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 Monday, March 15.

The Scoop for March 1, 2010:

Doing mission better: The Diocese of Southwest Florida has been invited to participate in a pilot program called New Dreams -- New Visions. It will connect vital retired clergy and vibrant, small worshipping congregations for mission. Principal sponsors of the program are the Church Pension Group, the Episcopal Church Center and the Episcopal Church Foundation. Discussions so far have centered on identifying clergy skills specific to redevelopment and the best way to connect them to congregations. Participation in Fresh Start is a key qualifying factor. Contact the Rev. Canon Michael Durning for more information at mdurning@episcopalswfl.org

ERD luncheon changes venue: A lunch for parish representatives of Episcopal Relief and Development is still on for March 13, but the location has changed. Instead of meeting at the home of Bishop Dabney and Mary Ellen Smith, participants will gather at St. Stephen's Church, 5326 Charles St., in New Port Richey at 11 a.m. You can find a map and directions at the church's website, http://www.ststephen-episcopal.com/ Let Maureen Belote know today if you will be coming, at genimo@verizon.net

March 6 Fresh Start meeting canceled: Due to a number of conflicting factors, it has become necessary to cancel the upcoming Fresh Start meeting. The facilitators are sorry for any inconvenience. The next opportunity for Fresh Start is May 1.

Tip of the Mitre: The Outreach Commission of St. Mary’s Church in Bonita Springs reports it has collected $12,063.31 for the Episcopal Relief and Development Fund for Haitian earthquake relief. You can donate to help victims of the disaster by visiting www.er-d.org

Swap shop:

Bible project: St. John’s Church in Tampa is participating in a communitywide project to provide Bibles to the homeless. If you have Bibles that you could donate to this cause, contact Miriam Faircloth at (813) 839-2838.

Vestments available: St. John’s Church in Clearwater has 20-25 flax-colored Almy cassock/albs and a celebration chausible they would like to donate to anyone who could use them. If you are interested, contact St. John’s at (727) 531-6020 or e-mail churchoffice@stjohnsclearwater.org

DaySpring needs wheels: DaySpring Conference Center in Parrish is in need of a used
pickup truck, a used cargo or passenger van, and a utility trailer (any style as long as it’s road-worthy). Please call (941) 776-1018.

Coming up:

Drama for a good cause: Performances of “Bill W. and Dr. Bob” at Edison College in Naples are being sponsored by the Hazelden Foundation in conjunction with the opening of its new 48-bed treatment center. There is a free student preview on March 4 at 7:30 p.m., evening performances March 5-6 at 7:30 p.m., and matinee performances March 6-7 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $28 and can be purchased by calling (239) 478-4422. Edison State College in Collier County is located at 7007 Lely Cultural Parkway in Naples. For more information contact Debbie Prather at (239) 789-8609 or debprather@comcast.net

Go green April 18: Diocesan Council, at the request of the diocesan “Green Team,” has set aside Sunday, April 18 as “Green Sunday,” an occasion for congregations to point liturgy, teaching, preaching and fellowship toward what the Prayer Book calls “this fragile earth, our island home.” April 22 is the 40th anniversary of the original Earth Day. Rectors and vicars are encouraged to use Eucharistic Prayer “C” on this day. The Green Team can help. Here are some basic resources:
Earth Day: http://www.earthday.net/
Earth Day resources for Christians: www.thinkchristian.net/index.php/2006/04/18/earth-day-resources-for-christians-part-1/
The National Religious Partnership for the Environment: www.nrpe.org/
The Episcopal Ecological Network: http://eenonline.org/action/earthday.htm

Get inspired: The Episcopal Church Women will host “A Day of Inspirations” at DaySpring Conference Center in Parrish on Saturday, March 27. Featured speaker is Bishop Dabney Smith and music will be provided by Sherre Hensley and her musicians. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. and the day will end with a 2 p.m. Eucharist. The cost is $25 for the day.

Food for the Soul:

Celebrate all things Irish: The Florida Voices – a widely acclaimed and popular Sarasota hometown choral ensemble – will perform the powerful Celtic Mass on Sunday, March 7 at 5 p.m. at the Church of the Redeemer in downtown Sarasota. Suggested ticket donation is $10; tickets may be purchased at www.boxofficesrq.com or by contacting the Church of the Redeemer at (941) 955.4263. Redeemer is located at 222 South Palm Ave.

Sarasota-Manatee Bach Festival March 12: 8 p.m. at Christ Episcopal Church, 4030 Manatee Ave. West in Bradenton, featuring instrumental, keyboard and vocal music of J. S. Bach. Tickets are $10. Call (941) 747-3709 for more information.

Lenten activities:

Thursday Recitals: All through Lent beginning at 12:15 p.m. at Christ Episcopal Church, 4030 Manatee Ave. West in Bradenton. Scheduled performers are:
March 4: Matthew Woods
March 11: Kevin Johnson
March 18: R. Alan Kimbrough
March 25: Nancy Siebecker.
Call (941) 747-3709 for more information.

The Life of the Baptized: A series of organ recitals, dinners and presentations are scheduled at St. John’s Church, 906 S Orleans Ave. in Tampa. Evening prayers begins at 5:30 p.m. followed by a recital and dinner. The guest speakers are:
March 3: Msgr. Desmond Day, Christ the King Catholic Church
March 10: Stavros Akrotirianakis, St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church
March 17: The Rt. Rev. Dabney T. Smith, Bishop of Southwest Florida
Please RSVP if you plan to come for dinner at (813) 259-1570 or bdaniel@stjohnstampa.org

Lenten resources online: Looking for Lenten resources for parish or personal use?
The Episcopal Church Center has compiled Lenten prayers, video reflections and penitential meditations for use during Lent. Centering on the theme “Things done and left undone” and designed for personal reflections as well as community services, the resources are available at www.episcopalchurch.org/resources_seasonal_ENG_HTM.htm

ERD meditation booklet: With the theme “Healing ourselves and a hurting world,” Episcopal Relief and Development’s Lenten meditations booklet is another resource to help readers reflect on their lives and engage with a world in need. It can be ordered at www.anthology.com/EPISCOPALRESOURCECENTER/wc.dll?main~bs~&idd=9&ids=286&idsc=0&idc=1&idx=

Other news:

Know how to grow: Kirk Hadaway, the Episcopal Church’s program officer for congregational research, shared some statistics about church membership at the recent Executive Council meeting that offered both caution and hope. He issued a call for the church to promote knowledge of the characteristics of growing congregations to help reverse that trend. Hadaway told the council that congregations grow when they are in growing communities, have a clear mission and purpose, follow up with visitors, have strong leadership, and are involved in outreach and evangelism. Information about his report is available online at www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_119609_ENG_HTM.htm

Mark your calendars:

March 6: Rummage sale: The Church of the Good Shepherd in Punta Gorda is having its annual rummage sale, rain or shine, from 8 a.m. to noon. Electronics, computers, tools, clothing, kitchen items, furniture, lawn and garden items, sporting goods, household goods, books, DVDs and much more will be on sale. Breakfast and refreshments will be available. Proceeds will benefit the outreach ministry of the parish. The church is located at 401 W. Henry Street. For more details call (941) 639-2757.

March 19-21 – Happening #63: Held at DaySpring Conference Center in Parrish. Participants are 9th-10th-graders. Contact Michelle Mercurio at mmercurio@episcopalswfl.org or call (941) 556-0315, ext. 274.

April 10 – Diocesanwide confirmations: The annual event is set to begin at 11 a.m. at St. Peter’s Cathedral, 140 4th Street in downtown St. Petersburg. Everyone is invited to participate and attend but RSVP is requested. Please contact Martha Goodwill at mgoodwill@spcathedral.com with the following information for seating and signs: parish name; clergy attending; number being confirmed, received or reaffirmed; and the number of guests you anticipate attending from your parish. For certificates, please contact Jan Nothum at jnothum@episcopalswfl.org with the number of each type of certificate you will need. When completed, please bring these certificates April 10 for the bishop to sign.

April 24: Children’s Safety Fair: St. Mary's Episcopal Church, 9801 Bonita Beach Road, Bonita Springs, will host a Children's Safety Fair on Saturday, April 24 from 10 a.m. to noon. Local state and federal organizations and nonprofit agencies will offer outdoor safety and equipment demonstrations, and education and information on car seat safety, bike, injury prevention and fire safety, pets, wildlife, youth and victim assistance, boat and water safety, disaster preparedness, and more. For more information, please call Helen MacCallum at the church office at (239) 992-4343 or e-mail her at Helen.maccallum@gmail.com or Patricia Kearns at communications@stmarysbonita.org.

April 29: College for Presbyters gathering: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at DaySpring Conference Center. The presenter will be the Rev. Dan Hotchkiss, speaking on visioning and strategic planning.
RSVP via e-mail to Connie Salyers at csalyers@episcopalswfl.org

April 29 to May 1 – Congregational leadership conference: “Leadership Marks for Creating and Growing Vital Congregations,” presented by the Province IV Congregational Development and Evangelism Network, is scheduled April 29 to May 1 at Canterbury Conference Center near Orlando. It will address creating a “leadership culture” by equipping clergy and laity with skills proven to be key to the guidance and development of ministries. Registration cost is $30 per person, with lodging and meals not included. For additional information and to register go to www.marksofleadershipregistration.org

April 30 to May 1 – New Beginnings #47: Held at DaySpring Conference Center in Parrish. Participants are 6th-8th graders. Contact Michelle Mercurio at mmercurio@episcopalswfl.org or call (941) 556-0315, ext. 274.

June 13-18 – Elementary Summer Camp: Held at DaySpring Conference Center in Parrish, led by Bishop Dabney and Mary Ellen Smith, and the Rev. Doug Scharf. Participants are 3rd-5th graders. Contact Michelle Mercurio at mmercurio@episcopalswfl.org or call (941) 556-0315, ext. 274.

June 20-25 – Youth Summer Camp: Held at DaySpring Conference Center in Parrish, led by the Very Rev. Stephen and Jayne Morris, the Rev. Sarah Kerr and the Rev. Thomas Ader. Participants are 6th-8th graders. Contact Michelle Mercurio at mmercurio@episcopalswfl.org or call (941) 556-0315, ext. 274.

July 18-23 – Camp Able: Held at DaySpring Conference Center in Parrish. For youth with special needs. Visit www.campable.org for more information.

Aug. 13-15 – Vocare #12: Held at DaySpring Conference Center in Parrish. For 19-30 year-olds. Cost is $80 with a $20 nonrefundable deposit due at registration.

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

Tech Tip:

DDG launches new web site: The Dominican Development Group has a new web site. Check them out at www.dominicandevelopmentgroup.org

People Notes:

Congratulations are in order for the Rev. Michael Branscombe, assistant rector at Church of the Ascension in Clearwater. He is now an American. Having passed his citizenship interview and examination, he was sworn in Feb. 26 at a ceremony at the Tampa Convention Center.