May 2, 2019
The Great 50 Days

The feast of Easter is a season of fifty days, from Easter Eve through the Day of Pentecost. From early times the Greek word pentecost (fiftieth day) was used also for the whole Paschal season. During this season there is no fasting. The Council of Nicaea (325) directed that Christians are to pray standing. The word "alleluia" (praise the Lord) is said or sung repeatedly… 

Holy Week & Easter Pictures

The diocesan Facebook page is a great place to see what's going on in our churches. Currently there are lots of posts sharing Holy Week preparations, services, and the celebrations of Easter Sunday. We've also added a couple of Photo Albums to our Flickr account (links below). Follow us on Facebook to keep up to date on what's happening across the diocese, and don't forget to tag your church's posts with #dwmo so that we can see and share what you are doing.
May - Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month and Older Americans Month

The roots of Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month can be traced back to 1976, when Jeanie Jew, president of the Organization of Chinese American Women, contacted government officials in response to the lack of Asian Pacific representation in the U.S. bicentennial celebrations that same year .

Grants Available for New Churches and Missional Ventures

The Episcopal Church’s Task Force on Church Planting and Congregational Redevelopment has announced that its first set of grants for New Episcopal Communities are now available for Episcopal dioceses and mission developers who are envisioning, planning, or growing new worshipping communities and missional enterprises throughout the church. The grants are part of a $2,500,000 initiative funded by the General Convention in 2018.

Sacred Ground Race Dialogue Series Offers Informational Webinars

Individuals or groups interested in learning more about Sacred Ground: a film-based dialogue series on race and faith are invited to an introductory webinar hosted by Katrina Browne, Sacred Ground curriculum developer, and producer/director of the acclaimed documentary Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North, and the Rev. Canon Stephanie Spellers, canon to the Presiding Bishop for evangelism, reconciliation, and creation care .

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What's Happening April-May
BKSM's 2019 Commencement Service

The Bishop Kemper School for Ministry invites you to attend the 6th annual commencement service on Saturday, May 11 at 10:30 a.m. at Grace Cathedral, Topeka.

Youth
May 3
Regional Youth North Dinner - St. Paul's Church, Kansas City - 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
May 24
Regional Youth South - End of the School Year Celebration! - Christ Church, Springfield - 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
June 2 - 7
Camp WEMO - YMCA Camp, Ash Grove - Sunday, 3:00 p.m. to Friday, 3:30 p.m.
Church
May 18
Companions on the Journey - Human Trafficking: Modern Day Slavery in Our Midst - Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral, Kansas City - 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Diocesan
May 4
Area Confirmation - Christ Church, Boonville, 2:00 p.m.
May 11
BKSM Commencement - Grace Cathedral, Topeka, KS, 10:30 a.m.
May 11
Ordination to the Priesthood - St. Andrew's Church, Kansas City, 4:00 p.m.
May 18
Leadership Boot Camp - Diocesan Center, Kansas City, 10:00 a.m.
May 18
Area Confirmation - St. James Church, Springfield, 2:00 p.m.
May 18
Ordination to the Priesthood - Christ Church, Springfield, 5:00 p.m.
June 1
Area Confirmation - St. Mary's Church, Kansas City, 2:00 p.m.
Meetings & Deadlines
May 11
Cancelled - Southern Deanery Council Meeting
May 21
Standing Committee Meeting - St. Peter and All Saints Church, Kansas City, 10:00 a.m.
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.

Youth News
What's happening with the youth this summer?

  • North Youth Dinner is May 3 at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Kansas City
  • South Youth End of the School Year Celebration! is May 24 at Christ Church, Springfield
  • Camp WEMO 2019 is June 2-7 at Camp Wakonda
  • Happening #79 is June 28-29 at Christ Church, Springfield
  • MissionPalooza 2019 is July 22-28 at St. Paul's Church, Kansas City
We Want Your News & Event Details
eSpirit  Deadline & Next Publication Date

Next issue: May 16, 2019. Copy Deadline: May 13, 2019.
June 2019  Spirit  Deadline

The deadline for articles and pictures to be included in the June 2019 Spirit is May 20, 2019.

Clergy, Administrators, and Church Leaders
Upcoming Conference — Project Resource

Upcoming Conference in Asheville, North Carolina - June 25-27, 2019. The conference will train parish stewardship teams, from dioceses such as ours where the bishop has previously attended a Project Resource session, in planning and developing year-round stewardship ministries which include: annual giving campaigns, major gift asks, and planned giving initiatives.
 
Parishes/Participants are responsible for their own tuition fees ($600 per person), travel expenses, hotel rooms, and any meals not included in the conference tuition. When booking your rooms at the Crown Plaza Resort, be sure to ask for a room in the Project Resource block. We have arranged for a special rate of $137 per night. You must book by May 25, 2019 to receive the special rate.

Last chance to register for Planning for Wellness!

Don’t miss this informative and engaging conference designed to help you and your spouse or partner take steps toward becoming healthier, both physically and financially. Topics will include setting financial goals and increasing your long- term security, incorporating nutrition exercise and emotional resiliency into your life, and understanding and maximizing your pension and health plan benefits. 
 
Registration closes May 12.

Upcoming  
March 1
Church rosters are due.
Clerical licenses expire.
EM/EV licenses expire.
May 4
Area Confirmations - Christ Church, Boonville, 2:00 p.m.
May 10
Southern Deanery Clericus Cookout - Father Jerry Miller's home, 5:00 p.m.
May 14
Cancelled - Southern Deanery Clericus
May 11
Ordination to the Priesthood - St. Andrew's Church, Kansas City, 4:00 p.m.
May 18
Area Confirmations - St. James Church, Springfield, 2:00 p.m.
May 18
Ordination to the Priesthood - Christ Church, Springfield, 5:00 p.m.
May 25
Central Deanery Clericus - Christ Church, Boonville, 10:30 a.m.
June 1
Area Confirmations - St. Mary's Church, Kansas City, 2:00 p.m.
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.

Human Trafficking Forum

May 18, 2019. Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral, Kansas City, Missouri.
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.

In Case You Missed It
Pictures Needed

We always like to receive pictures of your events and activities. We'd particularly like to receive pictures suitable to use with our daily prayers on Facebook and Instagram. When sending images, please let us know where the picture was taken, the names of any people in the image and who took the picture. We don't publish photo credits for pictures used in the daily prayers, but we will if the photos are used elsewhere .
 
BKSM Classes Starting in May

Classes in Anglican spirituality, diversity, and the Holy Spirit round out Bishop Kemper School for Ministry's (BKSM's) academic year. Registration for these courses is open now. Auditing the class costs just $100, which includes all meals and overnight accommodation at Upton Hall. Scholarships are available for lay students interested in taking the May classes .
The Book of Occasional Services 2018 Available for Download in English & Spanish

The Book of Occasional Services 2018, a companion volume to The Book of Common Prayer, is a collection of liturgical resources related to occasional services not found in The Book of Common Prayer. The rites and ceremonies contained in this book are to be understood, interpreted, and used in light of the theology, structure, and directions of The Book of Common Prayer .
Will There Be Faith? Clericus Presentation

A copy of the diocesan clericus presentation Will There Be Faith has been added to the Clergy Community page of the diocesan website (link below) . Please note you'll need your Clergy Community password to access this area. Lost the password? Please contact Angela Crawford -- events@diowestmo.org .

Roanridge Trust Grants Deadline April 30

Applications are now being accepted for the 2019 Roanridge Trust Grant Awards. Dioceses, congregations and Episcopal-related organizations and institutions are invited to apply. Offered annually, Roanridge Trust Grants support creative models of leadership development, training, and ministries in small towns and rural communities across The Episcopal Church. Awards generally range from $5,000 to $20,000 and are given to help equip leaders who serve as catalysts for civil and social well-being in rural municipalities where the community is uniquely interwoven with the vitality of the local church.

Application Deadline: April 30, 2019

Calling All Cursillo Musicians

Please distribute the Episcopal Cursillo Ministry conference flyer within your church. Included below is a MS Word version for bulletins.
Spread The Word