Central Florida
CFE EPISCOPALIAN Volume 123, No. 5 / September - October 2020
DENTRO: ¡El boletín de noticias español está de vuelta! Por favor, consulte las paginas 19-21.
CONTENTS BISHOP BREWER A Call to Unity.................................................................................................................................. 3
CANON HOLCOMBE Let’s Celebrate Our Clergy................................................................................................................ 4
MINISTRIES
3 A Call to Unity
Camp Wingmann Zoom Gatherings to Resume in September......................................................... 4 What Cursillo Means to Me.............................................................................................................. 5 Pandemic Forces Changes in São Paulo Ministry............................................................................. 6
PEOPLE & EVENTS St. Jude’s Donates School Supplies to Orange City Elementary........................................................ 5 St. Barnabas Teachers Turn Plexiglass COVID Shields Into First Grade Fun....................................... 6 Resurrection, Longwood Parishioner Serves on COVID-19 Front Lines............................................. 7 Church of Our Saviour Adopts Everglades Elementary..................................................................... 8 Struggle in Honduras Nears Catastrophic Proportions..................................................................... 9
DIOCESE IN DEPTH
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Generation to Generation
Awareness of Mental Well-Being Important During Ongoing National Crisis................................ 12
BEST PRACTICES Best Practices for Church Streaming Shared................................................................................... 16
SPOTLIGHT From Test Baby to Nurse to Priest................................................................................................... 17 New St. David’s Rector Embraces Scholar-Priest Role..................................................................... 18
CFE EN ESPAÑOL Obispo Brewer:.............................................................................................................................. 19 De generación a generación.......................................................................................................... 20 El banco de alimentos de la Casa Trinidad alimenta unas 600 familias cada mes.......................... 21
22 Charismatic Anglicanism Has Lasting Influence
OUR ANGLICAN HERITAGE Charismatic Anglicanism Has Lasting Influence............................................................................. 22
DIOCESAN CALENDAR/BISHOP BREWER’S VISITATIONS ..................... 23
STAY CONNECTED WITH BISHOP BREWER Watch Bishop Brewer's video reflections: www.tinyurl.com/BishopBrewerReflections Read blog posts: www.cfdiocese.org/bishopsblog Follow Bishop Brewer on social media:
The Diocese of Central Florida The Right Reverend Gregory O. Brewer, Bishop Serving 15 counties through 81 churches and 30,000 members The Episcopal Church The Most Reverend Michael B. Curry, Presiding Bishop and Primate An international community of 2.5 million Christians in North and South America, Europe and Taiwan The Anglican Communion The Most Reverend Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury A global community of more than 85 million Christians in more than 165 countries worldwide
Central Florida EPISCOPALIAN The Rt. Rev. Gregory O. Brewer, Bishop The Rt. Rev. John W. Howe Retired The Rt. Rev. William H. Folwell Retired The Rev. Canon Dr. Justin Holcomb Canon for Vocations The Rev. Canon Scott Holcombe Canon to the Ordinary The Ven. Kristi Alday, Archdeacon Mr. Earl Pickett, Diocesan Administrator Mr. Erick Perez, Subscription Manager
Central Florida EPISCOPALIAN is published by the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida. Submissions are welcome, but are subject to editing and use at the discretion of the Central Florida Episcopalian. Please submit event notices three months prior to the event to: Central Florida Episcopalian 1017 E. Robinson St. Orlando, FL 32801-2023 Wendy Leech, Communications Coordinator wleech@cfdiocese.org / 407-925-6008 Erick Perez, Subscription Manager eperez@cfdiocese.org / 407-423-3567 Connect with us on social media
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www.cfdiocese.org
BISHOP BREWER
A Call to Unity
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By The Rt. Rev. Gregory O. Brewer
o you recall the parable Jesus told about the wedding guest who didn’t show up in the appropriate clothes (Matt. 22:1-14)? Remember, the guest was thrown out of the party because he did not wear a “wedding garment.”
To Jesus’ hearers, an invitation from the king to attend a royal wedding is an invitation one does not refuse. Just to receive such an invitation is a profound honor that comes with the social obligation to accept, no matter what needs to be rescheduled to make attendance possible. One does not say “I’m sorry, I cannot come” to the king. That makes the way people mistreated the messengers who delivered the invitation shocking. I can hear members of Jesus’ audience gasp out loud as he says these royal messengers were “beaten.” When the guests do finally arrive for the wedding, one of them shows up in the first- century equivalent of a T-shirt and cut-off shorts without the prerequisite “wedding garment.” Again, the audience would find such presumption incredible.
thankfulness for being included and the willingness to sacrifice whatever Bishop Greg Brewer is necessary to live according to the commandments of the King. The wedding garment represents a readiness to live by the King’s rules, not our own. And we are happy to do it out of sheer gratitude at being included in this wedding party called the kingdom of heaven!
It is critically important that Christians exhibit gratitude and sacrifice.
Then and now, this guest’s actions reveal an attitude that is shockingly self-centered. What is on display is a determination, regardless of the occasion or the company, to do what? Be who he wants to be. Social graces do not matter. There is no thoughtfulness or courtesy, no honoring of one’s host or the wedding party. Instead, there is only arrogance: I want to live life on my own terms and nobody else’s. Such arrogance is tragically joyless. What the reader sees in this guest’s determination to live life on his terms is the absence of any sense of gratitude for the gift of the invitation. There is no attempt to join in the gladness of the occasion. In fact, all the guest wants is to do things “his way,” which ultimately leads to him being kicked out of the wedding celebration. But this parable is more than just a reprimand against selfishness or even a lesson in courtesy. This is a parable that describes an aspect of the kingdom of heaven. For those who are invited into the kingdom of heaven by the King of all kings, the only appropriate response is a combination of gratitude and a willingness to live according to the King’s way, not our way. What the parable teaches us is this: Attempting to live as a member of the kingdom without giving up our rights to live life on our terms is nothing short of blasphemy. www.cfdiocese.org
As Christ followers, we have made the commitment, God being our helper, to live life on the terms Jesus defines for us. Every single biblical commandment for Christians comes out of a call to
In the midst of this time when so much of our conversation is around the general election in November, it is critically important that Christians, above all, exhibit these twin characteristics of gratitude and sacrifice. We engage the political process but do not do so at the expense of these basic Christian commitments. It is these Christian commitments to gratitude and sacrifice that protect us from the alarmist rhetoric that says if you don’t support a particular candidate, you are not a good Christian.
While we should have clear political positions, we should also be gracious in our engagement with others no matter their political persuasion. We should avoid conferring messiahship on either candidate and resist conspiracy theories that demonize either political party. As Christians, we hold up the values of the kingdom whether they fit in a party platform or not. So the call to live with gratitude and sacrifice could not be more urgent. We cannot contribute to the walls of political division. Neither Donald Trump nor Joe Biden is our country’s savior. Most of us know enough about Christianly and about politics to know that both candidates and both platforms are deeply flawed. So we back away from any sort of idolatry and do our best to serve well, vote our conscience and care for our fellow citizens, and especially for our fellow church members, even if they sit on the other side of the aisle. Grace to You,
Bishop Gregory O. Brewer
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M I N I ST R I E S
Camp Wingmann Zoom Gatherings to Resume in September
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By Nina Keck
ike many other areas of diocesan life, Camp Wingmann 2020 looks much different than the norm. As a response to Find details of upcoming Zoom gatherings the COVID-19 shutdown, the on camp social media platforms. camp sponsored regular Zoom calls for staff and campers. These Wingmann has received were such a hit that the camp staff tremendous encouragement. plans to resume them in September. “We have been very appreciative “This is an opportunity to see camp of our camp community’s friends and have fun,” said office support throughout the past few manager Christin Hill. months,” Hill said. “Parents and families have been more than Typically, participants play a understanding with the hard game, have virtual fellowship decisions we had to make. The and then offer pertinent prayers. gifts our community has given Find updates and details about have allowed us to continue our upcoming Zoom gatherings on ministry through prayer, virtual Camp Wingmann’s Facebook, fellowship, virtual camp and Instagram and Twitter pages virtual ministry.” (@campwingmann). “We have absolutely loved seeing the faces of our campers and their families on Zoom when we host lunches or game time,” Hill said.
“We can’t wait to turn our Zoom time into face-to-face time when it’s safe to do so. We are very excited about Summer Camp 2021!” Hill said. Of course, what that camp looks like will depend on what happens with the pandemic. “Please stay alert for news of upcoming gatherings. We hope to host our camp family sooner rather than later!”
Throughout the changes caused by the safety precautions, Camp
If you would like to support Camp Wingmann, please go to campwingmann.org for more information. Etch your name into a piece of Camp Wingmann history with Camp Wingmann bricks. Go to bricksrus.com/donorsite/wingmann for details. Photos courtesy of Camp Wingmann
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Let’s Celebrate Our Clergy By Canon Scott Holcombe
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ctober is Clergy Appreciation Month, and congregations are encouraged to set aside the second Sunday (Oct. 11) as Clergy Appreciation Day. This holiday has been designated since 1992, but sadly, with the closing of many Christian bookstores and because of COVID-19, few people visit retail stores (such as card shops) and see the advertising to “Remember your clergy or pastor.” So I am reaching out on behalf of those clergy I know who are feeling exhausted, overworked, underappreciated, COVID-19 fatigued, technologically assaulted and just plain tired! Congregations, wardens, church leaders – start now to make this October truly memorable for your clergy! Let them know how much you appreciate them. You might ask, “Canon Scott, how do we pull this off without our pastor
learning about it?” Here are some suggestions for your consideration:
• Spread the word and ask people to compose
a handwritten note to your pastor to let them know what they mean to them or to thank them for their years of service. Collect these, place them in a basket and present to the pastor/rector at the offertory on Oct. 11.
• Consider collecting store gift cards or Visa
cards and giving them to your pastor and family members.
• A great gift might be a zoo membership;
concert or live theater tickets; or a gift certificate for a car wash, spa visit or something that clergy or their family members might not often do but would surely appreciate.
• If you have a vacation rental, timeshare
or second home, consider offering it to your clergyperson for a weekend or weekday getaway.
• If your pastor has
young children, offer to come over and babysit so the pastor and spouse can have some time free or a night out without having to add the cost of child care.
Holcombe
• If you have frequent flier miles or hotel
points in abundance, consider making them a gift for a future clergy getaway.
• Consider your clergyperson’s hobbies or interests and provide a related gift.
• Have their car washed, waxed or detailed. • Give them a gift certificate to Almy.com
so they can order some new clergy shirts or needed apparel or vestments.
• If your church budget can handle it, consider a gift of technology or a new laptop computer (keep in mind, church-provided computers stay with the church after a clergyperson leaves).
• Arrange for church members to take your
clergyperson out for breakfast or lunch one or two days a week (and have them pay for the meal!).
• Take a good look at the rector’s office or
study. Could it use a fresh coat of paint, new blinds, new furniture or a general sprucing up? Make that your October project!
• Ask your clergyperson if they would be interested in a gym membership. If their answer is yes, collect funds for one year of membership at a gym of their choosing.
Contrary to Madison Avenue ads, the Maytag repairman is not the loneliest person on the planet. It might just be your rector! Reach out and let them know that you have been thinking of and praying for them. Why not make this Clergy Appreciation Month one your pastor will cherish and remember? www.cfdiocese.org
M I N I ST R I E S
St. Jude’s Donates School Supplies to Orange City Elementary
Photos by Tammy Robertson
By Nina Keck
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embers of St. Jude’s Episcopal Church in Orange City spent this summer collecting school supplies for Orange City Elementary School. “We picked the school because about 80% of the 590 students receive free lunches,” said School Supplies Drive Co-chair Sandra Yates, who served alongside fellow Cochairs Tammy Robertson and Becky Jusick. Robertson has been a substitute teacher at the school, “So she was my ‘in’ to let the principal know we wanted to help,” Yates said. “We couldn’t believe how excited and generous everyone was. We were thrilled that we got that much stuff! We haven’t had that many people on the campus over the past months,” Yates said. Some parishioners donated money, and the three co-chairs shopped for school supplies. “We had to shop around to get as much for our money as we could,” Yates explained.
The young volunteers helped ensure students had supplies before school began.
Each year, Orange City Elementary faculty members compile gradelevel supplies lists and send them to Target, Walmart and any other store that sells school supplies. “I used the list when I went to Target to shop with some of the money that parishioners donated to the drive,” Yates said. Among the items St. Jude’s donated to were 12 reams of copy paper, card stock, notebook paper, spiral notebooks in three different page counts, composition books, pens, pencils, tissues, hand sanitizer and erasers. “I tweaked it a little, and people donated supplies that they thought would be useful to the students,” Yates said. “We even got a few backpacks and a lunch box! “Over the years, the parish has supported the school in one way or another,” Yates said. “We always receive nice thank-you notes from the principal and the teachers. Sometimes we even get sweet notes from the students.” St. Jude’s parishioners collected enough supplies to fill a mini-van.
www.cfdiocese.org
What Cursillo Means to Me By Paula Reuman, St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church, Inverness
I
feel very strongly about Cursillo and what it has done in my life.
to attend a coed. But we were asked to attend separate Cursillos. As scared and unsure as I was, the dates were the best time for both of us, so off we went.
The Lord has helped me through many difficult times. The most recent happened Paula and Fr. Gene Reuman on May 17, 2017. I was I can say I am very a volunteer for Citrus County happy the Lord picked that Animal Control. I was doing Cursillo for me. It started out routine driving for them when a uncomfortably, but by Friday vehicle crossed over the double night the friends I was making yellow line and hit my car on were wonderful. When Sunday the driver’s side. The Lord was came I was looking to the Lord there because the only injuries I for where He wanted me to be sustained were to my legs. I was headed. From that weekend unable to walk for almost seven until today He has had control months and was in a rehab/ over what he wants me to do and nursing home. It was not fun, but where He wants me to be. the Lord kept me going. I have served on several Cursillo It is now three years later and teams and have always gotten what I am able to do is because something from every weekend I stayed focused on the Lord I worked. I am looking forward and His word. Yes, I do have to being the rectora (lay leader) limitations, but I try not to look for the coed weekend in the fall of at them. I look at the fact I am 2021. This year I have joined the walking is the Lord’s doing. And Cursillo Commission and am also what I learned on Cursillo has looking forward to the new path helped me through it all. the Lord is leading me on. When my husband and I were at Holy Faith in Dunnellon, we first talked about going on Cursillo. I was uncomfortable attending a women’s weekend, so we decided
Cursillo was a life-changing experience for me and continues to be a blessing. I highly recommend it to you when weekends resume in 2021.
—— 2021 CURSILLO DATES —— Men’s Weekend April 9-11, 2021 Women’s Weekend April 16-18, 2021 Co-ed Weekend Sept. 24-26, 2021
For more information, contact Phil Phillips, strumminguy55@yahoo.com Karen Stout, 4karenjs@gmail.com Kim McMaster, kmcmaster1@cfl.rr.com
You can also access the diocesan Cursillo website at www.cfepiscopalcursillo.org. Connect to the Central Florida Facebook page @CentralFloridaCursilloGroup. If you are not receiving the Cursillo information emails, please let one of us know.
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M I N I ST R I E S
Pandemic Forces Changes in São Paulo Ministry
St. Barnabas Teachers Turn Plexiglass COVID Shields Into First Grade Fun
ot surprisingly, the São Paulo Mercy Ministry in Brazil, headed by The Rev. Stephen and Mary Dass, has been forced to make changes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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By Nina Keck
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as COVID-19 is concerned,” said Dass, who, along with his wife, Mary, was first sent by the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida to serve in São Paulo in 2013. “We meet with them on a one-toone basis, and our conversations have taken a more mature direction.”
“We have to come to the conclusion that this year we are not going to meet new children or teens,” Dass said in a recent e-newsletter. “Instead we are working on meeting with the ones with whom we have a deeper relationship.”
The Dasses have been able to talk with the teens in private about topics they couldn’t discuss in public. “We have noticed a greater degree of honesty,” said Dass. “The youth don’t feel like they have to make excuses for how they feel about things or their fears with us.”
São Paulo, considered a city that never sleeps and currently enduring winter, has been the epicenter of the pandemic in Brazil. Like most cities with the “never sleeps” reputation,
And so far, none of the youth has come down with the virus, although, Dass noted, the teens also don’t understand its severity. But they did suffer for the first month of the outbreak when local restaurants were closed. At the urging of local religious groups, the government then stepped in and provided food.
São Paulo possesses a large population of homeless people, many of whom started living on the streets before age 10. Children and teens are the focus of the Mercy Ministry. “The youth are willing to meet us in different places because where they hang out is not the safest place as far
“The only thing that has improved now is the availability of food,” said Dass, who explained that the government has stopped providing masks despite a recent increase in the number of people stricken by the virus. “Most of the time, our ministry consists of helping our children and teens face the brutal reality of their situation and find a way of living a life that is productive and wholesome,” said Dass. He said he and his wife spend “about three hours a day,” five days a week, in direct contact with the homeless youth. “Hopefully, when things are under reasonable control, we will resume everything like before.”
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atricia Dovi and Kim Martin, first grade teachers at St. Barnabas Episcopal School, DeLand, knew students might feel intimidated by the plexiglass surrounding “This is a tool to make social distancing playful,” said Martin, desks this year who adopted Jeep designs for plexiglass desk shields. because of the and asked if they worked. I gave COVID-19 pandemic. So they each of them a keychain with a decided to transform the shields key to their car. They couldn’t into something playful: They wait to go home and tell their designed their desks to look like families that they had a new car!” Jeeps, and the plastic dividers function as the cars’ windshields The students in Dovi’s class and windows. were equally excited. “The kids were so cute. One said, ‘It looks Dovi, a Jeep owner, got the idea like your Jeep!’ They saw the from Jennifer Pierson, a teacher plexiglass and said, ‘I get it. It’s a in Texas. “I thought the idea was windshield!’” genius,” said Dovi, “and Jennifer was so happy to give me the Dovi’s mother and aunt, both design.” retired teachers, helped make the desk Jeeps. A former Martin said the concept of art teacher helped her paint driving a car and following a classroom bulletin board road rules helps promote with a Jeep adventure theme. social distancing. “Don’t get in “Teachers always help teachers, someone else’s car. Don’t touch but it’s been magnified this another person’s steering wheel. year,” Dovi said. Stay seated in your car. Always Martin agrees. “All good face forward when you’re in teachers share a message of your car. Keep your hands inside hope and kindness,” she said. the vehicle at all times,” she “I just encourage everyone out explained. there to be patient, be kind and On Aug. 20, students were be caring,” Martin said by way allowed to view their classrooms of advice for the new school one at a time. “The children year. “I want to be able to give were excited about the cars,” that to my kids.” said Martin. “They rushed in www.cfdiocese.org
M I N I ST R I E S
Resurrection, Longwood Parishioner Serves on COVID-19 Front Lines By Nina Keck
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rmed with a strong faith and years of experience, Brenda Lanaris, a registered nurse and parishioner of Episcopal Church of the Resurrection, Longwood, left her comfortable job at Orlando Health and spent two months working at a New York City hospital. A conversation with two furloughed nurses prompted her journey. “I talked to them when we fitted them for Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) and masks,” she said. Lanaris learned that the two worked for a travel nurse company meeting the calls of cities hit hard by COVID-19. Lanaris believed God could use her in New York despite the potential dangers. “Mother Teresa was in the pit of awfulness every day and lived to be 83. She was a nurse when there were no vaccines. So what is the difference now when she is your model?”
Lanaris spent time praying with patients and talking with patients and families. Photo courtesy of Brenda Lanaris
Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY, where Lanaris worked for 8 weeks Photo courtesy of Brookdale University Hospital
In March, Lanaris sent a text to the travel nurse company and promptly received a response affirming interest and need. On April 24, she resigned from Winnie Palmer Hospital.
They had lost two security guards and a nurse manager to COVID-19,” Lanaris said. “The other travel nurses and I were able to provide much-needed support to the stressed-out nurses who had been working 16-hour shifts every day.”
But she didn’t share her plans with her family or church until everything was in place. “I told our church choir at a Zoom meeting,” Lanaris said. “The choir was very supportive. Two of our members had connections to COVID-19 deaths in New York City.
And Lanaris saw God’s hand throughout this journey. “First, I saw the nurses getting ready to go to New York,” she explained. “I received a ‘yes’ text from the travel nurse company. They recruited me, and I had a job assignment.”
“When I heard this, I wished I could have been there earlier to help their loved ones,” Lanaris said. “I felt their prayers while I was in Brooklyn.” She arrived there on May 6 and started work on May 8.
She also spent time praying and talking with patients and their families. “It helped them with the isolation and alleviated fears on both sides,” she said. Because of the necessity of PPE, including masks, “You had to give caring and compassion with your eyes.”
“I was there through July,” she said. “It was a labor-intensive eight-week contract. I worked four 12-hour shifts per week at Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York. The borough of Brooklyn is one of the hardest hit by the virus.”
“My daughter was concerned about the exposure and what it might do to my grandchildren,” Lanaris said. Both before she left New York City and again in Florida, “I was tested for the virus and the antibodies, and both tests were negative!” she said.
The hospital serves most of eastern Brooklyn. “Brookdale Hospital is the trauma center for that area of Brooklyn. A majority of my patients were gunshot victims with six and seven gunshot wounds, sitting up, talking to me,” Lanaris said.
In addition to her hospital work, Lanaris has long served as camp nurse for Camp Wingmann. “I have been with Camp Wingmann from its beginnings in 2000. When my kids were little, I took them with me to camp. This is the first year I’ve not been a camp nurse.”
At the height of the first wave of coronavirus, the ICU was at capacity, and patient beds lined the halls. “They were not used to bringing in Lanaris (bottom right) has been Camp Wingmann’s camp help from around the nation. nurse since 2000. Photo courtesy of Camp Wingmann
Though the travel nurse company still employs her, she remains open to other employment. “I’ll always be a nurse. It all depends on the situation. … In God’s time, and wherever he wants me to be.”
She also felt she could do the job. “I’ve had 39 years of nursing experience,” Lanaris said. “Thirty-four of those years were at Orlando Health’s Winnie Palmer Hospital, treating critical care pregnancies. I’m a certified critical care nurse.”
www.cfdiocese.org
Holy Faith Episcopal Seamstresses Pitch in for
COVID-19 Relief By DeWayne Hamby
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hen the COVID-19 outbreak happened, health care providers and hospitals around the country were in desperate need of supplies. Like so many others, Advent Hospital in Ocoee found itself in such a position, and a group of talented and creative volunteers of Holy Faith Episcopal Church in Dunnellon came to the rescue. Carol Campen, a parishioner, was a hospital volunteer until the outbreak forced the program to close. Feeling helpless amid the dire needs surrounding her, Campen was ready to let her light shine in the darkness. The hospital volunteer director soon provided her with an opportunity that would help her once again exhibit the love of Christ to her community. “She knew I sewed and wondered if I was interested,” Campen said. “I said yes, because with not being able to volunteer, I felt completely useless. I called some girls at Holy Faith, and a few of them were interested.” Campen in turn recruited four other women, and the quintet has so far supplied the hospital with around 1,000 masks. The hospital provides the materials, and the Holy Faith volunteers do the sewing and assembling. Campen said the ladies all feel a sense of accomplishment and
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PEOPLE & EVENTS
Trinity House Meets Multiple Needs
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rinity House food pantry, a ministry of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Kissimmee, provides food aid to around 600 families a month, said The Rev. Canon Luis Manuel de la Cruz, its overseer. But Trinity House meets other community needs as well. The Trinity House food pantry started in August 2018 after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico on Sept. 20, 2017, and led many people from the island to move to Central Florida. During that time, the population in Osceola County increased 12.5%. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) donated 50,000 pounds of food, which was delivered to the pantry for the first five months.
After that, Trinity House used resources from the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida to continue providing food for hundreds of people in need. Today this ministry also gives away clothing, shoes and furniture as well as offers courses and sports activities for the community. Every first and third Friday of the month, 16 volunteers distribute bags containing canned foods, cereal, dried beans, beef, salad and milk. During the week, Trinity House also assists the homeless and other people seeking food and clothing.
To make a donation to
TRINITY HOUSE
please contact St. John Episcopal Church-Trinity House, 1709 N. John Young Parkway, Kissimmee 34741, 267-650-0622.
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De la Cruz—who was born in the Dominican Republic and has been an ordained priest for 40 years— María Rodríguez and Mercedes Sandoval make up the coordinating team of this much-needed ministry that serves all nationalities. “I can affirm that there are several families that today participate in our community of faith who have known us through what we do at the Trinity House. We do not proselytize, but we do endeavor to act lovingly and serve those most in need in the name of Christ and the church,” said de la Cruz, who foresees a greater need of resources since the rise in unemployment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He cited the scripture that inspires this ministry as “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me” (Matt. 25:35-36). Trinity House would like to have the resources to start an English course as well as have an attorney available to assist with immigration matters.
Holy Faith “sews” into its community.
contribution toward a greater goal when it is needed the most. “They are very happy to be doing something that is appreciated and needed and to feel like they are being useful in this dumb time,” she said. “It’s nice to be useful.” At press time, Holy Faith is hosting limited meetings, including chair yoga and Bible study with social distancing measures. Church treasurer Jackie Meehan, one of the sewing volunteers, also recruited her sister, who doesn’t attend the church. Meehan was glad to respond to the call when Campen mentioned the opportunity and shares her satisfaction in serving. “I think it’s a good thing in the craziness that the world is in,” she said. “It’s one way we can help.” Meehan’s husband, Dale, also contributes by cutting the wires to insert into the masks. In addition to Campen and Meehan, the other volunteer seamstresses include Tran Lukas, Cindy Conway and Linda Emslie. Holy Faith’s local paper, Riverland News, recognized the church for its service to the community. “Holy Faith in Dunnellon may be small, but it’s come to the forefront when needed,” the article said. www.cfdiocese.org
Church of Our Saviour Adopts Everglades Elementary By Jolene Taracatac
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ack to school looks different in many ways this year due to COVID-19. Not only has the pandemic affected the way classes are conducted for teachers and students, but it has also impacted outreach efforts for some diocesan churches. However, that didn’t stop Church of Our Saviour in Okeechobee. Instead, the church got creative in rethinking its outreach to schools.
BENEFITING CHILDREN Who Learn Differently
Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Fruitland Park is holding its Clergy and parishioners of Church of Our Saviour pose with Everglades Elementary School project banner.
sixth annual golf tournament to benefit its school for children who learn differently. Blackston Financial Advisory Group will be the tournament’s title sponsor for the third year in a row. The fundraiser is being held at
Harbor Hills Country Club 6538 Lake Griffin Road, Lady Lake, FL
Everglades Elementary students participate in the school’s agricultural program. Members of the clergy and vestry make their first delivery of donated water to Everglades Elementary. (L-R: Jim Lucas, senior warden; The Rev. Kay Mueller, deacon; Melanie Stinnett, COOS parishioner and Everglades Elementary guidance counselor; Jenni Ellis, Everglades Elementary principal; Linda Myers, COOS Vestry; The Rev. Jim Shevlin, rector; Debby Duncan and Peggy Harlow, COOS Vestry.)
For years, Church of Our Saviour hosted a luncheon at the beginning of each school year to welcome new teachers and administrators of the Okeechobee County School District. The church served a lovely plated lunch and provided teachers with school supplies for their classrooms. Unfortunately, this year’s restrictions on gatherings challenged the church to come up with a new idea.
After some brainstorming, the vestry decided to adopt a school on which the church could have the most impact. Everglades Elementary made a great candidate since 94-98% of its students live at the poverty level in a total enrollment of 492. The vestry made a commitment to adopt the school for the entire 2020-2021 academic year. Everglades Elementary is also unique since it was the first school in South Florida to implement an agricultural program at the elementary education level. Not only do the students learn academic subjects, but they also learn responsibility and sustainability. Since the school’s agricultural program began, other Florida schools have used it as a model. After the decision to adopt the school was made, the vestry spoke with Melanie Stinnett, guidance counselor at Everglades Elementary and longtime parishioner of Church of Our Saviour, about the adoption. She will act as liaison, communicating the school’s needs to the church. “When we shared the news with her,
www.cfdiocese.org
PEOPLE & EVENTS
she was overwhelmed with gratitude,” The Rev. Kay Mueller, deacon for Church of Our Saviour, recalls. Church of Our Saviour has appointed three members of the vestry to oversee this project. Peggy Harlow, who was part of Okeechobee’s education system for 42 years, including several years as a teacher and 20 as an administrator, heads the project. The three vestry members will continually assess the school’s needs throughout the year. Right now, they are collecting small individual packages of tissues, pencils, dry-erase markers, plastic or paper cups, and small bottles of water since the use of water fountains is not permitted. In addition, they are accepting clothing donations so younger students can have access to a change of clothes during school days. “The list of ways the vestry is planning to help Everglades Elementary is continually growing,” said Mueller. “For instance, we plan to assist the school’s families during holidays with things like preparing Thanksgiving baskets. Our goal is to do everything we can to help Everglades Elementary have a successful, safe and blessed school year despite COVID-19.”
Oct. 30 - 31, 2020
Tournament’s website: www.HTECgolf.com
Holy Trinity Episcopal School is a ministry of the church in
Fruitland Park, near The Villages. It offers faith-based education programs for students in grades 6 through 12, with various degrees of learning challenges. The school offers specialized curriculums aligned with individual needs and with a low student-to-teacher ratio. Many of the students come from economically challenged families, so the school relies on community support to help with tuition. This year, due to the spread of COVID-19, the format of the tournament has been modified. In compliance with CDC guidelines on large gatherings, there will be individual tee times, one golf cart per player, and the tournament will be played over two days. Presently, Harbor Hills does not offer a buffet lunch, but instead, a box lunch.
REGISTER NOW to play with NO payment due until Sept. 30, 2020. Or sponsor a hole with your name on a sponsorship sign on one of the holes.
Or make a donation of $35, $50, $75 or whatever you are comfortable with. Your generosity will go a long way to helping students with scholarships.
Checks should be payable to Holy Trinity Golf Tournament,
c/o Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, 2201 Spring Lake Rd., Fruitland Park, FL 34731. If you’re not playing, we hope you will find it in your heart to send in a donation. Without your support, many of our students would not have had the opportunities to experience the productive lives they now have.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Sidney Yee, 703-966-2615, sidney1949yee@gmail.com or Gay Hensley, 501-256-7858, gay.hensley1@gmail.com
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PEOPLE & EVENTS
Struggle in Honduras Nears Catastrophic Proportions
F
or more than five months, Honduras was locked down during the worldwide pandemic. Here in Central America’s second-poorest country according to the 2020 Index of Economic Freedom, the loss of life and business has been catastrophic. And the Diocese of Honduras has not escaped the devastating effects of COVID-19 either. Already struggling to meet financial needs despite help from multiple sources, the Honduran diocese took another hit in August, when the government announced that schools will not reopen until early 2021. Private schools will reopen online only, followed by public systems in February, and according to Bishop Lloyd Allen, “only a few will have access to the system.” He also projected that 65-70% of students in the public schools will lose their entire school year.
By mid-August, enroll-
ment for the Holy Spirit Episcopal schools was “very low.” This hurts the diocese as the schools are its primary source of
Along with the clergy stipend being set through September, the monies have provided food to more than 2,500 families, both Episcopalians and non-Episcopalians. After being shut down for five months, the country started reopening in mid-August, much to the dismay of many. Some, according to Allen, think the reopening came too soon, especially with the hospital system about to collapse because of COVID-19.
revenue. Many students live in rural areas and will be unable to attend online classes because the families cannot afford computers or do not have access to an internet provider. Allen, in a letter to the Diocese of Central Florida, cited two families who have suffered the loss of jobs, including one that closed down the family business. All told, more than 500,000 have lost their jobs in a country of just over 9 million people. Despite the financial woes, Allen has not been deterred in his desire to help those in need. At the beginning of the pandemic, he wrote appeal letters to bishop and clergy friends and companion diocese requesting support. So far, the Diocese of Central Florida has sent more than $65,000 to Honduras. Others have contributed as well, including the Diocese of Dallas, The Episcopal Church and individuals.
But like most in the world, people are anxious to get back to normal life as soon as they can. During the shutdown, Hondurans were permitted to leave their homes twice a month or every 15 days according to the last digit of a person’s ID. If a person was caught on the streets without a rightof-passage permit, their vehicle was confiscated, and they were taken to prison for a couple of days, being forced to pay a fine before release. Time will tell whether the country was opened too soon or not. In the meantime, money is still an issue for the Diocese of Honduras. The monthly budget remains at $34,000 and the reserves have been depleted since June 1. Private donations and contributions from other dioceses will be Honduras’ only source of income for the foreseeable future until the schools reopen and enrollment increases.
Anyone wishing to help the Diocese of Honduras get through this difficult time can donate by texting: “DCF Honduras” (Leave a space between “DCF” and “Honduras.”) to “73256” to donate via credit/debit card or bank account.
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www.cfdiocese.org
PEOPLE & EVENTS
Diocese Adapts to Ministry via Technology By Marti Pieper
COVID-19 may have changed
many things about the way the Diocese of Central Florida does church, but it hasn’t meant the cessation of ministry. Some of the shifts, such as social distancing and fewer in-person services, have meant more outreach opportunities and multiplied ways to reach people with the gospel of Christ. Even early in the crisis, The Rev. Jonathan French of Grace Episcopal, Ocala, saw that the pandemic had moved his congregation into new ways of connecting. “It exposed some areas that we had not really thought through,” he said. “And we are now thinking in a better way, particularly about things like Facebook, which … has become rather essential in this moment. And so I am learning to make use of it. Things like Zoom Bible studies are not only essential right now; they’re good. I thought they would be terrible, and they’re not. The ability to see people and to interact with folks that way really has worked out quite well.” Now several months into the pandemic, Grace has found more uses for technology. Not only does the church offer socially distanced in-person services following careful guidelines, but it also streams worship services, promotional videos for Sunday-morning services and children’s Bible stories as well as morning and evening prayer led by The Rev. Caroline Osborne and her husband, The Rev. Robert Osborne, on its Facebook page.
www.cfdiocese.org
But French said a key factor that has helped Grace stay in touch is something the church already had in place: an email database used to “communicate with our membership on a very regular basis” via Constant Contact newsletters on topics ranging from church activities to resources and ways the church can help. “I would say a key thing for us has been regular and consistent communication,” he said. Of course Grace, Ocala, is not the only church that has adapted to livestreaming. Numerous churches offer Zoom Bible studies or small groups in addition to livestreamed services. Check your church website or Facebook page for details. A recent Zoom seminar by The Rev. Rob Goodridge of St. Gabriel’s, Titusville, on the topic of enhancing online ministry (see Goodridge “Best Practices for Church Streaming Shared,” p. 16) had 50 people in attendance and continues to be viewed online (find it at www.bit.ly/34V92aP). A follow-up to this training was held on Aug. 26. Reaching people with the gospel, of course, is the reason The Diocese of Central Florida exists and why it continues to grow and add new priests and deacons. To that end, the diocese has celebrated the recent ordination of two priests
and celebrated the ministry of three others. The Rev. Peter Tepper, Cathedral Church of St. Luke, Orlando, was ordained to the priesthood in a livestreamed service on June 20, and The Rev. Daniel Pinell, Grace, Ocala, was also ordained as a priest in a livestreamed service on Aug. 22. Recent celebrations of new ministry included The Rev. Cynthia Brust, Hope, Melbourne, on July 12; her husband, The Rev. Ellis Brust, St. Andrew’s, Ft. Pierce, on July 19; and their son-in-law, The Rev. Porter Taylor, St. David’s by-the-Sea, Cocoa Beach, in a livestreamed service on Aug. 30. “It was such a blessing to be instituted as rector of St. David’s with Bishop Brewer, parishioners in person and the rest of our parish watching online,” said Taylor. “Our livestream has been the primary connection point with our locals and
snowbirds over the past six months. Regardless of when we go back to in-person worship, the livestream will remain a central focus point of our Sunday worship because it allows us to connect with the whole body. The church worldwide had to adapt quickly when the pandemic started, but we now have an opportunity to adapt wisely and effectively moving foward. I am excited by this calling!” On Sept. 12, the diocesan ordination of new deacons took place at Cathedral Church of St. Luke, Orlando, and the service was livestreamed and may be viewed at this link: www.bit.ly/3hWHtBm. Visit the Diocese of Central Florida website, www.cfdiocese.org, and social media pages for updates on how the diocese is reaching out through digital and other means.
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DIOCESE IN DEPTH
Awareness of Mental Well-Being Important During Ongoing National Crisis
D
By Larry J. Leech II uring an unprecedented time in our country with an ongoing pandemic, increased social unrest and continuous political bickering, the mental health of the nation is a growing concern among experts and health leaders. A person’s mental well-being affects how that person handles and relates to stress, depression, anxiety, moods and behavior. “Most of us have experienced some form of trauma in our lives with a little t or capital T,” said Monica Taffinder, a licensed mental health counselor and co-founder of Grace Clinic Christian Counseling in Winter Park. The trauma of dealing with a worldwide pandemic is uncharted territory. Numerous experts have pointed out in recent months that the pandemic is similar in trauma to natural disasters such as a hurricane, tornado, flood, wildfire, blizzard—with one major exception. The pandemic has lasted for months with no end in sight, while the natural disasters are usually over in a few days and the focus quickly shifts to recovery. Another exception to the aforementioned, disasters typically affect a region or small area of the country. Since the pandemic is global, it has affected billions of people, and no one has been immune to the situation. With reports saying the pandemic could roll into 2021, mental health issues are likely to increase, with effects felt for years. In an article published in July, The Atlantic pointed out that when SARS tore through Hong Kong during a three-month span in 2003, more than 40% of the survivors still dealt with PTSD or depression four years later.
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“What I’m noticing is people don’t feel anxious or sad or lonely or depressed when we’re all still in a collective grief and collective anxiety,” said Taffinder. “What I’m telling people a lot is to remember we’re in a pandemic, and just because we have become accustomed to it doesn’t mean it’s not still taking a toll on our sense of security and well-being.” In August, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that during a survey conducted between June 24-30, adults in the U.S. experienced elevated levels of adverse mental health conditions, substance use and suicidal ideation. According to the report, “The prevalence of symptoms of anxiety disorder was approximately three times those reported in the second quarter of 2019 (25.5% versus 8.1%), and prevalence of depressive disorder was approximately four times that reported in the second quarter of 2019 (24.3% versus 6.5%).” As far back as April, just weeks into the crush of the pandemic, texts to a federal emergency mental-health line were up 1,000% from the year before.
“Thankfully, people are calling for help. … I’m so glad that people aren’t suffering in isolation,”
Sept / Oct 2020
said Taffinder, who has seen an increase in calls to Grace Clinic. “Just trying to white-knuckle through it is not the best thing for a person.
“What we’re dealing with now will heighten or bring to the surface traumatic events from the past, whether we have worked through them or not,” she continued. “If we have worked through them, diffused them, worked through the shame and found a way to feel resolved to some degrees in those traumas, the impact of the pandemic will be less than if we haven’t. What’s happening is a lot of people are realizing that they have trauma in their past, and for them to connect the pandemic to stirring up that trauma will be helpful for them to be able to get a context for it.” While reports indicate that calls to various hotlines around the country have increased, not everyone is willing to talk about their feelings or emotions. Perhaps the two generations at the biggest risk for “white-knuckling” are the silent generation (1928-45) and baby boomers (194664). Because of upbringing and adages such as “children are to be seen, not heard,” sufferers in these groups might be less willing to discuss their anxiety and depression or to ask for help for either. www.cfdiocese.org
DIOCESE IN DEPTH “I think sometimes the silent generation and baby boomers are going to be hard on themselves, thinking that they shouldn’t feel anxious or angry,” said Taffinder. “Basically they could talk themselves out of what they’re feeling, starting off with ‘we’re still in a pandemic that’s having an effect on me now and what’s going on with me.’
person can take multiple steps to maintain their mental health and well-being. Along with connecting with others, Taffinder offered two other suggestions. “However possible, some form of exercise,” she said. “Move your body somehow to keep it regulated and not be sitting all day. It’s hard to do as so many people are doing Zoom calls. I hear a lot of Zoom fatigue. So, doing something that involves movement that is safe for you will be helpful.
“I think that because of what they and their parents went through, there’s going to be a natural tendency to minimize whatever they feel and certainly not talk about it : because there is a sense of + Try to eat and sleep well. shame and embarrassment,” Taffinder added. “They might + Limit amount of time devoted feel that it shouldn’t bother to news and social media. them, that [other] people have it worse, things that we tend + Connect with others through to tell ourselves that in the texts, phone calls, letter writing, video chats (Zoom, Skype, Facemoment feel helpful, but they Time) or in person. aren’t helpful. And I think that as much as people can avoid + Do some form of exercise to comparing themselves to move the body in a safe and helpothers to minimize their pain ful manner depending on health or anxiety, but give themselves and physical ability. room to feel and places to talk about that, I think that will + Avoid excessive alcohol and diminish the symptoms.” drug use.
Mental Health Tips
“And I’ve asked people, ‘What do you do that you enjoy so much that you lose track of time doing it?’” Taffinder said. “However much of that they are able to do is really helpful. Journaling, working in the yard, cooking, doing a puzzle, whatever it is that allows them to enjoy what they are doing without checking out too much.” That’s a fine line—the balance of what is good for a person and what is too much. Hours upon hours of watching television, on one hand, could be good, but also could be avoidance or a form of self-medicating.
Taffinder offered a few + Get lost in an enjoyable hobby, suggestions for those in the such as journaling or gardening. “The downside of [too much of Diocese of Central Florida. one thing] actually is making One of them, getting together people more anxious and overwhelmed,” said in person, has been difficult at times because of Taffinder. “So however much people can do that the pandemic, and some churches still have not is life-giving and not just checking out will be opened fully. Though she notes that support helpful for them. groups are an option, she suggested a commoninterest group, such as Bible study, either in “That’s probably the biggest takeaway for the person or online. people,” she continued, “connecting the dots of “In those groups, the facility can leave room for and invite honest and open dialogue of how people are doing. That’s going to be more helpful, more life-giving,” said Taffinder. Some experts have predicted that in the aftermath of COVID-19, we will see a mental health pandemic. In the meantime, each www.cfdiocese.org
how they are feeling now to when they had these feelings before in their lives and recognizing there is a connection can diffuse a lot of the shame and anxiety. I want people to know how they’re feeling for good reason and, as much as they can, be aware of what they are feeling. Avoiding those feelings or stuffing them will affect their quality of life.”
Help Numbers 24-Hour Crisis Line The Centers Orlando 407-425-2624
Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline 800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or text 1-800-422-4453
Crisis Hotline of Central Florida 24/7 Phone: 727-791-3131 24/7 Phone: 727-541-4628
Disaster Distress Helpline
800-985-5990 (press 2 for Spanish), or text TalkWithUs for English or Hablanos for Spanish to 66746. Spanish speakers from Puerto Rico can text Hablanos to 1-787-339-2663.
Florida Abuse Hotline 800-962-2873
Grace Clinic Christian Counseling, Winter Park Local: 407-539-0047 Toll-Free: 888-861-5043
National Center for Victims of Crime 800-394-2255
National Domestic Violence
800-799-7233 or text LOVEIS to 22522
National Hopeline Network, Suicide & Crisis Hotline 800-442-HOPE (4673)
National Sexual Assault Hotline 800-656-HOPE (4673)
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 800-273-TALK (8255) for English, 1-888-628-9454 for Spanish
Veterans Crisis Line
800-273-TALK (8255) or text: 838255
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D I O C E S A N FA M I LY
Generation to Generation
By Linda Gilden
“Sounds like what my granny would say.”
“They just think that way because they’re old and have forgotten what it’s like to be young.”
materialistic. Baby boomers have the highest divorce rate and rate of second marriages of any generation.
“Those young people just don’t think about the consequences.”
GENERATION XERS were born
H
ave you ever heard someone in your parish make those comments? Or maybe you have had similar thoughts but kept them to yourself. Could it be that even though our fellow parishioners are like-minded in their view of the gospel of Jesus Christ, they lack an understanding of the generational differences and characteristics of those with whom they worship? Could we somehow combine our talents and work together to accomplish our goal of bringing others to Christ?
Recognizable Differences Where do you fit in the generational map? TRADITIONALISTS were born
between 1900-1945. Many of these are veterans and fought to give us the freedom we have enjoyed over the last century. They lived through the Great Depression and experienced hard times, which gave them a strong work ethic.
“I love the enthusiasm of the younger generations. I think we all benefit from spending time with them,” she said. “It Coll seems the biggest obstacle to all generations connecting is personal hesitancy that others won’t accept us as we are. For instance, I have had white hair for a long time, and that automatically put me in the category of ‘old,’ even though in the beginning I wasn’t.” Spending time with those of other generations and getting to know them is the easiest way to overcome the obstacle of acceptance. Who we are on the inside has nothing to do with how old others perceive us to be by looking on the outside.
BABY BOOMERS are those born
Beverley Coll, a member of St. Richard’s Episcopal Church in Winter Park, is a traditionalist.
during 1946-1964, also referred to as the “me” generation. These are postwar babies who were promised the American dream. Therefore, they are ambitious but also occasionally thought of as
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1965-1980. This generation lived through Watergate, the energy crisis, dual-income families and single parenting. Growing up, they had to take care of themselves, so their thoughts often center on finding “what’s best for me.”
Kirsten Knox, senior director of ministry partnerships for Youth Ministry Institute said, “I am in Generation X and have spent the Knox last 20 years serving in youth ministry. Young people are idealistic and believe change is possible. This is helpful when you are trying to accomplish a seemingly impossible task, such as unity.”
MILLENNIALS, also known
as Generation Y, represent the generation of digital media. These adults were born 1981-1996 and have lived through school shootings, terrorist attacks and 9/11. Millennials grew up as the sheltered generation whose parents tried to protect them from the evils of the world. This was the first generation of children to have schedules that rivaled those of their parents.
GENERATION Z is sometimes
called the postmillennial generation, born from 1997 until the present. They are the first generation in many years to experience a pandemic and have to put their lives on hold until it is under control.
Knox says of this generation, “Gen Z sees the value in unity and coming together for a common purpose, in spite of individual differences. They have experienced, by and large, a lack
of unity in the world they have grown up in. This fuels their desire for unity. Gen Z has grown up in this technology world; therefore, most of their interpersonal skills have developed by communicating through a screen. They long for real connection and authentic relationships, and yet they lack the experience of building such skills through face-to-face conversation.” Most get-to-know-you events begin with conversations. So how hard is it to create an event to bring the generations together without words being the main factor? Even if that event is a Sunday church service, how can the generations communicate with one another in a manner that lets them know they are loved?
Mutual Respect The prophet Joel saw these generational differences coming. “Then afterward I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons www.cfdiocese.org
D I O C E S A N FA M I LY
“I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your offspring after you throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you” (Gen. 17:7).
and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions” (Joel 2:28).
beyond their differences to the common goals they have, the world would be a better place.
“I think it is up to the Each generation has its leadership of the church own goals and ways to to help older and communicate. younger generations come together,” Joseph We often overlook the fact said. He went on to tell that an older generation the story of Alan. “Alan Joseph has much to offer the was a General Motors younger ones. They have lived general manager in our area. Now through many different eras and he is retired and in his 70s. One have had experiences that can day I asked Alan if he would like benefit others. Cross-generational to help with our youth group. He mentoring can be a tremendous agreed to come and give it a try. way for those of current and recent Alan didn’t stand up in front of generations to learn. the group and teach, but he built relationships with the youth that “It is a matter of respect,” have lasted decades. His presence Joshua Joseph, director of Camp said to our youth that he cared, Wingmann, said. “If each generation was interested in them and would would respect the other and look www.cfdiocese.org
love to be their friend. Rarely did one of the youth come into the group meeting without giving Alan a hug. He mentored hundreds of youth just by being there.” God told Samuel what was most important. He said, “For the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7).
If we connect to other generations through our common bond of love for God, we will see those we work with through God’s eyes in a way that transcends age or generation.
Famous People of the
GENERATIONS
Traditionalist: Martin Luther King Jr., Clint Eastwood, The Rt. Rev. Henry I. Louttit
Baby Boomers: Barack Obama, Maria Shriver, Presiding Bishop Michael Curry
Generation X: Shaquille O’Neal, Jennifer Lopez, Kirk Cameron
Millennials: Mark Zuckerberg, Serena Williams, Kim Jong Un
Generation Z: Simone Biles, Sadie Robertson Huff, Zion Williamson
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B E ST P R A CT I C E S
Best Practices for Church Streaming Shared By DeWayne Hamby
S
ince churches shut down in March during the COVID-19 pandemic, more congregations have relied on livestreaming to broadcast their services. A July workshop, “Enhancing Your Online Presence,” led by The Rev. Rob Goodridge of St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church in Titusville, educated viewers on best practices, including tips on video shooting and equipment overviews.
Framing is important: People won’t continue to watch services that resemble a security camera, with only a wide, long-range shot of the service. “In movies, the establishing shot, the wide view of a scene, is only a couple seconds long,” he said. “The rest of the scene is waist shots and close-ups. Unless you move in, you can’t read the people’s faces.” He added that close-up shots allow viewers to recognize nonverbal communication, which is 53% body language. “We have a rare opportunity to provide intimacy with the viewer,” he said.
Goodridge, who was ordained in 2007, has 30 years of experience in broadcast media with such diverse outlets as MTV, feature films, Set cameras in front: syndicated television While many churches shows and local network have tried to hide affiliates as well as or disguise their corporate clients and cameras, Goodridge a stint at First Baptist advises churches not Goodridge Church of Orlando. to worry about where He acknowledged that while to place them. “With no one in The Episcopal Church had never our churches, we have a rare embraced online ministry, opting opportunity to put the camera for more personal connections, it is wherever we want,” he said. Don’t now forced to rethink that strategy. show empty pews or buildings, but instead focus cameras where the “How can we continue to reach out action is and give viewers a clear to the lost when we can’t let them shot of those who speak and sing. in the doors?” he said. “Fortunately, social media has opened a door for Use iPhones as cameras, but don’t us and for them.” hold them: iPhones, especially newer models, have great cameras Goodridge spent more than an and should be put to use in the hour offering advice and taking church. They can stream directly questions from viewers. Among to Facebook Live, but they can also some of the highlights: feed into third-party streaming
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and editing software such as Switcher Studio (subscriptionbased) or SlingStudio (hardwarebased). A stabilizer such as DJI Osmo Mobile 3 for $110 can take away the shakiness of holding a phone by hand and provide a more professional look. An app called FiLMiC Pro, which Hollywood director Steven Soderbergh has used, can enhance the iPhone cameras. Using stationary streaming cameras: Goodridge also discussed the Mevo camera, a streaming camera that allows for multiple shots from the same lens. It can be controlled by an iPhone or tablet and allows the producer the flexibility of performing other duties during the church service. This can be helpful for smaller churches that lack the staff or volunteers to produce content. Use a Vimeo Producer account: Go beyond the basic Vimeo account and pay $15 per month for a producer
level. This will remove ads, some of which are inappropriate to play during a church service. “[A recent] Eucharist at the National Cathedral had an insurance commercial between the readings,” Goodridge said. Prerecord and air later: Goodridge explained that his church records choir practices for two weeks at a time using an iPhone and Mevo camera. He uses Adobe Premiere Rush, available for $15 a month for nonprofits, to edit, and Canva.com to create graphics to promote it. “It takes about three hours,” he said. “I edit all day Saturday.” Whatever type of streaming style the churches choose, Goodridge believes complacency should not be an option. Instead, he advises churches to do better every week and continue to learn best practices. “Whatever you do this week has to be better next week,” he said.
www.cfdiocese.org
SPOTLIGHT
From Test Baby to Nurse to Priest By Wendy Leech
T
he Rev. Sara Oxley trained to be a priest for such a time as this. Ordained into the Sacred Order of Priests on Aug. 16, 2019 at the Church of the Ascension in Orlando, Oxley’s background is in the medical field. “I was a registered nurse before my ordination. I worked in various areas including emergency, intensive care, cardiac and neurology,” she said. “When I got my call [to the priesthood], I was in nursing education for neurology and oncology. I have master’s degrees in bioethics and nursing education. “My call to the priesthood came as a big surprise. I thought I had a call to be a deacon at first,” Oxley said. “It was in my parish
discernment committee that I discovered the call to be a priest. I also had dreams, a vision, others said things, two people had visions concerning me, and I went for a lot of long walks and prayed a lot! I tried to change God’s mind. But that didn’t work.” And that’s fortunate for the Diocese of Central Florida, because Oxley loves her ministry at Ascension. “Worship itself is great, and the congregation is wonderful,” she said. “I am thankful that I am an assistant rector and under the leadership of The Rev. Dr. James Sorvillo Sr. It has been a great way to learn how to be a rector. As assistant rector, Oxley enjoys helping students understand. “I love seeing light bulbs go off in people as I am teaching. During a recent Communion Education Class, one of the kids got the biggest smile on his face. He understood what I was talking about! It was like he had opened up the best Christmas present.”
Oxley “nursing background has come in handy dealing with a pandemic.”
In 2018, Oxley nearly returned to a nursing career. Intimidated by the priestly responsibilities, she planned to end her master’s in pastoral ministry program at Nashotah House, but a patient inadvertently convinced her otherwise. “I took care of someone who found out that day that she had colon cancer. I went into her room in the evening and discussed how she felt about her news. She told me that when she saw me, in the morning, she was praying and saw something. She told God, ‘How can this be; she is only a nurse?’ She went on to tell me all kinds of things. As a result of this, I didn’t quit.”
The Rev. Sara Oxley and The Rev. Dr. James Sorvillo Sr.
www.cfdiocese.org
COVID-19 has created a challenge for Oxley, who said, “They didn’t teach me how to preach into an iPad camera at Nashotah.” However, she added, her
Oxley is married to Les, and they have two grown daughters, Lydia and Lois. In her free time, she likes to “walk, dance in Zumba and Barre classes, sing, spoil my cats, knit and attempt to play the piano and cook.” Her diverse interests range from watching Toy Story 4 (“I fell in love with Forky”) to her current reading challenge about ascetical theology. “I’m trying to understand Revelations of Divine Love by Julian of Norwich.” And Oxley shared a special tidbit just for CFE readers. “My claim to fame is being the first baby to have tape on my diapers. My father was an engineer at P&G and worked on Pampers when I was a baby. There are family pictures of my father holding me with charts in the background. I was a test baby.” From test baby to nurse to priest, God guided Oxley so she can now lead others through such a time as this.
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SPOTLIGHT
New St. David’s Rector Embraces Scholar-Priest Role
As cradle Episcopalians, Fr. Porter and Rebecca are thrilled to be returning “home” to The Episcopal Church.
“O By Ellen Ceely
vestry meetings. “It was an invaluable experience for me,” Taylor said. “It gave me real insight into ministry before attending seminary.”
ur worship of God always points and directs us toward Christ and his kingdom.” The Rev. Porter Taylor lives by these words as he follows God’s call on his life to serve Christ wherever he may lead.
From South Carolina, God called Taylor to California, where he attended Fuller Theological Seminary and took courses on liturgical theology and the Eucharist, which first planted Taylor in his mind the idea of pursuing a Born in Illinois but raised in Virginia, doctorate. He completed seminary while serving Taylor grew up in The Episcopal Church and felt on staff at a church plant and working for the local a call to ministry from a young age. He began to Anglican diocese. sense a more specific call to the priesthood while After ordination to the priesthood in 2013, Taylor attending a small liberal arts college in North served for a year as bishop’s deputy, then another Carolina, where he met his wife, Rebecca. One year as canon to the ordinary before starting of Taylor’s professors, a church planter in the his doctoral work in liturgical theology at the Anglican Church in North America, invited him to University of Aberdeen in Scotland. He completed be a part of his ministry. Taylor said yes. his doctoral work while living outside Kansas Through this church-planting experience, Taylor City, where he served a local Anglican church as joined a Fellows Program in South Carolina after theological in residence. graduating from college. The Fellows Program gave him hands-on ministry training in the areas of pastoral care, family ministries, preaching and
“Throughout my studies, two important things began to stir in me,” Taylor said. “The first was a call back into The Episcopal Church. The second was to pursue parish ministry rather than exclusively pursuing academic work.”
Fr. Porter has been married to Rebecca for twelve years, and together they have three sons, Jet (8), Case (5), and Ellis (4).
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It was during this time that Taylor met The Rt. Rev. Gregory O. Brewer, who encouraged Taylor to fully embrace the role of scholarpriest. It was clear to Taylor that it was time to return home to The Episcopal Church and serve
in the Diocese of Central Florida, and he was hired as the rector at St. David’s by-the-Sea in Cocoa Beach. “I am so excited to begin work at St. David’s bythe-Sea,” Taylor said. “The work that has been done there over the last decade is incredible and shows their commitment to kingdom mission and ministry. St. David’s is poised to grow from strength to strength, and I’m humbled to be part of this new season in their life.” Taylor’s dissertation, now in edits, will be completed this fall. He joyfully embraces the role of rector while remaining connected to a few academic projects. He is the editor of We Give Thanks Unto Thee (Pickwick, 2019) and the forthcoming Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Liturgical Theology (2021). He said, “Without the work of the local church, my research on liturgy and liturgical theology would be insufficient. Liturgy must be embodied and enacted in order to be made manifest in our lives in a real and tangible way.” Taylor and his family reside in Merritt Island and are grateful to rent the rectory from St. Luke’s Episcopal Church while they look for a new home. He and Rebecca have been married for 12 years and have three sons who love all things nature and exploration: Jet (8), Case (6) and Ellis (4). They are thrilled to have Rebecca’s parents, The Rev. Ellis Brust and The Rev. Cynthia Brust, in the same diocese. They like to bribe the Brusts with grandson time for a chance to swim in their pool. Taylor is an avid reader and is currently enjoying the third book, Ultimate Prizes, in his favorite series, Starbridge by Susan Howatch. However, now that he’s living in Florida, he says he’s considering taking up golf. www.cfdiocese.org
CFE EPISCOPALIAN Central Florida
OBISPO BREWER
EN ESPAÑOL
Un llamado a la unidad Obispo Gregory O. Brewer
¿R
y disponibilidad para vivir a la manera del Rey, no a la nuestra. Lo que nos enseña la parábola es esto: Intentar vivir como miembro del reino sin entregar nuestros derechos para vivir la vida en nuestros términos no es otra cosa que blasfemia.
Obispo Greg Brewer
Como seguidores de Cristo hemos hecho el compromiso, con la ayuda de Dios, de vivir en los términos que Jesús ha definido para nosotros. Cada uno de los mandamientos bíblicos para los cristianos sale de un llamado al agradecimiento por ser incluido y de la disponibilidad para sacrificar lo que sea necesario para vivir según los mandatos del Rey. La vestimenta de bodas representa la disposición a vivir según las reglas del Rey, no las nuestras. Estamos felices de hacerlo por puro agradecimiento por ser incluidos en este Es críticamente banquete de boda llamado ¡el reino del cielo! importante que
ecuerdas la parábola que contó Jesús sobre el invitado a la boda que no fue vestido apropiadamente (Mateo 22:1-14)? Recuerdas que fue expulsado por no tener “vestimenta de boda”.
Para los seguidores de Jesús una invitación por parte del rey para asistir a una boda real es una invitación que no se rechaza. El solo recibir tal invitación es un profundo honor que viene con la obligación de aceptarla, sin importar los arreglos que haya que hacer con tal de poder asistir. Uno no le dice al rey: “Lo siento, no puedo ir”.
Cristianos muestren gratitud y sacrificio.
Fue chocante la manera en que fueron maltratados los mensajeros que extendieron la invitación. Puedo escuchar a los miembros de la audiencia de Jesús quedarse sin aliento cuando contó que fueron golpeados. Cuando los invitados finalmente llegaron a la boda, uno de ellos llegó a lo que en el primer siglo sería el equivalente a una camiseta y pantalones cortados, sin el prerrequisito de “vestimenta de boda”. De nuevo, la audiencia encontró tal presunción increíble. En aquel tiempo y hoy día, las acciones de estos invitados revelan una actitud que es asombrosamente egocéntrica. Lo que se demuestra es una determinación independientemente de la ocasión o de la compañía ¿para qué? Para ser quien quiere ser. La etiqueta social no importaba. No hubo consideración ni cortesía ni honra al anfitrión de la boda. En vez solo hubo arrogancia: Quiero vivir mi vida en mis propios términos y no en los de nadie. Tal arrogancia trágicamente carece de alegría. Lo que el lector ve en la determinación de este invitado de vivir la vida en sus términos es la ausencia de cualquier gratitud por el obsequio de la invitación. No hubo intento de unirse al júbilo de la ocasión. De hecho, todo lo que el invitado quiso hacer fueron cosas “a su manera”, lo que al final lo llevó a ser expulsado de la celebración de bodas. Mas esta parábola es más que una reprimenda contra el egoísmo o una lección en cortesía. Esta parábola describe un aspecto del reino del cielo. Para aquellos que son invitados al reino del cielo por el Rey de reyes, la única respuesta apropiada es una combinación de agradecimiento www.cfdiocese.org
En medio de este tiempo donde muchas de nuestras conversaciones giran alrededor de las elecciones nacionales en noviembre, es imperativo que los cristianos, sobre todo, exhiban estas dos características de agradecimiento y sacrificio. Participamos del proceso político, pero no a expensas del compromiso cristiano básico. Son estos compromisos cristianos de gratitud y sacrificio los que nos protegen de la retórica alarmista la cual manifiesta que si no se apoya a un candidato en particular, no se es un buen cristiano.
Debemos tener una posición política clara, también debemos ser amables en nuestra interacción con otros sin importar su preferencia política. Debemos evitar concederle características de mesías a cualquier candidato y resistir las teorías de conspiración que demonizan cada partido político. Como cristianos vivimos bajo los valores del reino ya sea que encajen o no en la plataforma política. El llamado a vivir en gratitud y sacrificio no puede ser más urgente. No podemos contribuir a las paredes de división política. Ni Donald Trump ni Joe Biden son los salvadores de nuestro país. Muchos de nosotros sabemos lo suficiente sobre el cristianismo y la política como para saber que ambos candidatos y plataformas son profundamente defectuosas. Así es que nos apartamos de cualquier tipo de idolatría y hacemos lo mejor posible por servir bien, por votar con nuestra conciencia y ayudar al prójimo, especialmente a nuestros hermanos de la iglesia, aun si se sientan al otro lado del pasillo. Su gracia sobre ti,
Obispo Gregory O. Brewer
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FA M I L I A D I O C E S A N A
De generación a generación
Por Linda Gilden
“Suena a lo que diría mi abuela”.
“Piensan así porque son mayores y se les ha olvidado lo que es ser joven”. “Esos jóvenes no piensan en las consecuencias”. ¿Alguna vez ha escuchado a alguien de su parroquia hacer comentarios como estos? O quizás ha tenido pensamientos como esos, pero se los ha reservado. ¿Podría ser que aunque nuestros compañeros feligreses piensan similarmente en lo que se trata de su punto de vista del evangelio de Jesucristo, carecen de entendimiento sobre las diferencias generacionales y las características de aquellos con los que adoran? ¿Podemos de alguna manera juntar nuestros talentos y trabajar juntos para lograr la meta de llevar a otros a una relación con Cristo?
Diferencias reconocibles
¿Dónde encaja en el mapa generacional?
TRADICIONALISTAS nacieron
entre el 1900-1945. Muchos de ellos son veteranos y pelearon para darnos la libertad de la cual disfrutamos en la última etapa del siglo pasado. Vivieron durante la Gran Depresión y experimentaron tiempos difíciles, lo que les dio una sólida ética de trabajo. Beverly Coll, miembro de la iglesia St. Richard’s Episcopal Church en Winter Park es tradicionalista. “Me encanta el entusiasmo de las generaciones jóvenes. Pienso que nos
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beneficiamos al pasar tiempo con ellos”, manifestó. “Parece que el mayor obstáculo para lograr la conexión entre las generaciones es la renuencia Coll personal a que otros no nos aceptarán tal cual somos. Por ejemplo, tengo el cabello blanco desde hace tiempo y eso automáticamente me coloca en la categoría de “vieja”, aunque al comienzo no lo era. Pasar tiempo con miembros de otras generaciones y llegar a conocerlos es la manera más fácil de superar el obstáculo de la aceptación. Quienes somos por dentro no tiene nada que ver con cuán mayor otros nos perciben al mirar nuestra apariencia.
BABY BOOMERS son los nacidos entre 1946-1964, también referida como la generación “me”. Estos son los bebés nacidos después de la Segunda Guerra Mundial y a los que se les prometió el sueño americano. Por tanto, son ambiciosos, pero también ocasionalmente se les considera materialistas. Los baby boomers tienen la tasa más alta de divorcios y de segundos matrimonios que cualquier otra generación.
GENERACIÓN X nacieron
entre 1965-1980. Esta generación vivió Watergate, la crisis energética, familias con doble ingreso y familias monoparentales, por lo que sus pensamientos se centran en encontrar “qué es lo mejor para mí”. Kirsten Knox, la directora del ministerio Youth Ministry Institute
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dijo: “Soy de la generación X y he pasado los últimos veinte años en el ministerio para los jóvenes. Los jóvenes son idealistas Knox y creen que el cambio es posible. Esto ayuda cuando uno está tratando de lograr tareas imposibles como lo es la unidad”.
MILENIALES, también conocidos
como la generación Y, representan la generación de los medios digitales. Estos adultos nacieron entre 19811986 y han vivido masacres en escuelas, ataques terroristas y el 9/11. Los mileniales crecieron como la generación cuyos padres trataron de protegerlos de los males del mundo. Esta fue la primera generación que tienen horarios que rivalizan con los de sus padres.
GENERACIÓN Z, a veces también
los llaman la generación posmilenial, nacidos desde el 1997 hasta ahora. Son la primera generación en muchos años en experimentar una pandemia y han tenido que pasar sus vidas a un segundo plano hasta que esté bajo control. Knox señala sobre esta generación: “La generación Z valoriza la unidad y el juntarse por un bien común, a pesar de las diferencias. Han experimentado, por mucho, una falta de unidad en el mundo en que se han criado. Esto alimenta su deseo por la unidad. La Gen Z se ha criado en el mundo de la tecnología, por tanto, muchas de sus destrezas interpersonales se han desarrollado a través de la comunicación, a través
Personas famosas de otras
GENERACIONES
Tradicionalistas: Martin Luther King Jr., Clint Eastwood, Obispo Henry I. Louttit
Baby Boomers: Barack Obama, Maria Shriver, Obispo Presidenta Michael Curry
Generación X: Shaquille O’Neal, Jennifer Lopez, Kirk Cameron
Mileniales: Mark Zuckerberg, Serena Williams, Kim Jong Un
Generación Z: Simone Biles, Sadie Robertson Huff, Zion Williamson
de una pantalla. Añoran verdadera conexión y relaciones auténticas y aun así carecen de la experiencia en desarrollar esas destrezas a través de conversaciones cara a cara. Muchos eventos para conocerse comienzan con conversaciones. Entonces, ¿cuán difícil es crear un evento que una a las generaciones sin que las palabras sean el factor principal? Aun si ese evento es un servicio de domingo, ¿cómo se pueden comunicar unas con otras de una manera que les deje saber que son amados?
Respeto mutuo
El profeta Joel vio venir estas diferencias entre generaciones. “Derramaré mi Espíritu sobre todo el género humano. Los hijos y las hijas de ustedes profetizarán, tendrán sueños los ancianos y visiones los jóvenes” (Joel 2:28, NVI). Cada generación tiene sus propias metas y formas de comunicarse.
Joseph
Muchas veces pasamos por alto el hecho que una generación mayor tiene www.cfdiocese.org
GENTE Y EVENTOS
El banco de alimentos de la Casa Trinidad alimenta unas 600 familias cada mes.
E
Por Brenda Teixeira
mucho que ofrecer a los más jóvenes. Han vivido en diferentes eras y han tenido las experiencias que pueden beneficiar a otros. La mentoría entre generaciones puede ser una tremenda manera para que las generaciones actuales aprendan. “Es cuestión de respeto”, manifestó Joshua Joseph, director del Camp Wingmann. “Si cada generación respetara a la otra y mirara más allá de sus diferencias a las metas en común que tienen sería un mundo mejor”. “Pienso que le toca al liderazgo de la iglesia ayudar a que se unan las generaciones mayores y jóvenes”, dijo Joseph. Luego contó la historia de Alan. “Alan era gerente general de la General Motors en nuestra área. Ahora está en sus setenta y retirado. Un día le pregunté si le gustaría ayudar en nuestro grupo de jóvenes. Estuvo de acuerdo y trató. Alan no se paró delante del grupo a enseñar, pero construyó relaciones con los jóvenes que han durado décadas. Su presencia le envió el mensaje a los jóvenes que les importaba, que estaba interesado en ellos y que quería ser su amigo. Rara vez los jóvenes llegaban a las reuniones sin darle un abrazo a Alan. Fue mentor de cientos de ellos con tan solo estar presente”.
Dios le dijo a Samuel qué era lo más importante. “Pero el Señor le dijo a Samuel: No te dejes impresionar por su apariencia ni por su estatura, pues yo lo he rechazado. La gente se fija en las apariencias, pero yo me fijo en el corazón” (1 Samuel 16:7).
Si conectamos otras generaciones a través del vínculo en común del amor de Dios, veremos a aquellos con los que trabajamos a través de los ojos de Dios de una manera que trasciende edades y generaciones.
www.cfdiocese.org
l banco de alimentos de la iglesia Episcopal San Juan (St. John’s Episcopal Church) en Kissimmee alimenta alrededor de seiscientas familias mensualmente, nos informó el encargado, El Reverendo Canónico Luis Manuel de la Cruz. La despensa de alimentos Casa Trinidad (Trinity House) comenzó en agosto del 2018, tras el paso del huracán María que devastó a Puerto Rico—el 20 de septiembre de 2017— lo que provocó que miles de personas de la isla se mudaran a la Florida Central. Durante ese tiempo la población del condado Osceola aumentó un 12.5%. La Agencia Federal del Manejo de Emergencias (FEMA) donó 50,000 libras de alimentos que fueron repartidos los primeros cinco meses, luego el banco de alimentos de la Trinity House utilizó recursos de la Diócesis Episcopal para continuar proveyendo alimentos para cientos de personas en necesidad. Hoy día este ministerio también regala ropa, zapatos, muebles y ofrece cursos y actividades deportivas para la comunidad. El primer y tercer
viernes de cada mes 16 voluntarios distribuyen fundas con alimentos enlatados, cereal, granos secos, carne, ensaladas y leche. Durante la semana también ayudan a deambulantes y a otras personas en busca de asistencia. El Rvdo. Can. Luis—originario de la República Dominicana y quien lleva cuarenta años como sacerdote ordenado—junto a María Rodríguez y Mercedes Sandoval forman el equipo que coordina este necesitado banco de alimentos que sirve a personas de distintas nacionalidades. “Puedo afirmar que son varias familias que hoy día participan en nuestra comunidad de fe que nos han conocido a través de lo que hacemos en la Trinity House. No hacemos proselitismo, pero sí nos empeñamos en accionar queriendo y sirviendo a los más necesitados en nombre de Cristo y de la Iglesia” declaró El Rvdo Can. Luis, 70 años, quien prevé que hará falta una gran cantidad de recursos dado el aumento en la tasa de desempleo debido a la pandemia ocasionada por el COVID-19. Cuando se le preguntó cuál es la escritura que inspira este ministerio Rvdo. Can. Luis respondió humildemente: “Porque tuve hambre, y ustedes me dieron de comer; tuve sed, y me dieron de beber; fui forastero, y me dieron alojamiento;necesité ropa, y me vistieron; estuve enfermo, y me atendieron; estuve en la cárcel, y me visitaron” (Mateo 25:35-36, NVI). Para hacer una donación a
TRINITY HOUSE
por favor contact la iglesia Episcopal San Juan-Casa Trinidad (St. John Episcopal Church-Trinity House), 1709 N. John Young Parkway, Kissimmee 34741, 267-650-0622.
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O U R A N G L I CA N H E R I TA G E
Charismatic Anglicanism Has Lasting Influence
F
or centuries, the difference of opinion in theology has caused numerous splits and factions in the Christian community. For the past 60 years, a blending of theologies and ideals has created a unique movement: charismatic Anglicanism. Episcopalian Dennis Bennett is viewed as one of the charismatic movement’s early influencers in America. In 1960 during his time as rector of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Van Nuys, California, Bennett astonishingly announced one Sunday morning that he had received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
in tongues, raising their hands in worship and operating in the gifts of the Holy Spirit as described in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10: “utterance of wisdom,” “utterance of knowledge,” “faith,” “gifts of healing,” “working of miracles,” “prophecy,” “discernment of spirits,” “various kinds of tongues” and “interpretation of tongues.” By contrast, the Anglican faith is steeped in rich sacramental traditions. “What sacramental life and charismatic life have in common
More recently in the United Kingdom, the charismatic movement within the Church of England has firmly taken hold. London’s Holy Trinity Brompton has been influential locally in the movement. And current Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has been widely considered charismatic for years.
“Not only is Jesus revealed,” Brewer continued, “I also see myself in a different way as the recipient of what it is that Jesus is giving. And I not only see myself as the recipient, but the steward, even as He is giving Himself so freely to me through bread and wine. And I receive that gratefully as a member of His body that is supposed to flow through me into the lives of the people that God sends my way. It also shapes the way I see the world, how I pray. All of that is the work of the sacramental life. The same at the baptism, and the same is true for the manifestation of the Spirit. “I really see them in some ways as seamless, which is why I believe a charismatic, sacramental evangelical church forms something in us that is incomplete without all of those components,” Brewer said.
Combining the liturgical traditions of the Anglican Church with charismatic Christianity may seem unlikely. Charismatics are widely known for speaking
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is that both are vehicles that God uses to manifest the life of His Son in us and around us, so that when we come to the table to receive the bread and wine, Jesus is revealed,” said The Rt. Rev. Gregory O. Brewer when interviewed recently for a podcast.
Although many believe the charismatic
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movement began around 1960, a turning point in Pentecostalism can be traced back to the Azusa Street Revival in Van Nuys, California, in 1906. There, people witnessed the manifestation of God’s hand instantly and spontaneously moving in individuals, something that, although often the source of controversy, is still seen today. Brewer said he experienced much of the same in 1970 at a charismatic conference where he witnessed firsthand the gifts of the Spirit: speaking in tongues, interpretation, prophetic words and effusive worship with genuine joy. He said the event “was the beginning of a different way of thinking about life.” A few decades after the Azusa Street Revival, two organizations— The Order of St. Luke and Alcoholic Anonymous (AA)—were formed based on the belief that God could change someone’s life. The Order of St. Luke was created in 1932 by The Rev. John Gaynor Banks, an Episcopal priest, as a healing ministry. The Rev. Sam Shoemaker, also an Episcopal priest, ministered to founding members of the fledgling AA, formed in 1935, to help those suffering from alcoholism. Both organizations still exist today. “Anglicanism has been involved in renewal in some sense or another for a long, long time. The open door was the healing ministry,” said Brewer. “We’ve always had room within Anglicanism, even in our most cessationist Reformed moments, to see God operate, particularly through the power of prayer.” www.cfdiocese.org
D I O C E S A N CA L E N D A R
BISHOP BREWER’S VISITATION SCHEDULE
TRANSITIONS
O R D I N AT I O N S Sat., Sept. 12 • 11 a.m. Orlando, Cathedral Church of St. Luke
Diaconate - Dennis “Rusty” Russell Hazelrigg, Angel Jesus Lopez and Susan Jo Moorehead Livestream: https://youtu.be/6icmbS8ccbY
Sat., Sept. 19 • 5 p.m. Dallas, TX, Church of the Incarnation
Priesthood - The Rev. Joseph “Joe” Denton Dewey Livestream: www.facebook.com/IncarnationDFW
Sun., Sept. 27 • 10 a.m. The Villages, St. George Episcopal Church
Priesthood - The Rev. Elizabeth “Beth” McDonald Hall Livestream: www.facebook.com/St.GeorgetheVillages
V I S I TAT I O N S Sun, Oct 11
Sun, Oct 25 Sun, Nov 1 Sun, Nov 8 Sun, Nov. 15
Sun, Nov 22 Sun, Dec 13
Thurs, Dec 24 Sun, Jan 10, 2021 Sun, Jan 24, 2021
Haines City, St. Mark’s Incarnation, Oviedo
Rector, Hope Episcopal Church, Melbourne
N E W LY O R D A I N E D
Daughters of the King National Council
Deland, Holy Presence
Lakeland, Christ the King Lakeland, St. Stephen’s Orlando, Cathedral (Christmas Eve)
Maitland, Good Shepherd Orlando, Cathedral (Annual Meeting)
The Rev. Ellis Brust July 1
PRIESTHOOD
The Rev. Daniel Pinell
Rector, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Ft. Pierce
August 22
The Rev. Joseph “Joe” Dewey
September 19
Assistant Rector, Church of the Incarnation, Dallas, TX
The Rev. Elizabeth “Beth” Hall
The Rev. Porter Taylor August 17 Rector, St. David’s by-the-Sea, Cocoa Beach
Associate Rector, Grace Episcopal Church, Ocala
September 27
Associate Rector, St. George Episcopal Church, The Villages
DECEASED
The Rev. (John) James “Jim” Gerhart, Jr. deceased, August 18 Priest-in-charge at Holy Faith, Dunnellon
Enterprise, All Saints’
Bishop Brewer’s visitation dates are subject to change. Please refer to www.cfdiocese.org for the most current visitation listing.
www.cfdiocese.org
The Rev. Cynthia Brust July 1
D I AC O N AT E
The Rev. Dennis “Rusty” Hazelrigg
The Rev. Dr. Billy Rodgers deceased, August 22
September 12
Vocational Deacon, Church of the Ascension, Orlando
The Rev. Angel Lopez
September 12
Transitional Deacon, St. John’s Episcopal Church,
Associate rector at The Episcopal Church of St. Mary, Belleview until 2019
The Rev. James “Jim” Coleman deceased, August 27 Rector at St. David’s Episcopal Church,
Kissimmee
The Rev. Susan Moorehead September 12
Lakeland and Retired associate at St. Richard’s Episcopal Church, Winter Park and Church of the Resurrection, Longwood
Vocational Deacon, Grace Episcopal Church, Ocala
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EPISCOPAL SCHOOL WEEK ALL-CAMPUS SERVICE
Episcopal School Week is Oct. 4-10, 2020. St. Barnabas Episcopal School in DeLand will host an all-campus service.
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 7, AT 10:22 A.M. Due to COVID-19, all chapel services are currently livestreamed.
www.tinyurl.com/SBESOct7
To attend virtually, please subscribe to the St. Barnabas Episcopal Church YouTube channel and click on the playlist SBES School Services here:
Deuteronomy 10:12-20 Psalm 98 1 John 4:16-21 John 15:9-17
The readings and the Gospel for this service: • • • •
Please join us online. The Rev. Brian Garrison, Rector St. Barnabas Episcopal Church and School 319 W. Wisconsin Ave., DeLand, FL
386-734 -1814
Central CFE Florida
EPISCOPALIAN Volume 123, No.5 / September - October 2020
Awareness of Mental Well-Being Important During Ongoing National Crisis
Trinity House Meets Multiple Needs
Resurrection, Longwood Parishioner Serves on COVID-19 Front Lines
Pandemic Forces Changes in São Paulo Ministry
Let’s Celebrate Our Clergy
Trinity House, St. John’s Episcopal Church, Kissimmee, provides food for hundreds of people in need.
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