The Strategic Legacy of Bishop Ed Little

From Vital Practices-

From the beginning of his ministry as the seventh bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana, the Rt. Rev. Edward S. Little II has beamed a spiritual focus to follow. Personifying the lighthouse on the diocesan seal, Little has delivered powerful messages that illuminate priorities for Christ centered living and ministry.

Communicating the right priorities is one of the keys to strategic leadership. I offer a glimpse of Little here as a model of such leadership.

Little’s strategic legacy began with his seating sermon in 2000, in which he called on his new flock to embrace the lighthouse as a vision for individual and congregational ministries. To prompt and guide, he set four core values for the diocese:

A passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ
A heart for the lost
A willingness to do whatever it takes
A commitment to one another

More here-

http://www.ecfvp.org/posts/the-strategic-legacy-of-bishop-ed-little/

CATHOLIC AND EPISCOPAL BISHOPS LEAD PRAYERS FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY

From Indiana-

On the evening of Jan. 18 at St. Matthew Cathedral, Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend and Episcopal Bishop Edward S. Little of the Diocese of Northern Indiana joined together in common fellowship for an ecumenical prayer service to initiate the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

Bishop Rhoades served as the main celebrant for the Vespers, asking that “the Lord bless us and the Church, that we may be united in our Baptism as brothers and sisters in Christ.” He acknowledged that true unity is only possible through the work of God. “By our own efforts, our own works, we cannot achieve peace. It is only through the gifts of the Holy Spirit that this will be possible; that is why we are here this evening.”

More here-

http://www.todayscatholicnews.org/2015/01/catholic-and-episcopal-bishops-lead-prayers-for-christian-unity/

Bishop to continue midnight Mass tradition at Trinity

From Indiana-

 At 11 p.m. Christmas Eve, Bishop of Northern Indiana Edward Little – dressed in the traditional vestments of the ancient church – will carry a small bundle down the long aisle of Trinity Episcopal Church, 600 Franklin St.

In the quiet church lit by the flicker of more than 100 candles, Little will gently lay the figure of the baby Jesus in the manger next to his mother, Mary, starting the celebration of traditional Christmas midnight Mass.

More here-

http://www.thenewsdispatch.com/features/article_a0e6a9f6-872e-11e4-9049-339c990d1e40.html

Web letter by Edward S. Little II: Episcopal Church celebrates 175 years in Fort Wayne

From Northern Indiana-

On Saturday, May 10, the Episcopal Church celebrates the 175th anniversary of its ministry in Fort Wayne, the City of Churches. It has been a privilege for us to be immersed in the life of this vibrant community, to contribute to its growth and prosperity and in turn to receive a welcome that characterizes the city of Fort Wayne.

In 1839, the Right Rev. Jackson Kemper – the first missionary bishop of the Episcopal Church – passed through this area. As he traveled, he preached the Gospel, gathered Christian communities and pioneered the church’s mission to what was then called the West. Today we commemorate the first worship service in Fort Wayne, and we give thanks for the opportunity that God has given to us – and to brothers and sisters from other Christian traditions – to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a city known for its warmth and its deep roots. Fort Wayne is a wonderful environment for us to seek to follow Jesus and to apply our Christian faith in all aspects of our lives.

More here-

http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20140509/EDIT09/305099999/-1/EDIT01

Bishop of Episcopal Church coming to Diocesan Convention

From Northern Indiana-

When Katharine Jefferts Schori was elected presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church in 2006, Episcopalians everywhere gasped.

Then many cheered while others objected.

Jefferts Schori had become the first woman to lead the national church. Her gender alone drew opposition from conservatives, but so did her feminist views and pro gay rights stand.

In the five years since, Jefferts Schori says she believes the opposition has softened.

“I do think the anxiety has gone down as people have realized that I am a follower of Jesus and that I strive to preach the same good news he proclaimed,” said Jefferts Schori, who will make her first visit to South Bend this week.

The presiding bishop will participate in the 113th annual Convention of the Diocese of Northern Indiana. The diocese consists of 36 churches, including the host church, the Cathedral of St. James.

Her roles here will include officiating a Eucharist at 10 a.m. Saturday and participating in an open forum at 1:30 Saturday, both at Century Center, as well as a media event at 6 p.m. Friday at the downtown South Bend Chocolate Cafe.

More here-

http://www.wsbt.com/news/wsbt-bishop-of-episcopal-church-coming-to-diocesan-convention-20111008,0,4521512.story

South Bend church tries to fight crime after shootings in the area

From Northern Indiana-

People who live in one South Bend neighborhood are taking matters into their own hands to increase safety around their homes.

Holy Trinity Episcopal Church hosted a community meeting and invited neighbors to come together to speak out about the violence in the area.

“Years ago, there wasn't the shootings and the problems we have now,” said John Zanka, a member of the congregation. “I just feel bad for the people that live around here that have children and the older people that are afraid to come outside.”

The glare of police lights is a sight that has become all too familiar for the residents along Olive and Fredrickson streets.

In August, a 19-year-old man was shot and killed on the corner of those two streets. The South Bend Police Department reports that there have been about six shootings in the past six months in this area.

“If something happens on that street, the cops are all over this part,” Rosetta Hamilton said.

Hamilton has lived in the neighborhood for 14 years and said she has seen the violence escalate over time.

“If there's shootings over there anybody’s kid can get hurt and that's just not right,” she said.

More here-

http://www.wndu.com/localnews/headlines/South_Bend_church_tries_to_fight_crime__129763468.html

A Letter from the Bishop

Bishop Ed Little Writes his Diocese-

Dear brothers and sisters,

As an avid mystery reader - I must confess that the more gruesome the tale, the more I enjoy it - I make it a point of pride never to sneak a peek at the end. I want to wait until the very last moment before discovering “who done it.” Was it the jilted fiancé? The bitter business partner? The resentful cousin? Part of the pleasure is in the waiting. While some mystery readers do their best to figure out who’s guilty, I prefer the surprise. I don’t want to know - until the very last page. A gasp of surprise is the sign of a great mystery.

That’s why Advent presents something of a challenge to me. It tells the story in reverse. Advent begins at the end, on the last page, and moves to the beginning. And so, on the First Sunday of Advent, our focus is on the second coming of Jesus. “Give us grace to cast away the works of darkness . . . that in the last day, when [Jesus] shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal” (Collect for 1 Advent, BCP p. 211). On the cusp of a new church year, we gaze into the future and recognize that Jesus has history well in hand. As John puts it in his vision of the future: “I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (Revelation 21:1-2). From the opening moments of the Christian year, we know how things are going to turn out!

Having opened the book and sneaked a peek at the end of the story, we move to the middle - to John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin and forerunner, who appeared on the bank of the Jordan River when Jesus was about 30 and preached about the coming Savior. The Second and Third Sundays of Advent focus on John’s ministry of preparation. This year, the Gospel readings come from Luke. “[John] went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,” we will hear on 2 Advent (Luke 3:3). And then, the next week, John will confront us with his grim yet hopeful message. “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” And yet, John adds, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire” (Luke 3:7, 16). John invites us to review our lives and prepare our hearts for the coming of Jesus. His message is always fresh, always challenging, and always appropriate.

Much more here-

http://www.ednin.org/ednin/

Good Stuff In TEC: Northern Indiana

Dear brothers and sisters,

I have asked Tim Skimina of St. Timothy’s, Griffith to share with you the experiences of the recent mission team we sent to our companion Diocese of Honduras.

Yours in Christ,

+Ed Little

Compañeros en Cristo

The purpose of our mission trip was get to know the villagers of Delicias del Norte - a small village in the mountains near San Pedro Sula , Honduras . A secondary purpose was to work along side the villagers building stoves, pillas (above ground cisterns with a scrub board and faucet) and a latrine. We spent the first two days visiting the churches, daycare center and clinics we helped to build or support over the years. As we traveled across the country, we visited the people we worked with on past trips.

On a hill in the village stands San Lucas an Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Honduras. The people in the village are kind and filled with the spirit of Christ’s love. That is evident to any who come into contact with them. One day while Rev. Dan Layden was working on a stove, his work group ran out of cement to mix. He recalls, “My shoulders are still sore from mixing cement with a shovel all week, but that is another story.

Anyway, I was glad for a little break. In our down time, I struck up a conversation through the translator with Bonifacio the local mason in charge of our work group. I asked him a simple question, ‘How do you like your Church?’ To my surprise he told me of how the Church had come to the village a few decades earlier and how he had been baptized. He went on to say that the church changed his life. As he told his story I could see the deep feeling in the man. I thought to myself, ‘Thank God for those who brought the Gospel here to this village some years ago.’ I further thought how amazing God’s love is. Here I sit in a place I have no business otherwise being and the love of God shines to me through a man with which I have so little in common.”

(The rest is here)

http://www.ednin.org/ednin/

You can see all of the Good Stuff posts by clicking on Good Stuff in the labels below.

Good Stuff in TEC: Northern Indiana

A report about a church service and repentance. My good friend Ed Little Bishop of Northern Indiana is featured.

The church also welcomed the Rev. Edward Little, the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana, who did a fine job weaving ancient scripture and modern scenarios to help bridge 2,000 years.

First, he confessed his "unholy fascination" with the popular TV show "Deal or No Deal," explaining that it illustrates human greed at its worst. He weaved this pop culture epiphany into our primal instinct of wondering "what's next?" in our lives. He also hemmed it into the Christian season of Advent, wryly wondering, "What does Jesus have in his briefcase for all of us?"

Little then confessed about a heated e-mail exchange he recently had with a fellow bishop, leading to one last angry e-mail that he later regretted sending. In the middle of the night, Little was awoken by guilt and compelled to send another e-mail apologizing for his cyberspace outburst.

But, for some reason, the angry-outburst e-mail never reached the other bishop, he was told, sort of absolving him of his cyber-sin.

"It proves that God wipes the slate clean, even on the Internet," he joked, prompting laughs from the three dozen parishioners in attendance.

Little also explained the definition of "repent," meaning to change your mind or change your direction about something.

"Repent has since come to mean something else, but that's not true," Little told us.

http://www.post-trib.com/news/davich/1342152,davich.article

You can see all of the Good Stuff posts by clicking on Good Stuff in the labels below.