7/23/2010

Today’s reflection is written by Canon Mark Hall.

Last week I laid out some of the reasons we were involved in litigation. This week I’d like to address some practicalities around this.

A number of you have expressed to me concerns regarding the cost of litigating over property, and various blogs have taken us to task for this expense. The complaints have usually focused on the “wastage” of funds for mission and ministry. This is a valid concern, and we should all be aware that funds put into litigation do distract from that which could be available for ministry and mission. As Christian communities, we should be concerned about directing funds away from the ministry of care and concern that reflects our commitment to Christ.

However, let’s look at this through a different lens. The diocese is litigating over somewhere between 40 and 44 million dollars (in current value) worth of property and assets. These properties and assets were given to the Episcopal Church (and the donors received tax benefits for these gifts.) To date, the diocese has expended about 1% of this value to reclaim these assets, and the Episcopal Church has contributed an additional 1%. Our leadership anticipates the need for an additional 1% to 2% to complete the lawsuits. So, all in all, we will use less than 5% of the value to regain the property that rightfully belongs to the diocese. We suspect that those who are incorrectly claiming ownership of these assets have spent well in excess of 1% of the total assets (maybe as much as 2%), so this is a costly venture, and, I might add, completely unnecessary.

Although the courts are moving slowly in this litigation, every final court decision to date in California has been in favor of the Episcopal Church. We have every right to expect to ultimately prevail. If I had my choice, I would have preferred to avoid this litigation. This was not possible.

The diocese does not look like it did three years ago. I rejoice in the changes that have been made and the progress towards becoming a more open and caring community. I am saddened by the alienation of so many and the property that is in dispute. I also know that the diocese may never be restored to its former structures and congregational numbers. It will be different. But, I trust that it will be leaner, more focused on ministry to people and mission to our world, and more able to cope with the changing demands of this century. Together, we have a lot to look forward to, as well as many challenges to fully become the people of God in this place.

From the Diocesan office…

Notice of Convention: The notice of convention on October 15 and 16 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Modesto has been sent to each clergy member of the diocese and to each church. The notice includes information and forms for submitting nominations for diocesan offices and resolutions. It is also posted on the Web page www.diosanjoaquin.org. Nominations are due to the nominations committee by August 30. Resolutions are to be submitted to the resolutions committee by August 15.

From the editor of Episcopal Life San Joaquin: I am writing a story about dogs who go to church for the September issue of the wrap, prompted by Jeff and Mary Kraemer's dog Jemima (at St. Clare of Assisi in Avery) and other dogs who "belong" to St. Clare's. We have a seeing-eye dog at Holy Family in Fresno and occasionally a service dog in training. I don't know if Bishop Lamb's dog goes to church or not, but he did sponsor an issue of the wrap. Are there others around the diocese who would like to be included? Please send photos and a little bit of information to me at ddhhaall@aol.com by August 4, and watch for your favorite canine in the September paper. Many thanks. Doris Hall, 559-268-0708

Service for Tom VanderWal: Our dear friend Tom VanderWal died of stomach cancer on July 1 in Stockton, California.  Tom was treasurer in the Diocese of San Joaquin until he became ill. He was elected deputy to General Convention. Also active in Province VIII, he was Stewardship Network leader and a long time member of the Episcopal Network for Stewardship (TENS). His talents included being a negotiator for province conferences and services. He served as a Eucharistic minister and on St. Anne’s vestry and was senior warden several times. Tom will be greatly missed. Our condolences to his wife Maye, son Thomas and grandson Will. A memorial site and blog was created by Thomas at http://tom.vanderwal.net/.  There will be a memorial service for Tom on Saturday, July 24, at 10:00 a.m. at St. Anne's in Stockton. A reception will follow hosted by St. Anne's Loaves and Fishes.

Camp Committee Forming: We are forming a Camping and Mission Trip Committee to plan both camping experiences and to coordinate diocesan wide mission trips. It is clear that to accomplish these activities there must be personal contact and witness to the power of these programs to change lives.

We are looking for people who have experienced camping and/or mission trips, and, are willing to work to make these activities a vital part of our diocese. We want committed people who are willing to be “hands on” regarding leading and participating in both camping activities and mission trips.

Bishop Rivera said, “A week at camp is worth a whole year at Sunday school.” Camping is a wonderful means of creating community, building Christian values, and developing ministry potential in our young people. It is also a great means of helping further faith formation in adults.

In August, youth from Holy Family will be making their mission trip to Navajoland. Last year’s trip was a wonderful success. One of the participants said, “This is the best thing I have ever done!”

If you’d like to be part of “the best things” please contact the Diocesan Office and volunteer to be on the Camping and Mission Trip Committee. You really can change lives.

Diocesan Altar Guild North Regional Gathering: Diocesan Altar Guild announces the first of three regional gatherings, the first to be held in the North Region at St. Matthew's Church in San Andreas on Saturday, September 11th, 2010, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. It will begin with Mass, celebrated by Fr. John H. Shumaker with Deacon George Cano from The Church of Christ the King in Riverbank, followed by workshops in the traditional preparation of the Altar and Eucharistic Vestments for the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. We will also learn how to care for altar linens from laundering to folding. In addition, we will discuss the variety of "Holy hardware" usage in Eucharistic Worship and devotion. We will conclude our day at St. Matthew's in the beautiful Gold Country with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. Luncheon will be hosted by the Episcopal Church Women of St. Matthew's. All are welcome to join us in what promises to be an enjoyable, informative gathering. Tickets are $10 at the door. Please RSVP by September 1st, 2010 to Diocesan Altar Guild Directress Susan Ohanneson at sko355@aol.com or 661-391-8735.

Looking forward with the Diocesan Altar Guild: In the coming months, Diocesan Altar Guild will hold gatherings in each of the three regions--North Region, Central region, and South Region. Our diocesan territory is vast, and we would like to make it more convenient for Altar Guild Members to participate without having to travel such great distances. Locations, dates and times will be announced soon for the Central Region and South region gatherings, so please stay tuned! Each is designed to be an informative meeting where altar guild members can get to know one another better and share information and ideas--but all are welcome to attend!

We always welcome new parish altar guild members. If your parish is not yet active and participating in Diocesan Altar Guild, please join us! We are currently planning a Sewing Workshop at Fall Convention with Fr. Luis Rodriguez, and Iconography Chair Joyce Tanner will give a presentation of the History and Symbolism in Iconography. In addition, we will shortly be implementing our Diocesan Altar Guild Face Book page. We are also working on a quarterly DAG newsletter. Our tentative launch date for the newsletter is Winter 2011. If you'd like to participate in any of these projects, please let us know! The Altar Guild of the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin is an active member of Province VIII and The National Altar Guild Association. For more information, please contact Directress Susan Ohanneson at sko355@aol.com or 661-391-8735.

Diocesan Altar Guild will hold its next board meeting on Saturday, August 14th, 2010, from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm in Visalia at the home of Central Region Representative Johnnie Mae Tibbens. Please RSVP Johnnie Mae in order to get driving instructions to her address at dragonlady.32@juno.com, 559-738-0573.

Video Available “Celebrate What’s Right with the World”: The diocesan office now has a copy of this video that was shown at the “Strength for the Journey” conference. Hosted by National Geographic Magazine photographer Dewitt Jones, the stunning photography and powerful dialogue challenge us to approach life with celebration, confidence and grace. Please call or e-mail Juanita 209-576-0104, jweber@diosanjoaquin.org to request the DVD. If you are planning to use it for a particular event or study session let Juanita know right away to reserve it for a particular time. It will be mailed with a return label enclosed.

Faith and Nature: The Divine Adventure of Life on Earth: As our eyes and hearts continue to be fixed on the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, we are reminded of how closely our lives are connected to our environment and how easily humans can upset the balance of nature. This new, eight-session, downloadable, intergenerational faith-formation resource is focused on appreciating and living in harmony with God's creation. As a downloadable, a multitude of links are within the content, offering even more resources and activities for all ages. Learners will build awareness and appreciation of our spiritual connection to Creation/nature in a traditional way using the Anglican approach of scripture, tradition, reason, and experience that prepares participants to bring hope and faithful action to today's ecological concerns. Learn more.

Cycles for Leadership with Demi Prentiss August 23 and 24 in Ridgecrest: Cycles for Leadership will be held in Ridgecrest August 23 and 24. There will be a $5.00 registration fee to cover costs (snacks, coffee, etc.) payable at the door. Pre-registration is requested. A Cycles for Leadership workshop is also scheduled for Fresno at Holy Family, August 27and 28, Bakersfield at Grace Episcopal Church, September 17 and 18, and in Modesto October 1 and 2 at St. Paul’s. More workshops will be announced in other locations as soon as plans are firm.

Please complete the form for the dates you will attend. Registration forms are posted on the Web page. http://www.diosanjoaquin.org/doc/CyclesForLeadershipRegFormDOC (Word format) http://www.diosanjoaquin.org/doc/CyclesForLeadershipRegFormPDF (PDF format

Check the 2010 Calendar: A monthly and yearly calendar is posted on the diocesan Web site. www.diosanjoaquin.org Commission and committee members are encouraged to plan their meetings ahead and get them on the calendar. Congregations are encouraged to check the calendar when they plan events so conflicts with diocesan events can be avoided. They also can notify the diocesan office of parish events that will be of interest to others in the diocese so all events can be coordinated.

Sponsor Episcopal Life San Joaquin: In addition to subscriptions, additional sponsorships for each issue will be required to fund the publication and mailing. This practice is continued from this past year. St. Paul’s, Visalia is a new sponsor. Please contact Doris Hall ddhhaall@aol.com if you, a group in the church, or the whole congregation will sponsor an issue of Episcopal Life in 2010. To continue sending to the current subscription and donation list, one or more sponsorships of $200 for each issue will be necessary to maintain the funding this year.

News and Notes from Congregations...

This is a section of the Friday Reflection to post reports and information about special events at your church, especially if the event will be of interest to others in the diocese.  Send the information to Juanita at jweber@diosanjoaquin.org.

St. Francis Episcopalians Are Moving to a New Site: Members of St. Francis Episcopal Church in Turlock are very pleased to announce that they are moving to a new location, and will be meeting at Light of Christ Lutheran Church at 4510 Crowell Road in Turlock beginning on August 1, 2010. Everyone is happily anticipating this move that will allow us to use an inviting and comfortable space with permanent seating and a lovely altar and lectern. We will be meeting at 12 Noon each Sunday and welcome all visitors who may want to worship with us at our new location and time.

Christ the King announces coming events in Riverbank.

• August 20 CTK goes NUTS!!! to the ballgame that is. We get a discount on the tickets. Call the church office (869 - 0175) to reserve yours today.

• August 29 Friendship Sunday, one service at 9:00 a.m. A-L bring salads and M-Z bring desserts for a potluck.

• August 29 Regional Youth Group Meeting, 3:30 p.m.

• August 30 CTK goes for pizza and ice cream. CTK will be doing a fund raiser at the Mountain Mike's Pizza and Baskin Robbins ice cream in the O' Brien's shopping center on the corner of Patterson and Oakdale Roads. Bring family and friends. CTK gets a portion of the sales if you have a flyer. These flyers will be available in the church office.

• September 25 Rummage Sale--We will be in partnership with the City of Riverbank. It will be held at the old Ammo Depot from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Clean, gently used items are needed. You can call the church office (209-869-1075) for pick-up. Please no electronics or unsellable items.

St. Paul’s, Modesto is holding a raffle. The winner will enjoy a week at the Westin Ka’anapali North Shores resort in Maui, Hawaii, January 15-22, 2011. Airfare for two is included. The tickets are $10 each or three for $25. The drawing will be on September 18, 2010. All proceeds will benefit the ministries of St. Paul’s. Call the church office for tickets. 209-522-3267

Bishop Lamb's Calendar

June 7 to

August 14 Las Cruces, New Mexico

August 15 Bishop Visitation St. Paul’s, Modesto

August 21 Joint Standing Committee/Diocesan Council, Holy Family, Fresno 10:00 a.m.

August 22 Bishop Visitation St. Sherrian’s, Kernville/All Souls, Ridgecrest

August 29 Bishop Visitation St. Andrew’s, Taft

Septermber Fallen Leaf Lake

Canon Hall’s Calendar

July 25 St. Andrew’s, Taft

August 8-13 Vacation

August 21 Joint Standing Committee/Diocesan Council, Holy Family, Fresno 10:00 a.m.

August 22 St. Nicholas, Merced, Holy Trinity Madera

August 29 Christ the King, Riverbank

September 12 Church of the Saviour, Hanford

September 21-24 Transition Officers Meeting, Spokane, Washington

--
Juanita Weber, Diocesan Administrator
The Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin
1528 Oakdale Road
Modesto, CA 95355
209-576-0104
jweber@diosanjoaquin.org
http://www.diosanjoaquin.org