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Video: Presiding Bishop’s message for World Refugee Day - June 20

“When we welcome the stranger, we welcome the Lord God himself. We welcome Jesus,” says Presiding Bishop Michael Curry in his 2019 World Refugee Day Message. “On World Refugee Day, pray, learn about refugees, learn about what you can do, and do whatever you can to help the strangers in our midst ."

United Thank Offering grants: More than $1 million for mission and ministry

The United Thank Offering of The Episcopal Church awarded 33 grants for a total of $1,507,640.55 for the mission and ministry of The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion. The grant recipients were approved by the Executive Council, meeting June 10 – June 13 in Maryland .

Start out the new school year with one of four classes at Bishop Kemper School for Ministry

Classes in Christian spirituality, Christian theology, Old Testament, preaching and a free class for bi-vocational clergy called "Success after Seminary" kick off the 2019-20 academic year. Registration is open now, and classes begin on July 15. Auditing the class costs just $100, which includes all meals and overnight accommodation at Upton Hall. Scholarships are available for students interested in taking a class for personal enrichment .

The Episcopal Church's Executive Council Meeting

The executive council of The Episcopal Church met June 10-13 in Maryland. Among the many items were requests to establish three trust funds for St. Peter and All Saints Kansas City, and one for St. Paul's Kansas City.

 

Of interest to churches may be the resolution regarding vaccination:

"Adopt policies for vaccination standards within Episcopal institutions and programs requiring them to ensure the safety of participants, including that all participants and staff participating are vaccinated in accordance with the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Immunization Schedule and/or applicable state law;…"

 

You can see a complete summary of all the resolutions adopted at the meeting by following the link below.

Summary of Resolutions

Nominations are now being accepted.

Have you considered volunteering your time and talents to serving the church in diocesan leadership (elected and/or appointed) and wondered what would be expected of you? How much time is involved? Descriptions of all opportunities are available online.

 

Opportunities for Serving the Church in Diocesan Leadership

The forms titled Clergy Nomination Form and Lay Nomination Form are used to nominate someone (or yourself) for Diocesan Council, the Standing Committee and/or General Convention Deputy. Please use one form per nomination. Please also submit a photograph of the nominee.

Clergy Nomination Form

Lay Nomination Form

For all other nominations, please use the form titled "Opportunities to Serve 2019". Positions on Bishop Kemper School for Ministry, Examining Chaplains, Commission on Ministry and the Disciplinary Boards are elected during convention from those expressing an interest via this form. All other positions are appointments made from those expressing an interest to serve. Please mark all the areas you have interest in serving.

 

Opportunities To Serve Form

Click on the above image to sign up to receive news and event information direct in your email inbox. You can select which of our publications we send to you.

If you need additional information on a Diocesan Council, Standing Committee, Deanery Council, or other Commission, Committee or Ministry  meeting , please see the diocesan calendar on our website.

Diocesan Calendar

Location and Planning Team named for the 2020 Episcopal Youth Event

The 2020 Episcopal Youth Event (EYE20) will be held in partnership with the Washington National Cathedral and the Episcopal Diocese of Washington on the campus of Howard University July 7-11, 2020.

 

Josh Trader, Assistant to the Bishop for Youth Ministry Development has accepted an invitation to serve on the planning team.

Read More

What's happening with the youth this summer?

More Information and Registration

eSpirit  Deadline & Next Publication Date

Next issue: July 3, 2019. Copy Deadline: July 1, 2019.

September 2019  Spirit  Deadline

The deadline for articles and pictures to be included in the September Spirit is August 12, 2019.

Spirit Submissions

New Clergy Transition Program, June 29-30 Canceled

Unfortunately we didn't reach the minimum number of attendees required to run the New Clergy Transition Program Scheduled for the last weekend of June and the event has been canceled. We will be contacting those who have booked to refund their registration fees. The Education Committee of the Commission on Ministry will continue to discuss other ways for new clergy to get the educational support designed for this program.

Application process now open for Episcopal Church Constable Fund Grants

The application process is now open for the Constable Fund Grants for the 2019 grant cycle. The Constable Fund provides grants to fund mission initiatives that were not provided for within the budget of The Episcopal Church, as approved by General Convention 2018, with a stated preference for work in the areas of religious education .

Bulletin Inserts - 

Bulletin & church newsletter inserts for you to consider and include.

Inserts from The Episcopal Church

These weekly bulletin inserts provide information about the history, music, liturgy, mission and ministry of The Episcopal Church, and may be of help to churches with limited time and resources to prepare weekly bulletins.

TEC Bulletin Inserts

Inserts from Episcopal Relief & Development

These weekly bulletin inserts provide information about the history, music, liturgy, mission and ministry of The Episcopal Church, and may be of help to churches with limited time and resources to prepare weekly bulletins.

ERD Bulletin Inserts

June - Lesbian and Gay Pride Month

In recent years, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals did not have a specific month during which to celebrate and commemorate Pride Days in the United States. On June 11, 1999 President Clinton issued a proclamation designating June as Lesbian and Gay Pride Month .

Read More

Ordinations

Pictures from the recent ordinations at St. Andrew's and Christ Church. We'll be publishing more pictures from these ordinations and those held in March in the June issue of Spirit .

 

St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, Kansas City

On Saturday May 11, Sean Kim, W. Jeffrey Hurst and Marco Serrano were ordained into the sacred Order of Priests.

Photographs

Christ Episcopal Church, Springfield

On Saturday May 18 Bradley A. Heuett and Chandler C. Jackson III were ordained into the Sacred Order of Priests.

Photographs

Area Confirmations

Here are the first pictures from the recent confirmations, we'll be sharing more in the June issue of Spirit .

 

St. James, Springfield

On Saturday, May 18, St. James Episcopal Church, Springfield hosted diocesan Area Confirmations. Churches presenting candidates: All Saints' Episcopal Church, West Plains; St. Alban's in the Ozarks, Bolivar; Grace Episcopal Church, Carthage; St. James Episcopal Church, Springfield; St. John's Episcopal Church, Springfield; St. Phillip's Episcopal Church Joplin; Shepherd of the Hills Episcopal Church, Branson.

Photographs

St. Mary's, Kansas City

On Saturday June 1, St. Mary's Episcopal Church, Kansas City hosted diocesan Area Confirmations. Churches presenting candidates: St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, Kansas City; St. Mary's Episcopal Church, Kansas City; St. Mary Magdalene Episcopal Church, Belton; St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Kansas City; The Episcopal Church of the Redeemer, Kansas City.

Photographs

Diakoneo - The Magazine for Deacons

Diakoneo is available now for download. In this issue: The Poor People's Campaign, Health Ministry, Deaf Ministry, and Deacon Evangelism.

Diakoneo