Presiding Bishop Frank T. Griswold and Carolina Westerhoff, lay canon and pastoral theologian in the Episcopal Church, are the featured speakers at the Colloquium of Episcopal Professional and Vocational Association’s (CEPVA) conference set for June 22-25 in Atlanta, Georgia.
The conference theme is “Ministry for the Future: Discover the Energy of Vocation.” Participants are invited to attend workshops, discussion groups and listen to a variety of speakers. They will focus on deepening spiritual awareness; recognizing the value of all ministries; discerning and using gifts; and wellness throughout all levels of the life of the Church.
A panel discussion, “The Future of Ministry,” will examine future opportunities for growth in the Episcopal Church including increased outreach through technology to African-American, Latin-American and other ethnic groups.
To register online visit http://www.episcopalmn.org/cepva.htm
Further information may be obtained from the Rev. Phil McNairy at 651.388.8830 or philmcnairy@hotmail.com.
Founded in 1996, CEPVA is an umbrella organization representing a variety of groups called to vocational ministry in the Episcopal Church. Member groups represent deacons, musicians, educators, priests, executive secretaries, bishops, communicators and others. CEPVA was initiated to unite these groups and promote an understanding of common goals and individual roles in the ministry of the church.
Note: The following titles are available from the Episcopal Book/Resource Center, 815 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10017; 800.334.7626 or 212.716.6118 http://www.episcopalbookstore.org.
To Read: A HIDDEN WHOLENESS: The Journey Toward An Undivided Life by Parker J. Palmer (San Francisco, California: Jossey-Bass, 2004; 208 pages; $22.95)
In A Hidden Wholeness, Parker J. Palmer reveals the same compassionate intelligence and informed heart that shaped his best-selling books Let Your Life Speak and The Courage to Teach. Here he speaks to our yearning to live undivided lives -- lives that are congruent with our inner truth -- in a world filled with the forces of fragmentation.
Parker J. Palmer is a writer, lecturer, teacher, and activist. His work speaks deeply to people from many walks of life, including public schools, college and universities, religious institutions, corporations, foundations, and grass-roots organizations.
To Read: GOOD FENCES: The Boundaries of Hospitality by Caroline Westerhoff (Cambridge, MA: Cowley Publications, 1999; 172 pages; $11.95)
Drawing on her training as a biologist and church consultant, Westerhoff explores the theological questions raised by boundaries. She uses stories of families, individuals, neighborhoods, communities, and churches to show us what happens when boundaries are too rigidly maintained -- or when they erode, shift, or are deliberately moved, when the old ways and the old definitions no longer work. Good Fences will help both individuals and congregations as they make complex decisions about the identity of the church, the defining of social outreach ministries, and the practice of true hospitality.
Caroline Westerhoff is also the author of Calling: A Song for the Baptized.
