"Love thy neighbor, uphold the case of the oppressed and bring justice... God will deliver the oppressed and crush oppressors (Pr. 22:22-23). It is up to us to stand with the oppressed..." Keep reading the Lent 1 Devotional from the Sanctuary & Support Team at the link in the comments.

The Sanctuary & Support Team has prepared a series of Lenten Devotionals - one for Ash Wednesday and then one for each week of Lent. Read today's devotional and an intro from Canon Nurya here: Keep reading the rest of today's devotional and an intro from Canon Nurya at the link in the comments.

With great hope and joy and with the prayers of our diocese, we are thrilled to announce that the application window for our search for our first bishop diocesan! Check out the profile and the process at the link in the comments.

All people who engage in pastoral relationships in the Diocese of the Great Lakes must do the following:  Familiarize themselves with the diocesan Safe Church policies; Complete Safe Church training every three years; Submit to a background check every five years.

An excerpt from The Episcopal Church House of Deputies newsletter written by President. Julia Ayala Harris: "Again and again, God’s people find themselves living between promise and peril ... to bear witness to a deeper and more demanding truth. Every human being bears the image of God."

No time for a full meal of diocesan work? Grab and go with this edition of The Feast: Bite-Sized with quick info about: ㅤ 💜 Lenten Formation and Devotionals 🌏 Creation Care Survey ‼️ March Confirmation Registration Deadline quickly approaching! ㅤ Download at 🔗 in the comments!

Last week, Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe sent out an invitation to help the efforts of emergency migration ministry. We encourage you, as Bishop Rowe asks, to consider supporting this ministry, and pray for the witness of the church in these times.

In this pastoral message, Bishop Anne reflects on the challenges facing vulnerable communities and lifts up the courageous ways people across our diocese are responding with love, prayer, and action. vist.ly/4q93a

Marking a quarter-century of full-communion partnership, The Episcopal Church and Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) now welcome the exchange of deacons in updated clergy exchange guidelines. Shared by the Rev. Mike Wernick, Ecumenical and Interreligious Officer for our Diocese

Diocesan snack time with The Feast Bite Sized! ㅤ Today's menu features: 🌊 Migration with Dignity Sunday is Feb. 8, 🌊 Lent Preaching Workshop is Feb. 12, and 🌊 Diocesan Grant Opportunities. ㅤ Download the latest edition here: vist.ly/4pihv

Tomorrow (1/29) at 7:30 p.m., St John’s, Grand Haven invites you to a Requiem Mass for Peace for Victims of ICE Violence. "All are welcome to join in prayer, light a candle, or simply to sit in shared silence." See the event page here: vist.ly/4pfhp

An excerpt of the January 25th email from Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe: Dear people of God in The Episcopal Church: Like Jesus, we live in frightening times. His earthly ministry began when John the Baptist was imprisoned by authorities who wanted to silence his preaching and prophesying.

Bishop Craig Loya of The Episcopal Church in Minnesota writes: We are mobilizing for revolutionary love. Vast networks of care, compassion, and solidarity, organized by churches to deliver food and supplies to those who cannot leave their homes. vist.ly/4paz6

The Episcopal Migration Caucus encourages every congregation and diocese to celebrate Migration With Dignity Sunday on a Sunday in Epiphany season. Our own Standing Committee, acting as Ecclesiastical Authority, has approved moving forward with this designation in our diocese.

The Episcopal Migration Caucus encourages every congregation and diocese to celebrate Migration With Dignity Sunday on a Sunday in Epiphany season. Our own Standing Committee, acting as Ecclesiastical Authority, has approved moving forward with this designation in our diocese.

🌈 Welcoming community that strives to embody the unconditional love of God? ✅ 🫶 Outreach and support focused parish? ✅ 🎼 Robust music program incorporated into weekly worship? ✅ ⛪ Historic Victorian church that has been a staple of a diverse community for more than 140 years? ✅

Gun violence is a crisis affecting young people across this country. Over four days, participants will learn the scope of the gun violence epidemic, explore strategies for community organizing and advocacy, and discover how their baptismal covenant calls them to stand up for justice and peace.

We are hiring! The Manager for Camping Ministry coordinates registration, administrative tasks, and operational logistics for all camping programs for children, youth, and families in the Episcopal Diocese of the Great Lakes.

On this final Sunday of Advent and all throughout this season, the Bishop Search Committee is asking us to pray together for the person who will be our first bishop diocesan.

On this third Sunday of Advent and all throughout this season, the Bishop Search Committee is asking us to pray together for the person who will be our first bishop diocesan.

We’re working hard to put together the last edition of The Feast for the year, but it’s not quite ready yet. Tune in next week for our last edition of our diocesan newsletter for 2025 which will be full of upcoming opportunities for 2026.

On this second Sunday of Advent and all throughout this season, the Bishop Search Committee is asking us to pray together for the person who will be our first bishop diocesan.

This second Sunday of Advent, Deacon Beckett Leclaire writes for Justice Unbound. Editor Rev. Lee Catoe remarks, “these [are] amazing and powerful pieces of witness, art, and story. I am truly blessed to have been able to read these, truly.” Link in comments below.

Diocesan snack time with The Feast Bite Sized! Today's menu features: 🌊 livestream and carpool information for Bishop Cate's funeral on December 12, 🌊 a heads-up about grants with December deadlines, and 🌊 a call to pray for Bishop Search Process. Check the comments for details!

Let's join together in prayer for the world, each other, and specifically for our Bishop Search during Advent. Visit greatlakesepiscopal.org/bishop-search/ for the latest.

November 20 is Transgender Day of Remembrance, an annual observance that calls us to honor & hold sacred the deaths of transgender people who have died because of anti-trans violence. We invite you on this day to prayer, to remembering, and to recommitting yourself to our shared baptismal covenant.

Another edition of The Feast Bite Sized is ready for your snacking needs! In this issue: 🌊 Diocesan Townhall on December 2 🌊 Advent Quiet Day Retreat with Bishop Anne (online!) 🌊 Livestream and carpool information for Bishop Cate's funeral on December 12 Check the comments for details!

Holy Trinity, Manistee was a contributor to an ECF Vital Practices research study that sought stories of congregations without an ordained leader. this community shows creativity and resiliance, and we are excited to share some of their story with you!

The Episcopal Diocese of the Great Lakes is hiring a Finance Associate for Congregational Support. We enthusiastically encourage people from all walks of life and backgrounds who share our commitment to loving as Jesus taught us to view the job description, qualifications, & apply! Link in comment!

Michigan families are struggling to access food. 🥕 If you need help, reach out. Jesus loves you & wants you to be fed. Your neighbors want you to be fed. You are not alone. vist.ly/4dfwy

At our convention, we unanimously adopted the resolution "Sanctuary & Support for Immigrants & Refugees," to take action to stand in solidarity with those threatened by detention or deportation, to equip our parishes to consider and engage in sanctuary ministry, & to urge others to join us.

🌊 Make sure that your voice, experiences, hopes, and dreams for our diocese help to shape the profile for our first Bishop Diocesan. Our Search Committee is hosting a number of online and onsite listening sessions. Find on that you can plan on being part of today at the link in the comments.

The Feast Bite-Sized is here and this week's info snack has an opportunity to use your voice to shape the future of our diocese and two learning opportunities! Find the most recent Bite-Sized and all editions of the The Feast Online here: vist.ly/4c2p2

It is with deep sadness & hope in the resurrection that we share that this morning, the Right Reverend Catherine M. Waynick died. Bp. Cate served faithfully as the Bishop Provisional of the legacy Diocese of Eastern Michigan from 2017 to 2019, before which she was the X Bishop of Indianapolis.

Have you been part of a listening session yet? Our Bishop Search team wants to hear from at least one person from all 98 of our congregations! Check the link in the comments for the full schedule to add a session to your calendar today!

Remember that lil rapture obsession everyone had for a hot sec in September? The Rev. Barrett Lee from St. Mark's in Coldwater talked with The Living Church about how he addressed the origins of and debunks the idea of a "rapture." To read the article, follow the link in the comments.

Convention begins today! Almighty and everliving God, source of all wisdom and understanding, be present with those who take counsel at convention for the renewal and mission of your Church. (cont below)

In September, Plainsong Farm received exciting news: it was awarded a $42,500 grant! To secure the grant, the farm needed to contribute $7,500. Thanks to generous support at the annual FUNdraiser, that amount was raised, allowing the grant funds to be released.

Bp. Paula Clark of the diocese of Chicago visited recently with an immigrant detainee from that diocese being held at a the North Lake facility in Baldwin. Our Dir. for Mission & Community Engagement, the Rev. Canon Nurya Love Parish, has been coordinating ongoing pastoral support for Willian.

Convention attendees will receive an email tomorrow with the full, final convention booklet, but in the meantime, you can check out the detailed workshop descriptions and schedule online. Check the link in the comments!

It's here! It's here! Our Second Diocesan Convention is this Friday and Saturday. Let's join together in this prayer from the Book of Common Prayer for this important time in the life of our diocese.

🌊 The Bishop Search Committee for the first Bishop Diocesan of our diocese invites you to participate in a listening session which will help shape the search profile. Your voice matters. Join the conversation and be part of this historic moment. Find a session to mark your calendar today!

About 40 of us from around the Diocese of the Great Lakes gathered at the Saginaw Children’s Zoo to celebrate the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi. We then gathered near the carousel for snacks, refreshments, a short prayer service, and a craft project. We hope you’ll join us next year!

There's a LOT going on as we get closer to our Second Diocesan Convention. The Feast Bite-Sized breaks down three upcoming opportunities if you just want to check out a bit at a time. Check out the current and previous editions of The Bite-Sized and The Feast Online here: vist.ly/4a3jj

I never expected to find God in pirate-speak, but Pirate Mass at St. Luke’s in Kalamazoo reminded me that holiness and happiness go hand in hand. Arrgh! Aye, aye! Amen! ⚓️ 🏴‍☠️ 🌊

In the wake of the horrific mass shooting and fire at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Grand Blanc Township, Bishop Anne and Rev. Molly call our diocese to prayer. Read the full statement by swiping through or at the link below. vist.ly/48hej

How about a mid-morning snack? The Feast Bite-Sized is here! 🌊 Convention! 🌊 LGTBQ+ 101 for Faith Leaders & Communities w/Dcn Beck! 🌊 Prepare for our Dio Day of Prayer on 10/26! Dig into the current and previous editions of The Bite-Sized here: vist.ly/47ybv

Brooks Grantier, Trinity Marshall organist and music director emeritus, greeted 65 guests from the tri-state area with his presentation on the Stained Glass windows, explaining the dates of installation and the technique used by each artisan.

There are so many opportunities and events happening around the Diocese, we need a way to get the information to everyone, and keep our social media feeds organized. ✅ So, keep an eye out on our Facebook and Instagram stories, and if you miss something, you can reference Circle for details! 🌊

This silent retreat is designed to immerse you in the beauty of the fall season while offering a sanctuary for introspection and spiritual renewal. With guided contemplative practices, time for journaling, and optional quiet activities, this experience allows you to listen deeply.