Name: A New Church for a New World
Start: 2020-09-29T11:00:00-07:00
End: 2020-09-29T13:00:00-07:00
Location: Online

One Diocese, One Church, One Day to Worship Together

We are more than individual churches, we are a diocese – more than 26,000 Christians following the way of Jesus together across Western Washington. On June 7, the Office of the Bishop in the Diocese of Olympia will hold one worship service for our entire diocese. Designed to bring together all Episcopalians in Western Washington to worship as one, connect to each other, and meditate on all the ways we stay connected and stay church, this Sunday will also give

Resources to Support Protesters and Racial Equity in Western Washington

Dear Ones, These are trying times for everyone, but none more than the people of color of this country, who have never achieved equality or justice though a light has been shined on that disparity so many times, before our lifetimes, and in our lifetimes. The responsibility for changing this is on us all, but most especially the white person. We have the greatest responsibility to use our privilege to work toward a solution. I thank you all, so many

A Guide to Gathering in Person: The Diocese of Olympia’s Phased-In Plan for Resuming In-Person Worship and Activities

Updated Tuesday, August 11: VIEW OR DOWNLOAD THE DOCUMENT VIEW OR DOWNLOAD THE DIOCESE OF OLYMPIA’S PHASE-IN CHART RELIGIOUS AND FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS COVID-19 REQUIREMENTS – GOVERNOR’S OFFICE (Updated Tuesday, August 11 – Substantial Changes on Pages 4 and 5) FAQ FOR RELIGIOUS AND FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS – KING COUNTY To the Good People of God in the Diocese of Olympia, We live in interesting times. That might be one of the greatest understatements I have heard lately, but no doubt it is

Moments of Light

During this time of crisis across our region and throughout the country, stories of hope and moments of light are coming to us from every corner of the diocese. The Office of the Bishop is pleased to begin sharing these “Moments of Light” with you.

Live-Streaming Services in the Diocese of Olympia

Churches across the Diocese of Olympia have transitioned to streaming their services online as COVID-19 continues to spread across Western Washington and the rest of the country. We have compiled an index of those services below, listed alphabetically by city. We will be adding new services regularly as they are added, so check back often. Christ Church, Anacortes Live Service Schedule and Archived Videos | Website St. Matthew / San Mateo, Auburn Sundays (Morning Prayer, English), 10:00am | Facebook Live

COVID-19: Requirements, Recommendations, and Resources

Updated Friday, September 25 (Additional Sample Reopening Plans Added Under Church Reopening Plans and Sample Forms | King County Church Re-Opening Safety Guidelines Poster Added Under Phase-In Resources) The following page contains requirements, recommendations, and resources for churches in the Diocese of Olympia put together by the Office of the Bishop as a response to the COVID-19 outbreak. We take these actions for the common good, to care for the most vulnerable members of our community. As of June 25:

Chaplains on the Harbor: Keep Truckin’

From Aaron Scott, Diocesan Missioner for Anti-Poverty Organizing and Chaplain and Organizer with Chaplains on the Harbor: Dear friends and family in Christ, It’s the end of the world and here we are fundraising for… a food truck. A food truck?! Like us, it’s neither fireproof nor bulletproof. But as hunger, homelessness, and displacement explode across our parish, we are faced with the clear need to make our ministry at Chaplains on the Harbor more mobile than ever. So much

2020 Bishop’s Preaching Award: Submissions Now Being Accepted

After review and in response to our current context we are changing the parameters for sermon submissions. We will now accept sermons submissions in video or audio form, as well as in text. We are also expanding to include sermons preached right up until the submission deadline of September 30. If you do not have a video or audio version of your sermon to submit, it is okay to record one and submit it along with your text. Please see

The Episcopal Diocese of Olympia Seeks New Appointees to Diocesan Board of Directors

Want to serve your church in a new way? The board of directors is seeking new members to help oversee the corporate responsibilities of the Diocese of Olympia. The board provides stewardship of our financial resources. This includes oversight of the Diocesan Investment Fund and other funds entrusted to the diocese for specified purposes. It also makes and oversees loans to congregations for building construction/renovation and mission development. The board provides stewardship of our physical assets. This includes holding legal

Faith Formation Survey

We invite those of you in faith formation ministries – whether you are paid, volunteer, or a rector who wears many hats – to share with us your faith formation experience through this brief, ten-minute survey. Your input will help us with two main goals: to gather and make available data on the compensation, hours, and roles of faith formation ministers in the Diocese of Olympia; and to find out what faith formation ministers need so the diocese can better

YouTube Subscriber Drive

With the continuing COVID-19 crisis and churches across the diocese continuing to stream their services on Facebook and YouTube, we’re launching a subscriber drive for our church’s YouTube channels. When YouTube channels reach 1,000 subscribers, it opens up additional possibilities – including the ability to live-steam with a mobile device. So help us support our churches in Western Washington by following the links below and subscribing to their YouTube channels! If your church has a YouTube channel that isn’t listed,

Ky Chen and Bishop’s Cross Award Nominations

The Office of the Bishop has issued a call for nominations for two diocesan awards. If you know of such a person deserving of either award, talk with your church office or leadership about submitting a nomination (using the form below). The awards will be made during the Diocesan Convention, held virtually, October 23-24. The deadline to submit nominations is Friday, September 25. Nominations must be submitted by using this form. NOMINATION FORM In 2011, Bishop Rickel established the Ky Chen

Appeal for Beirut and All Saints Episcopal Church

We have all been shocked and saddened by Tuesday’s terrible explosion in Beirut, Lebanon, which has claimed the lives of more than 150 people, injured thousands more, and left up to 300,000 homeless. All Saints Episcopal Church in Beirut, located one mile from the blast zone, is part of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, one of the companion dioceses to the Diocese of Olympia. While no members of the church were killed or seriously injured, the church did suffer serious

Lost with a Purpose Wrap-Up

Traditionally “6-Day” takes place in person at Camp Huston and has served as the culminating event for youth as they graduate high school and transition into young adulthood. Capturing the key touchstones of a long-standing diocesan program and reimagining it in a virtual format was quite the challenge! Participants received a program supply box for the weekend’s activities in the mail featuring a camp T-Shirt, arts and crafts, props, activities, and a portable worship kit complete with custom alter cloth

Anti-Racism Response: Organizational Practices Update

Dear People of the Diocese of Olympia, Two weeks ago, we released a letter outlining our assumptions and priorities for our shared work of anti-racism. That letter was meant to orient members of our diocese to how leadership are thinking about the sin of racism and how we will respond. This letter and the Organizational Practices Update (below) describe the first steps we will take together to renew our commitment to rooting out White Supremacy and racism from our common

Advice from Our Chancellor on Face Masks

It is important to note that the Washington State Department of Health, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the World Health Organization all recommend that, in addition to their recommendations to maintain six feet of physical distance from non-household members and wash hands frequently with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer, people wear facial masks when they are in public settings where they cannot reliably maintain six feet of distance from others at all times.

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