The Desert Spirit May 2012 by Episcopal Diocese of Nevada

The Desert Spirit

May 2012 Volume 2, Issue 5

Episcopal Diocese of Nevada (702) 737-9190

God is calling the Episcopal Diocese of Nevada to transform our communities through the vitality of our worship and the living out of our baptismal vows. Our mission is to plant ourselves at the Gates of Hope – not the prudent gates of optimism . . .; nor the stalwart boring gates of common sense; nor the strident gates of selfrighteousness. . . ; nor the flimsy garden gate of “Everything’s gonna be alright;” but a very different sometimes lonely place . . ., the piece of ground from which you see the world as it is and as it could be, as it might be, as it will be . . . . – We stand there, beckoning and calling, telling people what we are seeing, asking people what they see. – Victoria Safford

LAS VEGAS VALLEY COMMUNITY CONVENTION FOR THE COMMON GOOD Bishop Dan: On Tuesday, May 22, 6:30 – 8:30 pm at the UNLV Student Union Ballroom, something remarkable will occur. The Lutheran, Methodist, & Catholic bishops and I will gather (the first time all 4 of us have been in the same room) with faith leaders from all over the Las Vegas Valley to focus on issues impacting families and to build an organizational response that offers great promise over time. Bishop Carcano will come from Phoenix; Bishop Tallmadge,

Editor’s note: artistic license was taken to create dialogue between Bishop Dan’s letter of invitation and the April 10 press release from The Valley Post, the electronic newsletter of the Las Vegas Valley Interfaith Sponsoring Committee. The LVVISC’s stated goal is “to build relational power for collective actions in the pursuit of justice and the common good. We act to strengthen family and community in solidarity with others across lines of race, class and religion.” from San Diego for this important meeting. Valley Post: What's Inspiring Congregations throughout the Valley are planning to encourage significant numbers of their members to participate in the May 22 event. Some are even

contracting buses intending to go as a group representing their institution (for information on a good bus deal contact LVVISC). Nothing comparable has happened in the Las Vegas Valley across geographic, faith, racial and ethnic lines of difference. Key meetings Continued on page 2

A ZIPPER, A B-BHAG, AND THE LIGHT OF CHRIST A note from Bishop Dan

Inside Pages Organizational Transformation

Message from the Editor

Resource Center, Ukumba CCS

Camp Galilee

Estate Workshop, Help Wanted, Being Neighborly

It started with a broken zipper – the zipper on my suitcase. I took my bag to be repaired at a cobbler’s shop. An amiable young man diagnosed the problem, took the suitcase, and asked where I had been. I told him “Kenya.” He asked what I had been doing there and I told him about our church sponsored schools, especially how they rescue girls from genital mutilation and forced marriage. He asked, “Where is your church here?” I told him. Even our slight involvement in upholding the status of women in Africa, perhaps

just our affiliation with Anglican Communion partners who are directly engaged in that struggle, was enough to make an unchurched young man in Henderson want to worship with us. We were doing something that he could see and understand, something that matters. The day before that exchange, the Las Vegas Review Journal ran a feature article on Deacon Bonnie Polley and her ministry to the homeless and the incarcerated. They called her “the Mother Teresa of Las Vegas.”

Bonnie was, of course, embarrassed by the attention. But there’s a gospel message in what she does and the largest newspaper in Nevada was proclaiming it to a lot of people who need to see some light that isn’t neon. The article showed people another way to live and that the Episcopal Church is living it. The next day a County Commissioner called Bonnie for a meeting to talk about making Clarke County a better place. On Wednesday, Deacon Ann Langevin was in Boulder City to meet President Obama. She was one of five people in the Continued on page 3

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FOR THE COMMON GOOD, from page 1 with Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto, Assemblyman William Horne and Superintendent Dwight Jones were productive and laid a relational foundation for future collaborative work. Leaders are seeking a meeting with Sheriff Doug Gillespie before May 22 to discuss immigration and sex trafficking issues.

“We hear the drumbeat of human needs in the Las Vegas Valley. Child sex trafficking, education, neighborhood crime & blight, the isolation of vulnerable elderly & immigrant integration all require a deeply collaborative response.”

The Rt. Rev. Dan Edwards,

Bishop Dan: Will you come too? Will you to join me in collaborating with at least 65 churches, synagogues, mosques, schools and nonprofits in the Las Vegas Valley. We intend to gather 1,000 people strong. Several Episcopal churches are already involved in this ground- breaking effort. As an example of ecumenical support, the growing list of Roman Catholic parishes so far includes: St. Christopher, Christ the King, St Andrew, Holy Family, St Peter, St John Neumann, St Thomas Aquinas Newman Center, and St Joseph, Husband of Mary. Which Episcopal Churches will join them? Valley Post: What's Challenging For many reasons, Las Vegas Valley residents often don’t know who represents them at the local, state and even

federal level. Beginning May 22, 2012 LVVISC will seek to address the power vacuum created by this state of affairs. Bishop Dan: This is an opportunity to strengthen your congregation while becoming actively engaged with the larger community. In church talk we call that “our mission field.” Along with my fellow bishops, with rabbis, pastors, priests, and imams in Southern Nevada, I encourage you in the strongest possible terms to send a delegation to discover what this work is all about. Many churches of other denominations have joined. The Diocese of Nevada has jointed. Episcopal Latino Ministries has joined. Will our local congregations be there to see what is going on? Valley Post: The center of the work leading into and out of May 22 is relationship building. The Las Vegas Valley is a “world community” that often doesn’t act like it. The negative consequences are apparent as divisions thrive and isolated communities look inward.

Child sex trafficking, education, neighborhood crime & blight, the isolation of vulnerable elderly & immigrant integration all require a deeply collaborative response. Bishops Pepe, Carcano, Tallmadge and I believe The First Las Vegas Valley Community Convention for the Common Good is just such a response. Please step forward with others to prayerfully and constructively act to make our Valley a better place for children, for families, for the vulnerable elderly, for all of us.

Contact the LVVISV at lvvisc@gmail.com or LVVISC on FaceBook

Their address: 2108 Revere Street North Las Vegas, Nevada, 89030.

Bishop Dan: We hear the drumbeat of human needs in the Las Vegas Valley.

10th Bishop of Nevada

A Prayer for General Convention The Rt. Rev Stephen Charleston on Facebook, March 30. Printed with permission.

I pray for leadership in the church, for those who sit in convention, for the one who will sit on a throne. I pray with no agenda, for we have agendas enough to fill a cathedral, and practioners of partisan

piety in abundance. I pray for honest hearts, clear minds and pure spirits. I pray renewal. I pray courage. I pray the power of Spirit, a fresh wind of hope and change. I pray the Word

to speak to still the sounds of fear. I pray justice for each and all, I pray the poor to stand tall. I pray the church takes back the church. I pray the moment come.

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Zipper, from page 1 one of five people in the room authorized to shake hands and speak with the President. She was there to welcome him on behalf of Bread for the World and the Episcopal Diocese of Nevada. Bread for the World arranged it. The point was to keep world hunger on the President’s radar screen and to say the Episcopal Church cares about this. When Bread speaks up for the hungry, we are with them. That same afternoon, along with a small group of African, Methodist, Episcopal, Roman Catholic, Lutheran, and Jewish leaders of our interfaith community organizing group, I met with Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto.

We were there to discuss mortgage foreclosure relief, child sex trafficking, and deportation practices. It was an energized and energizing conversation as we told each other new things and sparked new ideas in each other’s minds. I had missed lunch; so after the meeting, I stopped by Starbucks on my way to the office for a snack and coffee. As I sat there reading Parker Palmer’s excellent book on the spiritual foundation of the common good, Healing The Heart of Democracy, a man on his way to the counter saw the book and stopped to talk. He began life in the Orthodox faith but was now an evangelical. We had a

great dialogue. He confessed to being confused by the Beatitudes and I talked about the difference between blessing and commandment, how we distort the Bible when we see everything as commandment. He was touched by my simple approach to the text and gave me a small icon of the Christos Pantokrater. These vignettes are little portraits of the Church in the World. The “first and greatest” book I have read on church and society in recent years is James Davison Hunter’s To Change the World: The Tragedy, Irony, and Possibility of Christianity in the Late Modern World (“and the second is like Continued on page 4

Organizational Transformation Interview with the Rev. Stefani Schatz, Rector (Trinity - Reno) and President of the Standing Committee - March 2012 In the past several years, leaders throughout the diocese have been vocal about the confusion in roles, duplication of effort, and lack of communication between the former Diocesan Council and the Standing Committee. The 2011 Diocesan Convention took steps to address these challenges by eliminating the Diocesan Council, and looking fresh at the role of the Standing Committee (SC). To get a sense of how this transformation is going, I asked the President of the Standing Committee, Rev. Stefani Schatz, to share her thoughts and experience thus far with our readers. “I’ve only been with the diocese for four years and

on the SC for two, but from the time I’ve been on the SC there’s been the ‘problem’ of two bodies,” Stefani wrote. “One that sets the budget and one that spends it, leading to confusion and in some cases, distrust; and overall, less than optimal functioning. There’s also been the issue of recruiting people to serve on both ‘large’ groups. During the SC retreat in January, 2011, this ‘combining’ was named as a priority for the year.”

[also] did some research as to how other dioceses functioned. On a practical level, the Canon Committee prepared the draft for Convention 2011.”

“There was a time in our history when we had only one body, so there was institutional memory [to draw from],” Stefani wrote. “Both Bishop Dan and I

“The representation of the four Mission Districts is essential,” Stefani explained. “I’d like to personally welcome people to step forward for this type of leadership from Continued on page 5

“We continue to work on the canon for the transition to the new SC,” Stefani continued. “This revised new canon will be presented [to Convention] in October 2011 after going through many iterations this year. This will clarify what is needed for elections from each Mission District.”

“To Change the World prescribes a different strategy. It is to be faithfully and visibly ourselves while actively engaged in society.”

Bishop Dan

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Zipper, from page 4 (“and the second is like unto it,” Parker Palmer’s Healing the Heart of Democracy). These Nevada stories are about our doing what Hunter and Palmer say our mission is. “Next Martin Luther King Day, our goal is to field 300 Episcopalians at work sites around Nevada, each of them wearing our t-shirt which proclaims ‘Together We Can Change the World.’”

Bishop Dan

To order a t-shirt, contact Ellie at the diocesan office! (702) 737-9190

Hunter looks at the three leading approaches churches take to living on this planet. The Christian left, the Christian right, and the neo-Anabaptists. The Christian left and right mirror each other vying for control, trying to push their view of how society should work through political power. He demonstrates that neither has been successful and shows sociologically why their political strategies don’t work. (I would criticize them theologically, but his point is more practical – they just don’t achieve what they are trying to do.) The third option, the one Hunter calls neo-Anabaptist, is to condemn the culture as fallen and to stand apart from it, aloof and selfrighteous. The object is to avoid contamination. I would criticize that theologically too; but Hunter’s point is that it just doesn’t work either. You can’t cut yourself off that completely from relationship with the place where you live or the people you live with. To Change the World prescribes a different strategy. It is to be faithfully and visibly ourselves while actively engaged in society. It is as simple as saying, “Good morning, Mr. President, I’m Deacon Ann Langevin representing Bread for the World and the Episcopal Diocese of Nevada.” We are there. We are present. We are in the game. We are being the Christ light. Being the Christ light takes two things:

faithful action and upfront identification with Jesus. In the Diocese of Nevada, we are often in the game. We are often shining the Christ light. Christ Church, Pioche has adopted the highway leading into town. St. Timothy’s hosts Friends in the Desert (food program). St. Paul’s, Elko hosts and leads Boy Scouts. Grace, Trinity, and others host the homeless through Family Promise. St. Bart’s is beginning a program to combat hunger among school children. St. Peter’s, St. Matthew’s, St. Paul’s, Elko, All Saints and others support their neighborhood schools. St. Martin’s hosts teen night for all the youth of Pahrump. The list goes on. This year I will be promoting the B-BHAG (the Bishop’s Big Hairy Audacious Goal). It came to me last Martin Luther King Day. As a member of the Governor’s Commission for Nevada Volunteers, I was at an Ameri-Corps work site trimming hedge and raking up trash from an urban community center. I worked alongside teams from various places that wanted to do their bit for the common good. There were high school groups, baristas from Starbuck’s, people from a bank, etc. It reminded me of all the times in Georgia when I worked with Habitat for Humanity to build houses or with Rebuilding Together to rehab houses, always, without exception as a part of a church group – our name on the sign, our tshirts identifying our faith community. But as I looked around the work site this January, I did not see another Episcopalian. My BBHAG is just a special opportunity for us to do

what we already do so well in so many congregations. Next Martin Luther King Day, our goal is to field 300 Episcopalians at work sites around Nevada, each of them wearing our t-shirt which proclaims “Together We Can Change the World.” There are so many ways to make difference – visibly. It can be local mission or a global mission supporting the Millenium Development Goals of alleviating hunger, poverty, and disease. The greatest danger to the soul of the Church is fearful focus on survival. The minute we shift from mission to survival, we fail at both. Without a vital mission, the Church dies for lack of a reason to exist. The Christ light goes out in our part of the world. We have churches, both large and small, that are connected to their communities. The town knows they are there and, more importantly, knows why they are there. They know because the Church acts – acts visibly, as the church, with its nameplate on. The Church is the hands and feet of Christ. We have other congregations, large and small, where the town does not know are there – or in some cases the town is under the impression the church is closed – because they act closed. A church focused on its own survival is spiritually closed already. It isn’t in the game. But most of us are in the game. As we begin this year to form congregations into Jubilee Ministry Communities, we will learn more about what each other are doing. We will have a chance to learn from each other and feel each other’s support. We will experience our Communion as a sign of common mission – God’s mission here in God’s world.

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TRANSFORMATION, from page 3 for this type of leadership from within their Mission Districts. Serving on the SC is something we look forward to and want more [people] to join us. We need broad representation on this body from the four Mission Districts in order to succeed.” “Also, we’re working on developing working committees to advise us, such as Finance, Property, Investments, Human Resources, and Congregations. We hope that if people within the diocese are invited to be on one of these committees, they would say yes to serving for only 23 years – not a lifetime!” “The commitment of the new SC is great,” Stefani added. “The people are listening to one another, forming good questions, desiring the best for the diocese, and wanting to serve as wisdom council for Bishop Dan,” she said. The SC is approaching organizational challenges “by being in relationship with one another.” “We began with a two-day retreat in Las Vegas in January 2012, led by the Rev. Catherine and Doug

Gregg from the Diocese of Utah. We got to know one another, shared our ministries and stories, and began to look at the role of the SC beyond that of simply number crunching. We spent time discussing the strengths of the diocese and then focusing on the priorities for the mission of the diocese with respect to the budget: the allocation of our resources in the budget shows in one way where our priorities are,” she explained. “We’re not all about the money, but we do want to call the wider diocese into the process of developing the budget sooner [in the year].” “We’re just beginning to share our own values for the diocese,” Stefani wrote. “I personally see us living out the mission statement of the diocese. We are enjoying meeting with one another. We are really having a good time and we want the diocese to know that! We’ve shared the highlights of the ministries in our own congregations and Mission Districts, and we hope that enthusiasm, optimism, and sharing between congregations can be contagious. One goal is to

“We hope that enthusiasm,

build a strong SC during a time when there IS a bishop in place, not just during the times when there is no bishop. ” The Rev. Stefani described the people who make up the SC as “powerful, committed Christians in Nevada,” and went on to extend a serious invitation for others to join them. “We want to encourage people to consider serving on the ‘new’ SC if they want to be part of our growth in Nevada, or if they want to be part of a committed group sharing their faith lives in Nevada.” The SC meets once a month by phone. “The meetings are open, unless the issue specifically needs confidentiality, or when the ‘council of advice’ for the Bishop,” is invoked. Anyone with an item for the SC agenda can contact the Rev. Stefani, Bishop Dan, or any member of the SC. The SC will meet face to face in Virginia City for a retreat in June.

A message from the Editor Hallie Murphy It is clear to see with this edition of our quarterly diocesan newspaper that there are changes afoot. Serendipity forced me into electronic-only distribution and a simpler format for this May edition of the paper, and is opening the door to explore the wider question of how we communicate in the diocese.

During my six-year tenure as editor of The Desert Spirit, our core communications team has grown to address the needs of the diocese in a world of head-spinning technological advances. We shifted the monthly print paper to quarterly, expanded our email distribution list, and added a weekly eNewsletter.

We took down our website, built a new one, and saw a plethora of diocesan ministries launching their own sites. A year ago, we took down the old site and launched a new one designed to pull our fragmented web presence together and Continued on page 9

optimism, and sharing between congregations can be contagious. One goal is to build a strong SC during a time when there IS a bishop in place, not just during the times when there is no bishop.” – Rev. Stefani Schatz

Members of the Standing Committee are: President, Rev. Stefani Schatz (Rector, Trinity Reno) email rector@TrinityReno.org Bishop Dan Edwards Secretary to Convention, Dorothy Walrath Chancellor, Ann Morgan Treasurer, Jim Koehn Rev. Karen Albrethsen Patricia Holbrook-Seay Rev. Sandra Hudgens Mike Northrup Rev. Bonnie Polley The Very Rev. David Grube

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Liturgical Mysteries and More, Available from the Resource Center The alto wore tweed, the diva wore diamonds, the baritone wore chiffon, the mezzo wore mink, the tenor wore tapshoes, the countertenor wore garlic and the bishop laughed, chuckled, guffawed, and wheezed. The Liturgical Mysteries by Mark Schweizer, who reports on Hayden Konig, police chief, choir director and organist at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in the little mountain town of St. Germaine, are now available through the diocesan Resource Center. The Resource Center is located within St. Thomas Church, 5383 E.Owens, Las Vegas, NV 89110. In addition to the Liturgical Mysteries, the center has a collection of print, video and DVD materials of religious works with a particular emphasis on Episcopal and Anglican materials. Its holdings are accessible through the St. Thomas web site. Materials are available for checkout for one month, with a renewal period of two weeks, unless a request has been received for the same item. To obtain an item, please contact The Rev. Tim Swonger at 452-1199 or at tlswonger@embarqmail.com.

In order of Hayden’s appearances, the mysteries are: The Alto Wore Tweed The Baritone Wore Chiffon The Tenor Wore Tapshoes The Soprano Wore Falsettos The Bass Wore Scales The Mezzo Wore Mink The Diva Wore Diamonds The Organist Wore Pumps The Countertenor Wore Garlic and The Christmas Cantata

Since 2006, UCCS has: Established and supported 24 farmer field schools Upgraded livestock breeds for drought resistance Provided 169 she goats for orphans and vulnerable children Trained 22 resource people in soil and conservation measures De-silted and excavated 5 earth dams Constructed 32 subsurface dams Excavated 14 shallow wells

Ukamba Christian Community Services The Rev. Deacon Ann Langevin

Bishop Dan visited Kenya in early March and while he was there, he was introduced to the work of the Ukamba Christian Community Services which is the development arm of the Anglican Church of Kenya. Ukamba was initially funded by Bread for the World in order to alleviate poverty by improving water, health and agriculture in rural Kenya. They involve rural community members in selecting and carrying out projects.

How is Ukamba received by the locals? Before the UCCS, people walked long distances for water. Now they have water, their children aren’t as sick, their livelihoods have increased due to crop diversification, they are linked to more markets for their produce, and they’ve begun to plant fruit tree seedlings. Ukamba’s approach is to involve people at the community level. Their message is “self help is the best help” and the people appreciate it. Why should Ukamba matter to us? The Episcopal Church has embraced the Millennium Development Goals proposed by the

United Nations to alleviate world poverty by 2015. This calls for the national church, each diocese, each parish and each family to devote .7 of one per cent of its income to world relief. Bishop Dan asks us not only to keep the Ukamba Christian Community Services in our prayers but to forward a part of that .7 of one per cent to help the UCCS realize their goal of “self help is the best help.” Read more about the Ukamba Christian Community Services at www.ukambaccsack.org

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Registration for summer camp at Galilee has begun! We’re preparing for our best summer yet. Campers of all ages are welcome to join in on the summer fun with lots of opportunities to kayak, rock climb, sing around a campfire, sleep outside, and much more! Contact us to receive a registration form or register online at www.galileetahoe.org.

Summer Youth Sessions This year there will be five week-long sessions of summer camp, each geared toward a specific age group. Galilee invites campers ages 7 to 16 to learn, play, and explore in the great outdoors! Campers will be put into small groups lead by trained and experience staff members.

Campers will have opportunities to do arts and crafts projects, swim in the lake, learn to work as a team, try rock climbing and kayaking, and sleep out on the beach! Call us at (775)749-5546 to register or get your summer brochure today!

Camp Galilee Counselor Training, June 17-24 Are you interested in working at Galilee? If you’ll be 16 and through the 10th grade this summer, you’re eligible for our Counselor Training program! This program teaches skills in leadership, program development, and activities including kayaking, rock climbing,

outdoor awareness, and team building. No prior experience at Galilee is required. The cost is $200.00 per counselor. For more information or to apply, contact Stuart Campbell, Program Director, at executivedirector@galileet ahoe.org or by calling (775)749-5546.

Teen Backpacking Trek, ages 14-17 August 5-11 We will spend the week hiking from Mt. Rose to Spooner Lake, camping along the way. The program will include learning and discussing basic backpacking skills including low impact camping, packing and carrying gear, reading a map, how to use and

maintain equipment, and cooking in the outdoors. There will be opportunities to swim in the lakes, keep a journal, explore streams, cook meals, sleep under the stars, plan evening discussions, and share experiences. Experienced and beginning backpackers are welcome to participate.

Family Camp; August 5-11, or August 8-11

Weekend Adults Retreat, June 8-11 Join us in a weekend of relaxation and reflection! There will be optional program offered by Galilee staff and Rev. Laurie Chappelle, Rector of St. Catherine’s, Reno. The program may include some

hiking, kayaking, and discussion time. There will be plenty of time to unwind and enjoy the site, or take advantage of the many activities that the Tahoe basin has to offer.

Have a family vacation to remember at Galilee! Our family camp program will be a relaxing and exciting week with optional activities offered from Galilee Staff, a spiritual program led by the Rev.

Helen McPeak, and lots of time to make new friends and enjoy summer time at the lake! This year there is a half week option available August 8-11 in addition to the full-week program.

For more information, or to register for any of our programs, please contact us at (775) 749-5546 or visit the website www.galileetahoe.org. See you this summer!

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FREE Workshop on Estate Planning We are a Resurrection People We know we cannot store up our treasures on earth … and that it is wise to plan ahead; yet how many of us have in order our Living Trust, Will, Power of Attorney, and Directives for End-of-Life? Attorney Cassandra Jones from Carson City will be at this free workshop on Estate Planning help you get started, and information from a “funeral planning booklet” will be presented by Las Vegas Episcopalian Karen Wilkes.

HELP WANTED For all Registered Nurses in the State of Nevada: spend a week on the shores of Lake Tahoe during the Camp Galilee summer camping season. For information call Stuart Campbell at 775-749-5546.

The workshop will be on Saturday, May 12, 9:30am to 1:30pm at Trinity Episcopal Church, 200 Island Drive, Reno. Lunch will be provided. Please RSVP to Trinity at (775)329-4279.

Being Neighborly The Rev Deacon Gini Hart, Holy Trinity, Fallon

One thing we have going in Fallon is an active ministerial association. Starting Jan. 1, we began our alliance to help people in Fallon. We created a fund with donations from about ten churches and have a screening process to help more people and so that all Churches are not giving to the same person as the other Church. The association is headed by the Rev. Chris Miller from First Southern Baptist Church. So far it is really working well. We still help people individually.

Another wonderful thing happening is a prayer time. Every Wednesday from 12-to 1pm, we gather at a church and pray, either aloud or in silence. We each take one month at a time to have it at our church. People may drop in for 1o minutes and stay as long as they wish. We are asked to pray for the world, for peace; for our country, our state, and our city of Fallon, and the many needs of the world. The number of people who participate is increasing.

One other thing going on is every 5th Sunday through the year we have a singspiration. We gather at 6pm on that Sunday and praise God in song. Each church can choose to present a solo or group singing and the rest of the time is community in song. So far each church in turn has had a packed church. Two other programs that are ongoing, and not under the ministerial association, is a dinner put on twice weekly

and once monthly. A good meal is offered by Epworth Methodist. Another is the Nazarene Church, which has a food distribution every Thursday. We have people who volunteer for that, and Holy Trinity contributes something every month to those programs. That's about it. We are just being neighborly.

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Editor, from page 5 discovered the naked truth of how dynamic the combination of technology and relationships can be. Some dedicated, inspired people were burned out along the way, and others joined or recommitted themselves with the grace of saints to stay the course in an effort to move the diocese forward in this nebulous ministry of communications. It is work that is both frustrating and rewarding.

Episcopal Diocese of Nevada 9480 Eastern Ave., Ste 236 Las Vegas, NV 89123-8037 Phone (702) 737-9190 Fax (702) 737-6488 Diocesan Administrator: Ellie Wetherill E-mail ellie@episcopalnevada.org On the Web episcopalnevada.org

Like many diocesan newspaper editors, administrators, webservants, and information managers who have gone before me, my personal vision for establishing clear and effective communications among the many diverse and dynamic elements of our diocese remains beyond my grasp. Changes in relationships, organizational structure and technology continue to challenge me in ways I often find difficult to deal with, but the grace of God, through the Holy Spirit, is breathing new life and hopes into this ministry just as I’ve burned out and resolved to give it up.

As this issue of the DS is published, I will find myself at our staff meeting in Las Vegas. The Bishop’s staff is not a decision-making body: the people on staff are leaders of various organizational elements who are at present working on their roles and relationships. At one time, the staff was my primary source for networking and news, but the old staff is gone now, and we are moving through the chaos of discernment. It has been an uncomfortable, untethering and emotional journey for me. The scope and quality of the DS has suffered in the wake of these changes in relationship and other changes in personal context, a situation I find both untenable and enlightening. The untenable and enlightening epiphany is this: while it is time for me to release this ministry of communications as it has been, the passing of what was will most certainly make way for new life, new hope, and new vision for the diocese. It will also make way for me to find the same new life, new hope, and new vision within my personal context and calling. There

are new relationships and opportunities that, by the grace of God, will inspire new leaders in ways I cannot even imagine. What I do know is this: I have no skin left in the game. God is at work in me, and in our diocese. God speaks to my heart and mind through serendipitous signs, events, inspiration, the people in my life – and the consequences of ignoring these gifts have physical, mental, and relational manifestations. I know that I am called to teach and to write, to follow my curiosity into our stories and conflicted American culture, to be a co-author among many of future stories, and to bear witness to the healing, transformational power of Christ.

This has been a good run. I remain ever grateful for the friendships, grace, and opportunities that you - the people of our diocese – and God have given me.