Cape & Islands Deanery

Liturgical Art Website

2008-09-29T19:52:00.003-04:00

The visual arts are another way we express our spirituality.

The Episcopal Church and the Visual Arts (ECVA) is an association of visual artists whose mission

...is to encourage artists, individuals, congregations, and scholars to engage the visual arts in the spiritual life of the church. ECVA values the significance of visual imagery in spiritual formation and the development of faith, and creates programs to support those who are engaged in using the visual arts in spiritual life.

Two artists from St Mary's Barnstable who are associated with ECVA, Barbara Hersey and Linda Hunter, have launched their redesigned website,'Now I See, liturgical art to enhance worship and understanding' ...The site features their liturgical artwork.

Barbara got started on banner making out of necessity at Saint Mary's Church, Barnstable as Church School Coordinator. She created the first two 6 foot banners to give the children a colorful backdrop for their annual Christmas pageant. She recieved amazing feedback from parishioners and she had an idea that she was onto something special. She then wanted to work with another artist to make the next set of banners. Barbara asked Linda Hunter, fellow parishioner and artist educator, if they could paint the next banners together. They talked while painting about spirituality, bible stories, color, texture, and all those things that go into the creative process. Twelve liturgical banners, fifty hours and a year later Saint Mary's had an incredible series and "Now I See" had a new mission and portfolio.

Next Assembly: Thursday, September 25 in Plymouth

2008-09-14T13:24:00.002-04:00

Welcome back! Tourist season is winding down and Deanery activities are gearing up.
Upcoming Deanery Events:
Sept. 25: Deanery Assembly - Christ Church, Plymouth (Interactive webcast available)

Oct. 21: Pre-Convention Combined Deanery meeting - Grace Church, New Bedford (Interactive webcast available)

Parishes wanting to participate in either/both of the above via the online meeting room, please contact our Technical Liaison

~~~~~~~~~~~

Details for September 25th Assembly

Our next Assembly is Thursday, September 25th at Christ Church, Plymouth. Bishop Bud Cederholm will be with us, and we will also have a short report from the youth who participated on the Diocesan mission trip this summer.

Agenda:

6:00 pm working supper (brown bag) - discussion groups by topic.
(Youth, Environment, Affordable Housing/Homelessness, Aid to Africa)

6:45 pm Assembly Convenes - reports from discussion groups, standard
reports, and then Bishop Bud's program.

Bishop Bud is planning on leading a discussion on the two articles
listed below. We ask that you follow the links to them, print out each article, and READ both before our assembly.

**Parish Offices & Clergy**

Please check with your delegates this week and make hard copies of the articles and other handouts for those who do not have email.

1. Leadership that matters by Anthony B. Robinson (Christian Century, Dec. 15, 1999)
2. Dimensions of Pastoral Authority by Christina Braudaway-Bauman (Congregations, 2006)

Our Assembly will be available for you to attend 'virtually' via our online meeting room if you are unable to get to Plymouth in person. Please email deaneryweb [at] capeislandsdeanery [dot] org (email address 'spelled out' to avoid spam) if you plan on attending in a 'virtual' sense rather than physical!

For parishes wishing to attend via the online meeting room, please let us know which focus group you wish to participate in.

Recent Video Conferencing...

2008-09-04T20:40:00.011-04:00

On Sunday, August 31st, we met online with Rev. Jane Bearden, Church of the Redeemer (Biloxi MS) before she went to open a Red Cross Shelter before Hurricane Gustav hit the Gulf Coast. Jane met with people from St. Barnabas (Falmouth), St Andrew's (Edgartown), St David's (So. Yarmouth), and St Mary of the Harbor (Provincetown). Those of us in Massachusetts welcomed the opportunity to see and talk with Rev. Jane and we were able to convey the love, support, and prayers from our part of the country to Rev. Jane and the people in the the path of Hurricane Gustav.

Our online meeting room was in use again in early September when St David's (South Yarmouth) met with the Rector of St Patrick's in Long Beach, Mississippi. The two parishes are entering into a Partnership to help and support each other as St Patrick's rebuilds from Hurricane Katrina. Rev. David Knight of St Patrick's met with Rev. William Heuss and Sr. Warden Rob Parke of St David's to sign the agreement.

We are excited to welcome another Mississippi parish to our online meeting room!

And Now...A Different Perspective

2008-07-22T19:44:00.003-04:00

We are happy to share with you the link to the blog of the Bishop of the Diocese of Ohio, +Mark Hollingsworth. His blog entries about Lambeth are special because of the sense of spiritual journey and communion being shared with us. We hope you will take a moment and read through Bishop Mark's entries.

The link: http://ohiobishop.blogspot.com

Diocesan Lambeth LInk

2008-07-18T21:26:00.002-04:00

Our diocesan website, www.diomass.org, has now created a Lambeth Updates page. You may view it here.

Lambeth Conference Links

2008-07-17T09:06:00.002-04:00

The Lambeth Conference has begun. Here are some links to find out what is going on and how to support the bishops gathered there with prayer. In addition, the Anglican Communion Office has published a companion Bible study for use in parishes and by individuals that dovetails with the Bible studies of the bishops at Lambeth.

The official Lambeth Conference website
The Anglican Communion website
Bible study materials and information
The "Petitions for a Lambeth Prayer Vigil" from Province One (New England Dioceses of the Episcopal Church) (Two specific times suggested: 7 a.m. and noon, daily during Lambeth - see Province One's website for details)
The Blogging Bishops' Lambeth Journal - a group of Episcopal Bishops who are keeping an online journal of their experiences at Lambeth.
The national Episcopal Church website has a page devoted to Lambeth coverage.

Deanery Confirmation Pictures

2008-05-30T08:29:00.003-04:00

Deanery Confirmation was held on May 17, 2008 in Sandwich. Forty confirmands from six Deanery parishes were confirmed by Bishop Gayle Harris.

Thanks to Ilene B at St Christopher's in Chatham for taking pictures for all of us to share!

Pictures are available for individual viewing and downloading by clicking on the picture of our hosting parish, St John's in Sandwich. If you wish to embed a slideshow of the pictures on your website, please contact our Technical Liaison for the code snippet.

2008 Deanery Confirmation

April Deanery Assembly

2008-04-25T08:20:00.002-04:00

Last night we held our April Assembly at St Peter's in Buzzards Bay. Thank you to our hosts for delectable treats and warm hospitality.

A warm welcome to our new delegates from Edgartown and Nantucket - we were delighted to see and hear from you all!

With the help of our online meeting room, we saw and spoke with folks in Provincetown, Chatham, Nantucket, Ohio and Biloxi. Being able to see and hear each other is wonderful. We are thankful for the faith the Congregational Development Grant Committee placed in us through their generous funding of this initiative.

As a Deanery, we have decided to pursue a matching Sending & Serving grant from the Diocese. A planning committee has been formed to organize our ideas and bring some choices back to our September Deanery Assembly for action.

In addition to applying for the matching grant, we will also be applying for a second year of support from the Congregational Development Grant Committee. More on that will be reported at our May Assembly.

Next Assembly is May 29 at Church of the Holy Spirit, Orleans. See you there in person or online!

Marcus Borg Webcast

2008-03-18T09:15:00.008-04:00

From DeaneryWebCast

The Diocese held a Spring Learning Event on Saturday morning, March 15, the day before Palm Sunday. While about 400 people gathered in Boston at Boston University's Student Union, 16 folks from around the Cape gathered in Falmouth at St Barnabas to watch the webcast. Represented parishes were: St Barnabas, Falmouth; St Mary's, Barnstable; St David's, So. Yarmouth; and Church of the Messiah, Woods Hole. About a dozen folks in Hanover, and two in Biloxi MS, also participated in this manner. Other people were able to tune in from their homes, but there was something special about being together.

The discussion periods at St Barnabas were lively and thought-provoking. Connie from Christ Church, Plymouth, was at the event in Boston. She met with us online via our deanery webconferencing 'meeting room' during the discussion periods to see if we had any questions we wanted to have asked on our behalf. Connie provided us with details about what the experience in person at BU was like. It made us feel even more connected to the rest of the Diocese to have this two-way communication during the event.

The Outreach Committee of St Barnabas provided a 'hearty snack' for the break. Our thanks to them for being such gracious hosts. And our thanks to St Barnabas for hosting this event - despite the busy day already on their docket: Youth Group baking cookies in the morning, the Sea Scouts starting their gathering at noon, and a large memorial service and collation in the early afternoon.

We also want to thank Biloxi for joining us - despite the fact that they are on Central Time, so they had to be awake and aware before 8:00 am to participate!

Our especial thanks to the Diocese for making it possible for those of us in far-flung corners of the Diocese to participate without having to drive to Boston!

Sharing Our Resources

2008-01-19T14:19:00.000-05:00

Rev. Jane Bearden, from our diocese, is currently serving at Church of the Redeemer in Biloxi, Mississippi. In addition to her work with Redeemer and other parishes and organizations in Biloxi, Jane serves as a liaison for Massachusetts groups traveling to Biloxi to help in Katrina recovery efforts.

Because she is THERE and we are HERE, this seemed like a perfect use of our online meeting room. The deanery has offered Rev. Jane this service, and she has accepted.

Last Thursday evening our web meeting room had an online meeting between folks in Biloxi, MS and Jamaica Plain and Marblehead here in Massachusetts. We hope these will continue!

Anybody up for cross-parish book study?
Comparing notes about Sunday School curricula?
Something else?

Deanery Assembly: January 24

2008-01-19T14:17:00.001-05:00

January 24th is our next quarterly Deanery Assembly.

Location: St. Barnabas, Falmouth
Date: Thursday, January 24
Time: 6:00pm brown bag supper, program begins at 6:45pm

Please join us!

Deanery Awarded Grant

2007-07-24T10:29:00.000-04:00

Our Deanery applied for a Diocesan Congregational Development Grant this spring. We have just heard that we have received funding! Our grant addresses the need to build more ways for us to collaborate and communicate with each other and with folks in other places.

We have posted the text of the grant application so that you may read it and join in our dream. Please encourage the web sexton of your parish to contact our development team via email to deaneryweb[at] capeislandsdeanery [dot] org (email address 'spelled' out to reduce spam).

Trinity Sunday Evensong at St. Barnabas

2007-05-27T07:56:00.001-04:00

June 3 at 4:00 p.m.
St. Barnabas (Falmouth) is offering Solemn Evensong for Trinity Sunday. The Canterbury Choir sings works by Sumsion, Stanford & Mundy. The setting of the Psalm is by Rawsthorne; the Preces & Responses are those of J. Barnard. There will be a simple reception following the service.

Deanery Confirmation in Plymouth

2007-05-19T17:18:00.000-04:00

Christ Church in Plymouth was the site of our second Deanery confirmation celebration this spring. In addition to Christ Church, St Barnabas in Falmouth and St Christopher's in Chatham participated. In addition to confirmands, there were those reaffirming their baptismal vows and a number of people being received into the Episcopal Church.

Bishop Gayle Harris presided. She spoke quietly to each candidate before the laying on of hands. A personal touch that made a special day even more special!

Family and friends came forward to place their hands on their loved ones being received or confirmed. A joyous sharing celebration to be sure!

After the Eucharist, Christ Church provided a feast for the reception. From the joy in the church, you would never guess that it was a grey and drizzly day outside.

Alleluia!

March Minutes Available

2007-05-09T20:55:00.000-04:00

Minutes from the March Deanery Assembly are now available online. Follow this link to view, download, or print them.

Deanery Confirmation (part 2)

2007-05-02T21:36:00.000-04:00

Our Deanery confirmations are split between two dates this year. On April 21, one confirmation was held at St. David's in South Yarmouth. Our friend who helped with the hospitality said everyone enjoyed themselves, and they certainly ate the refreshments after the service!

The other confirmation service for our Deanery will be on May 19th at Christ Church in Plymouth. The service is at 10:30 a.m. and all are welcome to attend.

Deanery Web Team Meeting

2007-04-28T15:50:00.000-04:00

Last Saturday, April 21, was a busy day in our Deanery. Some of us were celebrating confirmations at our Deanery Confirmation (part 1) held at St. David's in South Yarmouth. Some of us were cleaning beaches as part of Sending & Serving Saturdays. And our Web Sextons held a meeting of folks interested in writing a Congregational Development Grant on behalf of our Deanery to the Diocese. We had a lot of fun playing with software options and bouncing ideas off each other. Many thanks to those who came from as far away as Chatham, Plymouth, and Edgartown! For those unable to attend, we will meet again soon. You can contact the webteam at stbarnabasfalmouth dot org [email spelled out to foil spamming] for more information.

Wanted: Input on the Diocesan Budget

2007-04-09T20:28:00.000-04:00

Who: Delegates, Deanery Reps, Parish folk

What: See announcement below...budget conversations...
Questions for Deanery Folk:

Who is going to which meeting?
Do we need to organize rides?

It is important to have our voices be heard now BEFORE the budget gets finalized. Our input is important!

Diocesan Announcement:

The series of budget conversations with the bishops continues on two upcoming Tuesdays from 7 to 9 p.m.: April 10 at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul (138 Tremont Street) in Boston and April 17 at the Church of Our Saviour (120 Center Street) in
Middleborough.

As work gets underway to create a proposed 2008 diocesan operating budget, the bishops and Budget Committee are asking for wide participation in the budget conversation, including making use of the deanery structure and representatives to Diocesan Council. Participants from congregations are urged to join in these
pre-budgeting meetings with their ideas, comments and prayers.

FOR INFORMATION: Steve Pierce, Treasurer’s Office (617/482-4826, ext. 501); spierce@diomass.org.

Deanery Web Working Group Meeting

2007-03-31T10:47:00.000-04:00

Date: April 21, 10 a.m

Place: St. Barnabas, Falmouth in the Parish Hall

The Cape & Islands Deanery Web Sextons are hosting their 2007 organizational workshop. We encourage every parish in the Deanery to send a representative - preferably someone who currently works on your parish website or someone who will work on your future parish website. Perhaps send two folks together!

Our Deanery mission includes improving communications between parishes as well as being Inviting to the community at large. Getting your parish's information onto the web is not an arduous experience, and it can be as financially flexible as required by the state of the parish budget.

Join other web sextons and parish communications folk from the Deanery to share tips & tricks and make plans for future workshops and programs. For those of your involved in the Deanery Confirmation at St. David's that morning, please know that we will have more meetings soon. We hope you will still send us the names and contact information for the folks who are interested and involved in web work and communications for your parish.

BYOLWW (Bring Your Own Laptop With Wireless) if possible. Some may be available for use at the meeting with advance notice.

Please RSVP by emailing the Web Team at St Barnabas: webteam [AT] stbarnabasfalmouth [DOT] org. (Email address 'spelled out' to reduce spamming.)

New Updates...

2007-03-25T21:46:00.000-04:00

Since our last posting, St. Stephen's has removed the links to Bishop Curry's sermon and closing remarks at our Diocesan Spring Convention. It is our understanding that the Diocese will mail each parish a DVD with the presentations and the stirring sermon. In the mean time, if there is a parish desirous of showing the sermon, St. Barnabas has an archived copy of the videos from St. Stephen's. Requests may be made by contacting Rev. Bob Appleyard at St. Barnabas.

The meeting of the House of Bishops has ended. The news of their prayerful deliberations is stirring. In addition to the Episcopal News Service coverage, we read and enjoyed the letter written by the Bishop of New Hampshire to his Diocese.

Convention News

2007-03-14T20:14:00.000-04:00

On Saturday, March 10, diocesan delegates and clergy gathered in Boston at Boston University for a one day special convention focused on measuring our progress in attaining our diocesan mission goals. Our convention Eucharist sermon was given by Bishop Curry of North Carolina - a dynamic speaker - who gave new meanings to the Lent III (year C) lessons of Moses & the burning bush and the parable of the fig tree. Encourage your delegates to share with your parish the joy and inspiration we felt as we worshipped together and learned from each other. One important part of the day was the opportunity to talk with folks from other parishes about questions and avenues of approach to issues in our own parishes. These were broken into the four main themes of our diocesan mission: Inviting, Forming, Sending, Serving.

One of our sister parishes on the south shore has posted video snippets from Saturday. We encourage you to visit this link at St. Stephen's in Cohasset to get a sense of the convention.

Understanding Islam - Special Event

2007-03-14T19:45:00.000-04:00

Date: Monday, April 16

Time: 10:00a.m. – 4:00p.m.

Place: The Parish Hall of The Church of the Holy Spirit

(Monument Rd. & Rt. 28 in Orleans)

Imam Salih Yucel from the Boston Dialogue Foundation will be presenting a series of lectures during the day on various aspects of Islam. Topics covered will range from the basic principles of Islam to contemporary issues such as Jihad, fundamentalism, and the various sects of Islam.

Time for discussion will be available following each lecture.

Please bring a brown bag lunch.

A free will donation will be taken.

For further information please call the church office at 508-255-0433

Deanery Assembly: Thursday, March 15

2007-03-13T08:09:00.000-04:00

Our March Assembly is hosted by St. Mary's in Barnstable.

Directions to St. Mary’s:

Follow Mid-Cape Highway to Exit 6, then north on Route 132 to Route 6A. Turn right onto Route 6A. St. Mary’s Church is 2.5 miles on the right. Parking is at the side of the church.

Agenda

6pm Brown Bag Supper

6:45 Opening Prayer

* Acceptance of January meeting minutes
* Treasurer’s Report
* Youth Officer’s Report
* Diocesan Council Representatives’ Report
* Dean’s Report
* Diocesan Liaison’s Report
* Mashpee Church Plant Update

7:15 Program: Follow up of “What is a Deanery” conversation with action steps based upon comments from our last meeting (Read comments)

8:00 Announcements

8:15 Compline

Changing of the Shepherds

2007-02-09T19:47:00.000-05:00

At our last Deanery Assembly, held the end of January at St. Barnabas in Falmouth, Bob Appleyard announced that he is stepping down as our Dean after more than 10 years in this position.

The new Dean for the Cape & Islands is Brian McGurk from St. Christopher's in Chatham.

A warm welcome to our new Dean and heart-felt thanks to our retiring Dean.

Deanery Pre-Convention Meeting

2006-10-07T18:54:00.000-04:00

Tuesday, October 17th

at Christ Church Plymouth

Along with the Taunton River & Mt. Hope-Buzzards Bay Deaneries, we will be joined by representatives from the Diocese for a pre-convention meeting. The agenda is set by the Diocese, and the meeting is useful to delegates as preparation for participating in Diocesan Convention on Oct. 27-28. This is a good time to ask questions about the budget and other resolutions.

Please remember to bring your convention materials with you.

Brown Bag supper at 6 pm.

Presentation begins at 7 p.m.