churches—includingMethodist, Catholic, Episcopalianand Baptist—are planning anothergreat weekend. Be sure to check it out.

Then in late October volunteeryouths in grades 6–12 will gather atDiocesan Convention to get a taste ofhow the Episcopal Church makes de-cisions as a body, and simply to lend ahand as a page, and have fun. Fridayevening of convention there will bethe annual benefit dinner, wheremoney is raised to help those on theinternational youth mission team tothe Dominican Republic. ContactYouth Ministries for tickets to this

benefit meal or to volunteer.In November comes the highly

anticipated Happening retreat thathigh-schoolers around the state lookforward to each fall. This year the re-treat will be held at Christ Church,Gardiner, and will be led by Zan Cad-man of St. Andrew’s, Newcastle, andhis assistant rector. Together they willwork with fellow high-schoolers toprepare for this deep retreat by spend-ing time together as a staff in worship,preparing talks, and activities. Thencome mid-November, 80+ high-schoolers will gather around the dio-cese at Happening to come to knowhow deep and wide God’s love is.

Be sure to check out all of theseexciting events on our Website atwww.maineyouth.org. We hope to seeyou there!

Mark your calendars for a spirit-filled fall

By David Nutter,Grace Church, Bath

Have you ever seen a shaving-creamMohawk? I have; lots of them.

I was just thinking about how the4th of July has come and gone, nextcomes August, then back to school.Oh, had you forgotten about that? Itseems that the teens always forget, butthe adults always remember.

The Diocese of Maine runs a

weeklong camp starting August 21 wecall Believe It Or Not (BION). This isat Camp Bishopswood on a lake inHope, Maine, where kids from middleschool to high school get together fora week of fun before, well, you know.

There are cabins and cots to sleepin, the food is fantastic, and there ismusic, ultimate frisbee, crafts, pho-tography, creative worship, swim-ming, focus groups, campfires,boating, and just hanging out withfriends in a Christian community.

If you have never been to BION,it takes guts to go when you don’tknow anybody, but chances are some-one you know has gone. Even if youcome without knowing anyone at all,the first day you’ll make friends. AndI’ll bet that you’ll want to come backagain and again.

Join us for one more week of sum-mer fun. Talk to your friends to sign upor talk to anybody at your local Epis-copal church. I’ll see you there—I’ll bethe one with the shaving-cream can.

Have you ever seen a shaving-cream Mohawk?

Taylor Peck-Moad of St. Paul’s,Brunswick, models his Mohawk.

By Jim DeLa,Diocese of Southwest Florida

This June a team of teens and accom-panying adults from the Diocese ofSouthwest Florida made a weeklongmission trip to Bayou La Batre, Alaba-ma. At the same time, a team from theDiocese of Dallas was working 150miles to the north in Marion, Alaba-ma. Both youth mission teams wereplaced and facilitated by a new orga-nization, the Episcopal Mission Ex-change (EMX).

EMX was developed in responseto the General Convention’s Priorityon Youth beginning in 2003. The Of-fice of Youth Ministries of the Episco-pal Church, with support of youthministers of the nine provinces of thechurch and in partnership with Pass-port Inc., an ecumenical student min-

istry organization, created a resourcefor congregational youth leaders toprovide meaningful mission experi-ences for youths.

At the organization’s homepageyou’ll find a list of mission opportuni-ties all over the U.S., ranked from “E”for easy trips for first-time missioners,to “X” for extra-challenging trips formore experienced youths and adults.

All groups who participate inEMX are asked to read a workbook,complete training sessions, attend apreproject visit, covenant together as ateam, and complete posttrip evalua-tions.

The workbook contains helpfulsuggestions about planning your mis-sion trip, suggested schedules, and ad-vice on fund-raising and legal issues. Italso provides liturgy for daily worshipduring the trip and Bible study cur-riculum.

EMX can accommodate teams assmall as five and as large as several

hundred people. For information, visitwww.episcopalmissionexchange.org.

National church organization supports teen mission work

Photo by Jim DeLa, Diocese of Southwest Florida

Amy Burgar, of Church of the Ascension in Dallas, Texas, cleans the porch of ahome in Marion, Alabama, as part of a Episcopal Mission Exchange project.

Page 12 August 2007

By Marjorie George,Episcopal News Service

A July 13 private Eucharist at theLady Bird Wild Flower Center inAustin, Texas, was the first of threecommemorations of the life of LadyBird Johnson, widow of PresidentLyndon B. Johnson.

Johnson was a longtime memberof St. Barnabas Episcopal Church inFredericksburg, Texas, in the Dioceseof West Texas. The Rev. Dick Elwood,interim rector of St. Barnabas,presided at the July 13 Eucharist.

Johnson was also remembered thefollowing day at a worship service atRiver Bend Baptist Church. A com-mittal service was held at the LBJRanch in Johnson City.

Lady Bird Johnson died at herhome in Austin on July 11 at the ageof 94. She was well known as a cham-pion of conservation; perhaps less wellknown was her initiative in raisingfunds to beautify Washington, D.C.The $320 million Highway Beautifi-cation Bill, passed in 1965, wasknown as the “Lady Bird Bill.” Her ef-forts spread as she was the leadingforce behind creating a hike and biketrail in Austin and then later with thebeautification of Texas highways pro-ject by personally giving awards tohighway districts that use native Texasplants. This project, nearly thirty yearslater, has provided the wildflowersalong highways so well known inTexas.

Lady Bird Johnson was bornClaudia Alta Taylor in Karnack, Texas.She and Lyndon Baines Johnson weremarried at St. Mark’s EpiscopalChurch in San Antonio on November17, 1934.

—Marjorie George is communicationsofficer for the Diocese of West Texas

From the Episcopal News Service

Monks of the Society of Saint Johnthe Evangelist (SSJE) are joiningforces with a member of the Massa-chusetts National Guard to help menand women returning from Iraq andAfghanistan find a safe place to heal.

“There is a tremendous need tohelp these folks,” said Capt. JefferyCox of the Massachusetts NationalGuard. Cox, a clinical social workerwith the guard, offered his expertiseand advice to the brothers of the SSJEin Cambridge, Mass., to create a timeof healing at the monastery specifical-ly for members of the armed serviceswho have spent long stretches away

from home in war zones.Cox has been deployed twice

since 2003 and served in a combatstress company in Iraq in 2005–6. Heis a postulant for Holy Orders in theEpiscopal Diocese of Massachusettsand the Episcopal Church province 1coordinator for Episcopal Relief andDevelopment. He works full-time as acontractor for the U.S. Army Wound-ed Warrior Program, supporting seri-ously injured and wounded soldiersthroughout New England.

The brothers reserved the firstweekend in October at the monasteryto offer a healing retreat for people re-turning from places of war.

“Retreat isn’t a very good militaryword. It’s a negative word in the mili-

tary,” said Cox. “But the kind of re-treat the brothers offer is what manypeople need right now. It’s a great toolfor helping to make the transitionhome. I know because the monasteryis where I went when I got home.”

“Binding Up Our Wounds: A re-treat for members of the armed ser-vices and veterans returning fromwar,” will be offered to a limited num-ber of participants October 4–7.

A Thursday-to-Sunday religiousretreat may be too long for some peo-ple to attend, so the brothers are invit-ing the public to a special healingservice at the monastery in Cam-bridge, 980 Memorial Drive, at 11a.m. on October 6.

SSJE is a monastic community of

the Episcopal Church. It was foundedin 1866 in Oxford, England; the U.S.congregation has been in Boston since1870. The brothers engage in a broadrange of ministries in the church andin the world; leading retreats, offeringspiritual direction and going on mis-sions around the globe, most recentlyin Jerusalem, Egypt, Jordan, Tanzania,Kenya, and Canada.

For additional information, con-tact the monastery guesthouse atguesthouse@ssje.org, visitwww.ssje.org or call 1-617-876-3037.Anyone wishing to participate in theweekend retreat should send an e-mailto the monastery guesthouse explain-ing why this experience would behelpful to him or her.

within our communion

Massachusetts monastery offers troops a place to heal

The Rev. Katharine Babson will speak in Camden on August 22 as part ofa Camden Conference breakfast discussion series. Babson is the EpiscopalChurch’s missionary to Myanmar and is on the adjunct faculty at VirginiaTheological Seminary in Global Christianity—Mission and World Reli-gions.

Her talk, titled The Buddha, Jesus, and Mohammed at Work Togeth-er in Burma: Kindred Religions Deliver Where Others Won’t—or Can’t,will be at 8 a.m. in the Knox Mill Conference Center on WashingtonStreet in Camden.

The breakfast is $12 per person, which can be paid at the door. Formore information, contact Skip Bates at 236-0180 or skip.bates@bangor.com.

Founded in 1987, the Camden Conference is a nonprofit, nonparti-san educational organization whose mission is to foster informed dis-course on world issues. For more information, visit camdenconference.org.

Babson, a resident of Brunswick when she is not in Myanmar, wor-ships at St. Bartholemew’s, Yarmouth.

Episcopal missionary to givebreakfast talk in Camden

The Rev. Katharine Babson in Sittwe, western Myanmar.

(Courtesy LBJ Library, serial 34199-13, undated)

At the Tidal Basin during a CherryBlossom Festival in Washington, D.C.,Mrs. Johnson assists in planting ayoung tree.

Lady Bird Johnson rememberedin Episcopal services in Texas

From Episcopal Life OnlineJuly 3, 2007

Church Publishing Incorporated(CPI), official publisher of the wor-ship materials of the EpiscopalChurch, is introducing a completeline of Revised Commo Lectionary(RCL) resources this fall.

The lectionary books (in lecternand pew editions), gospel books, mu-sic, and electronic titles, all updatedwith the RCL, are already in usethroughout the Episcopal Church.

After several years of trial use, the2006 General Convention authorizeda transition to the RCL for Sundayuse, effective the first Sunday of Ad-vent 2007 (Dec. 2, 2007). After athree-year transition period, use of theRCL becomes binding on the entirechurch in December 2010.

The full range of RCL resourcesand products are available at www.churchpublishing.org.

Church Publishing introduces Revised Common Lectionaryresources

Page 13August 2007

By Mary Frances Schjonberg,Episcopal News Service

Nine members of the EpiscopalChurch’s Executive Council have beenappointed to draft the church’s re-sponse to the first version of an Angli-can covenant.

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jef-ferts Schori and House of DeputiesPresident Bonnie Anderson made theappointments as called for in Execu-tive Council Resolution INC021,passed at the council’s June meeting inParsippany, N.J.

GROUP TO REVIEW COMMENTS,DESIGN A PROCESSThe group is charged with writing aproposed response of the ExecutiveCouncil to the draft Anglicancovenant for the council, to be con-sidered at its October 2007 meetingin Dearborn, Michigan.

Part of the material the membersof the Covenant Response DraftingGroup will consider as they work arethe 400+ comments the council re-ceived by way of a covenant study

guide it published in mid-April. Al-though the deadline for commentsbased on the council’s covenant studyguide has passed, the group’s chair,Rosalie Simmonds Ballentine of theDiocese of the Virgin Islands, said re-sponses are still coming into the Gen-eral Convention office and will beconsidered. Although the group is notactively soliciting more comment, shesaid “we would still be open to receiv-ing [any additional comments].”

“I am grateful to the members ofthe drafting group for their willing-ness to continue this challengingwork,” Jefferts Schori said July 11.“Together we look for a thoughtfuland well-reasoned response that re-flects the diversity of opinion in theEpiscopal Church.”

Anderson said that the draftinggroup will also “design a process forcontinuing to gather input from theentire Episcopal Church to aid the Ex-ecutive Council in its response to sub-sequent covenant drafts.”

Ballentine said the drafting groupmembers reflect “quite a cross sectionof our church as represented on theExecutive Council.” Because of the

church’s diversity, she said, the groupwill do all it can to ensure that allvoices are heard.

A WAY FORWARDThe group will work throughout thetriennium as a primary resource to theInternational Concerns StandingCommittee of the Executive Counciland the Episcopal Church’s membersof the Anglican Consultative Council(ACC) as they monitor the covenantprocess. Resolution A166, passed bythe 75th General Convention in June2006, called for such monitoring.

The resolution also said that theEpiscopal Church supports theprocess of developing a covenant “thatunderscores our unity in faith, order,and common life in the service ofGod’s mission.” During the Marchmeeting of the Executive Council, themembers said that “responding to thedraft covenant does not presupposeagreement with the terms and princi-ples advanced in the draft.”

Released in October 2004, theWindsor Report proposed an Angli-can covenant as a possible way for theAnglican Communion to maintain

unity amid differing viewpoints. Thecommunion’s primates released thefirst draft during their February meet-ing in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, askingfor comment from the communion’s38 provinces by January 1, 2008.

The drafting group’s proposed re-sponse for the October ExecutiveCouncil session is meant to meet theJanuary 1 comment deadline “so thatthe voice of our church will be heardin this process,” Ballentine said.

It is expected that a revised ver-sion of the covenant will be presentedto the 2008 Lambeth Conference ofBishops, to be followed by a final textthat would be proposed to the 2009meeting of the ACC. If the ACCadopts the text, it would offer it to theprovinces for consideration.

The Covenant Response DraftingGroup member from province 1 is theRev. Dr. Ian T. Douglas of Massachu-setts.

—The Rev. Mary Frances Schjonberg isnational correspondent for the EpiscopalNews Service

Presiding officers of national church appointcovenant-response group

Episcopal Life Online

The Anglican Church of Canada haselected Bishop Fred Hiltz of NovaScotia and Prince Edward Island as its13th primate.

Hiltz was elected by the church’sGeneral Synod, meeting in Winnipeg,on the 5th ballot, from among fourbishops nominated last April by agathering of all Canadian bishops.

Hiltz, 53, will succeed Archbish-op Andrew Hutchison, elected threeyears ago, who announced earlier thathe would retire at the end of the Gen-eral Synod gathering meeting in Win-nipeg June 19–26.

Hiltz was elected assistant bishopof the Diocese of Nova Scotia andPrince Edward Island in 1995 andelected diocesan bishop in 2002. Hewas a member of the Council of Gen-eral Synod from 2001 to 2004, andsince 2006 has served as the Anglicancochair of the Anglican-Lutheran In-

ternational Commission.In a statement after his nomina-

tion for the primacy, Hiltz describedthe Primate as “a servant of the peopleof God (whose) ministry is the gatherthe Church, to unite its members in aholy fellowship of truth and love, andto inspire them in the service ofChrist’s mission in the world.”

Canada elects Fred Hiltzas 13th primate

within our communion

Bishop Fred Hiltz

By the Most Rev. Katharine JeffertsSchori, Presiding BishopFrom Episcopal Life Online

I met recently with a group of ap-pointed missionaries of the EpiscopalChurch. They gathered for ten days inNew York for orientation before leav-ing to do mission. It was an enormousprivilege to meet them and see theirenergy and enthusiasm (which means“filled with God”) for this adventure.

We had an opportunity for con-versation, and one young man sharedhis concern about how to understandthe Great Commission, particularlythe directive to baptize, especially in amultifaith environment. It was a won-derful question that engages us all atone level or another.

MAKING DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONSHow do we engage in evangelism, andparticularly in the specific directives of

Matthew 28:19–20? “Go therefore,and make disciples of all nations, bap-tizing in the name of the Father and ofthe Son and of the Holy Spirit, andteaching them to obey everything thatI have commanded you. And remem-ber, I am with you always, to the endof the age.”

This passage marks the end ofMatthew’s Gospel, and its explicitlyTrinitarian language should make usaware that it probably reflects thepractice of early Christian communi-ties, sometime after the death and res-urrection of Jesus. Yet the questionremains: How do we respond to thissending of the disciples, in which weunderstand all Christians participate,into a multifaith world?

If we believe that Jesus’ savingwork is for the whole world, thatshould relieve some of our immediateanxiety. He is pretty clear that he isnot here to judge the world, but tolove the world and invite all into rela-

tionship with Love itself (John12:32—“And I, when I am lifted upfrom the earth, will draw all people tomyself ”—and John 12:47—“I do notjudge anyone who hears my wordsand does not keep them, for I camenot to judge the world, but to save theworld”). Judgment comes at the endof time, and until then you and I re-peatedly are urged not to judge others.

IS BAPTISM NECESSARY?Yet the ancient question remains: Isbaptism necessary for salvation? The-ologians have wrestled with this in anumber of ways and made some re-markably gracious and open-ended re-sponses. Vatican 2 affirmed thatsalvation is possible outside thechurch, even though some statementsby Roman Catholic authorities inyears since have sought to retreat fromthat position.

Karl Rahner spoke about “anony-mous Christians,” whose identity isknown to God alone. John MacQuar-rie recognized the presence of the Lo-gos or Word in other traditions.

But the more interesting questionhas to do with baptism itself. Like allsacraments, we understand baptism asan outward and visible sign of an in-ward and spiritual grace (Catechism,BCP, 857). It is an outward recogni-tion of grace that is both given and al-ready present through God’s action.

SHARING THE GOOD NEWSWhen we look at some of the lives ofholy people who follow other religioustraditions, what do we see? MahatmaGandhi and the Dalai Lama both ex-emplify Christ-like lives. Would weassume that there is no grace presentin lives like these? A conclusion of thatsort seems to verge on the only unfor-givable sin, against the Holy Spirit(Matt. 12:30–32).

If I believe that God is more thanI can imagine, conceptualize or under-stand, then I must be willing to ac-knowledge that God may act in waysthat are beyond my ken, including inpeople who do not follow the Judeo-Christian tradition. Note that I in-clude our Jewish brothers and sisters,for Scripture is very clear that Godmade a covenant with Israel. Thatcovenant was not abrogated in Jesus.Scripture also speaks of a covenantwith Abraham that extends to his off-spring, including Ishmael. Our Mus-lim brothers and sisters claim him astheir ancestor. In some way, God con-tinues to act in the tradition we call Is-lam.

Well, if God is already at work inother religious traditions, why wouldwe bother to teach, make disciples orbaptize? The focus of our evangelicalwork can never be imposing our ownwill (despite the wretched examples offorced conversion in the history ofChristianity), but there is a real ur-gency to sharing the good news.

Can you imagine not saying toanother, “Let me introduce you to mybest friend. I think you would enjoygetting to know him”? We are certain-ly not loath to do that when it comesto the latest movie or book or restau-rant we’ve enjoyed, and unless we areleery of sharing, we will not stay silentlong.

But let’s go back to baptism.What is the urgency? It might be help-ful to reflect on what we claim hap-pens in baptism. We are washed,(usually) anointed, forgiven, wel-comed as members of Christ’s body,receive the Holy Spirit, initiated intothe mysteries (welcomed to commu-nion) and begin to take up life as asaint.

We act in all those ways towardinfants who are as yet largely unawareof what is happening to them, and wedo it in a sense of eschatological hopethat the newly baptized will grow intoan ability to claim those promises forhim or herself. However, we only bap-tize adults who are willing and able toclaim that hope for themselves.

BEING, NOT JUST DOINGThe evangelical question has to dowith free will. Should we, shall we,impose that on those who do not ful-ly desire it? Maybe it would be helpfulto recognize that baptism is not thegoal, but rather relationship with God(or discipleship) is. We understandthat to be a relationship in God’sWord, whom we call Christ.

Our evangelical work has more todo with the gracious recognition ofGod already at work in the worldabout us than it does with imposingour will on others. When Jesus says“make disciples,” that has a great dealto do with inviting others into rela-tionship with the God we know, par-ticularly as we know God in Christ. Ido not believe it has anything to dowith forcible or manipulative conver-sion.

It has more to do with showingand telling, through word (Word) anddeed, what it is like to know the gift ofthat relationship—to demonstrate theunutterable attractiveness of that rela-

Page 14 August 2007

within our communion

Baptism isn’t a goal but a relationship with God

SAVE THE DATEEpiscopal Province 1 Annual Convocation

November 16-17Faith,Advocacy & Public Policy:

Reclaiming OurVoice for Justice, Mercy and Kindness

How can Episcopalians understand our role in public life?What is the difference between advocacy & lobbying?

What is the meaning of justice todayand what is its relationship to holiness?

Episcopalians from around Province I (New England)will come together to share their political and advocacy experiences

and organizing skills on behalf of social and economic justice.

*Skills Workshops*Panel discussions

*Age appropriate activities for childrenand young people and a Discovery Center

Keynote speaker Dr. Randall Balmer, Department of Religion,Barnard College, Columbia University, and Episcopal priest.

See BAPTISM, page 15

Page 15

From the Episcopal News Service

The diverse and sometimes con-tentious nature of all Christianity andthe Episcopal tradition was the subjectof a recent gathering sponsored by Re-main Episcopal (www.remainepiscopal.org) in the Diocese of San Joaquin(Calif.).

Common Prayer, UncommonPeople: The Episcopal Church, heldJune 23 at Holy Family EpiscopalChurch in Fresno, Calif., explored the400-year history of Anglicanism inNorth America from Jamestown toCalifornia.

About 90 people attended the sec-ond large event Remain Episcopal hasoffered this year. In February, thegroup sponsored a daylong gatheringwith House of Deputies PresidentBonnie Anderson.

Remain Episcopal is a network ofEpiscopalians from the Diocese of SanJoaquin who disagree with the dioce-san leadership, which is disaffectedwith the Episcopal Church. Episco-palians from the dioceses of Pitts-burgh, Fort Worth, and Dallas alsoattended the gathering, according to anews release from Church DivinitySchool of the Pacific.

August 2007

tionship so that another can not imag-ine anything more desirable. I do notbelieve it has anything to do with in-stilling or playing on human fear(which is, after all, one of the thingswe renounce in baptism).

How might our evangelical workbe different if we began with the dis-ciple-making part (the befriending weknow in Jesus) rather than countingcoup in numbers of baptismsachieved? It is the latter that has givenevangelism a bad name through theages. My sense is that our evangelicalwork is likely to be more gracious if

we focus on how our own lives exem-plify the actions we claim in bap-tism—washing, forgiving, welcoming,demonstrating Holy Spirit, enteringinto communion, living as a holy oneof God.

Our very lives can be baptism, liv-ing water, new life born out of death,to those around us, even though theymay not yet consciously claim mem-bership in the body of Christ. Ourunderstanding of eschatological hopeis that, in the end, God will makeright what is wrong or broken in thisworld. We are meant to live as thoughit is already happening.

California gathering provides context for current tensions

within our communion

By Mary Frances SchjonbergFrom the Episcopal News Service

The United Thank Offering (UTO)Grant Committee has approved near-ly $2.44 million in grants for this year.

The committee approved 104grants totaling $2,439,342.46. Theaverage grant amount was$23,455.22. The two largest grantswere $79,722 to the Diocese ofSialkot in Pakistan to finish a hospitaland $68,000 to the Diocese of Alaskato build a new church for St. Augus-tine’s congregation in Homer. Thesmallest grant was for $750 to theDiocese of Mississippi to start a Sun-day school program at St. Mark’s inJackson.

Each UTO grant is made in re-sponse to needs identified by diocesesand provinces throughout the Angli-can Communion. UTO CoordinatorJoAnne Chapman said grants helpAnglicans meet “compelling humanneeds.” Sometimes the way UTO canhelp, she said, is by aiding organiza-tions with their infrastructure needs inways that will allow them to increasetheir ministry.

Many of the 2007 grants were giv-en with the Episcopal Church’s com-mitment to the Millennium Develop-ment Goals in mind.

For instance, the hospital-comple-tion grant in the Diocese of Sialkot inPakistan focuses on the goals of reduc-ing child mortality and improvingmaternal health, Chapman said. A$50,000 grant to the Diocese ofBanks and Torres in Melanesia willhelp build the Mothers Union Train-ing and Resource Centre in Vanuatu,thus addressing the MDG of empow-ering women. A nearly $62,000 grantto St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church inthe Diocese of Jerusalem will supporta health clinic and nursery hall in Ra-mallah to assist working mothers whoneed a secure place for their childrento stay during the workday.

The MDG concern of reducingHIV/AIDS, malaria, and other dis-eases was addressed by the $30,000grant to the Cathedral Outreach Min-istries in Bridgetown, Barbados, in theChurch in the Province of the WestIndies. The money is meant to helprenovate the old cathedral clerk’shouse to be used as a center forHIV/AIDS education and counseling.

The needs of immigrants andrefugees were also a focus this year,with grants going to efforts to care forand integrate migrants and refugeesinto the life of their communities.Such grants include $40,000 to IglesiaEspañola Reformada Episcopal to ren-ovate its immigrant center in Oviedo,Spain; $8,400 to Exodus Refugee/Im-migration Inc. in Indianapolis, Ind.,to provide professional English train-ing; and $14,000 to the EpiscopalChurch of the Resurrection in Oma-ha, Neb., in part to offer space to Su-danese refugees.

A booklet listing the 2007 grantswill be mailed to all Episcopal Churchcongregations in August. The applica-tion for the 2008 round of grants willbe available in October and the dead-line is January 31, 2008.

What was then known as theUnited Offering was established at theGeneral Convention of 1889. TheUnited Offering became the UnitedThank Offering in 1919. In l970, theExecutive Council of the EpiscopalChurch gave its permission for the of-fering to be allocated on an annual ba-sis and the UTO grant committee wasformed.

—The Rev. Mary Frances Schjonberg isnational correspondent for the ENS.

Many UTO 2007 grants focus on meeting MillenniumDevelopment Goals

Baptism…continued from page 14

The homepage of Episcopal Mission Exchange is a good place to start for youthgroups wishing to do guided mission work. See story on page 11.

Page 16 August 2007

By the Rev. Carolyn Metzler,St. Thomas’, Winn

The following letter was part of St. Thomas’submission to the Episcopal Church as partof its parochial report this spring.

Dear Friends,You have before you our complet-

ed parochial report for 2006. I supposeit gives you some useful information,and I am glad to supply you with thatwhich you have requested. I just wishyou’d asked for the whole story.

What do you really know nowabout St. Thomas’ in the tiny village ofWinn, Maine? This report says noth-ing about what really matters. It givesno picture of our life as community orour struggles to be faithful. The paro-chial report is a wee part of church-as-institution. I wish there were a similarrequest for information on church-as-Body-of-Christ.

Yes, our numbers are up since lastyear—by 436 communions. But youalso need to know something aboutthe people who have walked throughour red doors for the first time. Somehave struggled with belonging foryears. Some are people who have beenterribly abused by former communi-ties, and it is an act of sheer couragethat they ever dared to trust a churchagain. Some have been people whodon’t quite believe yet that we are arefuge for broken people, and so onlycome when they are feeling strong.The people who worship at St.Thomas’ are willing to risk the ambi-guities of faith in an area dominatedby fundamentalists happy to tell youexactly what to think.

OUTREACH EFFORTSAnd you also need to know how thiscommunity has claimed its mission foroutreach. Our middle-schoolers raised$315.17 for the Heifer Project. Manyof our people take it on themselves toreach out in hidden ways, offeringsupport and encouragement whereneeded, without any fanfare. One ofour oldest shut-ins gathered stuffedanimals and knitted little mittens forchildren whose parents come to thefood cupboard. A new member donat-ed a bumper crop of squash there, aswell as a freezer. One couple wanted tosupport the Boy Scouts by buying a

Christmas tree, and asked me to findsomeone who needed one.

As a whole, this community dou-bled its gift to United Thank Offeringthis year to $506.86, and also raisedover $400 to support the food cup-board, and gave several hundred dol-lars to a couple of local charities. Onanother occasion we held a benefitsupper for the family of a young manwho never woke from a coma afterfalling through the ice. He was noteven from this area, let alone a mem-ber, yet these people responded gener-ously.

We responded to an appeal fromanother Episcopal church by donatingmonies for their own outreach. Wekeep a discretionary fund that has giv-en away several thousand dollars tomeet emergency needs in the area.And with some help from our bishop,we raised over $4,000 to fix a waterproblem in our vicarage.

Now all this may not sound likemuch to someone from a large,wealthy church, but we are a smallchurch from a poor, rural part ofMaine. Many of our people are onfixed incomes, with little to spare. Andnow we are looking at doing a feasibil-

ity study to try to ensure that thechurch will be financially secure for fu-ture generations.

COMMITMENT TO RECONCILIATIONBut there is a layer of faithfulness evenunder all that. The parochial reportasks nothing about the kinds of recon-ciliation that happened in our com-munity; healing that happened inmind, body, and spirit. It says nothingof the courage some members haveshown in trying to break free of addic-tions, or of coping with mental illness.It gives no account of the struggle be-tween faith and doubt, or of the searchfor meaning others have undertaken.

The baptism of a young girl withautism by candlelight at the Great Vig-il of Easter was deeply holy. The bap-tism of a young man who is finding hisway home was also a time of great cel-ebration. I want you to know aboutthe courage of some of our peoplewho, though feeling inadequate,stepped into positions of leadershipwhen asked, or of two young peoplewho agreed to teach Sunday Schooleven though one is uncertain of herown faith.

Do you know that almost all

members of the church have taken aweek with the kids to lead Christianeducation and to deepen those ties?

VALUE OF OPEN DOOR, OPEN ARMSYou should know that we do not everlock our doors, so people can come infor solace and prayer. I occasionallyfind evidence of pilgrims by somecoins in the plate or a note on the al-tar. Strangers have thanked me for thisgift of available holy space, citing thedifference it made at a crucial time.

I wish there was a report askingabout the quality of laughter in wor-ship, or the yummy factor of goodiesat coffee hour. Do you know the joy ofone small child’s voice raised above thewhole congregation’s in the recitationof the Lord’s Prayer? Can you hear theloud, joyful AMEN of affirmation byall the people at the conclusion of theEucharistic canon? Shall I tell you ofthe times of deep intimacy over akitchen table as one shut-in who hasnot been to church in months sponta-neously names every member at thePrayers of the People? Is all that notjust as important?

I am enclosing a photo essay ofour people’s hands stretched out to re-ceive the holy bread. I wish I couldalso depict their eyes, some squeezedshut in prayer, some looking down attheir open hands, some only at thebread, some looking at me soberly,some with a twinkle, some with an as-senting nod, and our youngest, whoducks his head under the communionrail even as his grubby little hands, fullof marker ink open to receive.

My words can’t give you a sense ofhow the church smells in the spring, orthe feel of the darkness in the nave atmidnight when the rafters shift and asquirrel runs across the roof. Theprayers of 139 years have soaked intothe woodwork, blanketing the place inpeace. And how would you know thaton quiet evenings we hear the sound ofthe occasional footfall of an itinerantmember of the communion of saintsout in the hallway?

Along with the numbers you haverequested, the statistics and fiscal pat-terns, I also submit this parochial re-port on the Body of Christ at this littlechurch on a little hill by a big river. Ihope it more fully conveys the livingstory of God at work in this holy place.

Let’s see beyond the statistics of the annual parochial report

THE TABLET

of the

EART

Do not draw consolation only from the scriptures written in ink, for God’s grace also writes the laws of the Spirit directlyon the tablet of the heart.” —Pseudo-Macarius, 4th century monk

The Tablet of the Heart is a forum for commentary about issues

facing the church, essays about spiritual journeys, and tales of

miracles and grace in our congregations. The views expressed in

this column are those of the author. All submissions are subject to

editing for content and length.

E-mail to northeast@episcopalmaine.org

or mail to: The Northeast

c/o 184 Mountain St.

Camden, ME 04843