We’ve gotten so caught up with being faithful, that we’ve forgotten that the point of our persistence and courage is the Love of Jesus.

As I’ve grown more conscious of this, I’ve become particularly aware that my hands are not just mine. “You” — which includes our hands — “are not your own,” as Paul tells us. They are, mysteriously, marked as conveyors of God’s touch, if you will. And as such, they are set apart not only to hold “weighty” things but also participate in the “hands on” ministry of Jesus.

The Deaf Community is one of the least reached people groups in the world. In the USA, a recognized estimate is only 2-5% of deaf claim any religious faith at all. There are many factors giving rise to this alarming statistic but one of them is not being able to envision the concept of God, or the incarnate Jesus, as relatable or accessible to deaf people.

The youth group at Church of the Holy Spirit recently embarked on a meaningful service trip to Niagara Falls, New York. Partnering with YouthWorks, a nondenominational mission organization, our young members dedicated a week to serving a community in need.

This was my first opportunity to attend the provincial assembly. I was privileged to serve as a delegate and as a subdeacon in the opening Eucharist.

In an effort to connect our own church family, and reach out to the community, Church of the Apostles (Fairfax, VA) hosted Brick Building Nights for four consecutive Wednesdays in July.

What a wildly wonderful world, GOD! You made it all, with Wisdom at your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations.” (from Psalm 104, The Message paraphrase)

Stacy and I had the opportunity to escape the Virginia heat in early June as we walked St. Cuthbert’s Way in southern Scotland and northern England – a rigorous 82 miles of walking that left us wondering if we had made a fatal miscalculation! We were told to expect rain or “mizzle” daily! Thankfully, we had only half a day of rain, during which we were soaked, but for the most part, we saw the Scottish and English countryside as we journeyed to Lindisfarne. The trip exceeded our expectations in every way – a real gift!

This workshop satisfies the diocesan training requirements for clergy, vestry members, staff and volunteers who work with youth or children. There is no charge for this training, but registration is required.

What a joy it was to participate as a DOMA delegate at the Provincial Council and Provincial Assembly at St Vincent College June 24 - 28. The mixture of work, worship and wonderful fellowship made the time with 900+ other clergy, delegates and guests sucha an encouragement.

One of every three houses in a neighborhood is impacted by someone with a disability. If we want to reach our neighbors with the gospel of Jesus Christ, we need to be prepared to minister with people with disabilities.

In addition to the interview with our new Archbishop, there were so many moments throughout the week that gave me hope.

But why is this conference so important? APCN co-leader, Patricia Streeter, explains: “In these horrific days of attack on the church, it is imperative that we encourage each other in our quest to share the hope and light of Jesus to a very dark world.

Attending a provincial assembly as a youth delegate expanded my picture of the church as a community and allowed me to grow relationships and connections with peers and priests.

Deacon Julie Tilton (All Saints’ Church, Woodbridge, VA) has created a simplified adaption of To Be A Christian for baptism training.

Each day we were led in a study of 2Timothy by the Right Reverend Rennis Ponniah (Retirred Bishop, Singapore). I was so grateful for the large turnout of leaders from our Diocese with more 50 participating.

In addition to acting as delegates, participating, and serving during Provincial Assembly, many of the DOMA attendees led and participated in breakout sessions.

Parishioners at Church of the Redeemer in Camden, NC had a great time at their June community movie night.