Our diocesan news items are updated regularly. If you would like to contribute an item to share with the diocesan community, please forward it to the Communications Office. We also have a Diocesan E-Newsletter. View a sample, and, if you like it, subscribe.

Recently Added News

The Song of Christmas" Bishop Lawrence Shares a Christmas Message
A shameless lover of Christmas carols, I have found support for my sentimentalism in a most unlikely place; an essay by Dr. Lewis Thomas, one-time dean of New York University School of Medicine. He notes that the human faculty for language is rooted in a specific collection of neurons in the left hemisphere of the brain. This corresponds with a similar center of neurons in the brain of a song bird. It is there that the bird’s song is “recorded,” that is, if the bird learns it as a nestling. Read it all.

The 2010 Prayer Calendar is now online
Download 2010 Prayer Calendar.

Looking for Advent resources?
St. Michael's, Charleston, has gathered a helpful set including prayers, scripture readings and activities. View them here. See additional resources here.

Bishop Lawrence's 2010 Visitation Schedule now online.
View the schedule.

Celebrate Christ's Birth with a Gift to St. Christopher
You can make a difference in someone’s life by partnering with St. Christopher in its ministry to God’s children of all ages. Consider a gift honoring your loved one as a special way of showing you care. At St. Christopher people are encountering God in powerful ways. Your gift will make that experience possible for others. Donate now.

Shopmas and John the Baptist: An Advent Message from Bishop Lawrence
It’s a lot like bringing the boxes of Christmas decorations out of the attic or wherever you have them stored. Like pulling the Christmas sweaters from the wardrobe closet—that to my mind is the way the Church, each Advent, drags him out of the liturgical mothballs. His given name is John bar Zechariah. You know him as John the Baptist. He is completely out of step with what I have dubbed the Shopmas season. Read more.

Mere Anglicanism is January 21-23
Mere Anglicanism believes that educated, authentically discipled, and active Anglicans — both lay and clergy — are central to the efforts to reform and renew Anglicanism in North America. They are an event-oriented organization that provides the tools and resources to disciple, train, and educate lay and clergy leaders. To that end, Mere Anglicanism will host the 2010 Conference January 21-30 at St. Philip’s Church in Charleston. The theme for this years’s event is, Gender, Sexuality, and Marriage in the Church: Speculation or Revelation?“ Learn more.

Clergy and Lay Leaders Caught the Vision for "Building Faith at Home," November 19
Jeff Hoyle, author of Your Family Journey: A Guide to Building Faith at Home, challenged clergy and lay leaders to encourage parents to disciple their children at the luncheon held at the Cathedral November 19. Hoyle will return in January, along with Mark Holmen of Focus on the Family to lead additional Faith at Home events. Learn more.

The November/December 2009 Jubilate Deo is now online.

Seven Episcopal Dioceses Meet to Begin Missional Relationships
Clergy and lay representatives from seven dioceses in The Episcopal Church, as well as six bishops with Episcopal jurisdiction, met in Charleston, S.C. on November 3-4, 2009 to consider ways they might assist each other in more effectively reaching their communities and the world for Christ. More specifically, in keeping with General Convention resolution B030, which encouraged domestic Dioceses within The Episcopal Church to enter into missional relationship, this meeting encouraged the dioceses to consider what resources they can share with each other and work more closely to further the Gospel mission. Evangelizing and reaching the unchurched; catechizing and discipling the converted; assisting members in generational faithfulness; renewing, strengthening and growing existing parishes; and planting new congregations to reach their communities with the Gospel were the areas of greatest interest. Read more.

View a photo album from the Special Diocesan Convention.

Bishop Lawrence's Address to the Special Convention is available as a Video Bishop Lawrence's Address from the Convention is now available in video, printed form or as an audio file.

Let the Doors Be Opened: St. John's Chapel Consecrated
If you missed the powerful service, October 12, when this historically significant parish on Charleston's Eastside was reopened, view the photo gallery. Look for more about the service and the ministry in the upcoming Jubilate Deo.

Disaster Relief Needed: Multiple natural disasters striking the Asia-Pacific provide an opportunity for us to serve Christ by reaching out to our brothers and sisters in need. Both Episcopal Relief and Development and Charleston-based Water Missions International are significantly involved relief efforts. in these areas. Learn more about efforts of Episcopal Relief & Development and Water Missions International.

Canterbury House, the Diocesan senior living community in downtown Charleston is looking for a full-time activity coordinator. Learn more.

Did you receive our November 12 E-Newsletter? View it here.

Proposed Resolutions Online
The five proposed resolutions to be voted on at the Special Convention, October 24, are now online, along with the Ridley-Cambridge draft of the proposed Anglican Communion Covenant. One of the resolutions proposes our endorsement of that draft as a description of how we should continue together as the Anglican Communion. A PowerPoint presentation is useful for group presentations.

Bishop Lawrence's Address to the Clergy of the Diocese now Online
Please keep Bishop Lawrence and the clergy of the diocese in your prayers as they gather together from 10:30 until 2:30 at St. James Church, James Island. Read the text of Bishop Lawrence's address.

New Guidelines for Clergy Sabbatical Leave Released The Diocese of South Carolina has released Guidelines for Clergy Sabbatical Leave. Clergy sabbatical time is necessary for the ongoing growth, nourishment and renewal of those who are ordained to lead the people of God and the congregations which they serve. Read more.