Episcopal Diocese of Albany

Business Office: 68 South Swan Street - Albany, NY 12210 - (518) 465-4737
Christ the King Spiritual Life Center: 575 Burton Road - Greenwich, NY 12834 - (518) 692-9550

November 25, 2008

Your prayers for healing are invited:
for Diane Leach, wife of Fr Fred Leach, as she recovers from surgery at home,
for Fr. George Greene who was hospitalized and is now recovering at the Masonic Care Community, 2150 Bleeker Street, Utica, NY 13501. He is in the "Saratoga" area of the Community.
for Dcn Nancy Goff who is having back surgery today, Nov 25
for Dcn Donna Steckline who is recovering from surgery at home

Bishop Love will consecrate the new church building for St. Luke's, Mechanicville this coming Sunday, November 30 at 4 PM. St. Luke's is at 40 McBride Rd, Mechanicville 12118 in the Town of Halfmoon. Their telephone number is 664-4834.

Divine Romance: A Pilgrimage of the Heart - A Women's Advent Retreat Dec 5 - 7 at Christ the King. It is easy to "lose heart" during Advent; to become busy with details and plans and celebrations - to give ourselves away even as we hunger for a deeper spiritual connection. Come join us as we...

our divine romance with God
Prepare our hearts to hear His voice
Soften our spirits to live in the light of His love

Sign up someone you love for this retreat as an early Christmas Gift.
Cost: $125 per person, double or triple occupancy. This is a subsidized rate and is not the usual weekend rate.)
Cost Includes: Lodging/Food/Surprises ! ! ! !
Check-in time: 5 - 6 pm Friday, Dec 5.
Retreat ends: Sunday after lunch

"Decompress from the stress" this holiday season with some quiet, inspirational worship, and easy-to-sing songs beloved by all ages. Christ Church, Coxsackie is holding a series of candle-lit prayer-and-worship services with music from Taize on December 4, 11, 18 (Thursdays @ 7 PM) and Sunday December 28 (5:30 PM). These services are an outreach to the community - bring a family member, a friend, a neighbor, an acquaintance, or a co-worker. Please keep this outreach in your prayers. Christ Church is at 70 Mansion St in Coxsackie.

Upcoming Ordinations. The following ordinations have been scheduled.
Deacon:
Nina George Hacker to deacon, Dec 15, 7 PM, Christ Church, Coxsackie
Priests:
The Rev'd William "Chip" Strickland, Dec 6, 2 PM at Grace Church, Waterford.
The Rev'd Richard Chandler, Dec 7, 4 PM at Christ Church, Ballston Spa
The Rev'd Brock Baker, Dec 13, 4 PM at St. Eustace, Lake Placid
The Rev'd Sue Waldron, Dec 21, 4 PM at St. Peter's, Albany

For clergy vesting, white stoles.

The 2009 Clergy Stipend Application and Parish Choice Election Form were delivered to the Post Office yesterday and parishes should begin receiving them by Wednesday. Included in the envelope is the 2009 Parish Assessment Schedule with an "as of" date of 11/1/08. Please share this with your treasurer.

The Episcopal Church Medical Trust has separate health insurance open enrollment material going out to active clergy and lay employees, and retired clergy and laity. For the parishes providing health (medical & dental) insurance to their clergy and lay employees, there are multiple options available at very different rates. Because no one or two plans cover the entire diocese, there are 7 plans available. The lowest increase over 2007 rates was 10% and the highest was 20%. The least expensive plans are from MVP (2 options) and the highest are from Empire BCBS.

The 2009 compensation limit for retired clergy receiving remuneration from church sources is $32,000. Retired clergy exceeding that limit must submit an Application for Exception via the Diocesan Bishop to the Church Pension Fund. The application may be downloaded from the CPG website: www.cpr.org, or by contacting Joan Ecker at the Diocese at 465-4737, extension 408.

New telephone system. The Diocesan and Cathedral Offices have a new telephone system and our extensions have changed. The new extensions are

Diocese
Bishop Love	414
Canon Haskell	413	Canon to the Ordinary
Canon Carroll	415	Lay Canon for Administration
Canon Marshall	416	Episcopal Charities of Albany Editor, The Albany Episcopalian
Mtr Garramone-Rohr	404	Christian Education
Sue Conner	411	Accounting Assistant
Carol Drummond	409	Diocese Convention Coordinator
Joan Ecker	407	Clergy/Lay Benefits Administrator Parish Assessments
Caryl Fuda	410	Accounting Assistant
Kris Kessler	408	ADIT & DDF Administrator
Lorin O'Hara	412	Accounting Manager
Ray Rockwell	402	Administrative Assistant
Receptionist	401	Ray Rockwell or Margaret Haskell
Cathedral
Dean Vang	302
Bishop Ball	305	Bishop-in-Residence
Dcn Carpenter	303	Administrative Assistant to the Dean
Woody Bynum	307	Director of Music
Emily Pasko	306	Bookkeeping
Robert Ritcher	308	Assistant Organist

Visitation Schedule Correction. Bishop Love will be at Calvary Church, Burnt Hills on February 22, 2009; not St. John's, Cohoes.

May you and your family have a joyful and blessed Thanksgiving and First Sunday of Advent.
Faithfully in Christ,
+Bill

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