Building Bridges – Healing Connections in a Broken World:
May the Beauty We Love Be What We Do
February 23 – 26, 2011
Doubletree Hotel – Pittsburgh, PA
The Episcopal Urban Caucus is an instrument of the Gospel exercising radical discipleship in Church and Society. The EUC is committed to advocacy and action to influence the Episcopal Church regarding anti-racism, peace and war, poverty, hunger and other issues for the inclusion of everyone in the life of the Church.
The Caucus embraces and welcomes participation and support from The Episcopal Network for Economic Justice (ENEJ), Jubilee Ministry, the Anti-Racism Program, The Consultation, Episcopal Peace Fellowship (EPF), the Peace Policy Network and other groups and networks that share its vision.
The Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh is hosting the 2011 EUC Assembly. The national Episcopal community will witness Pittsburgh as a diocese and a city with a vision of innovation and sustainability, which includes economic, environmental, and social challenges.
Reverence ~ Justice ~ Beauty. Focusing on social justice, creation care, and peace, we will explore in plenary sessions, workshops, and site visits the way so many issues are interconnected. “The cry of the earth and the cry of the poor are one.” An awareness of the links between environmental degradation and urban poverty will help us move forward in effective advocacy, strategy, and action for a more just and peaceful world, as agents of hope –motivated by faith– not fear.
Registration forms can be downloaded at EUC website. For more information: http://www.episcopalurbancaucus.org/
Local Contacts – Pittsburgh EUC Coordinators with Pgh EUC Working Group: Carol Gonzalez: 412-322-2189 and The Rev. Nate Rugh: 412-661-0120
Click here for a PDF of the complete schedule of events and activities.
Workshops (Friday, February 25 – 10:00 am & 2:00 pm):
Unpeeling the Layers of Privilege; From Service to Solidarity–Creating Communities of Inclusion; Feed My Sheep–Youth at Risk; Community Investing in 2011; Healing Dialogue to Communal Action: Interfaith Bridges in Pittsburgh; Creating Cultures of Peace: MAPping a Movement; Eco Justice & Creation Care; Churches & Ethical Practices Regarding Labor.
EUC Assembly Keynote Speaker, February 24, 9:30 am
Bill Strickland
Plenary address: The Art of Leadership
Bill Strickland is founder and CEO of the Manchester Bidwell Corporation, where career and arts training for thousands of children and adults have been developed at the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild and Bidwell Training Center. He was recently named to the President's White House Council for Community Solutions. Strickland joins corporate, non-profit and foundation leaders from across the U.S. in offering solutions to President Obama for more efficiently and effectively addressing problems that urban and rural communities face, from drug-related gun violence to the challenges of economic development and quality education. For more information about his appointment see http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10350/1111117-84.stm, http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs075/1102573040587/archive/1104262777421.html, and the EUC newsletter for his biography http://episcopalurbancaucus.org/assets/newsletters/2010Fall.pdf
Episcopal Peace Fellowship Luncheon – February 24, 12:00 pm Speaker: Molly Rush
Eucharist service at Trinity Cathedral, Thursday, February 24, 6:30 pm Open to the Public
Guest preacher – The Rev. John Welch
Dean of Students at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and Chief Chaplain for the City of Pgh’s Bureau of Police, Pastor Welch has been active in the Pittsburgh community as a member of numerous boards. John is also working on a doctorate in Bioethics. Welch served for the past six years as President of the Pittsburgh Interfaith Impact Network (PIIN) directly engaged in building bridges and empowering congregations as agents of hope for a more just and peaceful world. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11025/1120441-53.stm
Site visits (Thursday, February 24):
Neighborhood Academy & East End Cooperative Ministry or Bidwell Training Center & Pittsburgh Project
Final Plenary – (Saturday, February 26 – 9:00 am)
Mike Schut, Environmental Affairs Officer at the Episcopal Church Center: Eco-Justice & Green Faith
“It's funny, in a way, that when we hear "caring for all creation" we often think of wilderness, or charismatic animal species, or trees, or "environmentalism," but don't think of caring for humans. But we are, of course, part of creation, all of which God declared very good. The Episcopal Church recently launched a collaboration with Green Faith’s Green Certification Program, a comprehensive, holistic two-year program to express creation-care throughout parish life and ministry, including an emphasis on environmental justice and community outreach. This interactive presentation will describe this exciting opportunity and briefly introduce the eco-justice work of The Episcopal Church.”