Youth Christian Formation
Theresa Russell • February 3, 2023
East Tennessee Youth
St. James Episcopal Church partners with The Episcopal Diocese of East Tennessee to create a well rounded youth christian formation program. Here are a few announcements from Caroline Wood, Missioner for Youth and Young Adults, Episcopal Diocese of East Tennessee. cwood@dioet.org 865-966-2110 Ext. 119
Happening Lay Rector applications will open at Happening #83, March 24 - 26. If you'd like more details on this process, please don't hesitate to reach out.
2023 East TN Youth Dates:
- Happening #83--March 24-26 at Grace Point, register, read more here
- New Beginnings #6--April 14-16 at Grace Point, read more here
- Vocare #3--April 28-30 at Grace Point, read more here
- Trail of Tears Pilgrimage--June 5-9 for High School students, read more here
2023 Grace Point Camp Dates (read more here)
- Senior Celebration--May 12-13 at Grace Point
- Family Camp--May 26-29 at Grace Point
- Junior Camp--June 1-6 for Grades 4 to 6, at Grace Point
- Intermediate Camp--June 9-14 for Grades 7 to 9, at Grace Point
- Adult Camp--June 22-25 for ages 21+, at Grace Point
- Junior Summer Session--June 28-July 3 for Grades 4 to 6, at Grace Point
- Intermediate Summer Session--July 6-11 for Grades 7 to 9, at Grace Point
- Youth Summer Session--July 16-21 for 10 grade to just graduated, at Grace Point
Friends and Neighbors, This Sunday is Mother's Day and also Good Shepherd Sunday. Both celebrations have been shaped and changed over the years. Good Shepherd Sunday got the name as we do read the passage from John 10 about Jesus the Good Shepherd, and Mother's Day has roots going back to Mothering Sunday in England. The establishment of Mother's Day in the United States was motivated by the recognition of the work of Ann Reeves Jarvis, Julia Ward Howe, and Anna M. Jarvis. These women worked for sanitary health care for soldiers and were advocates for peace during the Civil War. They imagined a union of mothers who would call for peace because mothers knew so deeply the loss of their children to war. Mothering and shepherding call for similar qualities of protection and care.
We continue celebrating Easter as we move into a month full of celebrations and transitions. I am looking forward to just hanging out with folks this Saturday night at our spaghetti dinner. You can find details about that in this email. Please mark your calendars for the annual Justice Knox Celebration on May 19 from 6:30 PM- 8:30 PM at First Presbyterian Church. We will have dinner and share stories about the next steps. You will also be asked to consider making an investment in the work of Justice Knox. I hope that you will consider giving to this important ministry.
Alleluia. Christ is risen. We celebrated the resurrection with so much joy this past Sunday. The Easter feast continues for 50 days. Thank you to everyone who made Holy Week and Easter Sunday so special. You helped people feel welcomed to this place where we proclaim the welcoming love of Christ in word, deed, song, Easter egg hunts, and something good to eat. We welcome others because we have known the love of Christ and want to share it.
Friends and Neighbors, As we journey through Holy Week, I encourage you to pause and consider those events that lead us to the joyful celebration of Easter. May that also be reflected in our lives. We walk through hard things and know that God is with us. We hold to the hope that nothing can separate us from the love of God.
Friends and Neighbors, As the weather teases us with warm days followed by chilly ones, we enter Holy Week. You have probably heard me encouraging folks to experience the journey to the cross and the grave so we might celebrate the resurrection with that insight. God has shared this human experience and is with us in the darkness and the light. Our liturgies of Holy Week take us on that journey with Jesus and remind us that God is indeed with us on our own journeys.