Do you pray for vibrant and transforming ministries? What are the philosophies and practices that nurture evangelism and growth? Let’s learn some practical tools for experimentation and outreach. Join us for an interactive workshop, offered by leaders at Trinity Episcopal Church in Newtown, CT, as we share fruits of renewed vitality and energy in our old, old parish. Come, pilgrims, let’s ponder and play together about the life cycles of our Christian ministries. We will be surprised by Spirit interventions that transform us! 

Facilitators: The Reverend Andrea Castner Wyatt serves as Rector of Trinity Episcopal Church in Newtown, CT, and Sue Roman is a longtime lay leader there.

Facilitators will guide the group through the process of active engagement around local and state environmental legislation. From gathering in the public square, to letter writing campaigns and in-person lobbying, Terri Eikel and The Reverend Stephanie McDyre Johnson will provide guidance on best practices and summarize summary pending environmental legislation. 

FACILITATATORS: For 20 years prior to her ordination as a priest in the Episcopal Church, The Reverend Stephanie McDyre Johnson worked as an environmental planner and educator.  Following her ordination, Reverend Johnson worked for the Episcopal bishops of New England providing support in reducing congregational energy use and environmental ministries. Reverend Johnson offers workshops, clergy training and retreats on eco-theology, preaching on climate change, and, congregational greening, and grief in the face of the climate emergency. Reverend Stephanie has taught courses at Bexley Seabury and Church Next. For 8 years, she was the chair of the Episcopal Church’s Task Force on the Care of Creation and Environmental Racism. Reverend Johnson is on the Leadership Council of Blessed Tomorrow and the Advisory Board of the Center for Earth Ethics at Union Seminary.  She is the author of “How Can I Care for Creation” and co-author of a curriculum titled “A Life of Grace for the Whole World”, both published by Church Publishing. She earned her M.Div. and STM from Yale Divinity School. Her S.T.M was focused on eco-ministry in a congregational setting. Reverend Johnson is the Rector at St. Paul’s in Riverside, CT.

Teresa (Terri) Eikel serves as the Executive Director and co-founder of the Interreligious Eco-Justice Network. She initially organized the religious community in CT around dirty fossil fuel plants, called the Sooty Six. With IREJN, Terri helped develop and lead the organization’s Green Forum series, which focused on a variety of topics, such as climate change, energy efficiency, toxic chemicals, pollinators, solar energy, and environmental justice. As of March 2023, Terri became the full-time Executive Director of IREJN and is currently leading their initiatives on energy efficiency and food justice, as well as environmental advocacy on the state and national level.

“How Can I Care for Creation” is a primer on why congregations and individuals are called to care for God’s good earth. We will begin with a short overview of the theological foundations and Biblical imperatives for care for creation. Then we will share ideas from simple efforts to big goals that will inspire us to take faithful action for the community and your lives. Bring your ideas and dreams so we can brainstorm together.     

FACILATATORS: For 20 years prior to her ordination as a priest in the Episcopal Church, The Reverend Stephanie McDyre Johnson worked as an environmental planner and educator.  Following her ordination, Reverend Johnson worked for the Episcopal bishops of New England providing support in reducing congregational energy use and environmental ministries. Reverend Johnson offers workshops, clergy training and retreats on eco-theology, preaching on climate change, and, congregational greening, and grief in the face of the climate emergency. Reverend Stephanie has taught courses at Bexley Seabury and Church Next. For 8 years, she was the chair of the Episcopal Church’s Task Force on the Care of Creation and Environmental Racism. Reverend Johnson is on the Leadership Council of Blessed Tomorrow and the Advisory Board of the Center for Earth Ethics at Union Seminary.  She is the author of “How Can I Care for Creation” and co-author of a curriculum titled “A Life of Grace for the Whole World”, both published by Church Publishing. She earned her M.Div. and STM from Yale Divinity School. Her S.T.M was focused on eco-ministry in a congregational setting. Reverend Johnson is the Rector at St. Paul’s in Riverside, CT.

The Reverend Dr. Nancy Wright is the pastor of Ascension Lutheran Church, S. Burlington, Vermont, and the Environmental Liaison for the New England Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. She received the M.Div. degree from Union Theological Seminary, New York City, and the Doctorate of Ministry degree in Leadership Studies from Boston University School of Theology. Pr. Nancy worked as a congregational coordinator at Earth Ministry, Seattle, and as a Program Associate at CODEL–Coordination in Development, which supported sustainable development projects around the world. Wright coauthored Ecological Healing; A Christian Vision (1993, with Fr. Donald Kill), “Christianity and Environmental Justice” (Crosscurrents, June 2011), and the chapter “Living Water” in Living Cosmology: Christian Responses to Journey of the Universe (2016). She and her congregation, with the support and cooperation of Vermont Interfaith Power and Light, created the Congregational Watershed Discipleship Manual.

Throughout history, Cathedrals were framed as both physical spaces and expressions of the church’s mission, serving as houses of prayer, centers for teaching, and places of unity and service.  This presentation explores the theological and practical significance of cathedrals within the church, emphasizing its role as a spiritual community and institution.   Key themes will include the symbolism of the bishop’s chair (cathedra) and the cathedral’s role in fostering connections between the church and the wider community. The presentation also highlights the unique role of Christ Church Cathedral in Hartford as the spiritual heart of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut.  Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of the role of Cathedrals in the life of a diocese as well as the particulars of the governance and structure of Christ Church Cathedral in our Diocese in CT. 

FACILITATORS: Dr. Jilda Aliotta is an active lay member of Christ Church Cathedral and the Episcopal Church in Connecticut. She has served the Cathedral in several capacities including as a member of the Cathedral Chapter and chair of the Congregation Committee.  From 2016-2018, she served as co-chair of the Chapter’s Constitution and Statutes Revision Committee with then Cathedral Chancellor Michael Southwick. She has also served on the Governance Committees of several secular nonprofit organization.  At the Diocesan level, Dr. Aliotta is a member of the Racial Healing Justice and Reconciliation Ministry Network. She holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Minnesota and is a faculty member at the University of Hartford

Thomas A. Rouse, Esq. is a parishioner at St. James’s, West Hartford. He graduated from Trinity College and UConn Law and has been a practicing attorney in Connecticut since 1975. Tom is currently a member of the Standing Committee and served on Mission Council representing the NC Region. He is the Treasurer of Camp Washington, our ECCT camp and retreat center, and serves as the Chancellor of Christ Church Cathedral.

The Very Reverend Miguelina Howell served as Dean of Christ Church Cathedral, Hartford, CT. Miguelina is a Clinical Psychologist and serves as faculty for CREDO, a Church Pension Group Wellness Program for clergy.  She has had an active ministry in the wider church for decades from serving on the Presiding Bishop Staff to TEC Executive Council to various wider church committees, including the Task Force for Reimagining the Episcopal Church (TREC).  In Connecticut, Miguelina is a member of Mission Council and serves on local boards in the art community in Hartford.  Miguelina rejoices in partnering to create opportunities that explore the intercession of spirituality and the arts as well as in crafting liturgies that draw us closer to God and each other.  

Eucharistic Visitors play a pivotal role in the church community, serving as a bridge between the Church and the World, serving those who are shut-in, sick, or unable to be inside the church to worship. We hope to inspire and guide attendees by introducing the many aspects of this sacramental ministry as well as offering a guide, using a standardized order of service for taking the Church (Body of Christ) to such members. We will also discuss some of the difficult and/or unusual challenges as well as the joys the Eucharistic Visitor encounters while encircled with the busyness and speed bumps that encroach on our lives today.

Facilitators: The Reverend Pat Jackson and The Reverend Liz Knauff are graduates of the final Ministry Education and Exploration Program (MEEP) held in 2005. They went through Deacon Formation together and were part of the largest group of (ten) Deacons ordained in ECCT in 2007. Pat and Liz are both members of the Deacons Council. Pat holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Empire State College, Saratoga Springs, NY and is now retired after serving 30 years in the pharmaceutical industry. She served as Deacon for four years at Trinity, Hartford, eleven years at Church of the Holy Trinity, Middletown and is currently on assignment at St. Andrews, Meriden. Liz is on the staff at Warehouse Point Library, East Windsor where she has worked for 22 years. She is currently a Youth Services staff member along with a wide range of responsibilities including front desk duties. She served as Deacon for four years at Trinity, Tariffville and nine years at Church of the Good Shepherd, Hartford. Currently, she attends St. John’s Church, East Windsor.