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New in this edition of ENews:
- Native American Heritage Month Resources
- Resources for Parish Admins
- Land Acknowledgement from Church of the Incarnation
- St Alban's Carbon Zero Plan
- Christmas Celebrations Throughout the Diocese
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This week we pray for St. John's, Lakeport.
In 1898, the Trinity mission in Lakeport began a capital funding campaign, and by 1899, St. John’s opened the doors to their historic building. The congregation is
continually grateful for their beautiful redwood church with its welcoming, calming, and spiritual atmosphere.
The church is run by a small core of dedicated members and served by two regular supply priests. St. John’s ministers to the Lake County community through their thrift store with low-priced goods and a well-stocked food pantry.
Having faced many challenges, St. John’s gives thanks to God for the continued opportunity to worship and minister together.
Website:http://www.saintjohnslakeport.org/
Contact info: saintjohnslakeport@gmail.com and 707-263-4785
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Up Next:
We want to share the good work at your church!
For the month of October, we will be highlighting the following churches. Please send us information at least one week prior to your scheduled date. Please limit your entry to 250 words.
-Dec. 9: St Luke's, Woodland
-Dec. 16: St. Luke's, Calistoga
-Dec. 23: St. Luke's, Galt
| | Happy Thanksgiving and Native American Heritage Month | | |
Happy Native American Heritage month and Happy Thanksgiving.
In our Baptismal Covenant, we promise to "strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being." Celebrating Native American Heritage Month is a living out of that promise. It is an invitation to move beyond performative acknowledgment and into a relationship of mutual respect, humility, and shared commitment to the common good.
May this month be a time of blessing, learning, and a renewed commitment to building a church and a world that truly honor the dignity and sacredness of all God’s children.
We've gathered some resources for your churches to celebrate Native American Heritage month from the Office of Indigenous Ministries, American Academy of Religion and more.
| | How does your church help hungry people? | |
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Does your church help feed hungry people? We would love to support you and your Food Ministries.
Bishop Megan has shared that she will use a $25,000 Discretionary Gift from St. John’s, Marysville, to make grants supporting feeding programs across the diocese.
We are hoping for one response per church. If your church has not responded, please share this link with the right person.
Click for the form
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2025 Sustainable Development Grant Applications Due Tuesday! | |
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The United Nation’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals address a wide array of ambitious goals for healing our world. By action of our diocesan convention in 2007 and again in 2016, the diocesan budget annually includes .007% of total revenue in grants to help address issues of extreme poverty, hunger, education, climate-related issues, and more. Projects may be based in our region, nationally, or around the world.
Applications will be accepted now through December 2 for 2025 grants.
Total funding available:
Applications open Nov. 11 - Dec. 2
Click here to apply
Questions? Contact Cn. Julie Wakelee (Julie@norcalepiscopal.org)
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| Resources for Parish Admins | | |
Are you a Parish Admin? Do you have one? Do you sometimes feel like you're struggling or wish you could get a boost?
One resource for congregational administrators is Episcopal Parish Network. They offer frequent webinars free of charge (you don't have to be a member of EPN to register for their webinars). They offer a variety of topics and also house a library of their past webinars.
Upcoming webinars can be found at: https://episcopalparishes.org/upcoming-webinars/
Past webinars can be found at: https://episcopalparishes.org/webinar-library/
| | Native American Heritage Month: Land Acknowledgment and Beyond at Church of the Incarnation | |
The Church of the Incarnation approved a land acknowledgment in the spring of 2025. That approval is a commitment to work toward meaningful relations with the local Native community–Southern Pomo and Coastal Miwok. Since that time, there have been efforts to follow-through with that commitment.
On Sunday, November 16, forty Incarnation parishioners and community members were treated to an in-depth look into the local Pomo Native Culture by Indigenous leader Rose Hammock.
Rose began her presentation by sharing her family’s history and relationships, and the challenges endured by Native peoples since non-natives arrived in California. Then in a vivid manner, Rose enlightened the very focused audience about Native spirituality, medicine, and the core values of respect, reciprocity, and care for the land, for people, plants and animals. She shared the importance of celebrations, and the arts in Native culture. A lively question and answer period concluded the 90 minute gathering hosted by Incarnation’s Beloved Community Ministry.
The conversation with Rose Hammock was a blessing for us all!
For more information about the event and Rose’s presentation contact Miriam Casey - miriamlwcasey@gmial.com
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Commission on the Environment | | Open House for St. Alban's Carbon Zero Plan on December 7 | |
Daniel Moyer and Daniel Padilla, congregants after they laid down landscaping materials and wood chips around the air handlers.
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St. Alban’s is pleased to announce an Open House celebration of their Carbon Zero Project from 4:00 – 6:00 pm Sunday, December 7 at 1675 Chester Street in Arcata. A short presentation of the project will be followed by a drawing for a variety of raffle prizes, a chili cook off and dinner.
St Alban’s has completed installation of four heat pumps to replace the gas furnaces, removed all of the natural gas lines and the gas meter and service. The Church initiated their Carbon Zero Plan in 2019 by installing solar panels. Gas appliances were replaced by energy efficient electric appliances including a heat pump electric water heater, an electric commercial stove, an Energy Star refrigerator, and installation of LED lights throughout the facility.
The Carbon Zero Project has been led by St. Alban’s Creation Care Team. St. Alban’s wants to thank its many supporters including Redwood Coast Energy Authority for technical and funding assistance, the Episcopal Diocese of Northern California for grant funding, and numerous individuals for their generous donations. The cost of the project to date is $115,000.
St. Alban’s hopes to inspire other churches, organizations and individuals by sharing their Carbon Zero Project with the community. For more information or to attend the December 7 celebration, please call 707-822-4102 or email officesec@stalbansarcata.org.
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Climate Action Beyond COP30 | |
Join this webinar to hear about The Episcopal Church’s involvement in the recent United Nations climate change conference (COP30) in Brazil, as well as learn more about its commitment to local climate action.
Date: Dec. 1, 2025
Time: 11 am, PT
Moderated by Lynnaia Main, the church’s representative to the U.N., the webinar will feature the following speakers:
- Special guests will share about local church and diocesan climate actions.
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The Rev. Shaneequa Brokenleg, the church’s interim Indigenous missioner, who attended the conference in support of a delegation led by Archbishop Marinez Bassotto of the Anglican Episcopal Church of Brazil
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Martha Jarvis, the Anglican Communion’s representative to the U.N.
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Rebecca Blachly, the church’s chief of public policy and witness
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Susie Faria, a policy advisor with the church’s Office of Government Relations
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The Rev. Lester Mackenzie, the church’s chief of mission program
Learn more about The Episcopal Church’s commitment to creation care.
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Webinar Recording - learn firsthand how Advent resources can be used for your church
- Advent Calendars for your church
- La Posadas
- Devotionals
- Customizable videos from the Episcopal Church
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| Agrarian Ministry Class or Certificate | |
Agrarian Ministry is where spiritual formation, evangelism, belonging, justice, the care of creation, and food ministries collide as they relate to the characteristics traditionally associated with a land-based way of life and values, and the promotion of agricultural interests.
This course will prepare church leaders to teach, lead and inspire their faith communities to steward land in a way that is faithful to our call as disciples of Jesus.
Key to this task is the integration of Church Land Stewardship, Creation Care, Food Justice, and Wellness. Participants will explore agrarian ministry practice and leadership in a contextual story-sharing process with a variety of agrarian ministry content experts and theologians from the Episcopal Church and beyond.
We will explore opportunities and options that include church and community gardens, farms, orchards, prairie land, apiaries, wildlife habitat, regenerative landscaping and our watersheds.
Dates: Six Monday sessions January - April, 2026
Time: 3:30 - 5:00 pm
Facilitated by Brian Sellers-Petersen and Jerusalem Greer
Learn More
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Lay Preaching Course Application Open for 2026 English Language Cohort | |
Do you sit in church, listening to the sermon when the thought, “There’s something more here I’d like to share,” wells up in you? Are you engaged in the worship, ministry and leadership in your congregation? Do you love to be in conversation with others about scripture and what it means in our daily lives? Your Rector, Vicar or Priest in Charge can help you discern if you might be called to the ministry of Lay Preaching.
The West Coast Collaborative is the school for ministry training for members of the dioceses of El Camino Real, San Diego and Northern California and we are accepting applications for our 2026 course to prepare individuals for a Lay Preaching license until December 3, 2025.
Who is this for? Lay members of our congregations with gifts for preaching and leadership in ministry.
What will we study? Biblical exegesis and preaching theory and practice.
Where will we meet? On Zoom
Dates: Fourth Thursday of each month
Time: 5 - 9 p.m.
How long is the course? 11 Months beginning in February
What else will I need to do? Prepare for each Zoom session by watching video lectures and completing assigned reading and written reflections before we meet (about 4-8 hours per month).
What will it cost? $600 and scholarships will be available.
Application Process:
Questions or curious about the process?
Talk with your Rector/Vicar/Priest in Charge, then fill out the online application at www.wccollaborative.org/enroll
Deadline: December 3, 2025
Questions? Contact the Northern California WCC Dean:
The Rev. Kathy Lawler sfmdean@norcalepiscopal.org
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Diocese of Pennsylvania distributes proceeds from church property sale to food ministries | |
One year after an initial gathering for a solemn worship service of lament and repentance, the three historically Black Episcopal churches in Charleston, South Carolina, gathered again, this time for a weekend celebrating diversity, equity and inclusion, and to honor the diocese’s first Black priest.
“The celebrations will remind us that we’re supposed to help reveal God’s kingdom in the advocacy work that we do,” the Rev. Ricardo Bailey, rector of Calvary Episcopal Church, told Episcopal News Service ahead of the Nov. 22-23 events.
Read the article
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| St. Luke's Woodland Christmas Bazaar & Concert | | |
Date: Saturday, December 6
Time: 10 am - 4 pm
Cost: Free
More information
Christmas Concert
“Pipes and Strings: A Christmas Celebration” featuring Scott Nelson, organ, and Dr. Bev Wesner-Hoehn, harp.
Time: 2 p.m.
Cost: $20 in advance & at the door.
| | St. Luke's 112th Annual Christmas Bazaar | |
Date: Saturday, December 6
Time: 9 am - 3 pm
Date: Sunday, December 7
Time: 12 pm - 2 pm
Cost: Free
More information
| | Cookies with Santa & Mrs. Claus at St. Matthews, Sacramento | |
Date: Saturday, December 6
Time: 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Location: St. Matthew' Mission
2300 Edison Ave, Sacramento, CA
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Date: Sunday, December 10
Time: 4 pm - 6:30 pm, PT
The 13th Annual National Vigil for All Victims of Gun Violence will be held on December 10. A live vigil will be held in Washington, D.C. and churches are encouraged to hold an observance in their Sunday services on either Dec. 7 or Dec. 14.
More information
| | A Service of Lessons & Carols at St. Michael's Carmichael | |
Presented by St. Michael’s Chancel Choir
Date: Sunday December 14
Time: 5:00PM
Location: St. Michael’s Episcopal Church
2140 Mission Ave. Carmichael, CA 95608
Cost: Free
| | A Service of Lessons & Carols at Church of St. Martin's, Davis | |
On Saturday, December 14 at 4 p.m., the Episcopal Church of St. Martin will offer a candlelit Advent Lessons and Carols, the beloved service of Scripture and song that invites us to prepare our hearts for Christ’s coming. This year’s service includes a unique element: selected reflections from Native North American poets and philosophers, placed alongside the traditional Lessons.
These readings are not presented as parallel sacred texts, but as thoughtful illuminations—ways of hearing the Advent story through the wisdom of cultures that have lived on this land far longer than anyone else. By engaging with voices outside our own tradition, we hope to listen more deeply to the Scriptures and to all our neighbors.
Date: Sunday December 14
Time: 4:00PM
Location: 640 Hawthorn Lane, Davis, CA 95616
Cost: Free
Learn more
| | Christmas Services at Church of St. Martin's, Davis | | Job Openings in the Diocese | | |
Clergy
Full-Time Priest-in-Charge (Bilingual/Bicultural English/Spanish) at St. Timothy’s, Gridley
Click here for more information.
Church Planter in Paradise, CA
Click here for more information.
Director of Formation for All Ages, Sacramento, Ca
Click here for more information.
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The ENews is published weekly on Tuesdays.
To submit news/events, please email enews@norcalepiscopal.org by Wednesday of the prior week
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The Episcopal Diocese of Northern California
Making Disciples, Raising Up Saints & Transforming Communities for Christ
www.norcalepiscopal.org
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