A Call to Prayer for the Bishops' Meeting

By Archbishop Foley Beach

Editor's Note: The College of Bishops are meeting this week and Archbishop Foley Beach has called for prayer. While we do pray for them as they meet, we may also want to continue those prayers following their meeting as well. Here is Archbishop Beach's letter to the province:

As many of you may have heard, the College of Bishops is gathering this week (September 5-7) in conclave (a private assembly of the bishops) to discuss the report we have received from the Task Force on Holy Orders earlier this year, specifically women’s orders. This is the beginning of our formal discussion as bishops, and I sincerely doubt it will be the end of our prayerful deliberation on this important issue. We are seeking to hear God’s will for us as Biblically orthodox, and faithful North American Anglicans, who are part of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.

There are two things which I want to share with you, as members of the Anglican Church in North America.

First, as Anglicans we are a conciliar Church in which decision-making and authority are shared amongst the clergy and laity. If the College of Bishops were to be united in discerning that it is God’s will to move in a different direction than that which is established in our Constitution (see Article VIII, Section 2), it would need to be brought to the full leadership of the Church for discernment (ie. Provincial Council and Provincial Assembly, see Article XV).

Second, I believe in the power of prayer, and that God provides prayer as a means to further his purposes in the world and in the Church. I ask you to keep the bishops (and specifically your bishop) in your personal and corporate prayers as we gather to discuss this issue and how we move forward together. Our bishops are godly men and are committed to seeing the Anglican Church in North America flourish and prosper under the authority of Holy Scripture and the Tradition of the Church. Please pray for us. “To him who is able to do more abundantly than all we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen” (Ephesians 3:20,21).

Forward, Always Forward. Everywhere Forward!

The Most Rev. Foley Beach is Archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America and Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of the South.

Registration is now open for Synod 2017!

By Lisa Anderson

Registration is now open for Synod 2017 
November 17-18. 2017
Click here to REGISTER.

Planning is well underway for Synod 2017 (November 17-18) at All Saints’ Church, Woodbridge, VA.

We will be sharing more details about speakers and breakout sessions in the coming weeks, but we wanted to let everyone know that registration is now open! Synod is not only for clergy and delegates, anyone in the diocese is more than welcome to attend and see what we’re all about.

WHO NEEDS TO REGISTER?  

• You need to register if you would like to attend the Pre-Synod Session on Friday, November 17, 3-6:30 p.m. – Making Disciple-Making Disciples. Dinner is provided afterward for those attending the session who indicated on their registration they wished to be included in the dinner count. The Pre-Synod Session is open to everyone - You do not have to attend Synod to attend this workshop.
• Clergy and delegates must register so that ballots can be prepared for them. 
• If you would like attend Synod as a guest or observer and stay for lunch on Saturday please register so we have an accurate count for lunch. There is no charge for this event.  Everyone who registers will receive a nametag and packet.
• No registration is needed if you plan to only attend the Friday night Eucharist or the Saturday breakout sessions. You also do not need to register if you plan to just drop by to visit the exhibits.

Synod 2017 Documents

Synod 2017 Timeline

ACCOMMODATION

Should you require overnight accommodation Friday evening:

• A block of rooms has been reserved at the Comfort Suites Hotel, 14525 Gideon Drive. (703-490-4100) 
• The cost is $92.00/night plus tax and includes breakfast. 
• Ask for the group rate for DOMA Synod 2017
• The cut-off date for this discounted group rate is Friday, November 3

VOLUNTEER

Synod 2017 is a major event in the life of our diocese and we need lots of volunteers to make everything run smoothly. If you would like to become more involved and volunteer please contact Lisa Anderson at lisa.anderson@anglicandoma.org.

We look forward to seeing you at Synod 2017!

Lisa Anderson is the Event Coordinator for the Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic.

Into the Harvest Series

Hearing and following the call to plant churches

By Pamela Meeks

EDITOR's NOTE: This is the next installment in our "Into Harvest Series" where we are meeting and getting to know members of the Great Commission Committee of the Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic, learning more about who they are and why they are committed to the mission of church planting. 

In the 1990’s, my husband and I heard a call to live and minister in Turkey before we even met each other. When we did meet and our hearts were joined together, we knew that God had some special calling for us in this new country. We were newlyweds when we arrived in Istanbul to begin language learning and culture learning. But the truth is: we did not have a clear sense of what God had prepared for us to do with any specificity. Perhaps that sounds unusual given the finances we had to raise and the plans that we had to make to get us to this point in ministry, but this is actually not so uncommon.

By no means everyone, but some of us arrived in another country with a vision that was ready to evolve. My husband and I had a clear call to be involved in evangelism and discipleship but it wasn’t obvious how we were to proceed. Our reasons for some vagueness were on purpose. We knew that people and their ideas change when they are in another country. Our own views and vision needed to be fleshed out with the realities on the ground. We were there to discover more specifically how we were to be used by God. Actually being in the country with some flexibility allowed us a chance to approach ministry with some humility and in a learner posture. Although flexibility and humility can set people on the path of being cooperative with others, it is a clear drag on folks like me who like to plan ahead!

Our early years were set aside for learning the language and learning the culture. We always had the goal in mind that we would want to attain a level of Turkish mastery to be able to preach in Turkish. The goal of cultural adjustment was equally important. As we spent time, and were involved in modest evangelistic and discipling relationships, David and I had a growing conviction that church planting was the specificity that we were looking for. Individuals might be converted, but without the church, someone would not be able to grow and thrive in the long term. We decided to move to a city on the coast of the Mediterranean to meet together with others interested in starting a new church.

As we worked together with another teammate from Germany, we began to learn the ropes of church planting. Our team had many decisions to make, and some of them were significant and consequential. We were always weighing different options. At the time we were not confirmed in a denomination so we were working with those from a non-denominational background. Our little church met in a home and we were deeply involved in people’s lives.

Our hearts for Turkish believers grew exponentially and this little fellowship lasted 8 or so years before they decided to fold into a larger church in the city. We did run into some problems as we looked at the role of women in the church and it was then that our family pulled up roots and moved to a city on the Black Sea. We helped join together a church planting team with local believers. We took our experiences, confidence and convictions with us to this new endeavor. This time we put ourselves under the authority of a Turkish pastor in another city and that was definitely a good decision. Like many church plants, this little fellowship weathered some difficult relational issues and in the end we only spent three years in this new city.

After we came back to the United States and finished degrees in seminary at Trinity School for Ministry, we moved to Northern Virginia. I was ordained an Anglican priest in January  2010. Naturally, I was drawn to church planting again and enjoyed serving with Rev. Jack Grubbs at Potomac Falls Anglican. In 2009 I was asked to join the GCC where I have continued to enjoy being a part of new work that is begun around the diocese.

The Rev. Pamela Meeks is the Associate Rector of Church of the Epiphany Anglican in Herndon, VA. She also serves as a member of the Great Commission Committee. 

Calling all Anglicans into Action for Life!

 

Click here to register.
Click here for more information.

Archbishop of Nigeria will not attend Primates Meeting

By Archbishop Nicholas D. Okoh

Gafcon is not just an organisation, but a movement that God has raised up and by his grace continues to work through. I have just returned from a visit to the Anglican Church in North America and rejoice in its continued growth and vitality. This is yet another reminder of the wonderful partnership we enjoy as confessing Anglicans and which we will celebrate with great joy as we gather in Jerusalem next year for our third Global Anglican Future Conference.

Gafcon is about hope and the future. It is about godly unity and faithful witness for generations to come, and I want to state these positive things very clearly as I share my reasons for not attending the Primates Meeting in Canterbury next month.

I attended the Canterbury Primates Meeting held in January 2016 because I believed it might be possible to make a new start and change the pattern of repeated failure to preserve the integrity of Anglican faith and order. I was disappointed. The Anglican Consultative Council meeting in Lusaka the following April neutered the Primates’ action to distance The Episcopal Church of the United States (TEC) from Communion decision making. TEC has not repented, and continues to take aggressive legal action against orthodox dioceses. For example, the congregations of the Diocese of San Joaquin are currently having to turn over their places of worship to TEC, which has no realistic plan for filling them with worshippers.  At the same time, the Diocese of South Carolina is now facing the potential loss of many of its historic buildings.

My disappointment was shared by the other Global South Primates who gathered in Cairo last October and we concluded in our communiqué that the ‘Instruments of Communion’ (which include the Primates Meeting of course) are “unable to sustain the common life and unity of the Anglican Churches worldwide” and do actually help to undermine global mission.

The only difference between the present and 2008, when Gafcon was formed, is that we have a different Archbishop of Canterbury. Everything else is the same or worse. There is endless debate, the will of the orthodox Primates is frustrated and misrepresented, false teaching is not being corrected, and nothing is being done to halt orthodox Anglicans in North America (and maybe soon elsewhere) being stripped of the churches that have helped form their spiritual lives.

In these circumstances, I have concluded that attendance at Canterbury would be to give credibility to a pattern of behaviour which is allowing great damage to be done to global Anglican witness and unity. Our energies in the Church of Nigeria will be devoted to what is full of hope and promise for the future, not to the repetition of failure.

However, some may object that we should not break fellowship over matters which do not directly go against the ancient creeds of the Church. The Archbishop of Canterbury himself has recently said that the church should not be split by issues that are not, as he puts it, "creedal", but it is important to remember that the authority of the Creeds is derived from the Bible, and it is the Bible which is the Church’s supreme teaching authority.

This truth is recognized in the Gafcon Jerusalem Statement. It says this:

“The doctrine of the Church is grounded in the Holy Scriptures and in such teachings of the ancient Fathers and Councils of the Church as are agreeable to the said Scriptures. In particular, such doctrine is to be found in the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion, the Book of Common Prayer and the Ordinal.”

Creeds have authority, but only because they are “agreeable” to Scripture, so false teaching is not just what is opposed to the creeds, but what is opposed to Scripture.

This is basic to our Anglican origins and how Anglicans should understand the Church. If Christians are never to break fellowship unless the disagreement is about the teaching of the creeds, the sixteenth century Reformation five hundred years ago, when the great doctrines of grace were at stake, must be seen as an error.

Now we are living in the midst of the next great Reformation.  In our day also there is broken fellowship, over homosexual practice, same sex marriage and the blurring of gender identity, none of which are mentioned in the Creeds, but all of which contradict fundamental biblical understandings of marriage and human identity.

The question that Gafcon presents is therefore not a choice between unity or disunity, but what sort of unity? A unity that includes those who persist in rebelling against God’s Word is a false unity. So is a unity that undermines collective decision making as a communion. This makes our mission difficult and the purpose of our calling as a global communion becomes questionable. The creeds developed as a way of preserving the true unity of the Church in faithfulness to the Scriptures and that is what Gafcon also seeks to do as we face the challenges of the twenty-first century.

The Most Rev’d Nicholas D. Okoh is the Archbishop, Metropolitan and Primate of All Nigeria and Chairman of the GAFCON Primates Council.

Are sex and marriage issues of Orthodoxy?

By John Stonestreet

Editor's Note: John Stonestreet will be a featured speaker at Life Summit 2018. To learn more about Life Summit 2018 and to register, please click here.

Most of us are familiar with the Nicene Creed, the statement of faith adopted in 325 A.D. to unite Christians against the Arian heresy. It is, to this day, the most widely-used summary of Christian orthodoxy.

Lately, “orthodoxy” has become stickier to define. In the wake of the sexual revolution, some who call themselves Christians and would affirm the Nicene Creed, also accept unions between members of the same sex.

Here at the Colson Center, we believe, as the Christian Church has taught for two millennia, that any sex outside of marriage between a man and a woman runs contrary to God’s design. It is serious sin, condemned in no uncertain terms in both the Old and New Testaments. So to justify homosexual behavior, or any other expression of sexual deviance, one must do imaginative hermeneutic gymnastics.

Recently, Christian philosopher James K. A. Smith, whose work I’ve benefitted from immensely, wrote that while he cannot question the historic stance of the church on homosexual behavior and understands it to be sinful, he disagrees with elevating this issue to the level of the o-word. “Orthodoxy,” he writes, refers only to the creed and the doctrines it affirms, like the creatorhood of God, the divinity and humanity of Jesus, and the Trinity.

Adding traditional marriage to the Nicene list of non-negotiable Christian doctrines, he worries, distracts from the life and work of Jesus and reduces Christianity to a set of morals. Evangelicals and Catholics who use the categories of orthodoxy and heresy to talk about sex, he suggests, are being selective and maybe even a little obsessive. After all, there’s never been a marriage council in church history, right?

Now, Smith isn’t saying that he agrees with so called same-sex “marriage” or that it’s no big deal. He’s simply worried that we’re muddying the meaning of “orthodoxy.” And that is a valid concern.

But as theologian Alastair Roberts points out, Smith has forgotten that the very first council in church history, the Jerusalem Council recorded in Acts 15, did take up the issue of sexuality. Gentile Christians were told to “abstain from sexual immorality,” which for the Jewish apostles would mean the list of practices condemned in Leviticus 18, including homosexual behavior.

Second, the Nicene Creed was never meant to be the exhaustive description of the Christian faith. Rather, the creed functions as a summary of God’s full revelation—one specifically tailored to address a destructive heresy.

All the councils and creeds were, in fact, responses to particular heresies. I’d suggest it’s quite telling that sex and marriage were never considered “up in the air” for the Church since the Jerusalem Council until now.

And when the Nicene Creed uses words like “almighty,” “judge,” “holy,” and “sins,” we’re not free, writes Roberts, to plug in our preferred definitions. The creed’s words are defined by God in Scripture.

And that’s ultimately why theology that accepts homosexuality is outside of Christian orthodoxy. When the writers of the creed spoke of “sin,” they assumed God’s definition. In the same way, when they spoke of God as Creator, they assumed His design for the world, including the creation of male and female, which Jesus Himself considered authoritative when He talked about marriage.

By responding to the homosexual error some Christians have embraced, evangelicals and Catholics aren’t being selective or obsessive at all. We’re doing precisely what the authors of the church’s creeds were doing when they defended truth against the popular errors of their day.

The Church of today must stand firm on sex and marriage, just as the Church of yesterday stood firm on the deity of Christ at the Council of Nicaea. After all, He’s the same yesterday, today and forever.

John Stonestreet is President of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview in Washington, D.C.Copyright 2017, the Colson Center for Christian Worldview. Reprinted with permission from www.BreakPoint.org.

On Being Human: Gender, Sexuality and Fulfillment

By John Yates

Views about gender identity and sexuality continue to change all around us. I’ve corresponded with several folks recently who are confused and discouraged by cultural pressures and the shifting opinions of many. 

What’s becoming evident is that our culture is not merely experiencing a shift in a few ideas about behavior, but in how we understand what it means to be human—to have a body, a personal identity, to long for fulfillment. As Christians we must continue to study deeply what Scripture teaches about these matters.

This is why I want to invite you to attend a seminar called,  Being Human: Gender, Sexuality and Fulfillment (September 22–23, 2017) hosted by The Falls Church Anglican. The speakers, Sam Ferguson and John Yates III (my son), bring significant experience in both study of Scripture and walking with friends in these areas. Their teaching is a unique opportunity for our church family to learn and grow together.

John and Sam are students of Scripture as well as pastors. They share not only from prayerful study, but also from walking alongside people they love; they hope to increase the Church’s clarity, and also its compassion. They are convinced that the Bible’s vision of being human is more compelling than any other, and that the Gospel’s answers to our longings are the most satisfying of all.

Click here for more information and to register.

The Rev. Dr. John Yates is rector of The Falls Church Anglican in Falls Church, VA.

What we can do in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey

By Christine Jones

UPDATE FROM ARCHBISHOP FOLEY BEACH: Archbishop Beach provides an update on the relief efforts following hurricane Harvey, and asks for prayer for those in the path of Hurricane Irma. Read it all here.

Hurricane Harvey has already displaced thousands in south Texas and Louisiana, and the rains and flooding are expected to continue throughout the week to come.  Meteorologists are warning that while the winds have now died down, the greater danger could come from the continual rain that the region will receive.

Bishop Clark Lowenfield and The Anglican Diocese of the Western Gulf Coast are based in Houston, Texas and will be coordinating the relief effort among Anglicans in the region.  Bishop Lowenfield, who was forced to evacuate his home yesterday, said, "Thank you to all those who have been offering their prayers and expressing their concern to us. The impact of Harvey is already evident, and we are being told to expect days more of rain and 'catastrophic flooding'. In the Houston area in particular, the devastation will take months if not years of recovery. Your gift to the Anglican Relief and Development Fund will mean that individuals in some of the most hard-hit areas will be able to put their lives back together once this is all over. Above all, I implore you to pray with us in this storm. As Psalm 29:10-11 tells us, 'The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord sits enthroned as king forever. May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace!'"

Archbishop Beach is calling the Church to pray, give, and prepare: "Now is an important time for the Church to step forward. First and foremost, please join me in praying for the people of south Texas and Louisiana. Please pray for all those in distress, those who are being called to extraordinary acts of courage, and those who are obediently engaging in small acts of faithfulness.

Second, please consider giving so that Christians in the area will have the resources they need to show their communities the love of Christ in tangible ways.  We cannot anticipate today all that will need to be done in the days ahead, but we are blessed to have churches in the region who can be the hands and feet of Christ.

Third, whether you are in Texas, Louisiana, or in the states surrounding the region, please be preparing to serve.  As the Diocese of the Western Gulf Coast prioritizes the needs, you will be hearing more about how you and your congregation can serve through volunteer work teams."

You can help by donating through the Anglican Relief and Development Fund here. Click here to learn more.

More updates are here.

Christine Jones is the Director of Mobilization for the Anglican Relief and Development Fund.

Mike Flynn to speak at Church of the Holy Spirit (Leesburg)

By Clancy Nixon

Once a year, our congregation brings in an outside conference speaker to bless the regional body of Christ. This year, we are pleased to bring Mike Flynn to minister to us!  Mike has been speaking at the triennial New Wineskins Missions Conferences in Ridgecrest NC for many years, and is very popular there. I saw him speak in a plenary there and was so impressed with how God uses Mike, that I went to two other workshops he did, and was impressed still more. We got along famously. I invited him to minister here because I believe that he has something important to deposit into you personally, to our congregation, and to our region.  Our Tuesday evening small group has been reading his book Holy Vulnerability, and it has been VERY well received.   

Mike will address how to experience God’s guidance. This topic raises many questions. 

• Do you or someone you know have difficulty knowing God’s will and plan for your life?
• How do you hear God for your life through reading Scriptures, and through hearing the still small voice?
• How can you learn to distinguish God’s voice from the desires of your heart, or your parent’s voices?

Come learn how to experience God’s guidance and use spiritual gifts through vulnerability to God and His Word, conversational prayer and the active power of the Holy Spirit. 

The Conference is September 8-9, 2017 (Friday evening and all day Saturday).  Mike will also minister to us on Sunday, Sept 10, at our two Sunday services at 9 and 11. Ministry sessions during the conference are scheduled for Friday 7pm; Saturday 9am, 1pm, 3:15pm and 7pm. The conference is Free of charge and open to all!  We will not have child care for the conference. Muintearas House will offer food and beverages for sale.

Click here to register.

Please invite your friends churches to come with you!  

Mike Flynn is a priest, evangelist and founder of Fresh Wind Ministries (FreshWindMinistries.org).  Mike served four Episcopal congregations in the Los Angeles area for 30 years.  A life-changing in-filling with the Holy Spirit in 1972 and subsequent mentoring by Agnes Sanford in the 70's and John Wimber in the 80's strongly impacted Mike's life and ministry. During his pastorate at St. Jude's in Burbank, CA, Mike and 1100 team members led 150 conferences in the US and Pacific Rim.  He has written numerous articles and authored five books:  Holy Vulnerability, Inner Healing, The Mustard Seed Book, Making Disciples, and How To Be Good Without Really Trying. He and his wife, Sue, have been married 50 years, have four sons and live in California.

The Rev. Clancy Nixon is rector of Church of the Holy Spirit in Leesburg, VA.

Engaging with our faith in the city

By Erin Clifford

The last several weeks in our country and in Virginia has me earnestly asking the Lord, "What does it look like to 'walk in the Spirit?" Among many other miracles, the Holy Spirit bears the fruit in our lives of patience, kindness, self-control, unity, and reconciliation. Have you longed for the Spirit to bear these fruits in you? I know I have! In fact, when it comes to the ministry of reconciliation (which all followers of Jesus have been given) these fruits are essential! Martin Luther King said, "I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become reality. I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word." At Coracle, we also refuse to accept that the darkness and division of the enemy is snubbing out the Light of life and love! The ministry of reconciliation requires us to engage with what are sometimes difficult issues to talk about and to willingly step out of our comfort zones. In September, we would like to offer you two opportunities to engage with racial issues both locally and historically. 

Join us on September 9, 2017, as we "Engage our Faith in the City". From 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. we'll partner with Little Lights as we engage with the community of Southeast DC and explore questions of faith, family, race and church. We'll hear from various perspectives and their views on race in America and eat at a delicious cafe that benefits the local community. We are hoping to keep this event small, so register fast!

As you know, pilgrimage (going on a geographic journey with God) is one of our core spiritual disciplines. We have decided to lead one closer to home and to pilgrimage from NW DC to the Corhaven Graveyard on Saturday, September 23, 2017. This will be a mix of exploring history, teaching by Bill Haley, myself, and Sarah Kohrs, prayer, discussion and delicious lunch by Tara. This is sure to fill up fast so do register quickly!

For more information and to register, email Erin Clifford at erin@inthecoracle.org.

Our hope is that these two events will give us an opportunity to connect our faith more deeply with the tensions we are living with each day in the news and in our communities. May we be people who refuse to accept the fear-filled message of darkness and who daily choose to walk in the way of the Spirit of Light!

The Rev. Erin Clifford is Senior Minister for Coracle.

Truro Anglican offers Marriage Course (Sept. 30-Nov 11)

Margie Harper to lead "A Day of Ministry and Prayer"

By Jan Rooney

On Saturday, October 28, 2017, the Women's Ministry of Church of the Apostles (Fairfax, VA) will sponsor a "Day of MInistry and Prayer" led by Margie Harper. It will be held at Calvary Hill Baptist Church (9301 Little River Turnpike, Fairfax, VA 22031) from 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. All women are welcome to join us!

This day will be an opportunity for God to find us, heal us, renew, and deepen our intimacy with Him. In the morning there will be a teaching on "Healing the Mother Wound." This will help us not only understand what a sense of well-being is at the deep level of the heart, but it will also help us minister to others who may be struggling with similar wounding. The afternoon teaching, "He Makes Me Lie Down in Green Pastures," will free us to rest in His love, and rise up to bless others. 

Cost: $25.00 – A light breakfast, lunch, and beverages will be provided. Free childcare is provided with advance registration.

Register at: www.churchoftheapostles.org/women or call the Church of the Apostles office at 703-591-1974 by Tuesday, October 24, 2017.  Payment can be made online at the registration site or by mailing checks to the church office at:  3957 Pender Dr., Suite 100, Fairfax, VA  22030. Questions? Call Ingrid Barton at 703-354-0492.

Jan Rooney is a member of Church of the Apostles, Fairfax, VA.

Goliath Must Fall: Winning the Battle Against Your Giants

By Chloellen Miller

Plan to join us September 19 - October 31, 2017, for Pastor Louie Giglio’s new Bible Study, Goliath Must Fall: Winning the Battle Against Your Giants. “Many of us have giants in our lives—hang-ups and habits, fears and insecurities that keep us from reaching our full potential. Frozen, we lose sight of the promise God has for our lives and settle for far less than best. But there is a better way forward… Louis Giglio offers powerful insights from the Biblical story of David that will help you overcome your giants once and for all by fixing your eyes on the size of your God, not the size of your giant.”

We meet in All Saints’ Church (14851 Gideon Drive, Woodbridge, VA 22192) in the multi-purpose room each Tuesday from 10:00 a.m.-12:00 noon. This is a great way to introduce a friend to Bible Study. Whether you’ve done many Bible Studies or none, all women are welcome, and we’ve saved a place for you. The cost for this DVD based series and workbook is $9. Free childcare is available in the church nursery.

Contact Chloellen@comcast.net for more information, to order a workbook, or to reserve a place in the nursery for your child.

Chloellen Miller is a member of Immanuel Anglican Church in Woodbridge, VA.

Sign up today for Foundations for Ministry course

By Desiree Barker

All Saints’ Church (Woodbridge, VA) invites you to consider joining the new session of the Foundations for Ministry course beginning Sunday evening, Sep 10, 2017. This interactive bible study course is designed to equip participants to meet the opportunities for ministry in the church and in the world through the study of God's Word.  Each week there is a combination of teaching, small group discussion and fellowship.

Groups meet from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. each Sunday evening during the school year with a long break over the Christmas holidays. This fall is the first year of a two-year cycle and the study will be Year I - Old Testament. 

For more information and to register, please go to the Foundations web page on the church website at www.allsaintswoodbridge.org/foundations or come by and register this Sunday evening, September 10 at 6:00 p.m. If you have questions, please contact Desiree Barker at SureFoundationLLC@gmail.com.

Desiree Barker is a member of All Saints' Church (Woodbridge, VA).

All Saints' Women's Retreat coming Sept. 22-24, 2017

Experience the many layers of prayer through an interactive retreat that allows for personal and communal prayer and journaling.  Deepen your relationship with God and each other as we come together as a community of prayer.  Join us September 22-24, 2017, at Roslyn Retreat Center, Richmond, VA for a special retreat for women. This lay-led retreat will be facilitated by Susan S. Baggott, MA in Spirituality.

Cost is $210 per person for a double room. 

Click here for more information. Call Sharon McKannon for more information and to register at 703-730-2379.

Freedom Sunday is September 24, 2017

The International Justice Mission (IJM) has spent nearly 20 years on the front lines fighting some of the worst forms of violence. IJM partners with local authorities to rescue victims of violence, bring criminals to justice, restore survivors, and strengthen justice systems. 

IJM helps victims of violence secure justice as well as partner with key authorities in the justice system to fix what is broken. They do this in four ways:

Rescue: Working with local police to rescue victims from ongoing violence and bring them to safety.

Restore: Working with social workers to restore survivors to their community through counseling, education and skills training.

Restrain: Working with local police to restrain criminals, traffickers and slave owners from hurting others.

Repair: Working to address gaps in the systems that will protect the poor from violence long-term. 

Freedom Sunday, September 24, 2017

Freedom Sunday is an invitation for your congregation to learn about slavery and partner with IJM to end it. Dedicate Sunday, September 24 to share about God’s desire to use your church to bring hope and freedom to every enslaved and abused child, woman and man on earth, until all are free. 

Church of the Word in Gainesville, VA, will be focusing on Freedom Sunday on September 24. "We will use some of the suggested readings, sermon notes and video clips," said Robin Adams, Rector of Church of the Word. "We have been a supporter of IJM for the past six years. We can commend this justice organization to all of our congregations."

To learn more about Freedom Sunday and the work of the International Justice Mission and to download resources for Freedom Sunday, click here. The IJM website full of very helpful information and resources for your church and community.

For more information, email freedomsunday@ijm.org or call (703) 465-5495.

Christ the King Anglican to celebrate 10th Anniversary

Mark your calendars for a glorious anniversary celebration on Saturday, September 23, 2017! Christ the King (Alexandria, VA) will be celebrating its tenth anniversary with an outdoor fall festival. The next day on Sunday, September 24, 2017, they will give thanks for their anniversary during their Sunday's service and then that evening celebrate with a formal evening party and program for adults. All are welcome! Click here to learn more!

DOMACAST: Into the Harvest Series

The Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic brings insightful podcasts featuring a cross section of speakers from all walks of our Christian life.  Listen on the diocesan website and subscribe to DOMACAST here.

We’ve launched a new series on DOMACAST called Into the Harvest. This series will focus on the mission and ministry of church planting and church health. This work in the Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic is led by  the Great Commission Committee (GCC). Tom Herrick, Canon for Church Planting for the Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic (as well as the Executive Director of the Titus Institute) is the chair of the GCC. We asked Tom to be our first guest in this new series. Listen online or subscribe today!

Next up we interview the Rev. Jay Baylor, Vicar of Church of the Apostles in the City (Baltimore, MD). Jay Baylor writes, "I never expected to end up in the city. I’m the son of farmers and truck drivers from Central Pennsylvania. In 2006, I was challenged by Heidi Baker’s testimony to “go where only the Gospel could make a difference.” I felt the Lord guide us into East Baltimore, one of the most challenged neighborhoods in our region." Listen to the interview online or subscribe here.

Our latest episode features the Rev. Alex Leighton, Associate Rector of All Saints' Church. He talks about living a "full life" and actively engaging in "ministry on our doorstep," right where we live. Click here to listen.

You may also find featured talks in the DOMACAST podcast available for free in the iTunes Store here.  You may listen to episodes online, download to your device, or subscribe.

Check out the Jobs Board

One of the top hits on the Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic website is our Jobs Board that advertises emploment in our churches and related organizations in the diocese.

Click here to see the latest employment openings. To request that a position be posted, please send an email to Mary Ailes with the position title, a brief description of the position, a website link to further information if available, the deadline for applications if appropriate, and the email address of a point of contact.  

Get the message out and pass the word

It's easy to subscribe to receive the Mid-Atlantic Messenger. All are encouraged to sign up to receive the official newsletter of the Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic. You may post the link on your Facebook page, tweet it or run the information in your weekly service leaflet.

To receive the Mid-Atlantic Messenger just click here and fill out the simple form online. After you finish completing the form, be sure to click on the link sent to you in your confirmation email and you are all set!  Questions?  Contact Mary Ailes at mary.ailes@anglicandoma.org.

The Mid-Atlantic Messenger

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Tuesday, September 26, 2017
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