July 3, 2014

MissionPalooza early-bird registration deadline is Monday

Monday, July 7 is the first registration deadline for youth who want to participate in MissionPalooza, an urban mission trip in Kansas City, Mo., July 21-27, for those who have finished grades 8-12.

Youth get to select where they would like to serve during the day from a list of options like Habitat for Humanity, Wayside Waifs no-kill animal shelter, Operation Breakthrough low-income urban child care facility, Kansas City Community Kitchen, and Bishop Spencer Place retirement community. In the evenings we do fun activities, singing and worship. On Saturday we have a “fun day” where youth can choose to go to Worlds of Fun & Oceans of Fun or enjoy an air-conditioned movie at the theater.

The cost is $160 per student, and some scholarship assistance is available.

Registration materials for youth and adults are available online at

Requests from clergy children for scholarship aid are due Aug. 1

Aug. 1 is the deadline for clergy children to apply for a Father Young Fund grant for the fall semester. All students interested in receiving an award from the Father Young Fund should send a letter addressed to Bishop Wolfe stating:

1. Who they are (their relationship to a clergy person in the diocese);

2.Where they are attending school;

3.Their year in school; and

4.What they plan to study.

Awards from the Father Young Fund are sent directly to the student at their home address in the third week of August.

Guidelines for applying for assistance from the Father Young Fund:

  • Assistance will be provided for eight semesters of undergraduate work only.
  • Assistance is normally reserved for students attending Kansas colleges or universities.
  • Application for the fall academic term is to be made no later than Aug. 1; for the spring term no later than Jan. 3.
  • According to the conditions of the original gift, this fund can only be used for children of clergy canonically resident in the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas.
  • Once enrolled in college, a student becomes eligible to apply for assistance from the Father Young Fund.Assistance has ranged from $500 - $1,000 each semester and is based on the number applying and the amount of interest earned on the fund.
  • To apply, each semester the student should send a letter to the bishop before the closing date.

As soon as all applications have been received from the students, the amount of financial assistance will be determined, and a check will be sent to the student.

If you have any questions, please contact Jeanne Atha , (785) 235-9255 or (800) 473-3563.

Council of Trustees adopts new policy on church building insurance coverage

At its meeting in May, the Council of Trustees adopted a policy that sets minimum levels of coverage on all property owned by congregations within the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas. Episcopal Church canons require that church buildings and their contents “be kept adequately insured,” and the policy is the Council’s definition of what meets that canonical requirement.

In addition to replacement-value, all-risk coverage for buildings, contents and organs, it stipulates coverage for fine art and stained glass; flood coverage; comprehensive general liability pastoral counseling liability; employee benefits liability; medical payments; sexual misconduct liability; crime or employee dishonesty; directors and officers policy; workers’ compensation policy; and an umbrella policy for excess liability.

The policy, including minimum coverage amounts, is posted on the diocesan website at

Deadline for Diocesan Convention actions is Aug. 8

Aug. 8 has been set as the deadline to submit a variety of items for action by this year’s Diocesan Convention, Oct. 24-25 in Topeka.

This information also is on the diocesan website’s convention page,

Nominations

Elections will fill several positions on the Council of Trustees, the diocese’s governing body between conventions:

  • One at-large member of the Council of Trustees, lay person (three-year term) Note: The incumbent is Margaret LaRue, and she is eligible for reelection.
  • One at-large member of the Council of Trustees, clergy person (three-year term)Note: The incumbent is the Rev. Laurie Lewis, and she is eligible for reelection.

Nominations should be sent to the chair of the Nominating Committee, Ashley Petty, 654 S. Poplar Wichita, KS 6721; or .

A form required from all nominees is posted on the convention page of the diocesan website. It, plus a high-resolution digital photo, should be sent to Petty by the Aug. 8 deadline.

In addition, Convention will ratify the election by convocation boards in September of one clergy member from each convocation to serve on the Council of Trustees.

Debatable resolutions

Any proposed debatable resolutions should be sent before the deadline to the chair of the Resolutions Committee, the Rev. Jan Chubb, 1329 Grand Ave., Parsons, KS 67357-4256; or .

Amendments to the canons or constitution

Any proposed changes to the diocesan constitution or canons should be directed to the chair of the Constitution and Canons Committee, Frank Taylor, P.O. Box 550, Olathe, KS 66051; .

Youth Peer Ministry applications now are being accepted

The diocesan youth peer ministry program currently is accepting applications to join the eight current peer ministers.

The peer ministry program seeks to provide an opportunity for high school students in the Diocese of Kansas to grow in their faith, receive training in ministry and life skills, assume roles of liturgical leadership, welcome other students into the body of Christ, and develop other young leaders.

If you know youth in your parish who would fit this position or be interested in this position, invite them to apply to be a peer minister.

Applications are due by Aug. 1 and are available on the youth website at

If you have questions about the peer ministry program, contact Peer Ministry Coordinator Michael Funston at or diocesan Youth Missioner Karen Schlabach at .

Campus ministry seeks applicants for parish-partner grants

The Campus Ministry Council now is accepting applications for its biannual grants for parish partners. The maximum amount given is set each semester based on available resources and the way previous grants have been utilized.

The council wants to distribute grants among a broad range of campus ministry programs, both to help start new or novel programs, as well as to offer support for existing successful programs.

Applicants should begin the process by submitting a draft proposal to Campus Missioner the Rev. Stephanie Jenkins, who then will assist in creating a final application before the July 25 deadline.

Grant awards will be announced on Aug. 7.

The application form is online at

For application assistance, or if you have questions, you may contact Jenkins at or (785) 766.7435.

‘Safeguarding God’s Children’ workshop set for July 12

A “Safeguarding God’s Children” workshop will be offered at St. Paul’s, Clay Center on Saturday, July 12, from 9:30 –11 a.m. at the church, 1010 6th Street.

The course is required by the diocese for church leaders, employees and all who work with children and youth. It is appropriate for those in both ordained and lay ministries, church leaders, staff members, parents and members of the congregation.

To register, call the church office at (785) 632-3200.

Campus ministry still is accepting applicants for fall intern positions

Are you – or do you know – a graduating college student passionate about the life of faith and looking to engage in a year of service offering ministry to others, while gaining leadership skills before embarking on their next chapter of life? If so, consider applying or encouraging this person to apply to become aCampus Intern and staff member of the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas.

This position offers the ministry opportunity to deepen one’s own faith and share formation, leadership and pastoral skills at one of the diocese’s two Canterbury Houses by working with college-aged peer ministers. It also offers the space to explore more deeply the intern’s own vocational discernment.

This service year begins August 1, 2014 and has the potential to be a two-year internship. Compensation includes a monthly stipend and lodging.

For more information regarding this opportunity please see the job description online at or contact Campus Missioner the Rev. Stephanie Jenkins at (785) 766-7435 .

Cursillo weekend to take place in August

The Heartland Episcopal Cursillo of the Diocese of Kansas and West Missouri will be holding an Episcopal Cursillo three-day weekend Aug. 7-10. It will take place at the Heartland Presbyterian Retreat Center,16965 MO Hwy 45, in Parkville, Mo. It is easily reached from I-435 or I-70.

Applications for attendees and sponsors may be found online at

For more information about the weekend, contact the Rev. Tom Wilson at or Sandy Ackerson at . More information about Cursillo and the contents of the weekend can also be found at nationalepiscopalcursillo.com.

Presiding Bishop nominating committee provides timeline and first essay

The Joint Nominating Committee for the Election of the Presiding Bishop is continuing its work to prepare the Episcopal Church for the election of the 27th Presiding Bishop at General Convention in summer 2015.

It has issued the first of three essays, this one dealing with the timeline for release of a position profile and the process for receiving candidates for nomination.

Read it online at

Task Force on the Study of Marriage releases study guide and discussion resources

The Episcopal Church Task Force on the Study of Marriage has released “Dearly Beloved,” a resource for study and discussion about marriage.

They ask that groups across the church use the resource to engage in conversation. The resource may be used in a variety of settings, and it consists of three different formats, which may be used independently of each other: a 90-minute event (which can be divided into three 35-minute sessions); a variety of 45-minute forums; and a lengthy article for a study group.

All three formats cover theology, history, scripture, current trends and more, with guidelines for presentation and questions for group discussion.

It is available at

Directory updates

St. Luke’s, Shawneehas a new email address for the parish office:

The Rev. George Wiley has moved and has this new contact information: 2313 Willow Creek Lane, Lawrence, KS 66049; (785) 813-3149; .

Anniversaries of ordinations

There are no clergy in the Dioceses of Kansas or Western Kansas with ordination anniversaries in the next two weeks.

Diocesan office will close on July 4

The diocesan office will observe the Independence Day holiday on Friday, July 4. The office will reopen on Monday, July 7 with regular office hours of 8:30 a.m.to 4:30 p.m.

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, July 17. Information to be included should be sent to Melodie Woerman, diocesan director of communications, at , no later than Tuesday, July 15.

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