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Episcopal Charities of Long Island
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The mission of Episcopal Charities of Long Island is to foster, develop and contribute to the support of the religious, educational and charitable work of the Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Long Island.

My Dear Friends in Christ,

To listen well to Gospel of Mark is to be introduced to the figure of Jesus ever on the move, seeing and responding in ways both human and divine to the people whose paths he crosses. He spares himself nothing; he is, continuously, “for the other person.” Episcopal Charities of Long Island was founded in 1951 to carry out the mission of the Church… for the other person.

Since 1951 the mission of Episcopal Charities has touched countless lives because believers like you have followed Christ’s example. And now the excitement of the early years of Episcopal Charities has returned, and there’s new joy in the Diocese of Long Island as we celebrate the new ministries being developed as a result. We’re preparing ourselves for growth and change in a renewed spirit of mission.

Diocesan ministries last year touched more than 25,000 lives – and in the continuing peril of a struggling world economy the desperate need for ministry continues to grow. So many more of our neighbors are struggling to pay the rent, to buy gas for the trip to work… to buy food.

The Diocese, through our direct ministries and by grants to parishes creating their own local programs, is moving on all fronts to address these problems. Episcopal Charities continues the renewal of its historical mandate to fund ministries that will enrich us all through…

  • Parish Returns – parishes share between 25% and 50% of the funds they raise through the Episcopal Charities Annual Appeal…
  • Archdeaconry and Church-Based Grants to parishes and programs to begin or continue community and social ministries…
  • Workshops and grants to enable parishes to establish Jubilee Ministries…
  • Stewardship workshops in grant writing and in strategic-plan development for parishes…
  • Continued support of Diocesan ministries at Camp DeWolfe, Episcopal Community Services …

…and much more.

The support of the faithful throughout the Diocese continues to make an almost unimaginable difference in the lives of struggling families, children and elders: our neighbors in Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau and Suffolk. My deepest thanks and warmest blessings go out to you for your prayerful generosity, in emulation of Jesus Christ, through the ministries supported by Episcopal Charities… for the other person.

Yours in Christ,

The Right Reverend Lawrence C. Provenzano
Bishop of Long Island

Episcopal Charities of Long Island is a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit organization. We are able to fund our programs and agencies to some extent through dividends from our investments. However, these programs and agencies are dependent on you to carry out this mission of caring for and supporting those in Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk who need your help.

Contact:
Office of Resource Development
Episcopal Charities of Long Island
36 Cathedral Avenue
Garden City, NY 11530
(516) 248-4800, extension 23
(516) 248-8625 (fax)
development@dioceseli.org
 

Help with the How-To of Creating and Sustaining Ministry

By The Rev. Deacon Lorraine Cusick

If you have heard or read Bishop Larry Provenzano quoted as saying, "After you say you believe, everything else is mission," you may have said to yourself – "Okay, what do I do next?"

Fulfilling our mission is the great challenge facing every baptized Christian and every congregation. Ministry is the outward, concrete sign of our mission. If you look in the Catechism at the back of the Book of Common Prayer, you will find three questions and answers on page 855 that can help.

"The mission of the Church," the first answer says, "is to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ." The two answers following
tell us how, and through whom, the Church carries out its mission. Developing a mission plan and then creating ministries that fulfill it are the signs of our presence in the community.

And where do we start? Helping to answer that question is one of the reasons that Episcopal Charities has a Ministry Support and Sustainability unit.

To develop ministry we look at two things: the needs of the community, and the gifts of the parish community. A good match between the two is a solid step toward a successful ministry. We don't do ministry in a vacuum; we discover the needs of our neighbors – through conversations with each other and through conversations with other faith communities. Then we assess the gifts of our parish community. The skills needed to have these conversations, and to make this assessment of gifts – though they are not skills possessed by all – can be learned!

Episcopal Charities is working to provide tools for ministry to help you succeed in your parish and community. We began with a workshop on grant writing (which will be repeated in Fall 2010); soon we will also offer a workshop in effective questioning and listening skills, so necessary to discover community needs. Finally, we offer a program of Archdeaconry and Church-Based Grants that provides "seed money" to help start ministries, or expand existing ones. We even help you with the application by offering a new workshop (required for grant applicants) designed to assist you in that task.

It promises to be an exciting year! Please take the opportunity to join us and be part of the "mission and ministry team."

Email lcusick@dioceseli.org or call (516) 248-4800, ext. 20 today for more information and help!

Click here for Grant Guidelines

  

Archdeaconry and Church Based Grants

The deadline for applications to be received in the Episcopal Charities office is February 2, 2012 for Spring grants and June 15, 2012, to be considered for the Fall grants. See guidelines for these grants and contact our office to discuss the project for which you would like to apply for funding. Email ECLI@dioceseli.org; or call 516-248-4800, x20.

Please give generously to Episcopal Charities of Long Island, 36 Cathedral Avenue, Garden City, NY 11530. To use a credit card, please go here, or call 516 248-4800, ext. 19 and speak with Mrs. Nancy Kennelly, Administrative Assistant. When you make a donation in memory of or in honor of someone, their name will be recorded in the Book of Remembrance and an acknowledgement sent to them.
Episcopal Charities of Long Island • 36 Cathedral Avenue, Garden City, New York 11530 • 516 248-4800