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Leaders hear bishop’s call for good crises
It’s not too often that a bishop encourages parish leaders to have a crisis. But Bishop Dean Wolfe said that’s just what he wants to see — if they are positive and not negative ones.

That word went to wardens, treasurers and other parish officials March 10 at the second annual Lay Leadership Academy sponsored by the Diocese of Kansas.

Bishop Wolfe said parishes naturally will experience times of crisis. Negative ones, he said, usually are personality-driven and can drain a congregation. “Deal with those quickly and get rid of them,” he urged.

Positive crises, on the other hand, create energy within a parish. He offered several examples. “Our parking lot is too full on Sunday mornings. We have lots of five-year-olds in church now and we need a program for them. We have college students in town and need to serve them.”

That type of challenge, the bishop said, ought not to be dispatched too quickly. “Savor it, talk about it, lift it up,” he said. “You don’t always know the resources you have until you press the crisis. Then give people the opportunity to help.”

Partners in ministry
Bishop Wolfe told the nearly 100 participants that he and they are partners in ministry together. He noted that assembled together they represented the key leaders for the churches within the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas, and he also recognized the sacrifices they and their families make for their service to the church.

“I know the stories of all the time served, of night meetings and weekend retreats,” he said. He said he knew they are key to the church’s success. “The only people who will support the Episcopal Church are Episcopalians,” he said. “We want to support you because we think we are doing something holy — building the Kingdom of God and sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with others.”

Bishop Wolfe said he and members of the diocesan staff who assisted with workshop presentations offered the day of training to help lay leaders do their jobs better.

The day included the bishop’s remarks in opening and closing plenary sessions and roundtable discussions he conducted for senior and junior wardens. Staff workshops looked at parish audits, year-round stewardship campaigns, general parish administration issues, mutual ministry reviews and parish web sites. The event took place at Grace Cathedral, Topeka.

Benefit raises $2,600 for St. David’s, Topeka
Episcopal women from around the diocese experienced their own “Project Runway” March 24 at the benefit fashion show and luncheon in support of St. David’s, Topeka. Those efforts netted $2,600 for the St. David’s Resurrection Fund.

Jerry Malone, St. James’, Wichita, coordinated the event at the Wichita Country Club. Fashions provided by GM Clotheshorse were modeled by Episcopal women, including two teenaged members from St. James’ and the diocesan Director of Stewardship and Development, Char DeWitt.

A gourmet lunch topped off the event, which was designed to raise money to help the Topeka parish recover from the arson fire in November 2006 that destroyed its church building. St. David’s rector, the Rev. Don Davidson, and his wife Marcie were guests at the event. Davidson spoke to the group about the fire and the parish’s recovery from it.

Malone said about 60 people attended, including event-goers from as far away as Lenexa and Coffeyville. She said she was very pleased those two women were among those who won door prizes for their attendance.

She said several women from around the diocese had said they’d have liked to attend but were unable to because of previous spring break plans with their families.

Bishop Wolfe gives Reeta Akins a rocking chair in honor of her 23 years of service to the diocesan staff.

Reeta Akins retires after 23 years of service
Bishop Dean Wolfe presented Reeta Akins with a rocking chair engraved with the seal of the diocese in recognition of her 23 years of service as Commission on Ministry administrator. The presentation took place at the annual Chrism Mass at Grace Cathedral on April 3.

Akins retired April 15.