Trustees, Diocesan Council members and Standing Committee members talk at a future planning meeting in Charleston earlier this month.
Diocesan leaders taking initial steps
in long-range planning process
A blue-ribbon, ad hoc committee is being formed to study the possibilities ahead for The Episcopal Church in South Carolina and make a recommendation in 2016 about what administrative model will best serve the diocese and its growing congregations in the years ahead.
The committee will be tasked with identifying and investigating options for the future. A major part of its responsibility will be to share information about the options with parishioners across the diocese and seek their opinions and responses. Finally, the panel will make a recommendation directly to Diocesan Convention.
The decision to form the committee came at a special joint meeting of the Standing Committee, the Diocesan Council, and the Trustees of the diocese on September 10, called at the invitation of the Right Reverend Charles G. vonRosenberg, the provisional bishop of the diocese.
Read more about the meeting and future planning for the diocese here.
"Traces of the Trade" program concludes
More than 60 people attended Saturday's "Traces of the Trade" film and discussion program at St. Thomas, North Charleston, the final of four such events in the diocese. See more photos here.
Pre-Convention Meetings begin Sunday
Everyone is invited to attend the four pre-convention deanery meetings being held in preparation for our 225th Diocesan Convention November 13-14. These events will include:
- Discussion of the 2016 program and budget
- Information on nominees for diocesan offices
- Proposed resolutions and changes to the canons
People are welcome to attend of these meetings on the schedule that best suits them:
Sunday, September 27, 3:00 pm at the Episcopal Church in Okatie
Tuesday, October 6, 7:00 pm at St. Thomas, North Charleston
Sunday, October 11, 3:00 pm at Grace Church, Charleston
Sunday, October 25, 3:00 pm at Holy Cross Faith Memorial, Pawley's Island
Parishes and missions, don't forget the deadline to register your delegations for Diocesan Convention is
Monday, October 5.
Registration materials are available on our website here.
Convention workshop registration is also open. These engaging workshops are for all lay people and clergy of the diocese, not just convention delegates!
Details are in the full workshop brochure here.
Remembering at Convention
Each year at Diocesan Convention, the Necrology Committee offers prayers for those who have died, remembering by name members of the clergy, clergy spouses, and persons who have held positions of leadership in the diocese. If you would like to suggest someone to be remembered this November, please email the person's name, and the diocesan position held, to convention@episcopalchurchsc.org.
Voorhees plans HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
Voorhees College will offer its annual HIV/AIDS Awareness Day on the campus in Denmark on Tuesday, October 20 from 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Educational information, games, free HIV testing and counseling will be provided for students.
Congregations in The Episcopal Church in South Carolina can support this effort by sending cupcakes to be served during the event. Please contact the Reverend James Yarsiah, Chaplain at Voorhees, jyarsiah@voorhees.edu or 803-780-1264, if you are able to contribute.
Voorhees offers the annual HIV/AIDS Awareness Day in conjunction with Hope Health and the HIV/AIDS Ministries of both the Diocese of Upper South Carolina and The Episcopal Church in South Carolina. The Reverend Dianna Deaderick, Deacon at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Columbia, will be the speaker at chapel service at 11:00 a.m. Testing and information begin at 12:30 p.m. in the Leonard E. Dawson Health Center.
Carolina Grace project to collect stories
Carolina Grace, a journal of writings by Episcopalians in South Carolina, is announcing a new project that seeks to record stories of people affected by the division of the Diocese of South Carolina in the year 2012. The working title is "A Diocese Divides – While I Breathe, I Hope: A Journey toward Healing." Your participation is invited: Find more details about the project here.
Upcoming events around the diocese
Fall series reflects on Emanuel tragedy
Starting September 23, Grace Church, Charleston will offer a series of Wednesday night programs titled "Emanuel: God With Us – Reflections in the Wake of the Charleston Massacre." Each Wednesday through November 18, the programs will be led by Grace’s clergy and guests including Pastor John Paul Brown of Mount Zion AME Church and journalist Adam Parker of the Post and Courier. The programs are from 6:30-7:30 p.m. and follow Holy Eucharist at 5:30 and supper at 6:00. All are welcome.
St. Stephen's NMB Rummage Sale
The Fall 2015 Rummage Sale is scheduled for October 1-3 at
St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, 801 11th Ave. in North Myrtle Beach. On Thursday, October 1, all items will be at the marked price. Friday, October 2, all items will be half price. Hours on Thursday and Friday are 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. On Saturday, October 3 from 8:00-11:00 a.m. it will be the $1.00 bag sale.
More details are online here.
Celebrating a new ministry at St. Mark's, Charleston
St. Mark's, Charleston invites everyone to the celebration of a new ministry and the institution of the Reverend Dr. David McSwain as its 23rd Rector on Saturday, October 10 at 5:30 p.m. Special music and a reception are planned. The church is located at 18 Thomas St. in downtown Charleston.
Family Fun Day for Coastal Crisis Chaplaincy
A Family Fun Day benefitting the
Coastal Crisis Chaplaincy will be held Saturday, October 10 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the North Charleston Fire Museum, 4975 Centre Pointe Drive near Tanger Outlet Mall. The event will include games, food trucks, fire engines and displays from Lowcountry public safety agencies, and will be an opportunity for interacting with and appreciating local First Responders, Admission is free. For more information contact Bianca S. Bourbeau at 843-740-2647 or bbourbeau@northcharleston.org.
Public education dialogue October 12 in Columbia
South Carolina Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman will be the featured speaker at the 2015 LARCUM Bishops’ Dialogue on public education, an all-day conference on Monday, October 12 in Columbia. It's sponsored by LARCUM, an ecumenical group composed of bishops in South Carolina from the bishops of the Lutheran, Anglican (Episcopal), Roman Catholic and United Methodist churches in South Carolina.
Download the registration form for the conference here. Registration deadline is October 5.
Harvest Festival flower seminars & displays
The Flower Guild of Grace Church, Charleston offers its Harvest Festival starting October 28, with three seminars led by award-winning floral designer Elizabeth Graham of Wales on October 28, 29 and 30. The church will be open to the public to view floral displays October 30-November 1 (All Saints' Day).
The registration packet and other details can be found here.
Confirmations and reaffirmations took place at St. Stephen's, North Myrtle Beach on Sunday during the Bishop's visit.
A visit from the Bishop
Bishop vonRosenberg's 2015-2016 calendar of
episcopal visits is under way. On Sunday, he was at St. Stephen's, North Myrtle Beach. Thanks to the people there for sharing their photos;
see more in this online album.
As we move into
the 2015-2016 diocesan prayer calendar, all churches in the diocese are encouraged to send pictures from their episcopal visits. Please share on Facebook and/or email Holly at
hbehre@episcopalchurchsc.org.
Consecrating a new church
The Bishop also visited Summerville on Sunday afternoon for the consecration of the new worship space for the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd. Here he makes the sign of the cross with his staff on the threshhold of the entrance to the church.
See a photo album of the service here.
