Visioning Days Question from the Central Deanery:

What would it be like if we build more trust?
 

Administrative items:

• As Pentecost approaches this Sunday, we hope your church has made arrangements for you to view the DVD from Bishop Mary. The DVD contains the launch of the diocesan vision statement. We are hoping you will play the DVD at coffee hour on Pentecost, or at some other convenient time, and have discussion on it. For anyone who misses it, you can view it on YouTube at this address http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uX_Efl7pCvQ . Also the link to the video is http://www.edecr.org/together.htm  and it is announced on our website’s main page at http://www.edecr.org/main.htm  
• Along the King’s Highway – Please submit articles or comments for future editions to Edy Unthank at: editor[atecr]edecr.org
• Deployment/Position Postings – Detailed postings for jobs can be seen by clicking on the following link: http://www.edecr.org/jobs.htm .
  • Santa Maria Urban Ministry - Treasurer
  • St. Peter's by the Sea – Morro Bay - music director
  • Director of Music – All Saint’s Palo Alto
  • UCCM Chaplain – UC Santa Cruz
• Vestry/Bishop Committee Training (including Treasurers-Administrators) We had 129 church leaders attend the first 3 sessions! A 4th session for those who couldn’t make these sessions will be offered on Saturday morning June 7 from 9:00 to 12pm at St. Paul’s in Salinas. All wardens, vestry/bishop committee members, treasurers, parish administrators, and clergy are encouraged to attend. Topics to be presented include: roles and responsibilities, business methods in church affairs, risk management, church finances and legal issues. This will be a basic overview of these subject areas - an introduction or general review of vestry/bishop committee functions. See attached registration form. Send to Susan Altig at the Diocesan office or susan@edecr.org . Please share these dates and times with your Vestry, Bishop’s Committee and Treasurers, and come as a group. Rectors and Vicars are welcome to attend in addition to parish administrators. If you have any questions, please contact me at: brian@edecr.org  or 831-394-4465.
• New - CONSTITUTION & CANONS: It may seem a little early, but it really isn't ... If you have comments, suggestions or proposed amendments or resolutions for the next Diocesan Convention, please send them now. The Constitution & Canons Committee is about to begin its preliminary work and would like to hear from YOU. Write to Chris Creed at FrCreed[atecr]aol.com .
• 2009 Budget requests are due in electronic format at the diocesan office addressed to Brian Nordwick at brian[atecr]edecr.org  by noon on May 15th for consideration by the Budget Advisory Committee and Board of Trustees. Attached, please find an introductory letter in English and Spanish with a request form to complete and submit.

Announcements:

• New: Yvonne Crane, music director at Church of the Good Shepherd in Salinas, has need of a pianist for the Sunday 10:00 services on June 15th, 22nd, and 29th and July 6th, 13th, and 20th. Yvonne’s cell phone is 831-345-1010 and email is ylcrane@sbcglobal.net . Or leave a message at the church at 831-484-2153.
• The St. Mark’s Poetry Project presents Poetry in Song, featuring Nils Peterson, famous San Jose poet and raconteur, in a program of poems set to music, including madrigals, art songs, poetic songs from the pop culture (Broadway, etc.) as well as poetry spoken to musical accompaniment. Sunday, May 18, at 2:00PM; St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 1957 Pruneridge Avenue, Santa Clara. Donation: $10, with proceeds going to the St. Mark’s Poetry Project and the 2009 California Poets Festival.
• New: Have you ever wondered about Godly Play? Come to an introductory workshop
  on Saturday, May 31, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM, The Net’ (Classroom 7) Saint Andrew’s, Saratoga. Workshops include Godly Play background and rationale; Storytelling; Doorperson; The Godly Play Environment; Classroom Management…and other topics. No cost for members of St. Andrew’s - $75 cost for others (includes lunch and refreshments). For more information, or to register, contact Katie Machemer, Director of Youth and Children’s Ministries at katiem@st-andrews-saratoga.org  or call 408-867-3493 Ext. 255.
• Youth ministry:
  • Diocesan Youth Mission Trips for 2008: This summer our youth will have the opportunity to serve Native American populations in Nevada through Sierra Service Project. http://www.sierraserviceproject.org . Our diocese has a 5-year history of teaming with SSP for our mission trips. This year we plan to send two groups to the Walker River Paiute reservation in early summer, coordinated by Leann Brooks and Robin Denney. The junior high trip is full, but we are still accepting applicants to be put on a waiting list. The Senior High trip had 2 cancellations and is accepting applications. Please contact Leann Brooks at: leannbrooks@hotmail.com . if you are interested. Separate applications for the Middle School and High School youth are attached for completion and submission by February 15th with a $100.00 deposit. The first trip, June 29-July 5, is for high school youth who will be entering 9th grade in the fall of 2008 through those graduating in the summer of 2008. Experienced counselors from ECR (including Bishop Mary) will accompany our youth and other church youth groups will join us at the reservation. The second trip, July 14-19, is a brand new opportunity for Middle School students and is for youth entering 6th through 8th grades in the fall. This will be a smaller group and the program is being specially crafted for the younger audience.
  • Episcopal Youth Event (EYE) – Between the 2 youth mission trips, the 2008 EYE will be held in San Antonio, TX from July 8-13 at Trinity University. The theme for the event is, “Sown in the Heart of Christ”. This event is for youth that have completed grades 9, 10, 11, or 12 by this Spring and who have not begun to attend college. El Camino Real has space reserved for 15 to attend (12 youth and 3 adult sponsors). The cost for the event is $480 per person that includes room and meals and ground transportation in Texas. Airfare to San Antonio is extra. To register, you need to contact the diocesan office. There is only one registrar per diocese, so you can not sign up on your own. Lastly, if you are an adult youth leader, and would be willing to help coordinate the ECR contingent, please contact me at the diocesan office (831-394-4465) or brian[atecr]edecr.org . 
  • Summer Camp of the Diocese of El Camino Real: CAMP SAINT ANDREW’S: Sponsored by Saratoga’s St. Andrew’s Church, this is a week-long summer camp for children age 8 – 15. Details with a registration form is posted at http://www.edecr.org/f/Cal-StAndrewsCamp-200807.pdf .
  • Youth Katrina Relief Summer Mission Trip: June 14-20, 2008: Trip is full.
  • Honduras Youth Trip - There is an opportunity for our youth to go on a mission trip to Honduras. Sierra Service Project (the organization also running our Diocesan Youth Trip to Nevada) runs this program. Robin Denney, (our diocesan missionary who just returned from Liberia) is leading one of the trips (July 14-July 28). The trip is open to high school juniors, seniors, and college age young adults, who have had some previous mission experience. The trip costs $2,000 for each participant. SSP staff will talk parents through the steps required for obtaining passports and necessary documentation, and will answer any security related questions. View more information online: http://www.sierraserviceproject.org/honduras_info.htm  To sign up, get the registration form online at the above link, or call the SSP office at: (916) 488-6441. Applications must be received by March 1, with a $300 deposit.

Important Training / Dates to mark on your calendars:

• THE MAGNETIC CHURCH CONFERENCE – a new way of looking at evangelism within a spiritual context - May 16, 17, St. Andrew’s, Saratoga. There is still room for you to attend! Email susan@edecr.org  or call 831-394-4465 to register. For more info please go to: http://www.edecr.org/magnetic-church.htm.
• The Greatest Stories Ever Told – Province VIII Conference in June 2008 in Portland, OR. There is still have a large amount of scholarship money available for those in our diocese wishing to attend the Province VIII stewardship, evangelism and congregational growth conference, to be held in Portland, Oregon on June 26-28. The descriptions of the programs for youth and children are now up on the Province VIII website (www.provinceVIII.org ) or http://www.edecr.org/f/Cal-PVIII-YouthProgram-200806.pdf  and http://www.edecr.org/f/Cal-PVIII-ChildrensProgram-200806.pdf . Please send your registration information or your questions to Joanna Shreve at jrshreve[atecr]aol.com . Thank you.
• Breaking Barriers Conference – Sometime in September/October 2008. Details to follow.
• 2008 Diocesan Convention – November 7-8 – Sherwood Hall in Salinas

Diocesan Office Meetings:

• This Week:  None scheduled
• Next Week:  ECR Foundation and Finance Committee on Tuesday the 13th; Board of Trustees on the Thursday the 15th
   

Dear Lord God, help us to be open to receiving your grace. Help us to trust you and one another - as we serve the people of the Central Coast of California – carrying out the ministries that you have called us to be in. In Jesus’ name we pray…AMEN