From the Bishop Dear Friends, Here are some additional opportunities for clergy and lay leaders to learn, wherever you may be. The Episcopal Church Foundation is gathering great leadership ideas from around The Episcopal Church on a variety of

Dear Friends,

Here are some additional opportunities for clergy and lay leaders to learn, wherever you may be. The Episcopal Church Foundation is gathering great leadership ideas from around The Episcopal Church on a variety of topics. I hope you will join in on some of these free (but very valuable) conversations.

Grace & Peace,

• 
  Faithful & Trusting Christians: Mission & Evangelism Lessons from South Sudan (March 18, 3-4 p.m. CDT). Using a handful of case studies from Sudanese church history, this webinar draws out lessons for evangelism and church growth and shows that by listening to the experience of our sister and brother Anglicans, we can learn more about what it means to be missional Christians in our own context.
  
• 
  The American-Born Latino: An Expanding Mission Field in the Episcopal Church (March 25, 6-7 p.m. CDT). This webinar will explore the approaches to reach the English-dominant Latino population, which opens up ministry opportunities for clergy not fully fluent in Spanish but who have the call to minister in this cross-cultural, emerging mission field.
  
• 
  Walking The Way: Essential Steps in Planning Your Annual Giving Campaign (March 26, 6-7 p.m. CDT). The annual giving campaign serves many purposes, including discipleship formation. This web conference will take you step-by-step through a planning process that integrates best practices in raising funds and raising disciples.
  
• 
  Leading a Major Change (April 8, 6-7 p.m. CDT). Leading change can be one of the most rewarding – and challenging – aspects of lay and clergy leadership in Episcopal congregations. This web conference focuses on general principles and best practices for leading a change process effectively.
  

The diocese will offer a Leadership Academy for clergy, wardens, Vestry members and other lay leaders on Saturday, May 3 at St. David’s, Topeka.

The event will begin with registration at 9:30 a.m. and conclude at 3 p.m.

More information will be available soon!

2014 marks the 150th anniversary of the election of Thomas Vail as the first bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas. To mark the occasion, a play about his life and ministry has been commissioned and will be performed in congregations around the diocese. It has been written by Dr. Phil Speary, an experienced theatre director, playwright and educator.

Performances currently scheduled are (with more to come):

Wichita, St. James’, 3750 E. Douglas:

• 
  Thursday, April 3, 8 p.m.
  
• 
  Friday, April 4, 8 p.m.
  
• 
  Saturday, April 5, 8 p.m.
  
• 
  Sunday, April 6, 7 p.m.
  

• 
  Saturday, April 26, 8 p.m.
  

• 
  Saturday, May 10, 8 p.m.
  

If your congregation has missed the March 1 deadline to submit the canonically required 2013 Parochial Report, help is available. Diocesan Comptroller Jay Currie stands ready to answer questions and help churches get their forms finalized. He is available at jcurrie@episcopal-ks.org, (800) 473-3563 or (785) 235-9255.

Churches need to return the following items:

• 
  parochial report;
  
• 
  supplement page;
  
• 
  clergy continuing education report form;
  
• 
  lay delegate report form; and
  
• 
  directory update form.
  

The report itself may be filed online, but the signature page still must be returned in hard-copy form to the diocesan office, along with the other forms that were sent.

The link to file the report online, along with worksheets to help with completing the report, is available at http://www.episcopalchurch.org/page/parochial-report.
Locally written Lenten meditations are offered online

Two Kansas parishes have made their Lenten booklet of meditations available online for those seeking aids on their Lenten journey.

Philip Clayton, theology professor at Claremont School of Theology in Claremont, Calif., will offer the next Tocher Lecture on Thursday, May 22 at 7 p.m. at Grace Cathedral, 701 SW 8th Ave. in Topeka.

His topic will be “Emerging Churches and the Future of Faith.” In it he will explore the changing face of religious faith and observance, as well as the challenges associated with religious pluralism.

The event is free and open to the public, and a reception and book signing will follow the lecture.

Clergy of the diocese are invited to a special afternoon event with Clayton at 3 p.m., also at the cathedral. He will offer remarks on topics similar to his evening address but in a more informal session.

Those wanting to attend the afternoon gathering need to contact the Very Rev. Andrew Grosso to confirm attendance. He can be reached at rector@trinityks.org or (913) 367-3171.

Bishop Wolfe is seeking people already involved in work with or with an interest in the issue of human trafficking for possible service on a Province 7 network to address this issue.

Those who want to volunteer should contact Sally Russell, Province 7 coordinator, at sallyruss@sbcglobal.net.
Wichita parish sponsors 85th Old English Tea

St. James’, invites everyone to celebrate spring in high style at the 85th Old English Tea on Saturday, May 3 from 10 a.m.to 2 p.m. at the church, 3750 E. Douglas.

Elegant tea items will be served, including finger sandwiches and the homemade lemon curd tarts for which the tea is famous. Style shows are scheduled at 10:30 a.m. and noon. The tea also will see the return for a second year of the St. James English Toffee.

Other events include a silent auction, collectibles, arts and crafts, a bake shop including gluten-free items, jewelry, door prizes and cookbooks for purchase.

Tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for children age 4-12, with a free nursery for children from infant through age 4.

Tickets are available at the door or by calling the church office, (316) 683-5686.

• 
  Nurse, Physician's Assistant or Doctor: We are looking for one more person to be present during the week of camp to ensure that all students receive the appropriate medications at the correct times, and to tend to sick or injured campers. If you know of someone who would be good with youth, contact Youth Missioner Karen Schlabach at kschlabach@episcopal-ks.org.  
  Want to help, but can't be there the whole week? We'd be willing to pair two people together to serve half-weeks as the camp health care professional.
  
• 
  Female Elementary Counselors: adults 18 and older who will stay in a cabin, with another counselor, with youth in grades 3-5.
  

For more information, see the camp staff web page: http://edokyouth.wordpress.com/campstaff/

The Bishop Kemper School for Ministry, the joint school operated by the Dioceses of Kansas, West Missouri, Nebraska and Western Kansas, offers a variety of classes in the coming months.

If you are interested in attending any of these for personal enrichment, contact the dean, the Very Rev. Andrew Grosso, at rector@trinityks.org or (913) 367-3171.

April 5-6: BIBL 210: Gospel Traditions (Dr. David May); THEO 100: Church Dogmatics Survey (The Rev. Ben Varnum); THEO 500: Ecclesiology (Dr. Don Compier)

May 10-11: ETHC 100: Christian Ethics Survey (The Rev. Andrew O’Connor); BIBL 220: Pauline Epistles (The Rev. Dr. Richard McCandless); MINI 600: Parish Administration (The Rev. Gar Demo)
Presiding Bishop calls for prayers for peace in Ukraine

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori has joined the heads of the Anglican Church of Canada, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada in calling for an end to violence in Ukraine.

Their statement said they were joining the call of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches in calling for an end to military aggression in that country.

They also called for members of their churches to pray throughout the season of Lent for wisdom, peace and justice to prevail in Ukraine.

Their full statement is online at http://www.episcopalchurch.org/notice/call-peace-and-prayer-ukraine.
Alban Institute offers conference for small churches

The Alban Institute is sponsoring a conference designed for congregations with fewer than 150 in weekly worship, to address issues of vitality.

The event, “Small Churches: Adventures in Vitality” will take place May 13-15 at the Doubletree Hotel Downtown in Omaha, Neb.

The cost is $325 per person for those who are not Institute members and $275 for those who are members. Additional people from the same church can register for $225.

The event will feature material specially designed for small congregations, learning modules geared for those attending and information on how to put it all together when attenders return home.

More information is online at http://alban.org/learningdetail.aspx?id=10318.

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori has written to all congregations asking them to consider assistance for Jerusalem and the Middle East through the annual Good Friday Offering.

She noted that Christians in the Middle East are a growing minority of the population, and they live amid “social and political pressures and the cycles of violence which continue in Syria, Israel/Palestine and Egypt.” But through it all, they exhibit “great hope and expectation that peace and prosperity are possible.”

Since 1922, Episcopalians have supported the ministries of the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East through the Good Friday Offering.

Funds are distributed to the Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East, which includes the Dioceses of Jerusalem, and Cyprus and the Gulf, all members of the Anglican Communion.

Information and resources for the Good Friday Offering are available at http://www.episcopalchurch.org/page/good-friday-offering.

Task Force on Study of Marriage wants your videos

Amateur videos – created on a phone or flip-style video camera – work perfectly; professional quality is not needed.

Submitters are asked, in their video, to state their first name and then tell a one minute story about their relationship or one they know well in which they have seen the image of God.

The videos should be sent to taskforceonmarriage@gmail.com.

These videos will be used as part of upcoming presentations and reports to the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies.
Nominations deadline extended for Episcopal Church positions, committees, boards

The deadline has been extended to April 1 to submit nominations for various Episcopal Church positions, committees or boards that will be elected during General Convention in July 2015.

Nominations are accepted for the following committees/boards:

• 
  Member, Disciplinary Board for Bishops
  
• 
  Member, Executive Council
  
• 
  Member, General Board of Examining Chaplains
  
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  Secretary of the House of Deputies
  
• 
  Treasurer of the General Convention
  
• 
  Trustee, The Church Pension Fund
  
• 
  Trustee, The General Theological Seminary
  

The Episcopal Network for Stewardship (TENS) has announced that its annual conference will take place June 6-7 at Emory University in Atlanta.

With the theme “Walking the Way, conference information notes that,” Following Jesus is a lifelong journey. Stewardship is a path of discipleship.” It asks, “Are you ready to take the next step in stewardship? Are you looking for ways to help your congregation and diocese discover the joyful path of generosity and giving? Join guides and meet companions who will walk along side in following the Way.”

The event includes keynote speakers Sister Joan Chittester, OSB, Bishop Robert Wright of Atlanta and the Rev. Charles La Fond of St. John’s Cathedral in Denver. There also will be a choice of 16 workshops.

Full details plus registration information is on the conference website, http://www.tens.org/2014-conference/.
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The Public Affairs Office of the Episcopal Church provides a daily recap of links to places where the Episcopal Church is appearing in local news media, called Daily Scan. It also sends out email press releases. You can sign up for either or both of these email lists at http://www.episcopalchurch.org/page/subscribe-public-affairs-lists.

Episcopal News Service sends a daily recap of news it has posted to its website. You can sign up to receive those messages at http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/email-signup/.
Anniversaries of ordinations

Congratulations go to these people as they celebrate the anniversaries of their ordination in the next two weeks:

You can find news, features and updates from the diocese on social media. We’re on Facebook – EpiscopalDioceseofKansas (https://www.facebook.com/EpiscopalDioceseofKansas) – and Twitter – @EpiscoKs.

The next edition of DioLog will be sent to subscribers on Thursday, March 27. Information to be included should be sent to Melodie Woerman, diocesan director of communications, at mwoerman@episcopal-ks.org, no later than Tuesday, Feb. 25.