How well do we know the workings of The Episcopal Church? Or our own Diocese? I know, for me, it really wasn’t until I began to serve on Diocesan Council that I became interested or even slightly educated about the nuts and bolts of our church. What I have found is so exciting – and, believe me, I do not get easily excited about committees, business structure, financial reports, etc. I get very excited about MISSION – the work we do to spread the love of God in the world around us!! I’ve learned that sometimes to do this work committees, business structure and financial reports are necessary. Who knew? It’s the work of my committee on Council to share the work of The Episcopal Church and the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan in such a way that you, too can get excited about what’s going on and join us in the great work that God’s doing.
Last summer General Convention passed many resolutions impacting a whole variety of ministry areas. In the upcoming week’s, we’ll be posting some of these for your information – and so you may find ways to get involved in your local congregation or the diocese. This week, we’re reminding you of a few that we’ve previously mentioned in The Weekly Connection.
The Bible Challenge (C083)
Let’s all the read the Bible together in 2013! What a great idea for congregations to take on as a challenge for their youth or adult formation classes!! There are many resources for “read the Bible in a year”; we’ve included just a couple of sites:
And here’s a site from our ELCA friends –
Resolved, That every Episcopal diocese, cathedral, church and mission shall invite their entire membership and people beyond their church to read the entire Bible in 2013.
Social Media Challenge (D069) and Challenge Congregations to Develop Websites (A015)
You’re in luck! Attend this year’s Ministry Fair on May 4th and you can address both of these resolutions! As we all have become aware, we live in a time where social media and technology have great impacts on our lives. The ability to instantaneously connect with people around the globe through the internet has changed the way we live in our families, our communities, our workplaces and our churches. Check out the workshop offerings at Ministry Fair so that you, too, can learn to use these tools in ministry!
A025: Challenge Congregations to Develop Websites
Resolved, That the 77th General Convention of the Episcopal Church challenges every congregation in The Episcopal Church to have an effective, dynamic and current website by 2015.
D069: Social Media Challenge
Resolved, That the 77th General Convention of The Episcopal Church challenge every diocese and congregation in The Episcopal Church to actively engage social media in its current and future manifestations.
I bet you can’t wait to see what we bring to you next week!
– Judith Schellhammer (chair, Resolution Review Committee, Diocesan Council)
EDOMIresolutions 
Thanks, Judith! Love this idea and you got it going with some great resources!
Well done, Judith! Following up on our resolutions is something we often neglect. Thanks for the reminder and for making the follow up easier!