Dear Relatives,

Cante Waste ya Nape Ciyu zape ye (I greet you from my heart).

This winter I’ve had the pleasure of witnessing the calling in of indigenous young adults. These young adults had joined young adults of color at Why Serve at Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley last June. At this conference, they learned of many ministries in the Episcopal Church and as a result, they called for intentional networking throughout the year. With this goal in mind, they began by joining together for video conference calls where they shared their dreams for spiritual development, leadership training and advocacy.

As they began discussing this idea, it occurred to me that such an education opportunity might be great for all of New Community Young Adults. So I began by engaging missioners from the Diversity and Ethnic Ministries Team and Young Adult/Campus Ministries to gather Young Adults of Color or those working within ethnic ministries. The purpose will be to educate on church’s ministries pertaining to the development of leadership skills for the New Community Digital Circle:

• “Financial Leadership”
• “Stewardship”
• “Networking and Leadership”
• “Leadership within Our Communities and Beyond with the Five Marks of Mission”
• “Global Relationships”
• “Defining Leadership through an Episcopal Lens”
• “New Community Advocacy”
• “Spiritual Development and Leadership”
• “Leadership at any Age.”

The first New Community Digital Circle will take place on the last Tuesday of each month, beginning on Tuesday, Jan. 27 at 4 p.m. Pacific/5 p.m. Mountain/6 p.m. Central/7 p.m. Eastern. To sign up, please use this link – http://dfms.formstack.com/forms/nc_young_adult_digital_circle_signup_form_copy – or email Angie Cabanban at acabanban@episcopalchurch.org.

Young Adults from Indigenous Ministries will meet one Sunday per month for 75 minutes via video/conference call for spiritual development, leadership training and advocacy teachings with leaders from Native American/Indigenous Ministries to meet their context:

• “Indigenous Advocacy”
• “Repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery”
• “Faith Formation Resources”
• “Indigenous Women’s Ministry”
• “Teaching Art and Culture”
• “Health in Indian Country”
• “Community Development in Indian Country”
• “What It Means to Be Indigenous/Native American in the Episcopal Church?”

The Indigenous Young Adult Digital Circle will take place on the last Sunday of each month beginning on Sunday, Jan. 25 at 2 p.m. Pacific/3 p.m. Mountain/4 p.m. Central/5 p.m. Eastern. To sign up, please use this link – http://dfms.formstack.com/forms/im_young_adult_digital_circle_signup_form – or email Angie Cabanban at Angie Cabanban.

The Diversity and Ethnic Ministries Team will hold Why Serve during the first week of the 78^th General Convention of The Episcopal Church in Salt Lake City, Utah, in partnership with Young Adult Festival. Please stay tuned for more information. General Convention is from June 25 to July 3, 2015.

To keep in touch with Indigenous Ministry of the Episcopal Church, please ensure your contact information is updated at https://test.episcopalchurch.org/staff/the-rev-dr-bradley-hauff/.

Pilamayaye,
Sarah