The Deacons' Council cordially invites you to a "Dinner and Conversation" evening at 6pm on Wednesday, April 22 at The Commons in Meriden. Please join us for a Lenten reflection and response to what it means to exist as we discuss the book Living in Bootstrap America.
Registration info: https://deaconscouncilapril2015.eventbrite.com
Hosted by Deacons' Council of The Episcopal Church in CT
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Thursday, February 19, 2015
February
16, 2015
The following is taken from the book jacket:
We in America have certain ideas of what it means to be poor. Linda Tirado, in her signature brutally honest yet personable voice, takes all of these preconceived notions and smashes them to bits. She articulates not only what it is to be working poor in America (yes, you can be poor and live in a house and have a job, even two), but what poverty is truly like—on all levels.
Frankly and boldly, Tirado discusses openly how she went from lower-middle class, to sometimes middle class, to poor and everything in between, and in doing so reveals why “poor people don’t always behave the way middle-class America thinks they should.”
This book can be purchased at Barnes and Noble and on Amazon in hard cover, paperback and kindle format. Hopefully the book will give people of privilege (us) an opportunity to read and better understand what it means to exist in poor, the working poor, and low income class of America. This book provides insight and gives America much to reflect on. How do we of privilege respond to the needs and feelings of the working class poor we encounter every day?
We invite you and a member of the parish you serve or worship in to join the Deacons’ Council as we dedicate the April 22, 2015 meeting to dinner and discussion on our response to this insightful book. The meeting will be held at 6PM at The Commons in Meriden CT. Look for an eventbrite post in order to RSVP.
May this Season of Lent offer reflection and response to what it means to exist, Living in Bootstrap America.
Faithfully,
The Rt. Rev. Laura Ahrens Bishop Suffragan
The Rev. Bonnie Matthews Deacons’ Council Chair
Dear
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
As
we look to the Holy Season of Lent, we invite you to read and reflect on the
book Hand to Mouth Living in Bootstrap America written by
Linda Tirado as part of your Lenten Discipline. Several of us on the deacons’
council have read the book and found that it has both affirmed and challenged
our ministry!The following is taken from the book jacket:
We in America have certain ideas of what it means to be poor. Linda Tirado, in her signature brutally honest yet personable voice, takes all of these preconceived notions and smashes them to bits. She articulates not only what it is to be working poor in America (yes, you can be poor and live in a house and have a job, even two), but what poverty is truly like—on all levels.
Frankly and boldly, Tirado discusses openly how she went from lower-middle class, to sometimes middle class, to poor and everything in between, and in doing so reveals why “poor people don’t always behave the way middle-class America thinks they should.”
This book can be purchased at Barnes and Noble and on Amazon in hard cover, paperback and kindle format. Hopefully the book will give people of privilege (us) an opportunity to read and better understand what it means to exist in poor, the working poor, and low income class of America. This book provides insight and gives America much to reflect on. How do we of privilege respond to the needs and feelings of the working class poor we encounter every day?
We invite you and a member of the parish you serve or worship in to join the Deacons’ Council as we dedicate the April 22, 2015 meeting to dinner and discussion on our response to this insightful book. The meeting will be held at 6PM at The Commons in Meriden CT. Look for an eventbrite post in order to RSVP.
May this Season of Lent offer reflection and response to what it means to exist, Living in Bootstrap America.
Faithfully,
The Rt. Rev. Laura Ahrens Bishop Suffragan
The Rev. Bonnie Matthews Deacons’ Council Chair
Monday, January 26, 2015
Deacon Council Meeting Highlights January 2015 - Invitation to the February 2015 - All are Wecome
The Deacons' Council will be holding the first of four regional meetings Wednesday February 11 at 6pm at St Mary's Church Manchester. This meeting is open to all providing an opportunity for deacons to have a further voice in their community. We plan to begin the meeting with a light supper followed by business. To celebrate council member Marsha McCurdy-Adell’s twin girls coming soon we are requesting diapers to support newborn ministries in regions around the ECCT – Episcopal Church in CT.
The February meeting donations will be given to St Mary's Outreach Committee in support of newborns of low income families at MACC Ministries (Manchester Area Council of Churches).
Save the date: Deacons' Retreat Friday June 5 at 6pm through Saturday June 6, 2015. The retreat will be held at Holy Family Retreat Center West Hartford, CT more info to follow.
Look for deacon demographic forms to be sent via email gathering contact information for networking.
Lenten discipline reading: The deacons' council is supporting the discipline to read the book. Hand To Mouth Living in Bootstrap America authored by LInda Tirado. There will be opportunity to discuss and review this book with peers at a later date.
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
Deacon Council Invites New Members
In an effort to expand the gifts of the Deacons’ Council,
the council is looking for additional clergy and lay members to serve on the
council in both permanent and ad-hoc capacities.
The council meetings occur at 6PM on the second Wednesday of each month. Meetings are hosted at Trinity Church Hartford. In order to incorporate a wider voice in the deacon community we are implementing quarterly regional meetings to take place throughout the state.
In order to serve the deacon community, Core values have been adopted to guide the mission of the council.
To create opportunities to strengthen the deacons’ community, exploring how we can build and deepen connections among the deacons
To help deacons maintain the zeal of call by introducing new ways to think about our faith and our work.
Exercising these values, we have begun to build networking among deacons through increased fellowship such as the deacons’ breakfast at convention, regional meetings and articles from deacons about mission opportunities that have impassioned deacons throughout the state.
In the coming months we plan to identify additional means to support a deacon’s, spiritual, missional and liturgical life through educational, networking and retreat opportunities.
Most recently we have chosen to honor deacons who have died or left the state of CT by expanding and updating a collection of books that have supported, challenged and nurtured deacons in their ministry. This collection of books is housed in the Deacons’ Library at The Commons and is open to all.
In order to accomplish this important work we are looking for persons who are passionate about supporting the work of a deacon. Their passion may be expressed through creative thinking, participation in social justice work, they may have skills to lead educational sessions, or they may have leadership skills. If you or someone you know has these skills please let us know who they are.
We would like to better inform them of the work of the council in hope that they would serve with us.
Please contact The Rt Rev Laura Ahrens at lahrens@epsicopalct.org or the Rev Deacon Bonnie Matthews, Deacon Council Chair at bmatthews228@comcast.net.
We hope to hear from you soon.
The council meetings occur at 6PM on the second Wednesday of each month. Meetings are hosted at Trinity Church Hartford. In order to incorporate a wider voice in the deacon community we are implementing quarterly regional meetings to take place throughout the state.
In order to serve the deacon community, Core values have been adopted to guide the mission of the council.
To create opportunities to strengthen the deacons’ community, exploring how we can build and deepen connections among the deacons
To help deacons maintain the zeal of call by introducing new ways to think about our faith and our work.
Exercising these values, we have begun to build networking among deacons through increased fellowship such as the deacons’ breakfast at convention, regional meetings and articles from deacons about mission opportunities that have impassioned deacons throughout the state.
In the coming months we plan to identify additional means to support a deacon’s, spiritual, missional and liturgical life through educational, networking and retreat opportunities.
Most recently we have chosen to honor deacons who have died or left the state of CT by expanding and updating a collection of books that have supported, challenged and nurtured deacons in their ministry. This collection of books is housed in the Deacons’ Library at The Commons and is open to all.
In order to accomplish this important work we are looking for persons who are passionate about supporting the work of a deacon. Their passion may be expressed through creative thinking, participation in social justice work, they may have skills to lead educational sessions, or they may have leadership skills. If you or someone you know has these skills please let us know who they are.
We would like to better inform them of the work of the council in hope that they would serve with us.
Please contact The Rt Rev Laura Ahrens at lahrens@epsicopalct.org or the Rev Deacon Bonnie Matthews, Deacon Council Chair at bmatthews228@comcast.net.
We hope to hear from you soon.
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