September 29 – St. Paul’s, White River Junction
October 6 – Holy Trinity, Swanton
October 13 – St. Peter’s, Bennington
Everybody’s welcome! You do not have to be a Convention delegate to participate. Come all day or come for part of the day. Choose from four workshops in the morning. Worship and break bread together. Be a part of the Pre-Convention Hearings in the afternoon, a time to learn more about the issues Convention will be covering.
Download Ministry Fair Brochure.
Download Ministry Fair Registration Form.
Schedule for the Day
8:45 – 9:00 a.m., Registration and Coffee
9:00 – 10:15 a.m., First Round of Workshops
10:15 – 10:30 a.m., Break
10:30 – 11:45 a.m., Second Round of Workshops
11:45 – Noon, Break
12:00 – 12:45 p.m., Eucharist
12:45 – 1:15 p.m., Lunch (bring your own)
1:15 – 2:00 p.m., Diocesan Ministry Presentation
2:00 – 4:00 p.m., Pre-Convention Hearings
Think Globally, Eat Locally! Planning to spend the day? Bring your own lunch made with local foods and packed in reusable containers. Lessen your carbon footprint by decreasing the miles that the food brought for lunch travels. And bring your own mug or water bottle as we strive to have a “no waste” Ministry Fair.
Registration
There are easy ways for you to register by September 14:
1) Download, complete and send the enclosed form to:
Ministry Fair Registrations
Diocese of Vermont
5 Rock Point Road
Burlington, VT 05408
2) Contact the Diocesan Office and give your name, parish and two workshop choices:
by phone 802-863-3431/800-286-3437 by e-mail: diocesanconvention@dioceseofvermont.org
Morning Workshops
(1) “I am the way…” What about Jesus and Forgiveness?”
Jesus said that whenever we pray we should forgive (Mk 11:25). Jesus said we should love our enemies (Mt 5:44). Jesus said we should forgive not seven times, but seventy-times-seven times (Mt 18:22). Jesus said what? While there may have been times when we each experienced forgiveness as a simple thing and it flowed from or toward us unobstructed, more often than not there are still too many moments when forgiveness seems beyond reach. Instead of following the way toward its saving grace, we travel down roads of residual anger and lingering resentments. In this workshop we will explore the image of Jesus as “the way” to forgiveness, and outline ways we can enter into the roundabout of the forgiveness cycle. Heeding the poet Machado’s call – “the way is made by our walking it” – and the exemplar of Jesus, we will look at forgiveness as a process rather than an outcome, a direction rather than a destination. From this particular vantage point we will see how the practice of forgiveness can become a way of living.
Presenters: Thom Rock & Jim Biernat, St. Mark’s, Newport.
(2) “I am the vine, you are the branches…”
What about Jesus, the Environment and the Spirit?
This workshop is about the relationships among nature, the human psyche, and our spirituality. These relationships can help each of us to tell our story in the context of a life lived within nature and with nature’s God, both immanent and transcendent. Explore how to create a deeper personal or communal relationship in the physical world in an individual or communal encounter with nature.
Presenters: Becky Herbig, All Saints, South Burlington (in White River & Swanton); The Rev. Lisa Ransom, non-parochial(in Bennington)
(3) “I am the bread of life…”
What about Jesus and feeding ourselves – feeding others?
Jesus fed a lot of people during his ministry, from feeding the 5000 to the Last Supper. We will explore these events and talk about what they mean in today’s world, and how we are carrying on Jesus’ message to Peter of “feed my sheep.” As part of the workshop we will be making bread for the afternoon Eucharist with some to take back to your parishes.
Presenter: Sarah Maynard, St. Andrew’s, St. Johnsbury
(4) “I am the light of the world…”
What about Jesus as Storyteller?
The Green Mountain Storytellers’ Guild will explore two of the stories of Jesus as he challenges the authorities of the religious establishment in the Temple. We will learn a story of narrative conflict, John 7:53-8:11, also known as the Woman Caught in Adultery, and we will explore and learn the story in Mark 12:13-17, Paying Taxes to Caesar. In each of these stories, Jesus challenges the Temple authorities as he does through Chapter 8 of John, which begins with the statement, “I am the light of the world.” Join us to explore the oral tradition.
Presenters: Margaret (Maggie) Giffin, St. Paul’s, Windsor, and Nancy Barber, St. Michael’s, Brattleboro (in White River Jct.) The Rev. Joel Hill, St. Michael’s, Brattleboro, & members of the Green Mountain Storytellers’ Guild (in Swanton and Bennington)
“Be the Abundance”
Attendees and Delegates are invited to bring non-perishable food items to Ministry Fairs and to Convention. Contributions will be blessed during the Eucharist at each site and donated to local food shelves.
Hopkins Bookshop will be selling books and resources related to these workshops at each Ministry Fair.