The Harvest, Fall 2016

Fall 2016 | The Episcopal Diocese of Kansas

6 | Former Wichita church building to see new life 8 | Kenya trips mark a decade of ministry 12 | Two Kansans will return to overseas ministries 15 | Junction City church offers food and hope

FROM THE HOUSE OF BISHOPS | THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH

A Word to the Church for the World GREETINGS FROM

Detroit, a city determined to be revived. Greetings also from the city of Flint, where we are reminded that the gift of water has for many of our brothers and sisters become contaminated.

Here we have been exhorted to set our sights beyond ourselves and to minister to the several nations where we serve and the wider world.

We lament the stark joylessness that marks our present time.

We decry angry political rhetoric which rages while fissures widen within society along racial, economic, educational, religious, cultural and generational lines.

We refuse to look away as poverty, cruelty and war force families to become migrants enduring statelessness and demonization.

We renounce the gun violence and drug addiction that steal lives and crush souls while others succumb to fear and cynicism, abandoning any sense of neighborliness.

Yet, in all this, “we do not despair.” (2 Corinthians 4:8)

We remember that God in Christ entered our earthly neighborhood during a time of political volatility and economic inequality.

To this current crisis we bring our faith in Jesus. By God’s grace, we choose to see in this moment an urgent opportunity to follow Jesus into our fractured neighborhoods, the nation and the world.

Every member of the church has been “called for a time such as this.” (Esther 4:14) Let prophets tell the truth in love. Let reconcilers move boldly into places of division and disagreement. Let evangelists inspire us to tell the story of Jesus in new and compelling ways. Let leaders lead with courage and joy.

In the hope of the Resurrection, let us all pray for God to work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish God’s purposes on earth.

(From the meeting of the House of Bishops of The Episcopal Church, Sept. 20, 2016, in Detroit)

In This Issue

2 5 7 8 12 13 14 16

Around the diocese

Churches share news of their recent activities; read also about a special observance of 9/11 and ways churches are reaching out to their communities.

Lay ministries have focus at BKSM

The Bishop Kemper School for Ministry now offers special courses leading to certificates in three lay ministry areas.

Bishop of El Salvador visits Kansas

Bishop David Alvarado of El Salvador visited Kansas in September to speak about immigration issues and visit a church with English and Spanish services.

FALL 2016 | VOL. 104 | NO. 1 A publication of The Episcopal Diocese of Kansas 835 Polk St., Topeka, KS 66612-1688 (785) 235-9255 (800) 473-3563 www.episcopal-ks.org The Anglican Communion is a global community of 70 million Anglicans in 38 member churches/provinces in more than 160 countries.

The Most Rev. and Rt. Hon. Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury

Ten years of ministry in Kenya

The Episcopal Church is a community of 2 million members in 109 dioceses in 16 countries in the Americas and abroad.

The Most Rev. Michael B. Curry, Presiding Bishop

Young adults to return to overseas work

The Episcopal Diocese of Kansas is a community of more than 10,000 members in 44 congregations, three diocesan institutions and one school in eastern Kansas.

The Rt. Rev. Dean E. Wolfe, Bishop

Mission trips this summer marked 10 years that the diocese has been engaged in ministry with the people of Kenya.

Naomi Cunningham and Tristan Holmberg will spend another year in overseas ministry through the Episcopal Church Young Adult Service Corps.

Seminarian learns about African church

Seminarian Clay Calhoun spent time in Tanzania in May learning about the joys and challenges of two newly formed Anglican dioceses there.

Ministry offers food and hope

Deacon Rex Matney and members of Church of the Covenant, Junction City, have created a program to feed people at real risk of going hungry.

Policy on alcohol use gets revisions

The Council of Trustees amended the diocesan policy on the use of alcohol at church events, reflecting changes adopted last year by General Convention.

ON THE COVER: Bishop Dean Wolfe looks at cows that live at Agatha Amani House in Kenya, a safehouse for abused women. The cows provide milk for the residents and manure that is turned into bio-gas for cook stoves. | Photo by Jennifer Allen

The Harvest is published four times a year by the Office of Communications of the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas.

Member, Episcopal Communicators and Episcopal News Service Publisher The Right Reverend Dean E. Wolfe, Bishop Editor Melodie Woerman For submissions, please contact the editor: mwoerman@episcopal-ks.org Need to change your mailing address?

Harvest Address Changes 835 Polk St., Topeka, KS 66612-1688 receptionist@episcopal-ks.org Upcoming deadlines: Winter 2016 issue: Nov. 15 Spring 2017 issue: Feb. 15, 2017 Postmaster: Send address changes to Episcopal Diocese of Kansas 835 Polk St., Topeka, KS 66612-1688

The Harvest | Fall 2016 | 1

AROUND THE DIOCESE

News and notes from congregations St. John’s, Abilene enjoyed its annual parish picnic Sept. 25 at the country home of LaDona and Terry Selock. The picnic lunch also included the chance for all ages to play a variety of outdoor games.

St. Mark’s, Blue Rapids honored its high school and college graduates at Morning Prayer on June 13, giving each of the four young adults an Episcopal T-shirt.

St. Paul’s, Clay Center hosted a special service of Evening Prayer with dinner on Oct. 16 to reach out to the many Latino/Hispanic residents in the area. The Very Rev. Don Compier of St. Paul’s, Kansas City, led the service in Spanish.

St. Paul’s, Coffeyville Thrift Shop provided car seats and baby clothes to the local pregnancy center and is collecting packages of diapers for a diaper ministry.

St. Andrew’s, Derby hosted a parish game night Sept. 24 for members and friends. It featured a variety of multi-generation games, snacks and time for fellowship, in the Guild Hall.

St. Martin’s, Edwardsville helped young members beat the heat Aug. 28 with “Water Daze” right after church. The water-based activities came with a warning to those venturing outside who didn’t want to get wet.

Trinity, El Dorado hosted an “Evening for the Prevention of Suicide” Sept. 6 in conjunction with the National Alliance on Mental Illness and Journey to Recovery. After a

2 | The Harvest | Fall 2016

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Derby church collects dolls to give comfort St. Andrew’s, Derby, Junior Warden Selina Touhey (left) and the Very Rev. Tom Wilson, the church’s rector, display baby dolls collected by the church in June to help area patients who have dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Caregivers find that dolls can bring comfort to people with memory loss. speaker and questions, there was a memorial service to remember those who had died as a result of suicide.

St. Mary’s, Galena celebrated its feast day of St. Mary on Aug. 14 with five confirmations during Bishop Wolfe’s visit, along with the bishop’s blessing of the church’s new columbarium and a steak dinner.

Epiphany, Independence hosted a Back-to-School Fun Night Aug. 14 at the church, complete with pizza, ice cream and the blessing of student backpacks.

Covenant, Junction City had its first intergenerational Sunday school class on Sept. 11 between services.

Using a “G” theme, the craft was

making God’s eyes, and snacks were granola bars and grape juice.

St. Margaret’s, Lawrence invited all adult parishioners to an open house Sept. 4 to see the sacred spaces set apart for children’s classrooms and chapel. An ice cream social for all followed the event.

Trinity, Lawrence Interfaith Food Pantry in August served 284 families, which included 226 children and 537 adults during its nine days. Pantry volunteers help with the Harvester’s mobile food distribution on the fourth Saturday of every month in the parking lot of First Baptist Church.

St. Paul’s, Leavenworth offers a free lunch to all members of the community on the second Saturday of each month. On the Sunday following the meal, the church takes up a special offering for outreach needs.

St. Paul’s, Manhattan Encore Shop in August announced that profits made so far this year from the thrift-type shop will be distributed to a variety of community and parish needs, amounting to $7,500.

St. Paul’s, Marysville is providing space for music classes from the local elementary school, which have been displaced by construction. The school district is renting space in the cabin next door to the church for the fall semester.

St. Michael’s, Mission hosted its annual “Bigger Bible School” for all ages Aug. 8-19 with the theme “Learning to Listen: The Episcopal Church in the 21st century.” The speaker was the Very Rev. Craig Loya, dean of Trinity Cathedral in Omaha and former diocesan canon to the ordinary and campus missioner.

Ascension, Neodesha filled in the gap for area kids by providing free meals Aug. 1-12 after the school district summer lunch program ended at the end of July. The program served 100-175 children every day.

St. Matthew’s, Newton offered special prayers Aug. 14 for students from kindergarten through college, plus teachers and schools. During the Eucharistic Prayer all parish students and teachers were prayed for by name.

Grace, Ottawa said a special thank you to Junior Warden Sandy Moore for tackling, with her husband Jim, a variety of unexpected

PHOTO BY PATRICK KELLEY

9/11 events recalled in Emporia service The Rev. Kay Dagg (far left), locum tenens at St. Andrew’s, Emporia, leads an interfaith “Service of Hope” on Sept. 11 to remember those who died in the attacks of 9/11 and to pray for all who now are in harm’s way around the world.

Candles on the table were lighted during the service to commemorate victims, their families, responders, perpetrators and other affected by violence. building issues, including replacing the hot water heater, boosting water pressure to the sacristy and overseeing the construction of a ramp at the front door.

St. Francis’, Overland Park is taking advantage of plants in the church gardens to provide a unique gift to visitors and members of the community. Herbs and aromatic flowers from the church’s 19 acres of meadows and woods are dried and bottled to give away.

St. Thomas’, Overland Park hosted its first Children/Youth Ministry Fair Aug. 14 to help youngsters (and parents) learn about opportunities at the church, including Sunday school, youth groups, acolytes, children’s choir and the new junior ushers.

St. John’s, Parsons offered its annual end-of-the-summer picnic on Sept. 18, along with a worship service dubbed “Mass on the Grass.”

Epiphany, Sedan is exploring options for its “Matthew’s Table” food ministry, based on community feedback asking for greater emphasis on serving older people.

St. Luke’s, Shawnee sponsored a men’s retreat Aug. 13 with a fly fishing theme. The Saturday morning event included food and access to nearby West Flanders park for some hands-on practice.

Grace Cathedral, Topeka welcomed more than 950 people to its annual Independence Day service on July 4. The standing-room-only Continued on page 4 The Harvest | Fall 2016 | 3

Continued from page 3 crowd sang patriotic music led by a 100-member community choir, and heard an address by State Supreme Court Justice Carol Beier.

St. David’s, Topeka is hosting a book study of Wise Aging led by Susan Zuber-Chall of Temple Beth Shalom. She led a discussion on the book in her congregation and offered to do the same for the nearby Episcopalians. The study runs Sept.

7 through Nov. 16.

St. Luke’s, Wamego continues to see new faces at its twice-a-month community breakfasts called “The Sharing Table,” which serves about 35 people at each meal.

Good Shepherd, Wichita offered a special opportunity for youngsters during the summer months, the Whispering Table. A quiet spot in the narthex offered young children the chance to engage in worship while enjoying quiet activities that kept them busy.

St. Bartholomew’s, Wichita members enjoyed a social outing June 17 to see a game featuring the Wichita Wingnuts minor league baseball team.

St. James’, Wichita sold flower bulbs this fall to raise funds for its after-school program, which brings

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Iola church, local athletes provide fun for kids Vicky Ibarra (left) and Kristina Silvers, members of the Allen County Community College track team, dish up cotton candy for Iola elementary school students at a back-to-school party Aug. 27 hosted by St. Timothy’s, Iola. This is the fifth year the church has provided the event, aided by some of the athletes for whom the church provides meals during school breaks. at-risk elementary students to the church for an extended learning time and enrichment in an artsbased curriculum.

St. John’s, Wichita offered a special service Aug. 7 for Ivan Parga Adame as he marked his First Communion and was robed as an acolyte.

Ivan participates in the 1 p.m. Spanish service.

St. Stephen’s, Wichita recently remodeled to provide new space for the growing number of outside groups that use the church for meetings, as well as a spacious room for parish youth.

Dillon Green is new campus intern at Kansas State DILLON GREEN IS THE

new campus ministry intern serving at Kansas State University in Manhattan. He lives in the KState Canterbury House and oversees the student peer ministers on that campus.

Green, 25, is a native of Florence, Ala., and is a graduate of the University of North Ala4 | The Harvest | Fall 2016

bama. He joined the Episcopal Church in 2015 and was active at Trinity, Florence, including in their ministry to people who are homeless, and as delegate to their Diocesan Convention.

Ryan Zavacky is serving a second year as campus intern at the University of Kansas in Lawrence.

DIOCESAN MINISTRIES

PHOTO BY MELODIE WOERMAN

Students, faculty and alumni of the Bishop Kemper School for Ministry gather for a photo on Sept. 10 during the Convocation Service marking the start of the acacmic year. Students come from the four BKSM dioceses (Kansas, Western Kansas, West Missouri and Nebraska), as well as the area Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Bishop Kemper School starts a new year By the Rev. Casey Rohleder

THE 2016-2017

academic year is off to a busy start at the Bishop Kemper School for Ministry. In addition to its programs to prepare men and women for ordination, BKSM has launched three new certificate programs designed for lay leaders in the Episcopal Church.

Certificates for lay preaching, lay catechists and pastoral leaders will help equip individuals with the knowledge and skills to more effectively serve in canonically licensed lay ministry, which in turn will help build and strengthen local congregations.

These certificate programs consist of six to 10 courses that normally are taken over the course of a year. Students on these lay tracks take classes alongside those preparing to be

BISHOP KEMPER SCHOOL

BY THE NUMBERS 29 Full-time students 10 Part-time students 5 Biblical Greek students 12 From the Diocese of Kansas 4 Priest track 5 Lay certificate programs 3 Biblical Greek

deacons and priests and participate in community life: worship, prayer, meals and fellowship.

A fourth new certificate program in biblical Greek is geared to both clergy and laity. This 10-month language program meets the second

Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., as well as some video conference work. This course of study teaches the equivalent of two semesters of seminary Greek.

The Bishop Kemper School for Ministry was founded in 2013 and is a collaborative venture between the Episcopal dioceses of Kansas, Western Kansas, West Missouri and Nebraska.

It also now includes students from the Central States Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America who are studying for a special lay ministry program.

For more information, visit the Bishop Kemper School’s website at www.bishopkemperschool.org.

The Rev. Casey Rohleder is the communication and outreach specialist for BKSM.

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DIOCESAN LIFE

PHOTO BY TOM POTT

The Wichita property that housed the congregation of St. Christopher’s until it closed last September has been sold to Saint Francis Community Services, an Episcopal social service agency serving children and families.

Former St. Christopher’s building to see new life

By Melodie Woerman

THE BUILDING

that housed the congregation of St. Christopher’s in Wichita, which closed in September 2015, has been sold to an Episcopal agency that works with children, youth and families.

Saint Francis Community Services, based in Salina, purchased the building to increase its presence in the Wichita community.

The agency’s executive director, the Rev. Robert Smith, said Saint Francis currently has 300 employees in the city who are working in leased space.

“There are aspects of what we do in Wichita that can take place at St. Christopher’s,” he said, noting espe6 | The Harvest | Fall 2016

cially programs that serve children in foster care and those awaiting adoption. The St. Christopher’s property is “part of Saint Francis’s long-term plans,” he said, and is a “visible symbol of our long-term commitment in the Wichita community.”

Smith said there isn’t a timetable yet for renovations that would convert space into program areas for the agency. But he said eventually the building will provide areas where children in their program can watch TV, play ping pong and work on homework.

What had been Sunday school rooms will become space for educational and therapy resources.

St. Christopher’s was founded in 1952, one of the first churches

started in the post-World War II era.

Its membership peaked in the mid1980s with more than 600 people but had declined to fewer than 50 when it closed last fall.

Many of the church’s liturgical items have been given to other Episcopal churches, and Smith said the pipe organ will be donated to Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Wichita.

Saint Francis, which was founded in 1945, provides a variety of preventive, therapeutic and educational services to 10,000 children in Kansas, Oklahoma and Nebraska.

The agency’s primary focuses are foster care, adoption, family preservation, residential care and community outreach services.

DIOCESAN LIFE

Episcopal Bishop of El Salvador visits Kansas BISHOP DAVID Alvarado

PHOTO BY MELODIE WOERMAN

Bishop Dean Wolfe (left) welcomes Bishop David Alvarado of the Episcopal Diocese of El Salvador during a stop in Topeka on Sept. 2.

of the Episcopal Diocese of El Salvador came to Kansas in early September to speak on immigration matters and to visit St. Paul’s, Kansas City, one of the diocese’s parishes that includes both English and Spanish services.

The bishop’s visit was arranged by Saint Francis Community Services in Salina through its participation with El Salvador’s Episcopal Dignity and Justice Program, which seeks to assist the church in addressing poverty and extreme violence affecting children and families in El Salvador.

His trip included a stop in Topeka to meet with Kansas Bishop Dean Wolfe and the Very Rev. Don Compier of the Bishop Kemper School.

Wichita church makes a big impact with small change PARISHIONERS

are turning loose change into help for others through a ministry at St. James’, Wichita.

According to Outreach Committee chair Judy Goodpasture, the church last fall launched a new initiative, Pocket Change Ministries. Gary Thudium, who now serves as chair of the project, saw a similar program in a church in another state and brought the idea back to St. James’.

Small donation envelopes are in the pew racks throughout the church, and members are en-

couraged to add coins from their pockets or purses. Within a few months the effort had raised $500, which was designated to aid the Wichita Children’s Home.

Another $500 check, this time for Kansas Children’s Service League, followed. The church now is saving coins to benefit Saint Francis Community Services.

Goodpasture said this effort easily could be adopted by other churches, to help even more people. “We have been surprised and delighted with the project’s success,” she said.

PHOTO BY JUDY GOODPASTURE

Sarah Robinson (left) of the Wichita Children’s Home receives a check from Gary Thudium of St. James’, Wichita.

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A decade o Kansas to Kenya summer trips mark 10 years of shared ministry

By Jennifer Allen

2016 MARKS 10

years of providing assistance to the people of Kenya by members of the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas, first through general medical mission trips and later through the Kansas to Kenya ministry.

During that time, K2K has worked with the Anglican Diocese of Nakuru on many projects, most of them in near the town of Maai Mahiu.

PHOTO BY BOB BASOW

Jack Strickland (left) and Anita Maltbia sort eyeglasses as they prepare for patients at a medical clinic in Mirangini, Kenya.

8 | The Harvest | Fall 2016

In addition to Kansas Episcopalians, a number of others with special expertise also have served, including physicians, nurses, dentists and pharmacists, as well as those with experience in agriculture, education and women’s empowerment.

Each team that travels from Kansas to Africa works in close partnership with the Kenyans through government, non-government and church organizations.

Concrete help and more

In the 10 years of trips to Kenya, K2K has helped with a variety of projects, including: medical and dental clinics throughout the area; providing Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and other drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs; mosquito netting for 1,000 women and children; building and maintaining two school libraries with electronic readers; awards for academics, athletics and citizenship at the Ngeya Primary School; feeding more than 100 children daily at the local school; providing food supplies for several local orphanages; support and construction assistance for the Agatha Amani

About 2,000 students at Ngeya Primary Schoo to Kenya each year to encourage academic and House for victims of domestic abuse; water filtration and irrigation projects; providing comprehensive sex education and girl empowerment classes at the local primary school; training for local women in entrepreneurship and empowerment; partnering with the Diocese of Nakuru on microfinance programs; and

of MINISTRY This year’s trips

PHOTO BY JENNIFER ALLEN

ol in Maai Mahiu, Kenya, await the start of an award ceremony sponsored by Kansas d athletic excellence. providing pastoral care visits.

But perhaps the most important thing we do in Kenya is build relationships.

As we come to know the people of Kenya, we become better partners with them. We come away with a better understanding not only of the barriers they face but the joys that life delivers to them each day.

We have celebrated the consecration of a church with friends we have made over the past 10 years.

We saw the tremendous ministry of teaching the community about “Farming God’s Way,” which uses composting and slow-drip irrigation to improve crop production.

We heard their requests for more education about entrepreneurship, and we responded by adapting our plans and finding the necessary resources. But our relationships have a far deeper meaning to the people of the Diocese of Nakuru and to us.

In June, two teams — Community and Medical — traveled from Kansas to the south-central region of Kenya, which is a country of some 45 million people located on the east coast of Africa.

Bishop Dean Wolfe participated in the work that each team undertook during the approximately two weeks each group was there.

He and members of the Community Team visited Agatha Amani House, the country’s first safe house for victims of domestic abuse, listening to the women’s stories and learning of their fears and their hopes.

Together we shared chai tea and mendazi (the local version of the doughnut), and the bishop planted a mango tree.

Agatha Amani House, which was built largely through efforts of the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas, provides a respite to women who have been beaten and abused and are considered worthless by their society.

But it’s not just a respite; it’s a chance to be treated with dignity and begin to feel valued.

Team members also spent time at Ngeya Primary School in Maai Mahiu for the annual awards ceremony that K2K sponsors to encourage academic and athletic excellence.

When Kansans first began to work with this school, it was on the verge of collapse. Test scores were low, and the school was losing enrollment. Now the school is one of the Continued on page 10 The Harvest | Fall 2016 | 9

Continued from page 9 region’s best, and the headmistress fields questions about her secret to success. That success is due largely to the headmistress, but she also credits the support of K2K. The value that we put on their education, just by being present, helps to give these students hope for a bright future.

On this visit, more than 2,000 students gathered outside in the rain to receive their awards. To avoid some of the mud in the schoolyard, they brought their desks outside, where they sat five-to-six children to a desk.

Before the awards were distributed, Bishop Wolfe spoke to the gathered students and their teachers, and he led everyone in prayer.

The award recipients seemed thrilled to have a group of Americans recognize their hard work.

Shiru, a staff member of Agatha Amani House, shows K2K team members some buildings and vegetable gardens at the facility, which is a safe house for victims of domestic violence.

PHOTO BY JENNIFER ALLEN

The team also did work in many of the ongoing projects that K2K helped start. Among those are efforts to bring students in Kenya into the digital age by partnering with World

Computer Exchange to provide computers with Internet access. Working with Computers for Girls, we helped provide computers to women’s organizations throughout the Diocese of Nakuru.

Medical Team challenges

PHOTO BY BOB BASTOW

(From left) Bishop Dean Wolfe and Jennifer Allen are greeted by Agatha (called Mama Nyakio by many) at Agatha Amani House, as staff and interns look on. Agatha Amani House is named for Mama Nyakio.

10 | The Harvest | Fall 2016

As members of the Medical Team arrived, we were met with news that the government might not allow us to provide medical care at the clinics we had arranged, with hundreds of patients already scheduled.

Bishop Wolfe, K2K Director Deacon Steve Segebrecht and team leader Pat Parker started making calls from their mobile phones, speaking to multiple officials to plead our case.

Because of the relationships that we have and the collaborations with which the clinics work, they were able to soften the official stance and obtain permission for the clinics to open.

The team provided five days of clinical care in three different locations, including for the first time at Ngubereti, in Boringo County, some 75 miles northwest of Maai Mahiu.

K2K founding director steps aside IN AUGUST, DEACON STEVE Sege-

brecht, who has organized mission trips to Kenya for a decade and has headed the Kansas to Kenya ministry since it formed an official organizational structure seven years ago, stepped down as director of K2K. Taking his place will be Deacon Jim Cummins, who has served on K2K teams in the past and also has made nearly yearly trips to Africa since 2000.

Segebrecht said that he thought this was the time to step aside and let new leadership emerge, but he plans to remain active in the ministry.

Before he became K2K director, he had organized 11 diocesan medical missions to Kenya, dating back to 2006; he is an otolaryngologist with practices in Lawrence and Topeka. Segebrecht serves in pastoral ministry at Trinity, Lawrence.

In an email to K2K friends and supporters after stepping aside, Segebrecht said, “K2K has been a ministry in my life for many years.” He went on to call that time “an amazing experience.”

He said, “The Kenyan people have been a blessing to me. My experiences have stretched me in so many ways and changed me forever. The deep faith of the Kenyan people, the hope that K2K brings and God’s loving grace continue to sustain and fuel my passion.”

He added, “Although no longer director, I will continue to be involved with K2K and will stay connected to my dear friends in Kenya.”

In reflecting on Segebrecht’s tenure in heading the Kenya ministry, Bishop Dean Wolfe wrote to him, “The Lord has richly blessed your work in Kenya and has blessed all of us in the process. You have led the Kansas Medical professionals, including doctors, nurses, dentists and pharmacists, provided a range of care to people who otherwise would never receive treatment.

Our health care professionals offered examinations and treatment, nutrition and preventative health education, dental cleanings and tooth extractions, and dispensing of donated eyeglasses.

HARVEST FILE PHOTO

Deacon Steve Segebrecht, who has led the Kansas to Kenya ministry since its founding, has turned over the reins of the ministry to Deacon Jim Cummins. Segebrecht, shown here on a 2014 trip to Kenya, also is a physician who specializes in otolaryngology. to Kenya movement in an extraordinary manner over these past 10 years. It is no exaggeration to state there are people in Kenya who are alive today who would not be alive if it weren’t for K2K and your leadership, your passion and your faith.”

Bishop Wolfe, who has made four visits to Kenya with K2K, called working with Segebrecht “a blessing,” adding that it had been “a joy to be introduced to the people of Kenya and the ministries of the Anglican Diocese of Nakuru” through the Kansas to Kenya ministry.

— Melodie Woerman

Most of us serving with K2K do not speak Swahili. We struggle with words, communicating through translators. But when words fail, a touch, a smile and our presence speak volumes in the common language of God’s love. That is the glory of our mission.

We’ll be back in Kenya next year.

But for most of us, once we go to Kenya, we never really leave.

The sounds, sights and smells of Kenya remain with us.

Jennifer Allen is a member of St. Michael and All Angels, Mission, and participated this year in both the Community and Medical Team trips to Kenya. She also has made trips in other years through the Kansas to Kenya ministry.

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PEOPLE OF THE DIOCESE

Kansans will return to overseas ministries KANSANS NAOMI

Cunningham and Tristan Holmberg will spend a second year in service to overseas Episcopal and Anglican dioceses under the auspices of the Episcopal Church’s Young Adult Service Corps.

YASC is a ministry of the Episcopal Church for young adults, ages 21 to 30, who are interested in exploring their faith in new ways by living and serving in communities around the Anglican Communion.

Cunningham, from St. Paul’s, Manhattan, and Holmberg, St. James’, Wichita, are among 20 young adults selected for service in 2017.

Cunningham will return to her post as youth director at the American Cathedral in Paris, a congregation of the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe. In her first year there, she helped to create a new program for youth of the cathedral.

In the coming year Cunningham said the program will create new ways for youth to explore what it means to be a Christian in today’s world. One of the planned events is a walk from Canterbury Cathedral in England to the Cathedral in Paris.

Holmberg will spend his second year in the Episcopal Diocese of Norther Luzon, in the Philippines, where he has worked in community development by helping groups recognize the assets they already have in place.

Most of that effort has been centered on helping two dozen agricultural cooperatives build a model organic rice farm, along with a rice mill.

Both Cunningham and Holmberg have again been asked to raise $10,000 toward their support, with the Episcopal Church covering the rest. Information on how to help them is below.

Naomi Cunningham (far left) prepares a weekly meal with youth and friends at the American Cathedral in Paris.

To help with expenses Checks in support of either Naomi Cunningham or Tristan Holmberg, or both of them, may be sent to: Yanick Fourcand Mission Personnel Office The Episcopal Church Center 815 Second Ave. New York, NY 10017

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Tristan Holmberg (left) plants rice in an agricultural cooperative in the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Luzon in the Philippines.

PEOPLE OF THE DIOCESE

Seminarian visits churches in Tanzania Editor’s note: Clay Calhoun, a senior at the School of Theology at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tenn., in May visited two Anglican dioceses in the African nation of Tanzania, as part of the seminary’s expectation that students will be involved in a cross-cultural experience. The Episcopal Church’s Seminary Consultation on Mission helped provided funding.

Clay Calhoun (center) with the Rev. Bartholomew Segu and his wife Mary on the grounds of St. Hilary’s Cathedral, Diocese of Kibondo, Tanzania

By Clay Calhoun

THE DIOCESE OF

Lake Rukwa, overseen by Bishop Mathayo Kasagara, and the Diocese of Kibondo, overseen by Bishop Sospeter Ndenza, are new dioceses, having been carved out of the former Diocese of Western Tanganyika.

With the challenges of travel in the interior of the country, and the growth of the churches there, I was able to see firsthand both the church’s growth and its challenges.

I visited more than 20 parishes and local congregations, as well as several diocesan institutions. I preached at a service of Holy Communion in the Cathedral of Christ the King, Mpanda, on Pentecost, and at two services of Morning Prayer at the Cathedral of St. Hilary’s, Kibondo, on Trinity Sunday.

The life and vitality of the churches, and their attendant growth, was inspiring. About half of the parishes I visited are in the midst of building projects, having outgrown their current facilities. Almost every parish has two or three choirs.

When the Diocese of Lake Rukwa was founded in 2010, its Cathedral

SUBMITTED PHOTO

of Christ the King had 30 to 40 worshippers. That congregation now regularly numbers well over 300.

In the Diocese of Kibondo, I witnessed several established ministries, including the Bishop Mpango Secondary School, which has a reputation for high standards and a secure atmosphere.

The Kibondo Anglican Training Center provides basic theological education for laity who lead local congregations and new church plants, as well as preparation for ordained ministers with hopes for more advanced studies elsewhere. A diocesan health center is under construction, as well.

The challenges are also evident.

Though rich in resources, Tanzania is a relatively poor country. Parishioners at the parishes I visited mostly

are subsistence farmers. Needed projects are begun in faith, and building continues as resources become available. It means that a project may continue for years, bit by bit, as parishioners contribute what they can. Both dioceses struggle to provide adequate training for their lay and ordained leaders.

People at the diocesan and local levels often expressed the desire that more churches be planted. There are many areas where the church does not currently have a presence, but the combined challenges of little funding and few trained leaders are significant.

Still, the people and their leaders remain hopeful and energetic, and they ask for our prayers. I hope you will join me in praying for our sisters and brothers.

The Harvest | Fall 2016 | 13

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Volunteers at Wheels of HOPE prepare to hand out bags of food during a monthly distribution. The program was begun by Deacon Rex Matney (center, in clergy shirt) and the people of Church of the Covenant, Junction City.

Fighting hunger, one bag of food at a time

By Melodie Woerman

A PROGRAM TO

fight hunger, which was launched two years ago by the Church of the Covenant in Junction City, has taken on greater urgency in recent months.

Geary County, where Junction City is located, now tops the list of the most food-insecure counties in the state of Kansas; at 19 percent, nearly one in five residents is at risk of not having enough to eat.

The church’s answer is Wheels of HOPE (Helping Other People Eat), which provides bags of groceries each month to some of the city’s hardest-hit citizens.

The program was started by Deacon Rex Matney, who had the idea in 2013 after being inspired by the food ministries he had seen while serving as a post-ordination intern at St. Paul’s, Clay Center.

14 | The Harvest | Fall 2016

He also had learned from a neighbor that about 350 students in the Junction City public schools qualify for the BackSnack program, which gives a weekend’s worth of non-perishable food to elementary students most at risk of hunger.

He reached out to other area clergy and interested residents and soon had a corps of people committed to doing something to help. Matney said the group decided to continue its focus on helping children.

But some people they approached were skeptical of the need.

“They would ask me, ‘We have a food problem here?’ Matney said.

“Hunger is invisible.”

Matney turned for help to the Kansas Food Bank, which is based in Wichita but serves a wide area of the state. They make food available to programs like Wheels of HOPE, either free through donations from

area businesses and restaurants, or for purchase at a steep discount.

Help poured in

With so many community leaders involved in planning the new program, word spread quickly around town — and many people wanted to know how they could help.

A tax-exempt non-profit corporation was set up to receive contributions. First Methodist Church offered a large kitchen and storage area they were no longer using, and donations of food started to arrive.

Matney said organizers decided, as the program got started, that they would concentrate on the families of the BackSnack students. “Food insecurity affects adults as well as children,” he said.

They put a notice on brightly colored paper into the children’s backpacks, inviting parents the following

week to pick up food in the parking lot of the mobile home park where many of them live.

Matney said, “We gave out threeto-five days’ worth of food, depending on the size of the family, and we made sure there was protein like roasts or chicken.” They added canned fruits and vegetables, rice and pasta. Food bags also included items donated by local stores, such as fresh produce and bread.

Once program organizers knew they could provide enough food to help these families, they decided to open the distribution to anyone in town who needed help — but with the first 30 minutes reserved for the BackSnack kids’ families. They soon had as many as 30 families stopping by each month.

The program quickly outgrew the distribution site, so the local Chevrolet dealer offered his parking lot.

Local food donations also started to pour in. Local elementary students collected more than 4,000 pounds of canned goods. Soldiers at nearby Fort Riley brought a literal ton of food that was donated. The hospital did a food drive last December, and 60 of its employees also donated the turkey they had received as a Christmas gift to Wheels of HOPE. Matney said, “The more food we have donated, the less we have to buy from Kansas Food Bank,” which makes their money go farther.

The donated space at the Methodist Church soon grew to include four freezers, two commercial refrigerators and lots of shelves.

Volunteers sort nonperishable items that will go into bags of food provided to residents of Junction City who are most at risk for hunger, through the Wheels of HOPE ministry.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Growing community support

The program enjoys widespread community support. The fire department helps unload food deliveries from Kansas Food Bank each month. The pastor of Zion Church of Christ heads the volunteers, some of whom are asked to speak to community groups that want to learn more.

Church of the Covenant alone has at least 15 members involved, Matney said.

In October, students in all the city’s elementary schools repeated last year’s successful canned food drive. The local hospital, in addition to its holiday food effort, has purchased new blankets and coats for the program to distribute.

When Wheels of HOPE had the chance to get a matching grant last year, a quickly organized Cinco de Mayo party in the local park, complete with homemade enchiladas and quesadillas, raised a total of $7,500, half of that in donations from individuals and area businesses.

Matney said that since the program started in 2014, it has seen about a 40 percent increase in the number of people it helps. In July and August of this year, they provided food to an average of 177 people each month. And it’s no surprise they are called on to help more people.

“62.5 percent of Geary County kids are on free or reduced lunches,” he said. “The summer school lunch program served 4,500 kids this year.”

Tackling the problem of hunger in their community has challenged members of the Church of the Covenant and many others in town.

But Matney sees that effort making a difference in the lives of area children. “I never cease to be amazed at the success we have had,” he said.

“The Lord works in mysterious ways.”

The Harvest | Fall 2016 | 15

DIOCESAN LIFE

Clergy news The Rev. Ted Curtis now is serving as part-time interim at St. John’s, Wichita. He is a retired priest of the Diocese of Chicago.

The Very Rev. Foster Mays, rector of Epiphany, Sedan, has been named dean of the Southeast Convocation.

The Rev. Stephanie Jenkins is the new chaplain at Bishop Seabury Academy, the diocese’s parochial secondary school in Lawrence. She also teaches World Religions.

The Rev. William Wolff retired on Aug. 7 as rector of St. Peter’s, Pittsburg. He also had served as convocation dean.

The Rev. Gerald Eytcheson has retired as vicar of Epiphany, Independence and Ascension, Neodesha, where he has served since his ordination in 1993.

Deacon Bob Honse, who has served St. Margaret’s, Lawrence, since his ordination in 2005, has retired from active ministry.

Deacon Suzi Drury has begun pastoral and liturgical ministry at St. Michael and All Angels in Mission, after moving back to Kansas.

The Rev. Thomas Baker, Director of Spiritual Care at Stormont Vail Health in Topeka, and the Rev. Casey Rohleder, Communications and Outreach Specialist with the Bishop Kemper School for Ministry, now are canonically resident in this diocese.

The Rev. Merrill Broach, who served as rector of St. Paul’s, Clay Center, from 1979 to 1991, died on July 22 in Oklahoma. He was 89.

16 | The Harvest | Fall 2016

Council revises policy on the use of alcohol at church events AT ITS SEPTEMBER

meeting, the Council of Trustees amended the diocesan policy on the use of alcohol at church events to reflect changes in churchwide policy adopted at last year’s General Convention.

While keeping many previous policy requirements — including not advertising alcohol consumption in the name or descriptions of any church-sponsored event, and serving non-alcoholic beverages that are as appealing and accessible as those with alcohol — this new policy includes provisions that: When alcohol is served at a church function, the clergyperson (or senior warden) in charge of the parish must appoint an adult to monitor how it is served, to prevent both underage drinking and adult drunkenness. The adult appointed may not drink alcohol while engaged in this function.

Any church-related group that wants to serve alcohol at a function must get the prior approval of the

TO READ THE REVISED POLICY ON ALCOHOL USE Go to the diocesan website, www.episcopal-ks.org Under the Resources tab, select Policies Find “Use of alcohol at church functions” under “General parish policies”

clergyperson (or senior warden) in charge of the congregation, or of the Vestry.

When alcohol is served, a certified server is required.

Alcohol may not be served at events in which the business of the church will be discussed.

Serving alcohol is strongly discouraged at church-related events at which minors will be present. If it is served in these instances, alcohol must be served from a station separate from other beverages.

ESS-Wichita receives Jubilee grant EPISCOPAL SOCIAL

Services-Wichita has received a $1,500 Jubilee Grant from the Episcopal Church. It was one of 29 grants given and the only one in the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas.

ESS will use the money to create a group of trained presenters to talk about mental illness to churches, civic groups and schools.

The goal, according to ESS Executive Director Dr. Barbara Andres, is to help overcome the negative opinion most people have about mental illness.

“People who suffer from mental illness need to feel the acceptance that comes when people of faith express God’s love,” Andres said, instead of being misunderstood.

SHARING THE GOOD NEWS | THE REVEREND LAURIE LEWIS

Election Day Eucharist points to God’s love WHENEVER BISHOP

Wolfe celebrates the Holy Eucharist, he introduces the Liturgy of the Table by saying all the names by which this rite is known: The Mass, The Lord’s Supper, Holy Communion. This is a hospitality for Christians from other traditions who might be in attendance.

I grew up in a tradition that used the name “The Lord’s Supper.” When I came to the Episcopal Church in 2000, I fell in love with the name “Holy Eucharist” when I learned the Greek word eucharistia means “thanksgiving.”

We gather around the altar of the Lord and give thanks. Why? Well, we come to the altar in thanks for the love shown to us through the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ.

Gathered in thanksgiving for love. Gathered in the love of God. Gathered for the love of God. Gathered to be the love of God to the world.

We also gather as the body of Christ. Though there certainly are individual benefits of gathering in thanksgiving at the altar of the Lord for Holy Communion, I am very focused these days on the benefit to the whole body in this sacramental celebration.

The whole body is gathered in, for and to be the love of God.

Worship in a time of anxiety In 2012, there was a movement that spread through social media for churches to gather for Holy Communion on Election Day. I was associate rector at St. Stephen’s, Wichita, and had the privilege of serving with Father Steve Mues in celebrating Holy Eucharist on Election Day, Nov. 6.

I remember a parishioner telling us after the liturgy, “I didn’t expect this to move me as much as it did, but I now realize how much I needed this. Thank you.”

Those words started coming to mind last spring as it became clear this election year was ramping up to be one of high anxiety.

So I began planning to hold an Election Day Eucharist, and I know that other parishes in our diocese also are planning to do so.

Modeling God’s love The closer we get to the presidential election on Nov. 8, the higher the anxiety level seems for the whole of American society.

Most Episcopal congregations consist of parishioners from every possible political stripe.

Yet we come together in the philadelphia love, that is brotherly love, described in scripture. We have an opportunity to model this love to our greater communities.

We cannot allow the outcome of this election to make us turn our backs on this love.

On Nov. 9 we will still be members of the same body of Christ, and we will still be neighbors in our communities. Above all, we will still be called to love our neighbors.

Gather in, for and to be the love of God back out into the world.

(The Rev. Laurie Lewis is rector of Trinity, Arkansas City, and Grace, Winfield.)

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