Alleluiafund 2016 Launch & 2015 Recap
During the Easter season, the ministries funded by the Alleluiafund share their stories of how God has worked in and through their ministries to serve God’s people. The Alleluiafund is a Diocesan-wide effort to expand our ministry efforts so that more and more people each year experience the resurrection.
This year congregations will receive Easter pamphlets that include pictures and stories of these ministries and the people they have served. They are designed to colorfully decorate the seating and tables and counters of the church property all during Easter. There will also be an Alleluiafund fridge magnet to take home as a reminder that in supporting the Alleluiafund together, we are all the Episcopal Church in Vermont.
Rock Point Summer Camp
The purpose of Rock Point Summer Camp is to playfully and prayerfully guide children, youth & adults in outdoor cathedrals as lovers of nature in the mission of mending creation. Campers are invited to: belong to a caring, cooperative community, be a friend and make new friends, explore the wilds of 130 acres on the shores of Lake Champlain, grow in confidence, independence and interdependence, try new activities and learn new skills, experience the sacredness of creation where outdoor adventure meets spiritual exploration.
Rock Point Property & Intentional Community
Rock Point’s 130 acres are an educational, recreational and spiritual resource. With specific three-year Land Use and ten-year Forestry Management Plans underway, a diverse segment of the community is working together to achieve the Rock Point vision: “To be a welcoming sanctuary of spirituality, creativity, community, education, training, and environmental stewardship.”
There are many ways to become involved, one of which is through the Rock Point Intentional Community (RPIC)—a dispersed spiritual community serving the Rock Point vision. RPIC has established monthly creation-centered Eucharists, three annual retreats, and a Partners’ Pantry to preserve Rock Point’s organic produce for the Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf. To find out more, or become part of Rock Point’s development, contact The Rev. Craig Smith, Operations Minister, at craigfsmith23@gmail.com or 802-863-3431.
Earth Stewards
This year the Earth Stewards Committee made a contribution to Church of the Woods as they continue to develop a ministry of Godly worship in communion with the rest of nature. Support was also provided to Mission Farm’s developing nature education program as well as to Vermont Interfaith Power and Light’s grant program (VTIPL offers grants for energy assessments and energy saving improvements). The Earth Stewards continue to urge our diocese and its people to make conscious decisions that will honor, protect and love our earthly home. In 2016, the Earth Stewards Committee challenges each congregation and each member to make a commitment to at least one Earth-conscious change this year—be it through worship, action or principle!
Cathedral Chapter
The Cathedral Chapter works to enrich the Episcopal Church in Vermont with a diverse program of preaching, teaching, the arts, liturgical and missional opportunities including: the St. Thomas Boys’ Choir Concert; hosting Diocesan Convention; the 2016 Trinity Institute (including a live local panel on racism in Vermont); a Lenten Retreat on pilgrimage; a diverse year-long Cathedral Arts concert program; the Integrity Chapter and Pride Parade; Evensong, Taizé and the O Antiphons services; podcasts of sermons as part of the Digital Evangelism project; presenting author and new monasticism activist Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove to speak and preach; the Meditation Center; a joint sponsorship with Champlain College to bring The Rev. Becca Stevens of Thistle Farms to speak and preach; and more.
Domestic Outreach and Social Justice
This year, funds were once again distributed to parishes engaged in feeding ministries through Community Meals, Community Gardens, Community Food Shelves, Community Summer Lunches for Kids, and Community Partnerships. Take a moment and watch the video: “Together We Are: Feeding Ministries of the Episcopal Church in Vermont.”
Vermont Interfaith Action’s “Moral Economy” campaign to address increasing poverty in Vermont was launched with 11 presentations in 9 regions. To have a more honest conversation about state priorities, we are following up by asking legislators and the Administration to reveal the true costs of programs in the 2017 budget. The United Valley Interfaith Project is gathering stories of aging seniors to document their challenges and needs. Each story is powerful, but collectively they are also translated into data to support legislation supporting seniors. Adding power to the words, portraits of the seniors are hung in their senior center, their local hospital—and eventually the State House in Montpelier.
Global Reconciliation
The Global Reconciliation Committee awards matching grants to projects that support the Sustainable Development Goals. Grants over the years have supported work in a dozen countries, including El Salvador, Cambodia, Kenya, Haiti, and Sudan, and have ranged from working with hospitals, eradication of malaria, human rights advocacy, and providing clean water and sanitation. More recently, the GRC has supported the Jerusalem Peace Builders, an educational program for youth as well as Doctors without Borders. Through grants that match money raised in congregations, we can make a huge difference in the lives of our sisters and brothers around the world.
SAVE THE DATE: Saturday, September 10, 2016: The Alleluia! Open Golf Tournament
Taking place at the Basin Harbor Club, the Alleluia! Open Golf Tournament benefits the Alelluiafund and the ministries it support