Diocesan convention update:

Fall Convocations: The last three fall deanery convocations are coming up as the diocese prepares for the 41st annual convention Oct. 9-10 in Punta Gorda. Hear from Bishop Dabney Smith, view a presentation on the proposed 2010 budget and discuss any other matters before the Oct. 10 convention. Most deaneries will also elect representative to Diocesan Council. The schedule:

• Sept. 17: Naples Deanery, 7 p.m. at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 3901 Davis Blvd., in Naples.
• Sept. 18: Fort Myers Deanery, 7 p.m. at St. Hilary’s Episcopal Church, 5011 McGregor Blvd., in Fort Myers.
• Sept. 22: Tampa Deanery, 7 p.m. at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, 509 E. Twiggs St., in Tampa.

Convention Eucharist to include ordinations: Two vocational deacons will be ordained at the opening Eucharist of diocesan convention, Oct. 9, beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Charlotte Harbor Event and Convention Center in Punta Gorda. Sandra Johnson, of All Souls Episcopal Church in North Fort Myers, and Aubrey Cort of Epiphany Church in Cape Coral, will be ordained into the Sacred Order of Deacons. Johnson will be assigned to St. Hilary’s Church in Fort Myers. Cort will be assigned to the team ministry serving churches in Lee County.

24 days and counting: There’s lots of information on the diocesan website about convention:

• You can register and pay online for everything.
• There are now 11 workshops to choose from on Friday.
• There will be seven resolutions to be considered on Saturday.
• The proposed 2010 budget is available to download.

Clergy spouse event: The Clergy Spouse Association’s convention luncheon will be held at noon on Saturday, Oct. 10 at Church of the Good Shepherd, 401 W. Henry St. in Punta Gorda. The guest speaker is Richard Schori, the husband of presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori. Cost is $15 per person. Reservation and payment may be made by on line at www.episcopalswfl.org/diocesan_convention. Reservations by mail must be accompanied by a check payable to the Clergy Spouse Association and sent to Kathy Kelly, 8549 54th Avenue Circle East, Bradenton 34211-3749. Child care is available. Contact Kathy Kelly at (941) 752-8964.

Bring canned goods, old cell phones: Delegations are asked to bring canned goods to this convention to help stock the Good Samaritans’ ecumenical food pantry in Charlotte County. The Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking will also be collecting your old cell phone at its booth at the Ministry Fair. The Coalition is partnering with a company that refurbishes used cell phones. The Coalition will get money for each phone it can provide.

Hotels filling up: The reserved room blocks at the two main hotels, the Sheraton and Best Western, have sold out. Check out our convention page for other options at www.episcopalswfl.org/diocesan_convention

Last call for reports: If your ministry or committee usually submits a report to convention, or would like to, now is the time to get it in to the diocesan office. E-mail is preferable, to jdela@episcopalswfl.org

Other news:

Free Money: The Diocesan Council’s Grants and Loans Committee will be giving away $25,000 in the next two months. “We intend to allocate the funds in small grants to a number of applicants, so the money goes as far as possible,” said committee chair Judy Stark. The application deadline is Tuesday, Oct. 6. Those getting grants will be notified after Council gives its approval at its Nov. 21 meeting. The application form is available on the diocesan website (www.episcopalswfl.org). The grants are intended to provide supplemental funding for enrichments and enhancements. They are not intended to pay operational expenses; to finance major capital projects; or to provide for disaster repairs. For more information, contact Stark at (727) 894-8206, or at judithastark@gmail.com.

Important survey: A task force on communications has been charged with helping the diocese review the way it communicates. Two quick online surveys are available to help us see where we are as a diocese and where you’d like us to be in the future. One is geared toward clergy and parish staff; the other is for readers and viewers, the people in the pew. Please, let us know what you think by completing the surveys. Go to the diocesan website (www.episcopalswfl.org) and follow the link on the front page (“Are we communicating?”), or go directly to www.episcopalswfl.org/article200086c2485521.htm

Safeguarding retraining now online: For those who have taken the Safeguarding God’s Children training in the past and are now due for a refresher course, online certification is now available. If you are due for a refresher, you will be contacted soon by an administrator in your deanery who will provide usernames and passwords to access the training site. For more information, visit www.episcopalswfl.org/safeguarding_gods_children or contact Bonnie Jean M. Durning at bdurning@tampabay.rr.com

Coming up:

Youth ministers workshop: Taylor Consulting Group, along with St. Margaret of Scotland Episcopal Church in Sarasota, will present a workshop for youth ministers titled “Intentional Games for a Meaningful Youth Group” on Saturday, Sept. 19, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Participants will learn activities to deepen the bonds of your youth, strategies to transfer youth group to everyday life, new trends and exciting initiatives, and skills and strategies for building a youth group safe for returning and new youth. The cost is $25 per person. To register, call (727) 415-1036 or e-mail donald@teachingtheroad.org

Surfing safely: Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Clearwater, along with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Department, will present “Internet Safety -- Your Child, the Internet, and Online Predators” Sept 22 at 7 p.m. at the church, at 3200 McMullen Booth Road. This presentation will cover a wide range of topics, including social networking sites, cyberbullying and cyberstalking. Handouts will be given to the parents including a parent/child Internet contract. A children’s presentation will also be provided and will cover a lot of the same things the parents learn but in a kid-friendly manner. Register by Sept. 18 by calling Barbara Kunath at (727) 686-3769 or email to BKSings@gmail.com

Calvary Church offers computer courses: Calvary Episcopal Church’s popular Tuesday evening computer classes will resume this fall beginning Oct. 13 and will run for four weeks. The Basic Computer and Internet courses are designed to be affordable at $15 per course. For details and registration, call the parish office at (727) 595-2374.

Honoring health care providers: On Saturday, Oct. 17, Holy Innocents’ Church in Valrico will host a Community Health Fair from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. to recognize the dedicated service of the health care providers in the community. A prayer service at 11 a.m. will be held for health care providers as well as an opportunity to receive the laying on of hands and anointing with oil for healing. In addition, a variety of health-related workshops will be offered along with free health screenings including cholesterol, blood pressure and glucose tests. Deanery clergy, choirs, and musicians are invited to participate. For more information, call the church office at (813) 689-3130.

Evensong in Sarasota: The Church of the Redeemer’s monthly Evensong series begins after a summer hiatus on Sunday, Sept. 20 at 5:15 p.m., when the anthem will be “Te Lucis Ante Terminum (Evening Hymn),” by Balfour Gardiner; and Service in G Major by Herbert Howells. A wine and cheese reception will follow in Gillespie Hall. The Church of the Redeemer is located at 222 South Palm Ave. For more information call (941) 955-4263.

Food for the Soul:

Romanian iconographer: Renowned iconographer and Romanian Orthodox nun, Sister Eliseea Papaciòc, will be at the Church of the Redeemer in Sarasota on Sunday, Sept. 27, to share and discuss the work of her lifetime: religious icons. Papaciòc will discuss and exhibit her work at 3 p.m. An abbreviated presentation will take place the same day during Redeemer’s morning Adult Forum, which starts at approximately 10:15 a.m. Both presentations will be held in Redeemer’s Gillespie Hall located at 222 South Palm Ave., in downtown Sarasota. Some of Papaciòc’s icons will available for purchase before and after both presentations.

Attract members with a Magnetic Church: A two-day Magnetic Church workshop is scheduled Oct. 23-24 at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church and The First Presbyterian Church in Bonita Springs. Participants can learn how to better equip churches to attract, welcome and retain new members into their parish families. The seminar will begin at 6 p.m., Friday and conclude at 4 p.m. on Saturday at The First Presbyterian Church at 9751 Bonita Beach Road. The cost is $25 until Sept. 28, when it will increase to $30. This fee includes all snacks, lunch on Saturday and all handout materials. For more information, visit www.magnetic-church.com or call St. Mary’s at (239) 992-4343 for a registration form or call Vivi Curt (St. Mary’s) at (239) 593-1671.

Mark your Calendars:

Canterbury Faire: The Church of the Good Shepherd, 401 W. Henry St. in Punta Gorda is having its second annual Canterbury Faire Nov. 7-8. Venders and crafters are wanted. The faire has a medieval theme with many events, games and rides for the entire family. Admission and parking is free. Food and beverages will be available as well as medieval entertainment. For more details, call Loretta Dunn at (941) 505-5592.

New date for New Beginnings: The weekend retreat for middle schoolers in grades 6-8 has been moved to Oct. 23-25. Learn more at www.episcopalswfl.org/youth_ministry

People Notes:

The Rev. Ernestein C. Flemister has answered the call as rector of St. James House of Prayer in Tampa. She began her duties Sept.14. Most recently she had been vicar-in-charge at Grace Church in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Vanessa Riutta, youth director at Good Samaritan, Clearwater, and president-elect of the Vocare International Steering Committee, has accepted a position as youth coordinator in the Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast.

The Very Rev. John Hiers, rector of Church of the Ascension, Clearwater, has been appointed dean of the Clearwater Deanery.

Please pray for the repose of the soul of William Moore, the father of Kathy Kelly, who died Thursday, Sept. 17. Funeral arrangements are incomplete.