2019 Easter Southern Cross

VOLUME 50 | ISSUE 1

EASTER 2019

Southern Cross MAGAZINE OF THE DIOCESE OF SOUTHWEST FLORIDA

Grace

IN NEW TAMPA

CANADA IN FLORIDA

•

JOURNEY 2019 SPEAKERS

PARISH PLAYGROUNDS • THE WAY OF LOVE DURING LENT • COMFORT IN FT. MYERS

YOUTH SUMMER CAMPS

CAMP 2019

Our campers participate in a Christian program designed to deepen their faith and strengthen their friendships through a variety of activities. Campers learn team-building skills and are challenged on our ropes courses, enjoy canoeing and kayaking on the Manatee River, and get a chance to just be themselves playing games and creating arts and crafts. Come experience God’s love through great music, worship and food this summer! Six sessions are planned for 2019.

WWW.DAYSPRINGFLA.ORG

ADOPT-A-CAMPER SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM Support our diocesan youth ministry by participating in the Adopt-A-Camper Scholarship program! Your donation sends a child to a camp session they may otherwise be unable to attend, and gives them memories which last a lifetime. You’ll receive a thank you note from your camper, and if you choose, you can inspire them with a note to your camper ahead of their camp session. For more information about this program, contact Greg Randall, Camp Director / Director of Youth Ministry & Programming at

grandall@episcopalswfl.org

BEST. SUMMER.

EVER.

From the Bishop My Dear Friends, I normally would write a full letter for the opening of the Southern Cross, but for this particular issue of Volume 50, Issue 1, our Communications Director Garland Pollard has written a letter both exploring and explaining the history of our communications, and our newspaper and magazine journey. I commend it to you.

Bishop Dabney Smith

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A NEW DAY FOR THE SOUTHERN CROSS

f you look on the cover of this issue, you will see that 2019 marks “Volume 50” for our diocesan magazine, the Southern Cross. While we celebrated our 50th convention last year, this year our publication cycle hits 50, as well.

For this 50th year of publication, we have continued to improve the magazine. This edition of the Southern Cross has a fresh, streamlined look from our managing editor Shannon Weber, and you'll also notice improved paper, clearer photos, and additional illustrations and graphics as we move away from newsprint. Our new paper allows us to be more efficient with our space, and using a lighter paper and updated fonts improves readablity while giving us an expanded amount of words per page.

Before the diocese began, there were other publications. During the era of the Diocese of South Florida, we published a handsome “house organ” called The Palm Branch. The Palm Branch, through its history, was printed on durable, long-lasting paper. Its elegant Deco typography was matched by thoughtful stories, and today, it provides a clear record of God’s people in Florida through much of the 20th century.

Our diocesan publication had various ups and downs through the decade in terms of size and content. When the decision was made to split into three dioceses, our section, the Gulfcoast Archdeanery, began publishing The Gulfcoast Archdeanery News. It was a simple typed newsletter, with few pictures and basic news of clergy, congregations and outreach, as well as the Around the Diocese column.

When the Diocese of Southwest Florida began, that paper was renamed The Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida News and first published under that name in February of 1970. The diocese had a contest for a clever name, and the Southern Cross was picked, as it refers to the constellation Crux, which appears as a cross in the southern hemisphere, and is bordered by the constellation Centaurus. This was years before Stephen Stills love song “Southern Cross,” which is also about the constellation.

During the launch of the original Southern Cross, the diocesan staff spent weeks collating and collecting names and addresses, which were mailed to congregations, and put out on index cards. Today, we keep our 15,000 plus mailing list in a database, updated in mere seconds.

Over the decades, the Southern Cross has had a number of formats, including newsletter, newspaper and magazine.

We even stopped publication for a time, but found we had an enormous amount of news in our diocese that we needed to share. We have continued to increase the number of stories and essays on our mission in the diocese, interspersed with news, features and Gospel filled sermons and essays. Our edition also exists online. This new format will not only allow for more stories and clearer photos from all around our diocese, but it will harken back to our earliest magazine, The Palm Branch. We hope you enjoy it, and continue to welcome your ideas, stories and letters.

SOUTHERN CROSS

YEAR 50 | ISSUE 1 | EASTER 2019 FIRST PUBLISHED AD 1970

Geraldine “Jerry” Buss | Bookkeeper jbuss@episcopalswfl.org Marilyn Erfourth | Receptionist merfourth@episcopalswfl.org The Rev. Martha Goodwill | Director of Congregation Support mgoodwill@episcopalswfl.org The Rev. Christopher Gray | Canon for Stewardship cgray@episcopalswfl.org The Rev Adrienne Hymes | USF Chaplain, Missioner Church Ext. ahymes@episcopalswfl.org Michelle Mercurio | Administrative Assistant mmercurio@episcopalswfl.org The Ven. Dr. Kathleen Moore | Archdeacon; Dean, School for Ministry kmoore@episcopalswfl.org The Rev. Richard Norman | Canon for Mission & Ministry rnorman@episcopalswfl.org Jan Nothum | Bishop’s Administrative Assistant jnothum@episcopalswfl.org Carla Odell | Executive Director - DaySpring execdirector@dayspringfla.org Garland Pollard | Director of Communications gpollard@episcopalswfl.org Greg Randall | Director of Youth Ministry & Programming grandall@episcopalswfl.org Tana Sembiante | Administrative Assistant to Canon Norman tsembiante@episcopalswfl.org Anne Vickers | Canon for Finance & Administration | CFO avickers@episcopalswfl.org 4

Bishop | The Diocese of Southwest Florida The Rt. Rev. Dabney T. Smith Assisting Bishops The Rt. Rev. J. Michael Garrison, The Rt. Rev. Barry R. Howe Canon for Mission & Ministry The Rev. Richard Norman Canon for Finance & Administration | CFO Anne Vickers Editor & Director of Communications Garland Pollard Managing Editor & Creative Director Shannon Weber Contributing Writers The Rev. Alexander Andujar, the Rev. Eric Cooter, the Rev. Becky Rogers-Penniman, the Rev. Canon Richard Norman, Andrew Walker, Jacqueline Williams Hubbard, Esq., Gary Mooney, Steve Reilly, the Rev. Michael Todd, the Rev. Kathleen Walter, Karin Winter Advertising Inquiries Garland Pollard | 941-556-0315 | gpollard@episcopalswfl.org Subscriptions | The Southern Cross is mailed to parishioners of the Diocese of Southwest Florida from member parish lists. Contact merfourth@episcopalswfl.org to subscribe or update delivery preferences Editorial Submissions | The editors welcome submission of articles for every section of the magazine, including features, news and departments. Please submit articles to gpollard@episcopalswfl.org 2019 Submission Deadlines Lent/Easter: January 25 Pentecost: April 12 Advent Issue: October 25 On the cover A view of the bell tower of Grace Episcopal Tampa, just after their dedication services this January.

FEATURES 18 O, CANADA! Each year, the diocese is blessed by hundreds of seasonal members from the Anglican Church of Canada. We meet a few.

22 AN OUTPOURING OF GRACE For two decades, Grace Episcopal in Tampa Palms has worked to live into its original vision. In 2019, the dream came true with the construction of a Gothic sanctuary for their park-like campus.

28 ON A JOURNEY

We take a look at the speakers and musicians at the 3rd annual Journey Conference series, coming this April to DaySpring.

DEPARTMENTS

Beloved Community | St. Augustine's Heeds the Call Around the Diocese Campus Ministry Mission and Ministry | Discerning Your Call Books | The Way of Love During Lent Living the Christian Life | Why Are We All So Angry?

FAMILY LIFE | INNOVATIVE PLAY AREAS In Memoriam Communications | Standing Out in an (Online) Crowd Briefly Parish Life | How a Priest is Chosen Parish Profile | Comfort Hall Renovation Youth | Summer Camp 2019 Sneak Peek Looking Back

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5

Beloved Community ST. AUGUSTINE'S HEEDS THE CALL

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nspired by Dr. Catherine Meeks' presentation at the 2017 Diocesan Convention, St. Augustine's hosted and participated in several events to answer the Episcopal Church's call for "Building the Beloved Community” and to begin this work among and within their own congregation.

These coordinated efforts created an organic environment for sharing and allow people to feel comfortable telling their stories. An archival record of the discussion "Difficult Chapters in our City's History" has been deposited in the Special Collection Department of Poynter Library, at the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg.

In the spring, St. Augustine’s and St. Alban’s hosted a joint storytelling concert featuring Valerie Tutson of Rhode Island. Prior to the storytelling concert at St. Albans, Mrs. Tutson presented a special telling of the Ethiopian Eunuch during Sunday brunch.

Later in the year, St. Augustine's offered a congregational storygathering workshop featuring Fanni Green, a USF theater professor and actor. Part one of the workshop allowed members to develop, share, and craft personal stories of significant life events. Part two of the workshop involved a community performance of Green and members of the congregation sharing stories.

Beloved Community activities initiated by St. Augustine concluded with Joie Cutliff, Jan Neuberger, Julie Armstrong and Jacqueline Hubbard joining members of the St. Petersburg Chapter of ASALH, Inc. in a pilgrimage and trip to the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama. The memorial includes 6

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by Andrew Walker & Jacqueline Williams Hubbard, Esq.

St. Augustine's congregants Jan Neuberger, James Corn and Hazel Allen led a roundtable entitled "Reflections on Dr. Meek's Convention Presentation."

Social worker Anita Pernell-Arnold led a conversation entitled "Buried Racism and Loving Thy Neighbor."

Dr. Thomas Hallock brought together longtime St. Petersburg residents Jana Perkins-Hall, Irving Sanchez III, and Gwendolyn Reese for a panel presentation and discussion on "Difficult Chapters in our City's History," focusing on the impact of urban renewal on African-American neighborhoods.

Andrew M. Walker followed the next week with a workshop, "St. Augustine's Soul Stories: Hope for the Beloved Community."

Lucy Yeager closed out the season-long program with a discussion "Meals of Reconciliation."

individual monuments featuring 800 suspended, weathered steel columns representing documented lynchings in various counties and states and a Civil Rights Museum. The group also visited Tuskeegee University, founded by Booker T. Washington and now a National Historic Landmark acknowledged by the National Parks Service.

As the conclusion to a productive year, in connection with the theme of the Beloved Community, St. Augustine received a United Thank Offering grant in support of the urban food project, Benison Farm.

During Lent, the congregation hosted a series of Wednesday evening panel discussions on racial reconciliation, each one accompanied by a simple supper of soup and salad prepared by members of the congregation.

INTERESTED? Find out more about ongiong progress at Benison Farm by visiting

benisonfarm.org

CAMPUS MINISTRY Campus ministry increasing their visibility at Bradenton campus The Diocese of Southwest Florida has had a long commitment to campus ministry at our facilities at University of South Florida in Tampa and State College of Florida in Bradenton.

Currently, the Rev. Michael Todd leads our campus ministry at State College of Florida, while serving as rector of Church of the Holy Spirit in Osprey.

Regular students who attend include a student who wants to pursue religious ministry in the future, a second year student struggling with a parent, and another whose father has converted to Christianity. There is also an an older student who works on staff in a janitorial position, a second year student from Guatemala, and a high school student who is in dual enrollment at SCF. A few notes from the ministry: The ministry is staying visible on campus, including leading prayers at the Jan. 29 board of trustees meeting.

At Winter Commencement on Dec. 13, Todd gave the invocation for the graduation ceremony. At Club Rush on Jan. 16-17, students promoted the Campus Ministry by giving out Bibles, and providing resources including prayer requests.

The chapel center currently holds Bible studies on Wednesday afternoons. Topics and video series have included the Gospel of John, Why Trust the Bible, and Doctrine.

They have also held “Lectio Divina” Gospel meditations. A prayer group gathers on Thursday mornings; the meetings include intermittent Holy Communion.

Currently, there are 21 students and six SCF staff who participate regularly in the chapel center.

Around the Diocese ST. PETERSBURG – Work has finished on a new organ console at the Cathedral.

A part of the work involved removing the old console and installing the new console. Once that was completed, numerous electrical and software tests have to be completed and tweaked to get the new console to communicate with our existing pipe organ. On January 27, the last Sunday morning with the old console, the Cathedral’s former organist and choirmaster, Roberta Poellein, played the concluding hymn and the postlude. Poellein was responsible for acquiring the current console more than 20 years ago, and it is fitting that she was the one to play it out for its final Sunday morning.

VENICE - St. Mark’s Episcopal Church Concert Series recently presented The Spiritual: Triumph Over Adversity performed by Jamal Sarikoki. A conductor, organist, baritone and pianist, Sarikoki is currently the Music Director at Venice Presbyterian Church and was accompanied by Peter A. Madpak, Organist and Choirmaster at St. Mark’s.

Over 250 members and guests joined Sarikoki in singing his opening number, Lift Every Voice and Sing. Moving to the organ, Sarikoki performed the Toccata on Amazing Grace arranged by Christopher Pardini, filling the church with such a full and robust sound on the recently purchased pipe organ.

SARASOTA - Church of the Nativity held their 15th Annual Flower Festival and English Tea on Feb. 22-23, 2019. Their theme was Give Thanks Day by Day. NAPLES - St. John's Order of St. Luke held a Naples Healing Conference entitled, ‘Listen, Love, Pray’ on Saturday February 23, 2019. Their guest speaker was Judith MacNutt from Christian Healing Ministries.

PALM HARBOR - Four St. Alfred's parishioners participated in a Meals of Hope Cabaret to raise money for that Clearwater area feeding ministry. Kevin Johnson and Scott Garrett presented a piano and flute duo, and Sue Broward and Dorothy Stevens offered a sing-along.

Four other deanery parishes participated.

Riley Elizabeth Tamargo Hughes was baptized Jan. 13 on the feast of the Baptism of Our Lord at St. Anselm’s Episcopal Chapel Center at USF by the Rev. Adrienne Hymes.

Courtesy Danielle Renee Photography.

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Mission and Ministry

DISCERNING YOUR CALL

To hear God's call for your life, you have to open your ears...and your heart.

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by the Very Rev. Eric Cooter

him to act. I said, “You’re kidding, One who created all we perceive, the hroughout my ministry as a right? It’s not the right time for us to go One who miraculously changed water priest, I have asked people away to seminary for three years, quit into wine is the same One who gives us to discern and pray about a my job, live on one income, leave our the gifts for mission, the passion to serve, ministry for which I believed home, and leave all our friends.” I made and the work to do. From our human they had the gifts. I have mentored excuses, tried to get out of it, hoping perspective, there are no perfect times lay people who initially were led to for the perfect time. I tried to control or circumstances to do ministry, but for “on the edge/out of the box ministry,” when I wanted to do ministry, but God the One who made us so perfectly, makes but after months of coaching, they would have none of it. He knew that it possible what Jack Good says are “certain suddenly felt a nudge to answer the was the right time for my family to set unexpected circumstances to push us call to traditional ordained ministry. I out on that new journey. Throughout to divert, to take a different choice, and have served as Nominating Committee my time of discerning my own ministry to use those opportune moments to chair for the diocese and over the years, I call, there were many kairos moments understand our true calling.” invited priests, deacons, and lay people to that made it clear to me that I needed to Later in his ministry, Jesus had consider serving in leadership positions be obedient to God. God opened every many kairos moments. One time Jesus and on committees and other groups. In door, and made it possible for us to serve, was teaching the crowds, and then the United States Air Force Auxiliary, I even when my agenda, my calendar, and he had a moment when something have asked young chaplains to consider my excuses would have kept me from happened unexpectedly. He stopped, taking on positions of leadership. Often responding to God’s call. saw all his people living daily in poverty, when I asked people to pray about sickness and in need, and with great responding to God’s call for lay or compassion he said, “The harvest ordained ministry, they had reasons THE ONE WHO CREATED ALL is plentiful, but the laborers are to say no. Fear of change or failure WE PERCEIVE, THE ONE WHO few; therefore ask the Lord of the results in excuses like “I’m not MIRACULOUSLY CHANGED WATER INTO harvest to send out laborers into his really good at that,” or "I just don’t harvest.” (Matthew 9:37b-38) have time.”

WINE IS THE SAME ONE WHO GIVES US Some things have never A kairos moment is defined THE GIFTS FOR MISSION, THE PASSION changed. Even in the church of the as when “certain unexpected TO SERVE, AND THE WORK TO DO. 21st century, and still today, the circumstances push us to divert, to work of ministry is beyond the scope take a different choice, and to use How about you? Maybe God has of what any one of us alone can do. Yet those opportune moments to understand the Master coaxes us to ask God to send our true calling.” Mary’s prodding of Jesus been nudging you to begin serving in a new ministry at your parish. Maybe some help. Remember: you are not being to action during the wedding at Cana was asked to change “water into wine,” but a kairos moment: my own call to ordained people have told you that you have the gifts for some special kind of service in merely to use the gifts you have been given ministry was a kairos moment. Nearly 14 the church. Maybe you said, “I have so for service in God’s Kingdom. When it years ago, someone saw gifts in me that I much on my plate,” or maybe like Jesus does come, please be open to that kairos could not see in myself. My priest asked in an unexpected moment, when the moment and with confidence in Our Lord me, “Have you ever felt called to ordained need was presented for you to serve, you Jesus to walk the journey alongside you, ministry?” My response was a lot like said, “it’s just not the right time.” The respond with “I will, with God’s help.”

Jesus’ answer when his mother wanted

INTERESTED? 8

Visit dioswfl.org > Leadership > Commission on Ministry to download the 2018 Commission on Ministry Manual - The Discernment Journey, for more information, or contact the Rev. Canon Richard H. Norman, at rnorman@episcopalswfl.org.

Books THE WAY OF LOVE DURING LENT For Lent, there are many resources to approach group studies in the Way of Love, a seven-part practice for a Jesus-centered life developed by the Church and Presiding Bishop Michael Curry. The pieces of the Way of Love are simple: Turn, Learn, Pray, Worship, Bless, Go and Rest. Adult forum curriculum, a set of books, a quiet day for Lent curriculum, and other materials are all available at episcopalchurch.org/life-transformed

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Last fall, Bishop Curry released his book The Power of Love: Sermons, Reflections & Wisdom to Uplift and Inspire. In the book, one of his sermons - his address to General Convention, details the genesis of this idea in a discussion about how the idea of the Way of Love developed, and what the church needs to do to better imitate the life of Jesus. Below is an excerpt from this sermon.

everal months ago, I invited a group of Episcopalians, clergy, laity, bishops, just a kind of a group of folk, and I asked them to come and meet, if they would just come and spend just a little bit of time to help me think and pray through how do we help our church to go deeper as the Jesus Movement, not just in word, but not just in deed, either, but for real. How do we help our folk to throw themselves into the arms of Jesus? How do you help me to do that? ‘Cause I know when we do it, and abide in him, we will bear fruit we never imagined. But I have to admit, Michael Curry didn’t have the answer. Still don’t. Yet, you’re saying, what are you going to say for the rest of the sermon?

And so we sat down, we met in the Atlanta airport, cause that was kinda easy, an easy place to be. We met in the Atlanta airport and we just kinda locked up, said Holy Eucharist, said our prayers, and just locked in with each other – we didn’t do any wining and dining in Atlanta. We didn’t go to underground Atlanta. We didn’t get any Paschal’s fried chicken, though I wish we had but nonetheless, we didn’t, and we locked up in Atlanta, we just stayed there and just kept engaging, and they kept pushing me and we kept going back and forth, back and forth, and finally we realized something, we didn’t need to come up with a new program for the church. We got programs and there’s nothing wrong, but we don’t need a new program. We don’t need a new program.

No. No. We realized that – wait a minute, we don’t have to do anything new!

Jesus said in Matthew’s Gospel, “The scribe who is fit for the Kingdom goes into their treasure box and pulls out something old that becomes something new.” And we realized that we already have what we need in the tradition of the church going back centuries. For centuries monastic communities and religious communities and people of faith who have gone deeper in this faith have lived by what they often call a rule of life; a set of spiritual practices that they make a commitment to live in, practices that help them open up the soul, open up the spirit, helped them find their way, a way of throwing yourself into the arms of God. They’ve been doing this for long, you don’t believe me ask St. Benedict. They’ve been doing this a long time and we realized, what would happen, what would happen, if we asked every Episcopalian to adopt what we’re calling a way of love, practices for a Jesus-centered life.

What would happen?

And we got folk together, some of the monastic communities helped us out, some of the theological scholars and poeple who do formation in the church helped us out. Because we have what we need. It’s sitting in this room. It’s in the church. We brought them together and asked, help us. And this is what they came up with. It’s not a program. But did you all get these?

Take ‘em out, take ‘em out. This is the old parish priest coming in me. I always gave my congregation some homework and had a handout. Got a handout? Everybody got it? If you found it, say, Amen!

If you can’t, say, Help me Lord. And look on that first one that says, What do we seek? We seek love. Because we all just want to be loved. We were made by the God, whom the Bible says is love. We were made to be loved and to love. We seek freedom. Every child of God was meant to breathe free. We seek abundant life, not bargain basement life, but the real thing. Maybe all that’s summed up by saying we seek Jesus. We seek Jesus. They came up with some words, and there’s all sorts of stuff online for you and should be up, I hope it is up by now, it’s already up, yep they’re nodding, it’s already up, the sources are there. This is coming from people in this church. The treasure was already here.

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Reprinted by permission. The Power of Love: Sermons, Reflections & Wisdom to Uplift and Inspire, 2018, is published by Avery, an imprint of Penguin Random House, New York.

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Living the Christian Life

WHY ARE WE ALL SO ANGRY?

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Doing the work of love is a wonderful thing, but it’s not always as easy as we hope.

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mmediately after Jesus says God’s promises were now alone live with, because even I didn’t like being around me fulfilled in Luke, Luke writes “Everyone in the synagogue very much. I wasn’t going to church yet, so I asked the person was filled with anger. They rose up and ran him out of I trusted most, my primary care physician, Dr. Willows, for town . . . so they could throw him off the cliff.” There you help. A pill, maybe? Nope. A counselor, she said. She gave me have it, today’s news in a 2,000-year-old book. a name or two, and I finally made the appointment and went.

If the headlines I see, the mail solicitations I get, and The counselor and I talked about my life, my hopes, yada, the talking heads I hear, have anything in common, it’s that yada, yada. I didn’t think the counselor and I were getting everyone is filled with anger and they are itching to throw much of anywhere until one session when we talked about my SOMEONE off a cliff. The outrage is apparently endemic; simmering pot of toxic anger. really, the only thing that separates us is who it is that we think She said anger can come out in different ways: general needs to be hurtled off the cliff. Each one of us is absolutely witchiness, sudden outbursts of rage (like those men in the certain we are right. The most dangerous among us are the synagogue), or everyone’s favorite, passive aggressiveness. religious ones, who are not only sure that we are right, but that (Queen of that, I was.) Then she said something that changed we are justified by God. my life. She observed that anger isn’t usually the first emotion, There’s a place in each of our hearts where we would it’s the second one. We feel it after we’ve felt something else. actually be offended if God were to favor THEM instead of US. So, what are your first emotions? What led to your anger? And That’s what’s behind that violent then, you need to decide whether fury in the synagogue that day: anger is the best response to what A WORLD WITHOUT LOVE FOR GOD Jesus had just declared that God’s you’re feeling, whether life is better AND NEIGHBOR AND SELF WILL promise of good news to the poor, for you when you’re wrapped in all RESULT IN A SCORCHED EARTH release to the prisoners, sight to the that anger, or if there’s another way WHERE EVERYONE IS LEFT IN MISERY. blind, liberation of the oppressed, you might cope.

THE GREAT THING IS THAT THE SAME and the year of the Lord’s favor, Wait, what? Anger is a choice?

2,000-YEAR-OLD BOOK THAT SHOWS then made it very clear these weren’t It didn’t make any sense. I thought US THAT THE NEWS DOESN'T CHANGE just for the chosen people of Israel, emotions just happened, like car MUCH ALSO SHOWS US HOW TO they were for everyone, absolutely wrecks or hurricanes. So she and ASK GOD TO HEAL US AND THEN everyone, even their ancient, sworn I explored some of the things that JOIN GOD IN HEALING THE WORLD enemies in Lebanon, and – as we’ll “made me angry,” and she was right. soon see when Jesus heals the INSTEAD OF SCORCHING IT. What often comes before anger?

Centurion’s servant – the detestable Fear. Grief. Disappointment.

Romans. This was intolerable, disgusting, and must be stopped! Frustration. Hurt. Rejection. Confusion. Abuse. Degradation.

In their fury, the men of the synagogue rose up to Disrespect. The list of “first feelings” is pretty long, actually. stop God’s promise of grace; if they couldn’t have it all for You might think of others. Whatever the first feeling is, it is themselves, then no one on earth would get it. This wasn’t at least unpleasant, often devastating, and we want it to stop. just me first, this was me only, or nobody. This toxic anger Now. is today’s news in a 2,000-year-old story. I know toxic anger Anger is the beginning of a sequence to make the first bad when I see it, because it came close to killing my spirit. feelings stop. Yes, sometimes, anger is indeed a valid response.

A long time ago, well over 30 years, I had it all, but I Jesus was angry at the money-changers in the Temple who were was unhappy. My husband was, and is, a good man, we had a preying on the poor and abusing Jewish traditions to make beautiful daughter, I had a successful career. But, I was unhappy. money. Some anger is indeed righteous anger. I quote what Not just unhappy, I was just generally angry, a simmering toxic Frederick Dale Bruner says about God’s wrath: stew that came out as, well, we’ll say “witchiness.”

The wrath of God is the love of God in friction with the I know I could not have been pleasant to be around, let injustice and hatefulness of people. The wrath of God 10

is the grace of God in collision with the selfishness and mercilessness of humanity.

God’s prophets, Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos, Micah, and many others were given the dangerous vocation of telling us not only that God loves us, which we like to hear, of course, but that God’s wrath is very real. Most of those prophets, along with Jesus, sooner or later were thrown off the proverbial cliff for telling God’s truth to us. Each of these prophets warned us that we need to turn from sin (and remember that our Presiding Bishop, Michael Curry, said that another word for sin is “selfishness”) and fulfill God’s will and law. God’s will and law are that we are to love God, love our neighbor, including the people we cannot stand, and love ourselves.

Let’s be honest. The vast majority of the time, our anger isn’t righteous anger about injustice. It’s about ourselves, and the bad feelings we have that we don’t like, or that we don’t know how to deal with. Back to those men in that synagogue in Nazareth.

Do you see that in their venomous hatred of others that undergirded their plan to stop Jesus’ healing by throwing him off the cliff, they not only broke the commandment to love their neighbor, they also broke the commandment to love themselves? A world without love for God AND neighbor AND self will result in a scorched earth where everyone is left in misery.

The great thing is that the same 2,000-year-old book that shows us that the news doesn’t change much also shows us how to ask God to heal us and then join God in healing the world instead of scorching it. In the Letter of James, we are given this path: "Know this, my dear brothers and sisters: everyone should be quick to listen." Listening, deeply and without pre-judging the other, may be the most compassionate act of love one human can do for another.

The test of real listening is whether we can tell the other person what we heard them say in a way that they can respond with, “Yes, that’s exactly what I meant.”

It’s hard. But when we do it, when we really understand what another is saying, we still may not agree, but we will at least be treating the other as we wish to be treated. It’s how we love our neighbor. The letter continues: be slow to speak.

Being slow to speak tremendously reduces the possibility that we will say something we’ll regret and can’t ever un-say.

Once we say something, other things are set in motion that we can’t stop. So, first, we need to consider what we want to happen, what helps us be the kind of person we want to be, and for those of us here, the kind of person that God created us to be.

A short test: say nothing that you wouldn’t say with Jesus there. Or, said another way, say only what you’d say if Jesus were there. Because, you know, he is. Finally, the letter says, be slow to grow angry.

Sometimes our anger grows slowly; sometimes it bursts

out in a sudden rage, but either way, it means we haven’t dealt with one of those first feelings. These emotions are real, they are important, they are affecting our life, and they point to whatever it is that we really need to deal with. So, back to my counseling. What did I need to deal with? What were my first feelings?

What was behind that witchy anger? It took a while to sort out, but it came down to two things: Resentment – my long work hours as a litigating attorney meant not enough time for my baby, my family, or myself. The other feeling was unworthiness, that I wasn’t truly lovable, desirable, valuable. In the years since I discovered this sense of being unworthy, I’ve found out that so many feel the same way; in fact, I’ve stopped being astonished by how many others have felt unworthy.

People who feel unworthy are, in a way, like those men in the synagogue: in not loving ourselves, we cannot truly love anyone else.

I’ve worked hard on these issues over the years; other first feelings popped up, too. The hard work has been worth it; I’m now much more comfortable in my own skin. I don’t as readily forget who I am when I walk away from the mirror.

There are still days, though, when I struggle to put love into practice. Life is difficult, and people can be annoying, not doing what I want them to do. I get all wrapped up in myself and can get pretty cranky. How thankful I am that God is patient, and putting love into practice starts with God, not me.

Sooner or later, God’s love does something to bring me back to myself.

Usually, that love comes by way of somebody who does something wonderful, maybe by listening to me, or reminding me I’m beloved, or just being kind. Never underestimate the power of a smile or a sincere compliment. God’s love, no matter how it comes, switches off the heat under my simmering pot of anger.

This love is the power of God, the power of the Spirit, which upholds, awakens, inspires, guides, and sends everyone out as prophets, even the children. Yes, God’s prophets sometimes get thrown off a cliff, but mostly prophets do what God’s prophets have done for thousands of years: we change the world by hearing the word of love, then doing it, speaking the truth of God by proclaiming good news, healing, liberating, and that this is the time of the Lord’s favor to God’s beloved creation.

As I’ve said many times before, yes, it’s hard work, and the forces of aggression, oppression, greed and materialism will oppose us. But a life of freedom, abundance, healing, faith, hope and love is the only kind of life that’s really worth living, and the retirement benefits are out of this world.

,,

The Rev. Becky Robbins-Penniman is rector of Church of the Good Shepherd, Dunedin.

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Family Life

INNOVATIVE PLAY AREAS Recreation areas may seem like child’s play, but our parish playgrounds foster a sense of community and togetherness which extends far beyond the members of a church.

I

n a retirement mecca like Southwest Florida, the parish playground might seem like an afterthought for most churches. But in recent months, two new playground projects have commenced in the diocese, including a natural playground at St. Hilary, Ft. Myers, and a new play area at St. Vincent, St. Petersburg.

Bishop Dabney Smith, who facilitated the St. Vincent playground through a diocesan growth grant last fall, has personal experience with playground projects. At St. Michael’s and All Angels in South Bend, Indiana where he served as a Rector from 1989 to 1998, the parish came together to build a new playground. The process was so beneficial to the congregation that it became a catalyst for more improvements. “Six years later,” Smith said, “we built a new church.”

Additionally, parishes large and small have accomplished redesigns and updates of older playgrounds. On Marco Island, the playground at St. Mark’s is seen as a major civic amenity and attraction, which is one of the premier attractions in Collier County.

“It draws families,” said Cathy Weis, the St. Mark’s, Marco Island parishioner who helped spearhead the complete reconstruction of their playground. “If they live within walking distance, they still come, and use our playground.”

Playgrounds Adapt to Parish Needs Playgrounds can take on many forms. Some traditional play areas require more space than you’d imagine; space many parishes simply do not have.

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At the urban Church of the Redeemer in Sarasota where open space is rare, there is only a small courtyard lawn in front of the parish hall that becomes an ersatz play area. Some parishes, such as Good Samaritan, Clearwater have an older play area that has a small amount of durable equipment that is well maintained, including a vintage duck “hobby horse."

Church of the Holy Spirit in Osprey has a small playground utilized by a visiting group on Wednesday nights, and has also been used during a congregation-

sponsored after school program. All of our parishes with schools have playgrounds, an amenity required by the state’s Department of Education.

Whatever the approach, having some sort of amenity for kids is a signal to the parish and wider community that youth is important. “As a parent of a toddler and guest of many parishes in the diocese, I am grateful for those that offer a fun and welcoming experience for our two-year old son,” said Greg Randall, director of youth ministry and programming.

The Iterative Approach Playground improvements can be as varied as play areas themselves, with many ways to accomplish a successful

renovation. St. Wilfred’s, Sarasota recently completed a playground renovation, which came about when the church realized the current area no longer meshed with the needs of their preschool. Some equipment was outdated, and much of it was geared towards older children. “It helps people realize that we are whole beings and our physical development matters,” said the Rev. Virginia Herring. “We all need a space to play.”

In previous parishes in North Carolina, Herring said that there had always been a playground, though in some places it had been locked and unavailable on Sundays. In deciding on what to do at St. Wilfred, they not only considered the needs of the school, but the wider neighborhood. When it was time for action, the parish and preschool started by replacing individual pieces of equipment. A used slide, purchased from Tampa, was the first improvement, which filled a temporary need. “That kind of got us through for a little while,” said Herring. St. Wilfred had to meet state school standards and requirements for licensed preschools; any substantial improvements require county building code approval. The retirement of longtime preschool director Lonnie Hershman was the impetus for a small campaign to step up the renovation effort; all told, St. Wilfred spent and raised about $30,000 for the play area.

Church Playground On Marco Island, St. Mark’s raised $180,000 for a completely rebuilt playground completed in 2016. Cathy Weis said that the playground at the

A NATURAL CHOICE FOR ST. HILARY'S

A few years ago, parishioners at St. Hilary’s removed their older metal play-set, which had seen better days and had recently become unsafe for children. Although funds were available to build a large new metal play-set, and a new location next to the nursery was available, parishioners soon realized that the area contained virtually no shade. Direct sunlight combined with warm Florida temperatures would make the play-set too hot for children to set foot on nine months out of the year. Adding a shade structure seemed a natural solution, but would double the cost to build the playground.

The solution came via a neighboring church who had recently installed a natural playground for their preschool. Research began, and a meeting between members of both congregations followed to determine what elements of the natural playground children gravitated toward, what areas were less popular, and how much St. Hilary’s decided to additional maintenance would be required give their own natural playground were St. Hilary’s to consider this option. a try for several reasons: costs were less

overall, it provides a cooler environment for kids thanks to an abundance of plants and trees, and at any point could easily be converted back to a natural area with little effort.

Everyone involved was very excited about giving community businesses and parishioners of all ages the opportunity to help create and maintain a beautiful, creative, park-like area on our campus. When St. Hilary’s contacted businesses to become “community partners” in this effort, they were just as excited about the project, donating labor and materials, volunteering ideas and offering discounts for products and services. The project received vestry approval in record time, and a week later, a lion’s share of the work was complete. St. Hilary’s officially broke ground on November 10, 2018, and volunteers showed up to help dig out grass, spread mulch, set up garden irrigation systems and plant butterfly garden vegetation.

St. Hilary’s is thrilled to be able to give children and their parents a beautifully shaded natural space which includes a wooden water trough, vegetable and butterfly gardens, a living teepee, leapfrog stumps, a mahogany trunk bench, a sandbox, a grassy play area and a shaded picnic area surrounded by trees which families can enjoy all year long.

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island parish had fallen into disrepair; not only was it rusty, but it was not appropriate for the four-year-olds who are in the parish’s VPK program.

Marco Island has a thriving youth ministry, and the parish saw the playground not only as a place for families with young children, but as a draw for the island as a whole.

Grandchildren often visit their grandparents during the season, and having something at the church is a welcome benefit for all. The parish’s geography is perfect for a public playground; its location on busy North Collier Boulevard is across the street from the Chamber of Commerce and a Chevron, and directly adjacent to a residential area.

To begin the renovation, the parish needed funding, which was ultimately met by a donation from a local business across the street. The owner’s child had 14

This page and previous page, St. Mark's, Marco Island.

Inset photo, Holy Trinity, Clearwater.

recently passed away, and friends and clients of the store wanted to honor the family in some way. Although the effort began with $10,000 set aside, the project grew along with the overall cost. As gifts came in, parishioners gathered ideas from playground vendors and decided how best to proceed with the play area. Most importantly, a construction supervisor was hired to navigate complex building codes and ensure the work was done safely and correctly.

A key to raising money was getting creative; helping “pave the way” if you will, were engraved pavers sold to benefit the project. “We went to the parish for money,” said Weis. “I was astonished. It

all came in.” Altogether, they raised about $180,000, far more than they expected to need. “It took us a couple of years,” said Weis. It took a lot of faith to rebuild the playground, but Weis said that it was a project they needed to do. It has since become a multi-generational island gathering spot–Starbucks is just around the corner–and a centerpiece for families.

“We see adolescents sometimes use playgrounds, especially as they take care of younger children,” agreed Randall.

“Believe it or not, I've seen a lot of teens engage in great conversation while sitting side-by-side on swings.”

In Memoriam The Rev. Robert B. Doing, 1929-2019 VERONA, WISCONSIN - The Rev. Robert Burns Doing Jr., a priest of the Diocese of Southwest Florida, died early Jan. 2, 2019 in Wisconsin. The Rev. Doing was born December 14, 1929 in Brooklyn, and graduated from Trinity College in Hartford, and General Theological Seminary. He married his wife Susan Shaw Doing in 1954. A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., he was ordained a deacon and a priest in the Diocese of Long Island under Bishop James Pernette DeWolfe.

He was a curate at Trinity Episcopal Church in Roslyn, N.Y., and vicar of St. John's Episcopal Church in Bristol, Conn.

From 1962 to 1982, he was the rector of St. James' Episcopal Church in Winsted, Conn. While in Connecticut, he became involved with the Faith Alive movement, associated with the Episcopal church in Darien, Conn., according to his son, James Russell Doing. His son said that his grandfather, Robert Burns Doing Sr., was an atheist who later came to Christ. The elder Doing served in the lay leadership of the Brotherhood of St. Andrew, where he traveled on evangelistic missions with Dutch writer and Holocaust survivor Corrie ten Boom.

He served at St. Anselm's, Lehigh Acres from 1982-1994, where he retired from active ministry. At the time, Bishop Rogers Harris wrote him that he would "no doubt be looking for ways to serve the Lord." In his retirement from active ministry, he assisted at All Souls, North Ft. Myers; St. Michael and All Angels, Sanibel; Holy Spirit, Osprey; and St. Paul's, Naples, among others. He moved to Wisconsin to be with his son in August, 2019.

He is survived by sons Mark Howard Doing, James Russell Doing, daughter Elizabeth Crissy Doing Tammaru, and 12 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. His wife of 61 years, Susan Doing, predeceased him in 2015.

The Rev. John ( Jack) O'Reilly, 1937-2019 SARASOTA - The Rev. John ( Jack) T. O'Reilly, a deacon who served at Church of the Redeemer and other Manasota Deanery parishes, died Jan. 7, 2019. He was born in Hartford, Conn on March 17, 1937, later moving to a farm outside of the city. He was a lifelong Episcopalian, confirmed in 1949 by the Rt. Rev. Walter H. Gray of Connecticut. After high school, he entered the Marines. On Jan. 17, 1959, he married his wife, Ina O’Reilly of Gardner, Mass.

In Connecticut, he worked in the aerospace industry until it collapsed. The O’Reillys and their children Kim, John T. and Byron K. O’Reilly moved to Florida in 1970, and soon after, began attending St. Wilfred Church. He found a position with the United States Postal Service. He was ordained June 13, 1998 in the Diocese of Southwest Florida under the Rt. Rev. John Lipscomb. In his time as a deacon, he served at Church of the Good Shepherd, Venice; St. Wilfred, Sarasota; St. Mary Magdalene, Bradenton; and Church of the Redeemer, Sarasota. He had an interest in Kairos Prison Ministry and attended ministry conferences on behalf of Bishop Lipscomb. He retired from active ministry in 2009.

He is survived by his wife, Ina; daughter Kim Brockway (Larry) and son Robert Leonard; son John T O’Reilly, Jr. (Lisa) and children Joshua (deceased), Lorna, Lianna, Jace, Jema, Austin and Sarah; son Bryan (Deanna) and children Kristen and Megan. He had two great-grandchildren, Olivia and Elizabeth.

Jody McWhorter Tiffany, 1935-2019 NAPLES - Joanne McWhorter "Jody" Tiffany, a long-time lay leader in the life of the Diocese of Southwest Florida and her parish Trinity-by-the-Cove, died Jan. 12, 2019.

Born April 2, 1935, she served the church both within the parish and at the diocesan level. She had been co-chair of the Episcopal Relief & Development effort in the Diocese of Southwest Florida, and had appeared yearly at Annual Conventions on behalf of Episcopal Relief. She also represented the diocese at national Episcopal Relief conventions. "She was a loving woman with a servant's heart who wanted to make lives better for people she would never meet, especially with her work with Episcopal Relief," said Bishop Dabney Smith.

At Trinity-by-the-Cove, she had been involved in many ministries including head of youth ministry and serving as chalice bearer and lector. She had also taught Christian formation, served on the Women of Trinity chapter of the Episcopal Church Women, served on Cursillo teams and had been a co-chair of Trinity's Altar Guild.

Her husband, Robert Tiffany, predeceased her in 2015. She is survived by an extended family and children Susan Long, Pam Landers, Scott Tiffany and Robert Tiffany.

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Communications

STANDING OUT IN AN (ONLINE) CROWD Google has all the tools you need to get your church on the radar: learn how make a simple (and free!) Google function work for your parish.

P

ro tip: one of the most effective ways to promote your parish is free. At the annual Word Out Communications Day this January, Sarasota search engine expert Scott Gonello of the firm Gonello SEO discussed with attendees the simplest and most basic item that can help parishes share information; specifically the Google My Business listing.

Google is constantly transforming the ways in which it presents information about local businesses and non-profits.

In its early days, Google simply indexed the pages that were presented online. A church, at first, probably had a few basic pages of information listing the service times, clergy, vestry and mission statement. But as businesses flocked to the web, websites became more detailed, page numbers increased, page organization became more complex for search engines. Google now indexes a multitude of information, from photos to social media posts to local directories, each of which must be presented instantly to users.

It goes without saying that each parish should have a website that is current, clean, and easy to navigate. Your web address is like the main telephone number or street address for the parish. Google relies upon your information to match it to known facts about your parish, including your street address and GPS coordinates. Google results change by destination; what someone sees in Naples for “St. John Episcopal” might not be the results seen in Tampa for the same search string.

Try this: simply search for your congregation, and see what comes up on Google. Do this on a desktop computer, as you can better see what happens. Search for the parish name in quotes or without, or search with different spellings and colloquialisms. In most instances, the main website of your parish will be your first result, followed by a Wikipedia entry or official Facebook or Instagram page. Ideally, the website will show up at the top while the most important sub-pages of your website shown beneath it. Look to your right, and you’ll see a key element of your search results: the Google My Business area.

GOOGLE MY BUSINESS: JUST THE FACTS The Google My Business sidebar is a quick shot of practical information which can boost your parish's visibility and help get people through the door. Make it a group effort: encourage your parisioners to write reviews and add photos while you link social media profiles, answer questions, and update information so the listing stays fresh and accurate.

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Google My Business appeared in 2014, and it has changed the way many companies approach the web.

Gonello says it is simply the most effective, easy and inexpensive way to promote your parish.

Though it’s easy to disagree with their market power, Google receives and filters the lion’s share of search requests, so churches should take advantage of the opportunity to use it to attract new people in the community. While those are important thoughts, the reality is that a full 90 percent or so of searches come through Google.

A Google My Business listing is simply a gratis, bare-bones advertisement about your church. It’s there whether you like it or not, pieced together by algorithm and connected to your address on Google Maps, which is an essential part of a future parishioner finding their way to your parish.

If a church has not posted its own Google My Business, what you’ll see are the results from elements posted online about your church. Sound troubling? Fear not: Google offers each institution an opportunity to curate the information on the listing, and add your own photos, events, and information. The magic words to look for?

S I H T N W O ?

BUSINESS Once you claim the listing as your own, you can manage the listing as you would a miniature web page.

Designate a person at your office to take charge of updating information, answering questions, and monitoring activity.

Get your church community involved: encourage them to post comments, add reviews and upload photos about your church online, all of which feature prominently when others are looking for a church to visit. The listing is public, which means you can't control everything about it; negative reviews are a fact of (online) life. While you cannot remove negative comments or reviews, enough positive reviews will keep your star rating high. Negative comments can be unwarranted, but at times can bring real issues to light; treat any you recieve as a way to find solutions to potential problems. A little positive engagement goes a long way, takes mere minutes, and can yield overwhelmingly good results.

Need help with your online communication initiatives?

Visit our website at episcopalswfl.org > About Us > News Room to download the Web & Secret Shopper Checklist. For more information, email Communications Director Garland Pollard at gpollard@episcopalswfl.org or call 941-556-0315.

SAVE THE DATE

EASTERTIDE QUIET DAY The Rt. Rev. G. Porter Taylor, who served as the sixth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina, will be the facilitator for the Eastertide Quiet Day at DaySpring on Tuesday, April 30.

G. Porter Taylor served as the sixth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina from Sept.

18, 2004 to Oct. 1, 2016. A native of Asheville N.C., earning his B.A. in English from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, his M.A. in English from the University of South Carolina, and his Ph.D. in theology and literature from Emory University. He received his M.Div. from The School of Theology at Sewanee and served at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Franklin, Tennessee. Currently he teaches at Wake Forest University Divinity School as a visiting professor for Episcopal Studies.

Before his call to the episcopate, he served seven years as rector of St. Gregory the Great Episcopal Church in Athens, Georgia. He is the author of To Dream as God Dreams: Sermons of Hope, Conversion, and Community, and From Anger to Zion: An Alphabet of Faith. He is married to Jo Taylor, an artist and research nurse. They have two children, Arthur & Marie.

THE DETAILS TUESDAY | APRIL 30 DAYSPRING EPISCOPAL CENTER TIME | 10:00 am COST | $10 WHAT TO EXPECT | Teaching sessions, lunch, personal time and walkabouts on our Manatee River campus. Individuals and groups are welcome.

REGISTER ONLINE dayspringfla.com/easter

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O Canada!

The relationship our parishes have with our Neighbors to the North is a special one: they come, they serve, they're a part of our community, and we welcome their arrival with open arms.

,

by Garland Pollard

In John Irving’s bestseller

A Prayer for Owen Meany, the crux of the book takes on the issue of faith, the Episcopal and Anglican Church, and the U.S. and Canada. The book centers around the friendship between Meany and his friend John Wheelwright growing up in a small New Hampshire town. Wheelwright, the narrator, in later life abandons the U.S. for Canada, where he teaches at an Anglican school and reflects on his faith, much of it learned from scrawny Owen Meany, a sort of Jesus figure.

While many see the contrast between a Canadian Anglican and Episcopalian as a classic distinction without a difference, Irving uses the subtle dissimilarities in that 1989 18

book to drive the narrative and the conflicted thoughts of Wheelwright, whose observations on the Episcopal Church reflect deeper political differences between the U.S. and Canada.

“Being an Anglican is a lot like being an Episcopalian, so much so that being an Anglican occasionally impresses upon me the suspicion that I have simply become an Episcopalian again,” says Wheelwright, a.k.a John Irving. “Anyway, I left the Congregationalists and the Episcopalians – and my country once and for all.”

The Canadians who come to Florida each year, by contrast, have not left Canada once and for all. Our beloved snowbirds venture in from northern territories as

!

reliably as whooping cranes, white pelicans and Canada geese. One of the joys of being a part of an Episcopal church in Southwest Florida is the migratory mix of visitors each Sunday. Multi-generational families, dropin visitors from the Anglican community, and seasonal regulars from all over the U.S. and points beyond adorn the pews on any given week. On an average Sunday, there are approximately 12,000 who attend our parishes. In that mix, dozens of countries are represented, but among the most taken for granted are our Canadians. Across the Diocese of Southwest Florida, Canadians are a considerable presence and are one of the things which make our diocese unique within the Episcopal Church as a whole. Not only are there Canadians in every parish, the diocese is blessed with a number of Canadian priests and at least three parishes that have a visible Canadian presence, including St. Anne of Grace, Seminole; St. Mary’s, Bonita Springs and St. Alban’s, St. Pete Beach.

“I would like to kidnap them all, and have them stay forever,” said the Rev. Georgene “Gigi” Conner, the priestin-charge at St. Alban’s, St. Pete Beach. Conner says that the Canadians in her parish are essential. Conner says that no matter how involved they are up in Canada, they step up. “As soon as they come down here they are involved,” said Conner.

“They are wonderful.”

A highlight of the year at St. Anne of Grace, Seminole, is Canada Sunday, where Canadians in the congregation serve as ushers and chalice bearers, and they honor each province with a flag. The Royal Canadian Legion is part of the celebration.

Although they hail from a variety of provinces, the Canadians at St. Anne of Grace have a distinctly Newfoundland-ish flair. Nearby St. Alban’s, St. Pete Beach also has a large group of Canadians that enrich the parish in many ways, not only with their financial support, but their willingness to serve and immediately become enmeshed in the parish.

Canada is one piece of the worldwide Anglican Communion, of which the Diocese of Southwest Florida and Episcopal Church are a part. The churches of the Anglican Communion are well represented in the diocese. The former countries of the British Empire, loosely connected as the Commonwealth, provide many wider connections to the worldwide Anglican Communion.

The British Bureau of Florida has tried to count the number of U.K. expats in Florida, and believes there are about 400,000 in the whole state. Patricia Kawaja of the British Bureau says that the greatest clusters of British citizens in Southwest Florida are in Sarasota and Naples. Perhaps not coincidentally, Church of the Redeemer Parish Administrator John Walsworth and St. Mary’s Bonita Springs’s Office Administrator Ian Mitchell are both British-born. Within the

laity, the connections are often complex. One of the oldest members of an Episcopal parish in Southwest Florida was Dora Riverol, who was born in London under Edward VII and grew up in Belize, British Honduras. A national tennis champion of Belize, she retired to Florida at age 90, and worked in the Redeemer Thrift Store well after she turned 100. She died at age 106.

It is common for priests to move around in the Anglican Communion. England native The Rev. Mike Branscombe served at Church of the Ascension in Clearwater until 2015, when he returned to England and Birmingham. The Rev. Benjamin Twinamaani of Grace Church, Tampa, hails from the former colony of Uganda. The Rev. Canon Richard Norman, our diocesan canon for mission and ministry, served in the Diocese of London; his wife Adrienne is a native of New Zealand.

The Rev. Kay Richardson, from St. Helen’s Anglican in Orleans, Ottawa, decided on Southwest Florida after looking at a number of places after her retirement from active ministry. After a search of locations, she and her husband decided on Naples. While here, she serves and preaches at St. Paul’s. Having the Canadians here is a great benefit, she says. “There is always cross fertilization when they come from a different place.”

There are some slight differences; alternative worship in Canada has a “Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ” that the congregation says before the Gospel is read. In the past, the Canadian churches were more like English churches, but that has evolved over time.

“There are more differences between two parishes in the same country,” said Richardson. “It’s all getting blurred now."

The Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida is a great place for Canadians to find a church home away from home.

Southwest Florida can learn from the Canadian church, particularly the Diocese of Montreal, because it has had to be extremely creative. Anglican churches have suffered in recent decades due to a large amount of English speakers migrating away from Quebec. In Ottawa, Richardson at one time had five churches in two dioceses under her care; thanks to some innovative reorganization, her successor currently has three of those original five churches plus three more.

She calls St. Paul’s, Naples, a very welcoming place for all, both seasonal and year-round. However, not all Canadian Anglicans who attend regularly in Canada attend in Southwest Florida. Like many visitors, they crave a break from church in the same way as they crave it in their normal routines. To meet people where they are, parishes offer meals, activities and service opportunities, so that Canadians feel that they have a home here even if they crave a break from weekly services.

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Compatible History, Culture That the Anglican and Episcopal churches work well together both historically and present-day is by design. “I recognize in my serving on the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church that here is a liaison from the Episcopal Church that participates in the Anglican Church of Canada meetings that report back to us,” says Bishop Dabney Smith.

“We therefore have, between our two churches, an ongoing, lifegiving relationship that is both historical and contemporary.”

When Canadian families join our congregations during the season, Smith says that perhaps they are “among the strongest associate members because of our long-standing history with each other, and work within the Anglican Communion.”

Canadian presence often becomes a part of the yearly parish rhythm. For instance, the Rev. Roy Shepherd has served for decades as an assisting priest at St. Wilfred, Sarasota. This year marked the first year he was unable to be in Florida for the season, but in three decades, he has served nearly as many months here as in Canada. Many who know the longtime rector of St. Mary’s Bonita Springs, the Rev. Michael Rowe, do not know that he is a native of Canada.

The Rev. Pam Milhan, deacon at St. Anne of Grace, noted that there are small Canada touches in the service that

a rid o l it F s vis rida i s n dia st Flo a n hat ith a hwe ns. t C d n w e io ut illio d So stinat timat dians m s a 3 r, an de er 14 e an Ov h yea e top in 20 lion C h ist a mil da. eac ong t m o ri lf am con re ha in Flo E e Th re we omes the ter h win

no one notices. Milhan says that the Rev. Jack Hyde, a retired Canadian priest who has served in the diocese for decades and attends St. Anne of Grace, taught her to cross her fingers while her hands were together in prayer while she is at the altar.

Instead of touching all fingers together, he told her to “Cross the thumbs to make the sign of the cross.”

Hyde has served a number of parishes in the diocese as an interim priest. He says that the differences between the Canadian and Anglican churches are no longer appreciable.

“They’ve changed in both churches,” said Hyde, who came very close to leading the parish at St. Anne of Grace, but was instead sent to St. Mary's, Bonita Springs. “There’s little or no difference, which accounts for a high number of Canadians.”

Whirlwind Back and Forth

St. Anne of Grace: the Anglican flag of Canada is at right.

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Canadian priest the Ven. David Oliver spends about six weeks a year in Florida, going back and forth two times to his Bonita Beach sailboat (in Canada-ese it’s a “bowt”) named Whirlwind - a 34 foot Hunter with his wife Diana. While here, he serves at St. Mary’s in Bonita Springs. The visits are not only an encouragement to him, but a blessing to his ministry to the wider Anglican Communion, as St. Mary’s supports his mission trips to Kowak Theological College, in the town of Kowak, Diocese of Rorya, Tanzania. Just this week, he was there preparing a talk on his rainwater project there.

“There are just enough differences to occasionally trip you up,” said Oliver, who served in the Diocese of Montreal as archdeacon missioner of Quebec. Oliver says that the Canadian interest in Florida goes in both directions; he served

Pictured here, a mission to Roatan, Honduras by Bill Overton of St. Anne of Grace. The regular missions to the church are shared among a number of congregations, including Canadian and U.S. congregations.

at St. Barnabas in North Hatley, Quebec, a parish that had a strong presence with wealthy Southerners who did not want to be in New England during the summer. At one time in history, he said, the parish was so American that it did not really welcome Canadians at all, and instead ministered to the domestic staff that the Americans brought along.

The welcome here, however, is unequivocal.

“I’m happy to be of service to the diocese,” said Oliver.

“It gives me great joy, as well.”

The Rev. Pam Milhan, deacon at St. Anne of Grace, says that a key part of the Prayers of the People each Sunday is a prayer for “Justin, Donald, and Ron" - Justins Welby and Trudeau, the Archbishop of Canterbury and Canadian Prime Minister; along with President Donald Trump and Governor Ron DeSantis.

In Canada, the Anglican Church is the third largest denomination, with over 545,000, or five percent of Canadians on parish rolls.

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d ll ar

o P d lr an a G by

An Outpouring of 22

GRACE

W

hen the planning committee at Grace Church, Tampa Palms was charged with building a new sanctuary, they did a potentially disastrous thing: They asked everyone in the congregation what they thought, and paid attention to the answers.

“We actually did a poll of the parish,” said Warren Sponsler, the former senior warden of the church, and the chair of the Amazing Grace Committee, whose members were instrumental in building the new sanctuary. The result of architecture-by-committee was a bit of a surprise: Sponsler said that people really preferred a more traditional approach rather than the contemporary one.

Led by the Rev. Benjamin Twinamaani, a native of Uganda, the new Tampa parish is one of the most diverse in the diocese. It contains elements new and old, including a Rite I service, and a contemporary Rite II service. It felt essential that the building needed to connect all of those disparate threads seen in the Anglican Communion. “Our parish, you would think is very modern. [Yet] the majority of the people liked a more traditional feel, that had a contemporary flair to it,” said Sponsler. “We figured out a way to do it. It’s not super traditional, but it has all the old Anglican tones.”

The new sanctuary, which was dedicated Jan. 12, 2019, sits in a wooded area off of Bruce B. Downs Boulevard just west of that artery’s intersection with I-75. Grace Episcopal moved to the site over 20 years ago, after land had been sold

to the diocese from the original developers of Tampa Palms.

From 1997 on, the parish worshipped in a modern multipurpose building, but it had never been able to fulfill its promise to the community to build a full church sanctuary.

The new 2019 building, which has a modified Gothic style, encompasses not only the new church sanctuary, but a new bell tower surrounded by fresh landscaping. The old parish hall - upgraded and renamed Canterbury Hall - contains a full commercial grade kitchen, and is available for weddings and civic events.

The Rev. Lynn Grinnell, the parish deacon, says that the working group on the Amazing Grace project coined the term “soft Gothic” for the building style, as the colonnade and many elements are a streamlined, modern version of the classic design style. The mechanics of the survey, said Grinnell, helped to formulate many of the choices for how they wanted the church to expand. In addition to the choices, there was one surprise request that came back in the fill-in-the-blank part of the surveys. It was a request for pews and kneelers, which were incorporated into the unconventional design for Grace parishoners, who clearly knew what they wanted.

Longtime friend of the parish, the Rev. Ed Henley, reflected that rather unorthodox approach taken by the Amazing Grace committee might seem risky, but the results spoke for themselves. The stone building looks and feels like a church, and as new as it is, the way it sits nestled behind trees on Amberly Drive makes it seem like an old friend. “A lot of the people in the community say, wow, it looks like a cathedral,” said Sponsler.

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Dedication this January The new Grace Episcopal Tampa was dedicated on January 12, 2019 in a ceremony presided over by Bishop Dabney Smith. The ceremony began outside, with bagpipes and choir. The Amazing Grace team was all there, including Richard Armading, junior warden and project manager; Capital Campaign Chair Etta Green; Vestry Liason Peter Van Dyke; and Committee Member Dr. James O. Brookins.

Longtime parishioner Nancy Guss played a medley on the bagpipes, as the choir and parish entered the new building.

Hymns reflected the Anglican hit hymn pantheon “I Come With Joy to Meet the Lord”, “Lift High the Cross” and “God is Working His Purpose Out.” In his remarks, Bishop Smith remarked on the importance of the occasion. At the service, he said that he was blessed to be able to say the Prayer for the Dedication and Consecration of a Church, which is not said often in the Episcopal Church as so few completely new church sanctuaries are opening.

“There is a prayer that is set apart in this service of sanctuary dedication that only bishops get to say,” said Smith.

“And it is a rare event if they do. I have had the opportunity more than a handful of times to offer this prayer,” said Smith. “I know that some bishops never get to.” The service included the dedication of the Baptismal font, the ambo, the Content 236R organ and the altar, as well as all of the church furnishings and ornaments.

Glass Now Full After the possibility of the widening of Bruce B. Downs Boulevard and the sale of a piece of the church property to the City of Tampa in the early 2010s, the leadership of the church took on that possible blessing as a challenge.

Eventually, the church property was taken by eminent domain. All told, the sale amount was $3.72 million. The money not only eliminated the debt of the church and enabled the parish to have seed money for a new sanctuary, but it allowed for a $1 million endowment. Additionally, the parish established a First Fruits Committee to distribute a ten percent tithe of $372,000. This tithe has gone for a number of causes, including fixing the roof of the St. James House of Prayer, a National Historic Landmark in the Tampa Deanery.

“It provided the ability to pay all of our debts and also have the funds for a modest church,” said Grinnell.

Before the arrival of the Rev. Benjamin Twinamaani, the parish had a somewhat “glass half empty” mentality. Through the process, Twinamaani encouraged the vestry, referring to

the Gospel of Matthew, and the parable of the talents.

There were three parts to the call. To reinvest in the neighborhood, as part of being in the Tampa Palms neighborhood; to share their faith; and to announce a master plan of facilities as to what they could become. In 2016, they came up with a new master plan, which called for the construction of the new church building.

In deciding the future of the parish, Grinnell facilitated vestry using the Appreciative Inquiry approach: in the end, they were agreed. “Every single member of the vestry signed onto it,” said Grinnell. Critical to the process was the need to raise funds: even though they had money for a new building, they would need to raise $450,000 in total. So far, they have raised $380,000, and expect to meet their $450,000 goal when the full campaign is finished.

Getting the details of the building into a plan with a committee was a challenge. Working with a design build firm, they went through alternatives for where the building might be located, and what it might look like. They were limited in location by wetlands restrictions on the property. Sponsler said they looked at many alternatives; ideas such as the separate bell tower grew from looking at other churches.

Other more challenging elements seemed to take care of themselves. An ambitious campaign to have stained glass windows was fulfilled within eight months, with nine

GRACE BY THE NUMBERS 1988

Diocese acquires property at Tampa Palms

1992

Church planting effort commences with missionary effort of St. John’s Episcopal Church, Tampa, and the Rev. John Peterson.

The Rev. Larry Hooper arrives as church planter.

1992

First service held May 12.

1994

Grace Episcopal becomes organized mission

1996

First capital drive begins. 20 acres of conservation woodland purchased.

1997

First services in new building.

1999

The Rev. Robert Cain appointed vicar.

2003

Grace achieves parish status.

2005

The Rev. Benjamin Twinamaani arrives.

2017

Construction begins on new sanctuary.

2019

Dedication of new sanctuary.

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“Our parish, you would think is very modern.

[Yet] the majority of the people liked a more traditional feel, that had a contemporary flair to it,” said Sponsler. “We figured out a way to do it. It’s not super traditional, but it has all the old Anglican tones.”

generous pledges paying for the first set of windows. “I could not believe how many people pledged for windows,” said Sponsler. “I literally thought we would be opening with one window.”

Finding other elements was a different matter. Today, many parishes are eschewing pews in favor of alternative seating. “It was kind of hard to find some of the pews and stuff like that because some of the stuff you look for now is more modern,” said Sponsler. Designs had to be modified several times to stay within budget; all told, the project totaled about $1.5 million.

Previous page and above: Interior construction photos of Grace Episcopal Church at various stages of development.

The windows behind the altar have already been replaced with stained glass given by donors.

A Difficult Journey The Rev. Larry Hooper, who led the church from 19922000 as church planter, said that the journey, while difficult, has turned out even better than envisioned. An earlier vision for the site, which they were unable to raise funds for, remains just a rendering in the hallway. “I am so glad we did not do that. It would have been a mistake.”

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Hooper was reminded of the first time they had church on the new site; they received a parade permit to process down Amberly to occupy a new multi-purpose building, now their parish hall. They could not get a certificate of occupancy before the first service, however, and had to put up a tent to worship. The location? The current building site, giving the place a “peculiar poignancy.”

“We built a tent of meeting, as good Hebrew people would do in those days,” said Hooper. But at the dedication service, Hooper compared the construction and subsequent celebration of the building to David, who danced around the

ark. The ark’s arrival in Jerusalem was not the end, but rather just the beginning. Councilman Luis Viera, who represents the New Tampa and District 7 on Tampa City Council, put the building in context. He said that the church was “not just a beautiful building” that would affirm that great Anglican Episcopal and “great mainline Protestant tradition.” Instead, it would be a place where the needs of the community would be taken care of, in baptisms, weddings, funerals and even the tragedies that befall us.

“Many of the times my family had needs, they would get taken care of in the church," said Viera. “Think about the needs that will be taken care of …..That’s what this building is all about.”

Prayer for the Opening of a New Church Through the ages, Almighty God has moved his people to build houses of prayer and praise, and to set apart places for the ministry of his holy Word and Sacraments.

With gratitude for the building of Grace Church, we are now gathered to dedicate and consecrate it in God’s Name.

Let us pray.

Almighty God, we thank you for making us in your image, to share in the ordering of your world.

Receive the work of our hands in this place, now to be set apart for your worship, the building up of the living, and the remembrance of the dead, to the praise and glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Let the Doors Be Opened

Dedication January 12, 2019

Grace Episcopal Church, Tampa

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For the third consecutive year, the Diocese of Southwest Florida and DaySpring has offered a major weekend of worship, fellowship, and theology called

The Journey Series This signature yearly conference series is an opportunity to bring renowned speakers and music to DaySpring Episcopal Center to encourage attendees to get inspired and feel nourished.

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For the 2019 event, the weekend tackles the idea of Gratefulness in all aspects of life. Speakers for the upcoming conference include writer Diana Butler Bass, the author of Grateful: The Transformative Power of Giving Thanks, and Kristi Nelson, executive director of A Network for Grateful Living.

The April 25-27, 2019 conference is an opportunity through speakers, music and reflection to ask questions and get inspired in your personal faith. The weekend also features music from recording artist Fran McKendree and River Guerguerian, a noted percussionist. McKendree and Guerguerian have led worship music for the two previous Journey weekends, traveling to DaySpring from North Carolina.

Fran McKendree first made a name in the 1970s with his critically acclaimed band McKendree Spring. McKendree Spring recorded for Decca Records in an era of other violinstrong bands that included Kansas and ELO. McKendree played numerous large venues including Radio City Music Hall, and has played with storied musicians including concerts with Billy Joel, Livingston Taylor and Elton John. In recent decades, he has found a home in Asheville, North Carolina, and travels across the country leading worship music at Christian conferences, including his own Awakening Spirit event, which he leads.

McKendree’s work has shifted from popular music to worship. He says that his hope is “to remain thankful for and receptive to the movement of God in my life, and to do this in a humble, energetic manner, celebrating our differences and similarities as creatures of God, and remembering always that we are called to actualize our faith in the world around us."

Accompanying McKendree is the highly regarded studio musician, River Guerguerian. Guerguerian has recorded on over 200 albums and film soundtracks, including the John Cage documentary film, “I Have Nothing to Say and I Am Saying It." Like McKendree, he currently lives in the Asheville area, where he is the artistic director of Asheville Rhythm, which produces the Asheville Percussion Festival.

The Journey Series debuted in 2017, DaySpring welcomed writer Sarah Bessey and church planter Brian McLaren, the founder of the Cedar Ridge Community Church in Maryland. McLaren spoke about his book The Great Spiritual Migration, and how the church as an institution could adapt. Writer Sarah Bessey’s book Out of Sorts described how she has made peace with her faith, described being at a church in Texas as a youth pastor's wife.

In 2018, the series featured hymn writer John Bell, who has been active in the Iona Community of Scotland, and Valerie Tutson, a dancer and storyteller.

The weekend has a number of components. Throughout the conference, DaySpring’s campus is available to attendees for quiet time and prayer.

THE DETAILS Thursday | The evening will began with a reception

for arrivals. Dinner follows, along with introductions and fellowship time. We close with evening worship, featuring music from McKendree and Guerguerian.

Friday | The day begins with morning outdoor worship in the tree canopy at DaySpring before breakfast. After a group breakfast, attendees will head to the DaySpring Program Center for lectures and talks from Diana Butler Bass and Kristi Nelson. Friday night before dinner, there will be a a cheese and fruit tray reception for attendees, followed by dinner in Curry Hall.

Saturday | The weekend continues, beginning with outdoor worship and sessions. Attendees stay through the afternoon. Each attendee will receive a copy of "Guidebook to Grateful Living," included in your registration fee.

Registration includes all meals and lodging. On site private occupancy for two nights is $300, semi-private occupancy is $200 and $100 for commuters. Find out more at

dayspringfla.org

The

Journey

Series 2019

Diana Butler Bass Kristi Nelson Fran McKendree River Guerguerian 29

The Journey Series

April 25-27, 2019

An opportunity through speakers, music, reflection and nature to be nourished, to stir creative juices, to ask questions, to get

inspired.

Journey

Diana Butler Bass

Gratefulness k

Kristi Nelson

toward

Author of Grateful:The Transformative Power of Giving Thanks

Executive Director of A Network for Grateful Living

We know that gratitude is good, but many of us find it hard to sustain a meaningful life of gratefulness. Four out of five Americans report feeling gratitude on a regular basis, but those private feelings seem disconnected from larger concerns of our public lives. In Grateful, Diana Butler Bass takes on this “gratitude gap� and offers up surprising, relevant, and powerful insights to practice gratitude.

Based on the work of Br. David Steindl-Rast, Kristi Nelson teaches that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy. Through self-reflective exercises, practices, and discussion, this retreat explores how gratitude can be a proactive approach to every moment, not simply a reaction to certain moments.

Register at

dayspringfla.org

With music throughout the weekend from Fran McKendree and River Guerguerian 30

HAPPENING is a spiritual and transformative experience for

high school students in grades 9 to 12. This weekend retreat helps participants navigate through the tough questions of faith which many high school students struggle with in their daily lives. Students come away from the weekend with a deeper understanding of themselves, their relationship with God, and how to share that faith with others in their community.

During a Happening weekend, participants experience the love of God through music, talks, prayer, and worship. Led by fellow high school students, they are encouraged to ask questions, verbalize internal struggles, and build a stronger relationship with Jesus Christ.

Come experience a Happening Weekend and feel God's love surround you on your journey to know Christ. Happenings are held twice yearly: For more information, head to Youth / Young Adult > Youth Programs on our website.

HAPPENING #78 | MARCH 22-24

Briefly

episcopalswfl.org

THE WAY OF LOVE DURING LENT ORLANDO – Six diocesan clergy participated at the recent Direct Action and Research Training (DART) National Clergy Conference in February: the Rev. Joe Diaz, Retired; the Rev. Robert Douglas, St. Mark’s Tampa; the Very Rev. Carla McCook, St. Margaret’s Sarasota; the Rev. Josie Rose, St. Augustine's St. Pete; the Rev. Ben Twinamaani, Grace Episcopal Tampa; and the Rev. Kathleen Walter, St. John’s Clearwater.

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry was the keynote speaker at the conference. DART is the mother organization of 21 social justice affiliates operating in eight states. Four DART affiliate groups are located within the diocese, including Faith and Action for Strength Together (FAST), Pinellas County), Hillsborough Organization for Progress and Equality, Lee Interfaith for Empowerment (LIFE), and Sarasota United for Responsibility and Equity (SURE).

The Rev. Walter was a presenter, reporting on the success of their local group in obtaining almost $100 million for an Affordable Housing Trust Fund in Pinellas County beginning in 2020. DART affiliates are well known for their Nehemiah Actions each spring, which hold local political, educational and economic systems accountable for fairness in issues raised by their groups.

Bishop Curry has a history of social activism, following in the footsteps of his father who was an Episcopal priest.

Reminding us that we are called to look out for the interests of all God’s children, loving our neighbors as ourselves, Bishop Curry asked that they continue to seek for others that which we desire for ourselves and our families regardless of the obstacles

by the Rev. Kathleen Walter

or the consequences. He used the example of the Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, who refused to follow the order of Pharaoh to kill all the Hebrew boy babies, and he challenged them to be prepared at all times to stand up to those in power in order to do what is right and just.

The Rev. Dr. Ray Pickett, rector of Pacific Lutheran Seminary and a New Testament scholar, led the group through days of Bible study and discussion. Additionally they heard three passionate and moving sermons from colleagues, and they celebrated our successes throughout the country at an evening banquet. At the banquet, FAST was given the Nehemiah Cup for the largest Nehemiah Action attendance in 2018, and the Pacesetter Award for scoring #1 or #2 in all areas of our justice ministry – Leadership Training, Corporate and Individual Investment Drives, Congregation Membership and Attendance at Nehemiah Action. Throughout the three days, Bishop Andrew Waldo of Upper South Carolina and Bishop George Young, retired, were present. Bishop Waldo led an Episcopal clergy caucus, attended by almost 40 Episcopal priests and deacons.

If you would like to learn more about the justice ministry, attend an upcoming Nehemiah Action near you: FAST – Monday, April 8 at 7 p.m at Tropicana Field; HOPE, Monday, April 1 at 6:30 p.m. at Bible Based Fellowship Church, 4811 Ehrlich Rd, Tampa; LIFE, Tuesday, April 9 at 7 p.m. location TBD; SURE – Monday, March 25 at 6:30 pm at Sarasota Municipal Auditorium.

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Parish Life

HOW A NEW PRIEST IS CALLED The critical steps a parish takes to find the right person to lead.

E

by The Rev. Canon Richard Norman

ndings, beginnings, and the transitional times that fall between are a part of life; a process even the church itself is not immune from. The story of the choosing of Matthias (Acts 1:21-28) provides us with the first example of dealing with transition within church leadership. As you may recall, that gem of scripture recounts the story of Matthias being chosen to replace Judas via the casting of lots.

I am not suggesting that parishes simply need to cast lots; however, three steps taken by the disciples have clearly informed our own present process. The disciples’ mission - to bear witness to the Risen Christ - informs the three steps in their search process: setting the criteria - in this case, the person who had been with the disciples throughout Jesus’ public ministry and had been a witness to Christ’s resurrection; assessing potential candidates, resulting in two finalists - Joseph called Barsabbas, a.k.a Justus, and Matthias - and, finally, selecting the rightful person who is called by God through prayer and casting lots.

These three basic steps are clearly modeled around and reflected in the search process used throughout the Diocese of Southwest Florida. At the initial meeting with the vestry of a congregation in transition, I bring along copies of our diocesan transition manual entitled The Search Process, and together we review the steps of the process. The vestry’s first task is to create four The Self-Study Subcommittee is charged with developing subcommittees: a self-study subcommittee, a a survey which solicits parish-wide input. Questions like profile subcommittee, a website subcommittee, “Who are we? What is our purpose? What is important to and compensation committee. The combined us as the people of God in this community? What are our work that these subcommittees perform lays dreams? What are the qualities we seek in our next priest?” the foundation for a successful search for a encourage parisioners to describe how they see the future priest, bearing in mind that the Holy Spirit is a of their parish. omnipresent participant in the process. While The Profile Subcommittee utilizes a combination of meththe four subcommittees are working, the vestry ods - surveys, meetings, and conversations - to craft two can begin to explore potential members of the critical search process documents - The Parish Profile and search committee. the Office of Transition Ministry Profile. These are distributThe subcommittees’ completed tasks are ed through national and regional search sites and serve as delivered to the vestry, and a formal search primary tools to develop a candidate pool. committee is appointed and charged with The Website Subcommittee reviews the parish’s website to recommending a candidate (or candidates) ensure it is an asset to the parish it represents. Often a first to the vestry. I then meet with the search impression to potential candidates, the committee works to committee to walk through the Search ensure that a parish website accurately reflects the parish Process manual and review their role and community itself. responsibilities. The posting for the position The Compensation Committee develops a compensation goes “live” via the Office of Transition Ministry, package that is sustainable and competitive. Deacon Martha our diocesan website, the Episcopal News Goodwill at Diocesan House is valuable resource in this work.

Service digital listings, and regional transition networks. Nominations may come from several sources: the congregation, candidate self-nominations, and/or diocesan nominations from our active pool of candidates within and outside Southwest Florida.

All the materials of priests who are offered as candidates funnel through the Office for Mission and Ministry - my office.

Initial reference checks are performed for all nominees, typically occurring between me and my counterpart in the diocese of the prospective candidates. Not all nominated candidates are passed on to the search committee. The Bishop will review the final list and make any necessary edits, which ultimately becomes the official roster of candidates.

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At this point, I meet with the search committee and hand over the candidates, which kicks off perhaps the most exciting part of the process. With prayer and humility, the search committee begins the task of assessing candidates and reviewing all related materials, formulating questions for individual candidates to answer, and conducting personal in-depth reference checks including a review of social media accounts. The process continues with video or phone interviews. Supported by the congregation’s prayers and guided by their own prayers, the search committee selects their final candidates and informs me of their selection. The Bishop then makes a “bishop-to-bishop” reference check with the finalists’ bishops, and the diocese completes and pays for a formal background check for each remaining candidate. Once these final tasks are completed, the search committee visits candidates in their parish, and makes its final candidate recommendation to the vestry.

Discernment and a decision come next. The vestry invites the finalists to visit the parish for an interview with the vestry.

If a finalist is coming from outside this diocese, then arrangements are made for the finalist to meet with the Bishop. After the finalists conclude their parish visits, the vestry elects their rector and records the action in the vestry minutes in the form of a resolution and recorded vote. Most importantly, the name of the elected person is submitted to the bishop prior to candidate notification. Per the canons, the Bishop must give consent to the call.

Once the call is made and subsequently accepted, the vestry negotiates the terms of the call through an instrument called a Letter of Agreement (LOA)—the diocese provides a template. The LOA outlines specific employment items including compensation, benefits and relocation, which is signed by the parish officers and the rector-elect and approved by the Bishop.

The final step? A joyful announcement of the call of the new Rector.

Save the Date: Diocesan Vestry Retreat

E

ach spring, The Diocese of Southwest Florida hosts an annual Vestry Retreat. The 2019 retreat will be led by The Rev. Canon Tim Hodapp, Canon for Mission Collaboration for the Episcopal Church in Connecticut. This year’s theme is “Travel Lightly Together and Follow Jesus into the Neighborhood,” which encourages individuals to step out of the comfort zone of their parishes and become an active part of the communities around them.

Canon Hodapp is a resource for congregational life and mission-focused cooperation. He focuses on collaboration between worshiping communities; across regions, among ministry networks, and between region missionaries. His interest is community collaboration stems from 30 years as an ordained minister in large urban congregations, smalltown parishes and university chaplaincies, combined with his experience as an advertising copywriter and creative brand strategist.

The Saturday, May 11, 2019 event is designed for all vestry members, both new and returning. The Diocesan Vestry Retreat is a cornerstone event for the Diocese of Southwest Florida, a day when clergy and lay leaders gather at DaySpring Episcopal Center. The day’s events, which include continental breakfast and lunch, are free to lay leaders and clergy in the Diocese of Southwest Florida. Vestries are encouraged to come as a group, with clergy, in order to maximize their training.

SATURDAY MAY 11 | DAYSPRING EPISCOPAL CENTER 8:00 am | Registration & continental breakfast 9:00 am to 4:00 pm | Program with lunch provided Register via email at merfourth@episcopalswfl.org

THE DETAILS 33

Parish Profile

COMFORT HALL RENOVATION The newly-restored parish hall at St. Raphael’s brings new energy to the island congregation.

by Gary Mooney

S

t. Raphael’s Episcopal Church dedicated the Reverend Dr. C. Alex Comfort Hall last fall. The former Parish Hall - now simply known as Comfort Hall - features a new commercial kitchen and floors, with state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment, complete with free wi-fi.

“We started the renovation in early July,” said Ross Miller, the senior warden of the church vestry. “Our goal was to have it complete by September 15, and by-and-large it was, but we added a few items, as well as encountering some delays over electrical and plumbing issues, as those things tend to happen in any major construction project. We played it a bit on the safe side and were still happy to host the dedication in late October.”

Funds for the $75,000 renovation came about as a result of an anonymous donation that was in the works for roughly seven months prior to the start of the job. “The Hall was originally built in the late 1950s and early 1960s and

34

it’s fair to say that the only maintenance done to it since then was minimal, so it had far out-served its usefulness,” said Miller. The new kitchen floor is a sandbased poured liquid to provide a nonslip traction surface. “The contractors promise us that the floors in the kitchen and Comfort Hall will last long after Ross is in Heaven and I end up who knows where,” said the Rev. John Adler, priest-in-charge.

The renovation serves a dual purpose. “We are trying to resurrect the congregation and one of the ways we are going about that is by making the physical campus a more modern, up-to-date, clean and welcoming place, and we think this gets us well on the way to accomplishing that,” said Adler. “Second, we wanted to provide the Ft. Myers Beach community with an appropriate venue for wedding receptions and business meetings and similar events that have all the bells & whistles already in place, and now we have a full-service kitchen and audio-

visual capabilities, along with anything else you would need in one spot for a successful event. Remember as well that we have the only stage on the entire island. Per our regulations, however, we cannot rent out the facility, so it is available via a donation.”

Comfort Hall is open to the general public Tuesdays through Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“Reservations are not necessary,” said Adler, “though we would accept a donation. Use the wi-fi, enjoy a cup of coffee, and join in on the fellowship.”

Adler is already seeing a positive return on the renovation investment.

“Even though it is just recently complete, and we are still in the early stages of coming out of the summer season, we are witnessing an uptick in church attendance, and that is the main reason why we are here – the opportunity to share God’s word with more people – and we are now beginning to be able to do that, so we are definitely moving in the right direction,” said Adler. “I hope that once we reach the peak of visitation season, we can see from 125 to 150 people at our worship services, and go up from there in upcoming years.”

The inspiration for the moniker of the former Parish Hall is the late the Rev. Dr. C. Alex Comfort. “He was the pastor at St. Raphael’s for most of the 1950s and 1960s, for almost 20 years,” said Adler. “Those who knew him described Dr. Comfort as a large man, both physically and spiritually.

He lived here in the parish house, was well-liked by everyone, and was an old-school priest, meaning he went to the big hospital every day, scanned the

registration book, and saw who was admitted, not only from St. Raphael’s but the entire island, and ministered to every single person, so he became a fixture to all on Fort Myers Beach.

Coincidentally, for the section of our church meant to provide friendship and companionship, ‘Comfort’ is a perfect name.”

While work on Comfort Hall is complete, Ross said that is just the tip of the St. Raphael renovation iceberg. “We have a ‘Wish List’ and it is extensive,” said Adler. “We need new signage, and there is the old classroom that we use as a gathering space, and it needs quite a bit of work, including new cabinets. The Parish House requires upgrading, along with exterior work and landscaping, and a bunch of other things that need to be done. You know how it goes with old buildings; the minute that you finish one project, you discover two more.”

“People have been so generous to us, so we remain hopeful,” said Adler.

“That generosity is already underway. With Comfort Hall done, another person recently came forward with a $3,000 donation to help us to upgrade the

church sound system, but we need roughly another $5,000 more before we can begin that work. I firmly believe, however, that she would not have come to us with that if it were not for the Comfort Hall improvements, as people like to contribute to projects they see moving along in a positive manner.

This is just another example of God’s blessings to us. Not only is it a physical transformation of the building, but a mental one as well. That is important, as we continue to breathe new life into our growing congregation.”

Story courtesy of the Island Sand Paper

AROUND THE DIOCESE

TRANSITIONS The following are clergy changes throughout the diocese:

ALL ANGELS LONGBOAT KEY The Rev. Canon David Marshall is priest-in-charge.

GOOD SAMARITAN CLEARWATER The Rev. Brian Beno, the priest in charge at Good Samaritan, Clearwater, will join St. Ignatius of Antioch, Antioch, IL.

GOOD SHEPHERD VENICE The Rev. Gary Wilde has announced his retirement from active ministry, effective after Easter Sunday.

BRING YOUR NEXT EVENT TO DAYSPRING! DaySpring has guest houses, cabins, youth cabins, and dormitories to accomodate your during your event.

Contact DaySpring Reservations at 941-776-1018 or email reservations@dayspringfla.org so we can help you plan your next event.

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DAYSPRING SUMMER

Theme for 2019

CAMP 2019

“THE WAY OF LOVE” “EL CAMINO DEL AMOR”

DAYSPRING SUMMER CAMP Our campers participate in a Christian program designed to deepen their faith and strengthen their friendships through a variety of activities. Campers learn team-building skills and are challenged on our ropes courses, enjoy canoeing, kayaking and paddleboarding on the Manatee River, and get a chance to just be themselves playing games and creating arts and crafts. Come experience God’s love through great music, worship and food this summer! Six sessions are planned for 2019: for the latest updates and more details, head to

DAYSPRINGFLA.ORG

CAMP SESSIONS & DESCRIPTIONS

2019

June 4-7 | SESSION 1 | BREAKOUT ELEMENTARY CAMP Breakout is a special program for rising 3rd to 5th grade students new to the camp experience. From waterfront fun to tree climbing, arts & crafts to games, the spirit of this week shines with new friends and new experiences.

June 9-14 | SESSION 2 | HIGH SCHOOL CAMP High School Camp is about community and fun, with personal and spiritual growth as teens take their individual perspectives and experiences to the next level on the ropes course, waterfront, and with each other.

June 16-21 | SESSION 3 | MIDDLE SCHOOL CAMP Middle School Session is always wild and energetic, packed with hilariously challenging team games, music, friendship and Christian formation.

ONE SESSION...OR TWO? All of our camp sessions are mindfully scheduled to give campers the opportunity to enjoy a week during each month of the summer.

One week of fun isn’t enough for many of our campers, who often register for a second session to reunite with friends and deepen their experience. Don’t miss out! Register for multiple sessions before summer camp season begins.

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June 23-28 | SESSION 4 | HIGH SCHOOL MISSION CAMP Engaging the community and experiencing evangelism while interacting with the world, Mission Camp provides wonderful tools for developing young leaders’ call to care for the world around them.

July 7-12 | SESSION 5 | ELEMENTARY CAMP Elementary Camp is packed with fun, games, community-building and music enhancing formation as rising 3rd-5th grade students squeeze every bit of fun out of their summer.

July 14-19 | SESSION 6 | MIDDLE SCHOOL MISSION CAMP Building a foundation for service and outreach, Middle School Mission Camp students take part in all the fun of traditional camp activities while engaging in outreach and experiencing the beauty of serving those in need.

Established in 1983 by the Diocese of Southwest Florida, DaySpring offers fun and meaningful experiences for children in a beautiful modern setting. Campers participate in a Christian program designed to help them grow by providing opportunities to explore new interests and develop skills and friendships in a Christian community. Our five-night/six-day sessions are offered for all students from 3rd to 12th grades, and we offer a BreakOut session for rising 3rd to 5th grade students, which lasts 3 nights/4 days.

Programs are designed and led by Episcopal clergy and youth leaders in the diocese and by college and high school-aged counselors. Campers participate in activities like kayaking, paddleboarding, canoeing, low and high ropes course, arts and crafts, games, sports, archery, and environmental adventure. Meals are served buffet-style in Curry Hall three times daily.

Our Camp Staff Our dedicated and devoted camp staff prioritize the safety, care and spiritual life of the campers first. Counselors are high school graduates and junior counselors are high school aged. At least one counselor and junior counselor are assigned to supervise each of our cabins and groups of campers.

experience

Youth Sector

The spring of 2017 marked the opening of our new Program Center and Pool, which anchors the Youth Sector of DaySpring Episcopal Center. Youth and counselors enjoy the coordinated spaces of indoor recreation, pool, sports courts, fire pit, cabins with bunk beds and spacious bathrooms with private showers and changing areas, ropes courses and waterfront.

YOUR BEST SUMMER EVER

For more information about our camp programs, please visit dayspringfla.org and head to our Youth Programs section, where you'll find camp session descriptions, photos, and online registration options.

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L O O K I N G BACK

This January, the Rev. Randy Hehr retired from active ministry in the Diocese of Southwest Florida. His time with the

Diocese of Southwest Florida included service as Rector of Church of the Good Shepherd, Dunedin and Dean of the Cathedral Church of St. Peter. Before ordination, however, and from 1970-73, he served as Assistant Organist at the Cathedral Church of St. Peter. This poster from a 1971 Lenten concert series was donated by Robert Setzer, who served the Cathedral as organist and choirmaster, and donated pictures, artifacts and reel-to-reel tapes to the diocese after retirement.

Diocese of Southwest Florida Archives, Donation of Robert Setzer.

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support the

BISHOP’S ANNUAL APPEAL

ASSIST EPISCOPAL CHARITIES OF SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Episcopal Charities is the funding support organization for congregation-based community outreach and special needs throughout southwest Florida.

ASSIST DAYSPRING ENDOWMENT DaySpring is a sacred place that seeks to enrich and empower its visitors in Christ through prayer, worship and fellowship. Your gift protects the legacy and ensures the permanent viability of DaySpring.

TEAR HERE AND RETURN

BE A PART OF THE 2019 BISHOP’S APPEAL GIVING LEVELS

After prayerful consideration, I/we wish to contribute $5,000 $1,000 $500 $100 $50 $25 $

USE MY GIFT

For the Episcopal Charities Endowment Fund For the DaySpring Endowment Fund Both! Share my donation equally between the two funds

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

I would like to remain anonymous I would like to set up an automatic recurring contribution Donate my gift in honor of I have already included the Diocese in my estate planning My company matches donations; the matching form is enclosed

Name(s): Address: City: State: Zip: Phone: Parish: Email:

MAIL A CHECK

Please make check payable to: The Diocese of Southwest Florida, 8005 25th St. East, Parrish, FL 34219

DONATE ONLINE AT EPISCOPALSWFL.ORG

The Diocese of Southwest Florida has a safe, secure online donation page at episcopalswfl.org/appeal.html

LET’S TALK MORE

I would like to be involved in development plans for DaySpring Episcopal Center. Contact me through the information above.

THE SOUTHERN CROSS THE DIOCESE OF SOUTHWEST FLORIDA DAYSPRING EPISCOPAL CENTER 8005 25TH STREET EAST PARRISH, FLORIDA 34219

Non. Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Manasota, FL Permit No. 946

A Florida native green anole lizard, seen here in a scrub palm in front of Diocesan House at DaySpring Episcopal Center. The Florida native Anolis carolinensis has been in competition with invasive Cuban brown anole lizards, but is adapting by moving up in the tree habitat. Our native friend sits camouflaged on a native Serenoa repens, or common saw palmetto. Just before Palm Sunday, parishes from across the diocese come to DaySpring to pick palms for their altar from our also native sabal palms, or Sabal palmetto.