Sept. 11, 2014
Diocesan Convention registration deadline is just two weeks away
Please note that the deadline to register for Diocesan Convention is Friday, Sept. 26. All registrations are online, and each person who registers needs to complete his or her own registration form. The form is available at http://tinyurl.com/ku8lrlb.
The link also is on the Diocesan Convention page on the diocesan website, http://www.episcopal-ks.org/life/convention.php.
Payment will still be by check, so after registering, be sure to send in your payment! Please make your check payable to "Episcopal Diocese of Kansas" with "Diocesan Convention" in the memo line, and mail to Michele Moss, Episcopal Diocese of Kansas, 835 SW Polk St., Topeka, KS 66612.
> Upcoming convocation meetings. Two convocations will meet this Saturday to review the proposed diocesan mission plan, hear from diocesan staff and elect convocation clergy representatives to the Council of Trustees. The schedule of meetings for this Saturday, Sept. 13 is:
9 a.m. – Northeast Convocation, St. Margaret’s, 5700 W. 6th St., Lawrence
1 p.m. – Northwest Convocation, Grace Cathedral, 7801 SW 8th Ave., Topeka
> Convention books. The books that include information about nominees, the proposed mission plan and other information have been mailed to all lay delegates and clergy. It also is posted on the diocesan website’s convention page: http://www.episcopal-ks.org/life/convention.php.
> A note about hotel reservations: If you want to reserve rooms at the Capitol Plaza Hotel at the convention rate, we now have a link that takes you directly to the diocesan group reservation page: https://reservations.ihotelier.com/crs/g_reservation.cfm?groupID=750187&hotelID=13576. This uses our online group code DIOCESE.
If making hotel reservations by phone, call (800) 579-7937 and indicate you are with group EDOK, which is the phone group code.
Pre-convention “tailgate” party planned for Thursday, Oct. 23
Lay delegates and clergy who will be in Topeka the night before the start of Diocesan Convention are invited to a special “tailgate” event at Grace Cathedral, 701 SW 8th Ave.
A social hour starts at 6 p.m. in the cathedral’s newly renovated Entrance Hall, and dinner – hosted by the Men in Ministry Group of St. Michael and All Angels, Mission – follows at 6:30 p.m. After that, stay for Compline with the Cathedral Choir.
There is no charge, and pre-registration isn‘t needed. If you’re in town for convention, just stop by for drinks, dinner and worship.
Exhibitors still welcome to register
Does your parish ministry group want to share its work with others around the diocese? Does your bookstore have items you’d like to offer for sale? Do you know others who might be interested in reaching more than 200 Kansas Episcopalians who have gathered for Convention?
If so, you can register as an exhibitor or vendor at this year’s Diocesan Convention (which is set for Oct. 24-25 in Topeka).
Non-profit organizations can reserve a booth for $40 per table for the entire event; the rate is $60 for for-profit groups. Exhibitors also can purchase convention meals for an additional fee.
Materials are on the convention website, or you can contact convention coordinator Michele Moss for assistance. She can be reached at , (785) 235-9255 or (800) 473-3563.
Gala dinner/dance planned for Nov. 7
“A Night to Remember” is the theme for a gala for all members of the diocese, featuring dinner and dancing on Friday, Nov. 7 from 7 – 11 p.m. It takes place at St. Thomas’, 12251 Antioch Rd., in Overland Park.
The cost is $65 per person, and the dress is black tie optional. Cocktails begin at 7 p.m., dinner is served at 8 p.m. and dancing is from 9-11 p.m.
Dinner will be provided by Culinary Cornerstones, a ministry of Episcopal Community Services. Dancing will be to the music of the acclaimed Michael Beers Band.
Tickets can be purchased either by check or credit card.
To reserve your seats by check, send the names of those attending, plus a check for $65 per person, to Comptroller Jay Currie, Episcopal Diocese of Kansas, 835 SW Polk St., Topeka. KS 66612. Make checks payable to “Episcopal Diocese of Kansas” with “Night to Remember” in the memo line.
If paying by credit card, go to the special online registration form at http://tinyurl.com/ANightToRemember2014.
Questions? Contact the event chair, Jerry Malone, at (316) 688-1590 or .
2013 Diocesan Journal now is online
In accordance with the requirements of Diocesan Canon II.6, the Journal of the 154th Annual Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas (which took place in 2013) has been published. It is online in a PDF format at http://www.episcopal-ks.org/resources/documents/Journal-154th-Annual-Convention.pdf.
After the election of officers at this year’s convention, the 2014 Directory, which also will include the Journal, will be printed and distributed to all resident clergy and each church office.
Gathering of Presbyters set for Nov. 11-13
All priests of the diocese are reminded that the next Gathering of Presbyters will take place Nov. 11-13, beginning and ending at noon on the opening and closing days. It is set for the Spiritual Life Center, 7100 East 45th St. North in Bel Aire, outside Wichita.
The event’s speaker and facilitator will be Brother Curtis Almquist, SSJE. Br. Curtis has been a member of the Society of St. John the Evangelist for more than 25 years, and before that he was a parish priest. He lives at the Society’s monastery in Cambridge, Mass, where he listens, writes, encourages and thoroughly enjoys life. He also is a regular contributor to the Brother’s daily email and web offering, “Brother, Give us a Word,” which reflects on daily life through thoughts on a word each day.
More information about Br. Curtis, the Society and “Brother, Give us a Word” is on their website, www.ssje.org.
Calling all former students of the Kansas School for Ministry
A group of people are forming a Bishop Kemper School for Ministry Alumni group, and they are looking for the names of people who attended its precursor, the Kanas School for Ministry.
Did you graduate from KSM? Or did you ever take a class at the school? If so, be sure your name gets added to the list.
Please send your name, address, phone number, email address and the year you attended classes or graduated, to the current BSKM dean, the Rev. Don Compier, at .
Kansan’s artwork is among finalists for Episcopal Church Christmas Card
Barbara Bottenberg, a member of Good Shepherd, Wichita, has four submissions in the finals for selection as the Episcopal Church's official Christmas card this year. All the entries are online at http://www.episcopalchurch.org/page/christmas-card-contest-voting.
You can vote for an entry only once.
The winning card is the one that voters think best expresses God’s incarnation in the Lord’s birth, shown in a local context – a specific place in our church now.
The deadline for all votes is Sept. 19.
St. James’ to offer Safeguarding classes on Saturday, Sept. 27
Required classes on protecting children and adults from sexual abuse and exploitation will take place on Saturday, Sept. 27 at St. James’, 3750 East Douglas, Wichita, in the church undercroft.
“Safeguarding God’s Children” (for anyone working with children or youth) will start at 9 a.m. and run until about 11 a.m.
“Safeguarding God’s People” (for clergy and others who engage in pastoral ministries in the church) will begin at 1 p.m. and run until about 3 p.m.
To register or for questions, please contact Kellie Newlin at (316) 250-7820 or . A minimum of six must register for the classes to be taught.
September services planned at St. Matthew’s, Cedar Vale
During September, Epiphany Episcopal Church, Sedan will hold two services at St. Matthew's in Cedar Vale, which is a chapel of Epiphany. All in the diocese are invited to attend.
On Saturday, Sept. 13 at 5 p.m. will be is a healing service with Holy Communion.
On Sunday, Sept. 27 at 10:30 a.m. will be a celebration of St. Matthew’s Day with a service of Holy Communion, followed by a potluck picnic lunch.
St. Matthew’s, a beautiful and historic part of its community, is located at 309 Cedar St. in Cedar Vale.
For more information, please contact the Rev. Foster Mays, Epiphany’s rector, at (620) 725-3701.
Episcopal Church Women offer special day in Topeka
The board of the Episcopal Church Women of the diocese invites women in every church to attend “A Day at the Cathedral” on Saturday, Sept. 27, beginning at 10:30 a.m. Registration will begin at 10 a.m.
The event will include a worship service, tour of the cathedral, organ presentation and a tour of the Bethany Place property. Lunch will be included.
The cost will be $15 per person. Checks to reserve your spot should be sent no later than Sept. 15 to ECW Treasurer Sharon Atherton at 10206 West 20th Street North, Wichita, KS67212. Please include your name, address, phone number, email address, and your church’s name and city.
Centering prayer mini-retreat scheduled in Wamego
An ecumenical group committed to the practice of centering prayer will offer a mini retreat on Saturday, Sept. 27 from 10:340 a.m. to 4 p.m. It will take place at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 700 Lincoln, Wamego.
Centering prayer uses silence to provide space to commune with God, in an exercise of faith, hope and love.
The cost is $10 per person and includes lunch. People are asked to bring finger food to share. Those who aren’t able to attend during the morning are invited to arrive at 12:30 p.m. for the afternoon session.
Pre-register by contacting Ebba Robb at .
Indianapolis cathedral files suit against JP Morgan Chase, seeks others that have may have been injured
Christ Church Cathedral in Indianapolis has filed suit against JP Morgan Chase, accusing the bank of fraud and mismanagement of trusts that the church claims lost millions of dollars in value over almost a decade as a result of the bank’s investment strategy.
In a letter to her fellow bishops, Indianapolis Bishop Cate Waynick is seeking other churches or church-related institutions that might have been similarly harmed by the bank.
More information about the suit is on the website of Fortune magazine at http://fortune.com/2014/08/13/jp-morgan-chase-indianapolis-church-lawsuit/.
Churches that want to contact Bishop Waynick about this matter may reach her at (317) 926-5454, or they can be in touch with the cathedral dean, the Very Rev. Steven Carlsen at (317) 636-4577.
Stewardship ideas offered by ECF Vital Practices
The start of the fall program year in churches usually means turning attention to matters of stewardship, or at least the annual pledge drive.
If your church needs some fresh ideas to help with this important topic, Vital Practices, a resource website sponsored by the Episcopal Church Foundation, has some thoughts that might help: http://www.ecfvp.org/posts/lets-talk-stewardship/
If you want to get regular updates from ECF Vital Practices, including their popular “Vestry Papers,” sign up online at http://www.ecfvp.org/account/register.
Looking for ideas to share your church with your community?
If so, the Toolkit from the Office of Public Affairs of the Episcopal Church can help. It lists dates of upcoming events for which you might be able to seek stories or mention in your local media.
The toolkit for September through October is available at http://www.episcopalchurch.org/sites/default/files/2104_september-november_topics.pdf.
Deadlines loom for a variety of grants and other items from the Episcopal Church
Do you or your church want to apply for a Jubilee Ministry grant, a Roanridge Trust grant or a Constable grant? Do you want to know more about what these are?
Do you have a name to submit in consideration for the next Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church?
If so, several of these things have deadlines in the coming weeks.
You can find deadlines, links and details to what’s due soon from the Office of Public Affairs of the Episcopal Church at http://www.episcopalchurch.org/sites/default/files/2104_september-november_topics.pdf
KC-area church sponsors conversation about income inequality
All members of the diocese are invited to a special forum sponsored by Village Presbyterian Church entitled “Faith and Fairness, a conversation about income inequality.”
The event will be Saturday, Oct. 18 from 9 a.m. to noon in the Friendship Hall of the church, which is located at 6641 Mission Rd., Prairie Village, KS 66208.Among those on the panel are the Rev. Susan McCann, rector of Grace Episcopal Church in Liberty, Mo.
The event, which is free, opens with a continental breakfast, followed by speaker presentations and an income equality simulation.
RSVP by Sunday, Oct. 12 to Marianne Weber at (913) 671-2333 or
Mediation skills training to be offered in Kansas City conference
The Mediation Skills Training Institute for Clergy Leaders has announced that it is offering its 32-hour training course in Kansas City, Mo., on Oct. 6-10 at Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral, 415 West 13th Street.
The course is designed to equip church leaders with the skills necessary to deal effectively with interpersonal, congregational and other forms of group conflict. The five-day institute also includes a component on congregational mediation and consultation, placed within the context of family systems theory.
Tuition is $695 if registration is received before Sept. 22. After that, the cost is $795. It does not include travel or lodging.
The training is offered through the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center. More information is on their website at http://www.lmpeacecenter.org/events/msti/
Clergy news
The Rev. Mary Siegmund has been called as the new priest in charge at St. Luke’s, Shawnee. She most recently has been priest in charge at St. Matthew’s, Newton, where she has served since early 2010. She will begin serving at St. Luke’s full-time on Oct. 16, but she will be present in the congregation part-time beginning Sept. 18.
Anniversaries of ordinations
Congratulations go to these people as they celebrate the anniversaries of their ordination in the next two weeks:
Sept. 15: The Rev. Kevin Schmidt, St. Thomas’, Overland Park (13 years)
Sept. 19: The Rev. Ron Reed, retired (42 years)
Sept. 21: The Rev. Canon David Kent, retired (51 years); the Rev. David With, licensed from the Diocese of West Missouri (51 years)
Stay in touch via Facebook and Twitter
You can find news, features and updates from the diocese on social media. We’re on Facebook – EpiscopalDioceseofKansas (https://www.facebook.com/EpiscopalDioceseofKansas) – and Twitter – @EpiscoKs.