This is The Scoop, a communication from Diocesan House, to be distributed usually on a bi-weekly basis to clergy and lay leaders in the Diocese of Southwest Florida.

Your contributions are important. Send items to share with the diocesan community to Jim DeLa, director of communications, at jdela@episcopalswfl.org.

For Dec. 20, 2007:

The week ahead:
Leave a message at the tone: The diocesan office will be closed from Monday, Dec. 24, until Wednesday, January 2, 2008. Christmas blessings from all of us to all of you.

Message undeliverable: Our old web domain and e-mail suffix, dioceseswfla.org, is no longer available, as of Dec. 20. Please make sure your web browser favorites reflect our new address (www.episcopalswfl.org) and your e-mail address books have our correct addresses (such as jdela@episcopalswfl.org).

Also, if your parish web site has a link to the diocesan web site, please make sure it’s upodated.

For youth, young adults
Epiph-a-palooza: An Epiphany event is set for Jan. 5 from 2-4:30 p.m. at St. Margaret of Scotland Episcopal Church, 8700 State Road 72 in Sarasota. The band His Word from St. Anne of Grace Episcopal Church in Seminole will be performing. There will be a moon walk and other activities for kids. If that’s not enough, there will be free food.

Peer ministry training: The diocese is offering peer ministry facilitator's training Jan. 11-13 at DaySpring Conference Center near Ellenton.
The training is open to all adults who desire to support and develop a peer ministry program for youth or young adults. This training is especially useful for youth leaders, young adult ministers, camp directors and campus ministers.

Registration will begin at 4 p.m. Friday and the training ends Saturday evening. For those without Sunday obligations, a Sunday lunch is optional. Cost for residents within the diocese is $140 for semi-private accommodations, $170 for a private room and $70 for commuter. For participants from outside the diocese, fees are $200 for a semi-private room at $260 for a private room.

To register, or for more information, contact Tana Sembiante at  or go to www.episcopalswfl.org/youth.

TEC wants your advice: The Episcopal Church Center's Ministries for Young People Cluster wants to know what you think.

They need those who work with youth and young people in congregations to take a 10-minute online survey about salaries, job descriptions, events and frequently used program resources.

The information will be included in a report for the 2009 General Convention. They’re looking for people whose responsibilities include youth ministries and young adult ministries, paid or volunteer, to fill out this survey.

To participate, follow this link: http://www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?p=WEB22722JNF9VC

Conferences:
To your health: The National Episcopal Health Ministries announces its first annual conference, “Seasons of Health Ministry,” to be held at Kanuga, the Episcopal retreat center in Hendersonville, N.C. on March 27-29.

The conference will feature keynote speaker the Rev. Jean Denton, founder of NEHM and author of Good is the Flesh: Body, Soul and Christian Faith. There will be a variety of workshops offered throughout the conference to help start, grow and refresh health ministry and parish nursing.

To learn more, visit www.episcopalhealthministries.org or call (317) 253-1277 ext. 34.

NEHM is a network of nurses, health ministers, chaplains and laypeople who promote health and wellness in Episcopal congregations.

Singles only: A retreat for single adults, titled "Reaching Beyond Ourselves to Serve" and sponsored by Christ Church, Ponte Vedra, Florida, will be held Feb. 15-17, 2008 and feature Rhode Island Bishop Geralyn Wolf.

The retreat, to be held at the Cervany Conference Center at Camp Weed in Live Oak, Florida, is offered by the parish's Solo Flight ministry for and with single adults.

Wolf, single until last year, used her sabbatical time in 2002 to spend a month living anonymously as a homeless woman. She tells the story in her book, Down and Out in Providence: Memoir of a Homeless Bishop.

Cost for the weekend will be $175 for a double occupancy room, which includes meals and program. Cost for single occupancy is $270.

More information about Christ Episcopal Church Ponte Vedra Solo Flight and the retreat is available here. Space is limited to 60 individuals; call Terry Totman, (904) 285-7390, ext. 231, to register.

Help wanted:
Good Shepherd Day School in Punta Gorda is searching for a new Head of School to replace its long-tenured retiring incumbent. The new Head of School must be approachable, communicate effectively, and be able to build positive relationships.
Founded in 1963, Good Shepherd Day School provides a quality, caring and continuous educational experience from infancy through grade eight.

Good Shepherd Day School Offers:
• A distinctive faith-based community of active, supportive parents combined with caring and talented faculty, and an excellent academic program
• Lower School facility built in 2006
• Total potential enrollment of 144 in the Lower School and 108 in the Preschool
• Student to teacher ratio of 10 to 1

Head of School Qualifications:
• A passion for helping children attain their full educational potential
• Proven leadership in the recruitment, development and retention of quality staff
• Demonstrated success in marketing a school; conducting all aspects of a school’s financial management; orchestrating fundraising events, alumni relationship development, and annual giving programs
• Bachelor’s degree with current knowledge of lower, middle, and upper school curriculum; Master’s degree is preferred
• Administrative and recent teaching experience
• Experience in private school accreditation process helpful

Interested persons are invited to submit their qualifications with a short cover letter to:
Dr. Rae Konjoian
c/o Good Shepherd Day School
1800 Shreve St.
Punta Gorda, FL 33950

Need a van?
St. Wilfred Episcopal Church in Sarasota is selling two Chevrolet 15-passenger buses used to transport children after school to the church. One is a 2000 model; the other is a 1999 model, both with more than 90,000 miles. Call the preschool at (941) 923-3088 and speak to Lonnie Hershman.

Upcoming events:
Becoming A Contagious Christian: The diocesan Evangelism Committee will present a one-day conference on becoming a Contagious Christian, based on the best-selling book by Bill Hybels and Mark Mittleberg. This conference will be held Jan. 5, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Church of the Nativity, 5900 N. Lockwood Ridge Rd., in Sarasota. Cost is $15 and includes lunch. Special guest will be former NFL player Ricky Bolden. Seating is limited. To register, call (941) 355-3262.

Jazz offering: “Reflections of Peace,” a world-class evening of jazz liturgical music featuring the Brass Roots Trio is set for Sunday Jan. 13 at 7 p.m. at Calvary Episcopal Church, 1615 1st St. in Indian Rocks Beach. The concert is free.

Jan. 20 organ recital: Ken Cowan, one of the most sought-after organists in North America, will present a recital of organ music at Christ Church, Bradenton, on Sunday, Jan. 20, at 4 p.m. Suggested donations to support the Music Series at Christ Church are $15 for adults and $5 for students.

People Notes:
The Vestry of St. Wilfred, Sarasota, has called the Rev. Douglas Zimmerman to be priest in charge, effective Feb. 1. Zimmerman will be leading St. Wilfred’s through a period of transition which follows the retirement of the former rector, the Rev. Jim Kelly. He is the former rector of St. Mary’s Dade City. He currently serves on the diocesan Standing Committee. Fr. Zimmerman is married to Tamara and they have three children Andrew, 6, Anna, 4, and Jonathan, 2.

Please pray for the repose of the soul of the Rev. Dr. Benton Wood, of Parrish, who died Dec. 8, 2007. He was 80. Prior to his retirement in 1988, he was rector of the Church of the Annunciation in Holmes Beach. He was a former chaplain of the Anna Maria Fire Dept., director of St. Alban's Stamp Mission, chaplain of the Baker Street Irregulars, and editor of the Northwestern Alumni Newsletter. Survivors include Joan, his wife of 53 years.