In This Issue:

• ONE Episcopalian Website debuts : http://www.episcopalchurch.org/ONE
  • ONE Episcopalian ™ is a grassroots partnership between The Episcopal Church and the ONE Campaign to rally Episcopalians – ONE by ONE – to the cause of ending extreme poverty in our world and achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
  • The ONE Campaign
    is a movement of American of all beliefs and every walk of life, united as ONE to help make poverty history. Join this historic campaign, as ONE by ONE we change the world.
  • ONE Episcopalian
    will equip diocese parishes and individuals to be effective advocates with the Congress and the White House for the MDGs. Learn how your parish can become a ONE Congregation.
  • What are the Millennium Development Goals?
    Are there resources to help explain the MDGs to others?
    Where can I find prayers and devotionals related to the MDGs?
    Click here to learn the answers to these questions and more.

From Bill Fleener, Sr. -

"Happy are they who have given to the poor."

The Old Testament, Psalm and Epistle readings for this Sunday all focus on aiding the poor. The just-finished General Convention put a lot of focus on the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) as a first priority for the Episcopal Church's corporate budget and asking every parishoner, every parish, every diocese and every province to designate .7% of their income for the MDGs. Our own Diocesan Convention ordered that our 2007 Diocesan Budget provide that .7% of our diocesan income be given toward the MDGs.

The MDG effort has the capacity to cut worldwide extreme poverty in half by 2015.

Lots of us have felt a commitment to the MDGs, but how many of us have had an easy way to give our own .7%?

One parish treasurer, Harold Cook (from St. John's in Mt. Pleasant) has agreed to receive parishioner's MDG gifts through the offering plates and transmit the totals periodically to the Diocese. Tammy Mazure, Assistant to the Bishop for Business Administration, has agreed to receive MDG gifts from parishes (from the parish budget and from parishoners) and transmit them periodically to Episcopal Relief and Development.

Parishoners, congregations, treasurers, "Go, and do thou likewise"???

Reminders:

• SAFEGUARDING GOD'S CHILDREN CERTIFICATION WORKSHOPS
  • Thursday, June 29 – Holy Trinity, Wyoming ~ 6:00pm – 9:00pm
  • Saturday, July 15 – St. Gregory’s, Muskegon ~ 10:00am-1:00pm
    -
• St. Timothy's - Richland Welcomes the Rev. Mark Curtis
  "Canada's Singing Priest" to appear in concert on Saturday, Sept. 30th and Sunday, Oct. 1st.
  -
• Parishes in Partnership materials available online
  A recent mailing sent to all parishes, these files are now available online.
  
  From the cover letter:
  "Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
  This mailing from the Parishes in Parnership Committee is being sent to all rectors and parishes, senior wardens, parish treasurers, Standing Committee and Executive Council members, and Diocesan Convention delegates."
  
  You can download this mailing from our website HERE. Or, click on FILE DOWNLOADS under the "Resouces" heading on the left side of the page, and look for Parishes in Partnership.
  -
• Renewal Grants for Clergy - Deadline 9/15/2006
  Louisville Institute: Sabbatical Grants for Pastoral Leaders Program

 

Special Announcements:

• From the Diocesan Secretary:
  • We have not received forms from the following parishes:
    • Portage - Parish Church of Christ the King [Delegate, Vestry]
    • Saugatuck - All Saints [Delegate]
• From the Diocesan Business Office:


• Parochial reports are past due
  and have not been received from the following parishes. If you would like assistance in filing your report on-line, please contact Tammy Mazure at the business office. For those who have filed online, please make sure to mark your report complete in the system.
  Please submit these to the diocesan office as soon as possible.
  • Cascade
  • Grand Rapids - St. Paul's
  • Hastings
  • Muskegon - St. Paul's
  • Niles
  • Orangeville
  • Portage - Christ the King
  • Three Rivers
• From the Diocesan Deployment Office:
  

  TO ALL CLERGY: Greetings! The Church Deployment Office has just announced a revision to the ‘Ministry Skills Manual.’ This is the listing from which one chooses how to describe your ministries for the CDO profile. If you have not recently updated your CDO form, now would be a good time to do it. If you have recently updated, you might just review your work again. Some of the categories may have switched as a result of the updates to the Manual.
  
  I would be happy to work with you individually or in groups of 3 or 4 to update your profiles.

  Cheers,
  Anne Reed