Organizational Journey

Two Action Learning Teams (ALTs), working from September 2018 to January 2019, were gathered to engage the following challenges:

Primary Questions: What is the Holy Spirit up to in our midst, and how do we support that evolution in our churches and in our diocese?

Secondary Question: What leadership do we need to foster this change?

This year, Bishop Beckwith gave his annual Convention address in three parts, on Friday afternoon, Saturday morning and Saturday afternoon.

It’s been six weeks since I started as Interim Coordinator for Youth & Young Adult Ministries on September 1, and I wanted to give an update on what’s been happening with this important ministry.

In August 2017, seven people from around the Episcopal Diocese of Newark agreed to be videorecorded as they Dwelled on Luke 10:1-12. Watch and learn about this simple, ancient practice of listening deeply to God and one another.

In response to the departure of the diocese’s Director of Youth & Young Adult Ministries, diocesan staff formed an exploratory team that includes parents, clergy, and youth ministers. This team spent the last few weeks listening to our youth and those who care for them.

Youth gathered in Essex Fells, and Oakland. Kids named mission trips and lock-ins amongst their favorite experiences. When asked about where they have experienced the Holy Spirit's presence, one youth replied, "When you are struggling and having a hard time, just thinking of God helps."

Over the past year, many in our diocese have been dwelling in the third chapter of Joshua. In this story, our spiritual ancestors, led by Joshua, are camped one side of the Jordan River. After spending forty years in the Sinai wilderness, they are preparing to cross the river into land that has been promised to them. Our Bishop shared some of his experience with this reading at our recent Diocesan Convention: “the passage invites me to make the connection between who we are as God’s people today with our spiritual ancestors who took great risks and discovered a divine hope.”

On Saturday, March 4, 125 individuals representing 43 congregations attended the kick-off gathering for the three-month “Listening Excursion” announced at Convention in January. After a busy four hours they went home with tangible first steps for introducing simple practices into the life of their congregations that will help them listen to God, each other and their neighbors.

This 143rd Annual Diocesan Convention - "Joining God in Shaping Our Future" - was different from any Convention before it. All interested members of the diocese were invited to join deputies and clergy in listening deeply for God through Dwelling in the Word, sharing stories of God’s presence, and exploring what might be happening in their neighborhoods. Here is what some attendees said they would tell their congregations about their experience.

Videos recorded by Gabi Machado and Phoebe Gould, NEWARK ACTS Interns. Video editing by Nina Nicholson.

This year, Bishop Beckwith gave his annual Convention address in three parts, on Friday afternoon, Saturday morning and Saturday afternoon.

The text is below; scroll down to the bottom of this page for the video.

Part 1: Why Are We Here?

Given Friday afternoon.

Acting on a promise made at Diocesan Convention, last June four teams of clergy and lay leaders developed innovative experiments to help the diocese find new ways to do Jesus’ work in a rapidly changing world. The Going Local guiding team for St. Andrew's, Harrington Park was so intrigued by one of these experiments – using portable “Dream Boards” at churches and public places to enable people to post their dreams, hopes and visions for their congregation and their community – that they decided to try it.