Sept. 25, 2014
Diocesan Convention priority registration deadline is Friday, Sept. 26
Any lay delegate or clergyperson who has not yet registered for Diocesan Convention has until midnight on Friday, Sept. 26 to do so without the $25 per person late fee.
Every person who registers must complete his or her own form, available at The link also is on the Diocesan Convention page on the diocesan website,
Payment is by check, so after registering, please make your check payable to "Episcopal Diocese of Kansas" with "Diocesan Convention" in the memo line, and mail to Michele Moss, Episcopal Diocese of Kansas, 835 SW Polk St., Topeka, KS 66612.
Congregations that send in a check for clergy or delegates are asked to indicate names for whom they are paying.
Questions? Contact convention coordinator Michele Moss at , (800) 473-3563 or (785) 235-9255.
Pre-convention “tailgate” party is set for Thursday, Oct. 23.Those who are attending Diocesan Convention and are in Topeka the night before are invited to a special “tailgate” event at Grace Cathedral, 701 SW 8th Ave.
A social hour starts at 6 p.m. in the cathedral’s newly renovated Entrance Hall, and dinner – hosted by the Men in Ministry Group of St. Michael and All Angels, Mission – follows at 6:30 p.m. After that, stay for Compline with the Cathedral Choir.
There is no charge, and pre-registration isn‘t needed. If you’re in town for convention, just stop by for drinks, dinner and worship.
Exhibitors are still welcome to register. Does your parish ministry group want to share its work with others around the diocese? Does your bookstore have items you’d like to offer for sale? Do you know others who might be interested in reaching more than 200 Kansas Episcopalians who have gathered for Convention?
If so, you can register as an exhibitor or vendor at this year’s Diocesan Convention (which is set for Oct. 24-25 in Topeka).
Non-profit organizations can reserve a booth for $40 per table for the entire event; the rate is $60 for for-profit groups. Exhibitors also can purchase convention meals for an additional fee.
Materials are on the convention website, or you can contact convention coordinator Michele Moss for assistance. She can be reached at , (785) 235-9255 or (800) 473-3563.
Is your church doing a Blessing of the Animals?
If so, be sure to let your local newspaper or radio and television stations know about it. The Episcopal Church gets as much publicity for this event as any other during the year.
When you send your news release, be sure to tell them when and where it will take place, and who will be involved. Be sure to let them know that this will be a great opportunity for photos and video footage.
You also might want to consider taking out Facebook ads targeting the area around your church. Some ideas for clever online ads is provided by the “Holy Geek” blog,
Need help? Contact Director of Communications Melodie Woerman at .
NewBeginnings registration now is open
For the first time, New Beginnings will be offered in the fall: Nov. 7-9, at Good Shepherd, Wichita. This weekend spiritual retreat is for students in grades 6-8 of the current school year, with high school youth serving on staff.
NewBeginnings focuses on the two greatest commandments: loving God with all our heart, mind and strength, and loving our neighbors as ourselves.
The priority registration deadline is Thursday, Oct. 23. There will be a staff planning day for high school students and adults on Saturday, Oct. 18, from 1:30 - 3:30 pm at St. Andrew’s, Emporia.
More information, registration forms and a poster are available on the youth website,
Calling all former students of the Kansas School for Ministry
A group of people are forming a Bishop Kemper School for Ministry Alumni group, and they are looking for the names of people who attended its precursor, the Kanas School for Ministry.
Did you graduate from KSM? Or did you ever take a class at the school? If so, be sure your name gets added to the list.
Please send your name, address, phone number, email address and the year you attended classes or graduated, to the current BSKM dean, the Rev. Don Compier, at .
Gala dinner/dance planned for Nov. 7
“A Night to Remember” is the theme for a gala for all members of the diocese, featuring dinner and dancing on Friday, Nov. 7 from 7 – 11 p.m. It takes place at St. Thomas’, 12251 Antioch Rd., in Overland Park.
The cost is $65 per person, and the dress is black tie optional. Cocktails begin at 7 p.m., dinner is served at 8 p.m. and dancing is from 9-11 p.m.
Dinner will be provided by Culinary Cornerstones, a ministry of Episcopal Community Services. Dancing will be to the music of the acclaimed Michael Beers Band.
Tickets can be purchased either by check or credit card.
To reserve your seats by check, send the names of those attending, plus a check for $65 per person, to Comptroller Jay Currie, Episcopal Diocese of Kansas, 835 SW Polk St., Topeka. KS 66612. Make checks payable to “Episcopal Diocese of Kansas” with “Night to Remember” in the memo line.
If paying by credit card, go to the special online registration form at
Questions? Contact the event chair, Jerry Malone, at (316) 688-1590 or .
Liturgy Commission seeks input on Holy Women Holy Men
The Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music (SCLM) seeks comment on a new approach to commemorations: A Great Cloud of Witnesses.
After reviewing responses to Holy Women, Holy Men, SCLM is proposing that a calendar and liturgical material for optional commemorations be included in a volume entitled A Great Cloud of Witnesses. The full proposal is on the commission’s blog at
Comments can be left on the blog or sent to the Commission by email, .
Episcopal Church Foundation offers variety of webinars
As part of ECF's ongoing efforts to assist congregations in developing their leadership and financial resources, they are offering a series of web conferences for clergy and lay parish leaders in coming weeks. There is no cost to participate in any of these web conferences.
More information on all these offerings, with links to register, are online at
- Evangelism: Mission Impossible?(Sept. 30, 6-7 p.m. Central time). Focuses on the challenges of the mission and evangelism of the church restart process.
- Integrating Annual Giving, Capital Campaigns and Planned Giving(Oct. 1, 6-7 p.m. Central time). Far from competing for the same dollars, annual, capital and planned giving programs should complement each other to build vibrant current ministries while ensuring their future.
- Vestries: The Next Six Months(Oct. 7, 6-7 p.m. Central time.) An overview of free, online resources and exemplary practices in the areas of the annual stewardship campaign; nominating and electing new Vestry members; and preparing for the annual meeting, Vestry orientation and first Vestry retreat.
- Basics of Endowment(Oct. 15, 6-7 p.m. Central time). Reviews basic principles and best practices for endowment management.
- Communicating Stewardship Year-Round(Oct. 21, 6-7 p.m. Central time). Learn ways to build a communications plan centered on your congregation's stories of ministry and faith and primarily using resources already in place.
- Volunteer Ministry(Nov. 13, 6-7 p.m. Central time). Covers the basics of effective delegation, the differences between leaders and volunteers, and building up an engaged volunteer base that is connected to the mission of the congregation.
Does your group want to have an exhibit at next year’s General Convention?
Exhibitor applications are now available for organizations and vendors interested in exhibiting at The Episcopal Church’s 78th General Convention, June 25 – July 3, 2015, at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Exhibitor applications are available through the General Convention website,
The exhibit area serves as a marketplace and educational arena for attendees. General Convention attracts thousands of people of all ages for more than one week, which provides a desirable venue for exhibitors.
For more information contact General Convention Manager Lori M. Ionnitiu at , 212-716-6048
Applications accepted for Acting Missioner for Transition Ministry
Applications are now being accepted for the position of Acting Missioner for the Office of Transition Ministry for the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society.
The Acting Missioner position is slated through September 2015, after which the Program and Budget vision set at General Convention 2015 will be implemented. The successful candidate would be eligible for consideration for any related future position as established by the GC 2015 budget.
The position is full-time and does not require relocation.
Information on this and all the positions as well as application instructions are available online at
For more information contact a member of the Episcopal Church Human Resources Team .
KC-area church sponsors conversation about income inequality
All members of the diocese are invited to a special forum sponsored by Village Presbyterian Church entitled “Faith and Fairness, a conversation about income inequality.”
The event will be Saturday, Oct. 18 from 9 a.m. to noon in the Friendship Hall of the church, which is located at 6641 Mission Rd., Prairie Village, KS 66208. Among those on the panel are the Rev. Susan McCann, rector of Grace Episcopal Church in Liberty, Mo.
The event, which is free, opens with a continental breakfast, followed by speaker presentations and an income equality simulation.
RSVP by Sunday, Oct. 12 to Marianne Weber at (913) 671-2333 or .
Upcoming events
Thistle Farms national conference. Oct. 12-14, at the Scarritt Bennett Center in Nashville, Tenn. The conference explores the root causes of trafficking, prostitution and homelessness. Thistle Farms-Magdalene is a social enterprise of women who have survived prostitution, trafficking and addiction. More information is on their website,
Prison Ministry conference. March 4-6, 2015, sponsored by the Episcopal Diocese of Florida. A practical conference for those involved in prison and post-release ministries. More information to follow.
National Episcopal Preaching Conference – “Preaching in Spanish.” March 5-7, 2015. Cathedral Center of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles. More information is online,
Anniversaries of ordinations
Congratulations go to these people as they celebrate the anniversaries of their ordination in the next two weeks:
Sept. 26: Deacon Don Chubb, Grace Cathedral (38 years)
Sept. 27: Deacon Patty Minx, non-parochial (11 years)
Sept. 28: The Rev. Don Moses, retired (46 years)
Sept. 29: The Rev. Marc Lee, non-parochial (34 years)
Oct. 1: The Rev. Ty Petty, non-parochial (42 years)
Oct. 5: The Rev. Kay Dagg, non-parochial (12 years)
Oct. 6: Deacon Terry Miescher, St. Bartholomew’s, Wichita (15 years); Deacon Patsy Abshier, retired (15 years)
Stay in touch via Facebook and Twitter
You can find news, features and updates from the diocese on social media. We’re on Facebook – EpiscopalDioceseofKansas ( – and Twitter – @EpiscoKs.
Next DioLog
The next edition of DioLog will be sent to subscribers on Thursday, Oct. 9. Information to be included should be sent to Melodie Woerman, diocesan director of communications, at , no later than Tuesday, Oct. 7.
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