The Bishop’s Committees of Holy Innocents and St Nicholas met Tuesday, 29th of August for a joint meeting to discuss some upcoming events and to work out some details of mutual interest and concern.

The meeting concluded with a short prayer service

Some events are pretty “firm,” and some events may be subject to change, but here’s what we think we’ll be doing in the next few months.

September Events – Increased Visibility (and FOOD!):

Outdoor Pancake Breakfasts at both churches on alternating Sundays
Outdoor Ice Cream Sundaes at both churches on alternating Sundays

Both events will probably take place in mid- to late-September, depending on the availability of a large marquee that St Nicholas has, which will have to be shifted from one site to the other.

Food Drive for Holy Innocents Supplemental Pantry concludes September 17

October Events: Open House Month

Blessing Of The Animals – currently planned for October 1 at St. N, October 8 at HI
Theme for Holy Innocents: Come and Grow, and Meet The New Pastor
Theme for St Nicholas: Come and Grow, (and more to be announced)

November Events: Celebration of Women in Ministry Month

To celebrate the investiture of our new Presiding Bishop, Katherine Jefferts Schori, both churches hope to have women leading everything all month in both churches. More details on this later!

Thanksgiving Eve: 7pm Joint Liturgy for both churches to celebrate together in thanks for our many blessings.

December Events: Christmas Gifts for Needy Children

TOY DRIVE! Also, probably another FOOD DRIVE! for the Advent season.

Dec 3: Bishop Scantlebury visitation for feast of St Nicholas, possibly jointly with HI
Dec 24: Christmas Eve services at both churches to be announced
Dec 31: Celebration of the feast of the Holy Innocents, possibly jointly with St. N

Wednesday Evenings: “Spirituality Through The Ages” 6p-8p

Alternating between the two church locations, this Wednesday evening discussion and prayer service will probably feature a simple meal. It’s designed to be multi-generational, and the first 8 weeks or so will cover the topic of spirituality, with new topics to come at other times of the liturgical year. Details are yet to be worked out on what format will be followed, but it would probably start with a meal, then about an hour of discussion, followed by a short evening service of Compline, possibly using alternative
worship books such as the New Zealand Prayer Book or the Iona Abbey Worship Book.

Looking Forward to Lent and Easter

Holy Week and Easter Services at both churches will be decided and announced with plenty of advance notice. There may possibly be an Easter Sunday service at Holy Innocents, which we have not been able to do in many years. This may be much more welcoming and inviting for newcomers!

Episcopal News Service

Thursday, August 17, 2006 [Episcopal News Service] The U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) has awarded Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM) $164,351 to help its affiliate offices in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Chattanooga increase community involvement in support of refugee resettlement. EMM director Richard Parkins said that the grant “comes at a time when there is a greater need than ever for the active engagement of communities in supporting work with refugees.”

He noted that EMM has always advocated for the active involvement of churches and a broad spectrum of community groups in carrying out its resettlement mandate. “These grants to three of our key affiliates greatly enhance their ability to promote outreach to critical community resources which, in turn, leads to greater community ownership in and acceptance of the resettlement program,” he said.

In all three sites, the grant money will support volunteer coordinators who will reach out to parishioners and other individuals to mentor new refugees in their communities. Fundraising, language tutoring, job-readiness coaching, and developing church sponsors are among the activities which will be supported by the grants.

Parkins said that “federal resources are diminishing for the resettlement program, so funds intended to stimulate more private involvement in the program serve an especially valuable purpose.”

“When community and faith-based groups invest in the resettlement of newcomers, they become advocates for their new neighbors,” he added. “At a time when some would call us to be less open to receiving newcomers, it is important to build constituencies for this ministry. These funds, in addition to being of direct benefit to the refugees themselves, help to support that objective.”

Read further information about the work of EMM.

ORR is a program of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Read more information on ORR.