DISPATCHES is our monthly update that seeks to keep you advised of news, developments, and resources that support our shared priorities and initiatives across the diocese.

Our priorities are: Youth & Family Ministry, Leadership Development & Clergy Care, Global Mission, and the Reawakening of New England

Click for January’s Edition

Becoming Whole Conference: March 27-29, 2025

A conference for all who seek to know the transforming love and power of Jesus in their lives and relationships

Reawakening Conference: October 17-18, 2025!

Guest Speaker

We are so excited that The Rev. Ethan Magness will return as our plenary speaker this year!

He will be speaking on the conference theme: "The Power of the Promise"

Faith does not exist on its own.  It only comes into existence when a promise is given. Our God is the Great-Promise-Giver.  He has promised you life! "For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you...was not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes. For all the promises of God find their Yes in him." - 1 Corinthians 1:19-20

You can view recordings of Rev. Ethan’s 2024 sessions on our Youtube channel!

Vestry Day - March 1st

This year we are holding Vestry Day virtually.

“Would you be willing to serve on the Vestry?”

This workshop is everything you wish you would have asked before responding to this question. We work through a case study in which we unpack the work of the Vestry, the role of the Rector, and how the two work together to make the transformative and empowering love of Jesus Christ known in our local communities and throughout the world.

Anyone interested in joining to learn more about how the Anglican Church is governed, how they can serve their local church, and support the work of their Rector can sign up by emailing josh.vanada@adne.org.

“Empowered By Grace” One-Day Workshop - March 8

In Wakefield, MA with Josh Vanada, Bishop Drew, and Revs. Sean & Kate Norris

Longing for this in your leadership roles?  peace where you are insecure, clarity where you doubt, and passion where you are exhausted… the secret is not inside you…the key to strength and vision is by hearing a word of grace in your place of need from a real God who gave his life for you.  This leadership conference recovers the power of God’s grace and connects to the true desires it fosters in you.  It will give structure and strategy to step out in those desires with wisdom and strength.

Ordination Discernment Dinner - March 11

Bp. Drew is hosting an ordination discernment dinner with special guests from Trinity Anglican Seminary.  This is a great chance for you to encourage someone in your church who you are interested in raising up as a leader or someone in whom you see a call to vocational ministry.  You can simply send along the invite link below.  We do need to have RSVPs by the end of February.

Contact the Rev. Kate Norris for any questions: Kate@dandelionministries.org

ADNE Leadership Development Workshop Series

As a new initiative, the ADNE is offering virtual workshops on important church leadership topics. We will be offering these quarterly, and they are available to anyone who is interested, both clergy and laypeople. Please feel free to share the invitation to those outside the ADNE as well!

Our first workshop will be March 19 at 7pm. Our second will be in August, as we will be gathering in June for the Strategic Planing Summit.

Extra Grace Required: Church Leadership with Challenging Members

March 19 With Bp. Trevor Walters (virtual)

Jesus told us to feed his sheep. What do we do when those sheep don’t want to eat, or want to stop others from eating, or aren’t really sheep at all? During this workshop, Bp. Trevor will explore strategies and biblical perspectives concerning church members that stretch us. Panel discussion and Q&A time to follow the presentation

March 19, 7-8:00pm. Registration link available soon.

Contact Fr. Micah Thompson with any questions (Micah.thompson@adne.org)

Join the preaching group!

Please join us on Tuesdays at noon to discuss the lectionary readings for the upcoming Sunday.  You are welcome to invite others, for example lay leaders and pastor friends who would benefit.

SAME ZOOM LINK EACH WEEK:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89633694558?pwd=FNjhzzEM7kSWenpNwurs84ft5eCcvP.1

Each week, we look at the pastoral problem and relate it to ourselves and our church and culture.  We identify the word of conviction and how that leads us to the grace of Jesus Christ finished at the cross.  Thus we pull out how every passage leads us to Christ and the power of His cross and resurrection.  We finish with how we might give Christ's promises to our people from these particular Scriptures.  The fellowship is very rich. We'd love to have you!

Contact the Rev. Kate Norris with any questions: Kate@dandelionministries.org

Borehole Project Update in Athiriver – Exciting Progress and Upcoming Mission Trip

The drilling for the borehole project in Athiriver is nearing its completion. The current depth of the borehole stands at 240 meters, and the water is flowing steadily. A recent water test has confirmed that the water is clean, requiring only minimal purification to make it drinkable.

To support the storage and distribution of this precious resource, two 10,000-litre tanks have been installed to store the water. Additionally, 16 solar panels have been delivered and installed on the tower to power the well pump, ensuring a sustainable and reliable water supply.

The remaining tasks to complete the project include installing plumbing works to connect the borehole to the church's supply system and creating vendor and distribution points to facilitate water access for the community.

In celebration of this achievement, a mission trip from the Anglican Diocese of New England (ADNE) is planned for May 6-13, 2025. This trip will include the official opening of the well and mission work with Ven Brian. If you are interested in joining the team, please contact Canon Leah at revleaht@gmail.com by March 15th.

This project marks a significant milestone in providing clean and accessible water to the Athiriver community, fostering better health and well-being while promoting sustainable development. We look forward to the positive impact it will bring to the lives of many and the tangible expression of the love of Jesus for his people.

Thank you again to all of you who helped make this possible.

ADNE Global Mission Updates

Rev. Leah Turner and Natalie Ryan will be traveling to Guatemala from March 16-19 to participate in a vision trip focused on medical missions. The ADNE’s collaboration with Potter’s Village in Kisoro, Uganda has provided an opportunity to sponsor medical missions and support the work of the Potter’s Village crisis center, maternity ward, and neonatal unit. Updates will follow.

In the summer of 2026, the ADNE is organizing a mission trip to the Muhaburra Diocese in Western Uganda to minister to Centenary School. This combined youth and adult mission trip will be led by Rev. Ben Giuffrida and Canon Leah Turner, with tentative dates set for August 6-17th, 2026. The itinerary includes attendance at the opening festival for the 90th anniversary celebration of the East African Revival in Ankole Diocese, followed by travel to Kisoro. Additional details will be provided in due course.

The ADNE will also be offering a class titled "An Anglican Introduction to Mission." This six-week program provides a scriptural understanding of mission and God's heart for reaching people with the transformative love of the Gospel message. Dates for this class are to be determined.

Global Mission Sunday is scheduled for February 23, 2025. A litany for the mission will be distributed, but for further resources, please visit newwineskins.org and access their resource page for churches.

We are so excited for the Lord is doing in and around the ADNE for Global Mission. If you or your church would like to be involved, or if you already support a mission or missionary, please share your stories with me. God Bless, Cn Leah

“Practicing The Way”

– Fr. Len Cowan

Almighty God, Whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first He suffered pain, and entered not into Glory before He was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ Your Son our Lord. Amen.

In becoming more fully formed in Christ, three elements seem to predominate in the Scriptures and church history. The first and primary element is the Vision of God, our gazing upon Christ. This steady gaze transforms us into the likeness of Christ as we encounter him in Word, Spirit, and Sacrament. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says: “We all, with unveiled face, beholding the Glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same Image from one degree of Glory into another.” The second element is being clothed by God with the Virtues of Jesus, particularly Faith, Hope, and Love. These are gifts the Holy Spirit gives to us. 1 Peter 2:9 says: “We are a peculiar people, that [we] should show forth the virtue of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.” The third element is a Via, a Way of Life, that helps us keep our focus on God, open and ready to receive Jesus’ virtues. Philippians 2:2 says: “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” Vision and Virtue are possible through personal commitment to a Way of Life.

A Via or Way of Life includes “sacramental” disciplines, which are outward and visible actions that direct us to inward and spiritual realities in Christ. They orient us to Jesus the Way, the Truth, and the Life. The disciplines help keep our gaze on God, as he works the Virtues of Jesus into us, like a baker kneading yeast into dough to make it rise. Christ’s Virtues become ours, both inside and outside. When we see the fruit of the Virtues growing in us, we are assured that God’s Spirit is at work in us.

In the monastic tradition of St. Benedict, monks or nuns took three vows: stability, conversion of life, and obedience. Stability meant faithfulness to God and to the community with which one would remain one’s entire life. Conversion of life meant seeking to change and grow into Christlikeness in community with one’s sisters or brothers. Obedience meant laying aside willfulness in order to align with the will of God, under the direction of the Abbot or Abbess.

The practice of our Via or Way of Life gives stability to our life in Christ. Devotional practices of daily prayer and Scripture reading, Sabbath practices, times of self-reflection, community prayer and worship, all help to keep us anchored in Jesus our Rock. Disciplines of service and outreach can help focus us in the Love of God, while disciplines of Scripture study lead us to the Wisdom of God. We see fruits of conversion in our lives as we are faithful to the disciplines that teach us how to grow in Christlikeness. Through obedience to God’s Spirit guiding and forming us, we live as Jesus taught, loving God, loving our neighbor, and even loving our enemies. A comprehensive Way of Life will utilize a wide array of spiritual practices, some that stabilize us in faith, others that convert us in hope, and others that call for obedience in love.

Are there things that need attention in your own Way of Life? Do you need to refocus your gaze on the Vision of God? Are the Virtues of Jesus of faith, hope and love, flagging under the burdens and responsibilities of your life? Lent is a great time to reset the life-giving spiritual disciplines that stabilize us in the love of Christ. The next few weeks leading up to Lent are a great time for prayerful reflection as you consider your intentions and prepare for Lent. What might the Holy Spirit be saying to you about your Way of Life with Jesus?

O God, the King Eternal, Whose Light divides the day from the night and turns the shadow of death into the morning: Drive far from us all wrong desires, incline our hearts to keep Your Law, and guide our feet into the way of peace; that, having done Your Will with cheerfulness during the day, we may, when night comes, rejoice to give you thanks; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

[To inquire further about practicing this particular Way of Life, please visit www.abbeyoftheway.us/the-way.  Very helpful is a website and book called “Practicing The Way” by John-Mark Comer.  Visit www.practicingtheway.org.

“Caring for our Clergy”

– Kyle Hubbard, Incarnation Anglican Church

We all know that one of the clergy’s primary tasks is to care for their flocks (e.g., Jn 21:17, 1 Pet. 5:1-4).  But churches also have responsibilities to care for their clergy.  So, what are some concrete ways that churches (and lay leaders within those churches), can do this?

1.        Pray for Your Clergy Consistently and Publicly                           

This probably goes without saying, but it is vital for the church to be praying for her clergy.  Every layperson should be offering private prayers for their priests and deacons, but there should also be regular public prayers for them.   In most of our churches this happens every Sunday during the prayers of the people.  Your church should also be offering petitions for your clergy’s needs, praising God for their milestones (birthdays, births of children, finishing school, anniversaries, etc.) and blessing them as they go on vacation. 

2.        Prioritize Sabbath

Another essential way to care for clergy is to offer them Sabbath, and encouraging them to take it.  We probably all have a long list of expectations for our clergy, but what if maintaining a Sabbath was at the top of that list?  Prioritizing Sabbath should include insisting that they take at least one day off each week, having someone else take church calls on that day, and communicating the Sabbath plan to the rest of the congregation.  Your church should also think seriously about protecting the clergy’s evenings and other times they regularly spend with family.

Prioritizing Sabbath also means offering them longer periods of sabbatical release during their tenure.  This requires the church to plan ahead, but it has immense benefits for the clergy as well as for the church itself as she realizes she is Christ’s and not absolutely dependent on any one clergy member.

3.        Set Out Clear Expectations

We all know that relationships break down without clear expectations, so make sure that your church’s expectations for your clergy are clear and that they are mutually agreed upon.  Spell them out in a letter of agreement that you revisit at least once per year.  Make sure that the letter of agreement also contains the clergy’s expectations for their congregation and, especially if you are a leader in the church, make sure you follow through on those expectations.  And, speaking to the last point, make sure the letter spells out an agreed-upon Sabbath and sabbatical plan.

4.        Consider Them Family

I recognize that this may be dependent on the amount of clergy at your church, but, as best as you can, care for them in the way you care for your own family: have them and their families over for dinner, offer encouraging words (verbal and written), give them gifts.  In so doing, you will treat the clergy for who they are— yes, those who’ve been called by God to serve your church as fathers or mothers, but, ultimately, as your brothers and sisters in Christ.

 Thank you for supporting the ministries and priorities of the Anglican Diocese of New England.  

The Anglican Diocese in New England wants to be on mission together: every parishioner, every member of the clergy, and every church. As a family of churches reaching across the breadth of New England, God is calling us to serve in the reawakening of the Northeast.

We can do so much more in God when we work together.

As of January 22 2025, our online giving is now through the platform Aplos. The portal will look different, but is legitimate and secure.

To access your previous giving account through the Realm portal, click here. We ask that all recurring gifts set up in Realm be transferred to Aplos by March.
Please contact treasurer@adne.org if you need assistance. Thank you!