The Episcopal Diocese of West Texas
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Vol. 4, No. 5, December 2009

The Bishop's Audio Reflection

Bishop Gary Lillibridge gives encouragement after recent diocesan experiences and talks about the value of getting away from our regular routines. To listen, click here.

 

 


DWTX, Chicago Partner in SE Mexico

The Diocese of West Texas (DWTX) is building on several years of successful missionary work in the Diocese of Southeast Mexico through the formation of a partnership called The Southeast Mexico Foundation. Signatories to the partnership will include DWTX, the Diocese of Chicago, and the Diocese of Southeast Mexico. Through the foundation, the three dioceses will undertake joint efforts for missionary work in Southeast Mexico. “We have been doing missionary work in Southeast Mexico for some time,” says DWTX World Mission Officer Betty Chumney, “as has the Diocese of Chicago. This joint endeavor will allow us to pool resources and work together to avoid duplicating efforts.” Bishop of Southeast Mexico, the Rt. Rev. Benito Juarez-Martinez, will be able to prioritize his needs and work closely with DWTX and Chicago to get those projects carried out.
  
Among the work in Southeast Mexico are several microenterprises that have resulted in income and raised self-esteem for Mexican villagers: two bakeries (one produces tortillas and the other cakes and cupcakes); a poultry and pig-raising project that women can do in their own yards which gives them income as well as food; a cattle project in which the Diocese of Southeast Mexico buys and raises cattle on the land at the diocesan center; Threads of Blessing that teaches women marketable hand-crafting skills; a corn mill where villagers can bring their produce for grinding into masa; and Café Beneficio that buys fair-trade coffee from local farmers. “Many of these efforts provide great benefit to the women of the diocese,” says Chumney. Many of the men have gone north in search of work then are never heard from again, leaving their families with no means of support. “These microenterprises not only provide income for the women, they also give the women self-esteem they have never had.”
  
Through a scholarship program, DWTX provides books, school uniforms, and transportation for children in Southeast Mexico to attend secondary schools. A Kids Foundation project provides medical and dental care for children.
   
Stop, Look, Blog

If you enjoyed the articles in the recent edition of Reflections* magazine , you can engage in conversation about them on the new DWTX Interactive website pages. All of the articles from the Fall 2009 edition of Reflections are now on the diocesan blog at www.dwtx.org/blog. But wait; there’s more. On the same set of pages you will find sections for audio files, video files, links to bloggers from around the diocese, and resources for daily Bible readings and meditations. In the near future, the site will also be the home of a movies blog and a book club blog.

Most exciting, this website section will host DWTX Live from the 2010 Annual Diocesan Council. DWTX Live will be continually updated with photos, reports, audio clips, conversations, and all the business and fun from the three-day Council that will be held in Corpus Christi, February 18-20. With a little help from the techno world, Bishop David Reed’s sermon during the Thursday evening worship service and Bishop Gary Lillibridge’s Address on Friday morning will be live-streamed from the council site.
  
DWTX Interactive is a new venture of the diocesan Communications Department that will continue to evolve in the months ahead. Find it at www.dwtx.org/blog. Sign up for RSS and be notified every time the site is updated.
  
*Didn’t get the magazine in your mailbox? It’s also available online at http://www.dwtx.org/index.php/prayer/Reflections_Online
    
Reasons to Celebrate

Three deacons will be ordained to the priesthood in December: Lisa Mason at St. David’s, San Antonio, on December 6; Robert Johnston at Grace Church, Cuero, on December 9; and Jennifer Brooke-Davidson at St. Stephen’s, Wimberley, on December 16. All services are at 6:30 p.m. Mason is a graduate of Seminary of the Southwest in Austin and is currently serving as assistant to the rector at St. David’s.
  
Robert Johnston at Grace Episcopal Church, Cuero pursued a non-traditional course of study through the Iona School for Ministry based at Camp Allen in the Diocese of Texas and studied on his own. He will be ordained to serve the Partners in Ministry of the Eastern Convocation.
  
Jennifer Brooke-Davidson at St. Stephen's, Wimberley studied through Fuller Theological Seminary based in Pasadena, CA. She is now serving St. Stephen’s.
  
New  Online

The Diocesan Cycle of Prayer for 2009-2010, beginning with the First Sunday of Advent 2009, is now on the diocesan website. Go to: http://www.dwtx.org/index.php/prayer/Diocesan_Cycle_of_Prayer Also on the diocesan website are Advent resources including information about Advent, a link to daily meditations from St. Stephen’s, Wimberley, and Advent music.  Find it at www.dwtx.org. If you have something to add to the site, email Marjorie.george@dwtx.org.
     
News from Our Churches
A Walk in Bethlehem - in Boerne
St. Helena’s, Boerne, invites you to visit a re-creation of the historical town of Bethlehem on Tuesday, Dec. 8, and Wednesday Dec. 9, by taking “A Walk in Bethlehem.”  The reenactments take place both nights at 6:00 p.m. and again at 7:30p.m. Stroll through the streets, visit the market, watch the craftsmen at work and meet with townspeople as they go about their daily life in Bethlehem.  Be there as Mary and Joseph search for a place to stay after their long journey.  Join the entourage as the shepherds, kings and live camels arrive to pay homage to the newborn king!  Admission is FREE and everyone is welcome! St. Helena’s is at 410 N. Main Street in Boerne.
  
 
Finding Each Other

It’s a happy day at St. Luke’s, Cypress Mill, when they have to put chairs in the aisles to fit an overflow crowd, but such was the case on a Sunday in early November when two dozen or so adults and children from Santa Fe, San Antonio, came to visit. The one-room Sunday school building was full of children of various ages. The occasion was a kind of a courtship date, and the two congregations had so much fun they are embarking on a sister-church relationship.
  
St. Luke’s is located north of San Antonio and slightly southeast of Austin, and the congregation is made up largely of ranching families. Santa Fe is located in downtown San Antonio in a Hispanic neighborhood, and the congregation is culturally Hispanic. Nevertheless, the two congregations enjoyed greeting each other, and after a wonderful lunch at Cypress Mill there was about an hour of guitar music and singing in the parish hall. “There was not room for even one small extra person,” reports Connie Bye, wife of St. Luke’s vicar the Rev. Tommy Bye. “We were all moved by the love and instant fellowship,” says Connie, “and that is a wonderful thing to take home.”
  
The two congregations plan to continue their relationship in more visits and perhaps some joint mission work.

Money is the Attractor

St. George, San Antonio, is not only teaching its own members about responsible financial stewardship, the congregation is also using the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University class they sponsor to attract people from their neighborhood.  “This course teaches individuals and couples of any age the basics of a good financial plan: budgeting, getting out of debt, insurance, investments, real estate, and more,” says Haley Bankey, St. George staff member. “Over the past three years this program has allowed us at St. George to invite the community into our home to share as we grow together,” she adds.  By advertising through St. George School, through their own e-newsletter, and via the Dave Ramsey website, the church has been  able to spread the word beyond their own walls. “We average around 50 percent of the participants coming from the greater community as we learn how God would like us to handle our money, and each session begins an enduring bond between parishioners and visitors as we walk the path to financial recovery,” says Bankey.   St. George is offering its fifth session of Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University beginning Thursday, January 14, 2010 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.  For more information about the program or how to become a host site, please call Haley Bankey at (210) 842-7741 or email hbankey@saintgeorgechurch.org. 
  
A Trip Back

St. Francis, San Antonio, is hosting a Renaissance Faire on Saturday, March 6, 2010, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the church grounds.  The church is celebrating its Anglican heritage by traveling back to 1565 for a merrie weekend in St. Francis-upon-the-hill.  On Sunday, the church will hold  an authentic Elizabethan Mass in the church nave.  Admission is $5; $2 for those in period costume.  Children 10 and under will be admitted free, and there will be plenty of games and activities for them to enjoy.  Proceeds benefit the joint programs of St. Francis Church and Family Service Association. The Planning Guild is currently accepting applications from vendors.  Booth rentals are $45, $35 if the vendor also demonstrates a 16th-century craft.  See the Faire Web site at www.RenFaireSFCSA.org, or contact Holly Zook at (210) 521-0289 or RenFaireSFC@att.net for more information.
   
Christmas Concert 
   
Sunday evening, December 13, at 7 pm, the Church of Reconciliation, San Antonio, will host a Christmas Concert of contemporary Celtic music.  Composer and recording artist Jeff Johnson, flute and whistle player Brian Dunning, and violinist Wendy Goodwin will set the tone for a season of contemplation and celebration.  There is a suggested donation of $10 for the concert.  For information contact the church office at 210-655-2731.
  
Trinity Church, Junction
After 119 years as a mission, Trinity Church, Junction, will petition the diocese for parish status at the annual Diocesan Council to be held February 18-20 in Corpus Christi. The congregation that has been forming as Grace Church, San Antonio, since the summer of 2008 will petition for mission status at the same Council.
Clergy news
The Rev. Kevin Dellaria was installed as rector at St. Andrew’s, Seguin, on November 30.
  
The Rev. Jonathan Melton was installed as rector at St. Christopher’s, Portland, on December 1.
  
The Rev. Reese Friedman will be installed as rector of Church of the Advent, Brownsville, on December 6 at 5 p.m.
  
The Rev. Bob DeWolfe retires as vicar at St. Margaret’s, San Antonio, this month. His last service will be on Christmas Eve.
    
The Rev. Patrick Soule has been appointed vicar at St. Andrew’s, Corpus Christi. Soule graduated from Trinity School for Ministry in 2007 and has most recently served at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church in Nashville TN.
News
Seminary of the Southwest Takes Drastic Budget Cuts
 
Seminary of the Southwest in Austin has announced a series of restructuring moves the institution will make immediately – including staffing changes and other cost-saving measures – in order to secure its strong and successful future as a residential seminary with a full faculty. The seminary’s Board of Trustees, faced with the reality of diminishing endowment income due to the severe economic downturn, has been carefully considering for some time the institution’s options for reducing its operating budget.
   
“This seminary is as strong as ever in many ways,” said the Rt. Rev. Dena Harrison, chair of the Board of Trustees and bishop suffragan in the Diocese of Texas. “Our entering class for this fall grew more than 100 percent over last year, and our annual fund for 2008-09 broke our record for the total raised within a year. But we’re part of the U.S. economy, too, and like so many American families it’s essential that we take steps today in order to ensure a successful future for the seminary.”
    
Unfortunately, the seminary’s budgetary constraints forced its leadership into the thorniest of dilemmas and decisions. In a special meeting on November 13, the board determined that in addition to administrative cost cuts, 12 seminary staff positions must be eliminated and one expected faculty retirement will not be replaced.
   
“We are committed to aligning our personnel resources with the seminary’s core educational mission,” stressed Bishop Harrison. “And we will continue to build on the strength of our program, admissions and advancement for the future. But right now, our choices are limited – and hard.”
   
“Nothing about this situation is simple or easy,” agreed the Very Rev. Douglas Travis, seminary dean and president. “But none of it is as difficult as saying good-bye to dear colleagues and friends. I deeply regret the personal impact this necessary restructuring will have on the lives of 12 members of our community. Each has contributed to the health and well-being of this seminary, and we are ever-grateful for their service and loyalty.” The final date of employment for most of the eliminated positions will be no later than December 8. Still, Bishop Suffragan David Reed, a member of the seminary’s Board of Trustees, said the seminary is one of the healthiest in the country. “These cuts will ensure its continued success,” he said.
    
For more on this story, see the Current News page on the diocesan website at www.dwtx.org.

The art of Brenda Kingery is now on exhibit at Parchman Stremmel Galleries in San Antonio, benefitting World Mission work in Uganda. Kingery, a member of St. Mark’s, San Antonio, is a well-known San Antonio artist and active volunteer in diocesan World Mission. In conjunction with Kingery’s work, stitchery by the diocesan Threads of Blessing team is included in the exhibit. Threads of Blessing volunteers gather weekly to stitch on several kinds of hangings, with sales from proceeds going to the work of World Mission. The team also travels to foreign countries to teach native women how to stitch pieces they can then sell for income. The exhibit will be up through the month of December.

Bishop David Reed and his daughter, Kaitlin, were two of the walkers on the Diocese of West Texas team that participated in a 20-mile walk for Prevent Child Abuse Texas in early November. Others on the team were Tracy Donley from St. Andrew’s, Seguin; and Kathy, Mark, and Matt Dittman from St. Alban’s, Harlingen. The walk started at the mission in San Antonio and ended at the Alamo, taking about nine hours.

The diocesan Book of Remembrance, donations to which have been publicized in The Church News for many years, is now also on the DWTX website. Donations in memory of or in honor of someone are used for seminary support. Names of those honored are inscribed in the Book of Remembrance, kept at the Bishop Jones Center and on display during every Diocesan Council. In addition, acknowledgment cards are sent to family members of persons honored and remembered. Visit the Book of Remembrance webpage for instructions on how to donate.

For many years, a Holy Eucharist has been celebrated every Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. at St. John’s Chapel at the Bishop Jones Center. The best part, says Julie Mock, a regular attendee, is that the service is usually led by either Bishop Gary Lillibridge or Bishop Suffragan David Reed. Jessie Ash of St. Luke’s, San Antonio, leads music on an organ donated by Alice and Light Cummins in memory of their daughter, “and we all sing with great joy and depth of feeling,” says Mock.
  
The second best part of Wednesdays, says Mock, is the Bible study that follows the service. The group studies the lessons that have been used in the service and that will be read during the upcoming Sunday. “By the time we get to church on Sunday, we have had a chance to fully digest what we have learned,” says Mock. “What I have found is that God always has something new to teach us from that same old Bible story.”
  
The third best part of Wednesday morning, says Mock, is that after Bible study many in the group go out to lunch together. On the first Wednesday of the month, the group members bring a brown bag lunch and donate the money they would have spent eating out to Woman at the Well House, a ministry for women who have recently been released from jail.
  
While many who attend Wednesday mornings are regulars, Mock invites all to come. “You will be so happy to enjoy your own Cathedral Park which is so beautifully and lovingly maintained,” says Mock. “It’s like leaving the outside world and coming to a spiritual oasis.”
Calendar
December 4 & 5 - the Work+Shop and St. Mark's, San Antonio, will host an Advent retreat, led by the Revs. Mike Chalk and Mary Earle, at the Bishop Jones Center. To register, or for more information, contact St. Mark's church office at 210-226-2426.
  
The seminar Mary, the Mother of God will be presented on Saturday, Dec. 12, from 9 am to 4:30 pm at Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio. Presenter is James Dennis; Bishop Bob Hibbs and Fr. Bob Wright, OMI, of Oblate Seminary will serve as commentators.  Fee for registration is $25 and includes materials and lunch; all proceeds will go to benefit Habitat for Humanity.  Register by calling Mario Porter at 210-341-1366.
  
Christ Church, San Antonio, will host a 13-week Community of Hope class on Thursday evenings beginning January 7, 2010. Dinner is at 6 p.m. (cost of $5) with class at 6:30 p.m. Class is open to anyone, not just Christ Church parishioners. For details and to register, Martha McDonald at (210) 490-5406 or Sherry O’Kelley at 210-828-0780.
  
2010 Mid Winter Camp Sessions online registrations are open. View the 2010 Mid Winter brochure, on the Camp Capers pages of the diocesan website.  
Dates are:
Mid Winter I - High School (grades 9-12) from January 8-10, 2010
Mid Winter II - Middle School (grades 6-8) from January 15-17, 2010
Mid Winter III - Elementary School (grades 8 ½ yrs - 5th grade) from January 22-24, 2010. (8 ½ yrs as of January 1, 2010)
 
January 2-6, 2010, Mustang Island Conference Center will be the site of an Artists and Writers Retreat designed for beginning and experienced writers.  Opportunities to create, share and reflect on experiences through various media will be available.  Two optional workshops will be offered led by Gary Heidt; nationally known poet, and Carey Rote, Ph.D.; professor of Art History at Texas A&M, Corpus Christi.  Find registration information and an informational brochure at Special Events on the diocesan website.
  
January 14-20, 2010, Mustang Island Conference Center will be the site of a Christian Contemplative Christ Centered Prayer Retreat led by the Rev. Sandra Casey-Martus, rector of All Saints', Corpus Christi, and former Director of the Alta Retreat Center in Wyoming. For information visit Special Events on the diocesan website.    
  
Council delegates are urged to attend a Pre-Council meeting during January and February. All meetings, except the Central Convocation (San Antonio) will begin with a light supper at 6:00 p.m. The Central Convocation will begin with coffee and a light dessert at 6:15 p.m. All presentations will begin at 6:45 p.m.
Northern - Thursday, January 21, 2010 at St. Peter's, Kerrville
Valley - Sunday, January 24, 2010 at St. Alban's, Harlingen
Southern - Monday, January 25, 2010 at St. Mark's, Corpus Christi
Eastern - Thursday, January 28, 2010 at Grace Church, Cuero
Central - Sunday, January 31, 2010 at Reconciliation, San Antonio
Western - Monday, February 1, 2010 at St. Philip's, Uvalde
Northeastern - Tuesday, February 2, 2010 at St. Andrew's, Seguin   
  
Happening #115 will be held at Church of Resurrection, San Antonio, March 5-7. High School students are encouraged to register for this renewal weekend.  View the Happening Registration Form  and get more details at the Special Events page at www.dwtx.org.
  
March 7-10, 2010, the annual Clergy Lenten Retreat will be held at the Mustang Island Conference Center.  Additional information will be available soon; mark your calendars now and contact the Rev. Robert Woody at RWoody@churchofreconciliation.org to learn more at this time.
  
March 15-18, 2010, Mustang Island Family Camp Spring Break! will be at the Mustang Island Conference Center.  Visit www.mustangisland.org to learn more or contact Nita Shaver at nita.shaver@dwtx.org or 361-749-1800.
  
Cursillo Weekend #248 will be at Mustang Island, March 11-14. Rector is David Digby. Spiritual Director is Rev. John Hardie. Registration is now open, also get more details about Cursillo on the diocesan website, www.dwtx.org.  
    
This year’s Clergy Easter Retreat will be at Mustang Island Conference Center from April 4-7, 2010. Clergy and one adult guest may arrive on Easter Sunday evening or Monday morning and leave following breakfast on Wednesday. Visit www.mustangisland.org to learn more or contact Nita Shaver at nita.shaver@dwtx.org or 361-749-1800.
  
April 8-10, the Call of Stories retreat at the Mustang Island Conference Center will explore with stories some of the great Southern writers of our own time -- Walker Percy, Robert Penn Warren, Alice Walker, and Flannery O’Connor. In the process, we will discover how their stories are really our stories as well. Retreat Leader will be The Rev. Charlie Cook, an Episcopal Priest and beloved Professor Emeritus of Pastoral Theology of The Episcopal Seminary of the Southwest. A flyer will be posted soon at www.dwtx.org. 
  
Spring Gathering for all diocesan women is April 9-11 at Camp Capers. The spiritual director will be the Rev. Dr. Jane Patterson. More details to come on the diocesan website, www.dwtx.org.  
  
Clothing Ourselves with Christ: How to Live as Christ in the World, will be led by the Rev. Dr. Ray Pickett, Professor of New Testament at the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago, April 30-May 2 at the Mustang Island Conference Center. The Rev. Drs. Jane Patterson and John Lewis, of The Work+Shop, will join in the discussions. There will be plenty of time for relaxing, walking and bicycling on the beach, informal conversation, & journaling. Contact Katherine Buzzini at kbuzzini@theworkship-sa.org  for more information and to pre-register.
  
By popular demand, Reggie McNeal is returning to San Antonio to lead Abide in Me II, a diocesan-wide conference for clergy and lay leaders, on June 5 at TMI. McNeal will be the keynote speaker; the day will include workshops and small-group work in response to McNeal.  Seating will be limited to the first 500. Watch for details and registration soon on the diocesan website, www.dwtx.org.
 
 

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