April 30, 2015
Episcopal Relief & Development aids victims in Nepal
Episcopal Relief & Development is working with the ecumenical ACT Alliance in Nepal and local partners in northern India and southwest China on urgent needs and assessment efforts following the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck near Kathmandu on April 25.
Responding to immediate needs for food, clean water and shelter, ER-D will support ACT Alliance efforts implemented through a partner office in Kathmandu. The ACT Alliance works in coordination with major international groups to maximize efficiency and impact of aid, mobilizing local networks to reach remote areas.
Those wishing to aid ER-D’s efforts can make online contributions at
Bishop Kemper School commencement is set for May 9
All members of the diocese are invited to the commencement service for the Bishop Kemper School for Ministry, set for Saturday, May 9 at 11 a.m. at Grace Cathedral, Topeka.
Six people from the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas are scheduled to receive certificates of completion of studies either for diaconal or presbyteral studies.
Episcopal Summer MegaCamp is more than half full; register by May 8
Camp is May 31-June 6 at Camp Wood YMCA.
This year’s educational focus is Episcopal identity, and student will work on articulating their faith.
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. The cost is $420 for the week; register by May 8. For registration forms and more information see:
Find out why youth love Mega Camp by watching the camp commercials:
Space still available for youth and college students to attend General Convention
The Diocese of Kansas, in partnership with the Episcopal Diocese of West Missouri, 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. The trip is June 22-29. The cost is $400 per person, plus food expenses.
The trip is open to students who have finished grades 9-12 and college-age students.
This year's General Convention will be extra exciting as participants will be there to witness the election of the next Presiding Bishop. Those attending will spend four days at Convention and one day site seeing.
See for more information.
Celebration of New Ministry planned for the Rev. Shawn Streepy
The Rev. Shawn Streepy, who has been priest in charge at St. Aidan’s, Olathe, has been selected by the Vestry to become the parish’s rector. That means a Celebration of New Ministry is in order.
The service has been scheduled for Wednesday, May 20 at 7 p.m. at the church, 14301 South Blackbob Road in Olathe.
All members of the diocese are invited to attend. Clergy are invited to vest (alb and white stole) and process.
Cathedral dean pens novel about the life of Jesus
The Very Rev. Steve Lipscomb has written a novel, RETOLD: The Story of Jesus, that now is available for purchase.
The novel loosely follows the narrative accounts of Jesus in the gospels, but it also includes elements from the gnostic tradition and original stories reflecting events of the times. As noted on the book cover, “The new tales and details of Jesus’ life – straight from the author’s imagination – are based on how things might have happened but probably didn’t.”
The book is published by The Cider House Press and may be purchased from its website. The cost is $17.95 plus tax for paperback and $28.95 plus tax for hard cover.
It also can be ordered from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and CreativeSpace.
The Cider House Press also now is the exclusive publisher of Lipscomb’s first work, the liturgical resource Proper Prefaces and Offertory Sentences for Sundays. It also can be purchased through the company’s website.
EFM mentor training is now full
Mike Morrow, the diocese’s coordinator for Education for Ministry, reports that the EFM training events in Topeka June 4-6 now are full.
Anyone who still is seeking this training may contact Morrow and he will assist in finding other opportunities. He can be reached at .
Anti-racism training set for May 23 in Omaha, Neb., suburb
Bishop Kemper School for Ministry, in conjunction with the Diocese of Nebraska, is offering an anti-racism training course on Saturday, May 23 from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at St. Martha’s Episcopal Church in Papillion, Neb., a suburb southwest of Omaha.
The cost to attend is $30 per person.
Anti-racism training is required for all Episcopal clergy and lay leaders.
To register, or for more information, see the Bishop Kemper School website,
Reminder about state Certificate of Good Standing
Does your church have an up-to-date Certificate of Good Standing from the Kansas Secretary of State’s office? This certificate is required in order for lay delegates to be seated at Diocesan Convention in October.
June 15 is the deadline for Non-profit Corporation Annual Reports to be filed with the state, to complete the certificate.
See for more details.
Questions? Contact Convention Coordinator Michele Moss at or (800) 473-3563 or (785) 235-9255.
Kansans invited to special tour of England and Scotland
An invitation has been extended to members of the Diocese of Kansas to be part of a special tour of England and Scotland that is being hosted by travel professionals who also are members of St. Luke’s, Excelsior Springs, Mo.
Diane and Keith Montague, of Montague Group Tour, note that the itinerary has been customized to include a sung liturgy at Canterbury Cathedral, and a sojourn to the 10th-century church of St. Mary the Virgin in Bletchingley, Surrey, which is a sister church to St. Luke’s.
The trip, which is Sept. 11-19, also will include tours of London, Stratford-upon-Avon, Edinburgh, St. Andrew’s and Glasgow.
The cost for the trip plus airfare from Kansas City is $4,190 per person, double occupancy. Participants can depart for the airport from the parking lot of Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral in Kansas City, Mo.
For each person who submits a $280 deposit before June 23, the Montagues will donate $25 to Episcopal Relief & Development.
More information is on the tour website, or by contacting Diane Montague at (816) 616-2336 or .
Stewardship conference to focus on a “culture of generosity”
The annual conference of The Episcopal Network for Stewardship will take place May 29-30, with an optional pre-conference day May 28, at Camp Allen northwest of Houston.
The conference keynote speaker will be the Very Rev. Gary Hall, dean of the Washington National Cathedral in Washington. D.C.
More information is on the TENS website,
People note
Jean Crutchfield, who had served as a member of the Council of Trustees and was a longtime active member of St. Paul’s, Coffeyville, died on Tuesday, April 28. She was 82.
A memorial service celebrating her life is set for Saturday, May 16 at 11 a.m. at the church, 613 Elm St. in Coffeyville. Lunch will be provided after the service. All are invited to attend.
May her soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace and rise in glory.
Anniversaries of ordinations
Congratulations go to these people as they celebrate the anniversaries of their ordination in the next two weeks:
May 1: The Rev. Dale Lumley, St. John’s, Ulysses, Diocese of Western Kansas (23 years)
May 2: The Rev. Conrad McNeer, retired (51 years)
May 4: The Rev. Don Davidson, St. David’s, Topeka (30 years)
May 5: The Rev. Dawn Frankfurt, St. James’, Wichita (10 years); the Rev. Grant Clowers, non-parochial (31 years)
May 9: The Rev. Ben Varnum, St. Thomas, Overland Park (3 years); the Rev. Laird MacGregor, St. Anne’s, McPherson, Diocese of Western Kansas (9 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.
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