BACK-TO-SCHOOL EVENTS HELD AROUND THE DIOCESE

Several churches have held "Blessing of the Backpacks/Bookbags" services this month, as well as hosted school supply drives to help children in need throughout their local communities and other events. Pictured above, St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Charleston (top left), offered a "Blessing of the Backpacks" during their Sunday service this week, as did St. James-Santee Episcopal Church, McClellanville (right). Supplies donated at that church were given to St. James-Santee Elementary School. Grace Church Cathedral (bottom right) will have a "Blessing of the Backpacks" on Sunday, August 25, but parishioners enjoyed a visit from the Kona Ice snowcone truck this past Sunday to kick off the school year!

To see pictures of all of these back-to-school events throughout the Diocese, check out this Facebook album. Please send any other pictures to include in this album to Diocesan Director of Communications Molly Hamilton at mhamilton@episcopalchurchsc.org.

ELECTIONS AND NOMINATIONS

Convention delegates will be voting to fill several diocesan offices, and the Nominating Committee is inviting everyone's participation in the process, seeking wide and diverse involvement among the many talented people who make up our part of the Body of Christ in South Carolina. Find answers to questions about the nominating process and see the offices that are being filled by clicking the link below.

REGISTER TO ATTEND FORMA 2020

Save the date for the 2020 Forma conference, which will be held in Midtown Atlanta. This joint conference, featuring Presiding Bishop Michael Curry and the Rev. Dr. William Barber II, brings together groups from across the Episcopal Church to talk about formation, evangelism, mission, leadership and much more. Many from our diocese attended the 2018 conference that we hosted in Charleston, as well as the 2019 event in Indianapolis.

Registration is open and teams receive a discount. Register online through this link to be part of the TECSC team. Please contact Andrea McKellar at amckellar@episcopalchurchsc.org for more details.

PRAYER CALENDAR 

Prayer Calendar: This week on our Diocesan Prayer Calendar, we are praying for The Canterbury House. A part of Episcopal Diocesan Housing, Inc., Canterbury House is a nonprofit senior living community located in the heart of historic Charleston. Housing is available to anyone 62 or older who meets annual income guidelines.

About the Prayer Calendar: The Bishop's calendar of visitations for 2018-2019 have ended, but through the summer we continue to pray weekly for institutions of our Diocese. We also continue to pray for our fellow Anglicans worldwide on the Anglican Cycle of Prayer. 

The first part of the Bishop's visitation schedule and the 2019-2020 Diocesan Prayer Calendar are now available, with dates through the remainder of 2019. Because of the bishop transition, dates in 2020 will be published as soon as they are finalized. Find the prayer calendar here (August dates are on the 2018-19 calendar). 

ST. MARK'S SERVES LOCAL COMMUNITY

COMMUNITY SUPPERS TO RETURN SEPT. 11 AT GRACE CHURCH CATHEDRAL

Grace Church Cathedral will again offer a Wednesday evening Community Supper throughout the fall, beginning on on Wednesday, September 11. Community Suppers will be held every Wednesday from 6-7 pm. All are welcome, and donations are appreciated (but not required).

UPCOMING PARISH EVENTS 

August 24: Women's Ministry Pot Luck Brunch at St. George's Episcopal Church, Summerville, at 10:30 a.m. Ms. Sylvia Johnson, a cousin of the late Rev. Dr. Clementa Pinckney, the Mother Emanuel AME Pastor (and SC State Representative) who was killed in the church shooting in June 2015.  She will share her journey of faith, her personal testimony to the goodness of God over the past four years of complicated grief associated with multiple losses beginning with the violent death of her beloved cousin. Bring a dish to share.

September 14: Charleston Pride Parade and Festival. A group with St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Charleston, will participate and gather at Wragg Mall at 8:15. The festival will take place in Brittlebank Park after the parade. Please email  Diane or Pat if you plan to attend. 

September 14: RISE Above The Dark overnight walk at Waccamaw High School (Pawleys Island) from 7 pm to 7 am to bring awareness to mental health issues. Join members of Holy Cross Faith Memorial, Pawleys Island in this worthy cause. 
Click here to learn more and to register.

September 29: Music for the Seasons at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, North Myrtle Beach, beginning at 4 pm. This autumn concert will be the church's 3^rd Annual Organ Recital, featuring C. Justin Smith, Organist for St. John’s Episcopal Church in Wilmington, NC, and St. Stephen's organist. All are welcome.

October 20: Choral Evensong in Thanksgiving for the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Charleston at 5 pm. Featured music will include LGBT+ composers and allies including Leonard Bernstein, Jennifer Higdon, Angela Morley, Elton John, Bette Midler and others. A sermon will be given by Linda Ketner, a founder of the Alliance for Full Acceptance.

October 30-November 3: Fall Flower Festival at Grace Church Cathedral. Registration is now open for three seminars by floral designer Lee Berrill of England offered October 30-November 1. Displays of the dozens of flower arrangements at the cathedral will run through All Saints weekend (November 2-3). Find details here. A printable form is here. 

BISHOP CURRY TALKS ABOUT HOW TEC IS SUPPORTING IMMIGRANTS 

In a new video, The Episcopal Church: Walking with Immigrants, Presiding Bishop Michael Curry introduces five bishops whose dioceses are actively engaged in immigrant welcome. Each bishop shares ways individuals or groups can support this work. Their intent is to inspire action and to highlight the many ways people can engage with and deepen their understanding of immigration issues.

Watch through the link above or by clicking this link.

COLLEGE BOUND? GET CONNECTED WITH CAMPUS MINISTRY

Do you know a graduating high school senior who will be headed to college this fall? The Episcopal Church in South Carolina would like to help connect them with a church or campus ministry. Visit our College Ministry Page and fill out the contact form. You'll find information for colleges in our Diocese (College of Charleston, The Citadel, Voorhees, Coastal Carolina and others), as well as the Diocese of Upper South Carolina (which includes Clemson, the University of South Carolina, Furman, Converse, Wofford and other Upstate schools).

UPCOMING EVENTS