DioLog is the biweekly newsletter sent by e-mail (usually) every other week to more than 700 clergy and lay leaders across the diocese and elsewhere.
The next edition of DioLog will be sent to subscribers on Thursday, May 27.
If you have items to submit, contact Karen Schlabach by email.
Parishes are free to excerpt anything printed in DioLog; attribution that material is reprinted from DioLog is appreciated. Feel free to copy this and make it available to parishioners in whatever way is most useful.
Subscribe to DioLog and/or The Harvest, the quarterly diocesan magazine
Past issues are available for download or by contacting the diocesan office.
Current Issue: May 13, 2021
Announcement of Diocesan Convention and deadlines for nominations, other actions
Bishop Cathleen Bascom announces that the 162nd Annual Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas will take place Oct. 22–23 in Topeka, and Friday, Aug. 6 has been set as the deadline to submit any of the following items that might come before the convention.
Nominations for those being elected at the convention:
- One lay and one clergy at-large member of the Council of Trustees, and one clergyperson to complete the last two years of an unexpired at-large term. Stephan Mann is finishing his second term on the Council of Trustees and is not eligible to seek reelection. The Rev. Casey Rohleder is eligible for reelection.
- Three lay and four clergy members of the Disciplinary Board. All those currently serving can be reelected.
Nominations should be submitted on the online form.
The chair of the Nominations and Elections Committee, the Very Rev. Laurie Lewis, can be contacted about questions at revdlaurie@gmail.com.
Amendments to the constitution or canons of the diocese
Proposed amendments should be sent to Frank Taylor at ftaylor@hrkklaw.com.
Debatable resolutions
Debatable resolutions should be sent to Deacon Oliver Bunker at oliverf.bunker@gmail.com.
Five to be ordained deacon in June 19 service
Bishop Cathleen Bascom on June 19 will ordained five people to the diaconate in a 10:30 a.m. service at Grace Cathedral, Topeka: Carl Edwards, Dillon Green, Karen Schlabach, Shawn Sherraden and Ryan Willis. Edwards will remain a deacon as his ministry; the others are scheduled to be ordained priest next year.
While the latest Covid guidelines allow for a larger congregation than with ordinations in recent months, only those invited by the ordinands or the bishop will be in the cathedral. Others are invited to watch on the diocese’s YouTube channel.
Anyone wanting to send greetings to the ordinands by card, note or letter may send them in care of the diocesan office, 835 SW Polk St., Topeka, KS 66612.
A few spots remain for Episcopal Summer Camp
There currently are only a few openings for campers:
- Elementary boys: full
- Elementary girls: full
- Junior high boys: 2 spots
- Junior high girls: full
- Senior high boys: 1 spot
- Senior high girls: full
A wait list also is being kept in case any campers are unable to attend; sign up on the camp registration form.
A few counselors also still are needed:
- Female counselors: 4
- Male counselors: 2
If interested in serving as a counselor, please contact Karen Schlabach at kschlabach@episcopal-ks.org as soon as possible.
Episcopal Summer Camp will take place June 6–12 at Camp Wood YMCA near Elmdale, Kans.
Has your church filed the required annual report with the state of Kansas?
If your congregation has not yet filed its non-profit annual report with the State of Kansas, there are only a few weeks left to file the report and remain in good standing.
The deadline to file is June 15. (Last year, filers received an extra month.)
The report can be completed online. There also is a link that allows download of a paper copy to complete and return by mail.
A certificate of good standing for every congregation must be on file with the Secretary of State’s office in order for lay delegates to be eligible to vote at Diocesan Convention.
Do you have questions about whether your church is in compliance? Contact Michele Moss, Diocesan Convention coordinator, at mmoss@episcopal-ks.org.
Agency offers vaccination information, options for local churches
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment is providing tools so churches can help their communities get vaccinated against Covid-19.
The first is a fact sheet, in both English and Spanish, that lists all the resources available for testing and vaccination.
The second is a form where churches wishing to help vaccinate vulnerable populations by hosting a vaccination clinic can sign up.
A reminder: anyone wishing to get vaccinated can text their zip code to 438829 (GETVAX) to find a provider near them.
Webinars to explore Episcopal Church’s racial audit
The Episcopal Church is offering a series of webinars to explore aspects of the racial audit that was released in April.
The audit was created through surveys and interviews with more than 1,300 members of the church’s key leadership bodies about their experiences of racism, racial identity and power in the life of the Episcopal Church.
- An online look at the nine dominant patterns of systemic racism that emerged in the audit will be discussed on Tuesday, June 1 at 5 p.m. Central time. Registration is online.
- An online discussion of how to transfer this information into action will take place on Tuesday, June 29 at 5 p.m. Central. Registration is online.
The audit itself is available as a PDF.
An executive summary as a PDF.
This and other information, including a video by Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, is available on a website devoted to the radial audit.
Vestry Papers focuses on small churches
The May issue of Vestry Papers offers a variety of articles focusing on small churches. It focuses on how churches can be “small but mighty.”
Articles are in a PDF and online.
BKSM offers summer courses
Bishop Kemper School for Ministry is offering seven courses this summer, designed to support clergy and lay leaders in their ministry. Except where noted, classes run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, with no pre-work required.
You can attend in person in Topeka or online over Zoom. Tuition for each course is just $100, and scholarships are available.
For more information, visit the BKSM website.
- June 5: “Stress Management”with the Rev. Art Rathbun
- June 26: “Prepare & Enrich Marriage Preparation Facilitator Training”with the Rev. Andrew O’Connor
- June 26: “Leading through Conflict” with the Rev. Art Rathbun
- July 10: “Having Meaningful Conversation amid Disagreement”with the Rev. Art Rathbun
- July 15, 22, 29, Aug 5: “The Sacred Journey: Spiritual Autobiography”(Thursdays, 6–8 p.m., Zoom only) with Mr. Tim Bascom
- July 24: “Healing Our Community’s Broken Heart” with the Rev. Tom Baker
- July 31: “Nurturing the Spiritual Life of the Child” with Ms. Margaret Schaefer
Information about Episcopal Summer Camp
Episcopal Summer Camp will take place this year and will follow the recommendations from Camp Wood YMCA and the American Camp Association (their accrediting body) to provide as safe an environment as possible, but we cannot eliminate 100 percent of the risk.
Read more about camp-specific health protocols. This web page will be updated as the leadership team continues to meet and plan for this summer.
- When: June 6–12
- Where: Camp Wood YMCA, Elmdale, Kans.
- Who: Students in grades 3–12 for the 2020-21 school year (you must have finished third grade to attend).
- Camp is not restricted to Episcopalians or regular churchgoers. All are welcome, so feel free to invite friends and family.
- 2021 Camp will be limited to about 104 campers.
- All participants need to provide Covid-19 vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test.
- Cost: $500. Payment plans are available. If you choose this, UltraCamp will automatically divide the cost of camp over the remaining months between when you register and the start of camp.
- Registration is online via UltraCamp.
- Scholarships: You can apply for scholarships on the registration form. Information about your household income will be required. Scholarships are awarded by a committee. Your parish should also be able to provide some scholarship money.
- Cancellation deadline: Two weeks prior to the start of the camp session for a 100 percent refund; at any time with a doctor’s note for 100 percent refund.
Campus peer ministry applications for 2021-2022 now are accepted
If you are a full-time college student (or know one), have demonstrated ministry leadership experience and seek more of it, and you’re passionate about deepening your own spiritual journey and serving others by sharing the love of Christ with those you meet, peer ministry might be right for you.
As a peer minister, you work collaboratively with parish leaders as well as the Formation Team to design and lead program opportunities that highlight faith formation, Christian community, discernment and leadership development in your campus community.
At K-State and KU, there is the opportunity to live in-residence at one of our Canterbury Houses (for free).
Presiding Bishop Curry to help host a special Pentecost celebration
The Episcopal Church will offer two online events marking Pentecost designed to offer hope, celebrate difference, honor creation, foster beloved community and send people toward Jesus’s Way of Love. Presiding Bishop Michael Curry will have roles in each event – a concert and a revival worship.
The weekend of events will include:
- Saturday, May 22, 5–6:30 p.m. Central time: Concert for the Human Family and “From Many, One” community conversations
- Sunday, May 23, 3–4:30 p.m. Central time: Churchwide Pentecost revival worship from Philadelphia, Navajoland, Seattle, St. Louis and Washington, D.C.
The concert is framed by the “From Many, One: Conversations Across Difference” effort, with a pair of musicians sharing their stories at the opening of the concert. Bishop Curry will host further conversation after the concert and then invite the audience to share in small group Conversations Across Difference.
The revival worship will draw on the gifts, testimonies, songs and voices of Episcopalians in cathedrals and communities across the church, including St. Mark’s Cathedral in Seattle, indigenous churches in Navajoland and South Dakota, Christ Church Cathedral in Philadelphia, St. Mark’s Cathedral in Seattle, Washington National Cathedral, and Christ Church in St. Louis, Mo.
The Pentecost Way of Love revival worship service will be aired on the Episcopal Church’s various web channels, including Facebook and the Episcopal Church website.
Register for the free concert and conversations online.
Minutes of Council of Trustees meeting now are online
Minutes of the March 17 meeting of the Council of Trustees have been approved and now are posted on the diocesan website.
Clergy notes
The Rev. Christine Gilson, vicar of St. John’s, Wichita, and former rector of Trinity, El Dorado, on May 14 will receive a Doctor of Ministry degree from the Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis. Congratulations!
Anniversaries of ordinations
Congratulations go to these people as they celebrate the anniversaries of their ordination in the next two weeks:
May 21: The Rev. David Mouille, retired (53 years)
May 23: The Rev. Susan Terry, retired (34 years)
May 24: The Rev. Harvey Hillin, retired, Diocese of Western Kansas (6 years)
May 26: Archdeacon Monte Giddings, St. Michael and All Angels, Mission (22 years)
A note from the editor
This is the final edition of DioLog for me as editor before I retire on May 31.
Starting with the next issue, DioLog will be in the capable hands of Karen Schlabach, the diocese’s youth, young adult and campus missioner. You may already receive her newsletter, so you know she is an excellent communicator.
I am deeply grateful to all the readers of this newsletter since it was started in the fall of 2004. Communications is central to the church’s mission, so thank you for reading!
Melodie Woerman
Stay in touch with the diocese on social media
You can find news, features and updates from the diocese on social media. We’re on Facebook – EpiscopalDioceseofKansas; Twitter – @EpiscoKs and Instagram – @EpiscoKs.
You can find diocesan youth and campus ministries on Instagram, too:
- Youth: @edokyouth
- Canterbury House of Lawrence: @canterburylfk
- Canterbury at K-State: @canterburyatkstate
Bethany House and Garden, one of the newest ministries of the diocese, offers these ways to stay connected:
- Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/bethanyhouseandgarden/)
- Instagram: @bethanyhouseandgarden
- Twitter: @garden_bethany
835 SW Polk St.