• September 8: St. Luke's, Idaho Falls Vestry Meeting
• September 15: Way of the Spirit
• September 22: St. Matthew's, Rupert Visitation
• September 29: 160 Year Celebration of St. Michael's
• October 6: All Saints, Boise Visitation

• September 7: Blue Plate Banquet, Holy Nativity, Meridian
• September 12: Circles Information Session on Zoom
• September 12-14: Clergy Retreat
• September 13-15: Way of the Spirit
• September 17: Paradise Point Fundraising Committee at 5:30 PM on Zoom
• September 24: Commission on Ministry Special Meeting on Zoom
• September 25: Senior Warden's Meeting
• September 27-29: Adult Camp
• October 1: ROSE Grants Due
• October 19: Preacher's Retreat, Idaho Falls

Registration for 2025 is scheduled to open November 1st! Mark your calendars to register for camp on 11/1/2024. We sold out several of our camps last year so be sure to register early!

Host Families needed! Our International Staff will soon be returning to their countries after spending the summer at Paradise Point. We are looking for families who are willing to host the staff overnight so they can catch their flights. Host families are needed throughout all of September. Please email Megan at campdirector@episcopalidaho.org if you are interested in hosting someone.

Camp Amazon Wishlist

Mother Lea Colvill's Final Day with our Diocese

St. Luke's, Idaho Falls| Sunday, September 8th

With grateful hearts, we celebrate the ministry of Mother Lea Colvill at St. Luke's, Idaho Falls. Her leadership and unwavering spirit have left a lasting impact on our community. As she prepares to embark on a new chapter at Estes Park in Colorado, we give thanks for her many contributions and the energy she brought to our diocese. Her final Sunday with us will be September 8th, and while we will deeply miss her vibrant presence and determination, we send her off with our prayers and blessings for this next step in her journey.

The Way of the Spirit

A Pilgrimage to the Chapel of the Holy Spirit at Paradise Point

Paradise Point | McCall

Reasons to join us at the Way of the Spirit Pilgrimage:

• Experience the breathtaking beauty of fall at Paradise Point.
• Connect with Renee, our Diocesan Coordinator.
• Catch up with clergy members from across the diocese.
• Spend quality time with Bishop Jos in a relaxed, spiritual atmosphere.
• Dive into even more faith-focused programming to deepen your spiritual journey.
• Challenge yourself—only if you want to! All activities are "challenge by choice."
• Choose your level of challenge with activities designed for everyone.
• Not in the mood for hiking or another activity? Hammock Village is calling your name!
• Savor delicious meals with new and old friends.
• Unwind by sharing stories and laughter during our evening gatherings.
• Explore the beauty of creation on quiet morning walks or contemplative time by the lake.
• Create lifelong memories in a space that’s designed for reflection and community.

Registration is open until Sunday, September 8th.

Dates: Friday, September 13th- Sunday, September 15th

Cost: $75 for the entire weekend!

Senior Warden's Meeting

September 25 | 5:30 PM | Zoom

Bishop Jos is inviting all senior wardens to attend an important meeting on Wednesday, September 25th. This gathering will focus on discussing plans for the upcoming year, reviewing responsibilities, and offering an opportunity for fellowship with fellow senior wardens. Your presence will help shape the future and strengthen our shared ministry. Please mark your calendars and join Bishop Jos for this valuable time of reflection and connection.

Seeking Education For Ministry or EFM Trained People

Bishop Jos would like to compile a list of those who have taken the training.

Education for Ministry is a wonderful program to prepare people with interest in any sort of Christian ministry within the church. I have learned there are several of you who have completed EfM training. If you have completed EfM training, could you please register yourself here, so that I know who you are and would love to visit with you to strengthen EfM in Idaho and gather for a conversation over Zoom. Please Register by clicking here

Preachers Conference 2024

St. Luke's, Idaho Falls| Saturday, October 19

The 2024 Preacher's Conference will be held at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Idaho Falls. The program starts at 10 am and will end at 3 pm with lunch provided. The guest speaker will be announced in the October E-Pistle.

Please register before October 12th. Licensed preachers are required to attend this event. All clergy are invited to join this day and fulfill the Continuing Education requirement. This is a free event.

Commission for Spiritual Formation

We are excited to announce the formation of the Spiritual Formation Commission, dedicated to designing and implementing spiritual growth programs for both clergy and laity, in collaboration with Bishop Jos. This commission will develop engaging educational events for the diocese, conducted over Zoom, led by commission members or guest speakers. Topics could include an Advent Series, a Lantern Series, or a focus on the Season of Pentecost. Additionally, sessions might explore prayer, meditation, community living, Bible study, church history, and more. Welcome these new members to the commission next time you see them:

Fr. Rob Gieselmann - Hailey

Mr. Darrell Reinke - Alta 

Dr. Elise Barker - Pocatello

Br. Andee Book - Salmon

Mr. David Duhaime - Twin Falls

Ms. Carol Taylor - Alta

Dr. Kathleen Jackson - Virginia

Eucharistic Visitor Training

St. Stephen's, Boise| Sunday, September 22nd

The Ven. Eileen O'Shea will be offering Eucharistic Visitor Training on September 22nd at St. Stephen's in Boise. The training will take place following the 10:30 AM service in the church. We will celebrate St. Stephen that day, and immediately following the service, we will have a barbecue lunch. Anyone attending the training is invited to worship with us that day, join us for lunch, and then meet in the church for the training. Folks are also welcome to join us for the training at about 12:15 PM, which will last about 90 minutes.

I recommend that attendees purchase Beth Wickenberg Ely's book A Manual for Eucharistic Visitors. It can be purchased at several places, both new and used. The cheapest place I found for a new book was Christian Book for $8.54. It is worth a Google search to find a price that fits your needs. Here is a link to it on Amazon, feel free to buy it wherever.

Please email Eileen at archdeacon@episcopalidaho.org if you are interested in attending. There will be work outside of the training. To be licensed, participants must complete the Safe Church training online. Eucharistic Visitors are required to be baptized and confirmed. Additionally, training by a qualified person at your church using local communion kits and recording visits will be necessary following the more formal training. If you have any questions, please email Eileen.

Lead a Circle in Your Community

Edward McEachern MD

I’d like to invite you to consider leading a Circle in your community. What are “circles”?   Circles offer a method for personal growth through close personal relationships and living into community. Circles offer a way to move away from the “All Head” aspect of bible study, yet, with Christ, working toward a deeper understanding and living into our “everyday Christ.” One could think of circles as analogous to sitting around a campfire, reflecting, with a spiritual or scriptural theme in mind.  It is a sponsored and facilitated dialogue, usually lead through a weekly prompt that leads to a conversation about our spirituality in everyday life, and usually results in a “take away for my own life.”  Indeed, circles in church have a long history, starting famously on the US East Coast with two Anglican priests in the 1790s, John and Charles Wesley, who are the founders of the current day United Methodist Church. Read More.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

35^th Annual Boise PrideFest

Fri.-Sun., September 13-15, 2024

Join Your Fellow Episcopalians for the 35th Annual Boise PrideFest Fri.-Sun., September 13-15, 2024. Boise Pride “brings together members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community, their friends and family, allies and supporters in celebration of the unique spirit and culture of the LGBTQ+ community.” For over a decade, the Episcopal Church has been represented at Boise PrideFest. We have a booth offering free nail-painting in rainbow colors for festival go-ers and sharing information on LGBTQ+ inclusion in community and liturgy in the Episcopal Church. We also march in the parade through downtown Boise, carrying banners proclaiming “The Episcopal Church Welcomes You” as well as our parish and diocesan banners. New this year—we will have a chaplain available at our booth both days for prayers, blessings, healing, or just to talk, plus a box for festival-goers to submit anonymous prayer requests.

PrideFest will be held September 13-15 across the street from the State Capitol building in Boise at Cecil D. Andrus Park (formerly Capitol Park). There are several ways you and your parish can be involved.

• Volunteer to staff our booth: Sign-up sheets should be available in parish halls or offices starting in late August or you can email your interest to dioceseofidahopride@gmail.com. You only have to paint nails if you feel so inclined. It’s really about talking to people and spreading Christ’s love, inclusion, and belonging. We especially need some volunteers to simply set up the booth Friday, Sept. 13, between 6:00-7:30 pm on Friday evening.
• Attend Holy Eucharist: Fr. Joseph from All Saints will celebrate Holy Eucharist with a liturgy specially chosen to support LGBTQ+ people at our booth at Pride on Saturday, Sept. 14, at 4pm.
• Represent your parish by marching in the Parade on Sunday, Sept 15: Bring your parish banner, if possible. Youth and adults are welcome.

Youth event hosted by St. Michael’s Please email dioceseofidahopride@gmail.com with questions.

The Rev. Kathleen Bean Blesses the Sheep

Ketchum | Sunday, October 6 at Noon

Join an authentic trailing of the sheep down Ketchum's Main Street as part of their annual migration to winter pastures. A band of 1,500 sheep parade down Main Street with sheep ranching family members and herders headed south. The parade includes historic sheep wagons and participants from the Folklife Fair, each identified by sign-bearing dancers from the Footlight Dance Centre. Blessing the flock this year is The Rev. Kathleen Bean, Associate Rector of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Ketchum. After the parade passes, you are invited to walk with the families herding the animals to their resting place south of town. Read More

Free Helmets from St. Luke's Hospital

Interested in a free helmet for your children? email injuryprevention@slhs.org to get yours!