Spirit October 2015

Spirit YOUTH REPORT - SUMMER 2015 | CHANGING 125 LIVES

Diocese of West Missouri OCTOBER 2015 | VOLUME 7, NO. 5

THE PEOPLE OF ST. STEPHEN’S, MONETT

Publisher

The Rt. Rev. Martin S. Field

Editor

Gary Allman

Spirit is published by: Diocese of West Missouri 420 West 14th St. Kansas City, MO 64105

Editorial Board Members

Gary Allman, Communications Director Angela Crawford, Communications Assistant The Rev. Dr. Steven Rottgers, Canon to the Ordinary

In This Issue

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Editor’s Letter This year’s Small Church Summit provided plenty of food for thought, and precipitated some reassessment as to what ‘Church’ is.

Gary Allman

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Keeping Watch Bishop Marty introduces this year’s 126th

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A New Presiding Bishop and Primate Some

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Views From the Outside, Inside, and Center

Diocesan Convention.

The Rt. Rev. Martin S. Field

Submissions/Letters

We welcome submissions of news articles, photographs and letters to the editor on topics of interest to the diocese.

Submission Guidelines

We will consider all submissions, but it helps us immensely if you can follow the submission guidelines provided on the diocesan website.

 www.diowestmo.org/spirit-article-submission.html

Back Copies

You can see the latest Spirit magazine and an archive of Spirit issues going back to the winter of 2011 by following the link below.

 www.diowestmo.org/spirit/spirit-magazine.html

thoughts on the installation of our next Presiding Bishop.

The Rt. Rev. Martin S. Field

Vern Barnet’s birthday walk leads to thoughts about the problems of our desecrated world and a sacramental perspective within all faiths.

Vern Barnet

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Youth Report - Summer 2015 The diocesan youth,

staff and volunteers had a busy summer. This year’s youth interns provide a summary of what happened.

Samantha Behen, Emilie Bridges, Caroline McKnight, and Drake Taylor

Contact

 (816) 471-6161 ext. 17  communications@diowestmo.org  www.diowestmo.org  www.facebook.com/diowestmo

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Changing 125 Lives Grace Episcopal Church, Chillicothe

How one of our rural churches has responded to the call to change 125 lives.

Rosina Harter

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Advent 2015 - Losing the Add-Ons It may only be

October, but before the next Spirit arrives, Advent will have begun.

The Rt. Rev. Martin S. Field

ON THE COVER St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Monett.

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Cover: Gary Allman

Pictured on Sunday, August 30, 2015 with The Rev. Paula Lively.

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SPIRIT | October 2015

Diocesan Director of Communications, Gary Allman, took the cover picture the day after the Small Church Summit, while visiting the very friendly people at St. Stephen’s.

St. Andrew’s Parishioners Learn to Walk the Road The Cafe 9:15 Discussion Group highly recommend the book ‘We Make the Road by Walking’ by Brian D. McLaren Lynn Price

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Directory A directory of the churches of the diocese.

Gary Allman | Editor’s Letter

Re-thinking Church CONTACT communications@diowestmo.org  Direct:  (417) 522-5151 LINKS www.diowestmo.org  Spirit online extras:  http://goo.gl/4Z9zJu

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Photograph: Gary Allman

hat does the word ‘Church’ mean to you? I don’t mean traditions and rituals. It’s no surprise then, that the thought ‘The Church’, or ‘My church’ or even ‘Our Church’ of changing that worship space makes me feel downright just ‘Church’. I was forced to think about this after I uncomfortable. It also explained the slight uneasiness I felt attended the Small Church Summit event at Calvary Episcopal visiting several small parish churches on my last trip to the UK. Church, Sedalia on August 29.

There were very positive signs of Sunday school being held in The main presentation by Leslie Schaffer from the Episcopal the nave and not in a separate room or building. Checking the Church Building Fund was challenging. Leslie addressed website of my childhood church I read about a monthly ‘Messy head-on the issues of declining membership and attendance.

Church’ program, with families, their pets, arts and crafts She highlighted the changing membership demographics and materials loose in the nave. The irreverence made me shudder. how our churches will be impacted. Of course these are not However, thoughts of the joy, fellowship and local community problems unique to Episcopal churches, but they are something engagement were also a source of inspiration. that most probably all of our churches both large and small are In my childhood it didn’t concern me to see church going to have to address if they are going to survive. buildings sitting empty and mainly unused for 5-6 days a week.

With examples, statistics, projections, and details of Leslie argued that creative thinking ought to be able to open up successful projects, she challenged a lot of under utilized facilities so us to take a long hard look at our that they can offset their costs and resources - our church buildings and ideally contribute to the welfare of our members - and make fundathe community. mental changes to how we view and I recently read about Bethlehem use them. Leslie argued that if we Lutheran Church in Grand Rapids, just keep doing what we are doing, Michigan. Bethlehem’s congregation and are resistant to change, we will decided to sell their traditional end up being the last custodians of church and move into a former post our precious buildings, overseeing office maintenance garage in what their closure. In short, we have to was described as the ‘gritty Heartside make bold decisions now to ensure neighborhood of soup kitchens and Leslie Schaffer addresses the 2015 Small Church Summit the future of our churches. lost souls’. The move wasn’t easy, but at Calvary Episcopal Church. The slide caption reads: ‘Congregations in Financial Stress 2000 - 2010 USA & TEC’ That made me feel very uncomthey did it. What is more important? fortable. Oddly, though, what upset Having showcase facilities that are me most at the time was the prospect of the lost buildings. The not contributing to the local community and that ultimately possibility of losing the traditional worship space hung heavily, will not be affordable? Or, having scruffy facilities worn by use, and is what brought about my contemplation on what ‘Church’ that are at least partially paying their way? I think I know which means to me.

Jesus would prefer to see.

Born and raised Church of England, ‘Church’ is not just a I suspect there are a great many Episcopalians who share my word, it’s the culture. Church is a building and an institution. unease at the changes that are coming. Though I do wonder if I In England, one doesn’t shop for a church. Each church has its am just becoming a change-averse grumpy old man. I hope not. own fixed geographic parish, your church is predetermined by I believe I just need some time to work out how to steer myself the location of your house. Growing up, Church wasn’t about through this change and embrace it. ministry. It wasn’t about outreach or evangelism. From a young Church, I’ve now come to realize, is not the buildings. I’ve boy’s point of view it wasn’t particularly about Christianity received Holy Communion on a moonlit beach on the gulf either. If there was any fund-raising it was for the upkeep of coast, in a hospital room, and in a converted cow shed. the buildings. Church, for me, will probably always conjure St. Matthew’s in Ozark is located in a strip mall and I must say up thoughts of immovable, stoic, flint buildings hundreds of manages truly inspirational local ministry. years old with traditions to match. So, I find that my personal The buildings are not what is important. Being Christian, world-view of Church is very much about the buildings, and following the five baptismal promises we make, is. +

SPIRIT | October 2015

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KEEPING WATCH | The Rt. Rev. Martin S. Field

Diocesan Convention 2015 Bishop Marty on the 126th convention of the Diocese of West Missouri.

CONTACT  bishopmarty@diowestmo.org  www.diowestmo.org  (816) 471-6161

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n the first weekend of November, the annual Convention of the Diocese of West Missouri will be called to order at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Kansas City, which is located along I-29 just south of the KC airport. This will be the 126th time the diocese has been called to order for lay delegates and clergy leaders to take counsel for the good of the Episcopal Church in the western half of the State of Missouri. It will also mark the end of our year-long commemoration of the quasquicentennial of the founding of the diocese.

At last year’s Diocesan Convention, as we were embarking on this year of commemoration, the Convention passed a resolution that challenged each parish, congregation, and group of the diocese to “Change 125 Lives” during the celebration of our 125 years.

Throughout the year, we’ve heard and read stories of the various ways congregations and parishes have taken on the challenge. Some stories have appeared in the pages of this magazine. Some have been shared by email & social media communication. I hope you all have savored the creative ways faith communities and other constituent groups of the diocese have responded missionally to the cities, towns, and regions in which they live and serve.

A big thank you to all who have helped change or have positively impacted the lives of so many. I am sorry that we were not able to tell all of the great stories of your wonderful ministries, but you are most welcome to continue telling the tales of your ministries in and to your communities. We will continue to share them as they come in. None of us can ever know when something we have done or tried will spark inspiration in the mind of another, so please, keep your stories coming. And, of course, feel free to keep impacting lives. That is not just an emphasis for a single year of celebration. That is the Church’s very purpose for existence.

The 12th Diocesan Gathering and the 126th Diocesan Convention will again be married together and meet on consecutive days, November 6-7.

The Gathering – a day of learning and conversations – will begin in the morning of Friday, November 6th with registration at 9:00 a.m. and the learning and sharing beginning at 10:00 a.m. The Gathering wraps up by the middle of the afternoon, and Convention Committees will have a block of time to work before we move toward the opening of the Convention at 5:30 p.m., which as always begins with a Holy Eucharist. The 4

SPIRIT | October 2015

remainder of Friday evening will be a time of fellowship, food, and fun at our banquet. The featured program at the banquet will be the presentation of the Bishop’s Shield to those who have stepped up and served our diocese in notable ways.

Saturday morning brings with it our business session where we will elect persons to fill diocesan offices of leadership, consider resolutions submitted for our deliberation, and establish our fiscal Plan for Ministry for 2016. Resolutions might call on our Convention to take a position on an issue in Church or society, make an appeal for a change to our governance structures, or request some other action of the Convention. My thanks to all who are standing for election, thus evidencing their willingness to serve their diocese, or those who submit resolutions for our attention, showing their concern and spurring us to corporate reflection on the weighty matters of our day.

Now, you might ask, Why is our Diocesan Convention important? Good question. My first response – my quick response – is that our convention is the diocesan Church in action.

We practice a representative form of government, where each congregation and parish is represented by lay delegates as well as the clergy. (In this diocese, the number of lay delegates allowed is based on the membership of the parish or congregation.) In The Episcopal Church, we are not governed by a hierarchy. Yes, we have bishops, who lead our dioceses, but a bishop has only one vote at Convention, just like any clergy person or lay delegate.

It has been rightly said that The Episcopal Church is “episcopally led and conciliarly governed”. What those big words mean is that our bishops lead; our councils govern. That is the particular ethos and genius of The Episcopal Church. And, as I hope you can see, the quality of our Church’s governance relates directly to the thought, preparation, and care we put into arranging to take counsel with one another, to the quality of those we send to represent our congregations and parishes, and to the openness we have to the Holy Spirit of God as we are gathered. At its best a diocese’s convention is a time for conversing about and deciding on the missional paths we will follow together.

In the end, if it’s doing its job well, the Diocesan Convention first and foremost serves God’s Mission to the world God created and to the people of that world. +

A New Presiding Bishop and Primate Some thoughts on the installation of our next Presiding Bishop.

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ovember 1st is, as always, All Saints’ Day, the day we remember and thank God for all the heroes and notables from the 2,000 year history of God’s Church. This year November 1st falls on a Sunday, so the Feast will be the center of our celebrations, and we will commemorate the worthy memory of the saints of the Church in step with millions around the globe.

But for The Episcopal Church, November 1st will have an added cause for celebration.

On that day, at noon, in the National Cathedral in Washington, DC, The Episcopal Church will install its new Presiding Bishop, the 27th in our history.

By now most of you know that the man being installed is The Rt. Rev. Michael B. Curry, lately the Bishop of North Carolina. Bishop Curry was elected, with much fanfare, at our recent General Convention (late-June through early-July in Salt Lake City, Utah), and is our Church’s first African-American Presiding Bishop. The election of an African-American is a “first” that follows another “first”, the election and service of the first woman Presiding Bishop, the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, who has served our Church for the last 9 years.

She will step down as Bishop Curry’s term begins at the installation service at the National Cathedral.

Donna and I will be in attendance at the installation, and will be privileged to

watch as The Right Reverend Michael Curry becomes The Most Reverend Michael Curry. We will bring back pictures and do our best to tell the story of what we witnessed. You, however, can be a witness, too. The service of installation is being streamed live on the internet and all Episcopalians (or anyone else for that matter) may tune in for the historic event. +

Photograph: Melodie Woerman

The Rt. Rev. Martin S. Field

LINK Live webcast from the Washington National Cathedral  www.cathedral.org

Presiding Bishop Elect Michael Curry addresses the media at General Convention - June, 2015.

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Views From the Outside, Inside, and Center Vern Barnet’s birthday walk leads to thoughts about the problems of our desecrated world and a sacramental perspective within all faiths.

Vern Barnet

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sually, if my birthday falls on a weekday, I go to the noon service at the Cathedral. But this year my birthday fell on Memorial Day and the Cathedral was closed. So I decided on a different spiritual discipline.

I chose an outside path; but later, in a surprise, I got an interior perspective.

I like seeing controversies when folks on both sides are well-meaning.

perpetuate the overwhelming and unnecessary size of U.S. nuclear armaments? The question was especially sharp for me this year, the 70th anniversary of our controversial bombings of Japan. The 1. An outside view father of a Konkokyo Shinto priest who was my roommate That morning I walked in seminary was killed in about ten miles from the the Hiroshima blast. When I former Kansas City Bendix/ AlliedSignal plant on Bannister visited that site, I was seared by how that single bomb, now (95th Street), just east of a midget weapon, killed and Troost, to the new facility at 14520 Botts Road. Now called made a living hell.

Tom had reported that in Honeywell, this plant produces 1983, U.S. Roman Catholic 85 percent of the non-nuclear bishops offered “strictly material used in our nuclear conditional” moral recognition bomb arsenal. for nuclear deterrence only I joined about three dozen with a “resolute determination protesters organized by PeaceWorks-Kansas City. They to pursue arms control and ranged from 20-somethings to disarmament.” Then the U.S. and Soviets possessed more those of us in our 70s. Much of the time I walked with Tom than 60,000 such weapons.

For some years after, reducFox, publisher of the National tions on both sides were made.

Catholic Reporter, who carried But the process has stalled. a large American flag.

In 2009, the 76th General I asked: How can peace Convention of the Episcopal prevail when our resources Church asked policy makers 6

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“to determine a timely process for the dismantling of existing U.S. nuclear weapons while urging other countries to do likewise...” Other religious groups have made similar judgments.

Now estimated between 16,000 to 22,000, these weapons seem morally unusable. They are homocidal and ecocidal. We keep updating them, with a trillion dollars scheduled for our arsenal in the next 30 years.

The Honeywell plant itself cost nearly a billion dollars.

When we arrived at the Honeywell plant, guards politely reminded us we could not step past the purple line in the road to approach the building. They offered us bottles of water.

2. An inside view Surprise. As an alum of the Civic Council’s leadership training program, I was invited to tour inside Honeywell with fellow alums on June 11. A few weeks earlier I could not step onto the grounds. Now I was cleared through security, given a badge, briefed on the

plant and its purpose by the officials, and shown wondrous equipment — and a storeroom with 800 million dollars of stuff.

The employees said their work promoted peace by making sure that the weapons they serviced would work, maintaining a credible response against aggression. It would be too easy to dismiss the place - with machinery so heavy the concrete floor was four feet thick with 27 piers into bedrock, and so delicate one screw-driver’s blade is one-tenth the width of a human hair - simply as toys for boys. The tour guides were sincere, honest, and forthright in answering questions.

I honor those who argue that, given today’s realities, we must be able to deter those who might otherwise seek to harm us. Still, I couldn’t help being perplexed that so much ingenuity is brought to weapons of death and so little to supporting conditions for peace.

Vern Barnet (front, second left) with Tom Fox (front left) on the Memorial Day Peace Walk, 2015.

3. A centering view

faiths. They are a spiritual GPS directing us to the holy center My interest in nuclear we must find - as the mystics disarmament is not new. say - everywhere.

In 1963 I wrote to Lord The primal faiths Bertrand Russell. His reply (American Indian and tribal began with an apology for his African ways, for example) delay in responding. I think encourage ecological awe, he had been jailed for one of for nature is to be respected his protests. He wrote with more than controlled. Nature pessimism about a future is a process which includes without a “movement of mass us, not a product external to resistance by ordinary people us to be used or disposed of. determined to prevent the A centered, sacred attitude militarists and politicians from toward nature is wonder, not allowing their murderous consumption. weapons to be used.”

Asian religions (such as Today we have so many Hinduism and Buddhism) other problems about which describe the center as genuine to worry. How can we get a personhood when our actions perspective on all of them at proceed spontaneously and once? responsibly from duty and Issues like over-reliance compassion, without ultimate on sheer military power attachment to their results. arise because our sense of In the monotheistic tradithe sacred is scattered and tions (including Judaism, we are sick. Our spiritual Christianity, and Islam), disease presents three general the awesome work of God symptoms: our environmental is manifest in history’s flow crisis, the uncertainties of toward peace and justice when personhood, and poorly peoples are governed less by covenanted communities profit and winning and more and nations. The cures for by the covenant of service. the desecration of nature, Mere summaries of selfhood, and community these three antidotes to our are proclaimed by the world’s

desecrated world cannot replace the hard work of those seeking better schools, moderating climate change, reasonable gun control, reversing economic disparity, eliminating date rape, halting the death penalty, ending racism, or reducing nuclear arms to zero. But work on any one problem can help cure others because they are all interrelated. Work on whatever issue grabs you. I’m not smart enough to set your priorities.

Except, must we not remember that the evils we face all arise from a fragmented, broken perspective, bereft of the transcendent? In whatever way God uses us in redemptive work, we may be less likely to sin ourselves if our specific commitments open us, rather than blind us, to the holy network in which others also toil.

The insights of each faith may be latent in all others.

Still, Christians perhaps have a special responsibility to uplift the wisdom from all faiths because we comprise the largest tradition on the planet; and, at this point in history,

we have developed what may be the most effective methods of learning from other faiths while retaining the integrity of our own.

Perhaps no form of Christianity is better outfitted to do this than the Episcopalian. Our tradition of embracing all peoples and multiple approaches toward the sacred becomes a model method for profound interfaith exchange.

For me that model is vivid in the sacraments. They fuse and transcend nature, personhood, and community.

Look! The water of baptism and the bread and wine of the Eucharist are gifts from nature.

In them we find Christ, God incarnate as a person, our exemplar. And through the sacraments we become the Body of Christ, the beloved community.

Thus it seemed my birthday walk was not only a protest but also a pilgrimage toward the center. + Vern Barnet, founder of the Kansas City Interfaith Council, wrote the weekly “Faith and Beliefs” column for the Kansas City Star for eighteen years.

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Youth Report - Summer 2015 The diocesan youth, staff and volunteers had a busy summer. This year’s youth interns provide a summary of what happened.

Samantha Behen, Emilie Bridges, Caroline McKnight, and Drake Taylor

LINKS www.youth.diowestmo.org  Camp WEMO  www.flickr.com/photos/wemoyouth/albums/72157657996255668 General Convention  www.flickr.com/photos/wemoyouth/albums/72157659001023101 MissionPalooza  www.flickr.com/photos/wemoyouth/albums/72157658640537128

Camp Wemo

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Samantha Behen

his was Camp Wemo’s third year at YMCA Camp Wakonda and we had a blast. We started our days with Morning Prayer and continued with engaging activities, games, and team-building exercises.

Every morning and afternoon campers chose from activities such as archery, crafts, fishing, swimming, nature walk, ziplining, cliff climbing, and clergy time. For clergy time, different clergy from around the diocese came and led different workshops – for example, Fr. Joe Behen and Fr. Galen Snodgrass led a root beer-brewing workshop that

even included a camp-wide taste test.

In the middle of the week, the junior and senior high each had their own special activities. The junior high participated in games and team-building activities led by the awesome YMCA staff at Camp Wakonda. The senior high campers spent the day canoeing, and when

General Convention

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Emilie Bridges & Caroline McKnight

raveling clear across the country with eleven youth, seven adults and four interns from the Dioceses of West Missouri and Kansas proved to be quite the adventure in getting to General Convention this year.

After a 17 hour car ride, Later in the week, we were too many bathroom stops blessed to witness the election and lots of conversation in of Bishop Michael Curry as the vans, we made it to Salt our next Presiding Bishop.

Lake City and jumped right No one could deny the Spirit into the culture of General moving within the House of Convention. We were Deputies when the results of fortunate enough to attend the the voting was read or when presentation of the Presiding Bishop Curry entered the Bishop nominees, where we room, walking side by side got to know about each of the with current Presiding Bishop candidates a little better.

Katherine Jefferts Schori. The feelings of love, respect and 8

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they returned to camp, the incoming and graduated seniors had a bonfire and camp-out.

‘Illuminate’ was this year’s camp theme, and it was the focus during all our worship and small group discussion times. Scripture on the light of Christ and Christ’s light in us was read and studied each day to help the campers grasp the theme of camp and how they can be Christ’s light in the world after camp is over.

On the last night of camp, the campers experienced a special service led by Fr. Ted

Estes where they turned to their peers and spread glow in the dark paint in the image of a cross on each other’s foreheads. It was a powerful service, and when all the campers went outside in the dark, everyone’s foreheads were glowing brightly.

Camp Wemo was a week filled with Jesus, laughter, and fun. We fulfilled our goal to make it a positive, Christ-filled experience for the campers, volunteers, and staff.

Save the date! The next Camp Wemo will be held June 12-17, 2016. +

excitement for the future were palpable.

Each day, we worshipped and participated in Eucharist with our Episcopal community. The music styles differed from day-to-day, from jazz influences to Native American drums and flute. Each offered a different spiritual perspective to the traditional service we know and love. We also got the chance to meet many incredible, influential people, including The Rt. Rev. J. Neil Alexander, Dean of the School of Theology at Sewanee, The Rev. Scott Gunn, Executive Director of Forward

Movement and Co-Founder of Lent Madness, and The Rev. Becca Stevens, Founder of Magdalene House and Thistle Farms. Each one of these individuals provided wisdom, knowledge and encouragement to our youth.

Taking cues from the 2012 General Convention, social media had a huge presence this year. Our hashtag (#GC78) was even trending on Twitter for a while! We learned first hand how the media can be taken out of context when The Rt. Rev Daniel H. Martins Bishop of the Diocese of Springfield, (Illinois) Tweeted Continued on page 10.

Camp Wemo 2015

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General Convention (continued from page 8) something criticizing the Official Youth Presence. He got caught in a bit of a fire storm, but one of our youth, Connor McCarson, reached out to meet with him in person. In that meeting, we got to see how face-to-face interaction allows us to understand a person’s heart much better than a 140 character Tweet does.

It wasn’t all business during our trip. We got to do a little

sightseeing, too. Several of us went to Temple Square, where the Mormon Tabernacle and Temple are located. We got to listen to an organ concert in the Tabernacle and that was a nice break from the fast pace of General Convention.

As a group, we explored the Great Salt Lake. Despite the odd odor and gnawing gnats, the scenery was worth it. The mountains that surrounded us and the vast lake stretched

MissionPalooza

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Drake Taylor

his was MissionPalooza’s 16th year! This alone is something to be excited about, but the 40 youth and 19 adults who put their faith into action are phenomenal!

MissionPalooza had empower clients to find and a new look this year. The choose good options for future theme of MissionPalooza safety and success. In addition was “Reflecting God’s Love” to the work they do treating and in keeping with Matthew the effects of violence, Synergy 25:34-40, the focus was on provides supportive services to working with organizations families in crisis in an effort to that address hunger, shelter, prevent violence and focuses well-being and clothing on community education and needs. Wednesday was spent social change in an effort to at Synergy Service, a local build a safer and more humane organization providing a full society. On Thursday, Habitat continuum of care to assist for Humanity and ReStore had individuals and families plenty to keep us busy helping with immediate respite from them change neighborhoods, violence, and services which communities and lives! Friday,

Samantha Behen is a junior at Drury University, majoring in Advertising & Public Relations, and she loves it all. Samantha is passionate about mountains, youth ministry, and coffee.

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Emilie Bridges is a Sophomore at Mizzou this fall. She has been involved in WEMO youth ministry since 6th grade, joined YAC (now YMC) in her 8th grade year and stayed involved until she graduated.

Emily said “I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to intern this summer.”

in front reminded us of the beauty God has given us in the Earth.

No one would be able to explain better what this experience was like than the youth themselves. Taylor Mansfield, Grace Church, Carthage, said “I gained more of an understanding of all the work that really goes into our church. I don’t think very many people realize everything it takes to help our church function so it was really neat to be able to

see it first hand.” Another youth, Alex Long from St. Andrew’s, Kansas City, had a unique reason for this General Convention being meaningful.

“It was amazing to see how everything had changed since the last one. It marked my three-year anniversary of coming out so it was very important to me. To see the election of the next Presiding Bishop was truly amazing.” +

our time was divided between assisting in preparation for the St. Paul’s Pantry Friday cookout and Harvesters, the Community Food Network that feeds hungry people today and works to end hunger.

New this year, the Youth Ministry Commission Design Team asked Community 360 to join us on Saturday for a full day of experiential training; focusing on personal discernment about the choices and decisions we make as well as the beliefs, values and commitments reflected in our action. Each day family groups gave youth and adults the opportunity to hear new perspectives, build

relationships and meet new people. Also, more relaxing activities were included.

MissionPalooza is made possible by the contributions of so many; churches who prepare and serve meals, donors who cover event fees, volunteers who spend their time at work sites. To each one we offer our heartfelt thanks and appreciation! We also owe a special thank you to a remarkably hospitable congregation, St. Paul’s, Kansas City, who generously open their doors each year to host this five-day event. +

Drake Taylor is a junior at Colorado State University. He has been involved in WEMO youth ministry since his sophomore year of high school and this was his second year being an intern for the Diocese.

Drake said “I love doing mission work and working with kids and want to make a career out them both.”

Caroline McKnight, is a sophomore at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas. Caroline grew up going to St. Anne’s in Lee’s Summit, she has been attending Diocesan events since 6th grade and joined YAC/YMC in her sophomore year of high school. Caroline said: “I really loved working as an intern this summer.”

General Convention #78

MissionPalooza 2015

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Changing 125 Lives Grace Episcopal Church, Chillicothe How one of our rural churches has responded to the call to change 125 lives.

LINK  www.gracechillicothe.diowestmo.org

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hen last year’s diocesan convention issued the challenge to change the lives of 125 people this year to celebrate the Diocese of West Missouri’s 125th Anniversary, Grace Chillicothe was ready. The church already had plans in place to assist at least that many.

Several members of the Community Resource Center’s church joined the American clients. To date, they have Red Cross as Disaster served 333 meals.

Recovery Responders, helping Former members of people to find housing, Livingston County C2000 clothing, food, and furniture (a subcommittee of the after disasters like fire, flood, Community Wellness and tornado. To date, that Committee) decided to group has helped 17 people continue the backpack and recover after fires destroyed school supply drive and their homes. giveaway. Students of any Our local homeless shelter grade, but especially grades is the recipient of dinner every 6-12 can register to receive Thursday night, thanks to the a free backpack and school efforts of four women at the supplies. We gave away 57 church. They not only cook backpacks this year. Also, the meal and deliver it, they Garrison pre-school teachers also stay and talk with the were in need of art supplies

Total impact to date: 486 people’s lives changed by the work of a very small, rural church. + Rosina Harter is the Vice President of the John Water Chapter of the Daughters of the King. She holds an MA in Anthropology and an MBA in Marketing and Advertising. Rosina is responsible for social media and outreach at Grace.

Left - Right: Ann Bellais, Mary Lee Summerville, The Rev. Denise Vaughn, Karen White.

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Photograph: Rosina Harter

Receiving shoes at Central Middle School

Photograph: Rosina Harter

and chalk, so the group was able to help 24 preschool children.

The Order of the Daughters of the King collected purses and personal hygiene products for the local Domestic Violence Shelter, Safe Haven.

They were able to stuff 15 purses with a sack of goodies including tooth brushes, tooth paste, deodorant, shampoo, soap and moisturizer.

Teachers in the Chillicothe School district informed the Ministerial Alliance that students often need shoes because their families cannot provide them. Grace Church was able to donate 40 pairs of shoes for this project. The shoes went to Central Middle School.

Photograph: The Rev. Denise Vaughn

Rosina Harter

Left - Right: Daughters of the King: Mary Lee Summerville (Treasurer), Karen White (President), Sue Rose Harter and Ann Bellais, (members)

Advent 2015 - Losing the Add-Ons It may only be October, but before the next Spirit arrives Advent will have begun.

CONTACT  bishopmarty@diowestmo.org  (816) 471-6161 LINKS  www.diowestmo.org

The Rt. Rev. Martin S. Field

O

ne of my favorite singers is Michael Bublé. Today, I been strongly pervaded by feel somewhat akin to him, though certainly not for the associations with the cold quality of my singing voice. My kinship springs from and snow and ice of winter, another likeness. The vagaries of the editorial calendar for The with sleigh rides with jingling Spirit, means that there will not be another issue of this magazine bells, a reindeer with an oddly before the Christian faithful enter the season of Advent. colored proboscis, frosty snowmen, twinkling lights That truth brings me to equator, so the association of realize that I need to write an certain months of the calendar on cheerily decorated trees Advent article in September with the seasons for heat, rain, (evergreens of course, which symbolize eternity), midnight even as a beautiful sunny day snow, etc. are reversed from visits by Christmas Ghosts, a with temperatures in the 80s the pattern we know. Winter jolly old man in a red suit, and shines brightly outside my starts in June, and summer much, much more. Indeed, office window. Advent won’t launches in December, and the number of extras amassed begin until November 29, as a result, their seasons of which (as I write this) is just a bit more than 6 weeks away.

Sadly, the real origin of celebrating How on earth is someone supposed to be in the mood Christmas is unknown to an ever increasing to write about Advent and number of members of our society.

Christmas when that someone is really wondering if the onto Christmas far exceed neighborhood pool is still Advent and Christmas must and nearly drown out the open! That is why I feel a feel very different. simple, core message of the kinship to Michael Bublé and And that leads me to Nativity of the Messiah. Sadly, others; I am experiencing what thinking of the various musicians must experience add-ons we in western society the real origin of celebrating Christmas is unknown to an when, in the midst of summer, have grafted onto Christmas ever increasing number of they have to go into studios to and its preparatory season of members of our society. record their Christmas collec- Advent. Advent has become This is even true among tions. It just feels abnormal, less about our spiritual prepathose who participate in the somewhat out of order. rations and more about the life of a Christian community, Then I remember that “shopping days ‘til Christmas”. and while not true of all, it is Advent and Christmas happen Preparing to receive the most certainly true of or at for our brothers and sisters in Christ-child in faith has the Diocese of Botswana (our largely given way to preparing least a danger to those who are not diligent about keeping Companion Diocese in Africa) for gift exchanges with family their focus on the preparatory in the early days of their and friends. Likewise, our summer. They are south of the Christmas celebrations have

purpose of Advent and the true meaning of Christmas.

So, as Advent approaches this year, we have dual opportunities: 1. to unhitch Advent from the great frenzy of shopping, and 2. to detach the core meaning of Christmas from winter celebrations; cute, heartwarming myths; and the accumulation of gifts for giving.

Advent and Christmas are not about those. Advent and Christmas are about preparing for and receiving God’s great gift of Emmanuel, and that’s really all they are about.

So, this Advent and Christmas, let’s pre-decide to return to the center, the core, of what Christmas - the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ - is all about, and to let the 4 week season of spiritual preparation, which we call Advent, help us be ready to experience the fullness of joy in the birth of Our Savior. + Bishop Marty is the eighth Bishop of the Diocese of West Missouri.

SPIRIT | October 2015 13

St. Andrew’s Parishioners Learn to Walk the Road The Cafe 9:15 Discussion Group highly recommend the book ‘We Make the Road by Walking’ by Brian D. McLaren

LINK www.standrewkc.org 

Lynn Price in The Bible. The discussion questions lead the readers to apply the readings to our own lives and to look for evidence of the readings in the world around us.

McLauren leads us to discover the beauty and symbolism of Creation.

Photograph: Lynn Price

C

“Genesis tells us that the universe is good - a truth so important it gets repeated like the theme of a song. Rocks are good.

Clouds are good. Sweet corn is good. Every river or hill or valley or forest is good. Skin? Good. Bone?

Good. Mating and eating and breathing and giving birth and growing old?

Good, good, good. All are good. Life is good.”

We Make the Road by Walking

by Brian D. McLaren

He says:

His writing is never boring, always insightful. The wonder of the written word flows from his pen.

Photograph: Lynn Price

heryl Cementina, Adult Formation Coordinator at St. Andrew’s Kansas City, is the facilitator at Cafe 9:15, a discussion group that meets between-the-services on Sunday mornings. This group has discussed many topics of current interest, and has also had conversations about the readings of the day. it certainly isn’t boring.

Recently, she recomAnd even glaciers aren’t mended We Make the Road by boring, although their Walking by Brian D. McLaren. dramatic pace is, at first, The study of this book was met quite hard for us to perwith enthusiastic response. ceive. And God, whatever We used it during Lent and God is, must not be borthe energy from our discusing either. Because God’s sions definitely added to our creation is so amazingly, understanding of the Lenten wonderfully, surprisingly readings. fascinating.”

I was hooked when I read The book conforms the first chapter, which begins: with the ecclesiastical year, “Big bangs aren’t boring. beginning with the Book Dinosaurs aren’t borof Genesis, which is read ing. Coral reefs aren’t in Advent. Each chapter is boring. Elephants aren’t 2-3 pages long, and includes boring. Hummingbirds Biblical references and aren’t boring. And neither discussion questions. The are little kids. Evolution first chapter, for instance, isn’t boring. Magnetism includes references to Genesis and electricity aren’t bor1, Psalm 19 and Matthew 6, ing. E=MC2 might be hard to understand, but each of which may be found

The Cafe 9:15 discussion group. Pictured L-R, Claude Adam, Donna Adam, Cheryl Cementina (Director of Adult Formation), Jerry Miller, and Mary Brink.

14 SPIRIT | October 2015

“When the Spirit is moving, love for God always, always, always overflows in love for neighbor. And, according to Jesus, our neighbor isn’t just the person who is like us, the person who likes us, or the person we like. Our neighbor is anyone and everyone - even enemy...

We must find a new approach, make a new road, pioneer a new way of living as neighbors in one human community.”

I heartily recommend this to each of you for your spiritual reading, either alone or in a group. You will not be disappointed. Rather, your understanding will be enhanced and you will better appreciate the glorious readings from our Book of Common Prayer. + Lynn Price enjoys Sunday morning adult education discussions.

We Make the Road by Walking is available online at BN.com and Amazon. com.

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www.facebook.com/stphilipsepiscopaltrentonmo (417) 235-3330 www.ststephensmo.org

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Campus Ministry Beth Marshall (660) 728-1140 www.dcm.diowestmo.org

WEMO Youth

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eSpirit Newsletter

(417) 358-4631 www.gracecarthage.org

(660) 646-4288 www.graceepiscopal-chillicothe.org

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(816) 373-5333 www.stmichaelschurch.org

St. Nicholas' Episcopal Church, Noel (417) 475-3852 www.stnicholasnoel.webgarden.es

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www.diowmo.org/espirit/espirit-newsletter.html

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For the most up-to-date information about events in the diocese, church resources, news, church & clergy directories, and more, visit the diocesan website. www.diowestmo.org

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