Tuesday June 2, 2009

Hello and welcome to the May 29 edition of the eSpirit of Wyoming!

Uh…yes, it is June 2. A four day week and some technical problems delayed the issue, but here it is! Complete with a great podcast from Bishop Caldwell on what is going on in Wyoming this summer!

Mustard Seeds are sprouting! Thanks to the congregations that contacted me about the great works they are planning and doing! What needs to happen now is to let your communities know these great things! Press releases to your local media outlets need to be sent out and I need your help! Please call (307.265.5200) or email (andrew@wyomingdiocese.org) and we can tell your story. Here is a great story from St. Stephen’s in Casper that made the Casper Tribune: http://tinyurl.com/ptd7bv Also, if you are still in the planning (or even preplanning) stages, the Diocese and Foundation are standing by to help you! Let us know! As always, we are a phone call or email away.

A reminder that if you have articles you would like to share with the rest of the Diocese, please email them (and a picture if you have one) to info@wyomingdiocese.org. It doesn’t have to be earth-shattering news or events, but anything you would like to share.

God’s peace,
-Andrew

Email: andrew@wyomingdiocese.org

Phone: (+1) 307.265.5200

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Bishop Bruce Caldwell sat down with Andrew Kerr for an interview about the Diocese and what is going on this summer! This link is posted in Diocese's account with MyPodcast http://wyomingdiocese.mypodcast.com/

Give it some time to load...it may take a few minutes. OR, click on one of the many podcast options, including sending the file directly to iTunes.

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By The Rev Warren Murphy. Email: wychurches@wyoming.com

The Wyoming Association of Churches (WAC) has announced that John Peacock of Cheyenne, Wyoming has been selected as the organization’s new Executive Director. On July 1, 2009 he will replace The Rev Warren Murphy, who has served in this position for the past four and a half years. The WAC serves as the state’s council of churches and membership is made up of nine church denominations as well as individual congregations and private supporters. The nine denominations are the American Baptist Churches, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Episcopal Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Presbyterian Church USA, Roman Catholic Church, United Church of Christ, United Methodist Church and the Religious Society of Friends. The Unitarian/Universalists serve in an observer capacity.

John Peacock has a combined background in both church work and business administration. He most recently served as Operations Manager for Corral West Ranchwear. In 1999, he served as Customer Contact Center Manager for the Wyoming Business Council in Cheyenne. His past church work includes being Chairman of the Board of the Central Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Dallas, Texas. While living in Cheyenne, he has been an active leader of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church. Peacock is a graduate of the Education for Ministry program of the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. He is presently involved in the process to seek a new bishop for the Episcopal Diocese of Wyoming. Upon accepting the director’s position, he stated, “One of the main things I’m called to do is have the WAC face important issues in the state and then working to develop faith based coalitions to address them.”

The Wyoming Association of Churches has for over 50 years been a voice for the churches on issues related to social and economic justice in Wyoming. Recently they also joined with other groups in seeking environmental justice in the state as well. The WAC has long had an active presence at the state legislature and has been a strong supporter of the state’s institutional religious chaplaincies. They have been the driving force behind the “On Sacred Ground” movement that has brought together faith and environmental leaders to develop a common agenda for improving Wyoming’s natural environment.

Peacock will be officially instituted at WAC’s Annual Meeting on October 9-10, 2009 in Cheyenne. Guest speaker for this year’s event will be The Rev. Peg Chemberlin, President-elect of the National Council of Churches in Christ.

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By The Rev Doug Wasinger. Email: doug@wyomingdiocese.org

Photo: Gail and George at St. Paul's in Dixon

Ok it has been four days since I last wrote. This will be a quick letter. The large event that took place in Region IV was the ordination of Karen Buckingham into the transitional deaconate. This took place last Thursday night in Rawlins at 6:30pm. The event had members from all around the region in attendance. Medicine Bow, Little Snake River Valley or LSRV, Encampment, and Cheyenne were accounted for. It was a good service. I heard commitments like, “The Holy Spirit was present.” and “What a beautiful service.” Linda Fleming preached a sermon about how a butterfly slowly unwraps itself from a cocoon and this image reflects the journey of St. Thomas. Bishop Caldwell pointed out that although it was Karen who was being ordained it is the work of community to work with her as people continue to grow in their ministries.

Friday I was in Encampment to participate in establishing a “foot print” for a parish hall. The parish hall will include handicap accessibility to the building itself and also will provide a way for people to enter the church as well. It is believed that this building will be used by the community. It is a big step for this group and they are being smart in planning their effort and to have a detailed plan as they move forward into the future. They are on the right track.

Sunday I was in Dixon. The service started @ 9am (normally it is a 10:30am) and it was well attended. From there we when to the Reader Cemetery we braved the cloudy day and honored those who gave their all (their lives) and reminded ourselves that how important it is to support others in their call to duty. Those who have chosen to serve believe in us.

The remainder of the week looks like this --- Monday will be a day off (the computer thanks me!). Tuesday I will be in Green River to help the community of faith work through some important growth. Wednesday is an all day web/phone meeting with the Ministry Developers. Thursday I will be in Casper to assist on an Evangelism project. Friday I will be in Kraft Hall in Rawlins. Sunday I will be presiding at Ft. Bridger and Green River during Pentecost.

Be well my friends,

Doug

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Submitted by The Rev Ann Fontaine. Email: annfontaine@mac.com

From the website: http://www.episcorific.org/

Episcorific is a web ‘zine created for and by the Young Adults of the Episcopal Church as a forum for conversation about the place of faith in our modern society and our individual lives. It is designed as a site for the building of relationships, the challenging of ideas and the formulation of new ways of being and thinking “Episcopalian.” It is open to participation by all.

Published in black and white at episcorific.org, Episcorific includes both images and written work, from poetry to book reviews. Past articles have dealt with a wide array of subject matter, from the election of a new bishop to steps for discerning a calling to developing world relief work. Episcorific invites all manner of conversation about our lives as young adults, our faith, our church and a God who is bigger than any of these.

Episcorific was started in the spring of 2008 by two brothers, Jeremiah and Jason Sierra, in the Diocese of Texas. It has been published seasonally beginning with Pentecost 2008. It has since gained a national readership of nearly 2,000 and continues to expand. In the Spring of 2009, the Sierra brothers expanded the editorial board in order to broaden the scope of ideas brought to the creation of each issue. The board decides the theme of each issue and works together to invite submissions from across the country. They also make the final selections for publishing. The editorial board currently consists of Ross Heinsohn, Eileen O'Brien, Jeremiah Sierra & Jason Sierra.

In order to maintain the integrity of the creative and prophetic voice of young adults in the church, Episcorific maintains autonomy from the official channels of the Episcopal Church. As an open forum, Episcorific encourages participation and sharing by all who come to the expansive table we share. The Office for Young Adult Ministry at the Episcopal Church Center supports and encourages free participation and expression in this venture, while maintaining that all opinions and statements are those of the authors and not official statements by or for the Episcopal Church.

People ask if the church continues to be relevant, if faith has a place in modern life, if we Episcopalians will survive. The answer is yes. The Episcopal Church is a vibrant place with an incredibly rich and beautiful heritage. It is a place full of talented, caring, devoted people doing amazing work. We have a lot to offer the world, a lot of good news about what it means to be people of God. And, to top it off, we have a good sense of humor about it all. We think that’s just darn Episcorific!

Read. Listen. Pray. And when you’re ready, lend your own voice to the babble. Let’s share our lives of faith!

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From The Episcopal Church Office of Public Affairs

CareForTheTroops offers resources for congregations, clergy, individuals for returning troops and families

CareForTheTroops: http://www.careforthetroops.org/

A thoughtful discussion among a group of Episcopalians has developed into a program for congregations, clergy and individuals to help military families and troops returning from war areas.

CareForTheTroops is a not-for-profit interfaith effort designed to address the spiritual and psychological needs of military families while working with congregations to make them more welcoming and understanding of the issues they face. The comprehensive website, www.CareForTheTroops.org, provides tools, resources and links aimed to equip congregation to reach out and support the military and/or their family members.

In the planning stages for 15 months, CareForTheTroops was created by clergy and laity of the Diocese of Atlanta. “The idea started with the Rev. Robert Certain, an Episcopal priest and ex-POW, and Billy Harrison, a vestry member and former Air Force officer, at St. Peter and St. Paul in Marietta, Georgia. I joined shortly thereafter,” recalls Peter McCall, currently the Executive Director. “It’s meant to be an interfaith effort to help all who have mental health needs associated with the current and previous wars. Their primary target audiences are not only the military member and their immediate family, but also the entire extended family system, congregation and community leaders, and civilian mental health professionals to help them better understand the military culture and trauma, and thus be better equipped to help those in need.”

He added, “We’re not pro- war, we’re not anti-war. We want to help the troops and their families by starting a military ministry of awareness and acceptance.”

Goals of the program

According to CareForTheTroops.org, the goals are:
To work to improve the ability of the civilian mental health infrastructure in the State of Georgia, then nationally, to work with military family members
To facilitate connecting military families to providers of spiritual and psychological services familiar with the military culture and trauma
To focus on addressing combat stress recovery as well as other spiritual and mental health related problems impacting the marriages and families of military veterans
To educate and train clinicians, congregation and community leaders, extended family, and civilian groups about the military culture and trauma associated with military deployments in order to better assess and treat mental health symptoms, and provide more effective referrals and care Provide opportunities for additional trauma treatment training to clinicians
To operate in an interfaith, non-political manner, focusing on the humanitarian interest that benefits the veterans and their extended family members

Support for the program

CareForTheTroops.org has attracted the attention of Bishop Neil Alexander of Atlanta, who wrote to his diocese on May 11: “I am pleased to announce a new ministry initiated by the rector and people of St. Peter and St. Paul in Marietta. On May 1, CareForTheTroops was launched as a 501c3 charity to benefit military members, veterans, and their families. They are developing a coalition of faith groups, civic leaders, the Georgia Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, and clinicians to specialize in treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder as a network of civilian groups to fill the gaps where the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs leave off. CareForTheTroops (www.careforthetroops.org ) provides an excellent model for others to use in creating a meaningful, long-term ministry to our men and women who have borne the burden of battle.”

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