This is The Scoop, a communication sent about every two weeks from the Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida. Feel free to share this information. Send items to share to Jim DeLa, director of communications, at jdela@episcopalswfl.org

The next Scoop is scheduled for release on Thursday, Oct. 15.

The Scoop for October 1, 2009:

E-mail issues resolved: The diocesan office was without e-mail for the first half of this week due to problems with its service provider. If you sent an important e-mail to our office from Sept. 28-30, you may wish to resend it now to ensure it is seen. We’re sorry for any trouble this may cause.

Diocesan convention update:

8 days and counting: Activities related to the 41st diocesan convention start Thursday, Oct. 8, with Ministry Fair setup at the Charlotte Harbor Event and Conference Center, as well as Standing Committee (1-2:30 p.m.) and Diocesan Council (3-4:30 p.m.) meetings at Church of the Good Shepherd, all in Punta Gorda.

You can still register and pay for Friday and Saturday events online. Please register by Tuesday, Oct. 6.

For schedules, and other convention information, pick up a copy of The Southern Cross at your parish, or go online to www.episcopalswfl.org/diocesan_convention

Convention Eucharist to include two 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.

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 online 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 Ave. Circle East, Bradenton 34211-3749. Child care will be available. For more information, 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.
 

Other news:

St. Edmund’s recognized: St. Edmund’s Episcopal Church in Arcadia is featured in the 2010 Historic Episcopal Churches Engagement Calendar, published by the National Episcopal Historians and Archivists. The spiral-bound, week-at-a-glance calendar features a photo and history of 53 Episcopal Church. The 2010 edition will be the last after 20 years of publication. Calendars are $16.95 each, plus shipping and handling. For an order from, e-mail nehahqs@aol.com

Last call for grant funds: The Diocesan Council’s Grants and Loans Committee will be giving $25,000 to applicants in November. “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.

Clergy retreat meditations available: For those wishing copies of Br. Cutis Almquist’s meditations delivered at the recent clergy retreat, please e-mail Jan Nothum at jnothum@episcopalswfl.org

PLEASE take our 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

Vehicles for sale: 2004 Ford E-450 Terra Transit 25-passenger bus. Seat belts, under floor lift for handicap access, front and rear A/C and heat. $21,600. Also, a 1995 Dodge, 15-passenger van, $3,000. Contact Christ Church at (941) 747-3709.
 

Coming up:

Calvary Church offers computer courses: Calvary Episcopal Church’s popular Tuesday evening computer classes will resume 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.

Blessing of the animals: It’s the time of year when parishes hold events in honor of St. Francis of Assisi. For a list of pet blessing in your area, go to www.episcopalswfl.org/upcoming_events

Food for the Soul:

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.

YouthQuake 2009: Convergence: An ecumenical one-day youth event Nov. 14 presented by Acts29 Ministries, from 3-9 p.m. at the Christian Retreat Center, 1200 Glory Way Blvd., in Bradenton. The cost is $25, which includes dinner. Featured speaker is Jonathan Hansen, missionary intercessor at the International House of Prayer in Atlanta. To register, contact Candy Stott at designedinteriors@tamapbay.rr.com For more information on this program, visit http://youthquake.a29.com/convergence

Mark your Calendars:
Oct. 23-25 - New Beginnings: The weekend retreat for middle schoolers in grades 6-8 is Oct. 23-25. Learn more at www.episcopalswfl.org/youth_ministry

Nov. 7-8 - 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.

Nov. 29 - Rector’s installation: The installation of the Rev. Ernestine Flemister as rector of St. James House of Prayer in Tampa is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 29. The liturgical color will be red.

More calendar items can be found at www.episcopalswfl.org/upcoming_events

Tech Tip:

New web site: St. Giles Church in Pinellas Park has a spiffy new web site. Check it out at www.stgilesepiscopal.com