Nov. 26, 2014
Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!
Almighty and gracious Father, we give you thanks for the fruits of the earth in their season and for the labors of those who harvest them. Make us, we pray, faithful stewards of your great bounty, for the provision of our necessities and the relief of all who are in need, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.(Book of Common Prayer, page 246)
Bishop Wolfe writes about recent events in Ferguson, Mo.
On Nov. 25, Bishop Dean Wolfe offered thoughts about recent events in Ferguson, calling for prayers for peace and justice across the nation, for the safety of those in Ferguson, and for healing.
His full statement is posted on the diocesan website at
Ordinations are planned for Saturday, Jan. 10
The next diocesan ordination service is set for Saturday, Jan. 10 ay 10:30a.m. at Grace Cathedral, 701 SW 8th Ave. in Topeka. All members of the diocese are invited to attend.
Resources are available for Advent, which starts this Sunday
A comprehensive list of resources available to help mark the season of Advent, which starts on Sunday, Nov. 30, now is on the website of Vital Practices, a ministry of the Episcopal Church Foundation:
It includes material from a variety of sources across the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion, including a brand-new initiative between the monks of the Society of St. John the Evangelist and the Anglican Communion Office.
It seeks to create a worldwide Advent photo calendar on the photo-sharing platform Instagram based on the word-of-the-day of the SSJE monks’ “Brother, Give Us a Word.”
Information about this unique offering is online at
Church of England approves ordination of women bishops
The Church of England on Nov. 18 enacted final legislation that permits women to be selected and ordained as bishops, and Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby hailed the event as “a new way of being the church.”
More information about this historic decision is on the Anglican Communion News Service at
United Thank Offering grant application now is available
Application forms for the 2015 United Thank Offering now are available online at There applicants also will find helpful information about the application process and grant criteria.
Grants must focus on the fourth of the Five Marks of Mission established by the Anglican Communion: To seek to transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind, and to pursue peace and reconciliation.
Applications also must be for start-up costs for a new ministry, not for the continuation of an ongoing ministry unless there is a definite new direction added to the existing program.
Because each diocese can submit only one application, those considering applying are asked to read the application information on the website listed above and then contact Canon Pastor George Wiley before proceeding. He can be reached at or (785) 813-3149.
Presiding Bishop calls for prayers for Liberia on Dec. 7
Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori has urged Episcopalians to observe the Second Sunday in Advent, Dec. 7, as a day of prayer for those in the Diocese of Liberia and the entire Anglican Church of the Province of West Africa, areas heavily affected by the current Ebola pandemic.
Full information on her request, along with a list of help being undertaken by a variety of Episcopal entities, is online at
Help the people of Navajoland on #GivingTuesday
The Episcopal Church for the first time is participating in #GivingTuesday on Dec. 2, a day dedicated to celebrating generosity and to giving.
The recipient of the church’s efforts is the Navajoland Area Mission, where the church seeks to build six new hogans, a traditional Navajo dwelling that provides space for religious ceremonies. Two hogans will be built in the three states that Navajoland touches: Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.
It is estimated that each 800 square-foot structure will cost about $40,000.
Online donations on Dec. 2, or at any other time, can be made at
Episcopal Relief & Development announces matching grant challenge
In honor of Episcopal Relief & Development’s 75th Anniversary Celebration, a group of generous donors has pledged $750,000 in matching funds for the organization’s 2014 MatchingGift Challenge.
Any donation to the organization between Oct. 30 and Dec. 31 will be matched, dollar-for-dollar, up to the total match amount. This includes contributions through “Gifts for Life,” Episcopal Relief & Development’s alternative giving catalog, and monthly donations scheduled during the Challenge period.
The matching amount for all donations will go to the 75th Anniversary Fund, which enables the organization to respond to needs where they are greatest. The overall fundraising goal of the 75-week-long celebration is to secure $7.5 million to support programs that touch the lives of more than 3 million people in nearly 40 countries.
More information is on the agency’s website,
Does your church need a wedding kneeling cushion?
The Rev. David Kent would like to offer to a church a handmade wedding cushion crafted years ago by his mother and given to him to use when he was an Army chaplain. It is white with a cross embroidered in the center with roses embroidered on both sides.
If interested, please contact him at .
Clergy news
Condolences go to Deacon Steve Segebrecht, Trinity, Lawrence, on the death of his mother, Margaret Segebrecht, on Nov. 23. May she rest in peace and rise in glory.
Anniversaries of ordinations
Congratulations go to these people as they celebrate the anniversaries of their ordination in the next two weeks:
Nov. 26: The Rev. Bob Hutchinson, retired (54 years)
Nov. 30: The Rev. Joe Bayles, retired (47 years); the Rev. James Cox, retired, Diocese of Western Kansas (24 years); the Rev. Bruce LeBarron, retired, Diocese of Western Kansas (41 years)
Dec. 1: The Rev. David Cox, St. Michael and All Angels, Mission (2 years); the Rev. David Barclay, retired (54 years); the Rev. Merrill Broach, retired (47 years); the Rev. Ed Fellhauer, retired, Diocese of Western Kansas (27 years)
Dec. 6: The Rev. Gar Demo, St. Thomas’, Overland Park (17 years); the Rev. Kelly Demo, St. Thomas’, Overland Park (17 years); the Rev. Laurie Lewis, Trinity, Arkansas City and Grace, Winfield (6 years)
Dec. 7: The Rev. Mary Siegmund, St. Luke’s, Shawnee (16 years); the Rev. Steve Mues, retired (41 years); the Rev. Jerry Jones, retired, Diocese of Western Kansas (49 years)
Dec. 8: The Rev. Dennis Gilhousen, St. Michael and All Angels, Mission (35 years)
Dec. 11: The Rev. William Wood, retired (47 years); Deacon John Roper, St. Andrew’s, Derby (33 years); Deacon Keith Akins, retired (21 years)
Diocesan office will be closed for Thanksgiving
The diocesan office will be closed for Thanksgiving on Thursday, Nov. 27 and Friday, Nov. 28. Staff will return on Dec. 1 with regular office hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
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 ( – and Twitter – @EpiscoKs.
Next DioLog
The next edition of DioLog will be sent to subscribers on Thursday, Dec. 11. Information to be included should be sent to Melodie Woerman, diocesan director of communications, at , no later than Tuesday, Dec. 9.
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DioLog is a publication of the Office of Communications of the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas, 835 SW Polk Street, Topeka, KS 66612.