The Rev. Sarah Gaede has resigned as rector of St. Bartholomew's, Florence. Her last Sunday is November 2.
 
The Rev. Polk Van Zandt has resigned as rector of St. Paul's, Selma, and has accepted a call from St. Paul's, Murphreesboro, TN. His last Sunday is November 16th.
 
The Rev. John Paul Thompson has accepted a call from a parish in the Diocese of Albany.
 
Pastoral Notes
Mrs Minge Douglass, the widow of the Rev. Charles H. Douglass, former rector of St. John's, Montgomery, died October 30th. The Burial service will be 11:00 am Monday, November 3, 2008 at St. John's. May she rest in peace.
 
Katherine Pill Howard, mother-in-law of The Rev John Barrow, retired priest of this diocese and member of Church of the Ascension, Birmingham, died October 8, 2008. Please keep John's wife Margaret and their families in your prayers.
 
Helen Jackson, wife of the Rev Deacon Newton Jackson, died Monday, October 20, 2008. May she rest in peace. Please keep Newton in your prayers.

 

The Rev. Charles McKimmon, retired priest of St. John's, Decatur, died Saturday, October 25. May his soul, and the souls of all the departed, rest in peace.

The Rev Burt Newton, retired priest of the Diocese of Alabama living in Spanish Fort, AL has returned home after a serious illness. Please keep Burt in your prayers. 

Plans are underway for our 178th Diocesan Convention to be hosted by Church of the Ascension and held at the Renaissance Marriott Hotel and Spa, Montgomery, Alabama, February 19-21. 2009. Once again we are faced with the rising cost of hosting our diocesan gathering therefore, in order to save on the cost of printing and postage we are asking that you download all necessary forms to certify and register your delegation from our website, www.dioala.org.  Below is a list of forms you need at this time. Click on the name of each form to download:

1. Lay Delegate Authorization Form comprised from information on the 2007 Parochial Report. Parish delegates are based on the figure posted on line 3. Please note the number of delegates authorized for your parish.
2. Certification Form (please include delegate's email address)
3. Hotel reservation information
4. Projected Diocesan Convention Expenses(shows in increase in registration fee)

 

The Diocesan Pilgrimmage to the Ecumenical Monastery at Taize, France is scheduled for late May and early June, 2009.  The pilgrimage is designed for high school and college age young people but will accept pilgrims up to the age of 29 (you must be at least 16 at the time of the trip).  The approximate cost is $2,300.  For more information contact the Diocesan Youth Ministries Coordinator, Leslie Manning / lmanning@dioala.org.

Saint Luke's is inviting all churches in Birmingham to participate in our COMMUNITY ELECTRONICS RECYCLING EVENT sponsored by our Stewardship of Creation Committee. It will be 1:00 - 4:00 on Sunday, November 16. There will be a truck stationed to receive items in our back parking lot. We will be able to recycle all of the following: computer components, hard drives, monitors, keyboards and mice, cables and wiring, power supplies, printers, copiers, fax machines, telephones, cell phones, scanners, battery back-ups, printer cartridges, and any metal (shelving or file cabinets). We will not be recycling TVs. Secure hard drive destruction is provided.

You are invited to learn about this powerful curriculum and how to teach it to adults in your congregation or use it for your own enrichment.  The curriculum will help you and those in the class to learn about the wonderful richness of Creation in Alabama, especially in our streams and rivers.  The class will be guided through the six weeks to develop a personal and church-wide action plan to better care for God's creation.  You will be given a copy of the curriculum and class handouts.
 
Where:   St. Luke's Episcopal Church
              3736 Montrose Rd., Mountain Brook, AL, 35213
                               
When:      Saturday, November 15, 2009
Time:       8:45 AM - 12:30 PM
Fee:         $5
Trainers:   Joyce Lanning & Michelle Bende
To Register:   Call 870-0808

For more information please email jalanning@bellsouth.net
To preview the curriculum go to http://www.stewardsforcreation.org/watersheds.htm

 

Both types, and even small barrels for apartment dwellers, can be purchased by calling Red Rain at 205-862-6206.  Shipping available throughout the US! Also, instructions for making a rain barrel are available at many sites on-line.  Search for "rain barrels." 

Join a professional discourse examining myths, facts, and stereotypes about sexual orientation and gender. Explore solutions for keeping youth safe in your community.

· 33% of all teen suicides are completed by gay and lesbian  youth.
· 80% of youth harassed "as gay" actually identify as heterosexual, and are 5 times more
likely to attempt suicide.
· Over 80% of recent school shootings involved gay epithets.
 

(COLA) 
The Diocesan Council recommended in September that adjustments should fall in the range of 5% to 6%.  The Council acknowledged that the recommendation seemed high, however, recently Social Security announced the 2009 adjustment for benefits as 5.8%.  This is a good indication that the recommendation from the Council was an accurate prediction for the coming year. 

Have you checked out one of the latest features on the diocesan web site, http://www.dioala.org ?
Click on EpiscoPatter in the news section or after selecting Publications in the left column.  Hear interviews from our mission teams to Haiti, participants in the Special Session at CampMcDowell, and our Missionaries in Namibia.   

 

The Blue Sheet is
Alabama's Diocesan Newsletter
Published periodically by Carpenter House
521 20th Street North ♦ Birmingham, AL35203-2682
205-715-2060 ♦ FAX 205-715-2066 ♦ Website www.dioala.org ♦ diooffice@dioala.org