Vol. 4, No. 3, October 2009

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The Bishop Live 

Bishop Gary Lillibridge discusses the September 9, 2009 meeting of the diocesan leadership and his thoughts about the future of the diocese.

Click here to listen. 

Leadership Communicates with Diocese
 
Still in this together

Following a September 9 meeting in Corpus Christi, the diocesan elected leadership has sent a letter to every home in the diocese addressing several points relevant to our common life together.  The elected leadership includes members of the diocesan Executive Board, the Standing Committee, the Trustees of the Church Corporation, deputies and alternate deputies to General Convention 2009, and both bishops.

The letter (available on the diocesan website under Current News), reported that overall, the anxiety level in the diocese regarding the current conflict in The Episcopal Church is relatively low. Most at the meeting reported little or no anxiety in their congregations, with a few reporting moderate or high anxiety. "This does not mean that people, including us, are not concerned," said the letter. The leadership agreed that if the diocese were moving strongly in one direction or another, anxiety would be very high.

The leadership also confirmed several commitments to the historic faith, including a belief that Jesus Christ is the incarnate Son of God; that he is the perfect image of God and is "the way, the truth, and the life"; that Jesus came into the world to save sinners; and that he was "raised for our salvation."

The letter expressed the leadership's intention to "abide in Christ" together and to "abide with one another." Further, the leadership rededicated themselves to the life-giving mission of the Church as members of the Anglican Communion and "from within The Episcopal Church." Leadership committed the diocese to support of the ongoing Anglican Covenant process (for more on The Anglican Covenant, click here), a final form of which is expected to be released at the end of 2009.

The letter was sent in mid-September to the entire Church News mailing list of 13,000 homes, that database being the most current of diocesan-wide addresses. The mailing list derives from information sent to the diocesan office from each church in the diocese. Those who did not receive the letter should send their mailing information to Barbara.baugh@dwtx.org with a note to be added to The Church News mailing list.

The discussion of how the diocese will continue its life together will be the subject of the 2010 Diocesan Council (see the article below).

Changing Structure of Diocesan Council
 
Choose delegates wisely

 
The 106th Annual Diocesan Council, which will meet in Corpus Christi, February 18-20, 2010, will move away from the reporting structure of past years toward devoting more time to conversation and reflection. "This does not mean we will have no reports," said Bishop Gary Lillibridge. "There are certain items that must be taken up by Council, such as elections and budget, and we will continue to hear reports from several of our ministries as well as vote on presented resolutions." But, he added, several blocks of time will intentionally be set apart for dialogue among Council delegates.  

"Over the past six years," said the bishop, "we have begun to incorporate a 'conversation time' on Friday afternoon of Council. Last year, Council took a deliberate break from resolution debate to simply talk to one another, and it was appreciated."
 
This year, as the diocese continues to discern its way forward in the controversial landscape of The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion, and especially as it considers the proposed Anglican Covenant, even more time will be devoted to listening to one another with our overall purpose being to glorify God in our conversations.
 
"Some of what we do during this time will be modeled on the reconciliation approach presented by the two workshops this fall in which diocesan leadership and the Reconciliation Commission are participating," said the bishop.
 
The bishop added that he hopes that as our congregations select their council delegates in the coming months, they will share the focus of this year's Diocesan Council so that those who are willing to serve as delegates know in advance of the change in format.
 
Theme for the 2010 Council is "Bear One Another's Burdens" from the Letter to the Galatians.

Council Info Now Up
 
Receive it through RSS 

 
The Council website - www.council-dwtx.org - will contain everything you ever wanted to know about Council, but this year those with the capability can be notified of updates through RSS. RSS, explains Nancy Stinson of the diocesan staff, stands for Really Simple Syndication. When new information is posted to the Council website, users of RSS are automatically alerted. There are several ways to read RSS feeds: for users of Microsoft Outlook 2007 feeds automatically show up in e-mail; users of older versions of Outlook must first download an RSS reader or view feeds through their website favorites. For more on RSS feeds click here. 
 
 
Call for nominations
Categories of information on the Council website are exhibitors, hotels, sign-up, pre-council, activities, business (including resolutions and elections), and youth in action.
 
Now up on the site is elections information with forms to nominate candidates and explanations of each office for which persons will be elected at Council. "The willingness of people to share their leadership skills is vital to the ministry and mission of the diocese," said the Rev. Chuck Woehler, chair of the nominating committee, in his letter to congregations of the diocese in early September. The deadline for submitting nominations is November 1.  Follow this link for details on the nominating and electing process. 

Pre-council dates
Clergy and council delegates/alternate delegates should mark their calendars now for these pre-council meetings
    
Thurs, Jan. 21, 2010, St. Peter's, Kerrville (Northern Convocation)
Sun, Jan 24, 2010, St. Alban's, Harlingen (Valley Convocation)
Mon, Jan 25, 2010, St. Mark's, Corpus Christi (So. Convocation)
Thurs, Jan 28, 2010, Grace Church, Cuero (Eastern Convocation)
Sun, Jan 31, 2010, Reconciliation, SA (Central Convocation)
Mon, Feb 1, 2010, St. Philip's, Uvalde (Western Convocation)
Tues, Feb 2, 2010, St. Andrew's, Seguin (NE Convocation)

All meetings except the Central Convocation (San Antonio) will begin with a light supper at 6:00 pm.  The Central Convocation meeting will begin with coffee and a light dessert at 6:15 pm. All presentations start at 6:45 p.m.

New Home for Holy Spirit

 
The congregation of Holy Spirit, San Antonio, is worshipping in their new home at Pedrotti's North Wind Ranch in northwest San Antonio following the sale of their property in September. "We have been in prayer and discernment for many months," says Bishop's Warden Gene Dowdy. "This will allow us to move forward in our goal of a new church for Holy Spirit, which we could not have accomplished at our current location." The sale of the former Holy Spirit property, located on the backside of The University of Texas at San Antonio, will also provide much-need student housing for the university community.
 
"We have found that truly the church is the people, not the building," adds Dowdy. "Our congregation is regenerated and dedicated and ready to move forward."
 
That forward movement will be under the direction of the Rev. Jason Roberts, newly-appointed vicar for the congregation. Roberts, from the Diocese of Virginia, moved to San Antonio earlier this year with his wife, a student at the University of Texas Health Science Center. His first Sunday leading Holy Spirit was September 20. The Rev. Reese Friedman, former vicar at Holy Spirit, is now serving the congregation at Church of the Advent, Brownsville.

News Briefs

 
Church administrators gather to share
The San Antonio chapter of the National Association of Church Business Administration (NACBA) will use their October 8 meeting to celebrate National Church Administration Day. The purpose of setting aside a particular day to recognize church business administrators allows for intentional sharing of resources and knowledge with each other. The interdenominational group has 15,000 members in 80 local chapters who share the latest administrative strategies with each other.
 
The Alamo Chapter will host a luncheon on October 8 with speaker Brian Cullins of Got Net Security. Time and place are Oak Hills Church, located at 19595 W. IH 10, 11:30 a.m. Cost of lunch is $6, but those attending are not required to buy lunch. For more information about NACBA and to find a chapter in your area, long on to www.nacba.net. 
 
A shoebox of love
The diocesan Christian Education Department is participating in Operation Christmas Gift, a ministry of Samaritan's Purse. Shoeboxes full of small gifts, toys, and toiletries are sent to children around the world who would otherwise not receive any Christmas gifts. Drop-off week for filled shoeboxes at the diocesan office - 111 Torcido, San Antonio TX 78209 - is November 16-23. For details about the program, go to www.samaritanspurse.org.  
 
Diocesan resolution on Executive Council agenda
A resolution sent by the Diocese of West Texas to The Episcopal Church prior to the 76th General Convention is on the agenda for the October Executive Council meeting in Memphis. At its meeting in McAllen last February, Diocesan Council adopted a resolution entitled, "TEC Litigation Forbearance Policy." It asks that "all dioceses, parishes, and bishops adopt a policy of negotiation and/or mediation with regard to disputes over property and do everything in their power to resolve such disputes prior to engaging in secular lawsuits with fellow Christians."
 
The resolution was transmitted to The Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop and The Episcopal Church Executive Council. In late June, the Rev. David Read, secretary of the diocese, received a reply from the Rev. Dr. Gregory Straub, Secretary of the General Convention, saying the Episcopal Church Executive Council will address the resolution at its next meeting, scheduled for October 5-8.
 
Mystery night at St. Paul's
Do you enjoy reading the growing number of comic mysteries by Mark Schweizer, such as The Alto Wore Tweed, The Baritone Wore Chiffon, and The Soprano Wore Falsettos?  The action in these hilarious novels takes place in the small fictional town of St. Germaine, North Carolina . The narrator is the Organist/Choirmaster at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church and the town's Chief of Police, as well as an aspiring if not particularly gifted mystery writer.  St. Paul 's, San Antonio, is hosting a Mystery Dinner Evening with Mark Schweizer on Friday, Nov. 6 and Saturday, Nov. 7.  Tickets are $20 each for a buffet dinner and evening's entertainment. The author has written a brand-new mystery and will guide participants through solving it.  This will be Schweizer's first visit to San Antonio and the premier of his new mystery. Individuals and parish groups are welcome.  Tickets may be purchased by calling the parish office (210-226-0345) and may be picked up there.  Office hours are 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Monday through Friday.  For more information, contact Bill McMillen (210-523-6474), wfmcm@sbcglobal.net  

Upcoming Events

 
A book signing for Sustaining Abundant Life: Women's Prayer and Poetry will be held on Saturday, Oct. 10 from 1-3 p.m. at Viva Bookstore,  8407 Broadway St., San Antonio, TX  78209-1129. The proceeds from book sales  benefit the mission of Woman at the Well House Ministries, a faith-based transitional home for women coming out of prison. The book is a compilation of over 40 poems and prayers written by women in Texas.  Poems were submitted and judged by a panel of distinguished local judges. Many of the judges and writers will be present to sign copies of the book.
 
St. Helena's, Boerne, will host A Celebration of Seasons 2009 Gala at 6:30 pm Friday, Oct. 16, at St. Helena's, Boerne. The night will offer dinner, live music and dancing, and silent and live auctions. All proceeds benefit mission and outreach ministries. Visit their website at www.sthelenas-boerne.org for more details or call the church office 830-249-3228.  Deadline for reservations is October 11. 
 
Labyrinth Journey - Journey of the Heart on Saturday, Oct. 17 from 9:00 am-1:00 pm.  Workshop will be led by the Rev. Linda Ricketts an Episcopal priest, hospice chaplain and spiritual director. There will be time for reflection, journaling, creating, and walking the labyrinth overlooking beautiful Canyon Lake.  For a flyer with more information go to Church and Other Events on the diocesan website.
 
Sunday, Nov. 1, is United Thank Offering (UTO) Sunday. Churches should collect all donations and mail one check to the diocese marked UTO (P O Box 6885, San Antonio TX 78209, Attn: Accounting).  For information contact Betty Smith, UTO Coordinator at 361-537-0707or bettyfsmith40@yahoo.com 
 
November 1, at St. Andrew's, San Antonio, will host the Daughters of the King diocesan Corporate Communion. The Rt. Rev. Gary Lillibridge will preside over confirmations, reaffirmations, and the Holy Eucharist. To see flyer, go to Church and Other Events on the diocesan website. Please RSVP for lunch by October 25, 2009.
 
Wednesday, Oct 14, at the Bishop Jones Center, from noon to 1 pm is the next San Antonio Area Communicators Brown Bag Lunch. October topic is "Holiday Planning and Creative Ideas." November 11 topic is Basic Photoshop Training. Brown bag lunch is open to all diocesan parish, school and service agency communicators to meet together every 2nd Wednesday of each month. If you have questions contact Barbara Duffield at barbara.duffield@dwtx.org or 888/210-824-5387.
 
Friday and Saturday, Nov. 6 - 7, St. Thomas, San Antonio, will host a Healing Conference with leaders the Rev. Jack and Anna Marie Sheffield.  For information contact the church office at 210-494-3507 or email jbates16@satx.rr.com. 
 
Viva Eva, a workshop presented entirely in Spanish and designed for Latino/Hispanic women, will be held in Houston on November 6-7. Activities and presentations help women discover ways to find their voices in today's world. For information contact the Rev. Luchy Littlejohn at luchyl@earthlink.net. For the registration form, go to Church and Other Events on the diocesan website.

St. George Episcopal School's 2009 Par 3 Golf Classic will be Monday, Nov. 9, 11:00 am to 5:30 pm at Fair Oaks Ranch Golf and Country Club. Many prizes provided; all proceeds go to programs at St. George's School in San Antonio. To view flyer and more information go to Church and Other Events on the diocesan website.
 
November 12-15, Cursillo weekend # 247 at Camp Capers.  Barbara Duffield is rector, and the Rev. Tim Vellom is Spiritual Director, both from St. Matthew's, Universal City.  If you are interested in attending, speak with your parish priest and visit the diocesan website at www.dwtx.org to register.
 
Friday, Nov. 13; the 2009 Bishop's Golf Classic will be held at Canyon Springs Golf Club in San Antonio to benefit the youth of the diocese. A shotgun start will be at 12:30 p.m. and the awards reception and dinner will begin at 5:30 p.m. For information visit Special Events on the diocesan website.
 
November 13-15 Community of Arts Festival at Church of Reconciliation, San Antonio. Friday, November 13 - dinner and a movie for all ages, from 5:30 - 8:30 pm.  Saturday, Nov. 14, viewing, dedication and blessing of 178 ArtPeace Banners created during the summer ArtPeace program. Sunday, Nov. 15 - Art Show and Sale in Brown Hall from 10:00 am. to 5:00 pm. For details, contact the church at 210-655-2731.
 
November 17, Coping with Grief During the Holidays will begin at 12:30 pm at Christ Church, San Antonio. For more information call Carol Miller at 210-736-3132.
 
Wednesday - Friday, Nov. 11-13, at St. Mark's, San Antonio, from 8:30 am to 6:30 pm, the Reconciliation Commission presents Faith-Based Reconciliation: Latino/Anglo Relationships, with speaker the Rev. Canon Brian Cox and team. Online registration is at Special Events on the diocesan website.
 
Friday and Saturday, Nov. 20 and 21, the Diocesan Daughters of the King Fall Assembly will be held at the Bishop Jones Center in San Antonio.  Guest speaker Robbye Floyd-Archibald will address the topic Answering the Call to Service: Self-Disclosure, Reconciliation & Embracing the Holy Heretic.  For information or to register, go to Special Events on the diocesan website.
 
November 25-28, Mustang Island Conference Center will be the site for Thanksgiving on the Island.  Cost is $545 per DWTX Family and $645 for others. Limit of five per room unless immediate family. To register go to Special Events on the diocesan website. For information, contact Nita Shaver at 361-749-1800 or nita.shaver@dwtx.org.
 
December 4 & 5 - the Work+Shop and St. Mark's, San Antonio, will host an Advent retreat, led by the Revs. Mike Chalk and Mary Earle at the Bishop Jones Center. To register or for more information, contact St. Mark's church office at 210-226-2426.
 
Monday through Friday, Nov. 30 - Dec. 3, Mustang Island Conference Center will be the site of a Christian Contemplative Christ Centered Prayer Retreat led by the Rev. Sandra Casey-Martus, rector of All Saints', Corpus Christi. For information visit Special Events on the diocesan website.
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The seminar Mary, the Mother of God will be presented on Saturday, Dec. 12, from 9 am to 4:30 pm at Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio. Presenter is James Dennis; Bishop Bob Hibbs and Fr. Bob Wright, OMI, of Oblate Seminary will serve as commentators.  Fee for registration is $25 and includes materials and lunch; all proceeds will go to benefit Habitat for Humanity.  Register by calling Mario Porter at 210-341-1366.
 
2010 Mid Winter Camp Sessions online registrations are open. View the 2010 Mid Winter brochure, on the Camp Capers pages of the diocesan website.  
Dates are:
Mid Winter I - High School (grades 9-12) from January 8-10, 2010
Mid Winter II - Middle School (grades 6-8) from January 15-17, 2010
Mid Winter III - Elementary School (grades 8 ½ yrs - 5th grade) from January 22-24, 2010. (8 ½ yrs as of January 1, 2010)
 
January 14-20, 2010, Mustang Island Conference Center will be the site of a Christian Contemplative Christ Centered Prayer Retreat led by the Rev. Sandra Casey-Martus, rector of All Saints', Corpus Christi, and former Director of the Alta Retreat Center in Wyoming. For information visit Special Events on the diocesan website.

An Invitation from Grace Church  

 
Grand Opening 
Jesus Jamboree
 
Oct. 18, 5:00 pm
All Saints Chapel
at TMI-The Episcopal School of Texas.

Every Episcopalian in the diocese is invited to join us for this exciting celebration of our newest church community. 

We are part of you - and we want you to share in our joy!

Questions? Email the Rev. Jay George at
revjaygeorge@mecom.

Art Show and Sale

 
Watercolors, oils, pottery, jewelry, textiles, books, gifts, handicrafts, and more will be available for looking at and buying during the third annual diocesan 
Arts and Marketplace show,
October 17-18,
on the grounds of the Bishop Jones Center in San Antonio. 
 
Hours are Saturday, Oct. 17, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 18, 1 to 4 p.m.
 
Admission is free.

 
Romans Bible Study on the Web

 
At the 2009 Council this past February, Bishop Lillibridge asked that all congregations undertake a study of the Book of Romans sometime during the year.
 
The Revs. John Lewis and Jane Patterson of The Work+Shop and St. Mark's, San Antonio, have created a study specifically for the Diocese of West Texas that is now posted on the diocesan website. Visit www.dwtx.org and click on the quick link on the bottom right of the home page. 
 
Four of the session are now up with more to come.