One of the best parts of being on Diocesan Staff is that we we get to travel around this very pleasant peninsula to connect with people, parishes, and communities. AND, even when we are in our offices and not on the road, we still get to do cool and meaningful work to support Episcopal ministries in our diocese.
Here are some highlights from our team for the week of June 15, 2025.
Alan James, Interim Executive Director
I had a great morning with the people of St. Paul’s, Harsens Island. We celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Rev. Becky Lepley’s ordination. On a small island with few gathering places, St. Paul’s understands the importance of providing opportunities for people to connect and experience community. Their weekly Saturday breakfasts and Monday night dinner and chunco games (church bunco) are valued by many residents. St. Paul’s also hosts the only weekly AA meeting on the island.
Rachel Rose-Ravellette, Director of Communications
It’s no surprise, but I continued my June tour of Michigan pride fests this weekend. This weekend, my first stop was Grand Haven Pride. That organization and festival grew out of a pride Eucharist that the people of St. John’s Grand Haven hosted several years ago. It’s grown into a fun, diverse, community-oriented festival and St. John’s presence there has continued to be a staple. At their booth, they also hosted the Soul Box project, a cooperative art project that is designed to help people to understand the scope of the gun death violence in our country. Not only is June LGBTQ+ Pride Month, it’s also Gun Safety Month. We also know that as gun deaths by suicide are on the rise, all of our vulnerable, marginalized, and oppressed neighbors are at the highest risk, including those in the LGBTQ+ community.
If you, dear reader, and I haven’t met face-to-face yet, you may not know that I am an extraordinarily introverted person, so I was grateful to Fr. Jared of St. John’s for preemptively inviting me to “introvert out” in the quiet church between Pride events. That marked my first trip to St. John’s. I loved seeing the evidence of all of the ways that St. John’s is a community hub for Grand Haven and the ways that the people of St. John’s are out in the community being the hands and feet of Jesus. But above all, I was glad to have quiet time to pray, rest, and reflect in the beautiful, dark nave. There’s just something so holy about the silence of an empty worship space with no light but the sun through the stained glass and the flicker of the sanctuary lamp. I find praying in worship spaces to be a great reminder of the communion of all the saints in prayer.
After I was done in Grand Haven, I had just enough time to scoot down the lakeshore to Dowagiac Pride. Only in its second year, this joyful pride gathering in a small town had such a great vibe! I was able to catch up with Jen Frechette who is among the people who will be ordained to the diaconate in July. Even though St. Paul’s in Dowagiac has closed, a number of churches in the area – Mediator in Harbert, Trinity in Niles, St. Augustine of Canterbury in Benton Harbor, and St. Paul’s in St. Joseph – have banded together to have a presence at all of the small pride fests around the area!
Although the shape and scope of pride fests differ, the welcoming message of love and celebration of all people is consistent from our Episcopal Church friends. At every pride event I’ve attended so far this month, I’ve heard someone say, “I’m so glad a church is here,” or “I can’t believe a church is doing this!” Keep up the good, loving work, friends!
Back in the office, I’m so grateful to have enough support to once again return to our bi-weekly schedule for The Feastand to be able to introduce The Feast Bite-Sized, a one-page bulletin insert/bulletin board flyer that we’re sending out to parishes on the weeks without a full-sized Feast. If you’re not subscribed to our newsletter, be sure to check it out here.
