Podcasts about ecct

In this inspiring episode of the Think Wildlife Podcast, we're joined by Sri Chakra Pranav Tamarapalli, marine biologist and founder of the East Coast Conservation Team (ECCT), to dive deep into the untold story of conservation along India's East Coast—a region often overlooked in biodiversity efforts. From protecting smooth-coated otters in freshwater wetlands to documenting rare intertidal biodiversity, this episode explores the challenges and triumphs of grassroots conservation in Andhra Pradesh.Conservation Beyond the MainstreamWhile India's Western Ghats and Northeast are recognized as biodiversity hotspots, Pranav shines a light on the unsung ecosystems of Andhra's wetlands, canals, and coastlines. Hear how ECCT began with otter research in Kondakarla Ava, one of the largest freshwater lakes in the state, and evolved into a dynamic organization working on marine conservation, citizen science, and community engagement.Otters as Flagship Species for Freshwater EcosystemsDiscover how Pranav's groundbreaking work uncovered populations of smooth-coated otters—and potentially even small-clawed otters—in Vishakhapatnam and Srikakulam districts. Learn how these apex predators play a crucial role in balancing aquatic ecosystems and how their presence could redefine the conservation map of coastal Andhra.But the journey isn't without conflict—hear about the tension between local fishermen and otters, and how awareness campaigns are bridging the gap between livelihoods and conservation.Marine Biodiversity & Citizen Science: The Tidepool RevolutionThrough the Intertidal Biodiversity Project, ECCT has documented over 350 species in coastal tidepools, some of which had never been recorded in mainland India before. Using iNaturalist and engaging more than 2,000 people through guided shore walks, Pranav and his team are building a model of inclusive conservation—fostering marine literacy and inspiring the next generation of ocean stewards.Stranding Response & Building a Marine NetworkFrom dolphins and turtles to whale sharks, the ECCT team is pioneering stranding response efforts—working with forest departments and researchers to conduct necropsies and uncover causes of marine megafauna mortality. Their vision? A state-wide Marine Conservation Network in Andhra Pradesh to coordinate rapid response, build datasets, and support visiting scientists with real-time local data.Sharks, Rays & Future AmbitionsPranav also shares collaborations with institutions like IISc and Satyabhama University on elasmobranch conservation, revealing insights into shark landings and electric ray distribution. ECCT's long-term goal is clear: to serve as an entry point for researchers, conservationists, and institutions seeking to work in one of India's least-studied marine landscapes.Topics Covered:* East Coast biodiversity and conservation gaps* Otters as ecosystem engineers and flagship species* Wetland connectivity across Andhra Pradesh* Tidepool ecology and intertidal species discoveries* Marine megafauna strandings and necropsy response* Conflict mitigation with local communities* Challenges of fundraising, mentorship and fieldwork* Citizen science and iNaturalist projects* Grassroots network-building for marine protectionSupport ECCTPranav highlights the importance of donations, CSR partnerships, and volunteer support—especially from those fluent in local languages. Want to help? Contribute your skills in social media, fundraising, or fieldwork. Every contribution adds to the ripple of impact.Whether you're passionate about wildlife conservation, marine biology, biodiversity management, or ecological research, this conversation is a must-listen. Discover how one young conservationist is redefining what it means to protect the East Coast of India, one otter and one tidepool at a time.Subscribe, like, and share this episode to amplify underrepresented conservation stories.30% of revenue from optional Substack subscriptions for this episode will be donated to ECCT's on-ground conservation projects.Meet the Host:Think Wildlife Foundation - https://thinkwildlifefoundation.com/Instagram - @anishwildlifeTwitter - @AnishWildlifeMeet the Guest:Sri Chakra Pranav Tamarapalli - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sri-chakra-pranav-tamarapalli-05467a102/?originalSubdomain=inEast Coast Conservation Team - https://www.eccteam.org/#ConservationStrategies #WildlifeCorridors #LandscapeEcology #Otters #MarineConservation #EastCoastIndia #BiodiversityHotspot #BiodiversityConservation #CitizenScience #LinearInfrastructure #WildlifeConflict #Elasmobranchs #StrandingResponse #ThinkWildlifePodcast #Ecology #NatureIndia #Podcast #WildlifeConservation Get full access to The Think Wildlife Podcast at anishbanerjee.substack.com/subscribe

Today, Carol the Coach, Mary Kay Cocharo who wants to educate our listeners abou a new type of support and intervention.Encounter-Centered Couples Therapy is an integrative relational model at the intersection of philosophy, clinical theory, organizational methodology, and relational neurobiology. It aims at assisting couples to experience the most alive and joyful connection with each other while helping each other grow and develop their relational intelligence on the path to relational maturity. It inspires couples to become not just good couples but creative couples!  In the stage of Intimacy Building, EcCT will help you to learn an effective and powerful tool for better communication, to deepen emotional connection, resolve conflict, and create a shared vision for your relationship.The work is done in weekly couples counseling, in Private Intensives, and in Weekend Couples Retreats.  We know what disconnects us from our partner, EcCT will teach you what connects.

Season 8 of ECCT's podcast continues with our new co-host, the Rev. Stacey Kohl, and a special guest co-host, the Rev. Shancia Jarrett. Stacey and Shancia are joined by the Rev. Chuck Hoffman, as he remembers and reflects on his experiences at the first Mass Poor People's March in 1968 and looks to the future of the second Poor People's March, coming up on June 18, 2022. Learn more about the Poor People's Campaign & the upcoming Moral March: https://www.poorpeoplescampaign.org/ Register to be on one of ECCT's buses to the Poor People's March on June 18: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/poor-peoples-campaign-march-on-washington-registration-320191179437  

Season 8 of ECCT's podcast starts off with a meet and greet with the Rev. Ranjit K. Mathews, ECCT's Canon for Mission Advocacy, Racial Healing & Reconciliation. Learn about what drew Ranjit to the Episcopal Church and where he finds God in the work of racial healing, justice and reconciliation.

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K281: IKEA goes circular to make the things we love last longer   當你丟棄物品時你會感到愧疚嗎?或許你想要維修、回收或再利用，但是缺乏時間、知識或是精力去做嗎？不用再煩惱了。宜家家居可以幫忙。 Do you feel bad about throwing things away? Maybe you want to repair, reuse or recycle, but lack the time, knowledge or energy to do so. Well, IKEA can help. 這間始於瑞典，落足荷蘭的企業集團正在探索循環經濟，也就是消除廢棄物及資源再利用，一個對消費者來說更方便且適切的方法。 The Swedish-origin Dutch-headquartered multinational conglomerate is exploring new ways to make circularity – the elimination of waste and continual use of resources – more convenient and relevant for you. 舉例來說，宜家正在測試更多循環的可能性，像是家具租借服務、收回與回購計畫、幫助顧客維修、回收再利用老舊家具，或者透過轉賣來讓家具重獲新生。 For instance, IKEA is testing the potential for more circular solutions, such as furniture leasing, take-back and buy-back schemes, and helping customers repair, reuse and recycle old furniture or give it a second life through reselling. 「這意味著我們不應該拿走資源，」牛奶零售集團宜家家居北亞區商務總監艾斯本告訴The China Post，「而是應該嘗試回饋社群和地球更多的資源。」 “This means that we should not actually take away resources,” Hugo Asplund, Commercial Director at DFI IKEA North Asia (牛奶零售集團宜家家居北亞區商務總監艾斯本) told The China Post. “We should actually try to seek ways to give back more resources to the communities and the planet.” 身為全球最大的家具零售商，艾斯本認為宜家家居有很大的責任，必須去限制其對氣候的衝擊，這也與宜家長久以來的方針相呼應，那就是「對資源做最好的利用」。 As the biggest global home furnishing retailer, Asplund argues that IKEA has a big “responsibility to limit its impact on the climate,” which is consistent with IKEA's long policy of making the best use of resources. 「最知名的一個例子便是我們的『扁平包裝』，指的是我們把家具放在小盒子裡，這樣你就可以很輕鬆有效的運送它們，」他繼續補充「而隨著時間演進，我們必須採取更多手段，我們必須把企業的成長與資源利用的曲線脫鉤。」 “One of the most known examples is our “flat pack,” where we kind of put our furniture into small boxes, so you can easily transport them in a very efficient way,” he continued. “And going forward, we need to take more steps, we need to decouple our growth with the material use.” 你知道嗎？有高達六成的宜家產品來自可再生的原料，像是木頭與棉花，而超過一成的產品包含回收再利用的原料。 Did you know? More than 60 percent of the IKEA product range is based on renewable materials, like wood and cotton, and more than 10 percent contains recycled materials. 推動循環理念的公司，會以「零汙染」的概念來選擇材料、如何設計、製造、運輸、販賣以及產品生命週期結束時的後續處理。 This “zero waste mindset” is the way to go for the company which has pushed forward with “circular concepts” in how they choose materials, and how they design, produce, transport, sell them and what happens to their products at the end of their life cycle. 具艾斯本所述，宜家長久以來都在尋找可再生以及可回收資源的使用新方法，並且會不斷重新設計既有產品的製程，來確保這些家具更符合永續性。 According to Asplund, IKEA is always looking to find new ways to use renewed and recycled resources as materials, and continuously re-design the production of existing products to make it more sustainable. 目前宜家已經著手計畫，目標是在2030年時讓公司的產品可以被消費者再利用、維修、再組裝和回收。宜家也不斷強調會在營運期間盡可能的節省能源消耗。 The company has already undertaken to make products that can be reused, repaired, reassembled and recycled by its customers by 2030. IKEA also repeatedly aims to save as much energy as possible in its operations. 宜家近期有個令人興奮的新服務－「家具租賃」，因為事實上有百分之四的碳足跡是來自產品生命週期的結束，這個數字也與運送貨物所產生的碳足跡相近。 One thing that IKEA Taiwan is very excited about is its new service connected to leasing, because actually 4% of the total (carbon) footprint actually comes from the end of life, which is actually similar to the transportation of the goods. 「藉由推動循環租賃，我們現在能夠拿回家具，重新整修它們後再次銷售，或著最糟糕的情況就是回收它們。」艾斯本解釋道。 “By introducing this circular leasing, we are now being able to actually take back articles, and we can then either refurbish them, resell them, or in the worst case even recycle them,” Asplund explained. 「我們在台灣正處在一個精彩的旅程中，不論是透過線上或實體的方式，我們發覺可以利用許多新的方式與樣態來觸及城市中的人們。」他補充。 “We are in a very exciting journey here in Taiwan, and both online but also physically, we see that there's a lot of room for us to come in new shapes and formats, (drawing us) closer to the many people in the cities where we're not currently present,” he added. 透過這些做法，宜家可以朝著永續的目標持續拓展。 And in doing that, IKEA is poised to further expand in a sustainable way. 這就是為什麼宜家選擇加入歐洲在台商務協會的「低碳倡議」，並與夥伴合作找出新的解決方法。 That's the reason why IKEA is looking into new solutions and working together with partners such as the “Low Carbon Initiative” run by the European Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan (ECCT). 艾斯本總結，歐洲在台商務協會幫宜家找到合適的夥伴，協助他們進一步用可持續且可負擔的方式拉近與消費者的距離，讓更多人能在台灣負擔得起一個美麗且功能強大的家。 The ECCT has helped IKEA find the right partners that can help them to come closer to the many people in a sustainable and affordable way, and to make more people afford a beautiful and functional home here in Taiwan, he concluded. Source article: https://chinapost.nownews.com/20211213-2972068

Finding Courage in Times of Change with Hedy Schleifer   Hedy Schleifer is an internationally renowned master relationship builder and motivational speaker who guides and teaches couples, partners, business associates, therapists and families about relational maturity. Hedy is the founder of the Encounter-centered Couples Transformation approach® (EcCT). Hedy believes that world peace begins with the human family, and can best be achieved by strong committed, growing, mature partnerships.   www.hedyschleifer.com  

Ciel et Terre is a French solar power developer specializing in floating solar panels. The company's Regional Business Development Manager Vivi Lee joins us to discuss how it is cooperating with existing industries, like fisheries, to not only increase Taiwan's capacity for generating renewable energy, but create a more stable business environment for these industries.

(Trigger Warning: A discussion about sexual abuse) In this episode, I had an intriguing conversation with pastor and couples counsellor, Dewaldt de Kock. We talked about the challenges people face in relationships and aspects of having a healthy sex life. Here are some of the main points we touched on: The Mating in Captivity series that Dewaldt and his wife hosted for couples struggling during the lockdown, and what it was all about What can stir sexual attraction to your spouse after you've been married several years What a sexual tasting menu is, and why you can benefit from making use of it in your relationship A story about how sexuality can be reclaimed How much time and attention to dedicate only to your children Why people have affairs and what can be done to repair damaged relationships How to treat the sacred space that is shared in a relationship Why it's important to understand your spouse's "back story" Tips on how to cherish your spouse What the ECCT approach is, and why it is a valuable way of interacting with your spouse You're in for some great stuff here! Enjoy it.   Until next time.   Much love, FrancoisRemember: Change your perspective and you can transform your life!

In this episode, Alli and Jasree talk with Robin Hammeal-Urban and Deb Kenney, two ECCT staff members, about the upcoming Spring Training on Saturday, April 18 from 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. at Berlin High School.    Read more at coffeehour.org. 

In this episode, Alli and Jasree welcome Tim Hodapp, Canon for Mission Collaboration for ECCT, and Alan Roxburgh, founder of The Missional Network and accomplished author, to the podcast.​The conversation flows between discussing the friendship between Tim and Al, the work ECCT has done with Al to Join Jesus in the neighborhood, and the various spiritual practices associated with this work. Both Al and Tim share numerous stories of what it means to join Jesus in the neighborhood, and how impactful this practice can be. To learn more about Joining Jesus in a New Missional Age visit joiningjesus.net. 

In this episode, Alli and Jasree bring in ECCT's Archivist, Greg Farr, to take a look back as to how ECCT has addressed the sin of systemic racism in the church, particularly back in the 1980s.   Read more, including the mentioned reports, at coffeehour.org. 

 Today we are joined with Kelli Rae Gibson the Racial Justice Resource Coordinator for ECCT and Peter Levenstrong, a third year student at Yale Divinity School. He is a transitional deacon in the Diocese of Missouri.Today we tried on something new! Peter preached a sermon that he originally preached on November 5th as his senior sermon for seminary. Then after about a 30 second period of silent reflection, we will have a discussion with Peter and Kelli. ​Read a full copy of Peter's sermon on coffeehour.org. 

This is part 2 of Unraveling The Survival Knot with Hedy Schleifer. If you haven’t already tuned into part 1 of this series, we recommend you begin there. We’re diving even deeper into the process of being a host/visitor and opening ourselves to each others deepest truths, to our own deepest truths, on a level where we may not have exposed ourselves to that in the past. Hedy Schleifer is an internationally renowned relationship builder and motivational speaker who guides, counsels and teaches couples, partners, business associates, therapists and families about relational maturity. Hedy is the founder of the Encounter-centered Couples Transformation approach (EcCT). An integrative and interdisciplinary model that lies at the intersection of philosophy, clinical theory, organizational methodology, and relational neurobiology and memory reconsolidation. Hedy guides partners through what she calls the “Art of Connection,” teaching them how to turn their relationship into a living laboratory for the development of relational intelligence: how to fill their partnership with creativity, wisdom and generosity of spirit. Relational intelligence puts partners on the path to relational maturity and is at the core of having successful relationships both personally and professionally.  Resources:  Hedy’s training for therapists (and their partners) in Durham NC Jan 10-12, 2019 Hedy’s website: hedyschleifer.com While these discussions will guide you into the Connectfulness Practice, the podcast is not meant to be a substitute for counseling from a licensed provider. Reach out. Initiate the ripple. Learn more about my connectfulness counseling practice and our collective for therapists in private practice at connectfulness.com/work-with-me.  This episode is brought to you by Therapy Notes. Therapy Notes is a simple, secure, EHR platform that keeps you organized and creates a container for all details that run a private practice -- so you can tend to what really matters. Use the promo code connectfulness and get two months free when you sign up at therapynotes.com   After listening, we invite you to deepen into the discussion with us on instagram and please support the show by sharing and reviewing the episode.

This week's show was recorded at the ICRT-ECCT 2020 presidential election roundtable event in Taipei.

I’m joined by Hedy Schleifer, an internationally renowned relationship builder and motivational speaker who guides, counsels and teaches couples, partners, business associates, therapists and families about relational maturity.  Hedy is the founder of the Encounter-centered Couples Transformation approach (EcCT). An integrative and interdisciplinary model that lies at the intersection of philosophy, clinical theory, organizational methodology, and relational neurobiology and memory reconsolidation. Hedy guides partners through what she calls the “Art of Connection,” teaching them how to turn their relationship into a living laboratory for the development of relational intelligence: how to fill their partnership with creativity, wisdom and generosity of spirit. Relational intelligence puts partners on the path to relational maturity and is at the core of having successful relationships both personally and professionally. Hedy believes that world peace begins with the human family, and she teaches how to honor the sacred relational space between us. The philosophy behind her approach is based on a saying by Martin Buber, “your relationship lives in the space between you.” When we don’t know how to hold the relational space as sacred, we pollute it. And so, this is what we dive into throughout this two part interview: how to make conscious, intentional steps towards creating sacred relational space, and how to remember (to become a member again) of the human family. As we begin, Hedy mentions that in his book “The Tipping Point,” Malcolm Gladwell says when 3% of the population does something it can become an epidemic. Hedy proposes that if 3% of the population around the world knows how to hold the space between us as sacred in a conscious intentional way it will become a positive epidemic, and our planet becomes covered with sacred space.  The guiding principle to Hedy’s teachings is this, every couple has a survival dance and the survival dance will always disconnect you. It doesn’t matter who’s right, you know the saying, “you can either be right or married.” The survival dance will always disconnect you. What will connect you are three invisible connectors:  The 1st invisible connector is the consciousness that we are responsible, each one of us, for the sanctity of the space between us. Hedy says “the space between the couple is the playground for the child”. Knowing how to honor and sanctify the space between.  The 2nd invisible connector is the bridge between the couple. “Only incompatible people fall in love with each other.” We see those parts of ourselves that we’ve disconnected from and we fall in love with those parts in our partners to fall back in love with our own wholeness. Getting to know one another’s worlds. One partner hosts, the other visits. As we learn each other’s language we can come back to our potential and our wholeness. The bridge helps couples become bilingual and learn each other’s languages.  The 3rd invisible connector is a deep presence, a being with, the zone of the encounter between the host and the visitor. It’s through these three invisible connectors that Hedy teaches when you honor the space and you cross the bridge you create the conditions for the encounter in an intentional manner so you’re not an accidental tourist. Hedy has an exceptionally playful way of teaching couples the distinction between process and content so they can step out of the content and observe their survival dance. And in this way, they develop the relational muscle that says STOP to the survival dance. Through humor and adventure, Hedy guides couples into curiosity while simultaneously setting boundaries in their work. As Hedy says, “partnership is not a problem to be solved, it’s an adventure to be lived!” And this is what she shows us how to do using 3 metaphors: The Art of Hosting: It’s taking someone into your world and being transparent and truthful. Often we don’t know our own truth, in hosting we explore our truth in the most vulnerable way, it’s a contradiction to how we’ve learned to be in the world: I can be myself with you and I can learn who my Self is with you. I can explore and find myself with you. As a host, you explore your truth as needed and eventually express your truth in 5 words or less. It’s challenging and you’ll get better at this with practice. The Art of Visiting: Visiting requires leaving the world you know, crossing the bridge as a new person in the NOW. Learning to be truly present in the present and allow your own world to be the past once you cross the bridge. Visiting requires one to learn to be truly present in the present and allowing your own world to disappear.  Neighborhoods: Each person is like a big, big world that’s expanding — our world is filled with neighborhoods that we can host and visit with our partners. This episode is infused with Hedy’s story of how she’s both taught and used these techniques in her work and personal life. Unraveling the survival knot occurs when couples already know how to visit each other’s various neighborhoods, only then can they go to each other’s toughest neighborhoods. In the toughest neighborhood you are most triggered by each other. The unraveling is a 6 hour process of memory reconsolidation. Hedy’s purpose is for the couple to show up with a completely new brain at the end of that journey. A reconsolidated brain in which the old beliefs have actually been erased and a new understanding of “who I am,” “who you are,” and “what relationship is” is actually wired into the brain. But Hedy doesn’t do the unraveling with every couple, because it takes a certain foundation. As Hedy says “every couple is capable but not ever couple is ready — the readiness is what we’re working on.” Hedy begins guiding her couples into their precious neighborhoods, and then into a neighborhood of challenge. It’s harder to visit a neighborhood of challenge than a precious neighborhood. So Hedy is watching how ready couples are to go into the unraveling while they explore their first 2 neighborhoods. “If being witness is still challenging, if I don’t yet explore the depth of my truth, if I don’t let yet let in completely, if you can’t… then we need to continue and visit other neighborhoods.” Hedy also shares with us how she guides couples to visit neighborhoods of childhood —using a 21st century time machine— and it’s profoundly moving. A consciously created sacred relational encounter full of archetypal story medicine in where partners become the heros the champions “and say the very things that have lived inside their partner, the partner that’s a child, for such a long time and has never been able to be pronounced.” It changes the narrative from one of isolation and walls towards one of intimacy, in-to-me-you-see… In part 2 we’ll talk about how to create the encounter zone in the toughest neighborhood, stay tuned! After listening, we invite you to deepen into the discussion with us on instagram. Support the show by sharing and reviewing the episode.   Resources:  Find Hedy online at: hedyschleifer.com While these discussions will guide you into the Connectfulness Practice, the podcast is not meant to be a substitute for counseling from a licensed provider. Reach out. Initiate the ripple. Learn more about my connectfulness counseling practice and our collective for therapists in private practice at connectfulness.com/work-with-me. This episode is brought to you by Therapy Notes. Therapy Notes is a simple, secure, EHR platform that keeps you organized and creates a container for all details that run a private practice -- so you can tend to what really matters. Use the promo code connectfulness and get two months free when you sign up at therapynotes.com  

This week's show was recorded at the ICRT-ECCT 2020 presidential election roundtable event in Taipei.

I must be honest before I read the bios for our three guests, these are their words from the “Meet the Region Missionaries”info booklet from ECCT. I just paraphrased them. Okay here we go!   ERENDIRA JIMENEZ - SOUTHWEST REGION MISSIONARY   Erendira is a recent graduate of Yale Divinity School. She is originally from San Diego, CA and Louisville, KY — which is where she first made the Episcopal Church her home. Her professional work history includes social work, college chaplaincy, and congregational development. She has great passion for those who find themselves on the margins, both of the world and of the church, and working to create equitable, just, and loving communities. She believes in the power of storytelling, imagination, creativity, failing, and sometimes succeeding. She is also passionate about rock climbing, weaving, and hosting people for homemade meals. In her words, "I join you bringing a heart to listen—to ourselves, to our neighbors, and to the Spirit—and to discern together where God might be calling us to move from death into life, from darkness into light, and from indifference into love.”    DYLAN MELLO - NORTHWEST REGION MISSIONARY   Dylan is a postulant for the priesthood and just finished a two-year internship at Trinity, Brooklyn before accepting this role in the Northwest Region. Dylan’s background is in sports medicine, working previously as an athletic trainer at the University of Connecticut and EO Smith High School. He is originally from Massachusetts and has lived all over the East Coast before landing in Connecticut with his wife and two young daughters. His hobbies include traveling and exploring new places as a local. In his words, "I’m excited to connect and collaborate as we, together, explore what God is up to in this neighborhood and beyond.”    GEORGE BLACK - SOUTH CENTRAL REGION MISSIONARY   George is a New Haven native and a graduate of Southern Connecticut State University, who majored in English. For the past 15 years, George was a youth worker and advocate focused on the advancement and development of Black and Brown young people. Most recently, he was the Chief Dream Director for the city of New Haven with The Future Project. His vision and hope is to see young people, and all people, live into their fundamental identity as worthy of love and belonging from God and others, and their fundamental responsibility for the healing of the world. His passions include theology, spoken work poetry, the Black community in America, youth development, and boardgames. George joined the Episcopal Church in 2017, and since then it has been home for him. In his own words, "I am ready to discern the movement of God in this region and partner with God in making that movement a reality.”    Alli begins the conversation asking the RMs "What drew you to this role?” Dylan said it was the use of the word “connection” in the job description. For Erendira, she is interested in working in the church at a larger sense, and excited to connect people. George said this was the first position that actually allowed him to do the work he loves and has been doing but root it in his faith.    Alli asks that after one week in, what are some expectations and observations the RMs have had about ECCT and their region.    Dylan said for him there is a bit of a change going from the Northeast Region, where he has been for the last seven years, to the Northwest Region. He said the position is still morphing, but is already witnessing the fluidity that exists between regions in ECCT.    George said that he has seen his role to be a bridge to work with young people in the community in the South Central region. So far for his role in ECCT, he is still discerning how to dive into how this institution thinks about race and how to have those conversations. Something he feels a pull and call from God to have those conversations, despite the fact that it may be uncomfortable for other people.    Erendira said that after this last week of on boarding - or “the holy dunk” - so there is a lot of information and conversations that has happened to help learn more about the motivation behind the RM role. What stuck out to her was that in those conversations, ECCT does not necessarily name justice, power, race, and other -isms that make up who we are ECCT. She is excited to do the work in her job description and bring to ECCT the push to transform as people and communities to work towards justice and the transfer of power.    Alli said that she has witnessed that the standard in New England (similar to her home in DC) that the tendency to deal with injustices is to write a check. And while this is helpful, Erendira said, it is still keeping a distance between “us” and “them,” something she wants to help bridge.    For George, this reminded him of a recent conversation with his brother around the definition of faith. Faith is what we do because we believe — it is the manifestation of what we believe.    The next question Alli asked was around age — she makes an observation that they are all young, or young-enough, and having a conversation about religion, which can be counter-cultural. Alli asks how they see themselves as a young adult in leadership in the church. Erendira said that while she is a millennial, she is not a part of the youngest generation and unintentionally loses the pulse of the those young people and younger adults. She said she finds herself as a bridge and not the person will “all the answers;” but to connect with those who are 18 - mid-twenties where the energy is.    Dylan said he still views himself as young-enough, and he also sees himself as a bridge between the younger generation to the older generation in the church. In this position, he feels like he can connect with younger people and older generations too.    The collaboration efforts for the RMs is not necessarily between parishes but between generations as well. George says that the main difference he has witnessed has been the skepticism from young people of certainty with regards to spirituality and religion.    Erendira said that in her work with college students, she has witnessed the same skepticism of certainty especially with regards to the inability to name and own the injustices that are a part of our church’s history. George talks about how the inability to own the injustices within the church has also driven people of color away from the church and the potential community. There is a lot to be thought through about how the church owns the truth that shows remorse and heart of God.    Collaboration [between churches in ECCT] isn’t possible without acknowledging who we are, Erendira said. Erendira related the need to uncover the history of the church to therapy and the internal work that is done in therapy.    Alli’s final question to the RMs was asking about what is something they do that fuels their soul? For Dylan, it is travel, and watching The Office. For Erendira, it is rock climbing. For George it is reading and boardgames. 

Today’s guest is the Rev. Lee Ann Tolzmann, who currently serves on the staff for ECCT as Canon for Mission Leadership, and we’ll talk about what that means. Lee Ann grew up mostly in Virginia Beach, Virginia, but graduated from Glastonbury High School in Connecticut. She is a graduate of Dartmouth College, and General Theological Seminary. Lee Ann was ordained in the Diocese of Maryland, she served as the Assistant Rector at St. Andrew’s, Glenwood (Howard County, Maryland), and Rector of the Church of the Messiah in Baltimore. Lee Ann came to Connecticut in 2008 to serve as the Rector of St. Paul’s Church, Riverside. In 2015 she accepted the position of Canon for Mission Leadership for the Episcopal Church in Connecticut. Lee Ann’s main role is working with parishes in transition and helping to find proper placements for clergy in transitions. She also helps to break down the misconception of what “ministry” looks like — mainly that it doesn’t look like a full-time rectorship anymore. She is married to David, owner of the Labyrinth Company and one of our first guests on the podcast.  They live in Berlin, CT and have two grown daughters. Welcome Lee Ann!  Alli starts with a tough question: What does ministry look like right now and how has that shifted over time, and is it the same in other dioceses? Lee Ann jumps right in to tell us about the changes and how churches are responding. It’s not as bad as it could be ... She describes the difference in the various titles ECCT uses for parish priests, primarily between rector and priests-in-charge, and ECCT variants of those priests-in-charge. We talked about the challenge of finding priests who can serve as missional priests-in-charge in particular, defined as less than half time. Some are only 10 hours a week – the minimum needed. Retired priests are less likely than in prior years and decades to take on these jobs, and training and formation is slowly adjusting to allow more people to be ordained who will also have other employment, generally secular. The need for more part-time clergy is increasing and the number of available priests isn’t really keeping pace with that need. Alli asked if enough young people are being ordained to replace all the current Baby Boomer generation priests who are now retiring; Lee Ann gave more statistics and noted that in the 1980s and 1990s bishops chose not to ordain younger people, and while this has now changed, that affected both the supply of priests and prevented the church from receiving the charism that younger clergy bring. But the fact is, she said, we don’t have, and aren’t going to have, enough priests in ECCT for  every parish to have its own priest, and the change in model is very difficult for many lay leaders to accept – even though that model was an anomaly in the Anglican Communion and in The Episcopal Church. We switched topics, and Karin asked Lee Ann to share how she came to be a priest, herself, about living in Baltimore, and about her time serving in parishes in Baltimore and later, in ECCT. She arrived in Riverside right after the financial crisis hit, in 2008, and found preaching to be especially important in that community at that time. We asked for her reflections on the future of the church, and she’s hopeful – as long as the focus is on what God is doing, and following that -- and not on “growing the church.”

Today we have with us Pat Cage and Ana Arellano, both of the Friends of the Episcopal Church of Cuba. And today we’re going to learn about that grassroots organization. We held the interview in the Annand Room of Berkeley Divinity School at Yale, in New Haven and Pat joined us by phone. Patricia, or Pat, Cage, is from Saint Luke’s in Darien. She was one of the founders of Friends of the Episcopal Church of Cuba 2016 and serves as their executive director. Before that Pat served as director or president of several non-profits in Connecticut including Person to Person and A Better Chance. Pat has a degree in business marketing from Cal State University. Ana Arellano is Cuban American and an active member of St. Peter’s, Cheshire. She is also an artist and a journalist, specializing in Latino news, photographer and freelance writer, webmaster and social media afficiado, and earlier, a bank vice president. Ana has a BA from Yale and lives in Cheshire. She’s been involved in Friends of the Episcopal Church in Cuba since its creation and oversees their Facebook page Friends of the Episcopal Church of Cuba is a US-based volunteer organization working with Bishop Griseldo to help her and her team in Cuba. They have a website and Facebook page, friendsofeccuba.org. We began with Pat telling us how she got involved in this, a story that started with her home parish of St. Luke’s, pursing possible mission partnership opportunities. She and her husband visited in 2016 with a group from the parish, and were hosted by Bishop Griselda of the Episcopal Church of Cuba. Bishop Griselda shared her vision with the group, and shared a small strategy document. That inspired Pat and her husband to offer their expertise in developing a larger strategy document and business plan that could be used to approach large philanthropic organizations, for example. They also learned the bishop wanted a U.S. based support organization, and that became the genesis of the Friend of the Episcopal Church in Cuba. The priorities come from Bishop Griselda and respect the Cuban Episcopalians’ creativity. Ana then shared how she got involved in the organization. It was at an ECCT conference that she first heard about the opportunity for the mission trip to Cuba; prior to that she hadn’t thought much about reconnecting with her homeland.   Karin asked what the priorities of the Friends are now, and Pat said that Bishop Griselda is focused first on providing food and water in many communities. People line at the Cathedral to get water, Pat said. Alli asked about the number of parishes, and while Pat gave a number, Pat and Ana shared the impact of the Cuban revolution and its aftermath on churches. While the Episcopal Church in Cuba is relatively small, they both saw that in many of them, the first few rows are reserved for children. Before we ended, Pat and Ana talked about the historic vote last year, 2018, by the General Convention of The Episcopal Church to readmit the Episcopal Church of Cuba into the full embrace of the Church, and the efforts by the Friends organization to generate support, and some of the committee meetings that led up to the vote. Ana talked about what it meant to her as a Cuban American Episcopalian. Visit: https://www.friendsofeccuba.org/ for more information!

  Today’s guest is Kelli R. Gibson, a YDS student, who was hired in early May to serve as ECCT’s Racial Justice Resource Coordinator as authorized by Annual Convention 2018. Kelli is a native of New Haven who attended the city's public schools. She completed her undergraduate studies at CCSU with a dual major in psychology and criminology. Currently she is in a Masters of Arts in Religion (MAR) program at Yale Divinity School, with a plan to concentrate in ethics. She's also a part of YDS' Black Church Studies certificate program, with expected graduation dates in 2020. Kelli has work experience in municipal and regional policy administration, sales, group home residential program management, and development consulting. She is the president of the Black Graduate Network at Yale, a leader in New Haven's "Pinky Promise" network, a ministry sponsorship director, a member of New Haven's NAACP Legal Redress Committee, and a New Haven Promise alum.   After reviewing Kelli’s bio, and how the position came into being, Karin asks Kelli what she studies at Yale University. Kelli says she is interested in the intersectionality in trauma, faith, and human flourishing. She just finished up her first year of her two year M.A.R. degree. She is also a part of the Black Church Certificate program at Yale.    Kelli was attracted to the position was the bold language used for the Racial Resource Coordinator and ECCT’s dedication to racial healing, justice, and reconciliation. Kelli says this aligned with her spiritual, moral, and personal values. Karin asks what are resources for this work or what is the scope of resources that could become available from this position. Kelli says when she thinks of resource she thinks of tools — everything in one, to become an essential tool.    However the understanding of what resources are, how to gather them, etc. is still being worked out. Kelli currently is working on a request form that will become available at episcopalct.org.    Kelli says that right now she is the most interested in taking the temperature of the diocese and where parishes are, and seeing where God is and what could be done.    Karin asks if there is a specific order to address Racial Healing, Justice, and Reconciliation. Kelli brought up the important question of “healing for whom?” What audience are we reconciling or healing? Alli points out that there is a tendency to assume that the healing within Racial Healing could be absorbed by individuals waking up to their white privilege and then seeking to be consoled. Kelli says that there needs to be an awakening, yes, but then with that awakening there needs to be a reconciliation, healing, and most importantly a change. The change is essential to the healing of all.    Karin and Alli mention how great a gift it is that Kelli is not an Episcopalian, and has the ability to come in and change what ECCT has been doing. Kelli says that she is not interested in the surface-level things to check off a box, but to shake up the homeostasis.    Alli asks if Kelli is interested in creating resources or finding and using resources are already there. Kelli says it is a combination of both, because some resources that work somewhere else may not work here in Connecticut. Kelli hopes to help build up leaders from the community, and embracing each other as resources.    Alli, Karin, and Kelli then talk about why Kelli is on the Communications team rather than other departments within the diocese. This allows an opportunity to root all communication from the diocese in the lifestyle of Racial Healing, Justice, and Communication, rather than allowing it to become a box to check off.   Kelli mentions the difference between diversity and inclusion: diversity is being invited to the party, inclusion is being asked to dance. Kelli wants to focus on the intentionality throughout this season and lifestyle.    A year from now, Kelli hopes this will go be a monumental moment that the ground is shifting, and the work continues on. And, to help change the culture of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut.    Kelli roots her life and work in Romans 12:2: Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.  

Our guest today is the Rev. Canon Nicholas T. Porter.   Nicholas, former rector of Trinity Church in Southport. He is the Executive Director and Founder of Jerusalem Peacebuilders: jerusalempeacebuilders.org.   He is the re-founder and past director of the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem as well as the founder of Anastasia Pilgrimages in France.    Nicholas holds advanced degrees in Middle East Studies, Theology, War Studies, and Conflict Transformation. A two-time graduate from Yale University, he served on the board of the Berkeley Divinity School at Yale, initiating key projects in theology and in Jerusalem. In 2016 Dwight Hall at Yale awarded him the Curran Prize for distinguished public service.   Jerusalem Peacebuilders (JPB) is an interfaith, non-profit organization with a mission to create a better future for humanity across religions, cultures, and nationalities. Integral to that mission is the belief that the future of Jerusalem is the future of the world.  To that end, JPB promotes transformational, person-to-person encounters among the peoples of Jerusalem, the United States, and the Holy Land.   JPB’s interfaith programs focus on uniting Israelis, Palestinians, and Americans and providing them with the opportunities, relationships, and skills they need to become future leaders for peace in the global community.  A passion for peace drives our mission and partnerships power our program.   Welcome Nicholas!    Alli asks in Nicolas’ own words to describe what the Jerusalem Peacebuilders is. Nicholas says the primary mission is to promote peace through education. The first session started with 11 people, and this summer it’ll be over 100 young people.    JPB started off with offering summer programs focused on leadership.   While there are fun camp things like canoeing and ropes courses, these young people also focus on hard conversations and interfaith dialogue. Next step was to introduce experimental-learning courses in school in Israel, Palestine, and the United States (especially in Houston, TX and in CT, VT, MA) which became a 4-year curriculum. These courses are geared to four areas: understanding their identity, communication skills, recognizing conflict, and conflict management. JPB uses Critical Youth Empowerment, a program to work closer with young people to become instruments of change. This focuses on providing three specifics things to flourish the growth of young people: providing a safe environment, a low-power asymmetry, and working towards a realistic contribution by the group. This final part usually results in a project the young people work towards in their community.    Alli asks where JPB receive the funding for these programs and how are the young people able to participate. JPB receive fund from individual donors, Episcopal Diocese in Jerusalem, and mission funds in ECCT. It costs about $3,000 to being over a young person from the Middle East to participate in the peace-building programs.    Nicholas says that what is fundamental for change is the removal of oneself from the environment they are in. Therefore it is essential to peace-building to gather together outside of their current environment and community, and return back.    Nicholas shares one particularly spectacular story of a young person that has gone through the JPB program.    Nicholas stopped by The Commons on his way to New Haven and then on to New York. One of the five programs JPB offers is based in New Haven and hosted by Christ Church, New Haven. The group of 20 young people spend the first half of August working with IRIS - Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services, visiting the United Nations, meeting with Ambassadors.    An exciting new initiative the group in New Haven will be doing this year is happening on Thursday, August 8 a service learning program. JPB with the Muslim community in New Haven, the Mishkan Israel in Hamden, and Christ Church, New Haven are hosting a city-wide interfaith service day. All day long there will be groups working in parks, a feeding station, working at IRIS, and with Habitat for Humanity. This event is open to anyone who is interested and would like to attend.    To wrap up, Alli asks how this work has been spiritually for Nicholas. He said both the conflict and peace-building reside within his family history and within himself, which he didn’t realize would take hold until he went to Jerusalem himself. Nicholas said that his faith and life were traumatized by 9/11. On the 10th anniversary of 9/11, Nicholas and his wife decided to work towards the future — peace.   

Today we have two guests with us, Dom Gautrau and Boris Sigal.    Boris works to make sure the Community Purchasing Alliance (CPA) has the capacity to provide a great experience for member institutions and vendors alike. That includes building out operational systems to accommodate an increasing number of members and service offerings, benchmarks that maintain financial strength, and strategies to continue to grow cooperative purchasing and social impact opportunities.   Dom is a long-time member of St. Francis in Stamford. Dom has served several terms as vestryman at St Francis. He currently sits on the diocesan Property Committee. Five years ago he started a fuel buying program called Faith Fuel Initiative for 4 parishes in Fairfield County that has saved them thousands of dollars annually.   Alli asks how both Boris and Dom got involved in the Community Purchasing Alliance and this initiative here in Connecticut. Boris shares that he began this work in DC with several non-profits joining together to make a group purchase to lower their electricity bill. His thinking was “what can we do together that we cannot do alone,” and a CPA was a result of those informal conversations.    Dom tells his story of getting involved in a CPA in Connecticut, which he felt was a natural extension from his 2015 Faith Fuel Initiative to include other non-profits nearby on a group purchase. A few weeks ago, 36 organizations - including 21 ECCT parishes, mosques, schools, and temples -  have purchased electricity together.  Alli asks how parishes have reacted to this opportunity. Dom says the 21 parishes have been very excited to participate, particularly about the saving potentials with a group purchase. There is another opportunity in September for parishes who did not get in on the first way of community utility purchasing, Dom hopes this will be enticing for other parishes facing financial difficulties and looking for a chance to save on utility bills.    Boris shares that this also offers an opportunity for collaboration between multiple faith-based organizations and non-profits. CPA offers stepping stones, Boris says, and this allows for organizations to open up to working closer together on other topics as well. Dom adds that the positivity and encouragement in the conversations between the organization is hopeful for the future.    Alli asks Boris and Dom to walk through the steps for a parish to get involved. Boris shares that the first step is to send a copy of the parish’s or organization’s utility bill, right now CPA is working on heating bills. Next there will be a conference call for the organizations to ask questions, share what is important, and solidify a commitment. Next a steering committee is formed organically in the group.    So the next steps for parishes is to submit parish and non-profits fuel bills to CPA to begin the process. You can send those latest utility bill and recent contract to: boris@CPA.coop. For heating, send the heating tank size and how many, and other information. Dom shares that folks can reach out to him personally as well.    Alli asks if this is something communities and neighborhoods could do. Boris shares that while it would be possible, the size of the purchase is important to negotiating a lower cost. Boris says that this coop and working together is an opportunity to protect individuals and non-profit organizations who are not laser focused on the details of their bills.    To wrap up, Alli asks Dom and Boris how this work has been for them, spiritually. Dom says that watching parishes working together joyfully has been spiritually fulfilling. Boris says that this is very spiritual for him, as an immigrant/religious refugee, this work that focuses on working together is the American dream, for him.    To get involved in this collaborative community utility purchasing alliance, send the latest utility bill to Boris@CPA.coop by the end of April. There’s no commitment until contracts are signed. 

Today's guest in Greg Farr, archivist for the Episcopal Church in Connecticut since last October. His office is at The Commons. Greg is not entirely new to ECCT, as he helped transport and set up the archives at The Commons in Meriden from the old Diocesan House in Hartford in 2016.  Before working for ECCT, Greg ran the medical library and archives of the Austen Riggs Center in Stockbridge, MA, a hospital celebratings its centennial this ,year that sponsors one of the largest - and some say finest - psychoanalytic libraries on the east coast. Greg first got into archival work at Monticello, working on the presidential catalogue of Thomas Jefferson. Greg received his Masters in Library & Information Sciences from Drexel University. In the article introducing Greg to ECCT, he said he was looking forward to advocating the history and value of archives and the knowledge maintaining history provides, especially here in Connecticut.  Beyond ECCT, Greg likes to read theology and play guitar. He lives with his wife in Colebrook, which he calls the "icebox of Connecticut," and they have three grown children.  Greg starts out by saying how much he enjoys being in his current position, and how he likes that ECCT's history parallels U.S. history. He talked about what's in our archives, the different types of media, and how much space it takes up. Greg shares his thoughts about how the Anglican Church, later to be The Episcopal Church, contributed, as an organization, to the development of the US. He thinks of the Church as like a quilting point.   Next he shares some of the interesting finds from his work in the ECCT archives, some of which have come through requests from researchers. (Was the sexton of a St. Paul's in New Haven murdered in the 1850s? Was there an African Mission Society in the 1830s and was Frances Scott Key really on its board?)  Some of Greg's work is now to convert our holdings to accommodate digital access, he said, but he still works with paper a lot. In response  to a question from Alli, Greg says that there are many ways that the archives and his role as archivist can assist parishes — from providing founding documents to blueprints. He is also available to visit parishes and assist with keeping records and preservation. He suggests to parishes to keep all minutes, records, etc.   Greg talks about his work with Monticello and how he went from a ticket salesperson to working on President Jefferson’s retirement library. One thing that really stood out to Greg was Jefferson’s copy of the French Encyclopedia, one of the firsts of its kind. After his work with Monticello, he went to grad school in Boston and worked with Elie Wiesel, which shaped his understanding of memory and identity. His love for archives came from a project he worked on at Episcopal Divinity School. 

Today Coffee Hour at The Commons is on the road again, in Bristol, at Shepard Meadows Therapeutic Riding Center. It’s on land donated to the Episcopal Church in Connecticut to be used for ministry, which is an expression of God’s love, and that’s certainly what’s going on here. The vision for the use of the property and some of its buildings for a therapeutic riding center started in 2004 and the center officially opened a year later with two horses and a pilot program for three children with special needs.   Today it is a premiere accredited center, one of six in the state, accredited by PATH International, the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship. It has seven horses in its herd, lots of volunteers, and a staff of five. Today we’ll be talking with its executive director, Shelly Whitlock-Pope, who’s also a PATH-certified instructor, and Dave Demarais, a long-time volunteer with the center, Vice-President of its Board of Directors, formerly on the staff of ECCT for property management. That was after retiring from serving as the Deputy Fire Chief of West Hartford. (Here’s a link to a story about Dave from when he retired from ECCT staff.)   Shelly was appointed to her position last August. She has degrees in health administration, elementary education, educational leadership, and administration and policy; a background in healthcare, finance, education, and programming, and has worked at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the NYC Department of Education, Pegasus Therapeutic Riding and Manhattanville College. In addition to being a PATH-certified therapeutic riding instructor, she is also an equine specialist in mental health and learning, a mentor and site evaluator, and Special Olympics Equestrian Coach. She was trained and rode English for years and even patrolled NYC’s Central Park with the Mounted Auxiliary but says her true loves are riding trails Western, and her two American Quarter horses.

Today our guest is Jerusalem Greer, member of the "Way of Love creation and leadership team with The Episcopal Church. Jerusalemis an author, public speaker, multi-hobby enthusiast, and blogger on her website jerusalemgreer.com. She is the leader for the upcoming Episcopal Province of New England Faith Formation Leaders Gathering all about the Way of Love. She was also just named staff officer for evangelism for The Episcopal Church.   For Lent, The Episcopal Church and the Episcopal Church in Connecticut are embracing the Way of Love, encouraging folks to Turn, Learn, Pray, Worship, Bless, Go, and Rest.    Welcome Jerusalem!    Jerusalem calls us in from her farm in Arkansas. We begin our conversation about the Way of Love and Lent by asking what is the Way of Love and how she became involved in the creation and leadership. Jerusalem says that it is not a program, first and foremost, but rather it is a Rule of Life, similar to that of a monastic Rule of Life, with seven spiritual practices. It came out of the Presiding Bishop’s launch of the Jesus Movement and people’s reflections on how to participate. RenewalWorks later wrote a white paper based on its research showing that Episcopalians have a deep hunger for a deeper spiritual life.    The  Way of Love started with two questions:  "how can we help disciple our people in practical ways?" and "how what does it mean to be a part of the Jesus Movement?”   Alli asks how Jerusalem got herself involved. Jerusalem is very involved with FORMA and The Episcopal Church’s Evangelism team, and was asked to help come up with this initiative. They were in a room in Virginia Theological Seminary for many hours looking at various monastic traditions and writings, and came up with six practices to which they gave one-word names: Turn, Learn, Pray, Worship, Bless, and Go. The Presiding Bishop came up with the seventh, Rest.  Although the Presiding Bishop starts with Turn and ends with Rest, Jerusalem assured listeners it's ok to begin and end wherever.    For Lent, which begins on Wednesday, there are curriculums and various resources available at Episcopalchurch.org/wayoflove. One curriculum works through the seven words and practices and can be applied to small groups, bible studies, etc. There is also a curriculum dedicated for silent days and reflective days, perfect for Lenten retreats. It is also possible to look for resources on the website by word as well, and narrow it down by desired audience and media.    Jerusalem said that the two Way of Life practices that she has felt God “pressing in,” are in Rest and Bless. She explains that she feels that Rest is really about posture and how we define Rest — treating yourself and true soul rest. She asks what practices can help her establish a resting soul rate, like a resting heart rate. For Bless, Jerusalem views it as Evangelism and how that looks like as a blessing, which is different than Go, which is more like Outreach.    During Lent, the Episcopal Church in Connecticut will offer weekly reflections following the Way of Love from our Region Missionaries on all our social media platforms! All of this information will also be available on the ECCT’s weekly eNewsletters which you can subscribe to here. 

In this episode we dive into JJNMA - what?    We find out about a pilot program for a new missional project in the Episcopal Church in Connecticut to help parishes and individuals deepen their spiritual life and raise financial resources for engaging God's mission.   With us today are the Rt. Rev. Ian T. Douglas, bishop diocesan of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut (ECCT) and Tiffany Reed, Assistant Vice President at CCS Fundraising, a strategic fundraising firm that partners with nonprofits for transformational change. (more bio below)   We started by exploring where the idea came from and whether joining the spiritual component with the fundraising component is new or unique, and how it particularly makes sense for Connecticut at this time. The bishop took us through some of the past history in ECCT, with its "Living Local Joining God (LLJG)" initiative for parishes, and some of the related resolutions that led to working with CCS.    He also talked about what it means to "Join Jesus" and what the "New Missional Age" is all about.   Tiffany then helped us look at what this looks like on the practical level, which includes reaching out to parishes, and how CCS works with clergy and lay leaders to help develop a culture of generosity. We talked about what parishes might want to raise new money for, and what fundraising for ECCT and Region initiatives might include.    We ended with each of them sharing how this work is a spiritual practice!   If you're interested in learning more, you can contact Tiffany Reed, Consultant to Joining Jesus in a New Missional Age, at treed@episcopalct.oro   About our new guest:  Tiffany Reed, Assistant Vice President at CCS Fundraising, a strategic fundraising firm that partners with nonprofits for transformational change. At CCS, Tiffany provides operational and strategic support to a team of 15 directors and works with client partners, planning and implementing programs that achieve fundraising goals and mission impact. Her work focuses on feasibility studies, assessments, and comprehensive campaign efforts. Prior to joining CCS, Tiffany spent ten years in the education sector as a teacher, administrator, and nonprofit program manager. She is a graduate of Bryn Mawr College, where she earned an A.B. in Political Science and Mathematics.

Today we're having a conversation with Rich Stein about the Global Philanthropy Leaders (GPL) initiative that works in churches with small groups of motivated, reliable, and curious youth to help them make microloans to those who wouldn't otherwise have access to capital. Rich lives in Sandy Hook, Connecticut with his wife and they are members of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Ridgefield. Rich is a co-founder of the GPL initiative, along with St. Stephen's rector the Rev. Whitney Altopp and their youth coordinator, Jane Lindenberg. Rich has worked as a private investor for the past two decades. He has a BA in Economics from the University of Chicago and an MBA in Marketing & Strategy from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management of Northwestern University. In addition to being a member of St. Stephen's he now chairs their investment committee, and he also serves on the board of trustees for the investment funds of the Episcopal Church of Connecticut, or ECCT. Rich joined us by phone, from Chicago. We began by trying to understand what GPL is all about.  (It is NOT related to the free software license also called GPL!!) “It’s about offering youth the opportunity to make a tangible difference in  people’s lives half a world away by making microloans to help [them] start or expand a business ... “ he said. They’re also learning how faith helps them inform those decisions. We got into some of the details of how it works. He talked about what he’s looking for in the young people – high schoolers - who are selected to be part of the initiative, and teaching the guidelines for making the microloans. He later shared that each youth receives $200 to make the loans and is asked to add $25 of their own money. We also talked about what constitutes a microloan and he provided the example of a farmer who wants to buy a cow for $500 – a huge amount to the farmer, but too small for a bank. And there’s no collateral. Rich explained microfinance work. He works through Kiva, an international nonprofit, and said available loans are listed on the Kiva website. That’s where the GPL youth leaders find their opportunities. While Rich teaches some of the guidelines and practices that have helped him over the years in making microloans, St. Stephen’s rector wanted to add an explicit component for faith. They incorporate the practice of “Dwelling in the Word” of scripture at their meetings. Whether we like it or not, money is an exchange of value, Rich said, so we have to be willing to discuss money on a spiritually mature basis. Rich said the initiative has already spread from St. Stephen’s, Ridgefield to St. John’s, Bridgeport and Saint Luke’s, Darien. To expand further, GPL recently applied for and received a grant for $11,000 from ECCT’s Sustainability Development Fund,which addresses any of the 17 U.N. Sustainability goals (microloans address 13 of 17). The idea is to find additional parishes that want to host a GPL initiative and are willing to match a grant of $1000 with $1000 of their own.   Toward the end of our podcast, Rich explained how he got into microfinance, and how his involvement in microfinance as a spiritual practice. He appreciates that he’s been able to help some of the youth not only learn about economics and microfinance, and to see how it intersects with their faith. On February 9, 2019, from 1-2 p.m.,  following the Southwest Region Convocation at St. Matthew’s, Wilton, Rich will do a “Come and See” presentation about what it would take to start a GPL initiative at their parish. More info here.

Today’s guest is the Rev. Rowena Kemp, priest in charge of Grace Episcopal Church in Hartford. She is also a member of ECCT's Standing Committee, chaplain for the national Girls Friendly Society USA, and participates in or leads numerous other committees and groups including one we'll be talking about today, the Racial Healing, Justice, and Reconciliation Ministry Network. Her first two advanced degrees came from New York Medical College: She has a Master's in Clinical Research Administration and a Master's of Public Health, Health Policy and Management. Before her work with the church, Rowena worked as a program manager for Yale University School of Medicine and is skilled in molecular biology, biochemical research, DNA sequencing, and biomarkers. Rowena graduated with an M.Div from Yale in 2013 and was ordained that year. She then served as a priest for the Middlesex Area Cluster Ministry, then assistant rector at Trinity on the Green in New Haven, and since 2016, as priest-in-charge of Grace Church, Hartford. Rowena started us with prayer, then we jumped right into conversation about the Racial Healing, Justice, and Reconciliation Ministry Network. The name of the ministry network is long but it describes their intention, she said. The network started after the 2016 Trinity Institute as a follow-up to that, and grew over time in partnership with other groups addressing the issues. Currently the RJHRMN is helping ECCT to get involved in the Season of Racial Healing, Justice, and Reconciliation, called for by a resolution of ECCT’s annual convention, and other related initiatives. (More on this page.) Rowena said that the hope for the Season is for it to be a time of education, of safe space for healing and reconciliation to take place, and there would be opportunities for each of us to look at how we’re complicit. We talked about others engaged in this work including a working group from the Leadership Gathering, which merged with the ministry network earlier this fall. There was a Planning Summit recently at which different groups met to look at the tasks involved in rolling out the Season and providing related resources and opportunities. One of those early opportunities was to attend a play in October at the Ivoryton Playhouse, “The Queens of the Golden Mask,”a story about the women of the KKK. Two hundred tickets had been made available to Episcopalians across the state. Rowena talked about the impact of watching that show, and particularly how it impacted her as a person of color. And, how it provided an opportunity for conversation. Over the Season there will be more opportunities for Episcopalians to --  as Rowena said -- “sit together in uncomfortable spots and at the end be able to hold each other and love each other and be able to see each other for who God calls each of us to be.” We talked about the planning summit held Nov. 28. She described the six areas of work that the RHJR Ministry Network had identified, and the work of other participating groups. Rowena shares some personal experiences, and invites us all to participate in the Season, as true allies.

The Rt. Rev. Laura J. Ahrens is bishop suffragan for the Episcopal Church in Connecticut (ECCT). Laura is a graduate of Princeton University and Berkeley Divinity School at Yale, and has a D.Min. from Hartford Seminary. She was ordained to the diaconate and priesthood in Massachusetts and served two parishes in Massachusetts before being called to Saint Luke’s, Darien and later to St. James’, Danbury. She was elected as bishop suffragan in 2007 and consecrated later that year. Laura has been to the Holy Land twice, and is a co-leader for the upcoming 2019 pilgrimage to the Holy Land. The Rev. Harrison West, rector of Christ Church in Guilford. A native of Oregon, he received in BA from Carleton College in Minnesota, and studied architectural history at the University of Oregon, and earned his M.Div. from the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee and after his ordination served parishes in Maryland, Oregon, and Tennessee before taking the position in Guilford in 2010. Harrison has taken one trip to the Holy Land so far, over New Year’s in 2013, and it snowed that year. Our primary focal point for this episode was the upcoming ECCT pilgrimage, June 9-19, 2019, with an optional three-day extension. (Check out the previous episode, #25, interviews with John Lent and Heidi Shott of the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem). We talked about where the idea for the pilgrimage came from (learn about the “Holy Landers” group), and how going on a pilgrimage is different from going as a tourist. On a pilgrimage you really enter the geography and connect with the people, Harrison explained. Laura added that as a pilgrim, you also create space for prayer. The on-site pilgrimage leader, Canon Iyad Qumri, a lay canon of the Cathedral in Jerusalem, creates special opportunities for prayer, connected with specific events described in the Scriptures. They talked about the itineraryand about preparations (practical and spiritual). Once the group is finalized, the pilgrims will gather several times in the upcoming months to get to know one another better and study and prepare together. The pilgrimage will include visits to parishes, Episcopal institutions, and opportunities to meet Anglican/Episcopal leaders there. Harrison and Laura each shared what it was about the Holy Land that drew them back: being where Jesus lived topped the list. Both talked about how their earlier pilgrimages had changed their prayer lives, making them richer. The pilgrimage group, which will be shepherded by a licensed, experienced guide, will see the places and hear about the people connected with Jesus’ time; they will also see and experience life there now. Laura talked about how it was important “to be praying for all the people that live there, and working with people to explore a hope-filled future.” We ended with reminders about where to find more information including a video, and get a registration form, available here: https://www.episcopalct.org/holyland2019/ They’re looking for a commitment and a deposit by December 14, 2018.

Today we sat down with two people who work for a Connecticut-based organization that works across The Episcopal Church, the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, AFEDJ. These were John Lent, AFEDJ's executive director, and Heidi Shott, their communication director. John was appointed in June 2018 after serving as deputy director since 2016, then acting executive director after Anne Lynn retired in January 2018.John is an experienced non-profit, education and corporate leader who started his career as a teacher and worked in educational publishing for many years. He served as Executive Director of a national non-profit that recruits and trains school leaders in partnership with many of the largest urban school districts in the country and previously served as COO of an educational technology company. John is active in his Episcopal parish, where he has served in numerous leadership roles. Heidi is AFEDJ's first communications director. She came on board in September 2018 and credits her three trips to the Diocese of Jerusalem over the past two years as playing a key role in discerning her call to work for them. Before her current gig, she served for 10 years as Canon for Communication and Advocacy in the Episcopal Diocese of Maine, and before that, she was the communications director for a statewide community development loan fund. Heidi is a popular, award-winning writer whose news stories and features about the church and essays about faith in daily life have appeared in Episcopal Cafe, Episcopal Life, The Witness, Trinity (Wall Street) News, and other publications. Our conversation started with an explanation of AEFDJ, its founding (in 1988) and its clear mission to raise money and awareness and support in the United States of the 30 humanitarian institutions in the Diocese of Jerusalem - which stretches across five countries -- and include schools, full-service hospitals, medical clinics, and centers for children with disabilities. There are only 5500 members and 27 parishes in the entire Diocese of Jerusalem. The institutions are open to and serve people of all faiths. The institutions offer high quality care and education and while they don't proselytize, they operate on Christian values, said John and Heidi, which they said include treating people with dignity and respect, and teaching acceptance, love, tolerance, and reconciliation. We also talked about their fundraising and some projects (including one right now to raise money for an ambulance). Later, they talked about how they were each drawn into working for AFEDJ, based on their experiences in the Holy Land and awareness of the tiny but important Christian population there. They feel safe when they travel there, each said, and talked about additional on-the-ground realities such as how travel restrictions, or access to electricity, impacts the institutions. Pilgrimage is essential, said John, for the spiritual experience of visiting the holy sites as well as learning about life there; Heidi added the importance of experiencing their hospitality and hope. We ended with John and Heidi sharing how this work for AFEDJ has had an impact on their spiritual lives. There's lots more information about the organization at their website, afedj.org. including a link to sign up for their newsletters, and a list of some upcoming pilgrimages. The bishops of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut, with ECCT’s “Holy Landers” Ministry Network, are also leading a pilgrimage June 9-19, 2019. More info including a video and registration form here.

On this episode, Alli sits down with the Rt. Rev. Anne Dyer, bishop of the Diocese of Aberdeen and Orkney in the Scottish Episcopal Church. Bishop Anne shares her story coming from her home parish and the encouragement she received from her vicar to serve in the church, before women were ordained. Bishop Anne has been a first in many things: she was in the first group of female deacons, first group of female priests, and first female bishop. She talks about the push back she has experienced, as well as the support she has received and how she maintains balance in her life.   Bishop Anne talks about the importance of “resetting her compass” and sabbath in her ministry as a bishop and as Christians, something she hopes to become a model for her clergy—that rest and renewal are critical to ministry. She also discusses the impact art has had on her spiritual and prayer life, she tries to be in an art gallery a week. She has brought this love of art to ministry as a bishop by starting a Monday morning blog post called “Picturing Prayer” on the Diocese’s Facebook pageand website, offering a picture, reflection, and prayer.   Bishop Anne’s visit to ECCT is purely out of building personal relationships and mutual interest, as the Episcopal Church in Connecticut and the Scottish Episcopal Church have a longstanding relationship going back to the ordination of Samuel Seabury… whose mitre sparked a theological conversation between Bishop Anne and Bishop Douglas just before the podcast recording!   Alli and Bishop Anne discuss what God is up to in the secular country of Scotland and in the Diocese of Aberdeen and Orkney. She is known in Scotland as the “Bishop on the bus” choosing to take public transport around the town and on her visitations, including visitations to far off islands at the tip of the country.   Bishop Anne talks about what she has seen and has taken away so far from her trip to Connecticut, and asks for the Episcopal Church in Connecticut to pray for the Diocese of Aberdeen and Orkney.     About our guest:   The Rt. Rev. Anne Dyer is the bishop of the Diocese of Aberdeen and Orkney in the Scottish Episcopal Church. (Check out: https://aoepiscopal.scot/)  She was elected by their College of Bishops in November 2017 and consecrated in March 2018. "Bishop Anne," as she is called, is the first woman bishop of that diocese and of the Scottish Episcopal Church.   The diocese covers the historic county of Aberdeenshire, and the Orkney and Shetland Island groups.   Originally from England, and the Church of England, Bishop Anne was educated at Bradford Girls' Grammar School, and later studied chemistry at St. Anne's College, Oxford, where she earned a BA and an MA degree. After that she worked as a business and systems analyst at a corporation. She trained for ordained ministry at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford before her ordination, and later at Kings' College in London.     Anne was ordained in the Church of England as a deacon in 1987 and priest in 1994. She served in the Diocese of Rochester in various parish ministry positions, she also served as their associate advisor for evangelism and later their ministry development officer.    In 2004 she became the warden, or, principal, for Cranmer Hall, Durham, an evangelical Anglican theological college, and served there until 2011 when she was appointed rector of a church in the Diocese of Edinburgh in the Scottish Episcopal Church. She continued her academic connections there by serving on the council of the Scottish Episcopal Institute, the theological college of the Scottish Episcopal Church.   Anne was elected bishop of the Diocese of Aberdeen and Orkney in 2017 by the House of Bishops of the Scottish Episcopal Church after that diocese failed to choose its own bishop. She was  controversial not only because of her gender and the way she was chosen, but also because of her support for same-sex marriage in a diocese known for being more conservative. Two senior clergy including their dean resigned.    Bishop Anne's visit to ECCT is another sign of the continuing relationship between our two dioceses that stretch back to the late 1700s when Samuel Seabury was elected by a small group of priests in Connecticut and sent overseas to be consecrated as bishop for the diocese of Connecticut, first bishop for this new  country, and, it can be argued, first bishop outside of the Church of England in what became the global Anglican Communion.   

In 2016 the Episcopal Church in Connecticut decided to reorganize itself into six geographic Regions. They hired missionaries to help the churches connect and collaborate. In the first season we met three missionaries, and now in the second season we're talking to the other three.    We talk about lay preaching, Laundry Love ministry, youth philanthropy leaders, and the role of the missionary in helping make connections that support the existing leaders.   "We get to connect what is already growing!" said Eliza. We don't have to do it ourselves, added Maggie, who talked about Celtic services, centering prayer, and eco-justice ministries in her Region.    If you've wondered what missionaries do, this will help explain it. You can hear the similarities and the differences among the missionaries, and the Regions. Eliza suggested that it might be about breaking down isolation, saying that parish ministry can be isolating, said Eliza for both clergy and lay leaders. So she thinks of her work and ministry as breaking down isolation, or as she calls it, "providing a circulatory system for the Body of Christ."    They also talk about how they meet as a group, and when, and what they do on those occasions. And they talk about hopes for their Regions and its leaders.   This is an incredibly hopeful and hope-filled conversation. It's not about conflict, scarcity, survival, or death, which is how some people want to talk about church. And even though the times we live in are uncertain, what these missionaries see is hope and life and energy, even joy.    Our guests today were Eliza Marth, the Rev. Carlos De La Torre, and Maggie Breen.  Eliza Marth is the Region Missionary for the Northwest Region. Before ECCT, she lived in Boston and served with the Episcopal Service Corps called Life Together, living in an intentional community. She lives in Torrington and brews kombucha and grows okra.  The Rev. Carlos de la Torre is the Region Missionary for the Southwest Region. He also serves as curate at Christ Church, New Haven and program director for St. Hilda’s House, a program of Episcopal Service Corps. Carlos lives in New Haven with his poodle, Ozzie.  Maggie Breen is the Region Missionary for the Northeast Region. Maggie is originally from the Vernon/Tolland, CT area. She has worked in finance and has been a music teacher before coming to ECCT. Maggie lives on a farm in Chaplin, with her husband Michael and four, count them, four sheep  and a dog. 

Our guest for this episode is Carolyn Clement, the Digital ministry passionista at her home parish of Trinity Episcopal Church in Tariffville, Connecticut. She is an innovator, singer, teacher, mother of three, wife, digital ministry advocate, and Episcopalian!     In her day job, Carolyn works on the product development and innovative team for a financial services organization.    When she is not tweeting over at @singingcarolyn, you can find her in Simsbury singing in her home with her two standard poodles and helping her daughter plan her wedding. When she’s available, Carolyn leads sessions on Social Media at ECCT’s Spring Training and Gathering, held in Meriden annually, usually on the first Saturday in April.   We know Carolyn best as the creator of Social Media Sunday (#SMS18, this year), which began in 2013 as a movement to help parishes and worshiping communities use social media to spread the gospel—encouraging folks to take their smart phones out and tweet the sermon, snap a selfie, or just share that they are at church that morning.    In this episode she explains how it got started and what that first Sunday was like, and how it spread out from Tariffville around the world, got millions of impressions, and moved from June to September. (One thing she mentions was a “church in social media chat” known as #chsocm (which is evidently pronounced as: cha-SOCK-em).   She talks about the “why” behind it as well as the “what.” And she gives some advice about #sms18 as well as about social media and churches (and people who go to church). Even if you’re the only one at your church on social media you can be the “army of one,” she says. Don’t forget how important it is to click! Click, Like Comment, Share (in that order of increasing importance, she says) is essential. It all increases the value, thus, the reach, of the day. Carolyn was introduced to Facebook years and years ago and immediately saw its power. She likes all kinds of digital media, though, so we spent some time chatting about Facebook (she loves that they collect the images and share the memories), Snapchat, and other options, and how she continue to support people at her church in her community to use social media and share God’s love.   Social Media Sunday is September 30, 2018 this year so use #SMS18. Find resources on the Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/SMS15/ including links to compilations of resources elsewhere.

The Rev. Katharine “Katy” Piazza, rector of Emmanuel, Weston and the Rev. Kevin Olds, rector of St. Timothy’s, Fairfield talk about the new worship service they’re planning to launch fall 2018, “Special Grace.” It’s designed for children with special needs, their families, and friends and supporters. Both have children with special needs, and they share that towards the end of our conversation. Both Katy and Kevin are relatively new to ECCT (Katy in 2015 and Kevin in 2017) and both knew they wanted to get involved in special needs worship services here in ECCT. Kevin explains how they happened to meet at ECCT’s “Spring Training & Gathering” and connect over a possible shared ministry. Over the last program year, St. Timothy’s sponsored a “Grace2Go” service led by an outside person. Katy created and leads Christmas service at Emmanuel for children with special needs and their families. It’s designed especially for children who get overwhelmed by even regular children’s services. Kevin went with his son to the service at Emmanuel last Christmas. The new bimonthly service, “Special Grace” will be led by Katy and Kevin, and alternate between churches. They are still debating how much they will get to be just a parent, versus the clergy authority, when they are at each other’s churches. They also talked about the possibility of offering a special needs VBS next summer. Katy talks about how the special needs ministry isn’t separate, but an outgrowth of all the other ministry taking place in church. It allows families to have their own space and hopefully integrate into the larger community as well. Kevin adds that it gives an opportunity for volunteers to learn more about children with special needs, and their families. Alli asks about a quote from Katy about enjoying ministry to teens with their doubts, and Katy’s reply carries it to the challenges of presenting the Christian story to special needs children, who can be very literal. They talk about their hopes for a possible VBS, and the importance of getting to know the emerging community before they can make definitive decisions. They’re planning to reach out to families in their own churches, of course, but also the wider community. Kevin says there’s an active Facebook page. “Why can’t The Episcopal Church become the church that’s known as the church for being particularly welcoming to families with special needs?” asked Kevin, declaring his hopes. “I want every child – especially my own – to have full membership in the church community,” said Katy, explaining her passion. If you have questions, contact them through their respective churches for now; there could be a website and/or Facebook page later. Sttimschurch.org Emmanuelwestonct.org

Today’s guests are some of ECCT’s elected deputies and alternates who went to Austin, Texas for nearly two weeks in early July to be part of the triennial General Convention of The Episcopal Church. They share their reflections and some of the highlights from their time as official participants there.  The General Convention of The Episcopal Churchtook place July 5-13 in Austin Texas and ECCT was among more than 100 dioceses that sent their bishops and elected deputies (and alternate deputies) to participate, listen, pray, discern, and vote (in either the House of Bishops or the House of Deputies) on what turned out to be more than 500 resolutions. True, a good number came “bundled” together for a single up or down vote. Other considered one at a time garnered more press, notably the revision of the Prayer Book, welcoming the Church in Cuba back into The Episcopal Church, and approving marriage rites and expansive language liturgies. Still more set policies to form the basis for advocacy in Washington, D.C. while dozens of others made small changes to the canons (church laws) that will reshape the way we act, and respond, as an institution. (Direct linkto official Summary of Actions for a list of resolutions and their final status; direct linkto the Virtual Binder for the text of the resolutions in final, adopted language. There were legislative committee meetings and hearings, a series of resolutionsas well as a poignant service of Lamentthat emerged out of the #metoo movement, public witnesses by Bishops United Against Gun Violence, a visit to stand in solidarity with womenat a residential immigrant detention center, daily worship including a revival, vendors and exhibitors telling their story or selling their products and services, gatherings (seminaries, affinity groups, partnership members, provinces), three topical convention-wide conversations, an invitation from our Presiding Bishop into the “Way of Love,” and so much more.  Episcopal Church in Connecticut's Deputation to General Convention 2018:  Bishops: the Rt. Rev. Ian T. Douglas and the Rt. Rev. Laura J. Ahrens Lay Deputies: Suzy Burke; A. Bates Lyons; Alli Huggins; Don Burr. Lay alternates: Shirley Wick; Ted Mollegen Clerical Deputies: The Rev. Molly James; the Rev. Tracy Johnson Russell; the Rev.Linda Spiers; the Rev. Carlos de la Torre. Clerical alternates: The Rev. Sandra Cosman; the Rev. Jonathan Folts

Today's podcast was recorded in Plantsville, Connecticut, at the annual meeting of the Episcopal Church Women. Becca Stevens, founder of Thistle Farms, was the guest speaker. They have a fabulous website and extensive social media presence on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, and Instagram. Check them out (and shop for great stuff and to support their work): https://thistlefarms.org/  Before her presentation, ECCT's Bishop Laura Ahrens delivered a sermon at a celebration of the Eucharist. We decided to package the sermon and the talk together. The sermon comes first and is about 13 minutes) followed by Becca's talk, about 30 minutes, including some great music. Bishop Laura's sermon was taken from the Gospel passage about "abiding in God's love." She began by sharing an experience while out on a run in New Haven: She she met a homeless man who recognized her as a runner, and shared some of his karate moves with her. The way he recognized and affirmed her ("you're a runner!) reminded her of how Jesus sees people - welcoming all, getting to know them and include them as companions. It encouraged her to be curious about the stories of others and see the world as God sees it. Then she talked about diners and the many kinds of people and conversations that take place there. What she had learned from Becca Stevens, she said, was that a diner can also be a place where a person might come to rest from their trafficking life. She asks, "I wonder how ... our participation, in God's mission, calls us to share God's love with others, so that they might abide in safe shelters and restful places, as well as the loving arms of God." Becca Stevens talk, which follows the sermon on the podcast, started by showing a TV interview by Jenna Bush, which we didn't include because of audio quality, length, and copyright. In the podcast we start where she says hello to everyone and shares that she was born in Milford, Connecticut, living there very briefly before her family moved to Nashville, Tennessee. Becca begins by expressing her thanks and admiration for the Episcopal churchwomen, and in particular, for their annual church fairs. "I know it was the women of the church that gave me such strength, and faith, in my life," she said, adding that everything she needed to learn about running her multi-million-dollar organization she she learned at church bazaars, run by Episcopal Church Women. You need to listen to how she explains how they work and why it's life-giving! It's much more than raising money - it about an "economy of love" - and the Church Women taught her that. Then she went on to describe how she used those lessons as she started to work with the women who are "survivors of trafficking, prostitution, and addiction." From getting a safe place to live and healthy food, to meaningful work. Thistle Farms is known for its many products - bath and body lotions in particular - created by its residents. "The Episcopal Church Women reminds us that justice is the platter upon which our worship needs to be served," Becca said. You may not be able to attend or consider another gathering of Episcopal Church Women in the same way, after hearing this! Becca, who is an ordained Episcopal priest, is married to songwriter Marcus Hummon. Their son, Levi Hummon is also a songwriter (you need to hear why he chose than instead of priesthood). Becca plays a song he wrote, and performed with Alison Krauss,"Love Heals," which is a tribute to the women of Thistle Farms. (We include it with her permission). Or find it here on YouTube. The podcast end with a witness and a song by a Thistle Farm-er, a survivor named Doris who now works with the organization. You can find it here, too, on YouTube. We think you’ll not only enjoy this podcast but be blessed as well, and inspired by the work of church women, Becca Stevens, Levi, and Doris, and so many others.

Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force, Gen. David L. Goldfein and Colin Clark sit down at the winter Air Force Association conference for a candid conversation about resources and battle management. In these podcasts, Colin brings his dulcet tones and sharp wit to bear interviewing top Pentagon officials, members of Congress and defense experts. He'll bring the Farnborough and Paris air shows to your headphones, along with visits to bases and defense plants.   Links and Resources from this Episode For additional information of this episode go to https://breakingdefense.com Connect with Colin Clark https://breakingdefense.com/author/colinclark https://twitter.com/colindefense https://twitter.com/breakingdefense https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_L._Goldfein   Show Notes JSTARS and the potential vulnerabilities. Changing elements in battle management. How cyber will be apart of the electronic warfare ECCT. Where the Air Force wants to allocate money in their budget.

About three years ago the Episcopal Church in Connecticut decided to "reimagine" the way it was organized and governed so it could be better at encouraging people in churches to work together and to support their participation in God's mission.     Part of what it did was to re-organize into six geographic Regions, and then it hired six three-quarter-time missionaries, one for each of the six Regions, to help. Today’s episode is a conversation with three of these Region Missionaries about their work: the Rev. Rachel Thomas (Southeast Region), the Rev. Rachel Field (South Central Region), and Erin Flinn (North Central Region).    Rachel Thomas is originally from Georgia and originally from the Methodist Church. She's been ordained to the priesthood for 26 years - making her the elder, by age only, among the Region Missionaries. She's has served at camps and conference centers, in college campus ministries, and at parishes in Connecticut.    Rachel Field is from Maryland where she worked as a research biologist and environmental educator. She is a graduate of Yale Divinity School, she is also an ordained Episcopal priest.    Erin Flinn is originally from New Hampshire. Her first career was as assistant lighting designer for the Lyric Opera Company in Chicago and she also worked in administration at Northwestern University and as program director for the Episcopal Church at Yale. She has an M.Div. from Yale Divinity School.    Our first question was about unpacking what “participating in God’s mission” meant to them and to their work. They talked about Christianity as a way of life, not as a “spectator sport,” and how God is already present, and about how it’s an invitation.    Next, they each talked about their job and about the Regions where they serve.   In their official job descriptions, their role is to assist the parishes and worshiping communities in “their” Region to catalyze, connect, convene, and build capacity/capability. They spend a lot of time driving from place to place and listening to people, learning about great ministries and partnerships. They share stories. They talk about God and about community.   They face what one called “beautiful challenges,” including geography and old habits; they encourage people to try new things; they ask questions.    As  the role of the church in today’s culture and society changes, Region Missionaries can be like midwives to the process, reminding people to breathe … they are also experimenters, and builders of the Kingdom of God that God needs now.    And, they have “tremendous faith that God will always have the church that God needs.“ To a person, they love their work, see it as ministry, and feel called to it.    As we concluded the session, we asked about their personal spiritual practices and how those have been influenced by their work as RMs. They all spoke about the importance of their shared time together as RMs: learning, praying, spending time with scripture — becoming a community. Sung chant is one of their spiritual practices (learning about different ones, and singing them) and they agreed to close our session today with one of these, “To the hills I will lift mine eyes.”  ------------------------------------------------------------------ About the chant:  Here’s how another of the RMs (you’ll meet her in a future episode!) describes the chant: “This chant was written by a contemplative Christian activist and has been integrated into social justice action, particularly in resistance of pipeline construction. It has been used to find courage in preparation for disrupting systems of greed and sin. May all who sing it in community find courage to resist the ways of sin that lead to death and in singing, may we join all those who are creating a taste of God’s dream for the world.”

Today’s episode took place at Camp Washington, a summer camp and year-round conference center that is part of ECCT, located in the northwest hills of Connecticut : “Coffee Hour To Go.” We listened in on some  spiritual meditations, and a Eucharist, on Tuesday in Holy Week, and recorded the teachings and the sermon.    Every year, the bishops, priests, and deacons come together on Tuesday in Holy Week (the week leading up to Easter Day) for rest, renewal, and retreat; to renew their ordination vows; and to replenish the oil in the small vials they use during the year for spiritual anointing.    Leading this year’s meditations were Mark and Lisa Kudolowski, wilderness guides and retreat leaders, who had led the 40-day pilgrimage down the Connecticut River last year.  Bishop Douglas was one of the participants in that pilgrimage.    Mark is an oblate of Saint Benedict, a wilderness guide, and a retreat leader. His work focuses on recovering the Christian contemplative tradition and on the role of nature as a path of deeper union with God. Lisa is a professional  baker who started the artisan bakery LeFevre Bakery, and wilderness guide. She has worked in campus ministry and directed a community house for spiritual discipleship. "Metanoia of Vermont" is the name they gave their ongoing work and programs and state that their mission is "to support all people to know and enter into Divine Life, bringing body, mind, and spirit into Union with God.”   We began with conversation with ECCT’s bishops: Bishop Laura Ahrens talked about what the renewal of ordination vows means to her, and Bishop Ian Douglas shared why he invited Mark and Lisa to lead these meditations.    Mark and Lisa gave two presentations, each leading to an outdoor spiritual practice.  Each presentation began with silence, scripture, song, and a reading, followed by the teaching, then more detailed instructions for the practice. Most everyone went outside afterwards, keeping a holy silence. We recorded the teaching portion of the two presentations.    The first one was called “Awakening to Life” and the practice was called, “Coming to our Senses.” It was about bringing your senses to the natural world: coming out of your head, coming out of abstractions, leaving all the worries about the future and the past, and instead, using all five of your senses to experience the outdoors.    The second was called “Dying without End.” The practice was called “The Passion of Creation.” This time people went outside to find something that’s in the process of dying. There were four steps: looking at it empirically with their senses, looking at its connections, considering it as a metaphor, and finally, just being present with it — and maybe even having a conversation with it. If they’d chosen to observe a smaller item, which was portable, Lisa invited the clergy to bring it back with them to place on the altar.   At the Chrism Mass, where clergy renewed their vows and received Holy Oil for the next year, Mark and Lisa gave the sermon. It was about the call to come and die, and about dying into life without end. 

The Very Rev. Miguelina Howell is Dean of the Cathedral for the Episcopal Church in Connecticut, located in downtown Hartford. She was born and raised in the Dominican Republic where she was an active lay leader in the Episcopal Diocese of the D.R., planting two congregations, before being ordained. She has worked in youth and young adult ministry for her diocese, province, and for the Presiding Bishop. As a priest, she served at a camp and conference center in the D.R. before taking a call to a parish in New Jersey, and was soon recruited to come to Hartford in the Episcopal Church in Connecticut. She’s held many church-wide leadership positions and is currently a chaplain for the House of Bishops.    In today’s episode, she recounts her early years and her recruitment by Connecticut. She had a comfortable position at a parish in New Jersey, but ECCT persisted. She and her husband Daniel prayed over it and decided the Holy Spirit was indeed calling, and accepted as vicar. That was in 2013 and by 2015 she was elected by the Cathedral Chapter, and appointed by the Bishop, to serve as Cathedral Dean. She was installed in February 2016. In the meantime, the Bishop had given the Cathedral a charge to reimagine its identity and role for the 21st century. The Rev. Harlon Dalton, who was serving as priest in charge of the Cathedral, oversaw the task force while Lina worked with the congregations. Here are the eight purposes of a cathedral, which were then approved by ECCT at its annual convention:   Embody and enhance our common identity as Anglicans within a particular geographic region Maintain and preserve it as a house of prayer and devotion open to all Maintain excellence in the quality of worship Assist the bishops in their role as the public face and voice of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut Provide sanctuary and a serve as a public meeting ground Engage with other faiths, religions, and wisdom traditions Embody and extend the bishops’ apostolic call to make Christ Jesus known and manifest in the world Collaborate as a center for theological learning and spiritual growth (Click here to read the specific recommendations,  based on the purposes.)   While the progress may be slow, the recommendations are holding solid.    Toward the end we talk briefly about what it’s been like as a Latina cathedral dean. It turns out that being a woman dean is still challenging to some people.  We end  up talking about her new role as a mom: She and Daniel are in the process of adopting two young boys, and she is also expecting a biological child. It’s all bringing great joy as well as changes.    When asked what she’d like ECCT to pray for the Cathedral, she suggests the Prayer of Jabez, from 1 Chronicles 4:9-10, praying that God would bless them, and “enlarge [their] territory.”   More about our guest:   She is a native of the Dominican Republic and grew up across the street from an Episcopal church and school in Santo Domingo, and was actively engaged in both of those. Originally she thought she might want to be a nun, but her parish priest dissuaded her. We are most grateful to him! She has degrees in psychometrics and clinical psychology, as well as a degree from seminary.   Miguelina, who sometimes goes by "Lina," served as the diocesan young adult ministry coordinator in the DR and later as coordinator for youth ministry for all of Province IX, while she was still a lay person. After she was ordained a priest, in 2002, she served at a camp and conference center in the Dominican Republic. She took her first position outside her country at a church in New Jersey. She was actively recruited to come to the Cathedral in Hartford first as its vicar in 2013, and was later elected its 10th Dean. She was installed in early 2016 as the first Latina dean of an Episcopal cathedral in The Episcopal Church.    She's been very active in The Episcopal Church, serving on its staff, on the Taskforce for Reimagining The Episcopal Church, on a council of advice for the President of the House of Deputies, as a faculty member for a clergy wellness program, CREDO, as Chaplain for the House of Bishops. She was a collaborator in the church's "Strategic Vision for Reaching Latinos/Hispanics" in 2009 and remains active in the church's Latino Ministries. And there's probably a lot more we didn't even mention.

In February of this year, at the beginning of Lent, a 40-day period of prayer, fasting, and self-denial leading up to Easter, the Presiding Bishop and President of the House of Deputies of The Episcopal Church called the church to a Day of Prayer. It was “...devoted to meditating on the ways in which we in the church have failed to stand with women and other victims of abuse and harassment and to consider, as part of our Lenten disciplines, how we can redouble our work to be communities of safety that stand against the spiritual and physical violence of sexual exploitation and abuse.” In March, the President of the House of Deputies appointed a 47-member special committee to “draft legislation on sexual harassment and exploitation for this summer’s General Convention (business session of the church that can set churchwide policies and guidelines).” In this first episode of Coffee Hour at The Commons, Alli and Karin talk with Canon Robin Hammeal-Urban about that call to prayer, the special committee, the “#metoo” movement, and how sexual harassment, exploitation, and assault are present in the church. We talk about her work with the victims and perpetrators, and about how she’s helping church communities become safer physically, emotionally, and spirituall----more---- ABOUT OUR GUEST: Robin is the Canon for Mission Integrity & Training for the Episcopal Church in Connecticut (ECCT). She oversees the clergy disciplinary process for ECCT, known as “Title IV,” shorthand for the section of the canons (church laws) of The Episcopal Church that address clergy professional standards, accountability, and church discipline (PDF here, scroll down on left to “Title IV”). She is a recognized leader across The Episcopal Church in explaining the Title IV process and author of the book, Wholeness After Betrayal: Restoring Trust in the Wake of Misconduct (Morehouse, 2015, also on Amazon). Robin also oversees “Safe Church” policies and training in ECCT for ordained persons as well as parish staff and lay leaders. Beyond Connecticut, she is chair of the Task Force to Update Sexual Misconduct Policies, established in 2015 by the General Convention of The Episcopal Church to develop new model policies by 2018 for the whole Episcopal Church. That Task Force recently released its proposed new comprehensive model policies for the protection of children and youth, and for the protection of vulnerable adults. Robin is also an appointed member of the Anglican Communion’s Safe Church Commission, which has a global membership and reach.

How do you bring the full YOU to your relationship? How do you keep things fresh, and vibrant? How do you breathe that life into the places where you experience conflict with your partner, to unravel the knot that might keep you in an old, unhealthy pattern? And how do you steer your relationship towards your dreams of what might truly be possible - even if it feels like you’ve gotten off track? In today’s episode, we’re going to cover all of that and more in a conversation with Hedy Schleifer, creator of Encounter-centered Couples Therapy. It’s one of my longer episodes - rich with content and ways for you to create positive, dynamic energy in your relationship. My goal is for this episode to transform you, so that you’ll no longer be able to experience the landscape of your relationship in the same way. What’s so exciting to me about Hedy Schleifer’s work is that it integrates much of what we’ve been talking about here on the Relationship Alive podcast. Alive in connection: The goal of Encountered-centered couples therapy is about learning to be fully alive  in relationship. An ever increasing body of research shows that we humans are wired and born to be joyfully relaxed, and alive in connection with others. The Four Levels of Learning: Level 0: Level 0 learning is when you hear something, however you do not retain it. Even if you are interested, when someone asks what you learned you realize you don’t really know. This learning is superficial and ephemeral. Level 1- Level 1 learning is when you find a concept/idea/skill really interesting, however because you have no way of integrating the new learning which you get home it is lost. Level 2- Level 2 learning is when we get excited about a new concept/idea/skill and then when we take it home it makes a difference. We integrate this new learning into our life and experiences changes as a result. Level 3- Level 3 learning is the goal. This is learning that is transformational. In level 3 learning there is a before and an after as the learning has fundamentally shifted you. You are changed by it. From this new learning you experience and see the world in a very different way. 100% engagement right here and now. Level 3 transformation can only occur when everyone involved is willing to be fully involved in the right here and right now. True integration is only possible with full participation. Wake up to your full aliveness! It is possible, despite all of the ruptures and wounds a relationship may have collected over time, to repair. Humans are capable of an intensive and magical connection with each other- a way of being with each other’s essence that is pure and raw. This essence to essence encounter is made possible when partners wake up to their full sense of aliveness. With assistance one can begin to re-see their partner for who they really are- that amazing, delightful, creative person. Sometimes our survival instincts make us lose touch with this sense of passion, authenticity, and vitality in ourselves and in our partner due to the way we cope through isolation and withdrawing. When the conditions of safety are achieved, connection can be made and the revelation of more and more dimensions of our beingness becomes available! Meditation in connection: Culturally, and personally, we have lost the ability to just sit and be with each other. Can you find moments with your partner to just breathe, and sit, and be together? It may not be comfortable at first, but can you invite your partner to sit in a meditative silence and just look at you, and vice versa? Sit with each other, and be willing to be in the rich silence of two souls together. Honoring that space between- the separateness and the unity of yourselves in partnership. Despite the awkwardness or potential discomfort of this experience, this is a wonderful skill to practice that will lead to increased a sense of connection and a deepening of your intimacy. Know what lives in your heart: What is your wildest dream for your relationship? What lives in your heart? What is it you really long for? What would a connected, Intimate, soulful, deep, and alive relationship look like?  What is your deepest aspiration that you would like to put on the horizon today? Not as a goal, but as a dream. Once you have allowed your heart to speak, you can begin to make decisions about what directions to take to fully realize your deepest longings. Allow this process time- it take a while to reach deep inside and find these aspirations. This is an exercise that can be done whether you are in partnership currently or not. As a single person answering these questions is a wonderful and powerful way to connect with it is you are hoping to find and be in the next relationship you choose. The more clear you are with your desires the more honed your ability to recognize what is good for you will be. Grief is an inevitability.  When you go to the horizon and you look at how life should be/could be/would be, inevitably you are holding the tension between how it is, and how it could be. Be gentle with yourself as you hold onto the tension of this liminal space. Be willing to be with and live with the emotions that reveal themselves when you are in awareness of how your love life is or is not right now. The grief that occurs as a result of this tension is natural, and inevitable. This is authentic vulnerability and is an essential part of moving out of stuckness and stagnancy and towards a new, vibrant, and rich reality. Know that ambiguity and uncertainty can feel dangerous to our nervous systems, and so make sure to be aware of signs that you are being overwhelmed by your survival brain. Have ways to ground and regulate yourself, reminding yourself that being in this space between is necessary, and temporary. Shift your language from abundance to deficit! One quick and generative change you can make right now in your relationship and in your life is to shift your language. Notice how you state issues- do you focus on the deficit? Such as “I really don’t want to have bad sex anymore”, and can you choose to state it in the affirmative by saying something more like “I am dreaming of having passionate and juicy sex”. By choosing words of abundance, you open more possibilities for connection, creativity, and choice. EXERCISE: As you begin to make changes in your relationship, or are wanting to see things with new eyes, it can be helpful to reflect on the following 4 questions: What have I learned? What am I relearning? What has surprised me? What am I intrigued by? Three Invisible connectors that help create the “dance of life in connection”: 1) Honor the space between: Take some time to reflect and sense the relational space that has been created between you and your partner. Is it clear? Joyful? Fun? Is it tense? Difficult? Conflictual? In crisis? It may be helpful to look for indicators by noticing the reactions of either your children, or your pets as they too are affected by the tone of the space between the two of you. Recognize that your relationship lives in this space between. Tend to it. Honor it. Make it as sacred as possible. The quality of this space is what allows for a sense of encountering to happen- a coming together of two beings in full and rich aliveness and authenticity. By honoring this space between you open new possibilities and opportunities for increased connection, mystery, and even miracles! 2) Create a bridge: A healthy and vibrant relationship is bilingual- in which you  speak your language but you also speak and learn the language and culture of your partner. You learn the rhythm and the music of your partner. To do so it is important that you are willing and able to cross the bridge and enter into the world of your partner. There is as much an art to visiting as there is of hosting. As a host you can ask the following questions: How do I invite my partner into my world? How can I be as transparent and authentic as possible so that my partner can see me, and see into me? How can I make them feel welcome in my world and allow them to make discoveries on your own? For the one visiting and crossing the bridge some important questions are: Can I enter this other world without bringing in the past? How can I live in the present with my partner? What do I need to do in order to bring new and fresh eyes to see their world? Am I being open to discovery? For both the host and the visitor there needs to be a willingness to be vulnerable, open, and emphatically curious! 3) Zone of the encounter: By creating an honored space in the relationship, and then crossing the bridge into each other’s worlds, you allow for the encounter to occur. These are the conditions required to create safe and trusting connection, which in turn leads to deepening connection. This positive feedback loop is enhanced by how frequently you enter into this zone of the encounter with each other. This is true due to the fact that the more time you spend in this ‘blessed state’  the more neural pathways will wire around the experience and make it easier and easier for you to access this level of intimacy and connection! Neighborhoods: Imagine yourself as a big expanding world that is filled with neighborhoods. Some neighborhoods are precious, some rough and tough, and some filled with childhood memories. When you invite your partner to cross the bridge into your world, you can name some of your neighborhoods and decide together which to visit and explore. Please note that it may be helpful to have professional support as the two of you choose to enter into the toughest neighborhoods (such as the neighborhood of abandonment, distrust, etc). Have a beginner’s mind: When you are invited to cross the bridge into your partner’s world and to visit one of their neighborhoods, be sure that you only accept once you know you are willing to leave your known stories and assumptions behind. This is a big decision as it is the decision to be willing to be changed. Entering their world is a choice to have a beginner’s mind and see with fresh eyes. It is better to acknowledge you are not ready and postpone than to accept without being ready or willing to leave the past behind. Be curious and show up as a visitor: As you begin to get familiar with the idea of neighborhoods you can use this as a question in your relationship. When your partner seems off, or far away, or hijacked, get curious about where they are on their map. What neighborhood might they be in? And are you willing to show up as a visitor with nothing but curiosity? When your partner comes to your world with this level of openness to learn, your own defenses begin to melt, and reciprocity is possible. Let your limbic systems talk to each other! The truth is that we can help each other as much as we can trigger each other! The limbic systems of our brains are constantly scanning our surroundings for safety. Allow your limbic systems to speak with each other- and help create cues of safety for each other that allow the alarm system of the brain to quiet down. Strive to become the regulating resources you are for each other! With even more support it is possible to use the safe container of your partnership to unravel survival knots that have been long embedded, and to allow for shifts towards a more present truth. Allow ‘I don’t know’ to be a corridor to  new knowledge: Celebrate those inevitable moments in relationship and conversation where you do not have answers! These moments and impasses are the openings to new truths. When you get to an “I don’t know”, get curious about what this corridor might lead to. Likely, if you follow it with openness, you will discover a deeper truth either about yourself, your partner, or your relationship. We are all heros! Instead of thinking about healing, think about transformation. When we truly go into the past to see where we have come from what we find is a heroic story, rather than a wounded one. Each one of us is a hero of an archetypical story and it is a story of resilience, of courage, and of boldness. By being willing to discover a hero instead of a wound, we help ourselves transform from a sense of less than to a sense of completeness! Resources: Check out Hedy and her husband’s website for more resources! Go here if you are Interested in getting trained Encountered-centered Couples Therapy! Wanting support for you and your partner? Connect with Hedy for a couple’s intensive. www.neilsattin.com/encounter Visit to download the show guide, or text “PASSION” to 33444 and follow the instructions to download the show guide to this episode with Hedy Schleifer! Our Relationship Alive Community on Facebook Amazing intro/outro music graciously provided courtesy of: The Railsplitters - Check them Out

Listen in as we take a good hard look at Taiwan's upcoming presidential and legislative elections with an expert panel of political commentators.

Listen in as we take a good hard look at Taiwan's upcoming presidential and legislative elections with an expert panel of political commentators.

Strategies for carbon reduction is the topic of this episode of TAIWAN TALK as the ECCT's Raoul Kubitschek discusess European ideas for reducing Taiwan's carbon footprint