General Convention, the governing body of the Episcopal Church, begins its triennial meeting on July 8 in Baltimore, Maryland. Similar to our own Diocesan Convention, where our local congregations are represented by fellow parishioners, the General Convention of the Episcopal Church is a gathering of Bishops and elected representatives (deputies) from each diocese. 

Every three years, General Convention’s bicameral legislature–the House of Deputies and the House of Bishops–meets to discuss, vote, and pass resolutions facing the Church. General Convention is the highest temporal authority in the Episcopal Church. For example, General Convention has the ability to amend the Constitution and Canons of the Church, update the prayer book, create official relationships, elect officers and members of the Executive Council of the Church, and more.

Many call attention to the similarity between General Convention’s structure and the United States’ Congressional bodies. It is easy to think of the House of Deputies as similar to the House of Representatives and the House of Bishops as similar to the  US Senate, but the similarities are few. Unlike in the United States House of Representatives, each diocese, despite its size, receives the same number of clergy and lay representatives for the House of Deputies, and unlike the United States Senate, all active bishops in every diocese are entitled to participate in the House of Bishops. And the members of the Official Youth Presence also have a seat and voice in the House of Deputies.

This is unique to our church and, in my opinion, one of the most wonderful aspects of the Episcopal Church. This legislative structure helps our church take proactive, productive steps toward bringing the love of Christ to the world. For example, at this year’s meeting, the General Convention will vote on resolutions regarding racial reconciliation, prayer book updates, the national church budget, and more. You can read the resolutions facing General Convention here.

The Episcopal Diocese of San Diego is represented by Ms. Rachel Ambasing, The Rt. Rev. Susan Brown Snook, Ms. Polly Getz, Mr. Butch Glosson, Ms. Jen Jow, The Rev. Canon Gwynn Lynch, The Rev. Colin Mathewson, The Rev. Lilia Mendoza, The Rev. Brenda Sol, Ms. Hanh Tran, and The Rev. Hannah Wilder. Please join in praying for the wise decision-making and visionary leadership of our delegation. 

The Light Up the Cathedral Service has its roots in outreach, but it has become a beacon of hope, love, and interfaith inclusivity. This year, you can join the LGBTQ+ community and faith leaders from throughout San Diego on July 13th for Light Up the Cathedral and begin your Pride week in worship and love.   

Eight years ago, the newly arrived Dean Penny Bridges had a vision for the Cathedral community that was a unique approach for outreach to the LGBTQ community during Pride week in San Diego. The Pride Parade ends directly across the street from our church, and the two-day festival takes place only two blocks away. Dean Penny believed lighting the Cathedral edifice in rainbow colors would make a statement to the thousands of people who pass by our location during the week. A generous donor caught her vision, and in July 2014, the Cathedral was bathed in rainbow colors, the first Cathedral anywhere in the USA to light up its entire façade for PRIDE. And so it started, with LGBTQ+ community leaders and our congregation attending a blessing service outside in the Queen’s Courtyard.

By the third year, with the rise of the so-called Religious Freedom laws and the rise of Christian nationalism, San Diego Pride and St. Paul’s Cathedral began to identify affirming and inclusive pro-LGBTQ faith leaders to create an interfaith Light Up celebration. It is vital to counter the message of hate and bigotry by uniting affirming and diverse interfaith leaders. The most powerful voices to speak out against religious bigotry are affirming inclusive faith leaders, whose common belief in God’s universal love for all human beings shines a bright light in the darkness.

Now, in the most recent national polling, over 63% of LGBTQ people identify a faith practice. Many LGBTQ people are seeking places of worship that are affirming and inclusive. Light Up the Cathedral For Pride has become a spiritual beacon and an official event of PRIDE. It is a powerful and inspirational celebration of all affirming faiths’ clergy and all the members of the LGBTQ+ community coming together. It is a unique one of its kind celebration in the USA, a partnership between a PRIDE organization and St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral. Many civic and elected officials also attend annually.

The LGBTQ+ community has had a difficult and oppressive history with the religious organizations of their youth, resulting in many wounded and hurting souls. Light Up the Cathedral For Pride brings together affirming Christian clergy, rabbis’ priests, universalists, Buddhists, Catholics, Bishop Susan Brown Snook, and many others with the LGBTQ+ community under one roof–singing, praying and worshiping. It is an evening of inspirational music and readings, ending in a procession outside and the blessing of the Lights.

Each year we highlight a ministry or faith organization that has shown exemplary work in and service to the fight for equality and dignity of LGBTQ+ people. This year we will present the “Light of Pride” award to Rev. John Fanestil and his work with the Border Church organization, migrants, and Guillermo Navarrette with the LGBTQ+ shelter in Tijuana, Casa De Luz. The program includes performances by the San Diego Gay Men’s Chorus, The San Diego Women’s Chorus and The Voices of Our City Choir. Dr. Orlando Espin is our keynote speaker. Please join us on July 13th at 7pm–whoever you are, wherever you are on your journey, you are welcome.

Have you ever had one of those long, busy days when you fall into bed that night, stopping for what feels like the first time in 12 hours, and find yourself wondering, “What did I get done today?” It happens to many of us. The chaos of ordinary life takes the helm, and you find yourself unclear as to whether you accomplished all you had hoped to. At its worst, when the chaos takes over you fail to faithfully steward your resources, avoid responsibility and are untrue to yourself or who you hope to become.

The same thing happens to institutions—even churches. 

Even the quietest of churches can be places humming with activity. Copiers getting fixed. Food pantries being filled. Trash cans emptied. Altar flowers prepared. The myriad of interests, activities, needs, ideas, and opinions flood through the inboxes and doorways of churches and their leaders. How does a church choose where to place attention, use resources, and answer Christ’s calling? 

In the fall of 2020, the Diocese of San Diego published a new strategic plan. It included bold and sweeping goals that covered areas such as church growth, discipleship, evangelism, service, advocacy, leadership, and stewardship. Over the last two years, diocesan staff, various committees, and task-forces worked hard to execute this plan and yet we too have found that the chaos of church life—like ordinary life—can sweep in and distract us from our priorities. We have found it critical to ask ourselves how incoming projects, ideas or opportunities fit into the work at hand and the vision of this diocese. 

To assist in this discernment, the diocese has started using a “strategy screen.” A strategy screen is a list of criteria or questions that assist an organization in prioritizing projects or programs based on the objectives of the institution. The EDSD strategy screen was adapted from a similar screen used by our friends at ECS. Our strategy screen provides prompts that help us ensure a project matches our core identity, what we hope to become, that which we are accountable to and how a new project stewards our assets. In the few months, we have used this tool, it has added clarity and confidence in those endeavors we have decided to adopt. 

We encourage your congregation to adopt a strategy screen as well. Feel free to download a copy of EDSD’s and replace the diocesan vision, mission, and value with that of your congregation. The next time a new program or project is considered by the vestry or Bishop’s committee, use the screen to see if this project matches your congregation’s strategy. We here at the diocesan office would love to hear what you learn. Was it helpful? Did you learn something new about your congregation’s decision-making process? Share your experience with us at jevans@edsd.org.  

Recently, the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego and the Commission on Ministry (COM) have revamped the discernment process for anyone inquiring about ordination as a call in their lives.  

What is discernment, and why do we have a formal process?  

Discernment is prayerful and intentional listening someone does to better understand what God might be calling them to do. It can lead to someone becoming a teacher, a healthcare worker, or in the case of ordained ministry, a deacon or priest. Because of how important sacramental leadership is in our context, we require those who may be called to ordained ministry to discern their call within the context of their church community, leaders at the local and diocesan level, and through formal ministerial education.  

Ultimately, we must test, not just trust, that God is calling someone into this aspect of the church’s life. Formal discernment is about making sure someone is called, adequately trained, and spiritually, emotionally, and mentally capable of leading and providing for those in their care. There is joy in discernment, and there are also appropriate challenges that hone the skills one needs to excel in these specific roles.  

Dawn Stary, candidate for ordination, said, “My journey of discernment was filled with grace and love. At times, it felt vulnerable and intimidating to reveal my hopes and dreams to several different groups. However, every person who interviewed me along the way was kind and compassionate. Each person took my call seriously and each person held my story prayerfully and thoughtfully. Room was made for the Holy Spirit to move and I’m grateful for that and all the support I encountered.” 

Brian Petersen, ordained a priest as of June 18th, 2022, said, “As I look back on my discernment process over the last few years, I can see clearly how much of a time of growth it was for me, both in my relationship with Christ and in my knowledge of myself. I am so thankful for the many opportunities I had to share and reflect on my story, and to see how the various twists and turns of my life have shaped me into the person that God is calling into ministry. Though it was challenging and trying at times, I always felt that I was held and supported by a strong network of people in my home parish and throughout the diocese, and most of all by the abiding presence of Jesus in every step of the journey. It was a Spirit-led and Spirit-filled process throughout, and I feel well equipped and prepared for the next steps in this adventure of serving God’s people.” 

Heather Lawrence, current candidate for ordination, said, “From the very first email I sent, vocational discernment in the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego has been supportive and affirming of the call I have sensed in my life since my teenage years in a church pew and youth worship band. Through my discernment journey, this diocese has embodied the element of church that drew me to our denomination, to begin with–the entire process is deeply rooted in community. I appreciate so much how flexible and prayerful the individuals involved along my path here have been through every step–Listening Hearts discerners, my parish discernment committee, the COM, and Bishop Susan. Each of these relationships has truly folded me into the diocese and made it feel like a solid home to which to return, and a powerful place to dream about the future of the church.” 

This process is not easy, but it is important. We ask a lot of our ordained ministers, and thus we need to be certain that they are people of grounded spirituality and theology, who can lead pastorally and prophetically as deacons or priests and not have deleterious tendencies for all of our safety’s sake. COM pays special attention to ensuring that the priests have the skills they need to lead communities with a heart for mission and a mind for strategy as they deal with the people and the finances of a congregation.  

God has a big mission for the church, and we need leaders capable of rising to the occasion. This process emphasizes discernment as a community and looks to the preparation and preparedness of those seeking to answer God’s call. All of this is to prepare the inquirer and protect the people of God and hopefully will offer opportunities for growth, affirmation, and appropriate challenges for all involved. As you can tell from the reflections this opened with, it works! To God be the glory! 

What is the process, and why did it need changing?  

Some of you may already know that COM changed the process substantively in October of 2021. Finally, and thanks primarily to the work of Terry Kelly, Mark Patzman, and especially the Rev. Paul Carmona, COM has updated the handbook to the current process. 

Simply put, the previous process didn’t have clear handoffs between individual discernment, community discernment, and diocesan discernment. Now, the process has an easy-to-understand, step-by-step path that provides a constructive exploration of an individual’s spiritual gifts for ordained leadership. 

The first stage, known as the “Inquiry Phase,” is about the individual inquirer going to their community to express their potential sense of call, starting with their parochial minister and then involving the wider community through a Parish Discernment Committee (PDC), made up of some congregants and diocesan conveners.  

The PDC listens and asks appropriate questions of the inquirer, challenging them to elucidate and articulate what their ministry might look like. The PDC is not to be a cheer squad for an inquirer, as that can lead to poor discernment that does more harm than good. Once the parochial minister, the PDC, and inquirer are ready, the inquirer either attends or watches a recording of the latest COM Day of Information, which is hosted by the COM each fall (usually in October). Once done, the inquirer applies (Form 1) for formal discernment within the diocese, and with the COM recommendation and the Bishop’s approval, the inquirer advances to the Nominee phase (previously known as “Aspirancy”, but changed to better align with wider Episcopal Church canons). 

The Nominee phase is characterized by ongoing discernment with greater intentionality and focus. For instance, this is where administrative tasks required by the canons become important. There is a background check, psychological evaluation (shared confidentially with the Bishop and COM chair exclusively), financial information sharing (if one wants financial aid for later formal training, i.e. seminary), and other document submittals that help the person in discernment, their community, and the diocese knows if someone is prepared to engage more deeply. It’s not all purely administrative, as one is required to have a consistent spiritual director for themselves, and the opportunity to engage in a ministry project to showcase some of the necessary skills of ordained life as well as to learn from the experience. The COM then makes a recommendation to the Bishop on whether the nominee should move forward or not, and then the Bishop may invite someone in the formal training phase of the discernment process: Postulancy. 

This is where things really pick up steam. The Postulancy phase begins an eighteen-month journey (which can be longer depending on the Bishop’s educational requirements for a postulant), at the conclusion of which the postulant may be ordained. Each postulant will have directions from the Bishop as to what their educational journey may require. Regardless of which order one may be called towards, it is likely that Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) will be part of formation. CPE is usually in a hospital setting, though not always. Whenever the postulant satisfies all the requirements, and the eighteen-month timeline has expired, the postulant applies as a candidate for ordination. The postulant is then interviewed by the COM and the Standing Committee of the diocese, both of which give a recommendation to the Bishop as to whether the postulant should move forward. The Bishop may then approve or deny a postulant to enter the final phase of formal discernment: candidacy for ordination. 

The final stage of formal discernment, Candidacy, is a final evaluation of the readiness of an individual for ordained ministry. The last of canonical requirements are completed, and then the individual is either ordained as a vocational deacon (completed process) or the transitional diaconate. The earliest one may be ordained a priest following their transitional diaconate is six months. After completing the requirements (again, reference the handbook, checklist, or illustrations), the candidate applies for ordination. They are interviewed by the COM and Standing Committee, who offer the Bishop a recommendation. Then, if the Bishop approves, the candidate will be given an ordination date that the wider diocese is invited to as a celebration.  

 For more information about the discernment process or to contact the Commission on Ministry click here

Education for Ministry: Fertile ground to grow your faith

“Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers” (Baptismal Covenant, BCP 304).

Every baptized Christian is called to ministry.  What is yours?  Education for Ministry (EfM) is a program of the School of Theology at the University of the South (Sewanee) that provides the foundational education to assist you in discerning and carrying out your ministry.  Like the mustard seed (Luke 13:18-19), we need fertile soil to grow.  EfM is that fertile soil and we are the mustard seeds.  Learning scriptures, church history, and theology is the light shining on the soil, warming it so the seed will sprout.

The EfM program develops an informed and knowledgeable laity through a series of four, one-year seminars.  A small group seminar is the nucleus of the EfM program (maximum of 12 participants plus one or two mentors).  Likened to the original house churches of the first century, our groups conduct all four years concurrently in the same seminar.  In year one, participants’ academic study focuses on the Hebrew Bible; year two on the New Testament; year three is church history; year four wraps it all together with theology.  Additionally, there are a couple of interlude periods when all four years will read from the same material which is linked to that year’s theme.  Each year is built around a theme, which rotates on a four-year cycle.  Themes include: Living as Spiritually Mature Christians (2019-20), Living Into the Journey with God (2020-21), and Living Faithfully in Your World (2021-22).  The theme for next year will be Living Faithfully in a Multicultural World.  Groups meet for 36 weeks, generally from around mid-September through mid-June.  Days of the week and times vary, but the sessions normally last two-and-a-half to three hours and will include time for fellowship (possibly over a meal depending upon the group), discussion around our weekly studies, and theological reflection.  Participants should expect to spend on average between two to four hours weekly preparing for the seminars.

Seminar groups work under the leadership of mentors who serve as enablers and administrators.  Mentors are not teachers who impart information to a class in the traditional sense.  Instead, they manage the group dynamics, guide the discussion of lessons and theological reflections, and administer logistics with Sewanee.  The role of the teacher is engineered into the program materials and is also heavily shaped by your fellow participants.  Bringing the light of what we learn to share in an intimate group setting each week allows for insights and growth — new affirmations and understandings — that can sustain and support us in our lives as Christians living day-to-day in the world while simultaneously teaching us to listen to the Holy Spirit’s guidance for our personal ministries.

EfM is not a program for ordination.  It is a series of lay education seminars conducted amongst a small, tight-knit community.  Neither is EfM simply a Bible study.  While the readings during the first two years are centered on the Bible, equally important is understanding history and theology, and the development of skills in theological reflection.  In learning to think theologically, we examine our beliefs and their relationship to our culture and the tradition of our Christian faith, making us more effective ministers in the world.

Finally, EfM is not for everybody.  While it may be easier to think of EfM as four one-year units rather than a continuous four-year program…it is nevertheless a significant commitment.  It is important that potential participants seriously consider whether they will have the time to devote to the program.  As previously noted, participants need to be able to commit to regular attendance and active participation which should include several hours of preparation weekly.  The group relies on each member being active to achieve its full potential.  Absences diminish that potential.  Participants must also commit to developing and maintaining a healthy group dynamic that values a diversity of opinions and respects the dignity of every human being.

For the interested or just curious, talk to one of the experienced EfM folks or email the EfM Diocesan Coordinator, Mark Patzman (efm.edsd@outlook.com), or visit the EfM website at www.efm.sewanee.edu.  There you’ll find lots of information, including sample lessons.

Texts (2020-2021)

Active EfM Groups in the Diocese of San Diego

• Bartholomew, Poway TBD                                                        trentanthonyhall@gmail.com
• Margaret’s, Palm Desert Wed @ 4:00 – 6:30 pm                 karlalewis1373@gmail.com
• Paul’s Cathedral, San Diego Tue @ 6:00 – 9:00 pm            efm.stpauls@outlook.com
• Paul’s Cathedral, San Diego Thurs @ 6:00 – 9:00 pm        efm.suavengco@outlook.com
• St. Peter’s, Del Mar               Monday @ 6:30 – 9:00            iverson@gmail.com

Dear Friends in Christ,

Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I am writing to you today with some difficult news.

We learned last week that the diocese has been named in a lawsuit filed by a man alleging he was sexually abused as a teenaged minor in 1974-1975 by Francis Alan Papworth, who was rector of All Saints’ Vista at the time. All Saints’ has also been named in the suit.

Papworth, who is now deceased, was later convicted of abusing minors outside our diocese in 1987. He was deposed from the priesthood in 1988, and served several years in prison in California.

This is a painful chapter in the church’s history. But as Christians, we are called to hold our institutions to account and learn where they have failed. We also believe that we must be committed to healing for those who may have been harmed. I invite and encourage anyone in our congregations or in the community who might be able to share information about Mr. Papworth or any related situation to contact either Ms. Dawn Stary, dawnstary11@gmail.com, 619-446-7932, or The Rev. Willy Crespo, frcrespo92@gmail.com, 858-354-6799. Information received will be handled sensitively and will help us gain a fuller understanding of this matter.

Please know that in the Diocese of San Diego, the safety of our children, the members of our congregations, and the members of our community is paramount. Today, candidates for ordination are thoroughly screened for psychological and personality disorders. Every clergy person, staff member, and volunteer who works with children must complete training in the protection of children and youth using the Safe Church, Safe Communities program. This training is renewed every three years. Training in the protection of vulnerable adults is also required. If allegations of child abuse were reported to any member of the clergy or any church employee today, we would immediately contact civil authorities.

We will soon have a better understanding of the allegations in this lawsuit, and I will write to you again when we have updates that can be shared. Please join me in praying for the plaintiff, for all victims of Mr. Papworth’s abuse and their families, and for all who are affected by this

In Christ,

Bishop Susan Brown Snook

Does your church have an Emergency Disaster Plan? The Episcopal Diocese of San Diego wants your congregation to update and file its Emergency Disaster Plan with the Diocese.

Our faith demands that we open ourselves to the world and share our faith, love, and commitment to Jesus Christ with everyone without judgment. This call to courageous love can make it difficult when it comes to emergency situations; especially when firearms are involved.

In her May 17th statement on gun violence, Bishop Susan Brown Snook said, “As followers of Jesus, we also know that prayer—while critically needed—is not enough on its own. We who do our best to follow Jesus’s command to love our neighbor as we love ourselves, and who recognize that Jesus said that the smallest and weakest among us should be our highest priority, should work and advocate to protect the vulnerable.” 

Jeff Green, EDSD Operations and Safety Manager, is here to help you protect the vulnerable in a time of crisis. Having led the diocesan initiatives for church safety and security since 2016, Green is ready to aid your community in developing a comprehensive, personalized emergency disaster plan.

The 2015 Diocesan Convention resolved that all churches and organizations, throughout EDSD, need to file a copy of their updated disaster plans with the diocese. At that time, disaster plans focused on natural disasters–earthquakes, tsunamis, wildfires, and landslides. But, after the heart-wrenching mass shooting at the Tree of Life Congregation synagogue in 2018, the Diocese shifted its emphasis toward church security. Issues such as violence in church and the possibility of active shooters became paramount. 

In response to this shift, Jeff Green provides church safety and security presentations and has curated an extensive archive of resources concerning church safety & security. These resources include a number of pre-packaged training programs to help create a church safety team. Your safety team can use these resources to learn valuable skills for verbal de-escalation of disruptive people, preparation for active shooter situations, and more. Find these resources at www.edsd.org/disaster.

EDSD can also help you with a Church Emergency Operations Plan smartphone app. You can see a sample of the smartphone app here: www.church911plan.com

Take advantage of security grants; for several years now, FEMA has offered a $150,000 Nonprofit Security Grant to churches which can help with the installation of security cameras, fencing, door locks, and more. For help in applying or to find out more contact Jeff Green at jgreen@edsd.org.

Bishop Susan Brown Snook joined the Bishop of Western Mexico, The Rt. Rev.Ricardo Joel Gómez Osnaya; the Bishop of Southeastern Mexico, The Rt. Rev. Julio C Martin; the Bishop of Guatemala, The Rt. Rev. Silvestre Romero; and delegations from San Diego and Los Angeles in Tijuana to discuss mutual ministry and cooperation across the border. The group later lunched with members of Via International and visited the Vida Joven orphanage, supported by multiple churches in the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego. 

Bishop Susan Brown Snook said, “It was a joy to meet with my companion bishops from south of the border and talk about cooperating in ministry together. The work of Via International in helping women start small businesses through micro-credit was inspiring and hopeful. And my heart was truly touched by the children of Vida Joven. Children who were formerly abused, abandoned, or orphaned are loved, cared for, and protected there, so they can grow up knowing that they are safe. I saw the hand of God everywhere I looked.”

Throughout the morning session, the bishops conversed about realistic ministry opportunities. Bishop Gómez presented an opportunity at a 15,000 square meter lot near the border donated to the Diocese of Western Mexico. While the lot needs grading before structures can be built, Bishop Gómez dreams of developing an orphanage and youth facility, a church, and a migrant center. Bishops Martin and Romero discussed duplicating the project on Mexico’s southern border.

San Diego and Tijuana are intertwined; despite being separated by an international border and a wall, San Diego welcomes thousands of people from Tijuana to work, learn, and grow in the city. Others find themselves pressed against an immovable boundary, an international border, through which they cannot pass. These people migrate, sometimes thousands of miles from home, to seek refuge. 

Troy Elder, Migration Missioner for the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego, said, “At this time when migration is particularly controversial, it bears remembering that human mobility is also a blessing. Working with our neighbors to the south, we recognize Tijuana as a mission field that allows us all to discover Christ and do our imperfect best to model Him, even as the concept of ‘neighbor’ is redefined.”

On June 6, 2022, over 15,000 migrants began walking north from Tapachula in Southeastern Mexico. Tapachula is a Mexican city along the Mexico-Guatemala border. During a morning discussion, Bishop Silvestre Romero said, “There is a difference between migration and forced migration.” Bishop Romero explained that there are many reasons to be forced to migrate, including violence and climate change. Not only is violence an issue, but floods are prevalent in Guatemala, and sometimes, communities lose everything. Poet Warsan Shire describes it perfectly at the end of her poem, “Home.” 

no one leaves home until home is a sweaty voice in your ear
saying-
leave,
run away from me now
i dont know what i’ve become
but i know that anywhere
is safer than here 

During lunch, the bishops heard from Via International, an organization helping migrants find security, education, and financial support. At Casa del Tunel, just a stone’s throw from the United States-Mexico border, local ministry leaders and recipients of their ministry shared experiences with the group. Having heard from small business leaders who provided a micro-loan to individuals who returned to school as adults to receive primary education, Via International is working on the front lines–helping people find security.  

To close the day, the group visited Vida Joven, a small orphanage in Tijuana. Vida Joven is passionate about loving and supporting the children in their care who have faced abuse, abandonment, and more. Despite these children’s hardships, Vida Joven was filled with the laughter of children and unconditional love for each other. The children at Vida Joven gave a warm welcome to Bishop Susan and the group. 

Angel Ibarra, Community Engagement and Volunteer Manager for Episcopal Community Services, especially looked forward to visiting Vida Joven. Ibarra said, “What struck me the most about Vida Joven was how each child was given the resources and support needed to live happy and healthy lives, not just during their time there, but also as they move forward with their lives. The care and affection they receive sets them up to be successful in adulthood, and the stories we heard about the children who have lived at Vida Joven are a testament to that.”

Churches throughout the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego help to support the good work of Vida Joven. You can learn more about supporting Vida Joven here.If you or your congregation are interested in learning more about EDSD’s ministry along the border, email Troy Elder, EDSD Migration Missioner, at telder@edsd.org. Learn more about Episcopal Migration Ministries, click here. And, join Troy and leaders from throughout Southern California at the Migration Taskforce Meeting held on the first Wednesday of every month on  Zoom–contact Troy Elder for more information.

“I didn’t know it’d be this much fun,” said Rachel Ambasing, Pastoral Director with St. Matthew’s, during the recent filming of Summer Snacks–premiering July 7. “It’s like Video VBS but shorter and better,” said Ambasing during a lighting break. Ambasing went on to teach the Good News of Christ while talking about the balance of work and rest, Mary & Martha.

Over the past few years, we’ve heard your request for continued offerings of positive, faith-based content and feel proud to announce… 

Summer Snacks

Delivery begins July 7

These short-format videos will focus on the upcoming Sunday’s Gospel featuring formation leaders from across our diocesan family. Each ‘Snack’ has supplemental components to accompany the gospel story like family cookie recipes, Lego translations of the story, Minecraft walkthroughs based on the Gospel, and more.

Premiering each Thursday on the Diocesan YouTube Channel, these videos will be a great supplement to any mealtime conversation, a springboard for summer formation programming, and so much more. Get updates on diocesan social media (Instagram and Facebook) and join the conversation in the comment section!

To volunteer, please click here.

For more information, connect with our producer here.