Diocesan News
Living God’s Future Now: A 2024 Tocher Event
St. James, Wichita forms Lay Worship Leaders
St. Thomas, Overland Park hosts interfaith service
Minsters
The Kansas Minster Project proposes a collaborative way of organizing ourselves for God’s mission in the Diocese of Kansas in the 21st century — it is a vision of our “branching pattern” for the Jesus Movement, a way of structuring to bear the Way of Love with new vigor.
Each of the diocese’s 11 minsters is a group of churches designed for mutual support and sharing of resources, so they can reach out to serve their neighborhoods and communities. They also ensure that every congregation is sacramentally cared for by the priests and deacons within each minster.
Task Forces
Seven task forces currently lead the diocese’s efforts to support action within our congregations and outwardly toward those in our neighborhoods, communities and beyond.
The seven task forces are Care of Creation; Children’s Ministries; Evangelism; Global Partnerships; Liturgy, Music and the Arts; Outreach; and Justice and Racial Reconciliation.
Invited to Abundant Life
“I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” ~John 10:10b
We invite parishes, minsters, and new expression communities in our diocese to engage in reflection about your identity and your unique calling. This guide offers a process of discernment for you to ask timely and critical questions about the vocation and future of your parish, minster, or new expression community. We believe this resource can help us discover a vibrant future of ministry together as the Body of Christ in the Diocese of Kansas.
164th Diocesan Convention
The 164th Diocesan Convention met October 20-21 at Grace Cathedral, Topeka. A full summary of convention business is available here or in this PDF.
New representatives were elected to the Council of Trustees and the Disciplinary Board. One canonical amendment was approved and the first reading of a constitutional amendment was approved. Five people were recognized for their ministries and nine Alleluia Grants were awarded. Additionally, the strategic plan for the diocese was introduced and discussed.
The 165th Diocesan Convention is tentatively scheduled for October 18-19, 2024, at the Wichita Airport DoubleTree Hotel.
Spiritual Life
In the broadest sense to be spiritual is to choose to use the energy and gifts you have been given to nurture values, virtues, and intentions. Therefore, to be spiritual is to understand you need to grow. Spirituality can be any number of practices that foster growth into wholeness inside and out.
As Episcopalians we are spiritual and religious. Our Spiritual practices are grounded in the deep love of God in fellowship with Christ, and sustained in the Spirit.
The Rev. Lisa Senuta is the Canon for Spiritual Life and Clergy Care overseeing offerings at the diocese and forming Spiritual Community.
Youth, Young Adult and Campus Ministry
The mission of the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas Youth, Young Adult and Campus Ministry is to gather, equip, and send disciples of Jesus Christ to witness to God’s reconciling love.
We strive to accomplish this mission by providing quality programs and events that are biblically based for the entire diocese. Events and programs are designed for young people to experience opportunities in evangelism, spiritual formation, Christian leadership, mission, fellowship, Scripture, discernment and the Episcopal Church.
Bethany House and Garden
Bethany House and Garden is an innovative ministry of the diocese, centered in the historic building that has served over time as a laundry for a girl’s school, a private home, the bishop’s residence and the diocesan offices.
It offers garden space for prayer and meditation, spiritual direction, pastoral care and outdoor worship. Through community listening and engagement, it seeks to be a part of positive change. It also is in the planning stage of imagining what else it might be: demonstration gardens, prairie restoration or a patchwork quilt of ideas?