Diocese of Long Island
Episcopal Charities of Long Island
     
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  ALSO SEE:  Help with the How-To of Creating and Sustaining Ministry

 

 
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Complete Info About
The 2011 Episcopal Charities
ANNUAL APPEAL
 
 
60th Anniversary Episcopal Charities of Long Island Appeal Supporting Diocesan Ministries

"Once you say you believe..."

The 2011 Episcopal Charities annual appeal for diocesan ministries is under way – with the excitement of two ambitious goals in this, our 60th anniversary year.

First, we want to offer every parishioner throughout the diocese the opportunity to work together with us as we find innovative ways to serve not only those longing for a relationship with Jesus Christ and with the Church, but also those in need whom we find by the wayside: "As you do for the least of these, my brothers and sisters, so you do for me."

Second, we want to inspire every parishioner throughout the diocese with our goal of raising $600,000 for new and expanded ministries. In these tough economic times, the need for such ministries continues to increase – even as resources once available to us through government funding and private-sector grants have dwindled. But if we believe with Bishop Provenzano that,"Once you say you believe, everything else is mission," then we know that we cannot retreat in the face of such obstacles. We must press forward.

And press forward is what we are doing! The planned Diocesan Scholars Program will offer promising but less-advantaged high-school students a three-year program of academic classes, internships, enrichment activities and spiritual growth opportunities to prepare them to be future leaders.

Planned collaboration and synergy among our established social and health ministries will see Episcopal Health Services and Episcopal Community Services jointly develop a full-service youth center near the St. John's Episcopal Hospital campus, aimed at reclaiming the hopes and dreams of teenagers in one of the poorest areas of the diocese.

On the planning board is a new "aging in place" ministry, a loving ministry aimed at helping aging family members to remain in their homes by easing their burdens and the burdens on their families. Also envisioned is a diocesan volunteer ministry offering services to seniors and seniors' family caregivers, coupled with an information and referral program to promote better access to services for older adults.

And, of course, parish-based, parishbacked ministry initiatives are a renewed priority: parish-based ministry is at the heart of the historical Episcopal Charities mandate and at the heart of the mission of the diocese.

As Christians we recognize that giving is based on our understanding that all of our financial resources—like everything else that we possess—come from God. Our personal resources are a gift, not to be hoarded, but to be used in building up the Kingdom of God. We give joyously because we know that we are only acting as good stewards of that with which God has entrusted us.

I am thrilled to tell you that every member of the senior staff of the diocese has already pledged to contribute to this year's annual appeal, and pledges from our board members are still coming in.

I am thrilled, too, to tell you that we have begun to solicit major pacesetting gifts from new prospective donors —five-figure and even six-figure gifts from philanthropists who have been inspired by the new mission spirit abroad in the diocese. You'll be hearing much more soon about this new mission spirit, and about ways that you can be a part of it all—and about giving opportunities in the next few months.

Remember, as you prayerfully consider your ability to give, that all of the administrative and fund-raising costs of Episcopal Charities are underwritten by our endowment— every penny that you donate goes directly to serving those in need.

Your gift, your selflessness and sacrifice, will make an almost unimaginable difference in the lives of struggling families, children and elders: our neighbors in Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau and Suffolk— God's Dominion in the Sea.

The Rev. E. Clare Nesmith, Executive Director


Episcopal Charities of Long Island, 36 Cathedral Avenue, P.O. Box 510, Garden City, NY 11530, email address ECLI@dioceseli.org. To use a credit card, please click here, or call (516) 248-4800, ext. 19 and speak with Mrs. Nancy Kennelly, Administrative Assistant. When you make a donation in memory of or in honor of someone, their name will be recorded in the Book of Remembrance and an acknowledgement sent.

 
God’s Work: See It, Trust It, Support It.

 

Help with the How-To of Creating and Sustaining Ministry

By The Rev. Deacon Lorraine Cusick

If you have heard or read Bishop Larry Provenzano quoted as saying, "After you say you believe, everything else is mission," you may have said to yourself – "Okay, what do I do next?"

Fulfilling our mission is the great challenge facing every baptized Christian and every congregation. Ministry is the outward, concrete sign of our mission. If you look in the Catechism at the back of the Book of Common Prayer, you will find three questions and answers on page 855 that can help.

"The mission of the Church," the first answer says, "is to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ." The two answers following
tell us how, and through whom, the Church carries out its mission. Developing a mission plan and then creating ministries that fulfill it are the signs of our presence in the community.

And where do we start? Helping to answer that question is one of the reasons that Episcopal Charities has a Ministry Support and Sustainability unit.

To develop ministry we look at two things: the needs of the community, and the gifts of the parish community. A good match between the two is a solid step toward a successful ministry. We don't do ministry in a vacuum; we discover the needs of our neighbors – through conversations with each other and through conversations with other faith communities. Then we assess the gifts of our parish community. The skills needed to have these conversations, and to make this assessment of gifts – though they are not skills possessed by all – can be learned!

Episcopal Charities is working to provide tools for ministry to help you succeed in your parish and community. We began with a workshop on grant writing (which will be repeated in Fall 2010); soon we will also offer a workshop in effective questioning and listening skills, so necessary to discover community needs. Finally, we offer a program of Archdeaconry and Church-Based Grants that provides "seed money" to help start ministries, or expand existing ones. We even help you with the application by offering a new workshop (required for grant applicants) designed to assist you in that task.

It promises to be an exciting year! Please take the opportunity to join us and be part of the "mission and ministry team."

Email lcusick@dioceseli.org or call (516) 248-4800, ext. 20 today for more information and help!

Click here for Grant Guidelines

 

Episcopal Charities of Long Island - September 28, 2009 Golfing Fun Day Welcoming Bishop Provenzano to the Diocese of Long Island
Save the date! 2010 Episcopal Charities Golf Outing - September 27, 2010
http://www.ecligolf.org/

“Denomination of the Year” Award Presented to Episcopal Charities of Long Island and the Diocese

By The Rev. E. Clare Nesmith

In recognition of its financial support for a program of job development for the newly unemployed, and its fulsome support of the Long Island Council of Churches, the council presented its “Denomination of the Year” award to Episcopal Charities of Long Island (ECLI) and the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island in a special ceremony at its annual meeting May 7.

The job development program, funded by a church-based grant from Episcopal Charities of Long Island, provides career counseling services to “white-collar” and other workers who have lost their jobs due to the current economic crisis. Through individual counseling sessions provided by Federated Employment & Guidance Services at the site of their host, Grace Episcopal Church in Riverhead, New York, prospective employees are taught to inventory and evaluate their job skills and adapt them to today’s employment environment. Job placement services are also provided as part of the program.

The award was accepted by the Rev. E. Clare Nesmith, Executive Director of ECLI, Archdeacon Mary Garde, rector of Grace Church, and Deacon Lorraine Cusick, parish administrator and coordinator of the program. It was Mother Garde’s insight and initiative that made the grant and resulting program happen.

The job development program, however, is funded only through June 30 of this year, so ECLI is currently seeking at least $10,000 to continue this successful outreach program of counseling and support through the end of 2009, for eastern Long Island residents in need of these services. For further information please contact the Rev. Clare Nesmith at 516 248-4800, ext. 21 or email cnesmith@dioceseli.org


 

Archdeaconry and Church Based Grants

The deadline for applications to be received in the Episcopal Charities office is February 2, 2011 for Spring grants and June 15, 2011, to be considered for the Fall grants. See guidelines for these grants and contact our office to discuss the project for which you would like to apply for funding. Email ECLI@dioceseli.org; or call 516-248-4800, x20.


Please give generously to Episcopal Charities of Long Island, 36 Cathedral Avenue, P.O. Box 510, Garden City, NY 11530. To use a credit card, please go to our website www. episcopalcharitiesli.org or call 516 248-4800, ext. 19 and speak with Mrs. Nancy Kennelly, Administrative Assistant. When you make a donation in memory of or in honor of someone, their name will be recorded in the Book of Remembrance and an acknowledgement sent to them.


More articles on the work of
Episcopal Charities of Long Island

New Plan to Energize Mission in the Diocese

Under Bishop Provenzano's direction, the Episcopal Charities annual appeal for 2011 is shaping up to become an opportunity for our parishes – and the diocese as a whole – to make a renewed commitment to mission all across this Dominion in the Sea. To read more >

Have you heard?

Have you heard the latest news from Episcopal Charities of Long Island?

Over the course of 2009 you gave a total of over $167,000 in gifts and $35,000 in bequests. To read more >

A New Year, A New Resolve

Have you made any New Year’s Resolutions? Mine are predictable: lose weight, go back to the gym, straighten my desk, take time to play. What are yours? To read more >

Christmas and Giving

Each year since 1997 Episcopal Charities of Long Island has awarded grants to parishes, archdeaconries, and parish-based programs to further their mission in outreach to their communities. To read more >

How can you serve your neighbor?

This spring Episcopal Charities of Long Island has awarded grants to three parish outreach projects. To read more>


A Gathering of Angels

In the spring of 2008, Episcopal Charities of Long Island began its "Angel's initiative" on the day our liturgical calendar celebrates the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to her cousin, Elizabeth. Like Mary and Elizabeth's visit, our gathering was one of affirmation, of promise, of hope and joy despite seemingly insurmountable odds. To read more>


> Go here for archive of previous articles

Episcopal Charities of Long Island • P.O. Box 510, 36 Cathedral Avenue, Garden City, New York 11530 • 516 248-4800