We will be meeting at 7pm at the Chancellor Ruritan Building. Directions below.

Chancellor Ruritan Building

Address:
5994 Plank Road
Spotsylvania, VA 22553

Directions:
I-95 to Culpeper Exit 130 West. Take Route 3 (Plank Road) West approximately 7 miles. Immediately before the intersection of Andora Drive and Route 3 there will be a median crossover on the left. The Chancellor Ruritan Building will be on the left and will be accessible from this crossover. (Chancellor Elementary will be on the right and Fire Company 5 will be right next to the Chancellor Ruritan Building.) 

 

Here is a news article about Celebration Church in the Anglican District of Virginia newsletter from January 16th (courtesy of Andy Terry):

ADVance
A Publication of the Anglican District of Virginia

Anglican District of Virginia Focus On Church Planting

Story of Celebration Church

With the staggering challenges the ADV has faced the past several years, it is even more important to take time to celebrate the many victories happening in our life together. One of the most joyous is the story of Celebration Church.  Over 50 people gathered to welcome Bp. Dave Bena on December 13th and that number has now grown to over 80 people in January attending each Sunday.  The remarkable thing about this is that as recently as this summer, this congregation was struggling just to keep the doors open even one more Sunday.  They began their life together as a new church plant under the leadership of the Rev. Toby Larson in 2007 after he left the Diocese of Virginia. With a handful of people who also had left the Episcopal Church, without any critical mass, a nascent Celebration Church rolled up their sleeves under Toby's courageous leadership in what can only generously be called a bare-bones beginning. They struggled to pull together weekly worship, places to meet, evangelism, outreach and discipleship.  With ADV's assistance, however, Celebration Church has made amazing gains. Financial grants were made in 2008 and 2009 that enabled them to move from Stafford to Fredericksburg where they have been able to make roots that are now dramatically taking hold in ways that did not happen in Stafford. The ADV grants helped to cover Toby's salary, the church's basic operations, paid for a 10-day intensive training course for leaders of new congregations, and funded a coaching relationship for Toby with the Rev. Clancy Nixon, rector of Holy Spirit in Ashburn. Despite deep potholes in their road, it has been tremendously encouraging to see their progress from near extinction to a consistently robust congregation this winter. Congratulations to Toby and Celebration Church for being a living example of God's faithfulness.

 

 

And So We Descend Into Lent

By Bishop David Bena

 

In a world where events and dates are flying by us, it’s often hard for Western Christians to seriously contemplate the Lenten Season. We like to reason that when Lent was invented, we lived in an agricultural society where life was much slower and more geared toward the changing of the seasons. Today, we say, life is fast; we simply don’t have time for all that spiritual breathing and stuff like that. Maybe for you and me, it will be different this year. Is there a chance that even in this breakneck speed world, we might slow down spiritually and find time to observe a holy Lent?

 

So let’s s-l-o-w down a minute and review just what Lent is. It is a church season of preparation, a time to prepare for the liturgical remembrance of the double colossal events of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. The name “Lent” is from the German “long” or “length,” the time of year when the days are lengthening. SO – I give you “LENT.” Many years ago, our Christian forebears determined that the number 40 was an important one, since Moses and his troops were in the Sinai 40 years, it rained 40 days and 40 nights while Noah bounced around in the ark, Jesus was tempted in the wilderness 40 days, etc, etc. So, they determined, the preparation season of Lent would be 40 days – PLUS six Sundays. The Sundays, being mini-resurrection observances, would not be fast days but would be celebration days. Count back 40 days and six Sundays and you arrive at a Wednesday which is called Ash Wednesday.

 

All right. We’ve got the name. And we’ve got the inclusive days. Now what do we do with them? Four practices are suggested for us in order that we might do the proper holy preparation for Jesus’ sacrificial death and mighty victory: Prayer, Penitence, Self-denial, and Giving. YUK! That doesn’t sound like much fun, does it? But as my mother used to say, “It doesn’t have to be fun to be good for you.” Special prayer and bible reading bring us closer to our Lord, something we always need to do but especially if we are to understand what Jesus went through FOR US. Penitence is important in that by being sorry for our sins of omission and commission and confessing them to God, we clear out the “junk on the runway” which keeps us from taking off. Self-denial is really important in that it helps us walk with Jesus in His major self-denial of the cross and passion. And special giving is important in our materially-oriented society so that we can take the focus off what we have and focus in on what Jesus gave for our souls rather than for our portfolios.

 

Ash Wednesday (the beginning of Lent) this year is Wednesday, February 17. Let’s all try to go to church that day or night. Let’s dedicate ourselves to drawing close to Jesus this Lent. Let’s slow down spiritually each day and walk with Jesus in those last days of his earthly life, a life given for you and me, a life which reconciles us to our Father God and opens for us the door to eternal life.

 

 

 

 

 

Interested in being kept up-to-date on events at Celebration Church? Registration to our website is now open. Select the Registration link at the top, and complete the registration process. Thank you for visiting our website.

 

 

Dear ADV Family,

 

 

HERNDON, Va. On November 5, 2009 the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA) celebrated the ordination of several new deacons at a service to be held at Truro Church in Fairfax, Va.  CANA Missionary Bishop Martyn Minns officiated the service. Four of the ordinands have ties to Northern Virginia churches, which also are members of the Anglican District of Virginia. Among those was our own Andy Terry.

We are pleased to celebrate Andy's new position within the Anglican Church.

 read more ...

 

 

Suffragan Bishop David Bena

The Rt. Rev'd David J. Bena, Suffragan Bishop of Albany, joined the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA) in March 2007. Bishop Bena, who has retired from his post in Albany, now serves as CANA's Suffragan Bishop, assisting CANA's Missionary Bishop Martyn Minns with leading the growing number of CANA congregations and clergy.

Bena was a priest for 26 years before being consecrated as a bishop for Albany in 2000. For the past seven years he has served under Albany's senior bishop, the Rt. Rev'd Daniel Herzog, to help make Albany one of the largest and active dioceses in the nation. The Albany diocese is a staunch supporter of the Anglican Communion and traditional theology, so Bishop Bena's move to CANA is quite natural. CANA is an orthodox Anglican church body which offers Americans an authentic connection to the Anglican Communion.

Bishop Bena stated recently, "I have sensed God's call to minister to disenfranchised Anglicans around America who are in need of episcopal oversight." He also said, "I feel extremely privileged to have been asked to take on this ministry."
Bishop Martyn Minns is glad to have Bishop Bena on the CANA team. Bishop Minns said, "The growing CANA family will be tremendously blessed by the presence of Bishop Bena. He brings years of experience and lots of high energy leadership to CANA. I count David as a personal friend, and am very happy that he's here."

Bena served as a Marine officer in the Vietnam War. He did his undergraduate work at Stetson University, and completed his seminary training at Virginia Theological Seminary (Alexandria, Va.). He served as both an Air Force chaplain and as a parish priest for over two decades. Dr. Bena has earned a doctorate from the Graduate Theological Foundation, which is an inter-religious faculty based in South Bend, Indiana. He also holds an honorary doctorate from The Episcopal Church's Virginia Theological Seminary.

David Bena and his wife Mary Ellen have been married for 40 years. They have three grown children, and are the proud grandparents of four grandchildren.