Kemper Connect Newsletter - September 2026

September 24, 2026

Dear BKSM Community,

We are excited to launch our new quarterly newsletter, Kemper Connect. One of the distinctive features of BKSM is that our community covers a vast geographic region. We hope to overcome some of the challenges of keeping in touch with the newsletter. Here you’ll find news items and other resources related to the varied ministries of our current students, alumni, and supporters.

In this issue, you’ll find an update on the July retreats and ways to learn more about one of our retreat leaders, Brother James Dowd, OSB, and the Contemplative Underground. You’ll also see that we are launching a fundraising campaign as we head toward the end of the year. Take a look at the note describing this campaign from BKSM Chairperson of the Board, Mark Clark, and keep an eye out for the messages coming your way that profile the outstanding work of our alumni.

As always, please keep BKSM in your prayers. We’re well on our way to strengthening our bonds for service to Christ and the Church, and we’re grateful for all the ways you support us.

Peace and blessings,

Lynne Moss Bahr, M.Div., Ph.D.

Dean

July is preparation time for students before the start of the academic year. First year students were welcomed to the campus in Topeka, Kansas, and second year students, with those pursing lay certificates, experienced the serenity of nature as they learned Contemplative Prayer practices.

Our third-year students gathered for a silent retreat to prepare for their final phase of formation.

We are grateful to Br. James Dowd, OSB, of the Benedictine Way in Omaha, Nebraska for facilitating two of our student retreats.

https://www.contemplativeunderground.org/

If you are seeking inner peace, healing, wholeness, a deepening of your interior prayer life, then Contemplative Underground might be for you.

The Contemplative Underground is an outgrowth of a prayer ministry that The Benedictine Way has been engaged in for several years. This ministry unites contemplatives and those seeking to explore what contemplative prayer might mean in their lives, as part of an online community.

From the Chairman of the Board

Dear friend of BKSM,

Every day, graduates of the Bishop Kemper School for Ministry bring comfort, guidance, and inspiration to worship communities across Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and beyond.

Over the course of the next few weeks, we are going to share some of the ways BKSM graduates are serving as Christ’s hands and heart in our world: Leading congregations, organizing life-sustaining mission work, and supporting one another in ministry and friendship.

We will launch our annual fundraising campaign the beginning of November and we would appreciate your support. The cost of tuition should never be a barrier to following a call to ministry in the Church, whether one is pursuing ordination, lay certification, or personal enrichment. Scholarships are readily available for students to support them throughout their academic formation. As you read these stories, we hope that you will prayerfully consider making a recurring gift to BKSM, to enable us to continue this important work. Even a small monthly donation—the cost of one coffee per month (or maybe a lunch, or a dinner)—can make a significant difference in our ability to serve the record fifty students enrolled this year.

In these trying times, beset by war, economic struggle, and bitter political divisions, our world needs the light of Christ. Your generosity empowers us to bring forth leaders who will bring that light to those who cry out for it, and shepherd us along the path to the kingdom of God.

Thank you,

Mark Clark

Diocese of Nebraska

The Certificate in Congregational Spiritual Direction, offered in partnership with Seminary of the Southwest, is a first-of-its-kind certificate program designed to prepare leaders for the ministry of spiritual direction for congregations. Rooted in seminary-level formation and accessible through Zoom-based learning, this program brings rigorous training to small-church leaders and all who feel called to cultivate spiritual depth in their communities.

Eligibility: This program is currently available to participants from Episcopal dioceses that are members of the Iona Collaborative network. Not sure if your diocese is a member? Click here.

The Fall 2027 Cohort

Are you discerning whether the Certificate in Congregational Spiritual Direction is right for you?

Join us for one of two upcoming Q&A sessions — in October and November 2026 — to learn more about the 2027 cohort and ask any questions you may have. Register for either session at the links below:

Thursday, October 22 at 4:00 pm CT

Thursday, November 5 at 6:30 pm CT

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In addition to programs requiring formal enrollment, the Iona Collaborative offers a wide range of on-demand formation and instructive video resources.

Check out their library here: https://iona.ssw.edu/congregations/

Resources for Small Congregations

These resources are designed to support the ministry, leadership, and growth of small and rural congregations. They may be used by individuals, ministry teams, or entire communities.