In April 1775, the "two if by sea" signal lights were hung in Old North Church's tower to warn of British approach at the start of the American Revolution.  On April 19, as it does every year, Old North commemorated the occasion with a Lantern Ceremony, and photographer Amey Callahan of Christ Church in Cambridge was there to capture it.  "It was wonderful to absorb local history and God in a very special church," she reports.

 

 

Bringing 'ubuntu' to the State House:  "What St. Stephen's means to me is hope and opportunity," Shanasia Bennett, 17, tells the South End News in this April 30 story about young afterschool artists bringing their vision to the State House.  The youth are part of programs at St. Stephen's Church in Boston's South End and the Church of St. Augustine and St. Martin in Roxbury (the Lenox Street location mentioned in the story).  
 
Blooming in Barnstable:  Enjoy the daffodils blooming in the garden at St. Mary's Church in Barnstable here, and read about the parish's disaster relief ministry house-building trip to Slidell, La.

Every spring break since Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in 2005, Diocesan Youth Council members have been making their way to Mississippi, where a volunteer worker camp becomes their home away from home, the Church of the Redeemer their church family and hurricane survivors, still rebuilding homes and lives, their neighbors in need. 
 
This year, April 18-24, they went to celebrate as well as work. 

 

Read more.

 

Cape Cod and island churches shift into high gear during the summer months as their numbers swell with seasonal members and visitors, all looking for ways to both pray and play. In fact, many visitors time their vacations around favorite church festivals, auctions and fairs, according to correspondent Lynn Van Dine from St. Christopher's Church in Chatham, who reports that the lobster roll dinners, art sales and fairs are as much a part of families' traditions as swimming at a favorite beach or picnicking in a particular park.

 

Family Camp, the diocese's annual June weekend of intergenerational summer camp fun, is full.  To the rafters.  Attendance has doubled to 130 since Family Camp's inception five years ago.  "We're limited only by cabin and lodge space and we've hit that limit," said Amy Cook, diocesan Resource Center director and one of Family Camp's planners. 
 
Early sign-ups may have something to do with families foregoing more expensive summer travel plans this summer--this year's Family Camp theme is "Living More With Less"--but Cook said she believes its fundamental components are what make it popular:   Families of all kinds are welcome.  There is a lot of intergenerational fun time.  "And every year we offer time and ways for families to discuss spiritual things together and practice holy habits," Cook said.
 
Given the demand, it might be possible to offer another family camp weekend later in the year, she said.  E-mail her at acook@diomass.org to express interest, or to be added to the e-mail list for advance notice of next summer's Family Camp.
 
Registration for youth summer camp at the Barbara C. Harris Camp and Conference Center in Greenfield, N.H., is still open, and financial aid is available.  Go to www.bchcenter.org for details. 

The Diocesan Council devoted its April 30 meeting to diocesan assessment matters, voting to set the 2010 assessment revenue target and a general assessment formula structure but tabling and referring to committee the question of whether or not to eliminate the current cap on congregations' year-to-year assessment increases.

 

 

Jun 14: Youth leaders training, All Saints' Church, Chelmsford, 3 p.m.
Jun 15: St. John's Church, Sandwich Golf Tournament, New Seabury Country Club, 10:30 a.m.