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.

The Scoop for Feb. 20, 2008:

Coming up this Saturday:
Blessing and dedication of New Beginnings Park: Starting at noon, Bishop Dabney T. Smith will perform the blessing and dedication of the New Beginnings Park in Port Charlotte. The park was created after Hurricane Charley nearly four years ago. The park is on property shared by St. James Episcopal Church and the Port Charlotte United Methodist Church. Both churches have worked together to make this meditation park a wonderful blessing to the Port Charlotte community. The items to be dedicated include an altar table, a portable baptismal font, crosses, pew benches, gazebo and stations of the cross. The park is at 1365 Viscaya Drive in Port Charlotte. For directions and information please contact St. James at (941) 627-4000.

An Absalom Jones luncheon beginning at noon to honor the memory of the Episcopal Church’s first African American priest will be held Saturday Feb. 23 starting at noon at St. James House of Prayer, 2708 N. Central Ave. in Tampa. A donation of $25 per person is requested. Speaker will be Mr. John E. Culmer of St. James Episcopal Church in Houston. The luncheon is sponsored by the Rev. John E. Culmer Southwest Florida Chapter of the Union of Black Episcopalians. For more information, contact Deacon Lucien A. Watkins at lwatk947361@aol.com or (727) 433-0403.

Work Day at USF, Part 2: The Chapel Center at the University of South Florida invites all youth groups to a work day Saturday, Feb. 23. This will be an outdoor adventure, tackling the overgrown labyrinth. Bring your own rakes and pruning tools. Lunch and beverages are on us. Just let the Rev. Denise Guinta, the USF chaplain, know you’re coming by sending her an e-mail at dguinta@episcopalswfl.org .

Opportunity knocks:
Bishop search underway: The nomination and discernment process for the 8th Bishop of Alaska is now officially open. All information including the profile of the diocese can be found at its web site: http://alaskabishopsearch.org/

Grab a camera during Lent: Send information and photos from any special events or programs in your congregation during Lent to Jim DeLa, at jdela@episcopalswfl.org for inclusion on the diocesan web site and in The Southern Cross.

Technology marches on:
Iona-Hope Episcopal Church in Fort Myers has recently changed its web site address to www.ionahope.org. Please note they’ve also changed e-mail addresses to match: jadler@ionahope.org, adele@ionahope.org, and office@ionahope.org.

Church of the Redeemer in Sarasota has revamped its web site. Check it out at www.redeemersarasota.org.
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Mark your calendars:
Spring deanery convocations: So far, we know of dates for three spring convocations:
Manasota: March 4, 7 p.m. at Church of the Redeemer in Sarasota.
Fort Myers: March 11, 7 p.m. at St. Hilary's, Fort Myers.
Tampa: April 3, 7 p.m. at St. Catherine's in Temple Terrace.

If you know when the Naples, Venice, St. Petersburg or Clearwater deaneries are having their convocations, could you send an e-mail to jdela@episcopalswfl.org?

The diocesan Altar Guild will hold its Annual Meetings as follows:
South Altar Guild Meeting: March 29 at Church of the Good Shepherd, 1115 Center Road in Venice.
North Altar Guild Meeting: April 5 at St. Alfred’s Episcopal Church, 1601 Curlew Road in Palm Harbor.

Upcoming events in Southwest Florida:
Organ concert: Paul Jacobs, concert organist and organ chair of the Juilliard School of Music, will perform at the Church of the Redeemer, 222 South Palm Avenue in downtown Sarasota, on Friday, March 7 at 7:30 pm. Suggested donation for tickets is $20 for adults and $10 for students. For tickets, contact the parish office at (941) 955-4263 or amitchell@redeemersarasota.org.

Lord Family Ministry coming to Brandon: Holy Innocents’ Episcopal Church will host the Lord family, on Friday, Feb. 22, beginning with dinner at 5:30 p.m. The Lord Family is comprised of six children, ages 6-19 who along with their parents, sing and play instruments to the glory of God. They have traveled through 35 states and Canada to 19 different denominations. A love offering will be collected at the performance. The church is located at 604 N. Valrico Rd. in Valrico, at the corner of Front Street. Call 689-3130 for further information, or go to www.holyinnocentsvalrico.com.

Chapel Center blessing: Bishop Dabney Smith invites University of South Florida alumni, professors and staff members and diocesan clergy to join him in blessing the newly renovated facility at the Chapel Center, Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. This is an opportunity for Episcopalians affiliated with USF to come and see the new facility, spend time with Bishop Smith and meet the center’s new chaplain, the Rev. Denise Gray Guinta.
The center is located at 12850 N. 50th St. in Tampa. If you would like to attend please RSVP by e-mail to dguinta@episcopalswfl.org.

RSVPs needed for diocesanwide confirmation service: A diocesanwide confirmation service is planned April 12 at 11 a.m. at St. Peter's Cathedral, 140 4th Street N., in St. Petersburg. All are welcome to attend and participate -- however the diocesan office must know in advance the number planning on attending. Please contact Jan Nothum at (941) 56-0315, ext. 259, if your congregation is planning on participating in this service and how many certificates (confirmation, reception or reaffirmation) you will need mailed to you. In addition, for seating, we will also need to know how many total parishioners you expect will attend from your congregation.

Camp Able returns: Camp Able is specifically designed for persons with special needs, set for July 27-31 at DaySpring Conference Center. Registration deadline is April 15. Campers will take part in several different activities such as swimming, scuba, arts and crafts and a ropes course challenge. Learn more at www.campable.org.

Flower power: St. Peter's Cathedral will be hosting a flower arranging workshop on Saturday, April 5, beginning at 9:30 a.m. Come learn the skills you need to make beautiful floral arrangements for your church. The day starts with coffee and donuts followed by demonstrations, lunch and more demonstrations. The fee is $15. Please call the cathedral office at (727) 822-4173 to register.

Upcoming events elsewhere:
A weekend in Palm Beach: The Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea in Palm Beach presents the 2008 Smaltz Fellowship Weekend Feb. 29 to March 1 with the theme Giving and Forgiving in a Culture Stripped of Grace, featuring Dr. Miroslav Volf, founder and director of the Yale Center for Faith and Culture and the Henry B. Wright professor of systematic theology at Yale Divinity School. The cost of Friday evening’s
reception, dinner and presentation is $30. The cost of Saturday’s breakfast, two workshops and lunch is $20. For reservations and Information, contact the Rev..Andrew Van Culin at (561) 655-4555, ext. 45.

Go to E.Y.E. for free: The Episcopal Youth Event, set for July 7-13 in San Antonio, Texas, is looking for some teens 15-18 years of age who would like to work during the event in exchange for free travel, room and board. Apply by March 5. E.Y.E. is looking for:

• Peer Ministers: Peer ministers will be part of the pastoral care team of youth and adults at EYE. Peer ministers will be leaders, a pastoral presence, and an example to others at the event. Download a form here
• Budding videographers: The EYE multimedia team will record daily highlights, produce segments for evening worship, create a master video, assist with lighting and sound design, write skits, and assist in streaming video to the web. Download a form here.

Seminary shopping? Here are three opportunities:

• The School of Theology at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tenn., is hosting a preview weekend for prospective seminarians Feb. 28 to Mar. 2. A variety of activities will introduce prospective seminarians to community life, and theological learning and formation for ministry. Seminary students, faculty and staff are planning opportunities to worship, attend classes, tour the campus, and spend time with members of the seminary community. For a copy of the Sewanee’s “Come and See!” registration form and schedule, please go to http://theology.sewanee.edu/seminary/news?id=17477

• Episcopal Divinity School: Prospective students are invited to attend Visiting Day at EDS on March 6. The day includes a campus tour, presentations by faculty and students, Community Eucharist, and the opportunity to observe a class. Admissions interviews can also be scheduled during the visit for those who are considering applying to EDS. To sign up, please contact the Admissions Office at admissions@eds.edu, or (617) 682-1507, or visit their website at www.eds.edu and click on Admissions. One night of complimentary housing is offered to prospective students, based on availability.
• Nashotah House: Anyone considering attending seminary is invited to Experience Nashotah! on March 6-8, a three-day feast of worship, classroom experience and candid discussions with current students, faculty and staff at its Wisconsin campus. Experience Nashotah is an opportunity see what makes Nashotah House unlike any other seminary. For more information, or to register, go to www.nashotah.edu/experience.htm.

People Notes:
Please pray for the family of Eleanor M. Monsour, mother of the Rev. John Monsour, who died Feb. 8, in Tampa.

When you next call in or visit the diocesan office, please welcome our new full-time receptionist, Robin Vogt (pronounced vote).