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Daybook -- Today is Monday, July 31, 2006. The Church Calendar remembers Ignatius of Loyola, priest, monastic, and founder of the Society of Jesus (died 1556).
* Today in Scripture: Daily Office meditation http://eds.libsyn.com * Today in Prayer: Anglican Cycle of Prayer http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acp/index.cfm * Today in History: On this day in 1915, the cornerstone was laid for the church that would become St. Luke's, Eddystone, Pennsylvania http://www.oldchesterpa.com/stluke_eddystone.htm.
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Global Mission Event: Common mission, MDGs, ONE Campaign upheld as key to ending global poverty
By Matthew Davies
[ENS] The ministry, faith and challenges of working "to establish God's reign on earth," and upholding the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and "The ONE Campaign" in the fight against global poverty, were the foci of a July 29 panel at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America's (ELCA) Global Mission Event (GME), held July 27-30 at the Amherst-based University of Massachusetts.
Alexander Baumgarten, international policy analyst for the Episcopal Church's Office of Government Relations, joined Kim Steitz, ELCA's director for international policy, and Emily Freeburg of the Lutheran Office for World Community, on the panel, which was moderated by Mary Brennan, World Mission Interpretation and Networks Officer in the Episcopal Church's Office of Anglican and Global Relations.
The Episcopal participation at the GME was a testament to the strong relationship that exists between the two churches, which entered into a "full communion" relationship on January 1, 2001, on the basis of the document "Called to Common Mission," culminating 30 years of dialogue with one another.
Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/3577_76969_ENG_HTM.htm
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CampuSource reunites with Episcopal Church Foundation to increase resources
by Daphne Mack
[ENS] CampuSource has strengthen it's portfolio of resources to campus ministries by returning to the fold of the Episcopal Church Foundation (ECF.)
"It just makes sense to bring CampuSource back under the Foundation's umbrella, and assist campus ministries to develop the resources they need," Donald V. Romanik, ECF president, said. "The mission of the Foundation's Giving Services is exactly that, to help Episcopal entities develop financial resources for ministry."
CampuSource began as a pilot program of ECF, becoming a separate entity at General Convention 2003. Since that time CampuSource has worked with more than 70 campus ministries, either individually or as part of a diocesan cluster.
Its board of directors voted, effective July 1, to no longer be an independent organization and entrusted its responsibilities for addressing fundraising needs of Episcopal campus ministries to the ECF.
"Over time we have come to realize that we can be even more effective as a part of ECF," Myra Blackmon, CampuSource board chair, said. "It is the best way to meet our mission to help campus ministries grow so they can serve God and the Church."
ECF has expanded its Giving Services to include a full array of fundraising resources for Episcopal organizations, including annual giving, planned giving, capital campaigns and endowment management services, the synergies between the two organizations are stronger than ever. Campus ministry clients will have access to all the expertise and resources provided by ECF, while enabling ECF to focus on strengthening the grassroots of the Episcopal Church for their mission and ministry.
CampuSource has also partnered with the Office of Young Adult and Higher Education Ministries to provide stewardship and fundraising training to college chaplains. The Rev. Douglas Fenton, staff officer for Young Adult & Higher Education Ministries said, "At a time when campus ministries are being revitalized in dioceses across the church, this fills a vital need."
"Joining with ECF will provide a lot more infrastructure, stability and staff support for all the chaplaincies that we are working with," said ECF's Anne Ditzler.
Ditzler served as executive director of CampuSource and will continue to serve as the primary consultant for these ministries only now as ECF staff.
"My hopes are that we can reach even more campus ministries now that we've got the resources of the foundation behind us," she said. "And for the foundation, I hope that this new focus will say to all of those ministries in the Episcopal Church that we can help you develop your mission and raise funds to do it."
-- Daphne Mack is staff writer for Episcopal News Service.
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Catalyst: "Eradicating Global Poverty: A Christian Study Guide on the Millennium Development Goals," a new study guide from the National Council of Churches, 64 pages, Friendship Press, $7.95.
[Source: Friendship Press] -- "If the poor will always be with us, why should we eradicate extreme poverty? Because we can, experts say. Humanity has the means to end worldwide poverty in our lifetime. The real question is, will we do it?
A new study guide released today by the National Council of Churches USA, Eradicating Poverty: A Christian Study Guide on the Millennium Development Goals, tackles these and other pressing issues.
The Millennium Development Goals are a set of eight goals to end extreme poverty, hunger and disease by 2015, agreed to by world leaders in 2000."
To order: Episcopal Books and Resources, online at http://www.episcopalbookstore.org, or call 800.903.5544.
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