April 2, 2015
Bishop Wolfe urges participation in Good Friday Offering
Dear Friends:
At a time when ongoing strife in the Middle East fills our airwaves, we have the chance to do something positive for Christians living in the region that Jesus called home.
Since 1922, the Episcopal Church has collected a Good Friday Offering to support the ministries of the four Anglican dioceses of the Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East.
Pastoral care, education and health care continue to be primary ministries through which churches in the region offer the reconciling spirit of the Christian faith to all in need.
As Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori has said, through this Offering, “refugees are cared for, the sick and injured are healed, the dead are buried, children are educated, women are empowered by these ministries – and all are welcomed with open arms.”
A variety of resources to help you in making this appeal in your parish is on the Episcopal Church website,
I strongly urge everyone in the diocese to be generous in contributing to this important show of solidarity and compassion to our sisters and brothers who suffer so much, and minster so bravely, in a troubled land.
+Dean
Reminder to deacons to register for the Deacons Gathering
Deacons who plan to attend the annual Deacons Gathering – set for April 17-19 at the Spiritual Life Center in Wichita – are reminded that they must register first.
The Gathering begins on Friday, April 17 with dinner at 5:30 p.m. and concludes Sunday morning, April 19.
Registrations are online at
For questions or more information, please contact Jeanne Atha at .
Youth news
> YouthTide registration deadline extended to April 10. Come ADVENTure with us through all the seasons of the Episcopal church year!
One weekend filled with Advent wreaths, gingerbread nativities, king’s cake, spiritual gifts, silent prayer, the Last Supper, an Easter egg hunt, and so much more! April 17-19 at Grace Cathedral in Topeka, open to grades 6-12. The cost is $50.
More info and registration is online at
>Register for Episcopal Summer MegaCamp now! Camp is May 31-June 6 at Camp Wood YMCA. The cost is $420 for the week. Registrations are due by May 8.
The volunteer Episcopal staff provides solid Christian education, featuring worship, music, small group discussions and prayer. Camp Wood features a variety of activities such as horseback riding, archery, climbing tower, canoeing, kayaking, swimming, water slide, mudslide, arts and crafts, and sports.
Camp is open to those currently in grades 3-12, and their friends.
For registration forms and more information see
Find out why youth love Mega Camp by watching the camp commercials:
We currently have 32 requests for scholarships, and were only able to budget for 20. We are trying to raise additional funds to ensure that every family who wants their children to attend camp is able to do so.
> Space is still available for youth and college students to attend General Convention. In partnership with the Episcopal Diocese of West Missouri, we will be taking a delegation of 33 youth, college students and adults as guests to the 78th General Convention of the Episcopal Church in Salt Lake City, Utah.
This year’s General Convention will be extra exciting, as we will be there to witness the election of the next Presiding Bishop! We will spend four days at Convention and one day site seeing.
Open to students who have finished grades 9-12 and college-age students. June 22-29. The cost is $400 per person plus food expenses. See for more information.
> Recharge registration now open. Recharge is a one-night retreat for youth ministers and volunteers in the diocese.
This year there will be multiple mini-sessions covering topics such as relational youth ministry, moving from chaperones to shepherds, and cooperative work with parents. We also always have a resource sharing and problem-solving time.
May 1-2 at Upton Hall, Topeka; the cost is just $15. Get more information or sign up online at
Wamego health ministry sponsors benefit run/walk in Topeka April 18
Community Health Ministry, which is a recognized Jubilee Ministry of the Episcopal Church through St. Luke’s, Wamego, is sponsoring a benefit 5K run and a 1.5-mile walk on Saturday, April 18 on the campus of Topeka’s Washburn University.
The 5K run starts at 9 a.m., with the 1.5-mile walk starting at 10 a.m. The cost to register for either event is $20 before April 11 and $25 after that date.
Registration is online at
Community Health Ministries serves the counties around Wamego by providing medical and dental care, mental health counseling, and social programs such as rent or utility assistance, food pantries, advocacy, and household and clothing items.
The event is co-sponsored by the Rotaract Club (student Rotarians), Valeo Behavioral Health Center and Aldersgate Village.
Cathedral hosts piano concert on April 26
Pianist Christopher Atzinger will perform in concert at Grace Cathedral, Topeka on Sunday, April 26 at 3 p.m. as the next installment of the Great Spaces Music & Arts Series.
Along with familiar works by Johann Hummel, Chopin and Jalbert, Atzinger will perform Richard Danielpour’s “The Enchanted Garden” Book 2.
This event is a partnership project with Kansas Public Radio.
More information is online at
Bishop Kemper School has a new mailing address
With the hiring of new staff by the Bishop Kemper School for Ministry, the diocesan office no longer is handling their accounting functions.
Those with checks for the school, or bills to be paid, should send them to the school’s dean, the Very Rev. Don Compier, at 3305 S. Arrowhead Dr., Independence, MO 64057.
The new Harvest magazine now is available online
While the print version will be in subscriber mailboxes in the next week to 10 days, the Spring 2015 edition of The Harvest now is online:
The Harvest, the diocese’s news magazine, now appears quarterly. The online version includes all photos in color; the print edition will include eight interior pages that are black-and-white.
Reminder – Daughters of the King spring assembly is April 18
The spring assembly of the Daughters of the King of the Diocese of Kansas is set for Saturday, April 18 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 1300 N. 18th Street, Kansas City, Kansas.
The event’s theme is “Refresh, Renew, Rejoice!”
Registration begins at 11:30 a.m., and the assembly will conclude about 4 p.m. following the closing Eucharist.
The registration deadline has been extended through April 4.
For more information, contact Carolyn Sturgeon at (913) 782-7468 or .
Western Kansas ECW invites all women to an event with Lauren Winner
The Episcopal Church Women of the Diocese of Western Kansas invites all women to an event with author and historian Lauren Winner on Saturday, April 25 at Grace Episcopal Church in Hutchinson.
Winner is assistant professor of Christian spirituality at Duke Divinity School in Durham, N.C.
The day will begin at 9:30 a.m. with registration and ends after a Eucharist that begins at 2:15 p.m.
The deadline for early registration is Saturday, April 4, to receive the price of $35 per person. After that, the cost is $45. The fee includes lunch.
More information, including a downloadable registration form, is online at
Bishop Kemper School offers summer classes for Christian educators and youth leaders
This summer Bishop Kemper School for Ministry will offer two special courses designed for current and potential Christian educators and youth leaders.
- June 13-14: Mini 340: Christian Education Leadership Survey
Participants will learn about “big picture” issues in leading Christian education programs, including engaging clergy and vestry support; developing mission, vision, goal and objectives; budgeting; safety guidelines; gift discernment; recruiting, training, supporting and appreciating volunteers; exploring cultural issues; and self-soul care. Deadline to register is May 14. - July 18-19: Mini 350: Christian Education Children & Youth Teaching Survey
Participants will learn teaching logistics and best practices, including human growth and development; welcoming and hospitality; effective teaching and behavior management; curriculum evaluation and selection; designing, adapting and implementing lessons; and relational ministry with children and youth. Deadline to register is June 18.
The June class is a prerequisite for the July class.
Classes will take place at Upton Hall Conference Center in Topeka (just south of Grace Cathedral).
The cost is $125 per person for each weekend, which includes meals and lodging at Upton Hall.
Both classes will be taught by diocesan Youth Missioner Karen Schlabach, M.S. in Student Counseling and Personnel Services; and Sue Crew, M.S. in Adult and Continuing Education and Director of Christian Formation at St. Michael and all Angels, Mission.
If interested in registering, please contact BKSM’s dean, the Very Rev. Don H. Compier, at .
Webinars offered by Episcopal Church Foundation
Some helpful free online webinars are being offered this spring by the Episcopal Church Foundation:
- Wednesday, April 15, 6 p.m. Central time: Basics of a Capital Campaign. This webinar provides a step-by-step understanding of the methodology that has led hundreds of Episcopal parishes to success using a flexible three phase process: Discernment, Feasibility Study and Gifting Phase. Learn how to prepare for and execute a campaign for your church.
- Thursday, April 16, 6 p.m. Central time: Learning from the Small Church Way. In this webinar, Kay Collier McLaughlin explores the leadership and financial lessons that the wider church can gain from our many small churches.
- Wednesday, April 22, 6 p.m. Central time. Spending Rules for Endowments. Using proper spending rules with your endowment is key to maintaining confidence and trust with your congregation and a key component of proper endowment management. Participants will learn about policies and practices to protect, manage and grow your existing endowment.
- Thursday, April 23, 6 p.m. Central time: Strategic Thinking for Congregations. How are we responding to the rapid pace of change throughout the church and in the world around us, and how we can be proactively addressing it? With change happening at an ever- rapid pace, congregations can no longer afford to strategically plan more than a year or two ahead.
More information and links to register for any of these offerings is online at
Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggeman to speak in St. Joseph, Mo.
The Faith & Culture Conference 2015 will feature noted Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggeman April 13-15. Registration is $79 per person in advance or $99 per person at the door.
The event is sponsored by Word of Life Church and takes place at their facility in St. Joseph, Mo.
More information is online at
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month
Across the country April is designated as a time to make people aware of how to prevent child abuse. In Kansas, Kansas Children’s Service League (KCSL) is the organization that heads this important effort.
The symbol of the effort is a blue-and-white pinwheel, and some of them may be seen in cities across the state as a reminder.
KCSL also has designated April 10 as Wear Blue Day.
If your church wants to lean how it can add child abuse prevention awareness to its care for children, more resources are online at
People notes
The Rev. Michael Herrick, who served as rector of Grace, Winfield and St. Matthias’, Wichita (a predecessor of Good Shepherd, Wichita) before becoming a priest of the Orthodox Church, died March 29 in Green Bay, Wis. He was 85.
His obituary is online at
Anniversaries of ordinations
Congratulations go to these people as they celebrate the anniversaries of their ordination in the next two weeks:
April 5: The Rev. Jerry Adinolfi, retired (18 years)
April 7: The Rev, Christine Gilson, Trinity, El Dorado (12 years)
April 13: The Rev. Evan Ash, Trinity, Atchison (38 years)
Diocesan office to be closed tomorrow
The diocesan office in Topeka will be closed on April 3 in observance of Good Friday.
The office will reopen on Monday, April 6 with regular business hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
We wish you all a most blessed Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday, and all the joys of Easter.
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, April 16.
Information to be included should be sent to Melodie Woerman, diocesan director of communications, at , no later than Tuesday, April 14.
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DioLog is a publication of the Office of Communications of the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas, 835 SW Polk Street, Topeka, KS 66612.