VT Faith Community's Online News - April 2010

Other Faith Common Articles

Faith Common is the email newsletter of the Vermont Ecumenical Council & Bible Society (VEC). PLEASE POST IT in your house of worship. To be added to this newsletter mailing list or to submit news, please send an email to the VEC office at info@vecbs.org.

EASTER PRAYER
Lord, the resurrection of Your Son has given us new life and renewed hope. Help us to live as new people in pursuit of the Christian ideal. Grant us wisdom to know what we must do, the will to want to do it, the courage to undertake it, the perseverance to continue to do it, and the strength to complete it. (From New Saint Joseph People's Prayer Book )

NEW ADDRESS AND PHONE FOR VEC
The Vermont Ecumenical Council and Bible Society's office is now located in Burlington. Here is the new contact information for VEC: P.O. Box 1393 Burlington, VT 05402-1393 Phone: 802-540-3012 The email address and website have not changed: info@vecbs.org and www.vecbs.org

VEC'S ANNUAL MEETING and ELECTION
At the March annual meeting, VEC's Board of Trustees thanked The Rev. Robert Athas for two years of service as President.

The following new officers were elected:

• President: Mr. Christopher McCandless, New England Yearly Meeting, Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
• Vice President: Mr. Roy V. Hill II, Vermont Conference, United Church of Christ
• Treasurer: Mrs. Peg Hamlin, Episcopal Diocese of Vermont

ECUMENICAL SERVICE, EASTER LUNCH, MUSIC
All are welcome at the following events which are taking place at the First United Methodist Church in Burlington (corner of Buell & S. Winooski Ave) in the next 7 days. -Ecumenical Good Friday Service, 12:15 pm, sponsored by the Burlington Area Ministerial Association. -Easter Sunday Luncheon (open to the community) from 11:30 am – 1 pm. To find out more, contact Margaret Welch at 862-2428 or email tapwelch@aol.com -Free concert on Thursday, April 8 featuring Elisabeth Von Trapp performing her own works. Call the church at 862-1151 for more information.

LEGISLATIVE DAY for LOW INCOME ADVOCACY
Join others in Montpelier on Apr. 15 at 9:30 am for a day of advocacy for low-income Vermonters. The day is sponsored by VT Conference of the United Church of Christ and VT Low-Income Advocacy Council. Those attending will be oriented to the legislative session, go to committee meetings and hearings, and eat lunch with gubernatorial candidates (lunch provided). They'll ask the legislators to be careful, when they're making budget cuts, to do no harm to Vermonters already suffering the most . The day will end at 1 pm. Call Theresa Lever at 802-229-0415 for more information and to RSVP.

VT CONFERENCE ON MIGRANT FARM WORKERS
This conference will be held at Middlebury College in McCardell Bicentennial Hall on Sat., April 24, 8:30 am to 4 pm. There will be a general assembly then six different tracks will be offered with morning & afternoon sessions. The registration fee is $25, $10/students, farm workers/farmers admitted free of charge. Click on this link to see details and for the registration form: www.uvm.edu/extension/eventpdfs/migrantedconf2010.pdf

SPIRITUAL CARE WEEK – INTERFAITH DIALOGUE
The Spiritual Care Department at Fletcher Allen Health Care will be celebrating Spiritual Care Week Apr. 29-30 with public events designed to promote understanding and dialogue between Muslims and Christians. Sheikh Jamal Rahman, a renowned interfaith dialogue leader, will speak at the FAHC Auditorium, Apr. 29, 4 pm, on “A Muslim Response to Suffering and Medical Crises.” Carol Fournier of Silver Dove Institute will join Sheikh Rahman on Apr. 30 to present two workshops, which are free and open to all, at 9 am and 1 pm at the First Congregational Church, Burlington. The celebration concludes with Interfaith Worship at the Saint James Episcopal Church in Essex Jct. on Friday evening. For the topics of the workshops and more details, call the FAHC Spiritual Resource Center at 847-2775. For more information about Sheikh Jamal Rahman, go to www.jamalrahman.com

PRISON MINISTRY CONFERENCE
This conference will be held on May 7 – 8. On May 7, the participants can attend sessions at NWSCF in St. Albans or MVRCF in Rutland. On Sat., May 8, the conference will be at Green Mt. Chapel in Randolph. For Friday sessions, pre-registration is required (by May 1). The cost is $25 for one day or $35 for two days – meals are included. To get the details on speakers and topics, contact Pastor Pete Fiske at 802-899-1437 or email him at pastorpete@churchatprison.com