This fall, The Center for Congregations is hosting a Lead and Learn Series titled, Race to Justice. As we continue our work as a diocese to Become Beloved Community, we encourage you to participate in these online workshops as you are able. Please share this information with others in your faith community that may be interested.
September 3 Determination Letter
in COVID-19
My Dear Kindred in Christ,
COVID numbers remain high this week, with even more of our counties in the Orange zone, though a few (notably Elkhart and Lake counties) in lower parts of that zone than they'd occupied for many months before. I would draw your attention to particularly high numbers reported for September 2 in several counties. Whether that is a result of particular events or a reflection of testing patterns remains to be seen—this uncertainty is why we try to look at averages and trends.
Indoor gathering remains a challenge, especially because infection numbers, and therefore plans, can change on short notice. We appreciate your steadfastness and resourcefulness in responding to these changing circumstances, especially as we prepare for the cooler and then the downright cold months to come. If your faith community is taking a more cautious approach than you would like, please keep in mind that the more cautious approaches allow for more safe and consistent service planning. Your patience and flexibility make all the difference.
Loosening of the restrictions on outdoor gathering in the orange zone has allowed a number of parking lot services to take place in areas that have not been able to gather in person for months. We appreciate the amount of care and consideration that has gone into insuring that all the other guidelines (distancing, masks, cleaning and shortening of services, just to name a few!) have been implemented at these services. Who knew that our clergy and lay leaders would be developing expertise in the technical requirements for am/fm broadcasting!
May your faithfulness to God and to one another be a blessing to you in the days ahead!
Terri
The Rev. Canon Terri L. Bays, PhD.
Missioner for Transitions and Governance
Emergency Response NGO/Government Liaison
Attachments: 7DayRollingAverage.xlsx
August 27 Determination Letter
in COVID-19
27 August 2020
Dear Sisters, Brothers, Siblings,
Grace and peace be with you in Jesus, the Light for all people!
I want to begin this Pastoral Letter by thanking you for your steadfast faith and witness during the COVID 19 Pandemic. We are now into our 24th week since arriving at the consensus to suspend all in-person worship on 13 March 2020. While we have leaned into the experience of Virtual Worship with all its challenges, like you, I long for the opportunity to gather safely for in-person worship. I especially want to thank our missioners for their good and faithful ministry in helping us adapt...from plotting the daily COVID 19 positive cases for each county to providing the most current communication and informative infographics to preparing for our two virtual conventions this fall...our common life as the Episcopal Church in Northern Indiana continues!
We know more about managing our lives safely in this pandemic now than we did in March. In addition to the 4 criteria in our Pastoral Plan for Regathering, we also made use of the color coding formula of Green (<1 case per 100K); Green -Yellow(5 or less new cases per day per 100K); Yellow (>1 and < or equal to 10 new cases per day per 100K); Orange (>10 and < or equal to 25 new cases per day per 100K) and Red (> 25 new cases per day per 100K) to further assist us in determining the possibility of in-person worship county by county. We have had three ordination services which have helped identify what additional best practices need to be in place for in-person worship. Adhering to protocols for gathering safely for in-person worship like ours, the dioceses in Michigan have allowed for in-person worship using the lower number of 25 % of full legal capacity OR seating with 6’ between household groups.
Taking what we have learned into account, the missioners and I offered the “Michigan adaption”for consideration during our Clergy and Lay Leader Zoom Call yesterday, 26 August. After considerable discussion, most of the clergy and lay leaders supported adopting the “Michigan adaptation” for our diocese. This will require some additional work in reaching a specific number, given the size of each of your worship spaces. However, it could make it possible for more of us to begin gathering outdoors or indoors for in-person worship as we approach September. I want to underscore that how and when this adaptation begins in your faith community will be decided by the clergy and lay leaders of your faith community.
The infographic below describes,in greater detail,the number for indoor worship, given your county’s color determination as well as outdoor worship for your county, given the color determination.
If you have any questions or concerns, please call on me.
Every blessing,
Doug
The Rt. Rev. Dr. Douglas E. Sparks
VIII Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana
Attachments: 7DayRollingAverage.xlsx
August 20 Determination Letter
in COVID-19
My Dear Kindred in Christ,
Even as our statewide numbers remain high, the situation in some of our counties has started to improve. We give thanks for the role your vigilance has played, both in keeping those numbers lower than they would otherwise have been and for bringing them back down after a spike. May the slight downward turn we have seen in recent days continue! In light of recent numbers, we have two requests to make of you.
The first is to ask your county health departments whether the numbers for large residential schools that do their own testing (universities and private boarding schools) are being included in your county's statistics. We know, for example, that statistics for tests done at the University of Notre Dame are not being included in the St. Joseph County statistics. This is worrisome, since those students do potentially infect faculty and staff (not to mention employees of businesses near the campus), even more so than, say, inmates in our state prisons potentially infect prison staff who then go out into the community. Knowing whether the county numbers reported to the state include these institutions can help us more accurately gauge the risk in your area.
The second request is that you provide us with feedback on how the various steps you are taking are working out. As we consider the effectiveness of our guidelines, it can be helpful to know what turned out better than expected or gave rise to some unforeseen good, what works just fine, what requires a work-around, and what needs to be re-thought. Because we realize that all these precautions take time and energy, and that people are impatient with the restraints, we want to make sure that what we're doing is, as far as we can tell, actually doing the work we intend for it to do.
May God grant you steadfastness, strength and courage in all you do,
Terri
The Rev. Canon Terri L. Bays, PhD.
Missioner for Transitions and Governance
Emergency Response NGO/Government Liaison
Attachments: 7DayRollingAverage.xlsx
Update from our Companion Diocese of Honduras
[This is an edited version of two letters received from Bp Lloyd Allen of the Episcopal Diocese of Honduras.
As you will read, when Bp Allen sent his first appeal in May, we responded with $4000 from Compañeros en Cristo, our committee for the companion relationship between Northern Indiana and Honduras. –John Schramm+]
It's pleasing to address you all once again from hot, humid, and still quarantined Honduras. I would like to begin my update to you all in the context of 2 Corinthians 2: 7-9.
"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard-pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed."
Grace and Peace to you all from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!
Since I wrote to you last almost three months ago, friends, the power of the gospel is so overwhelming that it is not limited by the quality of the container. God displays his limitless power and glory by distributing through limited and Common human vessels. No matter how difficult their suffering in this work, Paul refuses to quit.
We in this diocese refuse to quit in the midst of this experience. This is a life experience for all of us, not one of us were prepared for Covid-19. We have now been quarantined for a little over 150 days. We may leave our home twice a month or every 15 days according to the last digit of one's ID. If you were caught on the streets without a right of passage permit, you are taken to prison for a couple of days, your vehicle confiscated and, before release, you have to pay a fine. On your free or outing day, you may go out wherever you wish, be it the supermarket, pharmacy or gas station.
The good news among all the health care situations is that all our clergy are accounted for. However, we have lost members of our congregations, school parents, and employees of different projects. In the midst of all the things lacking like biosecurity materials for the medical staff working at the public clinics and hospitals, and the lack of proper testing, our hospitals are about to collapse.
On the education spectrum, schools will not reopen for the remainder of the year. To date over 500,000 have lost their jobs. Last week the entire staff of a resort in Tela (my home-town) was fired.
This will affect registration at Holy Spirit Episcopal School. As of today, enrollment at all our schools is very low. Private schools will reopen online-only, and when the public system reopens in February only a few will have access to the system. 65% or 70% of students in the public schools will lose his/her school year. You must be aware of the fact that Honduras is mostly rural; kids living in rural areas are some of the most vulnerable. They will be unable to receive classes because they cannot afford a computer or they will not have access to an internet provider. These are sad cases. At one of our schools, we have a family whose husband and dad passed away, mom is left with triplets, they are students. Mom approaches the school asking for assistance. We need to help her, but my question is how? I have two families, members of two different congregations, whose parents have lost their jobs plus they have had to close their family business; these kids need to be in school.
At the outset of this pandemic I did two things:
I wrote appeal letters to bishop and clergy friends and companion diocese requesting support for the clergy and I also wrote an appeal letter requesting assistance to buy food for those less fortunate than ourselves and members of our congregations. With the assistance of the diocese of Central Florida, Diocese of Dallas, TEC, I was able to secure funding for clergy stipends through September. I was also able to raise almost $35 thousand with which we fed over 2500 families, needless to say we are still distributing food. This money came from a number of parishes, Individual friends and also friends from the Diocese of Northern Indiana, West Virginia, and other organizations, with which to provide food for people in need both Episcopalians or non-Episcopalians. Thanks to your donation we were able to make a difference in the lives of our church membership most of who live in rural communities. I am attaching a few pictures for you to see and I will share the experience of one of my lady priests while delivering the package of groceries which we labeled "Provision de Dios." [This is included untranslated—some of you, I know will be able to read it—John.]
Now, the government began the reopening of the economy of Honduras, which we think is happening at a bad time. Hospitals are on verge of collapse due to Covid-19. Domestic flights will resume on Monday August 10 and our borders will be open to international flights a week later. The government has been advised not to open; it's too early. However, it is determined to have its way. Seems like Covid-19 will be around for a long time. Please keep us in your prayers.
Once again Thank You for all you do for us.
In Jesus,
S.E. Revdma. Lloyd Emmanuel Allen, D.D.
III Obispo Diocesano de Honduras
Buen dia Señor Obispo
Quiza no sea fechas de temporas para escribirle a nuestro Obispo, sin embargo quiero compartir con su persona mi experiencia con la entrega de LA PROVISION DE DIOS, que dicho sea de paso doy gracias por la gestión en la obtención de estos fondos para paliar de alguna manera la necesidad alimentaria de nuestros hermanos en las diferentes comunidades en la que tenemos presencia como Iglesia Episcopal Hondureña.
El dia 14 de julio del presente año me hicieron entrega de 11 bolsas de LA PROVISION DE DIOS la cual contiene Arroz, frijoles, azúcar, manteca, maseca, harina , espaguetis, pasta de tomante, salsa kétchup, margarina, galletas para los niños.
Cabe hacer notar que una vez que se nos informó de la entrega de dichas bolsas, vía telefónica tuve una reunión con la junta de la Iglesia a fin de que decidiéramos juntos a quienes se iba a beneficiar con las mismas, pues se llegó a la decisión de otorgar la provisión a las familias con mayor necesidad.
Una vez que me hicieron entrega de las mismas, me desplacé hacia la montaña de la laguna del pedregal, caserío donde esta nuestra Iglesia El Mesías, a fin de entregarla a cada familia LA PROVISION DE DIOS, me dirigí a cada casa o sitio aledaño a las casa de los beneficiarios, de verdad nuestros hermanos estaban muy felices con esta provisión pues manifestaron que definitivamente fue de mucha bendición para cada hogar en virtud de la necesidad que impera en nuestro país por falta de trabajo.
Hubo dos de las beneficiarias que caminaron 2 horas de ida y dos de regreso para recibir la Provisión de Dios (también lo hacen para venir a la Iglesia) pues ellas formaron hogar y su vivienda ahora está muy jejos de la Iglesia, tuve mucho pesar de que no pudiéramos ayudar a más familias del lugar donde ellas vienen, porque si hay mucha necesidad por allá.
Fue triste el ver a la feligresía y tener que saludarnos de lejos.
Algo que me impacto mucho fue el hecho de que una de las feligreses de nombre Maribel una mujer muy luchadora y que dos días atrás tuvo su quinto hijo y quien recibió la provisión fue su hija mayor, cuando yo finalice de repartir las provisiones tuve una llamada telefónica de ella y llorando me manifestó su agradecimiento quiero literalmente escribir las palabras que ella me dijo “ Buen dia Reverenda, le llamo con lagrimas en mis ojos para decirle lo agradecida que estoy por esta bolsa que la Iglesia nos trajo, SOLO DIOS SABE LA NECESIDAD QUE TENIA , NO SABE QUE BENDICION TRAJO A MI CASA, ella me dijo NO teníamos que comer”, sin duda aún recuerdo sus palabras y asoman a mi ojos lágrimas de ver la necesidad de mi pueblo, del pueblo que Dios puso a mi cuidado pastoral, y como Dios se manifiesta en todo tiempo.
En esta comunidad los jefes de familia trabajan en la construcción como ayudantes o albañiles, un rubro que está muy deprimido en virtud de la cuarentena que estamos sometidos gracias a COVID-19 por lo que no hay ingresos para el núcleo familiar.
A lo largo de mi recorrido de ida y regreso a la comunidad vi en el boulevard personas pidiendo dinero para comprar comida, le juro que lo que quería era tener más bolsas con provisión para ayudar a mi pueblo. Señor Obispo tenemos mucho camino que recorrer aun, pido a Dios que siempre haya corazones nobles para poder llevar alivio a las necesidades de nuestro pueblo.
Rev. Karla Reyes +
August 13 Determination Letter
in COVID-19
Dear Kindred in Christ,
Things are looking a bit worse this week than last. One more county has moved into the Orange zone, and only one county has actually improved its situation (Yay, Steuben!). Please continue to pray for the courage and safety of all those who are forced into harm’s way by the necessity of their work and/or by economic hardship. Know that your steadfastness and your creativity in providing for the pastoral needs of your congregations are bright spots in my week and that I am always happy to work with you to find ways to turn your “crazy ideas” into a sustainable reality.
As Dr. Fauci said to the House of Bishops this past Monday, one of the most important things we can do as faith leaders in these days is to help our people avoid getting stuck in despair. It is natural to experience grief and even depression in times like these. It’s when we decide that things will never get better, however, that we cast aside sensible precautions and make things worse. The more you can encourage your faith communities to practice hopefulness, playfulness, and even a certain amount of childishness in addition to the ever-needful reverence and compassion, the stronger and more resilient you will equip them to be.
Blessings,
Terri
The Rev. Canon Terri L. Bays, PhD.
Missioner for Transitions and Governance
Emergency Response NGO/Government Liaison
Attachments: 7DayRollingAverage.xlsx
Embracing Evangelism
in Evangelism
Join the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana in sharing the GOOD NEWS, every other Wednesday beginning September 9! With so many challenges in the world today, someone might ask, do we have good news to offer? I invite you to believe with me that the Good News of God in Christ is more powerful now than ever before in our lifetime.
“How can we do that?” you ask. The newly formed Evangelism Commission is inviting you to an online course this fall. It will inspire you to be evangelists and give you common sense practices to take up the work. The format is video and discussion, produced by Virginia Theological Seminary. Our commission members will act as hosts and facilitators.
Through Zoom the courses will run bi-weekly on Wednesdays after Labor Day to Advent:
September 9, 6/5 p.m. (EDT/CDT)
Introduction to Evangelism
Host: Rev. Michelle Walker (St. Paul’s, LaPorte)
September 23, 6/5 p.m. (EDT/CDT)
Seek, Name, Celebrate
Host: Jordan Trendelman (St. Alban’s, Fort Wayne)
October 7, 6/5 p.m. (EDT/CDT)
The Great Story and Your Story
Host: Marie Gambetta (CEMP)
October 21, 6/5 p.m. (EDT/CDT)
The Stories of Others
Host: Bp. Ed Little (VII Bishop of EDNIN, Retired)
November 4, 6/5 p.m. (EDT/CDT)
Invite Everyone to More!
Host: Rev. Tom Adamson (Holy Family, Angola)
November 18, 6/5 p.m. (EDT/CDT)
Discernment, What’s Next?
Host: Bp. Doug Sparks (VIII Bishop of EDNIN)
A bit more on “good news” from Fr. Tom:
Good news. Is there such a thing today? We hear a lot about “fake news.” Whether biased or not, news that is hard to hear is readily available. We live in a world with a 24 hours a day - seven days a week “news cycle.” It seems to any observer that sin, evil, and death have the last word in every situation. There is no doubt, however, that these are anxious times; broadly speaking, we’ve all been speaking about among other things in the last few years: global pandemic, economic recession, terrorism, mass shootings, racial injustice, a growing mental health crisis, and a divided body politic. What’s more, we are being slowly formed by the way media outlets frame the stories to us.
I was a participant in the Indiana Youth Institute’s 2020 back to school summit in July. They listed 5 things young people need in order to adapt and adjust in a healthy ways to the anxiety that has surrounded their formative years. Read this list and see two things: One, everyone regardless of age, needs these at any time. And two, that the church is uniquely positioned to offer them. (I’ve put some simple connections in the parentheses.)
Routines and structure (The liturgy, the prayer book, the yearly calendar of seasons)
Understanding from others (our commitment to the dignity of all people)
Safety & security (pastoral care, outreach efforts, a strong leadership)
Permission to Convey Feelings (Bible study groups, youth group, fellowship times, testimonies)
Things to Look forward to (Hope in Christ for the new Creation)
It does not take a giant leap of logic nor imagination to see how the life of the church already has these built into it. We need to embrace the opportunities of this moment! I’ve highlighted the last point. It’s time to embrace evangelism again. It’s time to hone our skills of telling GOOD NEWS!
Virtual Safeguarding Children/Youth Guidelines and Training
in Youth
My Dear Kindred in Christ,
Many of our faith communities are responding to the need for continued physical distancing by converting their programs for children and youth into an online format. While many of these will be one-way video presentations, others will involve online interaction among children and adults. Please remember that many of our Safeguarding policies governing face-to-face interactions will still be relevant in this online context. These include but are not limited to:
2-Deep Ministry—The presence of at least 2 unrelated adults, who have undergone Safeguarding training, is required during all Program activities.
Screening—No person will be allowed to volunteer to regularly work with children or youth until the person has been known to the clergy and congregation for at least 6 months.
Appropriateness of Content—Reference to individuals’ personal sexual conduct or drug use, and the use of sexually explicit materials is prohibited.
Sobriety—using, possessing, distributing, or otherwise being under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs while participating in or assisting with programs or activities specifically for children or youth is prohibited.
Protecting Dignity—using harsh or degrading language or participating in or allowing others to conduct any hazing activities is prohibited.
Appropriate Boundaries—Adults are required to maintain appropriate boundaries among participants with regard to signs of affection and gift giving.
Those who have undergone requires Safeguarding training should already be aware of such policies.
Other challenges also arise in the online context. If your ministry is planning an online gathering of children or youth, please review with your leaders the Social Media Safety module on the Safeguarding Online website. The site requires login, and you should have received account information shortly after you completed the required face-to-face Safeguarding training. If you have not completed the face-to-face training, please contact Missioner Terri Bays at missioner.bays@ednin.org to participate in such training over Zoom.
If you or others are new to your ministries or more than 3 years away from your last Safeguarding training, please be aware that we are offering the 2 following Zoom training opportunities:
Aug 13, 2020 07:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Register in advance for this meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0kd-6vrjwuGtysFOMg0LS3v8GCa8QkXnSH
Aug 22, 2020 02:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Register in advance for this meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZErc-CrqjIvHNUZpHe3TiyJQr7ZxQ9X_Rip
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
We give thanks to God for your participation in tending to the welfare of the children and youth God has entrusted to our care!
Blessings,
Terri
The Rev. Canon Terri L. Bays, PhD.
Missioner for Transitions and Governance
August 6 Determination Letter
in COVID-19
My Dear Kindred in Christ,
It has been another rough week. Only a few of our counties have moved back down into Yellow-Falling. Almost all of our counties have either moved into the Orange zone or remained there. If your county is one where children are returning to in-person schooling, you can anticipate your numbers getting worse in the coming weeks. Pray for the safety of students, teachers and staff as they re-enter their buildings.
In the midst of this, please remember that your patience and forbearance are preventing the people in your faith community from being punished with illness for the poor judgment being exercised by others in your area. We quite naturally focus on the number of deaths, but the long-lasting symptoms experienced by COVID survivors are also potentially devastating.
For those of you who have come up with both innovative and time-honored ways of meeting the spiritual needs of your people at this time—thank you. Thank you for your deep reflection on what it means to be faithful, what it means to show devotion to the body of Christ in times like these. May the fruitfulness of your endeavors be like zucchini in August!
And for those of you who are not feeling quite so creative, who are worn down by the inability to meet the desires of your faith community—hang in there. You are not alone in yearning for some sort of consolation. Consider the spiritual practices that have lifted you up in the past. May they refresh you like a bowl of ice cream at the end of a long, hot day!
Blessings,
Terri
The Rev. Canon Terri L. Bays, PhD.
Missioner for Transitions and Governance
Emergency Response NGO/Government Liaison
Attachments: 7DayRollingAverage.xlsx
July 30 Determination Letter
in COVID-19
My Dear Kindred in Christ,
It has been another rough week, with the highest statewide COVID-19 case numbers since the beginning of the pandemic. That reality is playing itself out differently across our counties, but in most the need for caution continues to be quite evident. Because everyone is wearing thin these days, I urge you to focus your efforts on restorative activities, both for your congregations and for yourselves. May the Wisdom of God lead us through these uncertain times.
Blessings,
Terri
The Rev. Canon Terri L. Bays, PhD.
Missioner for Transitions and Governance
Emergency Response NGO/Government Liaison
Attachments: 7DayRollingAverage.xlsx
Becoming Beloved Community NOW
Becoming Beloved Community NOW
July 28-30, 2020
Racial justice and healing leaders and practitioners across The Episcopal Church will gather to build community, craft strategy, and equip each other for action during a series of Becoming Beloved Community NOW online gatherings at 4-6 p.m. EDT on July 28-30.
Convened by the Presiding Officers’ Advisory Group on Beloved Community Implementation, the three gatherings will focus on three urgent themes: Truth (Tuesday, July 28), Justice (Wednesday, July 29) and Healing (Thursday, July 30). Presiding Bishop Michael Curry and President of the House of Deputies Gay Clark Jennings will offer prayer and reflections throughout the sessions.
To register for these individual sessions, please select the session(s) you would like to attend and complete the registration forms.
Becoming Beloved Community Now: TRUTH
Telling the truth about participation in white supremacy and racial oppression.
July 28, 2020
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm EDT
Becoming Beloved Community Now: JUSTICE
Changing racist systems, especially “criminal” justice and public health/COVID response.
July 29, 2020
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm EDT
Becoming Beloved Community Now: HEALING
Breaking free of white supremacy via training and formation.
July 30, 2020
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm EDT
July 23 Determination Letter
in COVID-19
My Dear Kindred in Christ,
Since the beginning of the quarantine, we have spoken about our guidelines as applying primarily to gatherings of "more than 10 persons." The 10-person distinction is one that the CDC uses in its description of a "medium intensity social distancing strategy" and Governor Holcomb used in his Back on Track Indiana plan as the cut-off between gatherings that were/were not allowed in Stage 1. In this diocese, the bishop's pastoral response when the case numbers are high, but certain time-sensitive services (such as weddings, funerals and ordinations) need to take place, has been to allow those services to proceed as long as they have fewer than 10 in-person participants.
10 is not a magic number. Instead it is a balance point between pastoral need and collective risk. 10 people are relatively easy to space and manage. Where several participants already share the same household, "10" might actually mean 12 or 13. Keep in mind the question of spacing and management, we ask that you not interpret "10" as more than 15.
When it is appropriate to host an Under-10 gathering depends both on the nature of the event and your county's risk zone:
Green, Green-Yellow and Yellow-Falling—Indoor and Outdoor Gathering Permitted, including both Under- and Over-10 Participants, subject to regathering guidelines.
Yellow-Rising—Outdoor Gathering—Outdoor Gathering Permitted, Indoor Gatherings limited to Under 10 Participants.
Orange—Outdoor Gathering of Over 10 Participants Not Permitted, Indoor Gatherings of Under 10 Participants Permitted only with Written Permission from the Bishop.
Red—No In-person Gathering Permitted, with Exceptions for gatherings of Under 10 Participants Permitted only with Written Permission from the Bishop.
As with so many of our guidelines, the issue of when an Under-10 Participant Gathering is called-for requires careful discernment. Because risk does not simply disappear when only 10 people are around, all other safety measures must remain in place.
On a different topic, several of you have come to me with discrepancies between the recent numbers in my spreadsheet and those you see on the state dashboard on a given day. Because there were more of these than could be explained by way of my mis-typing, I contacted the Indiana Health Department and one of the relevant County Health Departments to discover whether the numbers were being updated between the time I was recording them around noon each day and the time when you were checking my spreadsheet, up to a week later.
What I was told is that the numbers are sometimes adjusted downward within the day or two after the original posting. Common reasons for this include the realizations during subsequent contact tracing that one person underwent more than one test for the same case of coronavirus or that someone was tested in one county but actually resided in another (reporting follows the county of residence, not testing). When such situations (and others) are noticed, the state dashboard is updated.
Knowing this, I could go back and re-check the numbers for the whole week before sending out the determination on Thursdays. Re-checking 7 days of data for 15 counties, however, would both significantly delay your access to the determination and not avoid discrepancies in the data for the most recent days. I will, therefore, re-check the data for counties where a slight change would make a difference in the determination (for example, where rising numbers would shift to falling, or where a county has moved just over the boundary into a different risk zone).
The numbers, of course, are just one factor among of the pastoral concerns you must weigh as you prepare for services each week. We are always happy to consult with you about special cases and particular challenges. We give thanks to God for the effort you have been and continue investing in the safety of God's people.
Blessings,
Terri
The Rev. Canon Terri L. Bays, PhD.
Missioner for Transitions and Governance
Emergency Response NGO/Government Liaison
Attachments: 7DayRollingAverage.xlsx
July 16 Determination Letter
in COVID-19
My Dear Kindred in Christ,
It has been a rough week, with two of our counties moving from Orange to Red and another moving from Rising Yellow to Orange. One of our parishes has already had to put its contact-tracing plan into effect. Let us pray for strength and courage among all those who are working together to cope with these difficult circumstances. As a reminder, gatherings in these communities are to be online-only, with exceptions (e.g. funerals with < 10 people) only with the express permission of the bishop.
In the midst of that hard news, there is some good. Cass, LaGrange and Kosciusko counties have both moved out of the Orange zone all the way to Green-Yellow and Yellow-Falling respectively. Let us join them in giving thanks for the results of their hard work! Adams and Steuben have stayed in Green-Yellow all along, so let us give thanks for their steadfastness.
I remain together with you in Christ,
Terri
The Rev. Canon Terri L. Bays, PhD.
Missioner for Transitions and Governance
Emergency Response NGO/Government Liaison
Attachments: 7DayRollingAverage.xlsx
Bishop Doug's Statement Regarding Resumption of Federal Executions
Bishop Doug Sparks issued a statement today regarding the resumption of federal executions at the Federal Correctional Institution in Terre Haute. Portions of the statement are included in an article from The Episcopal News Service titled “Episcopal leaders call death penalty ‘abhorrent to God’ as Trump administration resumes federal executions."
The complete statement is below.
“I am saddened and troubled by the news that after a thirteen-year moratorium, our Federal Government, under this administration, has decided to resume state-sponsored and sanctioned execution at the Federal Correctional Institution in Terre Haute, Indiana. The murder of a human person by another human person is abhorrent and deeply painful. Like you, I grieve the murder of any person and I reach out in pastoral care for those who mourn their deaths. However, it is important to underscore that the United States of America is the only developed nation that continues to believe that state sponsored execution is a deterrent to others who commit violent crimes including murder. At the request of the Attorney General, the Supreme Court, in a 5 to 4 decision, supported the notion that the state can humanely execute persons on death row. For more than 60 years, the Episcopal Church has affirmed it opposition to the death penalty, that it is repugnant and an affront to God which diminishes all of us. It is also true that the death penalty is disproportionately applied to the poor, to black, indigenous and other persons of color. The life and teachings of Jesus remind us again and again that every person is made in God’s image and likeness and that loving God and our neighbor requires us to challenge violence of every kind and to pursue peace and reconciliation. I am committed to seeking ways to end this kind of violence and to work for peace, justice and reconciliation.”
The Rt. Rev. Dr. Douglas E. Sparks
VIII Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Indiana
July 9 Determination Letter
in COVID-19
My Dear Kindred in Christ,
I present to you the determinations based on the number of new cases in each county for the past two weeks. As you will see, the situation has worsened in several places. This should not come as a surprise to you, given the way the case numbers have soared across the country. We encourage you to spend this time strengthening your online worship skills and continuing to reach out to your members in various types of pastoral care.
We have received a number of questions regarding when outdoor worship is appropriate. Gathering outdoors only lessens without eliminating the risk of infection—that’s why we require all the other precautions to still be in place for outdoor gathering. Outdoor gathering is not appropriate when your county is in the orange or red zones. If your county is in a yellow rising zone, however, outdoor worship is a reasonable alternative. If your county is in a green, green-yellow <5, or yellow falling zone, then worship indoors and out are both permissible. In all cases, please also take steps to protect your outdoor congregations from the heat.
We give thanks for your efforts to maintain connections among our people in these difficult days. We pray for your continued patience and creativity.
Blessings,
Terri
The Rev. Canon Terri L. Bays, PhD.
Missioner for Transitions and Governance
Emergency Response NGO/Government Liaison
EDNIN Creation Care Network
To the Clergy and Lay Leadership of the Diocese of Northern Indiana,
The current pandemic has shaken all of our routines and mindsets. We have had to re-imagine the church without our buildings and through the digital medium have made the move to worshiping in Spirit rather than in place. I hope this time has also allowed us to reexamine our use of land and resources and determine what is truly important to us.
Over the last six months, I have worked alongside Episcopal partners from across the country as part of the ChurchLands Pilot Cohort. Although our time and discussion have not gone as we planned in January, the fruits of our labor are nevertheless evident. The global shutdown showed us how quickly nature can heal herself if we but get out of the way. And all this time indoors has taught us the strength of our holy connection to the land, the water, the air, and all of creation. We are of the earth, we are called to tend to her while we age, and we return to her to aid new growth for the next generation.
To that end, I would like us to take the next step as a diocese to move forward in faith with God in the care of creation. This falls most clearly under the banner of our Fifth Mark of Mission: To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth. But we have found that in following the first command in the book of Genesis, “to guard and tend the garden” in a myriad of ways allows us to also live into the promise of the other four Marks of Mission. This may be through recycling, through planting and tending Good News Gardens, or simply engaging with our waste and resources as a parish and diocesan community.
To help us engage in this work I would like to invite each parish to name one member as a Creation Care Liaison to the Diocesan Creation Care Commission. This person will be the point of contact for our commission and will be asked to provide statistical information about your parish land and use. We are following the framework laid out by the Faithful Stewards Commission to form a network within our Diocese to help us all in this godly endeavor.
Please forward a name and contact email for your Creation Care Liaison to us at creationcare@ednin.org, by August 1, 2020.
Thank you for your time and consideration and for the good work you are doing for the Kingdom here on Earth.
Blessings in Christ,
The Rev. Joshua Nelson
EDNIN Creation Care Commission Chair
July 2 Determination Letter
in COVID-19
One thing have I asked of the LORD; one thing I seek; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life; To behold the fair beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.
Psalm 27:5-6
My Dear Kindred in Christ,
Many of you have put in long hours working out the details of your re-opening plans, training your teams, re-arranging your worship spaces and communicating with your congregations. You will not fail to receive your reward for this loving care you have taken for the people of God. Because I share with you both this labor and this longing to return to in-person worship, it is with a heavy heart that I regard the current and coming surge in COVID-19 cases.
As you know, an important part of the care we are taking for our people is monitoring the number of COVID-19 cases in our counties. Here is their current status:
Those of you who draw your congregation from a cluster of counties will want to consult other situations as well, but the baseline for your decision making should be the situation in the county in which your building is located. The attached spreadsheet provides you with the details supporting your status designation.
We, as a diocesan staff, have made every effort to continue reviewing the ways in which we assess our situation, both according to the information being reported by our health departments and according to the changing reports about factors affecting that reporting. We have also been listening you your concerns about the differences among the situations in your various counties. As a result, you will notice a few differences between this spreadsheet and the model we showed you a few months ago.
First, we are now using a 7-day rather than a 5-day rolling average. As with the 5-day figure, the 7-day average adjusts for the fact that different people will be tested at different stages of illness. The 7-day average further allows us to account for the differing availability of testing throughout any given week.
Second, having heard your concerns about the differences in population density in different counties, we have adopted a population-sensitive severity scale used by the CDC. Different colors designate different saturation rates in the county:
Green: averaging ≤ 1 case/day per 100,000 people
Yellow: averaging 2-10 cases/day per 100,000 people
Orange: averaging 11-25 cases/day per 100,000 people
Red: averaging >25 cases/day per 100,000 people.
We have averaged the number of cases in your county for the past 14 days, compared that number with the population of your county, and assigned your county a corresponding severity color. Faith Communities in counties with an orange or red designation should not gather for in-person worship, even if they have experienced a 14-day decline in cases.
Faith Communities in counties with a yellow designation should be exercising caution. This means not gathering for in-person worship if the county has experienced a 14-day increase in cases. The exception we are making to this is in counties where the population is so small that a single case would show up as 3-4 cases per 100,000 people. In order to adjust for this, we have marked counties remaining below 5 cases/day as both yellow and green, meaning that faith communities should remain watchful with regard to a rising number of cases, but may still gather for in-person worship.
We are issuing this information on Thursday afternoon so that you have time to take appropriate measures before Sunday. What this means, however, is that we will be using, at best, the data from Wednesday. It is therefore your responsibility, as clergy and lay leaders, to continue monitoring the situation on Friday and Saturday and to cancel services if there is a sufficiently large spike in cases as to change the profile for your county. You always can call me at 574-850-5722 in order to consult if you are in doubt.
We realize that this situation will require you to deliver unwelcome news to people who are longing to return to worship in a beloved and comforting setting during troubled times. Know that you are in our prayers, for strength, courage and patience now, for the health and safety of your counties to improve soon and for an ongoing renewal of faith as together we walk the path God has laid before us.
Your sister in Christ,
Terri
The Rev. Canon Terri L. Bays, PhD.
Missioner for Transitions and Governance
Emergency Response NGO/Government Liaison
Season of Creation, September 1-October 4, 2020 Devotions offered by four leaders
Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop and Primate Michael Curry and the leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the Anglican Church of Canada and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada have prepared a series of devotions to observe the Season of Creation 2020, September 1–October 4.
The season, which begins on September 1 with the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, is a time to join with the global Christian community in renewing, repairing and restoring commitments to God, to one another and to all of creation. For the four churches, it is also a time for strengthening relationships with one another. Through Scripture, hymns, advocacy and action, the weekly devotions, which are designed to be bulletin inserts for each of the five Sundays during the Season of Creation, begin Sunday, September 6, and invite people to live out their vocation as stewards of creation.
“We pray that our actions as stewards of God’s good creation will continue to deepen not only in this season, but for all time,” said The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). “Even as our relations as churches are not bound by national or ecclesiastical borders, neither is our witness to the One who came to redeem all of creation.”
In addition to Eaton, the devotions were contributed by the Most Rev. Michael B. Curry, presiding bishop and primate, The Episcopal Church; the Rev. Susan C. Johnson, national bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada; and the Most Rev. Linda Nicholls, archbishop and primate of the Anglican Church of Canada.
“I pray that these reflections will open hearts and minds to experience our relationship in and with all of creation in new ways,” said Nicholls.
The first devotion for Sunday September 6 introduces the theme of “Renewing, repairing and restoring,” in which Curry, Eaton, Johnson, and Nichols stress the significance of a collective responsibility in caring for creation. They reflect, “Waking up to matters of climate justice and environmental stewardship are among the most important callings people have today. Over many years, through many voices, our churches have come to a growing conviction that loving our neighbor includes loving Mother Earth as a neighbor.”
“It is timely, relevant and exciting for our churches to join together in prayer, worship and reflection during the Season of Creation,” said Johnson. “With open hearts, minds and souls may we discern new actions and practices to show love for God’s creation.”
Curry said, “In this season of activism as we seek God’s liberating, life-giving love for all, may these prayers and devotions inspire us to care for a world in which all creation can flourish.”
The relations among the four churches have moved more closely toward “mutual recognition,” bringing into mutual relation the Episcopal and ELCA churches through the “Called to Common Mission” agreement in the United States and the Anglican and ELCA churches of Canada through the Waterloo Declaration. A Memorandum of Mutual Recognition (MMR) was approved by both Canadian churches in July 2019. The 2019 ELCA Churchwide Assembly adopted constitutional changes embracing the Anglican Church of Canada, and in November 2019 the Church Council adopted the MMR. One notable feature of the MMR is that it cites the experience of Indigenous people “not divided by national borders established by colonialist power” as grounds for expanding shared life among the churches. Once The Episcopal Church acts, the mutual recognition of the four churches will come into full effect.
The Season of Creation devotions are available here and here.
(Shared from a press release from the Office of Public Affairs.)
Good News Gardens
An invitation from The Episcopal Church Creation Care and Evangelism Departments
As the realities and repercussions of COVID-19 continue to unfold, one area we know will continue to be affected is our food supply. The issues surrounding food justice are broad and often complex; from the use of land to the treatment of field workers to the shipping of goods to the refilling of our food pantries, right down to how we choose the food that goes on our own tables - these are all systems in need of just and proactive responses in the best of times.
So how can we help now? What action can we take, separated as many of us are by stay-home orders?
Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, in his recent pastoral letter to the Church, spoke these words to us: "As our seasons of life in the COVID-19 world continue to turn, we are called to continue to be creative, to risk, to love. We are called to ask, What would unselfish, sacrificial love do? What would love do? Love is the community praying together, in ways old and new. Love finds a path in this new normal to build church communities around being in relationship with God. Love supports Christians in spiritual practices. Prayer, meditation, study. Turn, Learn, Pray, Worship, Bless, Go, Rest."
We believe that one thing that love could do right now is call a community of people with the ability to plant gardens of all sizes and kinds together – from small pots of herbs to hundreds of acres of corn – in order to share the love of Christ through word and action, food and labor. We believe that one new and sacrificial act of love that we could offer is to commit to planting more, praying more, and proclaiming more, in order to share the loving, liberating, and life-giving Good News of God’s love with all people.
Will you join us in keeping alert, standing firm in our faith, being courageous, being strong, and letting all we do be done in love? Learn more here.
How to Join in the Movement:
Plant: Commit to planting more than you would under average circumstances in order to share the bounty. This may mean you plant one window box of herbs when you have never planted any, or you add an extra row to your garden or an extra hen to your flock.
Pray: Commit to praying daily for our church and our world to form loving, liberating, life-giving relationships with all of Creation through the better use of our land – personally and communally. Not sure where to start? Don’t worry, we will be sending a monthly email with scripture, prayer, and practical resources.
Proclaim: Commit to proclaiming the love of God through word and example by sharing your Good News Garden commitment, status, and story via social media channels, and personal testimonies (A great place to begin is by joining the Agrarian Ministries Group on Facebook). Click here to download a folder of shareable images and files, including postcards and yard signs.
Benefits of Joining:
When you commit to the Good News Garden Movement you will be joining Jesus and his way of love. To help you on your journey you will receive support in the following ways:
Monthly newsletters that will include:
Wisdom from leaders in Episcopal Agrarian, Evangelism, Creation Care, and Justice ministries.
Practical links on growing and sharing the bounty
Way of Love in the Garden Bible Study
Prayers for Growers
Additional videos, podcasts, and other helpful resource links.
Community Support via the Agrarian Ministries of the Episcopal Church Facebook Group
Good News Garden Webinars and Open Office Hours from Creation Care and Evangelism
Happy Pride 2020!
in LGBTQ
In celebration of Pride 2020, people from around the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana shared what Pride means to them.
“During June, Americans and people around the world observe Pride. Today,...I am mindful that Pride is both a celebration and a testament to sorrow and struggle that has not yet ended. Especially this month, I offer special thanks to God for the strength of the LGBTQ community and for all that you share with your spouses, partners and children, with your faith communities, and indeed with our entire nation.”
“For over 40 years, when we gather as Episcopalians to renew our own Baptismal promises, one of a number of questions we’re asked is, ‘Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?’ and ‘Will you strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of every human being?’ That’s what Pride means to me. LGBTQ folk made in God’s image and likeness.”
LGBTQ+ in the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana
To our lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender brothers, sisters, and siblings: The Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana welcomes you!
The Episcopal Church warmly welcomes our LGBTQ siblings, but it would be ingenuous to say that the entire church is in the same place on this journey. As with all spiritual journeys, everyone walks at their own pace. Some Episcopal congregations are actively involved in LGBTQ ministry and their arms are open wide; others are more reserved, but their doors are still open to all; some are still wrestling with their beliefs and feelings. But we’re on this journey together, and The Episcopal Church is dedicated to full inclusion and equality in the church as well as in society as a whole.
Our LGBTQ+ webpage has a list of churches that have self-identified as LGBTQ+ welcoming faith communities. Churches marked with an asterisk have also formally adopted an inclusive marriage policy. If your faith community is not listed and you think it should be, please ask your clergy person and senior warden to email Canon Christopher Hillak, Missioner for Digital Communications.