News (Page 87)

News (Page 87)

Fort Worth Episcopalian Wins Photo Contest

Greg Westfall,vestry member of All Saints Episcopal Church, Fort Worth, is the winner of the Flickr Photo of the Week featured on KERA 90.1FM’s Art & Seek segment. Mr. Westfall is an attorney and an avid photographer. He is a five-time winner of the contest featured on KERA 90.1. Follow the links on the Art and Seek site to see his previous winning photographs. His wife, Mollee, is a district judge and former Senior Warden at All Saints. Their children…

Brite Divinity School Hosts Jesus Seminar on the Road

“Why didn’t my church tell me that?” If you have ever asked that question, then this seminar is for you. The church’s failure to teach its own intellectual history, whether intentional or not, undermines Christian identity by denying itself the staples of the faith and thereby making it vulnerable to distortions from within and temptations from without. In short, faith formation does not happen by accident. Unless the church deliberately and willfully passes on the tradition, its mission will be…

Bishop of Oklahoma on God and Guns

The Rt. Rev. Edward J. Konieczny, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma and a former police officer, writes a thoughtful piece on gun violence: While I try to preach God’s love and mercy, I also have a concealed carry permit and sometimes take my gun on long drives through the isolated areas of my diocese. I live with the knowledge that I share responsibility for the taking of a human life in the line of duty and that a…

TENS resources for stewardship free to all congregations

The Diocese of Fort Worth is now a member of TENS (The Episcopal Network for Stewardship). Diocesan membership means that all congregations have access to all the resources TENS has to offer – materials for bible study, annual campaign plans and models, personal financial planning, stewardship formation, congregational leadership, discipleship and generosity, and more. Access to the materials is through the “Member Resources” area of the TENS website, using a username and password available from the diocesan office. (Please call and ask – we’re happy to share!)

Fort Worth to welcome Provincial Youth Gathering

Please share the word with your high school students that the Province VII Youth Event will be held in Dallas this year, July 8-13! All diocesan youth are especially invited to join with their peers from the rest of Province VII (the Dioceses of Arkansas, Dallas, Kansas, Northwest Texas, Oklahoma, Rio Grande, Texas, West Missouri, West Texas, Western Kansas, and Western Louisiana) in the Summer of Service.

COM offers day of discernment June 1

Mark your calendars for the June 1 event “Exploring the Discernment Process,” sponsored by the diocesan Commission on Ministry (COM). The day is aimed at congregational leaders who are seeking to discern candidates for ordination to the priesthood or the diaconate, as well as for individuals discerning a call to ordination, along with their spouses, partners, and family members.

Young adults invited on pilgrimage, May 24-27

There is no churchwide young adult gathering this year, but all young adults are encouraged to think about making a pilgrimage to Taizé in South Dakota. The event (details on the Episcopal Young Adult and Campus Ministries Facebook page) is being partially organized by the young adults of the Episcopal Diocese of South Dakota and the Brothers of the Taizé Community in France.

ECF webinars support congregational leaders

Looking for ways to grow your congregation and increase your skills for leadership? Episcopal Church Foundation (ECF) offers free and low-cost webinars that offer an opportunity to learn from other leaders in the church. In April and May, you can register for outstanding sessions that focus on stewardship, vestries, and inviting new people into leadership. To participate, all you need is a computer and internet access, and about an hour of your time. Better yet, invite your vestry or ministry colleagues to join you to share the learning experience.

Websites / pages you’ll want to see

Englewood Review of Books – a weekly book review published by Englewood Christian Church, Indianapolis, focusing on valuable resources for the people of God. Growing Deeper in Our Communities – 50 Ideas for Connection in a Disconnected Age by C. Christopher Smith – Practical ideas for connecting your congregation to the community where it is rooted.

Jesus didn’t live to make us comfortable

No matter how hard we try, we cannot make God respect our boundaries. God keeps plowing right through them inviting us to follow. The problem is not that we’re loved any less because God loves “those people.” The problem is that the people we can’t stand are loved just as much as we are.

New treasurer’s assistant in diocesan office

Adriana Cline is the new treasurer’s assistant for the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth. She is originally from Colombia, where she attended the National University and earned a degree in Computer Science. She has experience in IT and bookkeeping, and speaks both English and Spanish.
Bishop High to Executive Council form his smartphone.

Executive Council meeting highlights, March 2013

The Executive Council of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth voted to adopt a revised Vision/Mission Statement and make adjustments to the diocesan budget at their meeting on Saturday, March 16, 2013, in the Lee Conference Center on the courthouse square in Hamilton.

ECW supports CASA, asks for your help

Last fall the Board of Episcopal Church Women selected the Court Appointed Special Advocates program (CASA) as the main charity for our organization. CASA volunteers investigate a child’s situation in foster care, monitor their home and school life while in the child welfare system, and, ultimately, recommend to the courts which placement is best for a child to call a “forever home.” They serve as advocates, friends, and protectors.