May 14, 2015
There are still spots available at Episcopal Summer MegaCamp
Did you mean to get youngsters registered for MegaCamp but haven’t done that yet? It’s not too late! Space still is available, but you’ll need to act soon.
Camp takes place May 31 to June 6 at Camp Wood YMCA (in Elmdale, southwest of Emporia) and is open to those currently in grades 3-12 and their friends.
The cost for the week is $450. However, if this is a young person’s first time to attend any diocesan youth event, the fee is $420. Registration will remain open until camp is full.
This year’s educational focus is Episcopal Identity, and students 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.
Registration forms and more information are online at
Find out why youth love MegaCamp by watching the camp commercials:
> Want to send mail to your campers?
Items sent to MegaCampers via the U.S. Postal Service, FedEx or UPS should use this address:
Camper’s Name and Session (High School, Junior High or Elementary)
Episcopal Summer Camp
Camp Wood YMCA
1101 Camp Wood Rd.
Elmdale, KS 66850
Please ship or mail items early. It takes a minimum of three days for mail to reach camp. Due to the expense, we cannot guarantee that mail that arrives after Friday, June 2 will be delivered to your camper(s).
> Visitors at MegaCamp
From Youth Missioner Karen Schlabach: We work very hard to develop a Christian community throughout the week at camp. We begin with clearly explaining the expectations. We then have activities and traditions to help the youth get to know one another and feel more comfortable with each other. As the week goes on, youth really start to bond and grow closer together. Our goal is to keep the focus on the youth and provide a healthy, safe, fun environment where spiritual growth can occur.
Visitors can be disruptive to that process and are thus discouraged. Additionally, the diocese must pay a daily use fee and a per meal fee for any visitors, which can start to add up. Parents are asked to visit only in the case of an emergency.
Clergy, youth ministers and adult volunteers who have a relationship with the current students and are familiar with the rules and procedures at diocesan youth events may drop by for a meal or one of the evening activities, if you wish to check-in with your students. Please let me know when you plan to visit.
All camp staff are trained to watch for unfamiliar faces on camp grounds, so it's much better if your visit can be announced in advance, so people know to expect you. All visitors must report to the office in Ritchie Lodge to check-in immediately upon arrival at camp.
Dogs or other pets are never allowed at camp, so please do not bring your animals with you when you visit, drop-off or pick-up students from camp. Sturdy, comfortable shoes are recommended.
Kansas young adults receive special UTO grant
A special $1,250 grant from the United Thank Offering has been awarded to a program to assist two young adults in the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas who are helping to organize this summer’s youth trip to General Convention in Salt Lake City.
Programs in each of the Episcopal Church’s nine provinces received awards, and Kansas’ was the one picked from Province 7 (which includes 14 dioceses in the lower Great Plains and the Southwest).A total of 20 applications were received.
The young adult grants were established by United Thank Offering in honor of its 125th anniversary.
Reminder of helpful resources and policies
Did you know that a list of diocesan policies – and resources – is on the diocesan website?
Some are general policies, some relate to lay employees or clergy, and some are policies about parish or diocesan finances.
One about which all church leaders should know is the diocese’s safe church policy, which also describes the required training for all clergy, lay leaders , and those who work with children and youth:
Treasurers and parish administrators will want to be aware of the internal controls and audit standards:
Those in charge of church finances also can find helpful information in the Episcopal Church Manual of Business Methods:
Do you know a student heading off to college this fall? Please let us know.
The diocesan campus ministry program strives to reach out to Episcopal college students at the colleges and universities across our diocese – and we also do our best to connect students from this diocese who are attending college in another diocese with a correlating campus ministry program.
But, we need your help to do this.
If you know such a student, please go to fill in their information. It will only take a moment.
The contact information you share is confidential and will only be used for ministry purposes.
Registration now is open for high school Girls Only Weekend
The Rev. Susan Terry, from Trinity, Lawrence, has been meeting with high school women over the past year to determine what they would like and need in an event especially for them. This retreat will focus on how we are made in God’s image, and that we all have important gifts.
When: Friday, July 10, 6:30 p.m. – Sunday, July 12, 11:30 a.m.
Where: Trinity, Lawrence
Who: Young women currently in grades 9-12 (for the 2014-15 school year)
Fee: $50
Priority deadline: Tuesday, June 30 (fee increases $15 after this date)
Registration:
Note: We will be going swimming, so bring a swim suit and a towel
College students – consider serving as a campus ministry peer minister
Are you (or do you know) a full-time college student passionate about the life of faith, with demonstrated ministry leadership experience and seeking more of it? Are you passionate about deepening your own spiritual journey and serving others by sharing the love of Christ with those you meet? Then serving as a college peer minister with the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas might be a good fit for you.
As a peer minister, you will work collaboratively with parish leaders, as well as the campus missioner and interns, to design and lead program opportunities that highlightfaith 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 the Canterbury House in exchange for the ministry you offer as a peer minister.
More information and an application are on the campus ministry website,
You also may contact Campus Missioner the Rev. Stephanie Jenkins at (785) 766-7435 or
Celebration of New Ministry for the Rev. Shawn Streepy is May 20
A Celebration of New Ministry for the Rev. Shawn Streepy, newly named rector of St. Aidan’s, Olathe, will take place on 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.
Clergy notes
The Rev. Don Davidson, rector of St. David’s, Topeka, has accepted a call to become interim rector,for a three-year term, at St. Christopher's Episcopal Church in Grand Blanc, Mich. His last Sunday at St. David’s will be June 14. Davidson also has served in this diocese as rector of St. Thomas’ in Overland Park.
The Rev. Ben Varnum, assistant rector of St. Thomas’, Overland Park, has accepted a call to become rector of St. Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church in Elkhorn, Neb. His last services in Overland Park will be the weekend of July 4-5. Varnum has served St. Thomas’ since he was ordained a priest in 2012.
Archdeacon Charles Pearce, who serves at St. Paul’s, Manhattan, will be on sabbatical for the next three months.
Prayers are invited for use during General Convention
Thanks to the efforts of the Society of St. John the Evangelist, anyone can add prayers and images that will be used during the Prayers of the People at the Episcopal Church’s 78th General Convention this summer.
Each day during the Convention will have a theme, and prayers or images should reflect on that in some way.
Prayers in words or images may be submitted via Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.The hashtag for this effort is #prayersof.
Full information is on the project’s website,
An evening in Emporia with Father William Meninger
Father William Meningeris a noted author, retreat leader and teacher on Centering Prayer and Christian contemplative practice. A Trappist monk, he will share the fruits and discoveries of a long life of spiritual growth.
He will visit Grace United Methodist Church, 2 Neosho Street, Emporia, at 6:30 on Thursday, June 18. Registration is $10 ($15 after June 10). Contact either Grace UMC at (620) 342-2240 or email the Rev. Chris Arnold 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.
Registration and more information are on the Bishop Kemper School website,
Anniversaries of ordinations
Congratulations go to these people as they celebrate the anniversaries of their ordination in the next two weeks:
May 15: The Rev. Thomas Keith, retired, Diocese of Western Kansas (46 years)
May 19: Deacon Annie Hedquist, St. David’s, Topeka (20 years)
May 20: The Rev. Robert Layne, retired (46 years)
May 21: The Rev. Michael Bernard, St. Matthew’s, Newton (33 years); the Rev. David Mouille, retired (47 years)
May 23: The Rev. Susan Terry, Trinity, Lawrence (28 years)
May 24: The Rev. Carolyn Ballinger, non-parochial, Diocese of Western Kansas (1 year)
May 26: Archdeacon Monte Giddings, St. Michael and all Angels, Mission (16 years)
Diocesan office will be closed on Memorial Day
The diocesan office in Topeka will be closed on Monday, May 25, in observance of Memorial Day.
The office will reopen on May 26 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, May 28.
Information to be included should be sent to Melodie Woerman, diocesan director of communications, at , no later than Tuesday, May 26.
Parishes are free to excerpt anything printed in DioLog; attributionthat material is reprinted fromDioLogis appreciated. Feel free to copy this and make it available to parishioners in whatever way is most useful.
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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.