Find the link to the message and video from Bishop Anne B Jolly regarding the election here.

As voting is underway in Ohio and Election Day approaches, may we lean ever more toward the love of God and the strength of God’s mercy that sustains us and our communities. As you pray for our nation and one another, you are invited to gather with others either in person or in a virtual prayer space.

Local election prayer services include:

St. Andrew's, Elyria

Pre-election prayers, Wednesday, October 30, 6:00 pm

Post-election prayers, Wednesday, November 6, 6:00 pm

Both are over Zoom

St Paul’s, Mt Vernon

Prayers before an Election, Monday, November 4, 6:30 pm

Prayers during an Election, Tuesday, November 5, 6:30 pm

Prayers and Communion after an Election, Wednesday, November 6th, 6:30 pm

All are welcome, all are invited, all are in this together. For more information, call the church at 740 326 1999  or email office@stpaulsmtvernon.org 

St Timothy’s, Massillon

Election Eve Prayer Service

Monday, November 4, 7:00 pm

We will hold a public prayer service of the eve of our national election.
We will begin with the Great Litany, followed by prayers for our government leaders, civic safety and civil discourse, and for the citizens of this land. We will conclude with a brief service of Compline. We will also stream the service on our website, on youtube, and on our Facebook page.   

Church of our Saviour, Akron

Tuesday, November 5, 8:00 pm

Compline and check-in via Zoom.

St. Barnabas, Bay Village

Tuesday, November 5, 8:30 pm

The church will be open for private prayer and will conclude with compline at 9:00 pm. Compline will include a litany for the election and prayers for our country.

National online election prayers include: 

Pray as the polls close with the Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations

Everyone is invited to join Election Night Virtual Prayers hosted by The Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations from 8:00 to 10:00 pm on November 5. Bishop Sean Rowe, who will become presiding bishop on November 1, will offer an opening reflection and prayer. Episcopalians from around the church will hold silence and lead participants in prayers together for peace, the nation, and all people and countries.
 
Join the event via Zoom by registering here, or watch a livestream on The Episcopal Public Policy Network’s Facebook page. (Note: If you would like simultaneous Spanish interpretation, please register for Zoom.) 

Praying for the Nation with Washington National Cathedral 

As the sacred ground where the nation gathers for prayer at pivotal moments in our life together, the Cathedral will be open for prayer and meditation on Election Day as votes are cast, and on the day after as votes are counted.

On Tuesday, November 5, the nave at Washington National Cathedral will be open for private prayer and meditation from 7 am to 10 pm. Clergy will offer prayers during the Election Day Prayer Vigil between 8 am and 9 pm, including four special services. Click to learn more and access livestreams:

• 8:00 am: Service of Morning Prayer
• 12:00 pm: Interfaith Noonday Service of Prayer
• 5:00 pm: Service of Evening Prayer
• 8:45 pm: Compline

On Wednesday, November 6

The Washington National Cathedral will open for private prayer and meditation from 7 am to 6 pm. A Service of Unity and Hope after an Election will be offered at 12:00 pm Eastern.

Dear friends in Christ,

Bishop Anne shared this week a pastoral letter promising prayerful support and practical assistance for congregations during this election season. Here are a few of the resources provided for faith communities during this election:

The Episcopal Church’s Office of Government Relations Election Resources Page 

This page has a wealth of resources to cover all aspects of election engagement. The introduction to the page notes:

Doing election engagement well does not mean taking on everything there is to do and being overwhelmed. Effective election engagement begins with looking at what your community’s needs are, what resources, skills, and interests you and your church have, and then proceeding based on how that capacity can help meet those needs.

... Whatever your path, we hope you are inspired to do more as a faithful Episcopalian modeling healthy and constructive civic engagement. All election engagement work must be non-partisan, and please heed local laws, election details, and Episcopal safe church practices as you promote voting. 

Resources include a Toolkit on everything from how to organize a “souls to the polls” Sunday to prayers of the people and hymn suggestions for a pre-election service, and, on the very first pages, a briefing on how to remain IRS compliant while engaging in permitted political activity as a church. The page also links to pre-packaged communications tools such as bulletin inserts and announcements, civil discourse training tools, advice on combatting disinformation and responding to political extremism, including de-escalation training, and more.

The Ohio Elections website

Here you can find information to assist congregants and community members in verifying and/or updating their voter registration (deadline: October 7, 2024 for the November 5 election), check their voting precinct, early voting opportunities, etc. 

Neighbor to Neighbor, Toledo presented by St Michael’s in the Hills

A series of events, conversations, and a call to “Intentional Acts of Kindness” surrounding the election season. 

Forward Movement’s Novena (9-day prayer cycle) 

“Sometimes people draw a distinction between prayer and action,” said the Rev. Scott Gunn, executive director of Forward Movement. “I am here to tell you that prayer is action. Prayer changes hearts and lives. Prayer may result in changes that are scarcely imaginable. Prayer may prompt us to engage in other actions. Above all, prayer helps us attend to our relationship with Almighty God, and this reminds us of who we are.”

The Novena runs October 19 through November 6, the day after the general election. Daily prayers are available via social media and as downloadable bulletin inserts.

These resources may continue to grow as we receive word of more helpful tools. As we know, our greatest assistance comes from God, and I echo Bishop Jolly in encouraging us to remain prayerful and engaged with God and one another as we seek to Do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God through this election season.

Rosalind +

Additional resources:

How to support our neighbors in Springfield: some ideas and resources from the Rector of Christ Church, Springfield, Ohio

• Please continue to ask your congregations to stop spreading memes about Springfield on social media. Regardless of which side they are on, they continue to fan the flames of a fire that the people in Springfield wish would simply go out.
• Those who wish to send cards and other tokens of your prayers and good wishes to the Haitian community in Springfield may package them together and send them via Christ Episcopal Church, Springfield, to be hand delivered to one of the six or so Haitian churches that meet in Springfield (For obvious reasons, they are a little nervous about getting packages in the mail.)
• For those who would like to offer financial support, the Haitian Community Help and Support Center is recommended – online at www.haitiansupportcenterspringfield.org.
• Consider offering your parish some information and formation around the topic of immigration, migration, and loving our neighbors in your own context. Further resources here.
• If your congregation is inclined to activism, please encourage them to contact their political leaders to combat hate speech in all of its forms.