Mid-Atlantic Convocation March 2007 Newsletter
Dear friends:
Amidst the flurry of blog postings and speculations following the House of Bishops' statement last week, something much more important demands our focus: Holy Week.
On the night before His crucifixion, as He instituted the Holy Eucharist, Jesus washed his disciples' feet and said, "I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them" (John 13:15-17).
Our church has been blessed to have a foot-washing ministry for the homeless at a local Drop-in Center. Many wonderful opportunities have opened up for prayer ministry and for witnessing to Christ's love while attending to physical needs.
But there are also spiritual implications here for how we should continue to behave toward one another in the Network and the wider fellowship of faithful Anglicans. We must sacrificially serve and support each other as we seek to proclaim the Good News of our Savior. Pray and look for opportunities to reach out to other churches in your region who may be hard-pressed.
Please also continue to hold in your prayers the leaders of the Anglican Communion Network: Bishop Duncan, the Network staff, the Deans and their Executive Assistants, the Network bishops and dioceses, the leaders of parishes within the Episcopal Church who are discerning God?s will for the future, and those out of TEC who are proclaiming the Gospel in the new alignment.
The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad;
let the distant shores rejoice.
Clouds and thick darkness surround him;
righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
Psalm 97:1-2
I pray that you will all have a blessed Holy Week and a joyous Easter celebration.
And I hope to see many of you the following week at the New Wineskins for Global Missions Conference, starting April 11!
Yours in Christ,
John Guersney, Dean
"An Aroma of God"
Student Breakaway Retreat 2007
The Falls Church
On Friday January 12, 2007, seven packed buses pulled out of The Falls Church parking lot to head up to Breakaway 2007 at Rockbridge; 333 kids and 55 leaders attended!
Here are some highlights:
-Mid- January 65 degree temperatures gave us the chance to open the zip line into the lake!
-Steve Fitzhugh, former Denver Bronco Super Bowl Player, spoke with boldness about God's love and the dangerous trappings of this age!
-Youth (6th -12th grade) had a chance to hear & see the love of Christ in words and deeds of leaders and other students!
-A junior at George Mason High School described the weekend as experiencing "the aroma of God."
-A seventh grader from another church told her father that she had given her life to Christ and wanted him to know what happened in her life.
They returned trusting that the relationships began and developed will continued to grow in His grace at Cornerstone (Middle School Youth Group) and CrossRoads (High School Youth Group)!
CREW--On Sunday mornings a group of high schoolers are meeting for breakfast and learning about discipleship. They have committed to read God's Word and get prepared to care for and disciple another student. After getting back from Breakaway (see above), they have learned about the Wheel of Spiritual Growth and are getting ready to share it with other believers in the youth group. A couple of them shared it to a crowd of high schoolers during the High School Youth Group and in the next weeks they will be sharing it with the Middle School Youth Group.
Partnership for Inner-City Ministry
Good Samaritan Church
Paoli, PA
Partnership with the Free Church of St. John in Kensington continues to grow and to strengthen and encourage a faithful church in an inner-city neighborhood.
A highlight of this year?s involvement was the summer "Sonshine Time" program. The program attracts 15 to 20 children every Wednesday night. While children were involved in the program, parents attended an adult Bible study. Throughout the year the Bible study has grown, and has been an excellent way of reaching out to adults in the community. Additionally, in July and August a van full of youth group students traveled to St. John to assist in the evening program, which included kickball games and performing re-enactments of Bible stories.
Another highlight was the thirteenth annual Urban Serve mission trip. What began as a summer Vacation Bible School for children associated with The Free Church of St. John has grown into a major outreach for both children and adults in the area around the church. The Urban Serve 2006 team included youth and adults from both Good Samaritan and St. John. For the first time, parents of children attending the evening program were invited into the church to hear two local parishioners' testimonies. This provided an excellent outreach opportunity to parents, many of whom had never been inside the church building itself. During the course of five beautiful evenings, more than 140 children heard the gospel, and several have since become more deeply involved in the life of St. John.
St John's youth group continued to meet twice a month. Once a month St. John youth traveled to Paoli to participate in Good Samaritan's youth group. One memorable evening included a visit from a coach and player from the Philadelphia Kixx.
St. John's Christmas party went exceedingly well this year. Unexpectedly, philanthropic organization Geneva Global donated more than 60 gifts,
which were matched with wish lists from children and adults from St. John. More than 45 children and parents filed into the parish house for games, pizza, cake, caroling, and fellowship.
Primetime, (an after-school program for 8-10 year old children and 10-12 year old girls), is now in its fourth year. With two women now running the program, additional children were invited into the program and a second group for younger children known as "Early Risers" was created. The Primetime program is running well and continues to provide a safe place for the children in the neighborhood to work on their homework, develop life skills, and encounter Jesus Christ.
Good Samaritan youth and adults gathered, delivered, and helped clean and sort toys, games, books, videos and other articles for St. John's annual Christmas Toy Sale. The sale provided a low-cost source of Christmas gifts and raised over $2,000 for St. John?s projects. St. John's youth then had the joy of donating unsold articles to homeless children at the St. Barnabus shelter.
Good Samaritan parishioners also provided food, support and resources for St. John's Food Closet.
The partnership between the churches continues to provide opportunities for growth and discipleship for members of both churches, and gives a visible demonstration of Christian witness in two very different communities.
Over the course of the year, we will be contacting all parishes requesting information about any ministry you would like highlighted in the MAC newsletter. However, if you have a time-sensitive ministry you would like for us to include in an upcoming newsletter, please contact Heather Adams at hadams@acn-mac.org .
Did You Know?
A Brief History about Maundy Thursday
Maundy Thursday, also called Holy Thursday, is the feast or holy day on the Thursday before Easter that commemorates the Last Supper of 
Jesus Christ with the Apostles. On this day, Christians remember the Last Supper. During the meal Jesus took bread and wine and shared them with His disciples. The Last Supper was probably a Passover meal ? the meal which Jewish people share together to celebrate the time when God delivered Moses and the people from slavery in Egypt.
The name 'Maundy' is derived from the command or mandatum by Christ at the Last Supper, to love one another:
"And now I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another" John 15:12
During the Last Supper, Jesus washed his disciples feet. This act has sometimes been followed literally in history as a good way of reminding rulers that they are here to serve their subjects.
In England, the custom of washing feet by the Monarch was preserved until 1689. Up until then the King or Queen would wash the feet of the poor on Maundy Thursday in Westminster Abbey. Food and clothing were also handed out to the poor.
Many Christians commemorate the Last Supper in a special Eucharist. In some churches, they may wash each other's feet. After the service the altar is stripped. Some Christians may hold an all night vigil in church, remembering Christ's time in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Source: http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/index.html
Upcoming Events
New Wineskins for Global Missions Conference
April 11-15, 2007
Ridgecrest, NC
Sponsored by the New Wineskins Missionary Network
"The 5th New Wineskins for Global Missions conference is an incomparable opportunity to equip you and your parish for engagement in the work of mission at home and abroad. At every conference, I?ve been powerfully touched by the amazing speakers that New Wineskins always offers?many are not well-known in the U.S., but they are all 'world-class!' The array of workshops will leave you wishing you could choose them all. Every speaker will uphold the authority of Holy Scripture and the truth of the historic faith. It is an event that you and your congregation can joyfully and confidently plunge into! I look forward to seeing you there."
-John Guernsey, Dean
re:mix Student Missions Conference
Equips Young People to Serve Jesus
April 11-15, 2007
Ridgecrest, NC
Rock the World, an Anglican Global Mission Partner dedicated to building young Christian leaders, wants to see God "re-mix" the way hundreds of young people think about missions at home and abroad. That?s why they are sponsoring the re:mix student missions conference.
"Kingdom Outbreak" is the theme of this year?s three-day re:mix conference that will be held the weekend of April 13?15 in conjunction with the New Wineskins for Global Mission conference at Ridgecrest Conference Center in Ridgecrest, North Carolina.
The re:mix conference will feature national and international youth workers, pastors, missionaries, authors and worship leaders including Dixon Kinser, Aran Walter, Steven Tighe, Whis Hays, Don Cox, Holly Rankin Zaher, Todd Simonis, Meredith Borel, and Steve Brightwell.
"College and high school students who are serious about following Jesus and making their love for Him contagious should attend re:mix expecting to have their perspective reframed, their passion reignited, and their life remixed for Jesus!" said Meredith Borel, Rock the World's Global Initiative Strategist.
The re:mix conference this April is held in conjunction with the New Wineskins for Global Missions conference. (See above.)
If your church is having an event, we would be happy to publish it, not only so that interested people might attend, but so that we can be praying for you. Send information to newsletter@acn-mac.org .
Feel free to forward this newsletter to members of your congregation.
John Guernsey, Dean | George Beaven, Church Planting Director | Heather Adams, Executive Assistant | Heidi Reichert, Administrative Assistant
Mid-Atlantic Convocation | Anglican Network Communion
c/o All Saints' Church | 5290 Saratoga Lane
Woodbridge, Virginia 22193-3455
Tel: 703-670-0093www.acn-mac.org
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"The stone was rolled away from the door,
not to permit Christ to come out,
but to enable the disciples to go in."
Peter Marshall