Fall Festival of
the Arts
Information on the 17th annual Fall Festival of the
Arts, sponsored by Christ Episcopal and Trinity Lutheran churches
in Reading can be found on the Christ
Church website.
Top - Return
to Diocesan Life Index - Bethlehem
News
ECW To Collect Sweatshirts
and Socks
The diocesan Episcopal Church Women invites parishes
to collect new sweatshirts and sox for a diocesan project to help
the homeless. All sizes are needed, primarily the range of adult sizes.
Each delegate to Diocesan Convention, October 19-20, is asked to bring
at least one set to convention. These will be distributed outside
our diocese. Parishes can then distribute the remaining collected
items to the homeless, soup kitchens, shelters and needy families
at their discretion before the weather turns to ice and snow. Please
place the articles in a jumbo size plastic zip-lock bag labeled with
your parish name. Please prepare also an index card to bring to the
ECW table with your parish name and the number of items collected.
Top - Return
to Diocesan Life Index - Bethlehem
News
ECW Province
III Meeting
The Province III annual meeting of the ECW will take
place at St. Stephen's Pro-Cathedral, Wilkes-Barre, September 21-23.
The Diocese of Bethlehem is invited to attend on Saturday, September
22. Program begins at 9:30 am. Registration with lunch is $12.00.
Registration with lunch and dinner is $20.00. Make checks payable
to ECW, Diocese of Bethlehem. Mail registrations to: Catherine Jeffery,
1839 Ulster Road, Allentown, PA 18109. Deadline: September 2.
Top - Return
to Diocesan Life Index - Bethlehem
News
Children's Sabbath
- October 21
"Involving children in the life of the church and
lifting up their needs and gifts are vital ways your congregation
can act as an advocate for children," says diocesan missioner to children
and child advocate, the Rev. Debra J. Kissinger. "Participating in
the National Observance of Children's Sabbaths is one of the easiest
ways to raise awareness about the needs of children while involving
all ages of the congregation in activities that help meet those needs."
In line with our renewed emphasis on Children's Advocacy
throughout the diocese, Bishop Paul is calling on all parishes to
observe the Children's Sabbath either in your parish or ecumenically
in your community.
Manuals have been sent to parishes. They include
resources for planning worship and education as well as ideas about
how to advocate for children after the celebration. Please see The
Children's Defense Fund's web
site for more information.
The official observance is Sunday, Oct. 21. You may
choose another date if that seems more convenient.
Observing the Children's Sabbath is a wonderful way
to begin to lift up children in your community. Join in the diocesan
effort. Be sure to share your success stories after the celebration.
Top - Return
to Diocesan Life Index - Bethlehem
News
Spiritual Friends
The Spiritual Friends (Companions) of the Diocese
of Bethlehem will gather at St. Gabriel's Retreat House in Waverly,
PA the weekend of October 12-14, beginning with supper between 5 and
6 pm on Friday and ending after lunch and closing Eucharist on Sunday.
Dorothy Shaw, parishioner and former senior warden at St. Peter's,
Tunkhannock, and a member of the diocesan Commission on Ministry,
will lead the retreat: Wrestling with Angels, an Intimate Look at
the Tough Questions of Life. More information: please call Jean Snyder
(570) 889-3253 or Ann Fegan (610)867-9176 by September 25.
Top - Return
to Diocesan Life Index - Bethlehem
News
Diocesan Wide Golf Tournament
Forty-seven golfers teed off to raise funds for New
Bethany Ministries and AIDS Relief in Swaziland on July 21.
After more than 3644 shots by the 47 golfers, $1365
was raised. Winners of Low gross (65) and fewest number of putts (21)
was the foursome of Rich Gibbons, Helen Gibbons, Liz Miller, and Bob
Graham. Closest to the pin winners were Charles Parsons, and Fr. Nick
Knisely. Longest drive winners were Connie Archer, and Bill Diehm.
Next year, we hope to make this a larger event, and begin to rotate
the location. If you have any thoughts on a new course to hold this
event, interest in helping increase the participation and the donations,
please call Bob Graham at 610-282-8245.
Top - Return
to Diocesan Life Index - Bethlehem
News
How to Share your Faith
Without Losing Your Friends
The term "evangelism" makes many Episcopalians nervous,
because they have a lack of familiarity with how evangelism can be
done in a way they will be comfortable with. To help address this
need, a (free) downloadable five-week, two-hours-once-a-week course
on "How to Share Your Faith Without Losing Your Friends" is now available
on the website of the Episcopal Network for Evangelism (ENE).
The course is in the form of a leader's guide, useful
for educational purposes also by persons not intending to teach a
course.
Look for the 8/1/01 entry on the home page of the
ENE website. Thanks
to Ted Mollegen, Convener, ENE, for this information.
Top - Return
to Diocesan Life Index - Bethlehem
News
Does Everyone in your
Parish Receive Diocesan Life?
Every parishioner should be receiving Diocesan
Life at no cost to them for a subscription.
Individuals or parish offices may add or change an
address by regular mail, by phone, by fax or by email. Please keep
your parish list up to date. Be sure to submit names of newcomers
in a timely manner.
You may handle additions or changes by regular mail,
telephone, fax or email. When you do so, please make reference to
Diocesan Life, the Diocese of Bethlehem edition of Episcopal
Life.
Please note that both the regular mail and the email
addresses for doing this are relatively new.
Please do not send changes to Diocesan House. They
may be sent:
By regular mail:
Episcopal Life Subscription Office
PO Box 1337
Bellmawr, NJ 08099-1337
By telephone: 800/374-9510
By fax: 609/696-2130
By email: rramos@egpp.com
Top - Return
to Diocesan Life Index - Bethlehem
News
AI and Moulin Rouge
Blessed Are You Who Love the Different
By R. Jane Williams
Diocesan Life, September 2001
"Stories are real." With these words, eleven-year-old
David ("Beloved") tells the mother who is abandoning him to almost
certain death that he will search for whatever it takes to become
a "real boy" and, therefore, to earn her love. David, as most of you
know who have seen or read about AI Artificial Intelligence,
is a robot-boy created to feel love for his "adoptive parents." But
something goes terribly awry not with David, but with the ability
of his "parents" to fully love him. His love for them, unconditional
and eternal, is devalued and rejected.
Steven Spielberg, director and screenwriter (with
the late Stanley Kubrick) of AI, is clear in the film that
facts and figures do not contain the essence of life. Truth is not
strings of dates or pages of calculations. Truth is found in the stories
we live by and tell. Jesus knew this, using parables to teach truths
that were far deeper than facts and figures. His stories, His Story,
and the stories of modern filmmakers hold power to transform and change
lives in ways that factual information alone cannot. Stories that
are important to us determine in great measure who we are and whom
we become.
Both AI and another current draw, Moulin
Rouge, tell stories that invite us in and leave us changed as
the screen goes black. Both depict the human cost of disposable relationships,
the exploitation of others in the name of love, and the quest to love
and be loved despite near impossible obstacles.
AI uses a futuristic setting for David's quest
to become real and to be loved. David's experiences with humans mirror
back to us our difficulty in loving others who are different. This
film would be an excellent discussion starter for churches looking
at the meaning of inclusiveness over the entire
range of mental and physical disabilities
and lifestyle, ethnic and generational differences. It does not paint
an endearing picture of humankind, but neither is it a deceitful one.
Spielberg helps us see ourselves more clearly than is comfortable,
and challenges us to be transformed by his story.
Moulin Rouge is billed as a new era
musical in the style of the 1930's musicals, but it transcends them
and ends up transforming its viewers. Like Spielberg, director and
screenwriter Baz Luhrmann uses another place and time (the red-light
district of Paris in the late 19th century) to mirror to us what is
really important about life and what is not.
For Christian, "a poor penniless poet," moving to
Paris in defiance of his father's wishes is the first step in his
quest to learn what love is. At first, Christian (and the name, like
David's, is symbolic) seems destined to become a part of the sordid
underworld he finds at the Moulin Rouge.
He rents a room in an inn that houses
some of the oddest bunch of characters since "Shrek." He falls in
love with the star of the club, the upscale prostitute Satine, whose
name is a derivative of the goddess Sati, the mythological mother
of the Buddha.
However, instead of lusting for a few moments with
her body, Christian sees Satine through eyes of compassion, seeing
her humanity rather than her questionable celebrity. She initially
tells him she cannot love, she has left that capacity behind since
she sells her body to wealthy male benefactors. Her rejection, however,
is not the last word. As Christian finds "the most important thing
in the world: to learn to love and be loved in return," his love transforms
Satine into a "real" and loving human being.
Religious symbolism and the archetype of the spiritual
quest abound throughout Moulin Rouge and AI. As you
view both movies, watch how color is used for symbolic purposes (red,
white, earth colors, blue). Watch, also, how the theme of love as
sacred, healing, transformative unfolds in both movies. See how many
references to Biblical stories you can find in character's names (e.g.,
"Joe" = Joseph in the Old Testament).
Our culture tells us stories every day that make
us feel less than lovable (we're too fat or our hair is the wrong
color or our clothes are not cool or we smell if we don't use Brand
X deodorant/mouthwash/perfume).
Our Christian story tells us we are beloved children
of God.
What do AI and Moulin Rouge tell us
about who we are (and who others are to be to us)? Neither is a feel
good film, but their stories are certain to become a part of your
story in a very deep way. Yes, stories are real
[A licensed psychologist in private practice, The
Rev. R. Jane Williams, M.Div., Ph.D., is priest associate at Christ
Church, Reading.]
Top - Return
to Diocesan Life Index - Bethlehem
News
A study on money and faith... in Kutztown and Scranton
Get in Touch with your Feelings about Money and
Faith
Diocesan Life, September 2001
Money is a complicated idea. We love it, and yet
sometimes we hate it. We want more and when we get more, it never
seems to be enough. Each of us has our own feelings about money because
of the way we have lived our lives, the things we have experienced,
or the way we were natured and nurtured. Our feelings are often hard
to explain. There may be no other part of our lives where we are so
alone as we all feel when we think about money.
Char Horst, Missioner for Development and Dan Charney,
Missioner for Stewardship, will serve as facilitators for a short
study exploring money and spirituality. The course is open to anyone
in the Diocese of Bethlehem, and will meet Mondays, 7-9 pm, from Oct.
8 to Dec. 3 at St. Barnabas Church, Kutztown. The cost is $11.50,
which includes the Study Guide. Register by Sept. 28.
The same program will be offered at Good Shepherd,
Scranton, for the northern arm of the diocese on Thursdays, Oct. 4
to Dec. 6.
This study will take you on a journey of discovery.
What you'll find is not already decided, because you are unlike anyone
else. As you work your way through the course you will be exploring
uncharted territory. You'll be reflecting on why you think about money
as you do. You'll try to find out what parts of money are important
to you. And you'll develop fresh ways of looking at the role that
money plays in your life.
This will be accomplished by working in small groups
where we can talk "safely" about money and faith - without guilt,
anxiety, or fear, and in a gentle and free way.
If you're interested in getting in touch with your
feelings about money and faith, take advantage of the this study.
Registration form will be sent to parishes.
Top - Return
to Diocesan Life Index - Bethlehem
News
September 29 in Milton
Episcopalians and Lutherans to Sponsor Small Church
Conference
Diocesan Life, September 2001
Two Episcopal dioceses and four Lutheran synods will
jointly sponsor a conference for the leadership of small rural and
urban churches on Saturday, September 29 (9:30 to 4:00) at Trinity
Lutheran Church, Milton. Sharing Our Common Call will feature Bishop
John H. Smith, retired of West VA , and Gil Waldkoenig, associate
professor of Church in Society at the Lutheran Theological Seminary
in Gettysburg. The sponsoring bodies of this conference for wardens,
committee chairs, committee members, clergy and parish leaders are
the Episcopal dioceses of Bethlehem and Central PA and the Lutheran
synods of Allegheny, Lower Susquehanna, Northeastern PA and Upper
Susquehanna.
The morning theme of the conference, From Fear to
Faith, will focus on practical issues in leadership development and
on how to move from fear-based to faith-based decision making. The
afternoon theme, Common Call, will look at implications of and practical
means for living into the common call of the Episcopal/Lutheran full
communion agreement in ways that may not have been considered before.
Cost for the conference is $10 per person or $25
for a parish team. A light lunch is included. For more information,
please contact Dusty Miller@CompuServe.com or at 717-795-2775.
Top - Return
to Diocesan Life Index - Bethlehem
News
The Rev. Jane A.
Bender named Assistant Rector in Trexlertown
Diocesan Life, September 2001
The Rev. Jane A. Bender of Bethlehem has
been called to serve as the assistant rector for Church Growth and
Ministry at St. Anne's Episcopal Church, Trexlertown. Ordained a priest
in 1999, she served for a year as Interim Canon for Adult Christian
Formation Ministries and Family Ministries at the Cathedral Church
of the Nativity, Bethlehem. She graduated from Moravian Theology Seminary,
Bethlehem, earning a master of divinity degree, cum laude, in 1997.
She received a diploma in Anglican Studies from General Theological
Seminary, New York, N.Y. in 1998.
As Assistant Rector, her primary responsibilities
will be the coordination of parishwide evangelistic efforts and the
development, training, and enrichment of lay ministers. Pastor Bender
will assist the parish Renewal and Evangelism Team in the design and
implementation of a total parish program for reaching out to "seekers."
With the support and leadership of lay members, she will minister
to newcomers and help all parishioners to identify, accept, and use
their gifts in service to people within the communities that surround
St. Anne's Church.
She is married to W. Dieter Bender. They have three
children.
Top - Return
to Diocesan Life Index - Bethlehem
News
In Bethlehem, September 29
Bishop Paul will Ordain Three and Receive One
as Priests
Diocesan Life, September 2001
Bishop Paul V. Marshall will ordain The Rev. Jeffrey
L. Funk, The Rev. Alba Hazen and The Rev. Patrick Malloy to priesthood
and will receive The Rev. William J. McGinty as a priest of the Episcopal
Church on September 29 at the Cathedral Church of the Nativity, 11:00
am.
Funk has been called by St. Mary's Church, Reading,
to be the rector there as of Aug. 1. Born in 1955 and ordained a
deacon in 1986, he served until this year as an assistant a St.
George Church, Hempstead, NY, in the Diocese of Long Island.
Hazen, a recent graduate of Virginia Theo-logical
Seminary, was ordained a deacon earlier this year. Before entering
the seminary, he was program coordinator and case manager for an
alcohol treatment program. He is a certified addictions counselor.
He served as on-call chaplain at Lehigh Valley Hospital, Allentown,
and at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. He
served also as seminarian assistant at churches in McLean, Virginia,
and in the District of Columbia. He has been a parishioner at Grace
Church, Honesdale, and Grace Church, Allentown. He is married to
The Rev. Susan Hazen who serves at a church in Virginia.
Malloy, a former member of the theology
faculty of Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, is National Leadership
Development officer for PCF, a marketing, distribution and customer
care corporation associated with the New York Times and other national
publications. He holds a Ph.D. in liturgy from the Department of Theology
at the University of Notre Dame and studied as well at La Salle University
and Temple University, Philadelphia. At Notre Dame, his research focused
on the role of popular prayer and devotional practices in the Christian
life, and their relationship to official liturgy. Ordained a deacon
in the Roman Church, he has served in parishes in Connecticut as well
as at the Basilica on the Notre Dame campus.
During his time in Pittsburgh, he was a member of
the Church of the Redeemer where he was the pastoral associate. He
taught in the deacon and lay minister formation program in the Diocese
of Pittsburgh and conducted numerous parish education programs and
facilitated vestry retreats and development programs throughout the
diocese. He is president of the Western PA Chapter of the Association
for Psychological Type and serves as well on the APT board for the
NE region of the US. In 1999, he was appointed by the Presiding Bishop
to the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music for the Episcopal
Church USA.
McGinty, was born in Derry City, Northern
Ireland in 1948. He was brought up in England and graduated as a teacher
from Manchester University in 1971.
He spent his early career in the classroom before
pursuing theological studies at London University. He graduated in
1979 and was ordained in June 1980. Subsequently, he returned to teaching
and was awarded Masters Degrees in Religious Studies and Education.
In 1994, he moved to the United States and now resides
near Milford, PA, with his wife Maryann and his son. They are members
of the parish of Good Shepherd and St. John the Evangelist in Milford.
Top - Return
to Diocesan Life Index - Bethlehem
News
Especially for parish musicians, but all are invited
to
Share the Beauty - Share the Praise
Saturday, October 27, at St. Luke's, Scranton
Diocesan Life, September 2001
Bishop Paul invites all, especially choirs and musicians,
to this special musical treat at St. Luke's Church, 232 Wyoming Street,
Scranton, on Saturday, October 27, to honor and thank our professionals
and volunteers who sing, play and plan our music in parishes of the
Diocese of Bethlehem.
The event will be a day filled with music, an offering
of prayer and praise through music you can receive and use in contemplation.
Music will be provided by the Voci da Camera, under
the direction of Kathleen Blixt, accompanied by Frederick Backhaus,
organist and choirmaster, Christ Episcopal Church, Oyster Bay, NY.
Based at Hofstra University on Long Island, NY, Voci da Camera is
a choir comprised of professional singers from the New York metropolitan
region.
Based at Hofstra University on Long Island, NY, Voci
da Camera is a choir comprised of professional singers from the New
York metropolitan region.
The day will begin with Morning Prayer at 9:15 and
conclude with Evensong at 4:00. It comes as Bishop Paul's gift, with
no cost to anyone attending.
There is nothing to rehearse, nothing to perform.
There will be quiet time between events for reflection.
Everyone is welcome, musicians or not, but some idea
of your attendance is needed so lunch can be planned. Parishes will
be asked to respond in September on a parish basis to let us know
how many to plan for.
This is a day to enjoy music and to let it lead your
heart. No name tags, no singing unless you join the hymns, no stress.
Just worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness and the holiness of
beauty.
8:30 - Gathering, coffee, etc.
9:15 - Morning Prayer/Gregorian Chant
Mid-morning: Sit in on rehearsal for Haydn's Little Organ Mass.
Noon: Holy Eucharist, Haydn
Lunch, on the bishop
Afternoon: Organ recital at St. Peter's RC Cathedral (across the street)
Sherry, tea, cucumber sandwiches, bread-and-butter
4:00 - Evensong/Anglican Chant, with a grand Edwardian anthem
Top - Return
to Diocesan Life Index - Bethlehem
News
What is Health
Advocacy ...
And Why Should the Church be Doing it?
By Diana Marshall
Diocesan Life, September 2001
Recently I received e-mail from a friend who has
been battling lymphoma for nearly a year. She had returned home to
find a message from her insurance company on the answering machine.
Her doctor's request for authorization for payment for a bone marrow
transplant had been denied.
Her response was to go into her backyard and look
for a butterfly that she often sees there. Her "take charge" husband,
on the other hand, receiving no satisfaction from many minutes on
the telephone with various folks at the insurance company, decided
they should drive to the insurance company's offices and "visit" with
the medical director (who, he had been told, does not meet with "customers").
They did, and approval was given that very afternoon.
What would have happened to my friend if she did not have that "take
charge" husband?
As I began this article, I received e-mail from someone
whose sister suffered a head injury more than 10 years ago. The sister
has struggled mightily, but is now in a desperate state and seeking
Social Security benefits. Clearly, the sister will not be able to
navigate the Social Security system by herself. what to do?
These are only a couple of examples of the countless
situations that arise for people in our parishes every single day.
For a variety of reasons, the people in the most need of assistance
are usually least able to advocate for themselves.
Bishop Paul holds a vision that every congregation
in the Diocese of Bethlehem will have access to a Health Advocacy
Team.
This team will provide a holistic health ministry
for all parishioners as well as other people in our neighborhoods.
Such teams may include individuals with experience
in pastoral care, insurance, social security, social work and other
aspects of health care, a parish nurse, accountants, attorneys and
physicians.
Approximately 15% of health ministries programs in
the Episcopal Church are led by a person who is not a registered nurse.
The reasons that a congregation should consider health
ministry are well developed on the National
Episcopal Health Ministries website.
The current health care system in the U.S. doesn't
focus on health, too often doesn't seem to care, and isn't a cohesive,
holistic system. Instead it's primarily disease oriented, fragmented
and enormously expensive. The church, on the other hand, is in the
business of healing, of saving.
The mission given Christ's disciples is to preach,
teach and heal. The church's teaching and preaching have far exceeded
her healing in this day. The church needs to be true to her calling.
She has the opportunity in this modern age to use many tools to bring
about healing.
Health ministry and parish nursing in a congregation
do not replicate services that already exist in the community, because
health ministry addresses health more than illness. The health care
system and the church offer plenty of space for health professionals
and laity to work together to keep people well, to empower them, to
educate them, to advocate for them, to teach them and to care for
them.
Health ministry is broad in scope. Sometimes the
phrase "health ministries" (plural) is used to emphasize the multiplicity
of players; this ministry does not belong to any one person. Parish
nursing focuses more on the nurse's roles and on the responsibilities
that individual carries. Health ministry incorporates good pastoral
care, but takes pastoral care somewhat further by introducing knowledge
of the health care system and of the workings of the human body.
Most churches already have some aspect of health
ministry in place, be it a corps of parishioners who deliver Meals
on Wheels, an intercessory prayer group, a Crisis Committee, or a
Stephen Ministry program. Many churches may not have named these programs
"health ministry," though it is probably understood to be a part of
health and caring. That gives something to build on. It tells where
the current energy in the parish can be found.
Looking at the parish in terms of its resources and
its energy is important in determining readiness (for health ministries).
Resources don't have to be financial. They can be interest, skill,
vision or commitment. If these exist, it might be the right time to
harness them into a fuller, more organized program.
[A registered nurse and an attorney, Diana Marshall
serves as chair of the Diocesan Health Advocacy Committee.]
Top - Return
to Diocesan Life Index - Bethlehem
News
Mediator Celebrates
Thanksgiving in July
Diocesan Life, September 2001
"All good gifts are sent from heaven above; then
thank the lord,
Oh thank the Lord for all his love."
That was the theme of the remarkably successful July
food drive at the Church of the Mediator, Allentown. Some 110 bags
of food were collected. The food drive was part of the congregation's
outreach vision focusing on church, community and world.
For most churches and many secular groups, Thanksgiving
is the honored time to share the Lord's bounty. At other times, especially
during the summer when many area food banks face shortages, less is
shared and the poor among us pay the price.
The Outreach Committee led by Rector Maria Tjeltveit
and Chair Norma Meyers set out to do what they could to change this
cycle. They designed a food drive aimed at collecting and distributing
a large amount of food in July. They found a good deal of enthusiasm
for their goal within the congregation and the Allentown community.
Other groups participated and Kings Supermarket donated collection
bags.
The food collected was presented at the altar during
Sunday services on July 22. A caravan of seven vehicles driven by
parishioners delivered the food to the Grace Allentown Food Bank for
distribution to their clients.
Top - Return
to Diocesan Life Index - Bethlehem
News
July 11-14 in Scranton
Diocese of Bethlehem will host National
Happening Leadership Conference
Diocesan Life, September 2001
Happening-A Christian Experience is a program designed
for high school youth (10- 12 grades). Happening weekends have been
held in more than 90% of the diocese in the Episcopal Church.
The program is described as "one of the instruments
to renew the church in the power of the Holy Spirit, that the church
may respond more readily to its call to spread the Kingdom of God
throughout the world.
Happening-A Christian Experience seeks to bring young
persons to a fuller personal knowledge of and relationship with the
Lord Jesus Christ and to a deeper level of commitment and apostleship."
During the weekend participants experience the love
of our Lord as shown through the sacraments and the ministry of youth
and adult leaders. Participants are encouraged to take a renewed faith
back into their worlds to "make a friend, be a friend, and bring a
friend to Christ."
You can discover more at the Happening
web site.
Every two years a national leadership training conference
is sponsored by the National Happening Committee which administers
the program on a national level. We are represented on that board
by Andrew Reinholz of Christ Church, Reading who is in the middle
of a two-year term. Bethlehem has been asked to host the 2002 conference.
In 2000 seven youth and adults from Bethlehem attended
NHLC in Troy, NY. We were so excited about the conference and left
feeling a call to offer ourselves to host the next conference.
Now we have to plan for nearly 200 people who will
gather at King's College in Scranton July 11-14, 2002.
We will be contacting parishes soon to include them
in hosting this event. There will be many ways you can offer your
support for this event and show the Christian hospitality that has
been our good reputation.
We hope that you will encourage the high school youth
in your parishes to attend the next diocesan Happening (November 9
- 11) so they can more fully participate in the conference as well.
Top - Return
to Diocesan Life Index - Bethlehem
News
Might your ministry qualify for a Faith
In Action grant?
Robert Wood Johnson Seeks to Expand its Faith-Based Program Serving
Elderly and Chronically Ill to Episcopal Organizations
Diocesan Life, September 2001
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has committed
$100 million to triple the size of its successful national volunteer
caregiving program, Faith In Action. It intends to provide grants
to 2,000 new programs across the nation.
Seeking to develop more participation in the Episcopal
community, the Foundation has encouraged Episcopal churches to apply
for grants.
Other organizations, such as social service agencies,
civic organizations, and hospitals are encouraged to participate.
The next grant application deadline is October 1,
2001.
Faith in Action makes grants to local groups of volunteers
representing many faiths who work together to care for their neighbors
who are frail, elderly, chronically ill, or disabled. Coalitions should
include a range of religious organizations that is broadly representative
of the faith denominations within the community.
These coalitions make it possible for local volunteers
to improve the quality of everyday life for the elderly, frail and
chronically ill by providing the kind of care that medical professionals
cannot offer.
The Foundation's new commitment to increased funding
for Faith in Action will ensure that the program becomes part of the
fabric of every community in the US, regardless of its location, wealth,
ethnic, racial or religious composition.
Since establishing the program in 1993
This $100 million investment has already yielded
42 new grantees in 24 states.
Faith in Action volunteers come from churches, synagogues,
mosques and other houses and other houses of worship, as well as the
community at large. They help those in need with many everyday activities,
such as picking up a few groceries or providing a ride to the doctor.
With this volunteer assistance, aging and chronically ill members
of the community can maintain their independence for as long as possible.
Nearly 10 million Americans suffer from serious chronic
conditions that prevent them from carrying out many daily activities
for themselves. As the nation's population ages, the number of people
who will develop these conditions will increase.
"Faith in Action has successfully mobilized tens
of thousands of volunteers for almost 20 years. These volunteers help
their chronically ill, frail and disabled neighbors with simple everyday
activities or by simply being a friend," said Steven A. Schroeder,
MD, president and CEO of the Foundation.
Starting in 1983 with the Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers
Program, and continuing in 1993 with the introduction of Faith in
Action, the Foundation has supported faith-based community efforts
to help meet this challenge with volunteer caregivers.
Since 1993, it has awarded start-up grants of $35,000
each to more than 1,000 newly created faith-based coalitions nationwide.
"This new $100 million investment is the largest
ever by The Robert Wood John Foundation. It represents our deep belief
that faith-based volunteer efforts are an effective way to address
the growing needs of people with serious chronic conditions."
Foundation officials said the release of the money
was not related to the Bush administration's effort to encourage faith-based
groups to expand their social-service programs. Plans to expand Faith
in Action programs were in the works long before President Bush took
office.
Organizations interested in applying for a Faith
in Action grant should contact the National Program Office toll free
at 877-324-8411, or visit www.fiavolunteers.org.
Applicant organizations must be tax-exempt under
Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code and not classified
as a private foundation under Section 509 (a).
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, based in Princeton,
NJ, is the nation's largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to health
and health care.
It concentrates its grantmaking in three goal areas:
to assure that all Americans have access to basic health care at reasonable
cost; to improve care and support for people with chronic health conditions;
and to promote health and reduce the personal, social and economic
harm caused by substance abuse-tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs.
Top - Return
to Diocesan Life Index - Bethlehem
News
New Initiative Grants for
Congregational Development
The diocesan Congregational Development Committee
has some funds available for "New Initiative" grants, an opportunity
for your congregation to be creative and try something new. The $1,500
grants are for individual parishes for specific one-time projects
in the area of Congregational Development or seed money to kick off
a new program.
Applications and more information have been sent
to parish clergy.
Deadline is September 30. Grants will be awarded
on October 15.
Contact: Canon Jane Teter 800-358-5655 or jteter@diobeth.org.
Top - Return
to Diocesan Life Index - Bethlehem
News
Talbot Hall Grants
Diocesan Life, September 2001
Talbot Hall awards grants maximum $5,000, annually
to Episcopal churches and nonprofit, tax-exempt organization and agencies
without our 14-county diocese "to provide spiritual, emotional, educational,
cultural, physical and social opportunities for children who may not
have experienced these blessings." [Mission statement of Talbot Hall]
If you have a program that meets the criteria of
this statement, you may be eligible for a grant. Grant application
forms have been sent to parishes. Application deadline is September
30.
The Talbot Hall guidelines say: "Our unrestricted
grants are for programs which are not part of the ongoing maintenance
or operation of the organization. We are interested in pilot programs
which have the potential to become self-sufficient and in collaborative
projects between organizations."
Speak with Maggie Watkins at Diocesan House for more
information.
Top - Return
to Diocesan Life Index - Bethlehem
News
People Committed to Children
Say AWE
By Debra J. Kissinger
Diocesan Life, September 2001
Once, when I was the vicar of a small church in Connecticut,
there was a three- year-old boy, Jeffrey, who came to the altar rail
week after week with his mother. His mother was reluctant to allow
him to receive the Sacrament "until he was old enough to understand."
Over the course of several weeks, she and I had several
conversations about why children are included in the Eucharistic Feast.
We talked about Baptism as full membership. We talked about food as
nourishment for the body, hugs and kisses as nourishment for the mind
and soul, and the Eucharist as nourishment for the spirit.
We talked about how Jesus had called little children
to himself and how it is quite possible that young children "understand"
more than we realize and actually come to God with a sense of awe
that we have somehow lost as we matured.
Intellectually, the mother grasped what I had said,
however, she was not yet convinced. The boy needed to "understand"
if he was to receive. She continued to bring Jeffrey to the altar
rail for a blessing.
Week after week, the little boy would extend his
hands to receive the host and week after week the mother would pull
the boy's hands back to his chest with a thump. But, one Sunday, Jeffrey
was not to be denied. He extended his hands, his mother pulled them
back not once, but three times - thump, thump, thump! And then it
happened. Jeffrey yelled at the top of his lungs "Jesus, Jesus! I
want Jesus! Give me Jesus!" and thrust his hands forward once again
to receive the host.
I remember that moment like it was yesterday. The
air throughout the church was filled with the Spirit. You could have
heard a pin drop as we waited in awe. I looked at the mother; the
mother looked at me and with a tear in her eye said, "Okay." I barely
choked out "The Body of Christ" as Jeffrey took Jesus into his hands
and pronounced a loud "Amen" for all to hear. I looked up and down
the altar rail and I glanced around the nave. The church was filled
with smiles and individuals dabbing their eyes with tissues. Jeffrey
knelt in awe before Jesus that day and we were each filled with awe
as we searched our own hearts and shared his experience.
Because of this and other similar experiences, it
came as no surprise to me that the word "awe" came up repeatedly when
I recently met with a group of diverse individuals throughout the
Diocese of Bethlehem who are all committed to children.
What I hadn't anticipated was that AWE - Children's
Ministries would become both the title and the acronym by which we
would be known as a committee.
The letters A-W-E stand for Advocacy, Worship and
Education. They are the three teams that compose AWE - Children's
Ministries. With a sense of vision of what we were to be about it
wasn't long before we developed a Mission Statement and Team Goals
(see box). In addition to these goals, we plan to sponsor a Children's
Day with the Bishop, to revamp The Christian Educator and to increase
the ways we communicate information to interested parties and parishes.
This new vision and expanded understanding of Children's
Ministries arises out of our call through the Children's Charter to
be a church that not only cares for and ministers to children but
also recognizes that children minister to us. Children are an awesome
gift from God. Children look to God with awe in a way that often escapes
adults. Our God gives us an awesome task to care for and minister
to children and an awesome gift in being ministered to by children.
In the months ahead, I will attempt to unpack the
AWE of Children's Ministries. In the meantime, if you have a heart
for children and are ready to get caught up in the "awe" of God give
me a call; additional members for the various teams are welcomed.
[The Rev. Debra J. Kissinger is Missioner to Children
and Child Advocate for the Diocese of Bethlehem. You may speak with
her at 610-691-5655 x237 or email]
[SIDEBAR]
AWE - Children's Ministries Enabling children to experience and live
God's love through Advocacy, Worship and Education
Advocacy Team: Keeping the Diocese informed, through
Parish Advocates, about spiritual, economic, social and political
issues which relate to the rights and well-being of children. Leading
individuals and parishes to action for the welfare of those who cannot
vote or speak for themselves.
Worship Team: Providing worship, education and resources
for clergy, parishes and parents in order to nurture worship practices.
Enabling and encouraging the full inclusion and participation of children
in the life and liturgy of the parish.
Education Team: Facilitating the training and nurturing
of teachers and leaders. Disseminating information about resources
for education and spiritual development of children. Developing Diocesan
goals for Christian Education.
Top - Return
to Diocesan Life Index - Bethlehem
News
Diocesan
Convention: October 19-20 in Wilkes-Barre
Diocesan Life, September 2001
Our diocesan website includes an information center
for our Convention (October 19-20) in Wilkes-Barre at St. Stephen's
Pro-Cathedral.
Visit our Convention
information page where you will find online registration for delegates,
alternates and visitors, online registration for exhibitors, the 2002
proposed budget.
By the time you receive Diocesan Life, the
proposed resolutions and much more information may be posted on the
website.
The page for the proposed budget is large, as web
pages go, and may take a few minutes to load. The proposed budget
is also available as a downloadable Excel file. You may be asked for
a password when you download it, but one isn't necessary; choose "OK"
and it should download without any problems.
Among the proposed resolutions at this convention
will be one that includes an important difference between the 2002
budget and prior budgets. Parish assessments would be based on parish
operating income rather than operating expense as reported
on the annual Parochial Report for each parish.
Currently, the Diocese of Bethlehem is the only diocese
in the Episcopal Church that bases parish assessments on parish expense.
Even in the national church budget, the apportionment for each diocese
is based solely on parish operating income.
The experience of dioceses throughout the country
is that basing parish assessments on parish income rather than expense
has brought a new equity and a new stability to parish participation
in the diocesan budget.
Delegates who wish to hear more about this and to
express their thoughts may attend one of the Pre-Convention Meetings
scheduled for October 3 (St. Alban's, Sinking Spring), October 4 (Epiphany
Glenburn) and October 9 (Cathedral, Bethlehem). All begin at 7:00
pm.
Top - Return
to Diocesan Life Index - Bethlehem
News
New Episcopal Life
You will find a newly designed Episcopal Life
wrapped inside the September edition of Diocesan Life. An announcement
about this will appear on the cover page of Diocesan Life.
The look is contemporary and reader-friendly, and
the content is dynamic with an interactive attitude. The new look
and contents has been thoughtfully planned with you and your life
as an Episcopalian in mind.
It is organized into five concise sections, creating
a smooth flow that makes it even easier to read.
1. Closer Look: A tightly focused, in-depth look
at significant topics and trends that have an impact on our lives.
2. News Worthy: Reports of timely events, issues
and stories of religion from across the nation and around the world.
3. Faith Works: Witness those who help build the
church through their ministries, meet our missionaries, learn more
about our community.
4. Art & Soul: Celebrate our life through expressions
in the visual and performing arts... become inspired by writers and
musicians who deepen our spiritual growth.
5. Active Voice: A town square of provocative opinions
on challenging issues with the opportunity to respond. Meditations
and teachings by the Presiding Bishop.
Top - Return
to Diocesan Life Index - Bethlehem
News
Violence and
the Pastoral Response
Wednesday, September 26, 2001, 8:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
Patterson Auditorium, Guthrie Health, Sayre, PA
This free seminar, including lunch, is designed for
"ministers, nurses, parish nurses, community leaders, health care
professionals, educators, and other interested people." The subjects
to be addressed include violence in the home and workplace, SAFNET
(Sexual Assault Forensic Nurse Examiner Team) and non-violent crisis
intervention.
Contact Nikki Austin at eaustin@ghs.guthrie.org or
call her at 570-882-4188 for additional information or to register.
You may also contact Roy Hansen, Director of Pastoral Service Dept
at rhanson@inet.guthrie.org or call him at 570-882-4309.
Thanks, Diana Marshall
Top - Return
to Diocesan Life Index - Bethlehem
News
Child Advocacy Opportunity
for College Students
The Children's Defense Fund (CDF)- Religion Action
Division will be sponsoring an Alternative Spring Break, Saturday
March 9 - Wednesday, March 13 at the former Alex Haley Farm in Clinton,
TN.
This program is open to college students who wish
to invest themselves in the Movement to Leave No Child Behind. Students
who participate will learn about: the heritage of the Civil Rights
Movement, spiritual disciplines of non-violence and foundations of
child advocacy.
For more information on CDF's Alternative Spring
Break or to receive an application please contact the Religious Action
Division by phone at 202-662-3589 or via email at cdfreligiousaffairs@childrensdefense.org
--- The Rev. Debra J. Kissinger Missioner to Children
& Child Advocate Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem 333 Wyandotte
Street Bethlehem, PA 18015-1584 (610) 691-5655 ext. 237 fax: (610)
691-1682 /
Top - Return
to Diocesan Life Index - Bethlehem
News
A Request from
our Diocesan World Mission Committee
The World Mission Committee is planning on having
a display at Diocesan Convention and we really want to highlight individual
church's involvement in ministry and mission outside the USA. (An
example of this is the relationship between Trinity Bethlehem and
the Cathedral in Swaziland.) We need pictures, information, etc. to
make this display really "alive" and so I'm sending out an appeal
to gather things together and get them to Jack Moulton at 9 Cruser
Street, Montrose PA 18801-0314 asap.
Thanks for helping us make a vivid, living display
of the terrific overseas caring and involvement of the good people
of our Diocese.
God bless, Connie Fegley
Top - Return
to Diocesan Life Index - Bethlehem
News
At St. Mark's, Moscow
A Fun Fundraiser that Worked
for St. Mark's, Moscow
Jack Welsh
My wife, Linda, noticed for some time an ad in Episcopal
Life about organizing cruises. She called the 800 number to get
the scoop. It was really a pretty attractive deal and there was no
risk at all. A total of 18 of us eventually went on the cruise. Thirteen
were parishioners of St. Mark's. The rest were family or friends.
The bottom line was that we raised more than $5,000.
For many years, we worked a booth at the Moscow Country
Fair. The fair was a ton of work and what we made on the trip was
about equal to the best year at the fair. Believe me, the trip was
a LOT easier!
We left on Saturday, June 30. The cruise line arranged
for a bus to pick us up in Scranton along with others going on the
cruise. We pulled out of New Your around 5:30 on Celebrity's "Horizon".
We spent Monday at sea and arrived in St. George's, Bermuda on Monday
morning. Tuesday morning, we moved to Hamilton, Bermuda and left there
Thursday afternoon. After spending Friday at sea, we arrived in New
York early Saturday morning and were home by early afternoon.
The way it works is that Liberty Tours quotes you
a discount rate and you mark it up whatever you want. We decided to
add $200 per person to Liberty's price so we made $400 per cabin directly.
Then, with Celebrity, every tenth person goes free. We actually charged
all eighteen people so the full fare for the tenth person went into
the church treasury. I understand different cruise lines have different
deals, sometimes it's the fifteenth person who goes free.
We had to put up $50 per cabin for as many cabins
as we wanted to reserve. The deposit, however, is totally refundable.
We reserved more than we sold and got a full credit for the amount
we put up front. There was no minimum so, even if only two people
went, the church would have made $400!
We're thinking a trip every year would be too much
but are already thinking about doing something in two years; we all
had a blast! The fellowship was as valuable as the money we made.
Cruise members were: Helen and Earl Trygar,
Linda and Jack Welsch, Don and Marion WelschCathy and Joe Caparo,
Joan and Dick Williams, Pat and Frank Yamrick, Lin and Art Christianson,
Melinda and Fred Darrow, Eunice Reese, and Nila Schuette.
Those who want more information may send email to
webmaster@stmarksmoscow.org.
Top - Return
to Diocesan Life Index - Bethlehem
News
For Palm Pilot users
Book of Common Prayer
Andy Figueroa, director of communications for the
Diocese of Southern Ohio, has completed a project to create a usable
Book of Common Prayer for users of Palm OS handhelds (i.e. Palm Pilots
and compatibles). Go to http://www.episcopal-dso.org/pages/palmos.htm.
Top - Return
to Diocesan Life Index - Bethlehem
News
Diocese to offer Catechesis
of the Good Shepherd Training
The Rev. Debra Kissinger, Missioner to Children and Child
Advocate
Level I Course
You are invited to begin your formation in the Catechesis of the Good
Shepherd by participating in Level / formation for adults.
The course is designed to:
• Attune participants to the religious life of children 3-6 years
of age
• Present the methodology and principles of Level I of the Catechesis
of the Good Shepherd
• Broaden the participant's ability to observe and learn from the
child, to listen to the Scriptures with the child
• Offer guidelines and assistance in preparing the 3-6-atrium environment
You may take the course as one of the following:
1. Participant: preparing to be catechist, an interested parent,
pastor, teacher, or religious education director who wants the full
scope of the training. Participants spend time after each lecture
practicing with the materials and preparing a catechist's album.
2. Auditor: who attends the lecture and presentation of materials
only (auditors attend half days each session.)
Where: St. Margaret's Episcopal Church,
150 Elm St., Emmaus, PA
Formation Leader: Certified trainer, Lynn
Robinson
When: 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. on Sept.
15, 2001, Sept. 29, 2001, Nov. 3, 2001 and 7 additional dates, chosen
by group consensus. These dates will begin in January 2002, roughly
once a month on Saturdays.
Tuition: $450.00 for participants (discounts
available for multiple participants from the same parish or school)
and $250.00 for auditors. Limited scholarships exist.
For More Information, call Deb Schlosser: 965-4114
(day) or 966-2240 (eve).
One half of the fee is due upon registration. The
balance is due by February 1, 2002. You may pay the full amount upon
registration if you wish. Make checks payable to St. Margaret's Episcopal
Church. Deposits cannot be refunded. At the completion of the course
eligible participants pay a $35.00 fee for certification from the
National Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.
Lodging and on-site day care can be arranged for
those who request it.
To register, provide the following information and
email, mail or fax back
by Sept. 15, 2001 to:
Debra Schlosser
4510 South Mountain Drive
Emmaus, PA 18049, fax 610-965-3159.
Your Name
Church or School Affiliation
Others attending from your organization
Address
Phone
Tuition Enclosed (or to be mailed)
Indicate whether you are a Participant or Auditor
Indicate if you'd like information about:
Lodging
Child Care
Directions
Scholarship Information
Top - Return
to Diocesan Life Index - Bethlehem
News
Action Items for
Child Advocacy This Month
The Rev. Debra J. Kissinger Missioner to Children & Child
Advocate
This month . . .
Action needed:
1. Wednesdays from home: Call to support the act the leave no
child behind.
2. Urge your senators to provide increased funding for Food
Stamps.
Updates:
1. Stand for Children introduces Youth/Student memberships
2. New report finds low participation of federal Summer Food Program
3. Transportation a barrier to receiving health care
***********************************************************
ACTION ***********************************************************
1. WEDNESDAYS AT HOME: CALL TO SUPPORT THE ACT TO
LEAVE NO CHILD BEHIND To garner support for the Act to Leave No Child
Behind, each endorsing organization has been assigned a Wednesday
to call elected officials, as part of the Wednesdays at Home campaign.
As a member of America's only nationwide grassroots voice for children,
you can play a key role to play in passing the Act to Leave No Child
Behind. Right now, the goal is to get as many co- sponsors as possible
for the Act. To make our support loud and clear, Stand For Children
members are encouraged to call their elected officials on Wednesday,
August 8. If we all call on the same day, we can't be ignored! Below
is a sample script and summary of the Act.
Sample Script: Hi, may I speak with the staff member
that works on children's issues?
(Once transferred, continue with the following. If
that staff member is not in, you can either leave the following message
or ask to be sent to voice mail.)
Hi, my name is ___________________ and I live in
_________________. I am a member of Stand For Children and am calling
today to urge Senator ______________to cosponsor S. 940, the Act to
Leave No Child Behind which was introduced by Senator Dodd. It is
important that we make our children a priority and I hope that the
Senator will sign on to this bill.
(Note: This script is a suggestion for the call.
You can also include a personal story/experience, along with why you
are supporting the Act.)
Summary: Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT) and Representative
George Miller (D-CA) introduced the Act to Leave No Child Behind on
May 23, 2001. The Act represents comprehensive legislation that will
benefit every child in America. It incorporates policies and programs
proven to improve children's lives, including many proposals that
have already been introduced by both Republicans and Democrats in
the House and Senate.
Among other things, the Act will provide:
* Health coverage for all of America's nearly 11
million uninsured children and broad initiatives addressing common
childhood illnesses;
* Full funding for child care and Head Start for 3 and 4-year- olds,
so that all children eligible for these programs can participate.
It would also strengthen our education system by improving teacher
training and quality, increasing public school accountability, reducing
class size, and modernizing school facilities;
* Supports for hard working parents to remain employed and help lift
themselves and their children out of poverty. It would also provide
broad tax relief to low income families who currently are left out
of many tax programs; and
* Help to ensure that more children are in safe, nurturing, and permanent
families. It would extend supports to families before they suffer
family breakdown and would help encourage permanency for children
who cannot safely stay at home. The bill would also strengthen youth
development efforts and address other critical safety issues, such
as gun violence, juvenile justice, and effective delinquency prevention
programs.
The problems facing children and families in the
child welfare system are closely linked to each of the other sections
of the Act. Poverty and lack of health care, child care, and education
places hundreds of thousands of children at risk. Until these problems
are addressed, the child welfare system will continue to be overwhelmed
by families in crisis.
Act
to Leave No Child Behind (update)
2. URGE YOUR SENATORS TO PROVIDE INCREASED FUNDING
FOR FOOD STAMPS Thirty-one million people in the United States lived
in households that were unable to afford adequate and nutritious food
in 1999, including 12 million children. On July 27, the House Agriculture
Committee passed H.R. 2646, the Farm Bill, and included reauthorization
of the Food Stamp Program for 10 years. The bill provides $3.25 billion
over 10 years in food stamp improvements that will ease access to
the program in important ways, especially for low-income working families
with children.
Now, our focus must turn to the Senate Agriculture
Committee, especially Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Ranking Member
Richard Lugar (R-IN), who will be crafting a Farm Bill over the August
recess. There is a real opportunity to make improvements in the Senate
if you help! One of the most important additions to make in the Senate
is to restore food stamps for legal immigrants. Now, children who
arrived in the country legally before August 1996 can receive food
stamps, but those who arrived afterwards are ineligible. Their legal
immigrant parents are also ineligible, no matter when they arrived
in the U.S. As a consequence, hunger levels are far more prevalent
among legal immigrants than other poor people in America today.
Additional, substantial food stamp funding in the
reauthorization part of the Farm Bill is critical to meet the urgent
needs of hungry people, including legal immigrants. The Senate should
fund essential provisions of S. 583 - the Kennedy/Chafee/Leahy/Specter/Graham
Nutrition Assistance for Working Families and Seniors Act, and the
nutrition title of Senator Dodd's Act to Leave No Child Behind (S.
940).
Please contact your Senators during the August recess.
Ask your Senators to contact Chairman Harkin and Ranking Member Lugar
to provide adequate funds for food stamps. All Senators can play a
pivotal role in providing the leadership and support that will be
necessary to achieve additional funding for food stamp improvements.
For more information, visit http://www.frac.org.
***********************************************************
CONTACTING YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AND THE PRESIDENT
Call: 202-224-3121 (the U.S. Capitol Switchboard)
202-456-1414 (the White House)
Email: Visit our web
site to send an email letter to the President and your Members
of Congress on any of the issues mentioned above . . . or any others
you'd like.
Mail: The Honorable ________ The Honorable ________
U.S. Senate U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC 20510 Washington,
DC 20515
The President 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington,
DC 20500 ***********************************************************
***********************************************************
UPDATE ***********************************************************
1. STAND FOR CHILDREN INTRODUCES YOUTH/STUDENT MEMBERSHIPS
As our nationwide voice for children grows, young people and students
will play an increasingly significant role in the organization. To
make it financially possible for youth and students to add their voices
to the thousands of others around the country, Stand For Children
has created a youth/student membership for $10 annually. Encourage
young people and students to join America's only nationwide grassroots
voice for children today! Contact the National Office for recruitment
materials.
2. OBSTACLES TO PREVENTING CHILD HUNGER DURING SUMMER
MONTHS The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports that in 1999,
nearly 15% of all US households with children under age 18 experienced
hunger or food insecurity. The National School Lunch Program serves
more than 15.2 million children, yet only 20% of those (three million)
children are enrolled in the Summer Food Service Program, according
to a new report from the Food Research Action Center (FRAC). The Summer
Food Service Program, run by the USDA, provides funding to schools,
public agencies, and nonprofits that serve meals in the summer to
low-income children under 19 years of age.
According to Second Harvest National Food Bank Network,
among those food banks reporting seasonal change in requests for emergency
food, nearly half found requests for emergency food for children go
up in the summer when school is out. "When school lets out for the
summer, millions of low-income children lose access to the school
breakfasts, lunches and after-school snacks they receive during the
regular school year," said FRAC President Jim Weill. "The federal
summer nutrition programs are key to filling this vacuum."
During the school year, daily school lunches can
provide more than one third of the nutrients low-income children consume
every weekday. Losing access to summer meals can have a significant
effect on a child's nutritional consumption and daily activity. "Summer
nutrition programs provide not just meals, but educational and recreational
activities that help children continue to learn and stay safe while
[their parents are working]," said Lynn Parker, FRAC's Director of
Nutrition Policy. "To give low-income children the best start [for]
the new school year, and provide them healthy meals when school is
not in session, more school, nonprofits and governments must find
ways to take advantage of federal funding for summer nutrition."
The report, entitled "Hunger
Doesn't Take a Vacation" is available online.
4. TRANSPORTATION A BARRIER TO RECEIVING HEALTH CARE
The lack of transportation is a major barrier to regular and follow-up
care for our nation's children. According to a survey commissioned
by the Children's Health Fund, between 3.5 and 4 million children
in families with incomes of up to $50,000 miss essential doctors appointments
due to the lack of transportation, whether they are insured or not.
Roughly 21% (or one in five) of children living in
poverty lack appropriate access to care because they cannot get to
a doctor's office. Also, 47% of all survey respondents live in areas
not served by public transportation; that figure climbs to nearly
75% for rural residents. The result: Children with manageable, chronic
medical conditions (like asthma) get sick more often. "For as many
as four million children, health insurance does not mean access to
health care because they literally can't get to the doctor," states
Dr. Irwin Redlener, president and founder of The Children's Health
Fund. "The reality is that families who want to do the right thing
for their children are stymied by the lack of affordable, reliable
transportation." While Medicaid is required to provide transportation
for beneficiaries, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
is not. Furthermore, 59% of families with children in the Medicaid
program do not know that transportation is an available benefit.
Because the critical role transportation plays in
gaining access to health care is often neglected, the needs of communities
lacking public transit services are under-represented as a federal
funding priority. The Children's Health Fund recommends that:
* The federal government identify transportation-poor areas and provide
resources to help develop a coordinated health care transportation
infrastructure in targeted areas.
* The General Accounting Office (GAO) commission a study on the causes
and scope of transportation inadequacies.
* States stabilize and expand Medicaid transportation services and
inform families of those services. These proposals do not necessarily
require new money, but a redistribution of money that is already available.
For more information, visit the Children's
Defense Fund Web site.
Top - Return
to Diocesan Life Index - Bethlehem
News
October 21
Celebrate the Children's Sabbath
"Involving children in the life of the church and
lifting up their needs and gifts are vital ways you congregation can
act as an advocate for children," says diocesan missioner to children
and child advocate, the Rev. Debra J. Kissinger. "Participating in
the National Observance of Children's Sabbaths is one of the easiest
ways to raise awareness about the needs of children while involving
all ages of the congregation in activities that help meet those needs."
In line with our renewed emphasis on Children's Advocacy
throughout the Diocese, Bishop Paul is calling on all parishes to
observe the Children's Sabbath either in your parish or ecumenically
in your community.
Copies of "2001
Children's Sabbath Manual: Write the Vision: Creating Communities
of Shalom for All Children," published by Children's
Defense Fund have been sent to all parishes. Each manual
includes resources for planning worship and education as well as ideas
about how to continue to advocate for children after the celebration.
The official observance takes place on Sunday, October
21. Another date may be chosen by individual parishes, if that is
more convenient.
Information for ordering additional resources, including
a short educational video to educate parishioners, is available in
the back of the manual.
Observing the Children's Sabbath is a wonderful way
to begin to lift up children in your community. Join in the diocesan
effort. Be sure to share your success stories after the celebration.
Top - Return
to Diocesan Life Index - Bethlehem
News
Saturday, October 27
Share the Beauty Share the Praise
An event to honor and thank choirs and church musicians
At St. Luke's, Scranton
Bishop Paul invites all, especially choirs and musicians,
to this special musical treat to honor and thank those professionals
and volunteers who sing, play and plan our music in the parishes of
the Diocese of Bethlehem.
The event will be a day filled with music, an offering
of prayer and praise through music you can receive and use in contemplation.
Music will be provided by the Voci da Camera, under the direction
of Kathleen Blixt, accompanied by Frederick Backhaus, organist and
choirmaster, Christ Episcopal Church, Oyster Bay, NY.
Based at Hofstra University on Long Island, NY, Voci
da Camera is a choir comprised of professional singers from the New
York metropolitan region.
The day - Saturday, October 27, at St. Luke's, Scranton
- will begin with Morning Prayer at 9:15 and jconclude with Evensong
at 4:00. See the schedule below.
This comes as the bishop's gift with no cost to anyone
attending - and there is nothing to rehearse, nothing to perform.
There will be quiet time between events for reflection. Everyone is
welcome, musicians or not, but some idea of your attendance is needed
so lunch can be planned. Parishes will be asked to respond in September
on a parish basis to let us know how many to plan for.
This is a day to enjoy music and to let it lead your
heart. No name tags, no singing unless you join the hymns, no stress.
Just worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness and the holiness of
beauty.
8:30 -- Gathering, coffee, etc.
9:15 -- Morning Prayer, sung for us to Gregorian
Chant
Mid-morning: Sit in on rehearsal for Haydn's Little
Organ Mass
Noon: Holy Eucharist, Haydn Lunch, on the bishop
Afternoon: Organ recital at St. Peter's RC Cathedral
(across the street)
Sherry, tea, cucumber sandwiches, bread-and-butter
4:00 - Evensong to Anglican Chant, with a grand Edwardian
anthem
Top - Return
to Diocesan Life Index - Bethlehem
News
An Invitation to the new...
Children's Education & Advocacy Committee
Please mark your calendar and plan to attend the
first meeting of the new Children's Education & Advocacy Committee.
The Meeting will be held on Saturday, July 14, 2001
at Trinity, Mount Pocono beginning at 10:30 a.m. and ending by 3:00
p.m. Lunch will be provided. Please let us know if you plan on attending
by calling Peggy Kavounas at 610-591-5655 Ext. 224.
An agenda will be forthcoming. If you have any questions
in the meantime or items you would like raised please do not hesitate
to call me.
Faithfully,
The Rev. Debra J. Kissinger
The Rev. Canon Lexa H. Shallcross
Missioner to Children & Child Advocate Chair
Top - Return
to Diocesan Life Index - Bethlehem
News
Decennial Report
To be filed with Corporation Bureau of PA
Maggie Watkins recently received a letter from the
Corporation Bureau of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania notifying the
diocese that every parish must complete and file with the bureau a
Decennial Report of Association Continued Existence. Diocesan chancellor
Ty Welles advises us that if the form is not filed with a $52 fee
before December 31, 2001, the corporate name of the parish will become
available for any entity to use to do business in Pennsylvania.
A copy of the letter from the Corporation Bureau
and the Decennial Report form have been mailed to parishes.
Questions? Call or email
Maggie Watkins at Diocesan House.
Top - Return
to Diocesan Life Index - Bethlehem
News
June 21
Mark Lewis to be Ordained
Deacon Mark Lewis, of the diocese of Quincy, will
be ordained by his bishop at St. Stephen's Church, Whitehall, on Thursday,
June 21, at 7 p.m. He will serve as curate at St. Stephen's.
Clergy: White Stoles.
Deacon Lewis is a 2001 graduate of Nashotah House.
Top - Return
to Diocesan Life Index - Bethlehem
News
June 29
Patrick Malloy to be Received as Deacon
Deacon Patrick Malloy, previously ordained in the
Roman church, will be received by Bishop Paul at the Cathedral Church
of the Nativity, Bethlehem, on Friday, June 29th, at 10:30 a.m.
Clergy: Red Stoles.
Deacon Malloy will assist the bishop with liturgical
and educational matters. He is employed by the New York Times and
has the Ph.D. in liturgical studies from Notre Dame University.
Top - Return
to Diocesan Life Index - Bethlehem
News
