Bishop's Page

I am writing to invite you to come to my house for a Deacons’ Day Meeting. Please choose which of the following dates you can attend:

We will start our day together at 10:00 a.m. and finish up around 3:00 p.m. Would you please RSVP to my Executive Assistant, Mrs. Gayle Dawson, and let her know which of these dates you are planning on attending no later than Dec. 1^st, 2008. I can accommodate up to twelve per day. She can be reached at (912) 236-4279. Her email address is diocesega@att.net.

December 20, 2006

The Reverend Deacons

Diocese of Georgia

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

I am very, very thankful for you assisting me at visitations where there is no resident Deacon. Each church has a different floor plan and has slightly different customs of how and when things are done. It would be helpful to me if you would go into the church and get a lay of the land such as where we are going to stand and where do we sit. I also would like for you to ask the priest or a master of ceremony, if there is one, the following:

1. If they are using the second rite what prayer is being used after communion? There are two and that is not normally marked in the altar book and it's awkward to go and pick up a bulletin, at that point, and look to see which one is going to be used.

2. Make sure that the proper preface for the feast for Sunday is marked and the Eucharistic canon that the bulletin lists is marked in the altar book.

3. It's very helpful to me if you would keep your finger at the front of the line, which is where I am suppose to be reading. I occasionally loose my place and if your finger is on the line I can normally pick up where I am in the line with my eye quickly. But it is harder if I have to read three or four lines looking for where I was.

4. I need for you to find out about administrating the communion. The Bishop should give out the consecrated bread. If the crowd is very small probably the pastor should administer the chalice. If they normally use one person administering the consecrated bread and two chalices then I think it should be the Bishop with the bread and the pastor and you with the chalices. If they use four or more administrators then according to the Constitution of the Episcopal Church, the Prayer Book, they should use other ordained clergy at the rector's choice. If there are no other clergy and they need a fourth person a Eucharistic minister is certainly acceptable, or more than that if necessary, to administer the Eucharist efficiently.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Henry I. Louttit

Bishop of Georgia

HIL/ged

TO: Diocesan Clergy, Senior Wardens, ECW Presidents*, DOK Presidents* and Youth Ministers (*please distribute to them)

FROM: Bishop Louttit and Diocesan Council

DATE: March 31, 2006

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

Building on earlier work by our Long Range Planning Committee and with input of scores of people - both lay and clergy - from around the diocese, a strategic plan of mission and ministry has been created. We are grateful to Mr. Belton Zeigler, Chancellor of the Diocese of Upper South Carolina, who served as our consultant throughout the process.

An outline of this plan, Together, We Grow, was presented by the Strategy To Action Team (STAT) at the 184^th Diocesan Convention in February. We are very excited about what we believe God is calling us to do as the Body of Christ in the Diocese of Georgia. Now we are called to work out the details and implement the plan at the convocation and parish levels. To accomplish this, we are asking for the prayerful participation of all our congregations and the various church groups within them.

I request that the following collect be used when groups come together for meetings and that it be included it in the Prayers of the People on Sundays and weekdays.

O God, by your grace you have called us in this diocese to a goodly fellowship of faith. Inspire our hearts with understanding so that indeed Together, We Grow. Guide us now in the development and focus of our action teams; encourage them to follow your will in all they do. Bless us as we come together, and help us to begin to apply this program throughout the diocese, moving forward in the example of Christ to the honor and glory of your name. Amen.

As we proceed with our plan, we will continue to gather energy and vision from the Holy Spirit, and apply this vision in a way that works for our diocese. As the details of the plan continue to develop, we will forward information regarding our progress to all our congregations, including a series of collects to continue to focus our efforts as Together, We Grow.

Sincerely,

Henry I. Louttit

Bishop of Georgia

The Rev. Lee F. Shafer

Vice-President, Diocesan Council

NOTE: Member Parishes of OneLicense.Net are free to use the hymn "Here In This Place (Gather Us In)" used at convention. If you need a copy and have a license #, please contact jacquibelcher@att.net