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[Episcopal News Service] Between September and June, the Revs. Kimberlee Auletta and Sarah Kooperkamp, co-rectors of the Church of the Holy Apostles in Brooklyn, New York, begin most Sundays channeling their inner Fred Rogers and Shari Lewis with a puppet show that’s also a toddler-oriented worship service. On Wednesdays, they lead a mixed-age after-school Christian education program. These youth-oriented ministries have helped transform the parish into a growing church home for families in the borough’s Windsor Terrace neighborhood. “We understand that most kids in a lot of places – not just in New York City – are not coming to church every weekend because of sports and art classes and other activities, and many parents lament that their children don’t have time for Sunday school. But we realized that maybe we’re not supposed to compete with sports,” Auletta told Episcopal News Service. “Maybe, instead, we can offer church at another time to meet these youth where they are and give families what they need to provide a really deep spiritual and religious foundation for our youth.” Auletta and Kooperkamp launched the after-school program during the 2022-23 school year for students in kindergarten through seventh grade. Eleven students are participating this year. Unlike the drop-in Sunday school program, which takes place during the 10 a.m. worship service and includes eighth graders, the after-school program is a yearlong commitment that requires a small fee. Every Wednesday at 2:35 p.m., Kooperkamp walks five minutes from Holy Apostles to the elementary and middle schools to pick up the students. On their way back to church, the students run around a playground for a few minutes to let out some energy; screen-free learning begins once they get to church. “The kids are so excited and happy to be together, and I really enjoy meeting them right after school and hearing them talk about their day,” Kooperkamp said. “It’s really sweet that they’re learning and growing together.” The after-school curriculum includes Bible study, prayer, Christian ethics, church history and theology. Students learn through art projects, self-reflection, discussion and theater. They’re also encouraged to ask questions. They don’t use computers, phones or tablets while in the after-school program.   Last year, during the unit on saints, students created a March Madness-like bracket to vote for the “patron saint of the after-school program.” The unanimous winner was St. Frances Perkins, a workers’ rights advocate and devout Episcopalian who served as secretary of labor in President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s cabinet from 1933 to 1945. Perkins was the first woman appointed to a presidential cabinet and remains the longest-serving Secretary of Labor in U.S. history. She was added to The Episcopal Church’s calendar of lesser feasts and fasts in 2022; her feast day is May 13. “The students’ basis of argument was that Frances Perkins had worked to end child labor, and if it weren’t for her, they wouldn’t be at church after school, but would instead be working in factories,” Kooperkamp said. “This project is an example of how these kids can really learn interactively and not stick to standard Q&A and test taking.”  The curriculum is designed to be a three-year cycle for students, though Auletta and Kooperkamp are discussing potential opportunities for older students who complete the cycle, such as leadership roles. While Kooperkamp works with the students, Auletta and a volunteer member of Holy Apostles cook a community meal for up to 36 people who sign up ahead of time. When the after-school program ends at 5:15, most students and their families stay for dinner, which is served at 5:30 in the undercroft. Children eat free and adults pay $10, which covers the cost of ingredients. Evening prayer takes place after dinner. “People really need to be with each other, and weekly dinner and prayer is a way to do that,” Auletta said. “And it’s multi-generational. We have a wonderful parishioner who’s 81 years old who comes to Wednesday dinners and sits with the kids, and they love her.” Toddlers are also part of Holy Apostles’ family-oriented ministries. Every Sunday except the fifth Sunday of the month throughout the school year, the church offers This Little Light at 8:30 a.m., a 30-minute interactive worship service that teaches the core elements of Episcopal liturgy, the Gospel and the Eucharist through singing and storytelling. The music and prayers are the same as a traditional worship service, which helps the toddlers easily transition to the “big kid” service. During the puppet show portion of This Little Light, Auletta stands behind a puppet castelet and plays a sock puppet named Perpetua who asks Kooperkamp questions about faith and Jesus. Kooperkamp tells Perpetua, “It’s OK; don’t be afraid. Here’s the good news,” before sharing a story about Jesus. “We just need a trolley for the puppet show,” Auletta said. Even though This Little Light’s programming focuses on children up to age 6, the co-rectors said they hope the lessons resonate with all ages. They also said that feedback from parents has been positive, and their children repeat what they learn at home. One family reported that their daughter breaks bread every night at dinner and says, “This is my body.” “This is not just child’s worship; it’s really family worship and a way to think about what it means to live together as a family and as a community,” Kooperkamp said. The co-rectors both said adapting their ministries to serve families with busy schedules has been “a lot of work,” but over the years, it’s helped grow the congregation and the families spiritually. “We can engage families, people of all ages. People who go to church want spiritual growth, whether they are 3 years old or they’re over 50 years old,” Auletta said. “We’re trying to be very intentional with what we are presenting and offering to folks of all ages.” -Shireen Korkzan is a reporter and assistant editor for Episcopal News Service. She can be reached at skorkzan@episcopalchurch.org.

[Scottish Episcopal Church] On April 11, staff from the General Synod Office of the Scottish Episcopal Church called at the offices of The Turing Trust to make a donation of information technology (IT) equipment that will help to empower disadvantaged communities in Africa, Asia and the United Kingdom. In honor of the altruistic spirit of Alan Turing, the highly influential mathematician and computer scientist, the trust refurbishes IT equipment, installs a range of educational software and equips schools across the world. Turing is widely regarded as the father of modern computing, and he saw IT as a tool for solving immense challenges. He also had a passion for helping others—he funded one member of his foster family to work in Africa and sponsored a Jewish refugee’s schooling during World War II. In the last 15 years, the rust has enabled access to computers for over 252,000 students across Africa, Asia and the U.K. Its website says, “With your help and a great deal of hard work, we believe that one day every child will be able to enjoy the transformative power of technology that Alan envisioned.” A recent review of IT equipment at the General Synod Office led to items being upgraded, and the “old”’ equipment was handed over to the trust at its offices in Loanhead near Edinburgh by Patricia Krus, chief operating officer, and Ross Hunter, IT support assistant. Paul Rayner of the trust’s donations team said, “Thanks to your donation, 216 students will be able to learn vital IT skills. Beyond this, the environmental impact from your donation will offset three tons of CO2 emissions, which is the equivalent of planting eight trees. The embodied energy savings created are also enough to power one U.K. home for an entire year!” More information about the work of the Turing Trust can be found here.

[Anglican Communion News Service] The Most Rev. Stephen Cottrell, archbishop of York, addressed reparatory justice and institutional accountability regarding the historic financial ties of the Church of England and the slave trade at a special April 14 gathering in New York. As part of the United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent, an event was hosted by representatives from the Anglican Communion and Kenya, with high-level panel participation from Barbados, Jamaica and Ghana. The gathering focused on reparatory justice and institutional accountability regarding the Church of England. Opening the event, June Soomer, chair of the permanent forum and member of the St. Lucia Reparations Committee, underscored the urgent need for institutions to make commitments towards reparatory justice. Cottrell, followed with his address, beginning with a Ghanaian proverb: “Until the lion has told his story, the hunter will always be the hero.” He acknowledged the church’s historic complicity in the horrors of the slave trade and emphasized the moral and spiritual imperative of truth-telling, accountability and healing. “The church is committed to creating a space for truth-telling, reflection and accountability,” he said. “Inspired and motivated by the vision of a new humanity that God gives us in Jesus Christ, we acknowledge the moral responsibility we carry in the present for the failings of the past, particularly in light of the wealth handed down through generations. Our hope is that the work we are doing—to repair, to heal and to pursue justice—demonstrates how Christian faith can bring about real change in the world. As we pursue an ongoing, living process of listening, learning and acting, we also hope it encourages others to reflect on their own histories and responsibilities.” In 2019, the Church Commissioners, who manage the Church of England’s historic endowment, began a comprehensive investigation into the church’s financial and institutional links to slavery. The findings were sobering—investments in the South Sea Company, profits derived from the slave trade and disturbing artifacts like “slave Bibles” with scriptures deliberately stripped of themes of liberation. In response, the church committed £100 million–$132 million–toward a long-term impact investment fund, a grant program and a research initiative, governed by an independent oversight group. This effort, chaired by the Rt. Rev. Rosemarie Mallett, bishop of Croydon, includes descendant communities, historians and representatives of populations still affected by the legacy of slavery. At the U.N .event, Mallett also contributed to the panel discussion, featuring David Comissiong, Barbados’ ambassador to the Caribbean community and deputy chair of the National Task Force on Reparations; Ambassador Brian Wallace, permanent representative of Jamaica to the U.N.; Ambassador Harold Agyeman, permanent representative of Ghana and Ambassador Yabesh Monari, deputy permanent representative of Kenya. “The dialogue at the U.N. represents a new phase of engagement and commitment from the Church of England,” said Mallett, “one rooted in the hope that—even after deep historical failure—reconciliation and justice are still possible.” While public apologies had already been issued by both the archbishop of Canterbury and the Church Commissioners, church leaders acknowledge that apology alone is not enough. The church is now engaged in a long-term journey of what it describes as “penitence, partnership and purpose.” Speaking about the Church of England’s connection to African chattel and reparation, the archbishop of York said, “I, we in the Church of England, have been humbled by the truth” regarding the investigation into the historic endowment fund that was linked to the legacy of slavery. He confirmed that the investigation “discovered other horrifying things along the way. Unanswered letters. A so-called ‘slave Bible’ with all mentions of liberation and the whole Book of Exodus missing. We discovered details of the mundane and bureaucratic normalization of evil, when it is enacted on such a scale, and for so many years. And how we, the hunters, were deaf to the cries of the oppressed.” “Jesus famously said that the truth will set you free,” Cottrell observed. “There is an irony here. The scriptures and traditions of the church that were twisted to legitimize enslavement, and also, when they could be read in full, provided narratives of liberation and resistance which gave enslaved people hope.” Cottrell stated his understanding of hopes of the Church of England in engaging with accountability and reparation where possible. “Because we exploited and bought and sold our own sisters and brothers, we, too, need to be liberated from our failings. We need to do this by being honest and penitent about what happened and then determined to build a better world. We want to work purposefully and collaboratively with others, such as our friends and colleagues from Kenya and Barbados, with whom we share the sponsorship of this event. And Jamaica and Ghana. And sisters and brothers across the world.” “We don’t have the answers,” he said, “but we believe we are, at last, asking the right questions. We know that we have much to learn. “I am here as a leader in the church that was involved in a most shameful, scandalous abuse and oppression of fellow human beings. It is deeply uncomfortable, because slavery still exists in our world today. But sisters and brothers, it is also deeply hopeful, because the scriptures and the example of Christ and those narratives of liberation that inspired enslaved people, inspire me and give us hope for our world and hope that we can do better.” Cottrell then observed that many other institutions, organizations, governments and individuals also may have profited from the “evil trade” and invited them to investigate as the Church the England has done. He then closed the address saying, “It is in that spirit that I come to you today, believing that a better future is possible, believing that the truth can set us free. Believing that it is possible to find reconciliation even after deep, dark failure.” To close this time of reflection, attendees will gather in prayer at the Ark of the Return memorial on April 16. The memorial has become

[Episcopal News Service] The Rt. Rev. Bruce Caldwell, who served as bishop of Wyoming from 1997–2010, died on April 13. He was 77. Caldwell, a 1978 graduate of General Theological Seminary, was rector of St. George’s Church, in Bismarck, North Dakota, when he was elected bishop. Shortly after he became bishop, Caldwell was asked to preside at the funeral at St. Mark’s in Casper, Wyoming, of a young man who had served as an acolyte in the diocese and was active in its campus ministry – Matthew Shepard. Shepard was tortured and murdered near Laramie in 1998 in a hate crime because he was gay. At an event that took place during the 2009 General Convention, Caldwell spoke in favor of “full inclusion for the LGBT community” in the life of The Episcopal Church, noting the impact Shepard’s funeral had on him. After he retired, he served as the interim dean of St. Mark’s Cathedral, Minneapolis, Minnesota, as assisting bishop in the Episcopal Diocese of New York and as bishop provisional of the Diocese of Lexington. His wife, the Rev. Brenda Caldwell, died in 2023. He is survived by daughters Kela and Morgan and granddaughter Lydia. Final details of his funeral, which is expected to take place at St. Mark’s Cathedral in Minneapolis, are pending.

[Episcopal News Service] Anglicans and other global faith leaders have condemned Israeli airstrikes over the weekend that struck an Anglican hospital in the besieged Palestinian territory of Gaza, destroying or damaging several of the hospital’s departments. Al Ahli Arab Hospital, a ministry of the Diocese of Jerusalem, had been struck several times previously by blasts in the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas since Hamas attacked Israeli communities and massacred hundreds on Oct. 7, 2023. Israel responded to that Hamas attack with an intense and prolonged aerial bombardment and ground invasion of the densely populated territory – strikes that have killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and left much of Gaza in ruins. The latest blasts at Ahli Hospital involved two airstrikes early April 13, according to the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, AFEDJ. The attack destroyed a two-story genetic laboratory and severely damaged the pharmacy, the emergency department and nearby buildings, including St. Phillip’s Church. The hospital has been described in international news reports as the last fully functioning hospital in northern Gaza. No casualties were reported from the blasts at the hospital, though the diocese reported that during the evacuation of the hospital, a child died while suffering from a previous head injury. “The Diocese of Jerusalem condemns in the strongest terms today’s missile attacks on the Ahli Arab Hospital,” the diocese said in a written statement, adding that it was “appalled at the bombing of the hospital now for the fifth time since the beginning of the war in 2023 – and this time on the morning of Palm Sunday and the beginning of Holy Week.” “We call upon all governments and people of goodwill to intervene to stop all kinds of attacks on medical and humanitarian institutions. We pray and call for the end of this horrific war and the suffering of so many.” Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell released a statement lamenting the “unimaginable suffering” endured by the Palestinians who have been forced to seek treatment at Ahli Hospital. “For the only Christian hospital in Gaza to be attacked on Palm Sunday is especially appalling,” Cottrell said. The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem also condemned the attack. “Sorrow grips us this Palm Sunday: A refuge of healing is struck in the land of the heavenly physician of souls and bodies,” the Patriarchate said. Israel and Hamas had agreed to a ceasefire in January, which included the release of some of the hostages taken by Hamas during its initial attack on Israel. That ceasefire, however, fell apart in March, and Israel resumed airstrikes. U.S. officials have since been working with Arab leaders to restart ceasefire talks to again halt hostilities. Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe released a statement after the attack, asking for prayers for the hospital staff and their patients. “No matter how we understand the causes of violence in the Holy Land, we can surely agree that we must support our fellow Anglicans in alleviating the devastating humanitarian crisis now unfolding in Gaza,” Rowe said. Rowe also encouraged Episcopalians to give generously to the Good Friday Offering, the church’s annual collection in support of the Diocese of Jerusalem and the other dioceses that make up the Anglican Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East. Gifts can be made online or in congregations’ collection plates on April 18. Episcopalians also can write to their representatives in Congress, asking them to support a permanent ceasefire, humanitarian aid for Gaza and a just and sustained peace in the Holy Land, Rowe said. He shared resources provided by the church’s Washington, D.C.-based Office of Government Relations. – David Paulsen is a senior reporter and editor for Episcopal News Service based in Wisconsin. He can be reached at dpaulsen@episcopalchurch.org.

[Episcopal News Service] A federal judge has refused to grant a preliminary injunction against the Trump administration that was requested by The Episcopal Church and a coalition of interfaith plaintiffs in their lawsuit seeking to block immigration enforcement actions at houses of worship. Judge Dabney Friedrich of the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., issued her decision April 11, a week after hearing arguments by attorneys for the religious groups and the Trump administration. The Episcopal Church was joined by 26 other plaintiffs in the lawsuit, including Protestant and Jewish groups, in warning that changes in immigration policy were sowing fear in the communities they serve. The nonpartisan Georgetown University Law Center, in arguing the case on behalf of the religious groups, specifically objected to policy changes under President Donald Trump that ended past protections against immigration enforcement actions at houses of worship and other “sensitive locations,” such as schools and hospitals. Friedrich concluded that the plaintiffs had not demonstrated that the new administration was actively targeting immigrants for detention and possible deportation at houses of worship. She also expressed skepticism that any decreased participation in worship services or ministries was related directly to the end of U.S. Immigration and Customers Enforcement’s “sensitive locations” protections. “Evidence suggests that congregants are staying home to avoid encountering ICE in their own neighborhoods, not because churches or synagogues are locations of elevated risk,” she wrote in her decision. The plaintiffs now are considering their next steps in the case. “We are currently reviewing the decision and are assessing our options,” Kelsi Corkran, the plaintiffs’ lead attorney, said in a written statement. “We remain gravely concerned about the impacts of this policy and are committed to protecting foundational rights enshrined in the First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.” During his campaign, Trump had vowed to oversee mass deportations of millions of people living in the United States without permanent legal residency status. He began pursuing policies to follow through on that promise in the hours after his Jan. 20 inauguration to a second term, with a series of executive orders related to immigration. The next day, Homeland Security ended Biden administration policies that had identified certain sensitive areas as protected from immigration enforcement actions. The Episcopal Church is one of 12 denominations that have signed onto the lawsuit, which also includes the Disciples of Christ, Mennonite, Methodist, Presbyterian and AME Zion churches. Other plaintiffs include regional denominational bodies and other religious associations. The plaintiffs’ 80-page complaint, filed Feb. 11, includes short summaries of ways they say the government’s policies have burdened the faith organizations’ practice of their religions.