Inside The Harvest From the bishop Bishop Wolfe describes the efforts of the Crossroads Campaign, and unprecedented early pledges, in his address to Diocesan Convention. Page 2
Paper for The Har ves Harv estt Curious about the heavier paper on which this newspaper now is printed? Find out more. Page 3
Food pantries Two large pantries in the diocese recently have seen increases in the number of people seeking aid. As the economy stays sluggish, there’s no sign that will change anytime soon. Page 5
ECW president Lonnie Isaak thanks the Episcopal Church Women of the diocese as she completes her three-year term as president. Page 6
Mega cam p camp Episcopal church camp will be extra special next summer, as all age groups will be together at Camp Wood for one week of “mega camp.” Page 6
Homecoming a ward aw
Con ws spirit of cooperation Convvention sho shows By Melodie Woerman Editor, The Harvest
T
he 151st meeting of the convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas Oct. 22-23 in Topeka was marked by a spirit of cooperation, preaching that had usually staid churchgoers saying “Amen!” and an announcement by Bishop Dean Wolfe of the largest fundraising total ever reached by the diocese. That amount — $2.2 million — represents initial pledges to the Crossroads campaign designed to provide adequate space and funding for the Kansas School for Ministry. Echoing KSM’s mission to provide clergy and lay leaders for parishes in the diocese, Bishop Wolfe asked in his convention address, “Does anyone here really doubt that we stand at a crossroads? Can anyone here seriously doubt this is the moment to decide? The question is this: Will the Episcopal Church in Kansas fade from prominence and become a mere archival memory, a historical footnote? Will we close church after church after church, unable to continue offering a supportive sense of community, our soaring worship and a passion for caring for others?”
Photo by Deacon Bob Hirst
Bishop Michael Curry of the Diocese of North Carolina preaches at the opening Eucharist of Diocesan Convention Oct. 22. The service took place at Topeka’s Grace Cathedral.
He then offered the delegates and clergy assembled another question to ponder. “Or will we reassert our holy ways of following Christ and grow into the vibrant church we were created to be and be the inviting tradition so many spiritually inclined persons are desperately seeking in this age?” In announcing the amount pledged so far, the bishop said he is certain the remainder of the $6 million goal can be raised
Canterbury House at K-State took home a third-place award during a recent homecoming activity. Page 7
St. Timothy’s, Iola, generated more than $6,500 for Episcopal Relief and Development this fall. That’s quite an accomplishment for a church of 30 people. Page 7
Around the diocese
VTS reco vering from fire recov Virginia Seminary is making plans for temporary worship space after an accidental fire in October that destroyed its 129-year-old chapel. Page 10
Special needs kids Special worship services have been designed to serve special-needs children and their parents. Page 11
Please see Convention, page 3
P
Two parishioners at Trinity, Arkansas City, wanted to start a resale store to benefit the church. Five years later, it’s raised more than $40,000. Page 7
Annual awards for exemplary service to the diocese by a lay person, a deacon and a priest were awarded at Diocesan Convention to four women. Page 9
The convention got off to an invigorating, even rousing, start as the Eucharist celebrated at Grace Cathedral came
By Melodie Woerman Editor, The Harvest
Trinity TTreasures reasures
Con vention a wards Conv aw
A rrousing ousing star startt
Crossroads campaign to reach parishes in Lent
Small c hurc h, big hear churc hurch, heartt
A new banner filled with saints graces a Wichita church, St. Nicholas and his horse visit in Mission — and there’s lots more going on. Page 8
before the 152nd convention in September 2011. (The full text of the bishop’s address can be read starting on page 2.)
The diocesan website — www.episcopal-ks.org — has a new look after being completely redesigned in early December.
Diocese launches new website The Episcopal Diocese of Kansas
T
he web address for the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas is the same — www.episcopal-ks.org — but everything else about it is new after a revamped site was launched the first week of December. The design was created by River City Studios in Kansas City, Mo., with the creation of the pages and their content the work of Melodie Woerman, diocesan director of communications. Photos of sunflowers, wheat and the Flint Hills are at the top, and they ro-
tate as different pages are clicked. The Flint Hills image was taken by Tom Pott of St. John’s, Wichita.
Easier tto o ffind ind things The site is designed to be easier to navigate, and it puts links to frequently used items, including the diocesan calendar and the cycle of prayer, on the front page. It includes information with lots of links to aid people who are exploring the Episcopal Church, and it also provides background information about Please see Website, page 3
arishioners across the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas will have the chance to learn more about the Crossroads campaign in Lent, as parish-based information is made available. Diocesan Director of Development and Stewardship Char DeWitt said a program to describe the efforts of the Kansas School for Ministry and how Crossroads will support that work will be provided in every parish in March and April. At the end of that time, people will have the opportunity to make a three-year pledge to support the effort. Information to rectors and vicars will go out in early January, she said, with parish representatives selected and trained in each convocation. The diocese will supply that person and clergy leaders with turn-key materials to enable them to share the information with members of their congregations. Crossroads seeks to raise $6 million to endow KSM and its mission to educate lay and clergy leaders for parishes across the diocese, and to build a Leadership Center to house it and diocesan offices. Bishop Dean Wolfe in his address to Diocesan Convention in October announced that initial pledges totalling $2.2 million already have been received. (His convention address is printed beginning on page 2 of this issue.)
2 • The Harvest • November/December 2010
From the Bishop
The Right Reverend Dean E. Wolfe
Standing at the crossroads Publisher: The Right Reverend Dean E. Wolfe, Bishop Editor: Melodie Woerman A member of Episcopal News Service and Episcopal Communicators, The Harvest is published six times a year by the Office of Communications of the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas: February, April, June, August, October and December. Stories, letters and photos are welcome. They will be used on a space-available basis and are subject to editing. Send all material (preferably in electronic format or by e-mail) to: Melodie Woerman, editor The Harvest 835 SW Polk St. Topeka, KS 66612-1688 phone: (800) 473-3563 fax: (785) 235-2449 mwoerman@episcopal-ks.org Send address changes to: Receptionist 835 SW Polk St., Topeka, KS 66612-1688 receptionist@episcopal-ks.org Upcoming deadlines: January/February 2011 issue: Jan. 15, 2011 March/April issue: March 15 Subscription rate: $1.50 annually Third class mailing Permit No. 601, Topeka, Kansas POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Episcopal Diocese of Kansas 835 SW Polk St. Topeka, KS 66612-1688
The Anglican Communion A global community of 70 million Anglicans in 38 member churches/provinces in more than 160 countries. Archbishop of Canterbury The Most Reverend and Right Honorable Rowan Williams Lambeth Palace, London WE1 7JU, United Kingdom www.anglicancommunion.org Episcopal seat: Canterbury Cathedral, Canterbury, England
The Episcopal Church A community of more than 2.1 million members in 110 dioceses in 16 countries in the Americas and abroad. Presiding Bishop The Most Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori 815 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10017 (800) 334-7626 www.episcopalchurch.org Episcopal seat: Washington National Cathedral, Washington, D.C.
The Episcopal Diocese of Kansas A community of 12,000 members in 46 congregations, two diocesan institutions and one school in eastern Kansas. Bishop The Right Reverend Dean E. Wolfe 835 SW Polk Street, Topeka, KS 66612-1688 (785) 235-9255 (800) 473-3563 www.episcopal-ks.org Episcopal seat: Grace Episcopal Cathedral, Topeka
Bishop Wolfe’s address to Diocesan Convention
I
n 1859, about the time of the founding of our diocese, Charles Dickens wrote one of the most famous opening paragraphs of any novel ever written, in A Tale of Two Cities. He wrote: It was the best of times it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way. Dickens knew what it was to stand at the crossroads of history, to be positioned in the place of the greatest possibility and then, to be called to decide.
Welcome tto o Bishop Curr Curryy It’s a great joy for me to welcome to our convention the Right Reverend Michael Curry, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina. For those of you who were part of our convention Eucharist, he needs no introduction. A quiet preacher, a man who needs to be drawn out. You know, the House of Bishops is a very interesting thing. You have about 190 people who are used to being the last word in most of the discussions they participate in. We’re not in any short supply when it comes to ego or giftedness. But when Michael Curry goes to the microphone to speak, there is a respect, because not only will Michael say it in the most articulate and passionate way possible, he will say something that is worth saying, and it will come from a centered place. It’s a great joy to have Michael here. I could go through all this wonderful biography and embarrass the heck out of him, and that alone might be worth doing. But he has had an extraordinary ministry in the church and really is one of the Episcopal Church’s chief spokespersons for the gospel of our Lord. It’s a delight to have Michael here, and I hope in the breaks and other times you’ll get a chance to meet with him. He’s really a nice guy, and you should get to know him and make him feel welcome here in Kansas. We’ve asked a lot of him — he’s preaching, he’s teaching, he’s speaking, he’s the keynoter. If we could have thought of any
Photos by Melodie Woerman
other thing for him to do, we’d Episcopal Church in Kansas have asked him. We thank you fade from prominence and for your willingness to come and become a mere archival be with us. memory, a historical footnote? The Lord be with you. (And Will we close church after also with you.) Come Holy church after church, unable to Spirit and kindle the fire that is continue offering a supportive in us. Take our lips and speak sense of community, our soaring through them. Take our hearts worship and a passion for caring and see through them. Take our for others? souls and set them on fire. Or will we reassert our holy Amen. ways of following Christ and The prophet Jeremiah, in the grow into the vibrant church we Spirit of the living God, gave were created to be and be the instruction to God’s people, inviting tradition so many saying: “Thus spiritually says the LORD: inclined persons ‘Stand at the are desperately The question is crossroads, and seeking in this look, and ask age? this: Will the for the ancient This is life at Episcopal Church the crossroads. paths, where the good way We sometimes in Kansas fade lies; and walk think of a in it, and find crossroads as a from prominence rest for your relatively empty and become a souls.’” space where two That’s the solitary roads mere archival theme for this meet, but the memory, a histori- contemporary year’s convention, but what crossroads we cal footnote? we did not face, at least in include is the my own imagivery next line: nation, is a vast, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Stand at chaotic intersection. the crossroads, and look, and There are voices shouting, ask for the ancient paths, where “Yes!” “No!” “Go this way!” the good way lies; and walk in “Go that way!” “Don’t go it, and find rest for your souls.’ there!” “Follow us!” “No, no, But they said, ‘We will not walk no, this is the way!” in it.’” There’s pushing and shoving, horns blowing, and exasperated Cr ossr oads ffor or us ttoda oda people screaming over radios, Crossr ossroads odayy cable television shows and the Today, we stand at a crossInternet. roads, facing a choice between There are texts and phone going forward or slipping back, calls and exhausted, bewildered, a choice between ignoring the gridlocked people trying to moment we’ve been given or embracing the opportunity to act decide which way they should go, all the while, harassed by with faith and passion. marketers constantly hawking Does anyone here really their wares and whispering, doubt that we stand at a cross“You should have this! You must roads? Can anyone here serihave this! You need this! You’ve ously doubt this is the moment to decide? Please see Bishop, page 4 The question is this: Will the
November/December 2010 • The Harvest • 3
Con Convvention: Quick ballots, ministry areas highlighted Continued from page 1
ELECTION RESULTS
first in Friday’s agenda. Worshippers were treated to a sermon by Bishop Michael Curry of the Diocese of North Carolina, regarded by many as one of the finest preachers in the Episcopal Church. In a sermon that ranged from quiet comments to fiery oratory in a style often seen in African-American churches, Bishop Curry called the congregation to ask, “Why not?” He said, “Why not a world where we work together to make sure nobody goes to bed hungry, where we work to bring justice and peace and wholeness to all God’s children?”
These people were elected to various offices during Diocesan Convention:
Business quic kly dispatc hed quickly dispatched The business portion of convention went quickly, in spite of the multiple elections that were on the agenda. For the first time in recent memory, all eight General Convention deputies were elected on the first ballot. Only one more ballot was required to determine eight alternates. Election of at-large members of the Council of Trustees and a priest to fill an unexpired term on the Ecclesiastical Court also were accomplished in one ballot for each office. (Election results accompany this story.) Convention also approved without debate one amendment to the canons of the diocese, which will enact new changes at the national level on the process for hearing clergy disciplinary complaints. One debatable resolution also was passed, calling on parishes to establish environmental teams that would provide education and practical suggestions on how congregations and individuals can be better stewards of God’s creation. Treasurer Doug Anning presented the proposed 2011 mission plan (or budget) for the diocese, amounting to $1,862,745, a $63,880 increase over 2010. Since delegates already had asked questions about the plan during regional convocation meetings a few weeks before convention, the plan was adopted without debate.
KSM recognizes graduat es graduates Four ministry areas made presentations to the convention. The Rev. Andrew Grosso, coordinator of the Kansas School for Ministry, offered a description of how KSM seeks to support small and large parishes in the diocese through its program, and he explained how the success of the school is tied to the success of the Crossroads fundraising initiative, which would
Photos by Melodie Woerman
Above: Bishop Dean Wolfe (left) hands a certificate from the Kansas School of Ministry to keynote speaker Bishop Michael Curry of North Carolina. Left: For the first time, convention delegates raised green or red cards to vote, replacing the old style of relying on voice votes.
quadruple the amount of space available for KSM classes. He and Bishop Wolfe then awarded certificates to three people who had completed the two-year course after the school reopened in 2008. The three — Barbara Gibson, Jeff Roper and Frank Wheeler — will be ordained as deacons in a morning service Jan. 8 at the cathedral. (More information on the three is available on page 9.) Deacon Steve Segebrecht, director of the Kansas to Kenya effort, showed a video describing the mission trips taken by members of the diocese to the east Africa nation last summer and invited people to join future trips. Campus Missioners the Rev. Michael Bell and the Rev. Susan Terry showed a video describing ministry taking place on campuses across the diocese, and Youth Missioner Chad Senuta gave an overview of existing diocesan youth programs and announced a one-week “mega camp” for
all ages in 2011. (See page 6 for more information on “mega camp.”) Four workshops also were offered on topics related to church growth.
A request tto o sta ansas stayy in K Kansas Many of the delegates’ evaluation forms described Bishop Curry’s presence as the single best part of the convention. Bishop Curry himself had joked that three people had asked him to please stay in Kansas, adding, “But they’re all from North Carolina.” Bishop Wolfe surprised his episcopal counterpart by presenting him with a special certificate of recognition from the Kansas School for Ministry, making him, in effect, the first honorary graduate. The certificate recognized “his outstanding accomplishments in the field of preaching and leadership in the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina and throughout the Episcopal Church.” The only somber moment in convention
Websit e: Church maps are included ebsite: Continued from page 1 the diocese. Pages for Bishop Dean Wolfe include an up-todate biography and downloadable photos for use by parishes in publicizing his visits. A drop-down menu lets viewers find a church either by clicking on a city name or by going to a map that indicates every location. Every parish entry also includes a map to the church’s location, via Google maps, a free service. The diocesan calendar is shown an entire month at a time, and users can click each entry for additional information. The same features are available for Bishop Wolfe’s visitation schedule.
Tabs describe ministries A variety of diocesan ministries are grouped together under the heading “Diocesan Life.” It and all
Council of Trustees, lay at-large: Dick Coulter, Grace, Chanute Council of Trustees, clergy atlarge: the Very Rev. Jerry Adinolfi, St. Paul’s, Coffeyville Ecclesiastical Court, unexpired term: the Rev. Marcus Cunningham, Epiphany, Sedan Lay deputes: Larry Bingham, St. Michael and All Angels, Mission; Mike Morrow (deputation chair), St. John’s, Wichita; Bob Skaggs, St. Michael’s; and Natalie Vanatta, St. Luke’s, Wamego Lay alternates: Steven King, St. Margaret’s, Lawrence; Teresa Rogers, St. James’, Wichita; Harriet Duff, St. Michael’s; and Joe Mitchell, Covenant, Junction City Clergy deputies: the Rev. Canon Craig Loya, diocesan canon to the ordinary; the Rev. Juli Sifers, St. Aidan’s, Olathe; Deacon Steve Segebrecht , Trinity, Lawrence; and the Rev. Betty Glover, Trinity Arkansas City and Grace, Winfield Clergy alternates: the Rev. Matt Zimmerman, St. Margaret’s; the Rev. Gail Greenwell, St. Michael’s; the Rev. Mary Siegmund, St. Matthew’s, Newton; and the Rev. Matt Cobb, St. Luke’s, Wamego
the other tabs across the top include “fly-down” menus, allowing users to see at a glance what items are included there. They can click directly there or go to a main page to make their selection. A staff directory, with photos and contact information, is part of the “About Us” section. The current issue of The Harvest, the diocesan newspaper, is provided in an embedded flip-book format on its own page in the “News and Information” section, and the latest version of DioLog, the diocesan electronic newsletter, also is there. A variety of resources are grouped together, including helpful links for parish administrators, forms parish offices are apt to need, and the diocesan constitution and canons. Pages created by diocesan Youth Missioner Chad Senuta remain in place via a “Youth” link, and the “Campus Ministry” link offers information on that ministry.
came when word was received of the fire that was raging at that moment at the chapel at Virginia Theological Seminary, Bishop Wolfe’s alma mater. He stopped the work of convention and offered a prayer for those fighting the fire and all who would be affected by its outcome. Three Kansas seminarians who are students at VTS had returned home to attend the convention, and they could be seen huddled over laptops and cell phones trying to learn more so they could pass it on to clergy who are alumni. The fire ultimately destroyed the structure. (See page 10 for more information.) Bishop Wolfe also announced that next year’s convention will be about a month earlier than usual, due to scheduling conflicts, with delegates and clergy meeting Sept. 23-24 in Topeka.
From the editor The most recent two issues of this newspaper have been printed on whiter, heavier stock, and you may wonder why. The reason is financial, but not because the new paper costs less. It actually cost about $300 an issue more, but it will save us more than $500 in mailing costs for each of the six issues produced a year. Recent postal regulations are designed to either eliminate pieces deemed too flimsy for its new high-speed machines or to charge a substantial penalty for those that don’t meet new requirements. The Harvest fell into the “flimsy” category, so the choice was between a $500 postal penalty or a $300 paper increase. We chose the $300 option. Some like the whiter, crisper look of this paper. Others find the heavier weight harder to hold and turn. I agree with both descriptions. I’m committed to providing the people of the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas with the highest quality newspaper our resources can provide, and I’d welcome hearing what you think. You can e-mail me at mwoerman@episcopal-ks.org. — Melodie Woerman
4 • The Harvest • November/December 2010
Bishop: $2.2 million pledged for Crossroads Campaign diocese to talk about what we were developing. Meanwhile, our canon theologian, the Rev. Dr. Andrew Grosso, along with a talented team of educators, began to revision the Kansas School for Ministry. We rethought the curriculum and the course schedule and developed one-, three-, five- and 10-year goals. The Kansas School for Ministry, version 2.0, reopened in 2008 with seven students in three groups, 11 courses and eight instructors. By the 20092010 academic year, we had 14 students in four groups, 20 courses, 13 instructors, and we had three graduates. This wasn’t some theory we had. This was a real school!
Continued from page 2 earned this!” And if we do not take great care, if we do not squint to see them, we might overlook the countless people huddled on the edges of the crossroads: the poorer people from around our diocese and around the globe, afraid, alone and too often hungry. The sick, the very young and the very old — our brothers and sisters in Christ — are watching oh-so carefully to see which paths we will choose, watching oh-so expectantly to see if we will choose paths that will allow them to join us on the journey.
Alw ays cchoose hoose hope Alwa A crossroads is a place of decision. A crossroads is a place, and sometimes a moment in time, where hope and despair can beckon with equal voice, and where the people of God must always choose hope — always, always, always. A crossroads is also an intersection of ideas and values, where the megaphones of consumerism and political demagoguery lure us down dark, shallow roads, while the still small voice of God quietly invites us to climb higher and to go deeper. I might just say in passing that, as it turns out, the truest things in life don’t need to be shouted from the rooftops, and because we already know them in our bones, they can be whispered and still be recognized as absolutely true. As Episcopalians, we need to hear that.
Train our o wn leader own leaderss The second Bishop of Kansas, Elisha Thomas, wrote in 1892, “I have come to the conclusion that there is but one path left open to me. I must educate my own missionaries.” One hundred and eighteen years later, in the year of our Lord 2010, it is clear to me that if we are to have the leadership necessary to “secure the path to tomorrow,” if we are to guarantee the vibrant presence of the Episcopal Church for the next 100, 200, 300 years in Kansas, we will need to have the ability to train our own lay leaders, deacons and priests. Creating educated and empowered leadership is the key to almost every single strategy we have for growth and evangelism in this diocese. Everywhere I go, Vestry members, deacons, priests, even youth group members all have the same question. They all ask, “How can our church grow?” It’s actually a complex question that invites a series of responses, but to begin simply, I believe the key to church growth is directing our precious resources to the place where they are most desperately needed. The key to church growth is
Need ffor or a local sc hool school developing highly motivated and highly trained leaders in every order (lay, deacon and priest), and the key to developing highly motivated and highly trained leaders in every order is developing an excellent school where these values and these traditions are faithfully taught.
Ne w resour ces needed New resources I knew even before I was elected your bishop, like most of you knew, that whoever was elected the ninth bishop of Kansas would need to raise new resources to do ministry in this diocese. With the exception of a partially completed campaign for campus ministries, no diocesanwide capital campaign had taken place in the Diocese of Kansas in the past 30 years. And so we began. For eight months, from February until September of 2008, a group of clergy and lay leaders from around the diocese met with more than 300 leaders in the diocese to present an initial vision for the Kansas School for Ministry and to hear what the people of Kansas had to say in response. As it turned out, you had a lot to say, and we learned a tremendous amount from those conversations. The initial vision began to evolve, and our plans were dramatically revised as a result of our conversations with all of you. As it turns out, the people of Kansas weren’t all that interested in a diocesan center with a school thrown in. The people of Kansas were interested in a firstrate leadership and theological training center with some space for the diocesan staff thrown in. We got it. We got it. With the unanimous vote of the Council of Trustees, on Sept. 23, 2008, we hired a respected stewardship and fundraising firm, RSI, to coach us through a capital campaign to build a leadership center, to endow the faculty for the school and to tithe 10 cents of every dollar raised toward outreach. We
weren’t going to do anything without caring for the least, the lost and those whom Jesus loves. We were set, and I might say, we were looking good.
The mar ket then sank mark Less than one week after we signed our contract with RSI, the stock market lost $1.2 trillion in value, with the Dow dropping 7 percent and the Standard and Poor 500 dropping 9 percent. The situation quickly evolved into the worst financial crisis in our nation since the Great Depression. What now? What do we do? A moment of truth! Well, we panicked (okay, I panicked, but only for a little bit), and then we prayed and we planned and we recalculated. And then we did what Kansans always do. We did what Christians always do. We got up, we dusted ourselves off and we climbed back into the saddle. We believed then as we believe now that God had called us to something that is not finally dependent upon the financial news of the day. We put our contract with RSI on hold between October 2008 and February 2009 and used that time to gather a capital campaign leadership team (including an invaluable prayer committee). We wrote a fresh case for support, and we formed an initial building committee. We identified an architect and began to discuss preliminary drawings. We just kept moving forward, step by step by step. We worked with a construction company to clarify our building costs. We discovered our original working goal of $4 million would not cover the costs of the leadership center and the endowment for the KSM faculty we needed. So with faithful audacity, we moved the working goal to $6 million, and we took the next step. We reengaged with RSI in November 2009 and visited with hundreds of members of the
Now, we know there will always be a need for residentially trained priests, and as many of you know, it took me some time to agree with Bishop Thomas’s vision about training clergy locally. I wanted the best, the finest, lay and ordained leadership possible for our diocese, and initially I believed that goal could only be achieved through our existing seminaries. But in a diocese where half of our parishes are served by part-time and non-stipendiary clergy, in a diocese where we take the notion of empowered lay leadership seriously, the need for local leadership training became imperative. People who are willing and able to serve a parish without pay are neither willing nor able to sustain the debt that accompanies a contemporary three-year residential seminary degree, nor are they able to be away from their jobs and families for the length of time such study requires. The closest Episcopal seminary to our diocese is in Austin, Texas, and this does not make for an easy commute. Additionally, we find that when people are trained in the hills of Berkeley, California, or the suburbs of Washington, D.C., where I was trained, there’s a certain degree of retraining necessary before candidates for ordination are prepared to do their best work in the unique context that is Kansas.
KSM is the strat egy strategy In a time when so many efforts in the church are being scaled back and so many visions are compromised and in retreat, we have a vision for the Kansas School for Ministry that remains undaunted. Simply put, building on a firm foundation laid by those who came before us, we plan to build the finest diocesanbased school in the Episcopal Church. Period. You see: The Kansas School for Ministry is the strategy for smaller, rural churches who can’t afford to pay a seminary-
trained priest a full-time salary (along with pension and health care costs), and who would benefit enormously from having teams of one or two local priests, two deacons and a cadre of trained lay leaders. The Kansas School for Ministry is the strategy for growing suburban parishes who would like to add additional clergy to help their parishes grow, but who need to invest limited resources in a variety of other mission initiatives. The Kansas School for Ministry is the strategy for larger, established parishes who need highly trained lay leaders for children, youth and young adult ministries, music ministries and the like, but who are finding it difficult to effectively train such leaders. The Kansas School for Ministry is the strategy for more extensive Christian education for our adults, many of whom belong to parishes in our diocese who find it difficult to offer in-depth biblical and theological education for their members. The Kansas School for Ministry is the strategy for developing better continuing education for our clergy. Every deacon, priest and bishop resident in the Episcopal Church is mandated by canon to participate in annual continuing education programs, and the Kansas School for Ministry will be the educational resource providing innovative continuing education locally, at prices clergy (and their parishes) can afford to pay. The Kansas School for Ministry is the strategy for increasing the number of deacons available to serve in this diocese, and this is crucial. Over the past several years, we have lost a number of our deacons to illness and death, and we have called several others to the priesthood because we desperately needed their skills in that order. We need to reinvigorate the diaconate in this diocese, an order that has played such an integral part in leading our outreach ministries. Of course, the Kansas School for Ministry is not a new initiative. We’ve been training lay and ordained persons in the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas for years, and many of KSM’s earliest graduates have gone on to distinguish themselves in service to Christ and the church. What is new is the level of academic expertise we expect to be able to bring through the faculty in this moment. Eight of our current faculty members hold Ph.D.s, two faculty members have earned Doctor of Ministry degrees, and the remainder of the faculty hold Masters of Divinity degrees from some the finest seminaries in the Anglican Communion. What is new is the academic Continued on page 5
November/December 2010 • The Harvest • 5
Requests for food help are on the rise as economy stays sluggish By Melodie Woerman Editor, The Harvest
WANT TO HELP?
F
ood pantries in the diocese are seeing increasing demand for assistance as unemployment remains high and the economy remains sluggish. The largest pantry in the diocese is at St. Paul’s, Kansas City, which serves a neighborhood surrounding the church in inner-city Kansas City that includes some of the poorest neighborhoods in the state of Kansas.
Both food pantries featured use donations to purchase additional food. To make a contribution, send a check made payable to the church associated with the pantry and mark “food pantry” on the memo line. Send them to: St. Paul’s Episcopal Church 1300 N. 18th St. Kansas City, KS 66102-2798
Big jump in recent w eeks weeks The week before Thanksgiving, volunteers handed out food to 112 people, representing households totaling about 250 people. That followed weeks with 98 or 100 people coming for assistance. That’s up substantially from the 40 to 60 people they were seeing weekly just this summer and nearly quadruple the number of two years ago. According to Deacon Gail Reynolds, who helps oversee her parish’s pantry when it is open on Wednesdays and Saturdays, the pantry sees new “neighbors,” as they call their clients, every time it is open. She said people tend to be hurting most near the end of the month, calling this the “more-month-than-money season.” That’s when the pantry sees people who might not have been there in a year or more. She said, “Typically they apologize and say, ‘Well, I thought I was going to do OK this month, but then my car broke (or we had medical bills, fill in the blank), and I
Trinity Episcopal Church 1011 Vermont St. Lawrence, KS 66044-2921
Photo by Deacon Gail Reynolds
Leila Potts (left), a member of St. Thomas’, Overland park, assists a woman who has come to the food pantry at St. Paul’s, Kansas City, for help. The pantry has seen a big rise in requests in recent months.
knew we are going to need help.’ And we respond, ‘That’s why we’re here. Come in.’” She said the pantry has benefitted from food and monetary donations in recent weeks, including several vans full of food collected by St. Thomas in Overland Park and a truckload supplied by St. Aidan’s, Olathe, as well as other area churches. The week before Thanksgiving, a St. Paul’s parishioner augmented the pantry’s
stock of whole fresh chickens with another 30, enabling every visitor to take one home for the holiday.
‘I’d rather ha havve a job’ Trinity, Lawrence, coordinates the Trinity Interfaith Food Pantry, and it, too, reports an increase in those seeking help. During the third quarter of the year, the pantry was open 26 times and served a total of 595 households, of which 70 were
new clients. That represents nearly 1,700 people, up from the 1,500 or so in the previous three months. Barry Molineaux, the pantry’s coordinator of servers, said in October a man came in seeking food for his wife and two children. After being handed a bag of groceries he shook hands with the volunteer and said, “Thanks, but I’d rather have a job.” The pantry received some special donations this fall when 11-year-old Jesse Cox (who with his mother assists there) asked guests at his birthday party to bring food instead of gifts. He also donated part of the money gifts she received, too.
Bishop: Amount promised is the largest ever in the diocese Continued from page 4 rigor we hope to be able to provide in balance with practical field training experience, making certain the Kansas School for Ministry is not simply a last-chance alternative to a seminary education, but an outstanding theological education in its own right.
$2.2 million in pledges Over the past couple of years I’ve wondered if this moment would ever come, but I have to tell you this is one of the most exciting moments in my episcopate. My brothers and sisters in Christ, it is with high and hearty thanks to our gracious God and the generosity of the people of this diocese that I stand before this Diocesan Convention to announce that we now have commitments for $2.2 million. We have several other gifts in the final stages of decisionmaking. In other words, we are now at the point where we can bring this effort to the full attention of every member of the diocese. So we are asking every single person in this diocese — every vestry member, every small group, every men’s or women’s group, every Bible study, every altar guild, every deacon, every priest — to help us raise the remaining $3.8 million needed for this effort, which will positively affect every single
member of the diocese. It took us a year and a half to develop our vision and to raise one million dollars from fewer than 24 people. It took us two months to raise the second million dollars from an additional 47 generous people. And I firmly believe we will raise the remaining $3.8 million from the 11,929 Episcopalians who have not yet been asked to participate in this effort, and we will do so in time to celebrate the successful completion of this campaign at next year’s 152nd Diocesan Convention.
Largest fundraising e evver This represents the largest fundraising venture ever in this diocese, and because of our tithe to mission, it will result in the largest amount of money raised exclusively for outreach in the history of the diocese, some $600,000. If it were entirely up to us, I wouldn’t be so confident about our chances for success. But if God wants this school to be built, then I believe nothing on heaven or earth will be able to stop it. Not stock markets, not our own inability to let go of our hard-earned money, not our lack of faith — nothing. Nothing. Nothing will keep us from achieving this goal, if God seeks it to be so. I love the Haitian prayer which goes something like, “Lord, there is a big devil called
loud noise in the hall that signaled that one of his four strings on his violin had just snapped. ‘What yyou ou ha t’ Everyone expected that they havve lef left’ would be watching Yitzhak Writer Margaret Wheatley Perlman put back the leg braces, tells the story about Yitzhak walk slowly Perlman, the back across the great violinist, stage and find who was We are asking every a new violin. playing a But this is what concert in New single person in this happened. York. diocese — every Yitzhak Yitzhak Perlman closed Perlman was vestry member, his eyes for a crippled by every small group, moment. polio as a Yitzhak young child, so every men’s or Perlman the bottom part women’s group, paused. And of his body then he doesn’t work every Bible study, signaled for the well, and he every altar guild, conductor to wears these begin again. very prominent every deacon, every And he began leg braces and priest — to help us from where comes in on they had left crutches, in a raise the remaining off. And here’s very painfully $3.8 million needed the description slow way, of his playing hauling himself for this effort, which from Jack across the will positively affect Riemer in the stage. Then he Houston sits down and, every single member Chronicle: very carefully, of the diocese. “He played unbuckles the with such leg braces and passion and lays them such power, and such purity, as down, puts down his crutches people had never heard before. and then picks up his violin. Of course, everyone knew that it So this night, the audience was impossible to play this had watched him slowly, symphonic work with three painfully, walk across the stage, strings. I know that. You know and he began to play. that. But that night, Yitzhak And suddenly, there was a discouragement. We ask you to send him away, because he is bothering us!”
Perlman did not know that. You could see him modulating, changing, recomposing the piece in his head. At one point, it sounded like he was de-tuning the strings to get new sounds from them that they had never made before. “When he finished, there was an awe-filled silence in the room. And then people rose and cheered. Everyone was screaming and cheering and doing everything they could to show how much we appreciated what he had just done. “He smiled. He wiped the sweat from his brow. He raised his bow to us. And then he said, not boastfully, but in a quiet and reverent tone, ‘You know, sometimes it is the artist’s task to find out how much music you can still make with what you have left.’” That is our task, we who stand at the crossroads of this sacred moment. Let us discover just how much music we can still make with what we have left. Let’s not be discouraged by small churches, by tasks that seem overwhelming. Let’s not be discouraged by the things that confront us that seem insurmountable. Let’s see what we can do with what we have left. “Thus says the LORD: Stand at the crossroads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way lies; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.”
6 • The Harvest • November/December 2010
EPISCOPAL CHURCH WOMEN ECW speak er describes spiritual gif ts speaker gifts By Mary Roberts
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he Episcopal Church Women of the Diocese of Kansas held their Annual Gathering on Saturday, Oct. 2, at St. John’s Church in Parsons. Women from 11 parishes attended. The Rev. Gail Greenwell, rector of St. Michael and All Angels in Mission, gave this year’s presentation, “Pathways to Spiritual Growth: Responding to God’s Call.” The Rev. Greenwell shared St. Michael’s program for discerning calls in Christian community at the parish level. She described a process where individuals develop an awareness of their spiritual gifts in a caring, confidential and spirit-led process of group discernment. In the afternoon session, ECW ladies got a taste of her program in action. Small groups engaged in a series of questions designed to help them learn about and encourage each others’ spiritual gifts. Many discovered gifts in themselves they had not recognized before. Participants also learned ways of developing gift-orientated ministries based on the needs and resources of their faith communities. The Rev. Sharon Billman, vicar of St. John’s in Parsons, led a midday Eucharist, followed by an excellent lunch made and served by Daria Condon with some help from the ladies of St. John’s. The ECW Board would like to thank the Rev. Greenwell, the Rev. Billman, Daria Condon and all the many others who worked toward making
NEW ECW OFFICERS The following people were selected as officers at the recent annual meeting of the Episcopal Church Women of the diocese: President: Beth Criss (until 2013) Vice-President: June Mendenhall Secretary: Senta Meister Treasurer: Sharon Atherton Northwest Convocation Representative: Lynn Bonney Northeast Convocation Representative: Barbara Robrahn Southeast Convocation Representative: Daria Condon Past president: Lonnie Isaak The following people were appointed by the board: Continuing Education: Mary Simpson Publicity: Mary Roberts Devotions: Dee Farris
the Annual Gathering such an enjoyable and rewarding occasion. Mary Roberts serves as publicity chair for the ECW.
ECW head offers thanks as her term ends
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have finished my term as president of the Episcopal Church Women for the Diocese of Kansas. I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to provide leadership for our community of women. Being on the ECW board is a very rewarding experience. In particular I appreciate the friendships and relationships I have formed with the other women on the board. I am grateful to the women on the ECW board for their support. They have been patient, kind, loving and supportive as we have worked to make ECW relevant in our diocese and in the lives of the women in this diocese. To make ECW relevant — this is not only a goal but also a process. The board learned that it is important to have a “vision” for ECW. Last November we had a retreat, and the board explored our vision by examining the ECW mission. We reaffirmed our purpose — to work among women to foster, develop and affirm the ministry of all people in the Diocese of Kansas. I want to review what ECW offers. The Annual Gathering provides a forum for fellowship, inspiration, education and worshipping together. Every year we have a distinguished speaker to encourage us to learn and experience new forms of prayer and to inspire us to study and continue growing spiritually. ECW offers continuing education scholarships of $100 so women can take advantage of opportunities to continue learning.
From the president of the Episcopal Church Women
Lonnie Isaak The ECW board makes contributions on behalf of the women of the diocese. This year donations were sent to the Haiti relief effort sponsored by the diocese and to Episcopal Relief and Development. ECW coordinates the ingathering for the Church Periodical Club and the United Thank Offering throughout the diocese. These two organizations — CPC and UTO — were started by Episcopal women and continue to be run by Episcopal Church Women. Both distribute money to worthy projects internationally. Next year we will introduce an event intended to give women an opportunity to take a day off from their routines to experience a spiritual retreat. It will be held at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Wichita on Saturday, April 2. The cost will be $15 per person. Our presenter, Melissa Roberts, is a young Episcopal woman who received her Masters of Theological Studies and is now pursuing her goal of leading spiritual retreats. This will be a day of renewal, and we hope women of all ages
will come and enjoy the experience. Watch for information about the retreat that will be sent to your church. ECW is funded by contributions from the churches in our diocese. We appreciate the faithful support we have received over the years. We continue to encourage all churches to participate and support our community of Episcopal Church Women. We are very fortunate that many years ago several ECW leaders decided to establish an endowment for ECW, because the income we receive from that endowment is very important to us. I want to acknowledge what you, Episcopal women throughout the diocese, do in your communities. You feed the hungry, help with Vacation Bible School, participate in and support recycling, collect and provide school supplies for needy students, collect for the Church Periodical Club and the United Thank Offering, and more. Even if there is no formal ECW organization in your church, you, the women of each parish, undertake many projects to help others, because this is what Episcopal women do. You are the hands, feet and face of Christ in your communities. Thank you for giving your time, energy and money so generously. May you be blessed in your lives and efforts as Episcopal Church Women for the Diocese of Kansas. Lonnie Isaak of Epiphany, Sedan, served as ECW president from 2008 to 2010.
Photo by Chad Senuta
A camper enjoys the ropes course at Camp Wood during a recent diocesan summer camp. Three weeks of camp will be combined into a one-week “mega camp” in 2011.
‘Mega camp’ tto o bring all ages int o one w eek in June into week
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iocesan Youth Missioner Chad Senuta has announced a change in the schedule for next summer’s camps, with programs for all age groups offered during a single week in June. Senuta is calling it “mega camp,” and it will take place June 5-11 at Camp Wood YMCA near Elmdale, southwest of Emporia. Recent expansions at the camp have added lodging that now can house at the same time the more than 200 campers the diocese has every summer, Senuta said. In recent years there have been three weeks of camp — one for senior high, one for middle school and one for elementary school.
Age-geared pr ogramming programming Senuta stressed that each age group will be housed in different parts of the camp and will retain separate programming geared to its level, staffed by separate groups of adult counselors. There will be opportunities for some joint worship and recreational activities. Senuta said in recent years Episcopal campers have shared Camp Wood with outside groups taking advantage of YMCA programming. During mega camp, he said, diocesan campers will be sharing the facility only with other Episcopalians, and in some instances, other members of a youngster’s own family. Senuta said he’s heard from parents with different-aged campers who are excited about having a single drop off and pick up time for their children.
HIGHLIGHTS OF ‘MEGA CAMP’ Summer camp sponsored by the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas June 5-11, 2011 Camp Wood YMCA, near Elmdale Individual program, schedule and activities for grades 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12 Both individual worship experiences and opportunity for all ages to worship together Separate lodging facilities for grades 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12 Adult staff for each age group More than 50 adult staff members, including clergy chaplains and registered nurses Exciting activities such as horseback riding, climbing tower, water sports and more Age appropriate religious education and faith formation One drop-off and pick-up time for all age groups
Senuta said that Camp Wood can accommodate up to 300 campers, but he hopes the mega camp grows enough that a second week would be needed. The diocese remains committed to offering excellent camp programming at affordable prices, he said.
November/December 2010 • The Harvest • 7
Iola cchur hur es a hurcch mak makes big contribution for Episcopal relief Church with 30 members generates $6,560 for ER-D’s “Gifts for Life” program By Melodie Woerman Editor, The Harvest
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t. Timothy’s, Iola, is a small church, with a membership of 30 people, but it more than makes up for its size in its commitment to outreach. A glance through Episcopal Relief and Development’s “Gifts for Life” catalog at an October Vestry meeting sparked an idea. Junior Warden Bud Sifers suggested that if parishioners contributed $1,005 to the ERD program, the church’s general fund could match it, for a total of $2,010. The rest of the Vestry agreed, so parishioners started chipping in, and on Nov. 21, the last Sunday of Pentecost, collections had topped out at $1,640. The church’s vicar, the Rev. Jan Chubb, estimated that 90 percent of the congregation had contributed. Some gifts, she said, were earmarked for specific projects, such as micro-loans for women, community gardens, food for students, and bees and hives, but most were given for general needs. The parish’s match brought St. Timothy’s total to $3,280 — but it didn’t stop there. An anonymous national donor had pledged to match gifts made until Nov. 30 to ERD, up to a to-
WHAT IS ER-D? Episcopal Relief and Development is an international relief and development agency and a compassionate response to human suffering on behalf of the Episcopal Church. It supports unique local, long-term initiatives that address poverty, hunger, disease, economic development and disaster response. — From www.er-d.org
tal of $500,000. Chubb checked to see if her church’s gift would qualify for the match, and it did. That meant the parish’s efforts netted a grand total of $6,560 for the Gifts for Life program. That’s an average of more than $219 generated per St. Timothy’s member, all to help provide tools for development to poor people around the world. This effort is in addition to the parish’s efforts to feed hungry people in town by stocking a local food pantry with fresh-made, frozen hearty entrees. Community dinners raise the funds to buy the ingredients needed to make the meals.
Photo by the Rev. Betty Glover
Trinity Treasures, a store located in the undercroft of Trinity, Arkansas City, has raised more than $40,000 since it opened five years ago.
Parish store raises more than $40,000 for Ark City church in five years By Melodie Woerman Editor, The Harvest
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n just five years, an unused portion of the undercroft at Trinity, Arkansas City, has been turned into a resale store that not only provides unique, quality merchandise to shoppers but also has contributed more than $40,000 to the church. Trinity Treasures was started by parishioners Judy Clark and Colleen Taylor, assisted in recent years by Nancy Erickson, and is open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
It stocks a variety of merchandise, including fine china, crystal, antique linens, cookie jars, books, stuffed animals and home accessories. “It’s everything but the kitchen sink,” said the church rector, the Rev. Betty Glover. Items come from estate and other sales, and some is donated. All are displayed in attractive arrangements in the spacious facility. Glover said the funds generated have provided muchneeded items for the parish, including vestments, altar supplies
and serving pieces for parish potlucks. It also has made some contributions to the general operating budget. All this support, she noted, comes at no cost to the church and is generated by space that previously was unused. Of the contributions Clark and Taylor have been able to make to their church, Glover said, “This is a remarkable thing these two women have done, simply because they thought they could and didn’t set limits on themselves or God.”
Driv e adds names tto o bone marr ow registr Drive marro registryy
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Photo by Nic Mather
Canterbury project nets award at KSU homecoming event Amanda Jennings, a peer minister at the Canterbury House at Kansas State University, adds paint to an Episcopal-themed window in Aggieville during homecoming week in October. The design, which uses the Episcopal shield as one slice in a pizza, took third place for student organizations in the “Paint the ‘Ville” competition. A lucky draw assigned the Canterbury group to paint a window at Kite’s Grille and Bar, one of the most prominent locations in Aggieville, a student-themed dining and entertainment area near campus. The group titled their winning design “A Big Slice of the Little Apple.”
t. Aidan’s, Olathe, hosted a combination blood drive and bone marrow registry Sept. 18 at the church, designed to add names of potential donors to the registry list and to generate awareness of the need for donors of these lifegiving substances. Doreen Rice, a parishioner who was coordinator of the event, said people donated 25 pints of blood and added 25 names to the “Be the Match” registry. The registry seeks to provide potential donors of bone marrow for patients with leukemia and other life-threatening illness who need a bone marrow transplant. Rice said 19 people not associated with the parish came to the event, thanks to posters placed in local stores, signage in front of the church and the parish Facebook page. She noted that one young woman who came demonstrated “the power of the day.” The woman said she wanted to donate blood and be added to the bone marrow registry. Just six weeks before, Rice said, her boyfriend had been diagnosed with aplastic anemia, was extremely ill and was awaiting a transplant. Neither the girlfriend nor his siblings were a match, and so far no match had turned up on the registry. Rice said, “Despite this, she wanted to get on the registry to help someone else. And, of course, she hoped someone we registered that day will match her boyfriend.” The young woman also brought nine
coworkers with her to do the same. Rice said, “It was inspiring for St. Aidan’s to be available to this woman at her point of need. It reminded us that something as simple as hosting a blood or bone marrow registry drive can make a world of difference in a life.” — Melodie Woerman
8 • The Harvest • November/December 2010
Around the diocese St. John’s, Abilene spent Sundays in early November exploring “the politics of Jesus” during the adult class, exploring the rightful place of the church in politics. Trinity, Arkansas City raised more than $1,800 Oct. 18 through a taco salad dinner that brought 240 diners into the church. Themed baskets that were sold at the meal helped add to the total. Trinity, Atchison members read and discussed Philip Yancey’s book, What’s So Amazing About Grace?, an exploration of the nature of grace and the way it works in the lives of believers. St. Mark’s, Blue Rapids women hosted their second annual Ladies Christmas Tea Dec. 4 at the church. In addition to women of the parish, invitations went out to all women in Blue Rapids and nearby Waterville, as well as the Valley Heights community. St. Paul’s, Clay Center gave members a chance to go caroling Dec. 12, to pay visits to those who were homebound or ill. The event concluded with a stop at the local Pizza Hut St. Paul’s, Coffeyville offers the service of Evening Prayer every Sunday at 6 p.m. in the chapel. It is led by members of the congregation. St. Andrew’s, Derby collected personal care items in order to provide more than 300 hygiene kits for use by clients of Episcopal Social Services in Wichita. St. Martin’s, Edwardsville offered copies of the parish’s cookbook for sale for $9, for a
variety of gift-giving occasions.
fleece scarves to provide warmth to some of Kansas City’s homeless residents.
Trinity, El Dorado hosted its annual St. Nicholas Cookie Fair Dec. 4 at the church, complete with sales of pecans, white elephant items, James Avery jewelry and a variety of baked goods.
Grace Cathedral, Topeka hosted its annual chili cook-off Nov. 7, with some parishioners bringing crock pots of homemade chili and many others serving as tasters. Local firefighters were judges, and they declared Mary Becker as the winner.
St. Andrew’s, Emporia celebrated its 140th anniversary on Dec. 1. Festivities included a Eucharist celebrated by Bishop Dean Wolfe, and a dinner. Participants were encouraged to wear something plaid, since Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland. St. Thomas, Holton asked for donations to help the Kids Closet clothing bank costume exchange, allowing young people in need to have their perfect Halloween costume. Members were asked to provide new or gently used children’s costumes for the effort. Epiphany, Independence hosted the annual Southeast Convocation service of Advent Lessons and Carols on Dec. 5. Worshippers enjoyed refreshments in the parish hall after the service. Covenant, Junction City raised more than $1,300 during a spaghetti supper Nov. 17 at the church. Proceeds were earmarked for parish ministries. St. Paul’s, Kansas City cosponsored the Kansas City appearance of author Kevin Salwen, whose book, The Power of Half, describes his family’s commitment to consume less in order to give more away. Salwen’s lecture took place Nov. 10. St. Margaret’s, Lawrence adopted 18 people this Christmas
Photo by Karen Schlaubaugh
Welcoming St. Nicholas
A young parishioner at St. Michael and All Angels, Mission, feeds carrots to Spirit, a horse that accompanied “St. Nicholas” on a visit to the church Dec. 5. The saint was portrayed by Cecil Allen, and Jim and Margie Burton of St. Clare’s, Spring Hill, brought Spirit to assist. The event took place on the eve of the saint’s feast day.
through the local agency ECKAN. The congregation supplied each person with gifts and a Christmas meal. Trinity, Lawrence made nearly $8,000 during the first half of 2010 by selling grocery cards for local stores that accept them like cash. Merchants then returned 6 percent of sales bought with the cards to the church. St. Paul’s, Leavenworth welcomed more than 275 people Oct. 4 to its monthly supper, this time featuring spaghetti. The crowd was so large that cooks ran out of salads and desserts. The event raised about $1,200. St. Paul’s, Manhattan hosted an Oct. 31 concert by the Manhattan chapter of the American Guild of Organists. Musicians included 12 organists and a cellist. Funds from a free-will offering were designated for maintenance and upgrading of the parish organ. St. Paul’s, Marysville members spent part of a work day Nov. 6 painting a railing on a building ramp and adding to a new landscaping project.
For all the saints
Photo by Deacon Bob Hirst
Good Shepherd, Wichita, has a new All Saints banner, thanks to the skill of parishioner and fabric artist. Dorla Waddell. Waddell has made other hangings for the church, including Stations of the Cross, and for this banner she used scraps of fabric from other projects to create a variety of saints. Her work was influenced by the tapestries of saints that hang in the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady in Los Angeles. The banner also will be displayed during baptisms.
St. Michael’s, Mission on Dec. 2 offered a Blue Christmas service, geared in tone to people who find Christmas a particularly difficult time, often because of the death or loss of a loved one. The observance was part of the parish’s quarterly healing service. Ascension, Neodesha joined members of Epiphany, Independence in a Christmas caroling party Dec. 13, followed by a soup and chili supper at Epiphany. St. Matthew’s, Newton offered an all-day retreat Nov. 13 based on C.S. Lewis’s The Great
Divorce. The retreat was led by the Rev. Jerry Skillicorn of the Diocese of West Missouri. St. Aidan’s, Olathe expanded its outreach efforts to include collecting mattresses and bedding for Sleepyhead Beds, a Kansas Citybased agency that provides beds to children who don’t have one. Grace, Ottawa provided pies and salads for the Ottawa Community Thanksgiving dinner that was served at the local high school. St. Thomas, Overland Park again hosted the Johnson County Interfaith Hospitality Network holiday party Dec. 11 for families who use the IHN shelters. Participants were treated to gift cards, a holiday food basket and special gifts. St. John’s, Parsons raised money for its campus ministry “Laundry and Latte” program by wrapping Christmas gifts at the Coffeyville distribution center for Amazon.com. They made 65 cents per gift wrapped on Dec. 6 and 85 cents on Dec. 18. St. Peter’s, Pittsburg serves as one of three sites for a Tuesday morning breakfast program that recently received a $2,000 grant from the Southeast Kansas Community Action Program. St. Luke’s, Shawnee will host its annual New Year’s Eve party at the church. Participants are asked to bring games, snacks and beverages, and all will mark the new year at midnight with a prayer service, followed by breakfast. St. Clare’s, Spring Hill held an intergenerational Sunday school class Oct. 31, with parishioners and friends making 138
St. David’s, Topeka provided a Christmas Bazaar on Nov. 6 at the church, with the public invited to stop by and shop for craft items and baked goods and eat a hearty breakfast. Parish ministry groups also staffed booths to tell people about the parish. Proceeds were designated for church programs and outreach. St. Luke’s, Wamego hosted its annual cookies-by-the-pound sale Dec. 4 in Guild Hall, with women of the First Baptist Church also attending. The event also featured tables for home-based businesses to share information. St. Jude’s, Wellingon for the third year handed out candy during “Trick or Treat Down the Street” through downtown Wellington, with more than 600 bags of candy distributed. Good Shepherd, Wichita youth marked Veteran’s Day Nov. 11 by visiting the Dole Veteran’s Long-Term Care Facility and delivering bags of toiletry items. The event was designed to say thank you to those who live there. St. Bartholomew’s, Wichita culminated its annual decorating of the sanctuary for Christmas Dec. 19 with a soup-and-sandwich lunch after all the work was done. St. James’, Wichita took a special collection on Dec. 5 to support parish outreach projects, including an overflow shelter for the homeless that serves those in Wichita for whom no permanent housing is available. St. John’s, Wichita parishioners were invited to the home of their rector, the Rev. Cathie Caimano, and her husband, Chris Chapman, Wednesdays in December leading up to Christmas. The evenings included a potluck supper, a time of sharing and an informal Eucharist. St. Stephen’s, Wichita offered a special invitation to women of the congregation to join the parish’s chapter of the Daughters of the King, an order of Anglican women who promise to pray, serve and work for the spread of the Word of God. Grace, Winfield welcomed 98 people to church for Homecoming Sunday Oct. 17. Organized by the parish’s Membership Development Committee, the day included a barbecue lunch.
November/December 2010 • The Harvest • 9
People
Photos by Melodie Woerman
Above: Deacon Gail Reynolds (right) waits to receive the Archdeacons’ Cross Award from Archdeacon Charles Pearce (center), while Archdeacon Monte Giddings looks on. The award is given annually to a deacon for exemplary service. Reynolds serves at St. Paul’s, Kansas City. Left: The Rev. Sharon Billman (left) listens as the Rev. Jan Chubb speaks after the two priests received the Canon’s Award from Canon to the Ordinary the Rev. Craig Loya. This award is presented yearly to a priest for outstanding service. Billman is vicar of St. John’s, Parsons; Chubb is vicar of St. Timothy’s, Iola.
Jerry Malone (seated) watches as Bishop Dean Wolfe explains why she was this year’s recipient of the Bishop’s Chair Award, given to recognize outstanding service to the diocese by a lay person. Malone is a member of St. James’, Wichita.
Convention awards honor service of four women
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nnual awards handed out at the Diocesan Convention banquet on Oct. 23 this year honored four women for their outstanding service to the church. Jerry Malone, St. James’, Wichita, received the Bishop’s Chair Award, presented by Bishop Dean Wolfe to a lay person. Malone was recognized for her ongoing service in a variety of areas, including
efforts on behalf of stewardship and development, and organizing a special 150th diocesan anniversary trip to Washington, D.C., last year. She also served as master of ceremonies at a fundraiser for campus ministry the evening before convention started. The award is a rocking chair inscribed with the diocesan seal. Deacon Gail Reynolds received the sil-
ver cross and chain of the Archdeacons’ Cross Award, presented by Archdeacons Monte Giddings and Charles Pearce for service by a deacon. Reynolds, who serves at St. Paul’s, Kansas City, is instrumental in the parish’s food pantry, which last year distributed more than 135 tons of food. The Revs. Sharon Billman and Jan Chubb were presented with the Canon’s
Award by Canon to the Ordinary the Rev. Craig Loya, receiving an engraved plaque that features a military-style canon. Loya said the two women, who are vicars of parishes in the Southeast Convocation — Billman at St. John’s, Parsons, and Chubb at St. Timothy’s, Iola — exemplified the collegiality and steadfastness that mark outstanding priests. — Melodie Woerman
Three graduate from Kansas School for Ministry
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Photo by Melodie Woerman
(From left) Jeff Roper, St. James’, Wichita; Barbara Gibson, Grace Cathedral, Topeka; and Fran Wheeler, St. Aidan’s, Olathe, wait during Diocesan Convention to receive their diplomas as the newest graduates of the Kansas School for Ministry.
hree people were recognized at Diocesan Convention for having completed their course of studies at the Kansas School for Ministry, the first time since 2006 that there have been graduates from the program. They are: Barbara Gibson, Grace Cathedral, Topeka; Jeff Roper, St. James’, Wichita; and Fran Wheeler, St. Aidan’s, Olathe. All three were in a two-year program to prepare them for ordination as deacons, and their ordinations are set for Jan. 8, 2011. This will be the first time since June 2006 that people have been added to the diaconate.
Ordinations se sett for deacons, priests Saturday, Jan. 8, 2011 10:30 a.m. Grace Cathedral, Topeka
To be ordained to the diaconate: Barbara Gibson Jeff Roper Fran Wheeler
To be ordained to the priesthood: The Rev. Dixie Junk The Rev. Antoinette Tackkett The Rev. Michael Bell (on behalf of the Bishop of Los Angeles)
Clergy news The Rev. Dixie Roberts Junk has been named the new Jubilee Officer for the diocese by Bishop Dean Wolfe. She serves as deacon-in-charge at St. Paul’s, Kansas City, which is a Jubilee Center. The Rev. Robert Hutchinson was honored Nov. 20-21 for his 50 years of ministry as a priest at St. Bartholomew’s, Wichita, where he is rector. Hutchinson will retire at the end of this year. The Rev. Jane Smith, who served in the early 2000s at St. John’s, Wichita and St. Andrew’s, Derby, died Nov. 28 after a brief illness. She was 66. She was serving as rector of St. James in Lewistown, Mont., at the time of her death. A memorial service for her took place there.
10 • The Harvest • November/December 2010
National and international news Anglican news briefs Episcopal News Service Prayers originate in Bethlehem and Washington. Christians in Bethlehem and Washington. D.C., participated in a joint simulcast service Dec. 18 in English and Arabic that connected worshippers on two continents. Christians in the D.C. area assembled at Washington National Cathedral for the fourth annual service, with Palestinian Christians gathered at the Christmas Lutheran Church in the town where Jesus was born. Because of the time difference, worshippers gathered at 10 a.m. in Washington and at 5 p.m. in Bethlehem. Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and Jerusalem Anglican Bishop Jerusalem Suheil Dawani were among the clergy participating. Chicago chaplain to be ordained in a hospital. On Dec. 3 in Chicago, hospital chaplain Carol Reese was ordained to the priesthood in a service at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital, the former Cook County Hospital, where she has served as a chaplain in the trauma department since 2005. For Reese, formally entering the priesthood at the hospital — her parish, really — is an opportunity to call attention to the plight of the medically underserved. She is the first paid chaplain in the history of Stroger Hospital, and the only paid chaplain in the Cook County system. Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, who was in Chicago for a speech on religion and health care, participated in the ordination. Pakistani Christians face persecution. Pakistan’s first and only female Anglican priest, the Rev. Jane Shaw, has warned that persecution of Christians in the country is prompting talented potential future church leaders to settle abroad. Shaw, who four years ago became the Church of Pakistan’s only female presbyter-incharge, said she knew of four young pastors sent overseas for training who decided not to return to Pakistan. She said that while there have been incidents of Christians being attacked and killed, the majority of persecution was more insidious. As a result, families with the resources to do so are either moving abroad themselves or sending their children overseas to study. Too few members of her former congregation can see a future for their children in Pakistan. “Many go and don’t return,” she said. Oregon Episcopal School team wins $100,000 prize. Two Oregon Episcopal School high school students, inspired by the movie “I, Robot,” took top honors Dec. 6 in a national science competition for their research to recognize emotion in the human voice. Juniors Akash Krishnan, 16, and Matthew Fernandez, 17, will share the grand prize for a team — a $100,000 college scholarship — from the 12th annual Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology. Six individuals and six teams competed at the national finals at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Their work has applications for autism research, computer games, lie detection and even cell phone technology. Pension Fund will skip 2011 cost-of-living increase, special supplement. The trustees of the Church Pension Fund have decided not to grant a cost-of-living-related increase for retirees and surviving spouses in 2011, according to fund president Dennis T. Sullivan. He added that the trustees will not make a “onetime special supplement” benefit payment as they did in 2010. This will be the second year in a row that the Fund has not made a cost-of-living-related increase. Sullivan also said that the two decisions do not affect the payment of the annual Christmas Benefit that eligible retired clergy and surviving spouses receive each December. The fund uses the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index as a benchmark for cost-of-living increases. Nominations sought for churchwide bodies. Nominations for membership on seven bodies or positions to be elected at the Episcopal Church’s General Convention in 2012 are now being accepted by the Joint Standing Committee on Nominations. Bishops, priests, deacons and lay persons may be nominated, and nominees need not be current or former General Convention deputies. Positions are open for Executive Council, General Board of Examining Chaplains, Disciplinary Board for Bishops, Trustee of General Theological Seminary, Secretary of the House of Deputies, Treasurer of the General Convention and Trustee of the Church Pension Fund. Information about the positions is available at http://generalconvention.org/gc/gc2012-nominations
Photo by U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Alexandria Fire Department/ENS
The fire that destroyed the 129-year-old chapel at Virginia Theological Seminary has been ruled accidental. The seminary also plans to renovate its existing auditorium into a temporary worship space until a new chapel can be built.
Seminar emporar hapel Seminaryy plans ttemporar emporaryy cchapel
Move follows devastating Oct. 22 fire that was ruled accidental Reports from Virginia Theological Seminary and Episcopal News Service
chapel through its “New Chapel for a New Century” fund.
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Fire ruled accidental
n the wake of the Oct. 22 fire that destroyed its 129-year-old chapel, Virginia Theological Seminary’s committee charged with finding a semi-permanent worship space announced plans to renovate the existing seminary auditorium into a temporary, flexible prayer hall. The committee said the auditorium would need a variety of changes, including laying a wooden floor from the back of the auditorium to the stage to create a level floor in place of the current sloped floor; turning the existing stage into a sacristy and vesting room; and placing flexible seating around the altar, which would be placed in front of a wall of windows. The seminary hopes to have the new worship space ready in the first quarter of 2011. It also is accepting donations for a permanent
The fire that engulfed the chapel was ruled as accidental by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. A seminary spokeswoman said the fire began in a trash can left near a heater in the sacristy. Damage to the chapel, consecrated in 1881, is estimated at $2.5 million, the Bureau said. Noting that the fire was caused by “human agency,” the Very Rev. Ian S. Markham, VTS dean and president, nonetheless said, “It is agreed that all involved behaved with integrity and thoughtfulness.” There was no smoke detector or sprinkler system in the late Victorian wooden structure, he said. Founded in 1823, Virginia Theological Seminary is the largest of the 11 accredited seminaries of the Episcopal Church. It is located in Alexandria, Va.
Bishop of Cuba is installed in Havana Episcopal News Service
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he Rt. Rev. Griselda Delgado Del Carpio was installed as bishop of the Episcopal Church of Cuba during a Nov. 28 ceremony at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Havana. Among those attending the ceremony were Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and Archbishop Fred Hiltz of the Anglican Church of Canada. Delgado, 55, was consecrated as bishop coadjutor of the Episcopal Church of Cuba on Feb. 7 and has since worked with Bishop Miguel Tamayo of the Anglican Church of Uruguay as he completed his six-year tenure as Cuba’s interim bishop. With Tamayo’s retirement, Delgado becomes Cuba’s diocesan bishop and the first woman to serve in that role. Bolivia-born Delgado, who
Cuba Bishop Griselda Delgado Del Carpio celebrates the Eucharist at her installation as bishop Nov. 28 at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Havana.
formerly was rector of Santa Maria Virgen in Itabo, Cuba, was appointed as bishop coadjutor in January by the Metropolitan Council of Cuba, which governs
the Cuban church in matters of faith and order. The council, which is chaired by Hiltz and includes Jefferts Schori as a member, has overseen the church in Cuba since it separated from the U.S.-based Episcopal Church in 1967. Earlier this year, Jefferts Schori said that the council was “deeply impressed” with Delgado’s responses to questions it had asked a number of candidates about their understanding of episcopal ministry, the challenges and opportunities facing the church in Cuba, and how they would embrace them through their leadership. In September 2009, the Cuban church, for the second time, failed to elect a bishop coadjutor. After 13 inconclusive ballots were cast, the choice of a coadjutor fell to the council. The Cuban church includes about 40 congregations and some 10,000 Episcopalians.
November/December 2010 • The Harvest • 11
Episcopal Chur Churcch called tto o pra or Haiti prayy ffor Episcopal News Service
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Photo by Leslie Jones/ENS
A child at the Episcopal Church of Our Savior in Plainville, Conn., scoops dirt into a clay pot as part of the “Rhythms of Grace” service there for special needs children and their families.
Churches offer unique worship services for special needs kids and their parents By Sharon Sheridan Episcopal News Service
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rucifer Scott Collins stood at the front of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Harrington Park, N.J., and lifted high his cross. “Who’s ready for a cross parade?” he asked. About a dozen children and adults holding small wooden crosses lined up behind him, waving blue pom-poms and shaking noisemakers as they marched twice around the nave before returning to their seats. A few minutes and a brief Scripture lesson later, they left the pews again, gathering in the center aisle to grasp a “prayer rope” and recite, or listen to, the Lord’s Prayer. After a gluten-free Communion, congregants ended the 30-minute service as they began, parading behind the cross before turning in their bells and plastic clackers and heading to the parish hall for snacks, children’s videos and adult conversation. It’s not your typical Episcopal Eucharist. But it is part of a growing trend of alternative worship services geared to special-needs, and particularly autistic, children.
Se ormats are in use Sevveral fformats The Harrington Park service, held every other week since October, follows a liturgy called “All God’s Children” launched at Christ Episcopal Church in Budd Lake, N.J., three years ago. The Rev. Audrey Scanlan, a Connecticut Episcopal priest, and Linda Snyder, missioner for children and adults in the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut, developed another model called “Rhythms of Grace” that has been replicated in several states and is starting in the United Kingdom. Last summer, Morehouse Education Resources published the first volume of their three-year curriculum. Monthly Rhythms of Grace services last longer, from an hour to an hour and 45 minutes, and employ a “gathering activity” such as placing paperdoll cutouts on a mural of a church, plus sensory art activities based on each day’s theme, Scanlan said. The biblical storytelling time might employ playacting, call-and-refrain or a felt board. The congregation might play “Red Rover” or dance the HokeyPokey before sharing Communion.
Ser vices of or ship and acceptance Services offfer w wor orship Both liturgical models strive for the same goal: to offer worship, acceptance and community to special-needs children and parents who often feel unwelcome in traditional church services. “I’ve been looking for a church home,” said David M. Rice, attending his second service at St. Andrew’s with his 5 1/2-year-old autistic son David Jr. “We’ve been kicked out of church a few times because he’s kind of rambunctious and a little loud.”
Baptized in a Baptist church and raised Presbyterian, Rice said he’d found a home with All God’s Children. “I will be a devoted parishioner.” In Connecticut, Scanlan was a newly ordained curate at Trinity Episcopal Church in Torrington with a background in special education when a parishioner with an autistic son e-mailed the rector saying, “I can’t come to church anymore because my son is too disruptive in our Sunday school class and in church, and he’s too old to hang around in the nursery.” “I said, ‘Let’s see what we can do for them,’” recalled Scanlan, now rector at the Episcopal Church of Our Saviour, Plainville. “To this day, the format is really the same. It combines biblical storytelling with what we call therapeutic crafts and then a time of Communion, which is extremely informal. We sit on the ground around an apple crate covered with a fair linen and share Communion.”
Pr ograms dra w ttoddler oddler o tteens eens Programs draw oddlerss tto The program is in its eighth year, drawing everyone from toddlers to teens to a boy with Asperger’s syndrome who’s “got the Gospel of Luke memorized” and likes to recite parts of the service to children who are mostly nonverbal and some with significant mental retardation, she said. All God’s Children evolved after Bishop Mark Beckwith of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark visited Christ Church and spoke to the vestry about identifying the church’s need for a unique ministry. When he mentioned seeing a billboard about Autism Awareness Month during his drive to Budd Lake, “the room went dead silent,” parishioner Ray Bonker recounted. “The Holy Spirit filled the room. … Everybody else in the room knew I had two autistic kids.” Bonker spoke up, describing how he’d ended up spending Sundays in the church basement with his children instead of participating in the services and how he had been dissatisfied with worship that didn’t speak a “language” they understood. The bishop’s offhand comment proved a catalyst, as Bonker spent the next few months trying to see church through his children’s eyes and design a service that would “let them know that they are as much members of the church or as much God’s children as anybody else.” “What we’re doing,” Scanlan said, “is really responding to a pastoral need that was identified, not by us, but by the parent. We also have found this to be really a program of evangelism. We’re finding parents who have been disaffected or feeling uncomfortable or in some cases unwelcome in other churches … who are still hungry for a church community.” Sharon Sheridan is a correspondent for Episcopal News Service.
n the midst of increasing violence in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince Dec. 9, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori assured that country of the Episcopal Church’s concern for its citizens. “Our prayers continue for the people of Haiti, particularly at this time of increased anxiety, uncertainty, and outbreaks of violence,” Jefferts Schori said in a statement to Episcopal News Service. “May the Prince of Peace come speedily,” she added, echoing the season of Advent. The presiding bishop was due to spend Dec. 10-13 with the people of the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti, but she cancelled her trip
earlier in the week at the request of Bishop Jean Zaché Duracin. Angela Galbreath, Episcopal Church-appointed missionary to the Haitian diocese, reported that many of the lay leaders and the clergy of the diocese who had gathered Dec. 5 for a four-day Episcopal CREDO conference were stranded because of the unrest. She and CREDO Managing Director William Craddock reported that many of Haiti’s already nearly impassable roads were blocked by protestors, making travel unsafe. Violence broke out in the country’s earthquake-ravaged capital late on Dec. 8 shortly after Haiti’s Provisional Electoral Council announced the results of Nov. 28’s presidential election.
‘Blue’ Christmas services offer comfort By Pat McCaughan Episcopal News Service
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or the first time in four years, Margaret Rogers of Mira Loma, Calif., felt she could face Christmas in a new way. “The holidays have been so awful, so lonely,” since her 22year-old son Derek Crawford was shot and killed in Los Angeles in July 2006, said Rogers after attending a Nov. 30 “Blue Christmas” service at St. Mark’s Church in Upland, Calif. After years of “shock, of feeling like I couldn’t even hold a thought in my head,” lighting a candle in her son’s memory, singing the familiar songs, and hearing the Christmas story gave her hope for healing, even a sense of peace, she said. “It felt like such a community of caring. It’s such a healing thing to be in a place like this,” said Rogers, 57. “After my son was killed, I needed support, but there’s been nothing to recognize my grief. Once the funeral was over, it was just over.”
A ne w kind of Christmas new Some churches call them Blue Christmas services; others, the “Longest Night.” They are held at various times throughout the Advent season. The liturgies vary but their intent is the same, “to invite people to celebrate Christmas in a new way,” said the Rev. Michael Wright, rector of Grace Church in Charleston, S.C. “Someone will say to me that they can’t celebrate Christmas. That it’s the anniversary of a tragic death or something else that’s happened. I suggest there’s an option between celebrating Christmas the way you always did and in a new way,” he said in a recent telephone interview from his Charleston office. “We remember all those feel-
ings of pain and darkness and loss that are in the Christmas story and we’re reminded there’s something more than a Hallmark Christmas,” he added.
No false sense of jo joyy “There’s no false sense of Christmas joy,” he said. “There are lots of tears and the ability to feel whatever they’re feeling and to not have to put on a Christmas smile for everyone.” Wright said the sudden death of a sister-in-law when he was in high school eventually led him to explore alternative liturgies for the season. “She died in a car accident, and that introduced me to this other world of grieving people at Christmas that I’d never known before,” he recalled. “I met all these people I didn’t know existed who didn’t enjoy Christmas because it was too painful. They don’t want to destroy everybody else’s Christmas so they just fade away and hide during the season.” But the alternative service can “allow you to come and observe Christmas if you’re not going to observe it,” he said. “It’s also a place to put all these things in context. Then when Christmas comes maybe you can celebrate in a more joyous way because you’ve been able to grieve where you’ve needed to grieve.” At St. Peter’s Church in Lakewood, Ohio, the Blue Christmas liturgy “is a service of light, an early evening service of hymns, Scripture and we also have anointing,” said the Rev. Canon Nancy Wittig, assistant to the rector. It’s also a reminder that “they too are welcome under the umbrella of a loving God, even though right now they’re having a hard time,” she said. The Rev. Pat McCaughan is a national correspondent for Episcopal News Service, based in Los Angeles.
12 • The Harvest • November/December 2010
Reflections on faith and life
Sharing the Good News
Diocesan Calendar January 2011
February 2011
Remember the po wer of light pow
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Ordinations, Grace Cathedral, Topeka
13 Bishop Wolfe at Trinity, Atchison
The Presiding Bishop’s Christmas message
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Bishop Wolfe at Trinity, Lawrence
15 Council of Trustees meeting, Bubb Room, Grace Cathedral, Topeka
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. — Isaiah 9:2
11 Council of Trustees meeting, Bubb Room, Grace Cathedral, Topeka
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15 Miqra youth weekend. Grace Cathedral and St. David’s, Topeka (through Jan. 17)
22 Northeast Convocation clericus, Trinity, Atchison 26 Lay Leadership Academy, Grace Cathedral, Topeka
16 Bishop Wolfe at St. David’s, Topeka 22 Commission on Ministry meeting, Bethany Place Conference Center 25 Northeast Convocation clericus, St. Aidan’s, Olathe 30 Bishop Wolfe at St. Christopher’s, Wichita
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People in many parts of this world still live with the echo of tramping boots and the memory of bloody clothing. hat’s how the first lesson of Christmas Many Episcopalians are living with that Eve opens. It’s familiar and comfort anxiety right now, particularly in Haiti and ing, as the familiar words go on to say Sudan. that light has shined on those Americans know it who live in deep darkness, through the ongoing anxiety that God has brought joy to after Sept. 11 and in the Remember the people living under oppreswounded soldiers returning hunger for sion, for a child has been to their families and commuborne to us. nities, grievously changed by peace and light The name of that child is their experience of war. when you hear Wonderful Counselor, Remember the terror of Mighty God, Everlasting war when you hear those the shocking Father, Prince of Peace — words about light on Christpromise that a and God is bringing an mas Eve. poor child born endless peace through an heir Remember the hunger for to the throne of David (verses peace and light when you in a stable 3, 4, 6 and 7). hear the shocking promise will lead us all This year we’re going to that a poor child born in a hear a bit we haven’t heard in stable will lead us all into a into a world Episcopal churches before, in world without war. without war. that missing verse 5. Remember the power of It’s pretty shocking, but it light when you go out into helps explain why the hunger the darkness after hearing for light is so intense, and the those words — and pray that joy so great when it comes: “For all the boots you and those around you may become of the tramping warriors and all the garments instruments of peace. rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire.” Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on The coming of this prince of peace will earth peace among those whom he favors! — mean the end of all signs of war and violence. Luke 2:14 An occupied people will finally live in peace, without anxiety about who or what will The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori confront them the next time they go out their Presiding Bishop and Primate front doors. The Episcopal Church
The mission of the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas is to gather, equip and send disciples of Jesus Christ to witness to God’s reconciling love.