Living Compass Spirituality and Wellness Initiative. The Living Compass website offers free tools for helping individuals, families, and communities seek wholeness and wellness in heart, body, mind, and spirit. From curriculums for adults, teens, and parents, to a weekly podcast by the Rev. Scott Stoner, Episcopal Priest and family therapist, Living Compass is a wise and generous resource.
PowerPoint presentation to help introduce Living Compass Wellness Circles to a congregation prepared by the Rev. Carol Peterson, MS, RN.
Episcopal Health Foundation, Mental and Behavioral Health. The Episcopal Health Foundation of the diocese includes Mental and Behavioral Health as a focus and partners with congregations by sponsoring Mental Health First Aid and Suicide Prevention workshops for congregations and their communities and by bringing together a Mental Health Learning Community for congregations to deepen their strategies to promote wellbeing and mental health in their communities.
Clergy Group for Sexual Trauma Resources. The Revs. Tracie Middleton and Ashley Cook lead an online support group for clergy, to share resources related to pastoral care for survivors of sexual abuse. The group is intended for clergy who want to feel better equipped to respond pastorally to parishioners or others navigating these issues, including adults and children. Tracie is a deacon, serving St. Mark’s, Beaumont, and she works at the Rape & Suicide Crisis Center of Southeast Texas. Ashley is a bi-vocational priest serving long-term supply at churches in East Texas, and she works at Harold’s House, a children’s advocacy center in Lufkin. For more information, contact Tracie at tmiddleton@stmarksbeaumont.org
Recovery Resources. Addiction is a serious issue in our society and in our congregations.
- Alcohol Policy. The diocesan Alcohol Policy provides guidelines around the use of non-sacramental alcohol in the organizations of the diocese. This policy is designed in part to make persons in recovery feel fully included in the community.
- Gambling Policy. The diocese also has a Gambling Policy to limit the use of gambling in our organizations. Of course, alcohol and gambling are only two among many types of addictions. Others include Illegal and prescription drugs, eating, shopping, and sexual addictions.
- The EDOT Recovery Commission. The EDOT Recovery Commission is chaired by the Rev. Brad Sullivan and is committed to helping congregations and clergy support recovery in their communities. Two important ways they support recovery is by promoting Recovery Sunday and an annual Recovery Retreat.
- Recovery Sunday. Congregations are strongly encouraged to set aside one Sunday a year to observe Recovery Sunday. Although Recovery Sunday has traditionally been celebrated in mid-September, it can be it observed anytime during the year to raise awareness of addiction issues and to communicate a road to recovery. The Recovery Commission has developed liturgical and formational resources to support this work.
- Recovery Retreat. The Recovery Commission hosts an annual Recovery Retreat at Camp Allen, which is open to anyone in a 12-step fellowship and to family and friends of recovery.
- Episcopal Recovery Ministries. For more information and resources for recovery, including recovery programs other than 12-step programs, visit Episcopal Recovery Ministries.
