photo by Char Horst

A bishop engages the culture beyond his church ... in 600 words or less
Soon after becoming Bishop of the Diocese of Bethlehem in 1996, Bishop Paul wanted to connect with people he would not see in his church or in any church. He decided to write a monthly column and offer it to local newspapers "to provide a polite but direct alternative to an extraordinarily conservative religious and political culture ... to offer good news particularly to those who cannot identify with or who have begun to question that culture, in either its protestant or Roman Catholic manifestations." Since that time, daily and weekly newspapers in his 14-county Episcopal diocese in eastern and northeastern Pennsylvania have published some 130 of his monthly columns. He is the only bishop in the Episcopal Church -- perhaps the only bishop of any church -- whose columns have had such a long run in area newspapers The column is almost always different from another column he writes for Diocesan Life, the monthly newspaper of the Diocese of Bethlehem. "Given that most of the ink in the space allotted to religious columns in area newspapers is taken up by the dominant religious culture," he writes in the preface of his new book, Messages in the Mall: Looking at Life in 600 Words or Less (Seabury Books, 2008) a compilation of more than 90 of his columns, organized along thematic lines, "I have from the first spent most of my time each month attempting to reach those who think Christianity is irrelevant or anti-intellectual, and those who have been burned by rigorist religion." [Read more here.]

Love, laugh, relate ...
“There is a story about the Greek gods. They were bored, so they invented human beings; but they were still bored, so they invented love, then they weren’t bored any longer. So they decided to try love for themselves. Finally, they invented laughter so they could stand it.” That voiceover of Morgan Freeman intones Feast of Love, a movie about tangled relationships. [Read this column by Bill Lewellis, published recently in The Morning Call, accessible here.]

National Awards for Diocesan Life
The national organization of Episcopal Communicators, judging 2007 entries, gave Bishop Paul Marshall and Diocesan Life an Award of Excellence in the devotional/inspirational category under theological reflection for "Nightmares: the non-invocation". Read the winning piece here. The Award of Excellence is the highest award given for each category. The organization also gave and Rick Cluett and Diocesan Life an Honorable Mention in the single photo/feature category under photography for Prepare the way of the Lord. See the photo here. These Polly Bond awards are the Episcopal Communicators' acknowledgment of excellence in a variety of communication media. Over the past 15 years since we began submitting entries for these awards, Diocesan Life and the Diocese of Bethlehem have received at least 30/35. The editor has lost count.

New Ministry Celebration
Trinity Church Carbondale and Christ Church Forest City celebrated their new ministry with the rector, Father Don Schaible, on Sunday afternoon, April 20. More info, with pics, here.

DOK Retreat
The Daughters of the King retreat took place on April 4-6 at the Franciscan Retreat Center in Easton. Deacon Johanna Depue from the Geranium Farm was the presenter. Mother Gwendolyn-Jane and Deacon Marion Meiss, who are Daughters of the King were participating with the retreatants. Find a picture of some of the women who made the retreat here.

Congregational Development Grants
[From Canon Jane Teter] Please note that the deadline for these applications is earlier this year so that the Committee can include the specific grants in the budget presented to the Diocesan Convention in October. The advantage for you is that you will know the amount of your grant in October instead of January or February after the Diocesan Council meets.

The deadline for applications is JULY 1, 2008. APPLICATIONS RECEIVED AFTER THAT DATE WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. You can download and application here.

If you have questions, please contact me at 1-800-358-5655, ext 228 or at jteter@diobeth.org.

Upcoming Events
May 1: New Ministry Celebration: Grace Honesdale with their new rector, Father Ed Erb, 6:00 p.m.
May 1: Ascension Day, Regional Eucharist at St. Stephen's Wilkes-Barre, 6:30 p.m.
May 2-4: Retreat for Christian Educators/Youth Workers, Kirby House. More info here.
May 3: Day of Prayer, Trinity, Bethlehem. See below.
May 3, 10, or 17: Regional Evangelism Training. See below.
May 4: St. Matthew Society Sunday. Bishop’s Appreciation Reception. See below.
May 13: Clergy Day
May 14: ECW Annual Meeting, Kirby House.
May 17: Basement Sale and Pancake Breakfast at St. Mary's, Reading. 7:00 a.m. to ?? All you can eat, $5 per person. More info: Scott Chambers, 610-373-0671 (home) or 484-333-8877 (cell).
May 17: Safeguarding God's Children at Cathedral, Bethlehem. See below.
May 18: Jazz Eucharist at the Cathedral, 10:30 a.m. The Cathedral Jazz Band.
June 8: Clergy and spouse/guest dinner at St. Mary’s Center, Scranton.
June 10: Reception of RC priests as priests of the Episcopal Church
June 17-20: JrHigh Mission Trip. More info here.
June 26: Diocesan Council, at Grace Kingston, 6:30 p.m.
July 1: Congregational Development Grants. Application deadline due.
July 8-13: EYE 2008. More info here. Application deadline, March 8.
July 17-Aug. 3: Lambeth Conference, Canterbury. More info here.
Aug. 15: Ordination of priests, Cathedral, 7:00 p.m.
Sept. 25: Clergy Insensitivity Training, a systems approach to conflict in the parish. St. Stephen's Pro-Cathedral. Registration info TK.
Sept. 28-30: Clergy Retreat at Jesuit Spiritual Center, Wernersville
Oct. 10-11: Diocesan Convention, at Christ Church, Reading
2009
March 28: Diocesan Training for Ministry Day, St. Stephen's, Wilkes-Barre.
April 25: Diocesan Stewardship Conference at the Cathedral. Led by Terry Parsons.
July 8-17: General Convention, Anaheim, CA. More info here.

Day of Prayer
May 3
Trinity Church, Bethlehem: You are invited to a Day of Prayer for the Diocese, the Church and the World. Next Saturday, May 3, some of us will be spending the day in prayer. The church will be open for prayer and reflection from 9:00-6:00. Morning Prayer will be read at 9:30, Noon Prayer at 12:00, Evening Prayer at 4:00, closing with Holy Eucharist and Healing at 5:00.

Please consider spending some or all of the day with us--or join us in spirit by praying at home--as we pray that God's peace and compassion will pour down on our troubled world.

Might You Be an Evangelism Consultant?
May 3, 10, and 17
From Visitor to Member: Helping newcomers feel at home in your church, will take place on May 3 (10 to 2) at Grace Church, Kingston, on May 10 (10 to 2) at Christ Church, Reading, and on May 17 (9:30 to 1:30) at St. Paul's Church, Montrose. All from Lunch provided. No fee. Each parish is asked to send at least two lay people to a regional training. The goal is to help congregations incorporate new members into their parish life. Sign up with Ely Valentin at Diocesan House. Every parish was directed at the Diocesan Conventions of 2005, 06 and 07 to identify at least two lay people with a gift for invitation and hospitality to serve as evangelists. Questions? Contact Canon Andy Gerns at rector@trinityeaston.org.

St. Matthew's Society Reception
May 4
Bishop Paul will greet members of the St. Matthew Society as they gather on St. Matthew Sunday, May 4, for a special reception to honor and celebrate their generosity to the Church. The St. Matthew Society was founded in 2001 throughout the Diocese of Bethlehem to recognize and thank all those who have planned a gift to their individual parishes. This year’s celebration event will be held at the Lehigh Country Club from 3:00 to 5:30 p.m., and will feature food, drink and good company. The Bishop sincerely hopes that all current St. Matthew Society members will plan to join him and each other at this special gathering. For information about enrolling in the St. Matthew Society, and/or to learn more about the stewardship of planned giving, please contact Char Horst, Missioner for Development, at chorst@diobeth.org or 610.683.8625.

Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World
May 2-4
A Christian Educator's Retreat will take place May 2-4 at Kirby Episcopal House, Mountain Top. Retreat leader will be the Rev. Robyn Szoke. The retreat will feature a variety of forms of meditation, movement, music, massage and manicures. A chance to nurture your Mary in an increasing Martha world. More info here.

ECW Annual Meeting
May 14
The ECW Annual Meeting will be held on May 14 at Kirby House, 9:30 to 2:30. The Program: The Lionesses of Sudan, Women of Southern Sudan, presented by Jo Trepagnier, World Mission Committee secretary, and Char Horst, development officer for the Diocese of Bethlehem. Bishop Paul will preside and preach at Eucharist. Send PREPAID registration $12 to: Catherine Jeffery, 1839 Ulster Road, Allentown, PA 18109. Make checks payable to “Diocesan ECW.” Registration deadline is April 25 (No exceptions). All who attend are asked to bring a small bottle of tap water from your home, labeled with your church’s name and the area where you live.

Education for Episcopal Health Ministry & Parish Nursing
May 25-30
National Episcopal Health Ministries announces Education for Episcopal Health Ministry & Parish Nursing at the Waycross Conference Center, 7363 Bear Creek Road, Morgantown, IN 46160 Presenter: Carol Sullivan. More information here. Registration is limited to the first 20 participants. Health professionals other than nurses are welcome to enroll, as well as other non-professionals interested in learning more about general health ministry as a lay vocation. Please note: scholarship funds are available for members of the Diocese of Bethlehem.

Christian Formation Conference
June 8-10
Virginia Theological Seminary will host its annual Christian Formation Conference June 8 - 10 at its Center Ministry and Teaching in Alexandria, VA. This year's conference will be led by Led by Paul Canady, Deputy for Youth Ministry, Diocese of Washington and Dorothy Linthicum, CMT Program Coordinator. Jenifer Gamber will present a workshop on designing a confirmation program.

Designed for youth leaders from all denominations, this conference offers a range of workshop topics and experiences for veteran youth ministers and volunteers, and newly appointed youth leaders from churches of all sizes. Together we will explore youth culture and how the church can be a vital part of the lives of young people. Fellowship with one another, a vital component of this event, depends on spending time together at worship and meals.

Tuition is $150 (Includes two dinners, lunches and receptions) Lodging for two nights is an additional $155. For questions and registration information contact Dorothy Linthicum at 703-461-1888. To register go to https://www.vts.edu/podium/default.aspx?t=36644&rid=730

Engaging God in Health Decisions
July 13-16
Holding them Together in the Family and the Parish
SHRINE MONT, ORKNEY SPRINGS VA
in the heart of Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley www.shrinemont.com
The purpose of this conference is to provide training, resources and support to individuals, families and churches so that they are better equipped to engage God in health care choices and decisions.

This conference will be particularly beneficial to: clergy, pastoral care teams, health care workers, hospice workers, parish nurses, individuals and families struggling with health care questions and decisions. Scholarships are available for members of Diocese of Bethlehem parishes. Contact Diana Marshall at d.marsh@rcn.com. Residential (includes room, board, program fees) $430/person(Single occupancy unless requested otherwise). Deposit of $215 due prior to July 6th.

Safeguarding God's Children
Spring 2008 Training Dates (9:30 a.m.—3:30 p.m.)
May 17, 2008
Cathedral Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem
(Registration Deadline: 5-12-08) please contact Rosie Hummel for more information and to register at 610-691-5655, ext. 224. Please note: The Safeguarding God's Children training, scheduled for St. Luke's Scranton on May 17 has been cancelled.

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