After almost two years of development, a group of diocesan representatives interested in sharing diaconal education, training and formation activities will launch a two-year deacon formation program with a pattern of two month-long courses that include online lectures conversations followed by a quarterly weekend retreat. After the Inaugural Orientation Weekend, Sept 18-20 at Holy Family Retreat Center in West Hartford, CT, the cycle will be: Oct/Nov online conversations: Hebrew Bible and Christian Testament Dec weekend residency: The Prophetic Voice of the Deacon: Scripture and Preaching Jan/Feb online conversations: Theology Mar weekend residency: Theology of the Deaconate Apr/May online c

Thanks to a Sowing Seeds of God's Mission Grant, Province 1 leaders from each of our dioceses and from Episcopal Divinity School are collaborating to create a wide variety of entry points to address racism as listed below. The group envisions a type of RESOURCE CENTER with materials, activities, and support-lending forums (i.e. threaded discusisons and live web conferences) to support efforts that INCREASE SENSITIVITY, AWARENESS/KNOWLEDGE, and SKILLS [competencies] with respect to one's own and others' multi-cultural contexts and SPUR ACTION to enact the Dream of God. The group includes representatives from New England Episcopal Dioceses: James McKim (NH and the Province I Antiracism Repres

Human trafficking is a contemporary form of slavery that typically involves victims who have been forced, defrauded, or coerced into labor or sexual exploitation. In 2000, the United Nations issued the "Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children" (also referred to as the Trafficking Protocol or the Palermo Protocol), as an international agreement to address the issue. Since then, the General conventions of the Episcopal church have recognized the problem of and support efforts to stop trafficking of women, girls, and boys (2000-A057), condemned sex trafficking (2003-D034), asked for the development of educational resources for congregations

Grace for Creation Written by The Rev Stephanie Johnson and The Rev Jerry Cappel with a forward by Bishop Thomas Ely In 2011, the Episcopal Church House of Bishops issued a pastoral letter on the environment. In response, Stephanie Johnson (former Province I Energy Stewardship Minister) and Jerry Cappel, with support from a Sowing Seeds of God's Mission Grant, created a five-week study course titled A Life of Grace for the Whole World. The curriculum follows the five sections of the Bishops' letter. It explores the theology at the heart of environmental crises and guides Christians in developing a practical response. Bishop Ely recommends it wholeheartedly: "It is a deep and thorough explora

The Episcopal Churches of New England, the New England Synod of the ELCA, Province 1 and Kairos Earth, in partnership with local, statewide, and regional organizations along the Connecticut River, are organizing the first-ever pilgrimage along the length of the river. A core group of “river pilgrims” will journey the full length of the river, being joined by “daily pilgrims” as they traverse individual stretches/communities, and by “pilgrims in prayer” for those who aren’t able to paddle along or join in events but want to participate in the 40-day spiritual practices that correspond with the Pilgrimage dates. The pilgrimage begins on May 31, 2017, and is for anyone who would like to engage

The 2017 Episcopal Youth Event (EYE17) will focus on the theme Path to Peace, based on Matthew 5:1-12. Path to Peace as a theme was developed by the EYE17 Mission Planning Team who discerned a call to focus on peacemaking and t he ways each member of the Jesus Movement can pursue a path to peace. EYE17 will be held at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond, OK on July 10-14, 2017. EYE17 is being planned by the Episcopal Church in partnership with the Diocese of Oklahoma. "EYE is always a great event for both our youth and for our adults," Presiding Bishop Michael Curry commented. "I have attended many of the Episcopal Youth Events and I have fond memories of joining our youth in cele

“For some reason there is an assumption that the church must remain apolitical.” Compelling words for some. Fighting words for others. Either way, they are words we cannot ignore. Social justice is an important aspect of evangelism throughout the Episcopal Church, and it represents just one of the strategic priorities for Province 1, which contains the New England dioceses of Vermont, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Western Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. In the following report, Elizabeth Parker, a representative of the Episcopal Church in Vermont, details the recent Province 1 Synod, an assembly of lay and clergy delegates that meets each spring to review its efforts and