Bishop Barry Beisner has appointed the Rev. Kay Rohde to serve as half-time Ministry Development Coordinator for the Episcopal Diocese of Northern California. A native of Northern California, Kay is no stranger to this diocese. She grew up in Eureka, where she was active in ministry at Christ Church, Camp Noel Porter, and St. Dorothy's Rest. Click here to read more about Kay+.

This position was created through the work of the diocesan Council, the Structure Committee, and the Total Ministry Development Group to provide support for congregations with a non-traditional model for leadership. Working with the Bishop, Canon to the Ordinary Britt Olson, the Commission on Ministry and other diocesan groups, Kay+ will help congregations discern and develop effective ministry models. Click here to view the job description in full.

She will be working in the Office of the Bishop and on the road in our diocese. She will begin her role with us on May 3, 2012. Please join us in welcoming her via email to kay@norcalepiscopal.org or by calling 916.442.6918 x 224.



Click here to view the Total Ministry issue of Together in Mission Magazine.

by Keri Lopez, Director of Communications

If you have yet to register for this year's Bishop's Conference, it's not too late! Join us in just a few weeks for workshops and worship designed to engage the mind, spirit and heart with a hope-filled vision for renewal. Click here to view an agenda and workshop descriptions.

WHEN: April 27 & 28, 2012

WHERE: Trinity Cathedral

Don't miss our Keynote Speaker the Rev. Thomas Brackett, the Episcopal Church's missioner for church planting, ministry redevelopment, and fresh expressions of church. The Rev. Thomas Brackett has been passionate about lively communities of faith for twenty-seven years of ordained life, and shares his insights and experience through his blog, "Church Planting Central."

We will also welcome a special Keynote Presentation by the Rev. Canon Dr. Neal O. Michell, entitled, "A Biblical Image for the Missional Church: the People of God in Exile." See a detailed description of both keynote and workshop presentations by clicking here.

Registration closes at noon on Monday, April 16 so don't delay ~ click here to register now.

Here are a few helpful links:

Agenda
Childcare
Parking
Pricing
Speaker Bios
Workshop Descriptions
Youth Event

The 2012 Bishop's Conference is presented by the diocesan Congregation Vitalization Committee.

Recently, I began a committee meeting by reading from the "Message," that often stimulating paraphrase of Scripture. What I chose to read on that occasion was from I Corinthians 15; I chose that passage because it goes to the heart of what the Church is about, and what we are about, and what the point of something like a church committee is all about: "It's resurrection, resurrection, always resurrection that undergirds what I do, the way I live." St. Paul goes on to exhort us, "Awaken to the holiness of life....Ignorance of God is a luxury you can't afford in times like these."

We have been keeping Lent in the hope that it might assist in awakening us once again to that holiness of life of which the apostle speaks; we have been duly working on the chronic issue of our ignorance of God--or rather, that we too often live as if we were truly ignorant. Now we have entered Holy Week, and the great Three Days that occupy the heart of the Church's year are about to begin. Those days, and their particular liturgies, will help to take our Lenten work to the next level. We return again to the great truth that Christ is risen. We light the Paschal Candle, and the light of that flame will burn before us every time we gather for the next fifty days. And at baptisms. And at the burial of the dead. It will be "resurrection, resurrection, always resurrection" every Sunday, every Feast of the Resurrection, all year long, and each time God's people gather to keep the Feast it will be as an Easter people, a community of persons who embrace the reality that Christ is risen, and that we are raised in him. Ignorance of God is a luxury we can't afford--and the reality of Christ's resurrection won't let us anyway, not once we have oriented our lives to it, not once we have lit the flame, not once we have turned to follow Him.

May this Easter lead you more deeply into the reality of Christ's resurrection, and of your own.

Yours in the Risen Lord,

THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE
OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
"Making Disciples, Raising Up Saints & Transforming Communities for Christ"

I give thanks for the mission God has entrusted to us, and for your leadership as a faithful witness to that mission. 

This brief letter to you today is to encourage your personal support for the 90th annual collection of the Good Friday Offering.  You are well aware of the ongoing challenges for Christians and their neighbors throughout the Middle East.  This offering continues to provide vital tangible support for ministries of education, health care, and peace-building throughout the Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East.

The Episcopal-Anglican presence in the Middle East includes ministry in Egypt, Cyprus, the Gulf States, Iraq, Ethiopia, Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon, as well as in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.  The bishops, clergy, and people of the Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East sponsor, support, and sustain institutions that teach, heal, and act with compassion toward the people of those nations.  They do the same kind of work Jesus modeled for us as witnesses to the reconciling love of God for all people.  The Good Friday Offering provides essential funding to strengthen the visibility of the Christian presence throughout the Province.

A letter has also gone to all Episcopal congregations requesting your generous support of the Good Friday Offering, and I am asking for your commitment to assist in this annual campaign.  Good Friday Offering materials are available in English, Spanish, and French at www.episcopalchurch.org/goodfridayoffering.

I am deeply grateful for your solidarity with our sisters and brothers in the Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East.  I believe this annual appeal is a unique spiritual opportunity to continue Jesus' work in the land of his birth and earthly ministry.  Please join me in continuing that incarnate presence of love and healing. I remain

Your servant in Christ,

The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori

Presiding Bishop and Primate

Mailing Instructions:

Please send donations for the Good Friday Offering collected on Good Friday to the Office of the Bishop.  Please use the Remittance Form available on our website.  Specify on the "other donations" line that your check (made payable to the Episcopal Diocese of Northern California) is for the Good Friday Offering in whatever amount you collect. 

Thank you,

Office of the Bishop Staff

THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE
OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
"Making Disciples, Raising Up Saints & Transforming Communities for Christ"

Last November, Diocesan Convention 2011 passed Resolution C1-11: Restructuring the Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Northern California to Meet Mission Priorities. This resolution establishes seven deaneries (click here to view each in detail) and creates a single Board of Trustees as the governing body of the diocese, dissolving the current Board and Council as of December 1, 2012.

This Spring, each of the seven deaneries will elect a Trustee –someone who will sit on the new Diocesan Board of Trustees, which was authorized at the 2011 Annual Diocesan Convention, formalized in the revised Diocesan Canon 16. Click here to view more information about the role of a Trustee, and to learn more about this exciting new ministry opportunity in our diocese.

In December 2012, these seven deanery-elected Trustees will be joined by three Trustees appointed by Bishop Beisner, five Trustees who will be elected at-large at the 2012 Annual Convention, the Bishop, the Chancellor, and the Treasurer to form the new Board of Trustees who will assume the responsibilities now held by the Board of Directors and the Diocesan Council. The effective date of this new Board of Trustees will be December 1, 2012.

We strongly encourage you to join us in this exciting new step for our diocese by attending the Spring Convocation held in your deanery and participating in the election of Trustees. For more information, dates and details on this year’s Spring Convocations, which will include discussion of a recent leadership Portal survey, upcoming Trustee elections, General Convention details, as well as deanery-specific points of business, please click here.

This Spring will bring a few changes to the Office of the Bishop staff. Caitlin Gutenberger, who has so wonderfully served as the diocesan Communications Coordinator/News Editor for the past year and a half, will be leaving us to further her music career. As many of you may know she is both a member of her own band, Two Sheds, which plays locally, as well as with a band called Release the Sunbird (RTS), which has recently gone on tour nationally! While we are sad to see her go, we are excited for whatever God may have in store for her in this next leg of her journey.

Our search for the right person to continue the current level of diocesan news coverage left us looking no further than within our own walls. Many of you may already be familiar with the incredible work of Thea Mangels, office coordinator extraordinaire, whose work already includes quite a bit of communications crossover. In addition to many other things, Thea already authors and manages the monthly Admin & Finance e-News, writes for (and created) the diocesan Wellness section of our Online News Room, edits both the weekly Diocesan e-News and the Aurora Clergy e-Newsletter, and has quite an extensive involvement in all print communications going in and coming out of the Office of the Bishop.

The decision was clear; while maintaining many of her current job duties, including those as benefits administrator, Thea will add to her responsibilities the weekly Diocesan e-News, the monthly Aurora Clergy e-newsletter, and articles to the Online News Room. Removed from her responsibility will be the receptionist duties and other smaller, office-related duties. Her new role as “Office Manager/News Editor” will begin in early March. Those duties removed from her position, along with an overall need by Office of the Bishop staff for support, will lend to the creation of a new Receptionist position which we will fill shortly. These staffing adjustments will have no impact on the diocesan budget as there will be no increased staffing costs.

During this time of transition we ask for your patience and support. All articles for consideration in any of our e-newsletters may still be sent to communications@norcalepiscopal.org. Please contact Director of Communications Keri Lopez with any questions or concerns via e-mail to keri@norcalepiscopal.org or by calling (916) 442-6918 x223.

Please join us in both wishing Caitlin, whose last day with the diocese will be March 8th, all the best and in welcoming Thea to her new position as of March 1.

The Endowment and Memorial Trust (E&MT) has been completely reorganized, with changes including:

- New Mission and Vision Statements, a Revised Investment Policy and new Asset Allocation Targets. 

- Four new Trustees with relevant business and investment backgrounds.

- New (as of 2011) Quarterly Performance Reports.

- A new E&MT Section of the diocesan website.

Currently in this diocese, 45 congregations have invested funds and 13 congregations have loans with the E&MT. The 2012 interest rate is 5 percent. Several congregations are considering loans for capital expenditure purposes. Other congregations who do not use the E&MT have also invested funds. In total, the E&MT is responsible for over $14 million in assets.

Those looking to see what the E&MT has to offer are encouraged to visit www.norcalepiscopal.org/emt. Trustees are prepared to discuss E&MT services to the diocese in more detail with your congregation.

Click here to RSVP today!

While attendance is FREE, we strongly encourage your RSVP to help us planning to provide a sufficient number of meals. Click here to take a few moments to RSVP using our easy and secure, online registration form.

WHAT is a CLC, you ask? Click here for more information, dates and locations of CLCs in your area, workshop descriptions, and more. Hope to see you there!

Many thanks,

Office of the Bishop Staff

The Communications Commission for the Episcopal Diocese of Northern California is pleased to announce the decision to launch diocesan-wide web conferencing capabilities and the development of the first three diocesan Media Centers in 2012!

Following the results of last year’s communications survey, in which teleconferencing and web-based meetings and seminars ranked high among areas of interest, and with unanimous support by the Bishop and Diocesan Council, the Communications Commission set out to establish a plan for making this possible. After giving careful consideration to a number of competitive providers, we have selected “MegaMeeting” as our service provider and will begin use of their meetings portal by diocesan governing bodies (Standing Committee, Board, Council, CoM and their committees) this February. MegaMeeting comes highly recommended by other organizations, including the Diocese of Southwest Florida, who has been using their services successfully for approximately two years.

MegaMeeting will enable varying groups at several locations to participate in a meeting without messy downloads or expensive software.  “Seats,” are purchased per month, as needed, allowing each seat access to a secure, online meeting space. Those without Internet access may also join this virtual meeting space by way of a concurrent, secure conference phone line.

As a way to assure that folks in outlying areas have access to this technology, we are establishing four initial “Media Centers,” which will house the tools necessary (computer, video equipment, high speed Internet connection, etc.) to allow visitors to join diocesan-held meetings and webinars. We recognize that there may be congregations who already have the necessary technology available and we will be working to include them. Our initial plan calls for four locations this first year: three new Media Centers at St. Martin’s, Davis; All Saints', Redding; Christ Church, Eureka; in addition to the existing center at the Office of the Bishop. Future plans may allow for subsequent Media Centers to be established in additional regions as well.

Enthusiasm and support for the ability to meet in a virtual meeting space has been high. And while initial rollout calls for use of this technology by our governing bodies only, this first year is meant to serve as a springboard from which additional programs and ministry groups may one day benefit. As we understand better how to manage and use this technology, this expansion will be made possible.

This is indeed an exciting time, as we continue to take steps which will ultimately increase our connectivity while reducing our carbon footprint. Equipment has been ordered and will be installed in the next six weeks, with plans to begin use thereof in mid to late February. We ask for your continued patience as we work to roll out this plan, and encourage any questions or concerns to be sent to Director of Communications Keri Lopez, keri@norcalepiscopal.org.

Click here to view FAQs.

At the 2009 General Convention, Lent was officially designated as a time to encourage dioceses, congregations and individuals to remember and support the life-saving work of Episcopal Relief & Development. We invite all Episcopalians to join together on Episcopal Relief & Development Sunday, and throughout the Lenten season, to pray for those living in need.

To help your congregation prepare for Lent, 2012 Lenten Meditation books are now available through Episcopal Relief & Development in both English and Spanish. The daily readings are co-authored by a group of leaders from across the Episcopal Church, who bring a range of perspectives as they reflect on Scripture and other sources of spiritual wisdom.

Click here to order your books today.

Click here to learn more about how to celebrate Episcopal Relief & Development Sunday in your congregation.

For more information, visit er-d.org/lent.

Dear Friends in Christ:

When I use that salutation, as I often do, it is not only because I am thinking of the essential friendship we have with each other in Christ, that is, our fellowship as sisters and brothers in Him; I am thinking also of the friendship that, together, we have with Christ. That thought especially grows stronger as we come closer to Christmas. God has come among us, in the Child born in Bethlehem. It is that Child who becomes the Man who says to His disciples, "You are my friends." We are Jesus' friends, and through us, his friendship is made known to others.

To call us friends in Christ is both descriptive and aspirational: it is what we are; it is is what we are called to become. And not just within our familiar church circles, but beyond. In Christmas, God draws the circle larger. There are many people in this world who desperately need a friend, who have no idea that God came into this world in Jesus seeking friendship with them. Christ means for us to enlarge our circle of friendship to include them. Christmas serves to remind us.

This Christmas, please remember our friends in Christ in the Holy Land, who live and minister under great pressure. Please remember our friends in Christ in Haiti, and help give them the gift of a new cathedral, a center for the work of transforming that nation. Please remember those in need in our own communities, the friendless ones outside of the walls of our churches. Extend the reach of God's friendship. Extend Christmas.

May God bless you richly as you do that holy work this Holy Season.

Yours in Christ.

The Office of the Bishop staff would like to offer a very warm thank you to all who traveled from near, far and wide to attend our Christmas Open House on Friday, December 16. We enjoyed visiting with all of you, sharing stories, hot drinks and lots of cookies!

A slide show of photos from the open house is now available online. Click here to view them now.

We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Grace and peace to you.

I hope that you are a having a blessed Advent, and I pray that your Christmas preparations fill you with a sense of God's presence - "God with us."

This month began with the organizational meeting of the new Board and Council. The Board has elected Suzanne Phinney President, Cliff Haggenjos Vice President, Dave Ferrell Secretary and Tom Ewart Treasurer; the Council VP will be Bob Hall, and the Secretary Susan Plucker. In this transition year, in anticipation of a change to the new structure, the two groups intend to function as a combined entity as much as possible, although the Council will still hold its own planning retreat - which includes time with leaders of most of the Program Groups - in early January. The various committees of Board and Council (Apportionment, Budget, Congregational Vitalization, etc.) will be forming between now and mid-January; announcements about chairpersons, as well as other appointments, will be made in the near future.

One set of appointments I have made and want to you to know about now is the list of Deans for the three new deaneries. They are: Cliff Haggenjos (Central), Matthew Lawrence (West) and Christopher Seal (Sierra). I will be meeting with all the Deans soon to begin moving forward in our new configuration. Also, I will be working with the Standing Committee to create the Implementation Committee for the structure changes made by Convention.

Speaking of Convention, it seems that our experiment in scheduling is off to a good start, according to the evaluations received.

Please do all you can this Season and beyond to offer opportunity to the people of your congregations to participate in our Campaign for Haiti. This is an important way for us to enlarge our horizons this Christmas. And please, please remember to name "Christians in the Holy Land" in the Prayers of the People - what could be more fitting at Christmas? - and in your own prayers as well.

May God bless you richly,

Are you responsible for communicating the good news and hard work of your congregation? Or perhaps you just have an interest in keeping up with the latest in communications news and resources as shared by diocesan Communications Director Keri Lopez? If so, please feel free to "like" our new Facebook (FB) page, "NorCalEpiscopalCommunicators.” 

Created to serve as a forum for communications-related news and updates, conversations about what is working and/or not working, and an opportunity to ask your communications-related questions, this new FB page is a great way to stay connected and feel supported along the way.

Visit www.facebook.com/norcalepiscopalcommunicators today to join in on the buzz!

A

The Building Fund offers consultation services in the recasting of assets to achieve sustainability, and construction and rehab loans of up to $500,000 are available with an interest rate of 6.5 percent.

A special micro loan fund was made available this year at an interest rate of 3 percent. With a goal of financial self-sustainability, this fund was created specifically for churches that are making strategic changes to their facilities so they can leverage opportunities for revenue generation. Examples include relining a church parking lot to make it available for lease, refurbishing of a parish hall for rental, removing church pews to enable mixed use of the worship space, or bringing a kitchen up to code for commercial purposes.

If you are interested in a loan of either type, please contact the Rev. Canon Britt Olson or Canon Bobbi Yeo to discuss your plans, as your application will need to be signed by the Bishop. If you are interested in a micro loan, you may want to consider working with the Church Support Team to discuss ideas for increasing financial sustainability by using your buildings and property to generate revenue. These folks can help you connect to resources around the diocese and the country, and help you develop a plan for your future based on your mission and values.

It is a new day in the Episcopal Church, one which requires us to think creatively about how we can continue to support our overarching mission of “Making Disciples, Raising Up Saints, and Transforming Communities for Christ” well into the future.

Want to read more Admin & Finance news? Visit the Admin & Finance section of our News Room: www.norcalepiscopal.org/adminandfinance-news.

Even as we pause with grateful hearts to enjoy God’s gifts to us, we are meant to remember that those gifts are given for God’s purpose, God’s mission. May this holiday be a truly holy day for you, and may it bring a joyful renewal of commitment to our true work as disciples of Jesus Christ.

May God bless you and all whom you cherish this Thanksgiving Day.

The Winter 2011 issue of Together In Mission is now available in print and online. This issue's theme is Outreach. Print copies of the magazine have either been shipped directly to your congregation or were picked up by your congregation's leaders at this past weekend's Diocesan Convention.

Click here to download a PDF copy of the Winter 2011 issue.

Questions? Please contact Director of Communications Keri Lopez: keri@norcalepiscopal.org, or (916) 442-6918, ext. 223. Past issues of Together in Mission can be found online by visiting www.norcalepiscopal.org/together-in-mission.

It is with a heavy heart that I share this news with you. Following a recent fall and subsequent injury to her brain, The Rev. Marcia Engblom has died. The Bishop gave last rites to Marcia+ on Friday afternoon.

We all mourn her death and ask for continued prayers for her family, the people of St. Francis' Episcopal Church in Fair Oaks, and all who mourn this tragic loss.

The service for Marcia+ will be Friday, November 4th at 2:30 pm at Trinity Cathedral. Attending clergy are to vest in white stoles. The Office of the Bishop will close at 1pm that day to allow staff to attend.

A second Celebration of Life will be held in Oregon and is being arranged by her family. For all those who live in Oregon, please watch this site for more details.

Click here to read an article about Marcia+, featured in the Monday, October 31 edition of the Sacramento Bee.

Keri Lopez
Director of Communications

Sincerely,

Office of the Bishop Staff

Dear Friends in Christ:

Grace and peace to you.

I asked for your prayers last month as I prepared to depart for Quito, and I thank you for them. The most recent meeting of the House of Bishops was, I believe, very productive. I am somewhat surprised to hear myself saying that, since I had thought that having all of us descend upon such a highly conflicted diocese might not be conducive to helping them find a healthful way forward-but in fact, it seems that it was. Our presence seems to have helped the Presiding Bishop make the intervention needed. Prayers are still in order - they have a long way to go - but it does appear that some positive change may now be possible.

It was good to be there also because it is so very easy to forget that much of the Episcopal Church is outside the U.S. and does not speak English. Actually meeting in Province IX and giving much of our agenda over to their concerns was an important part of that reorientation. And a trip to the border to meet with a few of the many thousands of refugees who have fled the chronic violence of Columbia for the relative safety of Ecuador, and with those who minister to them, was a very powerful experience - and a reminder that even a church in conflict can be actively engaged in the world in a way that helps save and transform lives. Please remember the work of these fellow Episcopalians in your prayers. (Click here to view a few photos from my time in Ecuador.)

(Remember also to make good use of the Pastoral Teaching that we issued at this meeting.)

I also asked you for your prayers last August, when I reported on the Archbishop of Canterbury's conference on Christians in the Holy Land. For whatever reason, not everyone seems to have noticed it, so I repeat: I ask that in every congregation the intercessions in the liturgy include prayers "for Christians in the Holy Land." I am asking that this particular wording be used, besides whatever else you might choose to say. I am counting on you to do it - and so are our brothers and sisters who have asked our prayers. (Since my initial report to you, the Presiding Bishop has issued a Pastoral Letter on Israeli-Palestinian issues. Please remember to make use of it as well.)

I look forward to seeing you at Convocations in the coming weeks, and at Convention soon thereafter.

God bless you,

A holiday celebration filled with friendship and cheer...

Please come to our Open House this year!

The Rt. Rev. Barry Beisner and his staff warmly invite you to join us at the Office of the Bishop 

on 

Friday, December 16, 2011

 between 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm 

for cookies and cider as we celebrate the joy of Christ in the world.

The Office of the Bishop is located at 350 University Avenue, Suite 280, Sacramento, CA 95825.*

(click here to view a map)

*We are pleased to share that our current office location is handicap accessible with plenty of free parking.

Click here to view a PDF of the Bishop's Visitation Schedule.

The Bishop is required to visit all congregations within the Diocese at least once every three years (Canon III.12.3a.) Because of the size of our Diocese, most churches are not visited more than once every other year. We try to accommodate special events such as anniversary celebrations as close to the date on which they occur as possible, if we are given enough advance notice. 

If you find your church is scheduled for a date that will not work for you, please try to trade with another church on the schedule and be sure to inform the Bishop's Office of the change. All needed forms and information are posted online here: www.norcalepiscopal.org/clergyforms.

Bishop Beisner's visitation schedule is also viewable in calendar form on our website. Click here to view this calendar.