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Dear ECC
friends,
This is
a difficult time in the life and ministry of our beloved Episcopal Conference
Center. There is an urgent need for us to come together as a committed family to
combine our talents and resources to enable ECC to not only continue but to
flourish. These are trying times financially, yet in spite of our many
challenges ECC is managing to have an incredibly exciting summer. The Spirit of
ECC is alive and well, and good things are happening with our precious young
people!
It would
be remiss of us to not to put all of our cards on the table at this time. ECC
needs all the help and support it can get from alumni and friends. It is no
secret that the financial concerns of our diocese are many, as outlined at Town
Hall Meeting I at the beginning of the summer. Declining attendance at our
churches, closing parishes and the economic climate of our area have all had an
impact on the diocesan budget. And the ministries that our diocese can support
financially are under intense scrutiny. We (the diocese) simply do not have the
resources to continue to fund ECC at the present level. So alternatives must be
found.
The time
is now. We all need to band together with our God-given skills and gifts
to find a way to continue this incredibly important ministry. I, for one, am
totally optimistic that we can collectively figure out a way to go forward
“doing the work we have been given to do.” The Town Hall Meeting II is a place
to come together and become actively involved in the future of our cherished
ECC. There will be concrete volunteer opportunities presented that morning. Be
prepared to sign up in any number of ways to become involved. (Get ready to find
out about a fun October work weekend at ECC!)
I invite
you to join in as we surge forward into the future, ensuring that the next
generations are able to find the same peace and presence of Christ as many of us
have been blessed to experience. With the uncertainty of so many events in our
world today, it is comforting to know that we still have a place where there is
a Christian focus and where the community is full of love, faith, friendship and
fun. Please join us on September 10th from
10:00am to noon in the barn!
In
Christ’s love,
The Reverend Susan Carpenter
Program Director, ECC
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