Volume 4, Number 3, Summer 2011
A Mission-shaped Church by Bishop Wayne Smith sociated Parishes for Liturgy and Mission,” and the organization remains in existence today. AP understood implicitly the connection between the liturgy and mission, that one who partakes of Christ’s body and blood at the altar will sooner or later be compelled to seek what Christ is doing elsewhere, away from the altar.
It has been four years since I started speaking and writing intentionally and often about mission as one of the organizing principles of our life together. The response from around the Diocese has been very good, and people generally want to engage this way of being the Church. However, there are some subtleties inherent in this missional life that can lead to some confusion about it. So a few points of clarification seem in order.
Mission forms people to be Christians. It also helps us grow in our belief. As such, mission belongs in the curriculum of our learning. There is much to be learned, for example, by engaging in a food ministry, in its delights and challenges, and its messiness. The learning becomes more imbedded in the believer’s life when careful theological reflection in community, especially from the scriptures, follows the experience. An ancient catechetical method utilized this approach: Experience first. Then reflect and learn.
Mission is not a program. It is a way
of being the Church, or at least it is so if mission becomes an organizing principle for us.
Mission is not the amassing of projects. Mission is instead a matter
The Episcopal Diocese of Missouri 1210 Locust Street St. Louis, Missouri 63103 ph: 314-231-1220 online: diocesemo.org email: info@diocesemo.org
of orientation for us, forcing us to look beyond the walls for one point of reference. Mission begs to be holistic in vision, not merely episodic. The buildup of one good deed after another in particular can deceive believers into the caustic, wrong-minded, and persistent belief that salvation is the result of something that we do. The Church decided against this idea in the fifth century, but it will not go away.
Mission depends on the building of relationships. The Church skips
a few steps whenever we think that we know preemptively what “another” population needs. In particular we do well to listen to people and take time to build mutual trust. Mission without relationship can deteriorate into dogooderism (see the heresy mentioned in the second bullet-point above), or even into a Churchy kind of imperialism.
Mission relates to the liturgy.
It especially relates to the Eucharist. A driving force for the liturgical reform resulting in our current Prayer Book (1979) was an organization founded in 1946. They called themselves “As-
The Church does not have a mission. Ok, that’s not quite true,
but in recent theologies of mission this phrase is often purposely set in contrast to the next point.
God’s mission has a Church.
The Church’s purpose is to seek what God in Jesus Christ is doing in the world, and to join ourselves to that purpose. Where God is, there the people of God might need to be also. And where might God be? In broken things, in joy, in suffering, in hope, in fear, in the least of brothers and sisters, in hospitals and prisons, in the helpless, in one who is crucified, in one who is risen. The ways of finding God in our particular locales are a matter of discernment and prayer, of listening to God and the people. I think that if we can hold all these things in our mind at once, then we might see more clearly how mission can be that organizing principle for our life as Church. In the great Eucharistic teaching in John 6, Jesus says “the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” Notice that he says “for the life of the world,” not “for the life of the Church.” The Eucharist which we the Church receive does not reach its end until, through our broken but redeemed lives, we touch on the life of the world, and thereby join God’s mission.
The Right Reverend Wayne Smith is the Tenth Bishop of Missouri.
Letters from Lui Diocese,
a new bishop, a new country
To the people of the Diocese of Missouri, Please allow me to thank you on behalf of the whole Diocese of Lui for your support for my consecration and enthronement. People of Lui are very thankful and excited about all the gifts you gave, we do not know how to reward you but God in His mercy will reward you with His special heavenly blessings. Thank You.
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+Stephen Dokolo Bishop of the Diocese of Lui, Sudan
Follow the story of our partnership with the Diocese of Lui, Sudan, and our fellow mission partners in Blackmore-Vale Deanery, Salisbury UK, and Lund, Church of Sweden on line at LuiNetwork.ning.com . Photos: (upper left) family portrait of Bishop Stephen and Lillian Dokolo, David, and Vicki; (above) scenes from the consecration on June 26, 2011 in and on the grounds of Fraser Cathedral in Lui; (left) Bishop Wayne and Debra Smith traveled to Lui for the funeral of the Rt. Rev. Bullen Dolli, two weeks before Dokolo’s consecration. The Republic of South Sudan became the world’s newest country on July 9, 2011.
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Ordinations & Celebrations It has been a joyous time in the Life of the Diocese these past three months, one filled with celebration. On June 24th, the Rev. Suzanne Wolfenbarger and the Rev. Marc Smith were ordained to the Priesthood at Christ Church Cathedral. Wolfenbarger was ordained deacon in the Diocese of Springfield (IL), then served Christ Church Cathedral as deacon beginning in 2006. This spring she completed a Master of Divinity degree at Sewanee, School of Theology. Smith is the Priest-in-charge at the Episcopal Church of the Ascension on Lucas and Hunt in Northwoods. Another joyful juncture in the life of a parish is a renewal of ministry celebration. It typically comes a few months after a congregation has called a new priest, and is a time to reflect on this new beginning of mutual ministry.
Calvary Church, Columbia, June 21, 2011 Knute Jacobson, rector
Photos: Laying on of Hands (t); Presenting the newly ordained priests, l. to r. Deacon Susan Bartlett, the Rev. Suzanne Wolfenbarger, Bishop Wayne, the Rev. Marc Smith, Archdeacon Mark Sluss (m); Holy Eucharist (b); Wolfenbarger gives a blessing .
Holy Cross Church, Poplar Bluff, June 1, 2011 Annette Joseph, rector
Photos: Procession into Calvary; Holy Communion, the Rev. Knute Jacobson, Bishop Wayne, surrounded by the choir.
Trinity Church, Hannibal, May 5, 2011 Dawn Victoria Mitchell, rector
Photos: Proclaiming the Gospel; the Rev. Annette Joseph asperges the congregation at the renewal of baptismal vows.
Trinity Church, Kirksville, April 27, 2011 Johnette Shane, vicar
Photos: the Rev. Dawn Victoria Mitchell receiving the people’s offerings of bread and wine before Holy Communion; At the post communion hymn, l. to r. Archdeacon Mark Sluss, Bishop Wayne, Mitchell, and attending clergy from the diocese. Photos: Trinity Church’s choir provided a concert of music and poetry before the celebration ceremony, Scott Alberts, music director; Holy Eucharist, l. to r., the Rev. Johnette Shane, Bishop Wayne, the Rev. Carroll Davenport. priest associate.
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Making Disciples • Building Congregations • For the Life of the World
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The Gleaners by Donna Erickson It was the first thing I thought of...as soon as I caught my breath. I know you've seen the painting by French artist, Francois Millet. Women in a field, bathed in the golden glow of either early morning or dusk, gathering in what was left behind of the harvest…poverty made pretty, pastoral and almost palatable. This wasn't that. They had startled me. Actually, we startled each other. While waiting for my partner to come back to the Habitat house, with the correct plumbing supplies that would signal another descent into the crawl space beneath the house, I decided to enjoy being able to stand upright again and breathe fresh air. Still wanting to be useful, I began patrolling the property, picking up trash. The particular house to which we were assigned is separated by a small unpaved alley from one of the towns main grocery stores. There's a lot of foot traffic and few public trash receptacles so litter abounds.
Minutes later, as I threw a box filled with junk into the grocery stores dumpster, the sound of the lid being tossed open, and the trash hitting the side of the container, caused two men behind it to jump up, drop what they were eating, grab their back packs and walk away rapidly. By appearance, clothing and hygiene, I speculated the men were homeless; possibly living behind the dumpster; at the very least, taking an extended rest there. As my heart rate returned to a normal rhythm, I looked around and saw evidence which confirmed my initial impression. I also saw far more. The men had been eating raw potatoes and uncooked, thawed, previously frozen microwave dinners; meals that had passed the expiration date and were no longer able to be sold commercially. In fact, the entire right side of the dumpster was filled with items beyond the 'sell date' as well as produce too spoiled to be consumed—at least by paying customers. I had interrupted Gleaners. I had interrupted people eating from the garbage, gathering up the leftovers… and it made me ill. I was painfully aware that stories of our faith say clearly that these same men will be the very ones invited by Christ to the banquet table in His kingdom.
I was even more painfully aware that I was hesitant to even invite them back to the dorm to share a sandwich with us at lunchtime. There is nothing the least bit romantic about people having to scavenge in dumpsters in order to survive. There is no golden glow that can pretty it up. The kingdom is not yet here. Yesterday morning, I was given the chance to see clearly my role in why it isn't. There are so many wonderful things about a Mission trip. This wasn't that. Donna Erickson is a member of Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Webster Groves, and Emmanuel’s Missions Committee. She weaves a wonderful blog of photos, poetry, and story each year around Emmanuel’s trip with Christ Lutheran Church to Rosebud Lakota Reservation in Mission, South Dakota, where they work with Sicangu Tikaga Okiciyapi Habitat for Humanity. http://emmanuelamt.blogspot.com
©2011 Donna Erickson
Ce le bration of the Ch urc h i n the City At 6:30 PM on Thursday, Aug. 25, 2011, Christ Church Cathedral will host Celebration of the Church in the City, the installation of the Very Rev. Michael Kinman as dean of the cathedral. Held on the Feast Day of Louis IX, namesake of the City of St. Louis, the service will commemorate the historic and ongo-
ing ministry of Christ Church Cathedral in St. Louis. The Rt. Rev. Wayne Smith will preside and the Rev. Becca Stevens, founder of Magdalene, will preach. Magdalene is a residential program in Nashville, Tenn., for women who have survived lives of violence, prostitution and addiction.
Seek is published quarterly by the Episcopal Diocese of Missouri. Executive Editor: The Rt. Rev. Wayne Smith, Bishop of Missouri Editor: Ms. Beth Felice, Director of Communications Editorial Board: the Rev. Teresa K. M. Danieley, rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church, St. Louis; Mr. Jerry Martin, St. Paul’s Church, St. Louis; Mrs. Susan Moenkhaus, St. Timothy’s Church, St. Louis; the Rev. Jason Samuel, rector of Church of the Transfiguration, Lake St. Louis; the Rev. Beverly Van Horne, Interim Dean of the Episcopal School for Ministry; the Rev. Dan Smith, Canon to the Ordinary, Diocese of Missouri. Vol. 4, No. 3, Summer 2011
Episcopal Diocese of Missouri Offices of the Bishop 1210 Locust St, 3rd floor St. Louis, Missouri 63103 314-231-1220
Diocesan members may request a complimentary subscription by mail; send address to the Offices of the Bishop, attn. Seek subscription. Seek is distributed to each parish, mission, and preaching station in the diocese. Archived editions of Seek are available online at diocesemo.org. Submissions by post, attn. Beth Felice, or by email to bfelice@diocesemo.org. Article submissions for the 11/6/11 edition must be received by 10/5/11.
Bishop Wayne’s Visitations and Schedule Sunday, Aug 7 Grace Episcopal Church, Jefferson City Sunday, Aug 14 St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, Mexico Sunday, Aug 21 All Saints’ Episcopal Church, St. Louis Thurs, Aug 25 Christ Church Episcopal Cathedral,
Institution of Dean Michael Kinman
Sheldon Concert Hall, St. Louis
Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori visiting
Sunday, Sept 11 St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, St. Louis Sunday, Sept 11 Interfaith Partnership 9/11 Event, Week of Sept 11 House of Bishops Sunday, Sept 25 Trinity Episcopal Church, Kirksville Sunday, Oct 2 Christ Episcopal Church, Cape Girardeau Sunday, Oct 16 Ascension Episcopal Church, Northwoods Sunday, Oct 23 St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Portland Sunday, Oct 30 St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church, Creve Coeur Sunday, Nov 6 Trinity Episcopal Church, De Soto Sunday, Nov 13 Trinity Episcopal Church, St. Charles Nov 18-19 Diocesan Convention, Christ Church Cathedral
Except for contributed articles and images labeled ©, this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 License. Printed in St. Louis by Nies Artcraft Companies, using soy-based ink on recycled stock.
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Eucharist as Divinization by Daniel Handschy The last couple of years, we have talked a lot at Church of the Advent about being a missional congregation. I have pushed us to look at the world outside our walls. The Vestry has heard missional language. I've used it in my sermons. There’s a problem, however, with missional language. Whenever we use the language of mission, we think there’s something we have to do, something we have to accomplish. Think of the Blues Brothers: “We’re on a mission from God.” When I talk about mission, I have often encountered the question, “Aren’t we doing enough?” The last thing we need is to feel bad about what we’re doing. So, I want to switch language, and use the vocabulary of divinization. The question isn’t really about what we are doing, but what God is doing. The Eastern Orthodox tradition has a doctrine called, “the restoration of the all (apokatastasis panton).” This teaches that God is in the process of restoring the whole universe to its intended condition. God is pulling the universe into the glory it was created to share. God is already doing this. The restoration of all does not depend on us. The restoration of all is the divine mission, the missio Dei, what God is doing.
But, we can cooperate with (or hinder) God. We can train ourselves to see God’s glory in ourselves, and in the things and people around us. And when we see that glory being hidden by circumstances in our control, we can work to reveal it. This is what mission is about. Someone said the difference between mission and service is the difference between a pilgrim and a tourist. A tourist goes somewhere, takes a lot of pictures, buys some trinkets, and then comes home. A pilgrim goes somewhere and comes home changed. Mission changes the missioner. Service just does good deeds (nothing wrong with that, but it isn’t mission). Divinization is the process of the restoration of “the all.” It is God pulling all things towards glory. The easiest (or at least the most obvious way) to participate in the restoration of the all is to cooperate in the divinization of ourselves. We can look for ways that we hinder God’s glory shining through us. In our interactions with others, we can ask, “Did I reveal the glory God intended for me, or hide it? Did I look closely enough for the glory of the other?” We can also cooperate with the divinization of others. What hinders them from shining with God’s glory? Are they hungry? We can feed them. Are they trapped in
harmful circumstances? How can we begin to change that? We can also participate in the divinization of the natural world. Does the world around shine with God’s glory? Perhaps we can plant a garden. Perhaps we can change our driving habits to pollute less. All of these things help toward the restoration of all, toward the divinization of us and the world.
happen all at once. That’s why we come back to church week after week, our whole lives. And we can present our concerns for the restoration of others in our prayers. How might God be pulling those for whom we pray into the glory for which they were created? How might we offer ourselves for that process?
And we participate in that process most obviously in worship. We bring money, food, and bread and wine into the Church to present them to God. These things connect us with the world God is restoring. Rain falls on the earth to grow grain. Humans harvest it, grind it, bake it into bread, and supply it to the store. Some people don’t have enough bread. Some people have too much. Some have too many grapes. Who harvested those grapes? Do we know people who drink too much wine? We present all of that to God, and ask God to bless it. And God does bless it, and returns it to us as our sustenance.
So, mission isn’t so much about doing things, as seeing what God is doing, and offering ourselves to cooperate with that. Talking about divinization doesn’t so much sound like a task we have to do. Episcopalians are Pelagians at heart—we think our salvation depends on us. Give us a task, and we know what to do. Give us checklists, and we’re happy… unless we’re already overbooked. Divinization is what God is doing, and we cooperate with it most obviously in the Eucharist. How does that change us? That is the mission of God.
Our mission is to present the world to God at the altar for restoration … starting with ourselves. What needs restoring in our lives? Are we present and ready for transformation when we come to Eucharist? Obviously, it isn’t going to
The Rev. Daniel J. Handschy is rector of Episcopal Church of the Advent in Crestwood.
When the best efforts don’t succeed
Bishop Wayne announces the closing of Columbia Hope Church
St. Louis: June 3, 2011 The Rt. Rev. Wayne Smith, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Missouri, announced today that church plant Columbia Hope, in Columbia, Missouri, would be closed. The decision was prayerful, after conversation with current and former members and staff, diocesan councils of advice, and outside congregational development consultants. “A decision like this is not taken lightly,” said Smith. “There will be diocesan members disappointed, as well as those who will be relieved.” Bishop Smith met with members of Hope Church Thursday evening, to tell them of his decision. He acknowledged the commitment and energy they had given, and while it may not have worked out as hoped, he spoke about their spiritual growth, how hearts had been touched and lives changed by the church’s existence. A church plant is literally just that, an intentional beginning of a new worship community. The Diocese of Missouri had not planted a new church in several years, and in 2003 began to identify locations in the geographical bounds that were likely candidates. Columbia was chosen and preparation began to find a priest to lead the project.
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Not only the diocese, but the Episcopal Church has few recent church plants, and a small pool of church planters; the search for a priest took two years. In November of 2007, the Rev. Heather Morgan began work as Vicar and Columbia Hope’s public launch was in February of 2009. Columbia Hope was a “mission” church, in Episcopal parlance that is a congregation funded by the diocese. “We put significant resources behind this project,” said Smith, “financial support, coaching, and time.” The bishop felt it was important to be honest in acknowledging that it wasn’t working, and not use up resources on a failing endeavor. There is always some measure of risk in starting a new church. The diocese opted for a less used method called a “parachute drop,” where a church planter new to the area begins from scratch. “If it works,” said the bishop, “you have a good chance of growing a larger congregation.” A more common style of church plant is termed “mother-daughter,” where a healthy parish contributes a nucleus of worshippers, who go out and plant the core of the new church. Several
Photos: About 25 members of Columbia Hope gather for the final service on June 26, 2011; the Rev. Dr. Dan Smith, Canon to the Ordinary, preached and presided at the final service.
years previous the diocese had tried an unsuccessful plant of this type, also in Columbia. Between 1980 and 1996 the Episcopal Church planted 337 new churches nationwide. Only 14 of those congregations reached an average Sunday attendance of 250 or more. Columbia Hope was not able to grow into viability, to attract enough members to begin the journey to self-sufficiency. Morgan resigned in March of this year. Columbia Hope’s last service was held on Sunday, June 26, 2011. “Any church start is risky,” reflected the bishop. “But even though it is risky, this diocese will continue finding new ways to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ.”
The Episcopal Diocese of Missouri
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Pine Ridge : Multiple perspectives An Eye-Opening trip poverty rates in America and has extremely high rates of alcoholism, infant mortality, suicide, teen-suicide, and other negative socioeconomic factors.
Four Grace Church-Jefferson City youth group members traveled to South Dakota in early June with several youth and adult members of the Diocese of Missouri for a mission trip with the volunteer group Re-Member at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Their mission was part service and part immersion in the Oglala Lakota culture. The missioners learned that the reservation has the highest jobless and
On June 20th, the Grace Church missioners, Emily Bartlett, Becca Harbison, Will Harbison, and Sarah Harker, hosted a stakeholders spaghetti dinner at the First United Methodist Church sharing the experience with Grace Church supporters of their mission. Gabrielle Crossnoe, who was unable to go on the trip, opened the program, saying this mission trip was unique in that it brought to light the “other side of our nation’s history” about the treatment of American Indians. Becca Harbison explained that the core belief of the Oglala Lakota tribe is “we are all related” and are inexplicably connected to nature. She said it was “an amazing experience” and “took the general idea of Native Americans” and brought it to life with real people in a real place. Her brother, Will Harbison, added that the mission trip was “eye-opening.” The missioners said they learned about the U.S. government betrayal of the tribe, something they had not learned in school. They heard the story of the Wounded Knee Massacre and saw the monument built on the very spot where it happened. They heard from
by Julie Harker
tribal elders and attended a Pow Wow. For service projects, they helped add “skirting” to a mobile home, did roof repairs, and unloaded materials for bunk beds. It’s not that the men of the tribe don’t want to help, Sarah Harker, explained—it’s that they retreat from the worksites with a degree of embarrassment and shame that they cannot afford to do those things themselves. Harker said with the high unemployment rate of 80-to-90% and virtually no economic opportunities on the reservation, it’s a “no-win scenario.” Emily Bartlett described the Lakota people as “generous, open, and loving” and the experience, she said, was “hard to put into words.” Becca, Sarah, Emily, and Will presented hand-crafted gifts they purchased with mission trip funds from the Lakota people to Grace Church Rector Shariya Molegoda to be displayed in our church. Becca, Emily, and Sarah, all newly graduated seniors, told me they want to work for Re-Member as staff members next summer. Will said he would also be interested in doing that in the future. Above all, the Grace missioners said it was an amazing experience and they thanked our congregation for supporting their trip.
Julie Harker. not along for the trip, contributed this article to Grace Church’s newsletter. She was “impressed, but not surprised, by how thoroughly the kids communicated their experience, their compassion for the Lakota people and their desire to go back and serve in the future.”
Henry & Me—Mitakuye oyasin On Trinity Sunday, Sarah Barger shared a ‘mission minute’ with St. Martin’s parish. In it, she said that the Diocesan Mission Trip to Pine Ridge Indian Reservation changed her life. Hallelujah! I’m here to say it changed mine too. Missional work is transformational because it’s the act of being sent forth, out from the walls of our church and into the world as a living, doing,
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speaking and praying Christian. It’s where we’re stretched to live like Jesus and form new life-giving relationships with the ‘other.’ For me, meeting Henry was one such experience. A small wind turbine marked the entrance to his compound, a patchwork of trailers, campers, a teepee and gardens that contains his livelihood and his family. Henry is a gentle yet strong single father of five. He runs the Red Cloud Renewable Energy Center. Henry builds simple solar heating systems & then trains young men on the reservation to install them. He is immensely proud of his work. It makes a huge difference in providing heat during the below-zero winters in trailers that might lack insulation, electricity and even running water. The day we met him, we loaded up his van to an improbably high level with 10 units for the Cheyenne reservation. Afterwards, he invited us to eat lunch in the upstairs of his Quonset Seek
work hut. We then gathered for council in his teepee, where he asked us to share something about our experience on the reservation. He was so attentive to each teen;no sideways glances at a watch. We spent the afternoon gardening and feeding his chickens. He and I shared our love of wildlife, as we discovered wild roses and rhubarb growing in the midst of his isolated valley. My life is enriched by meeting Henry. He demonstrated a grace of being and a generosity of spirit. His patience with our green teen farmers was instructive for me as a youth minister. Daily I’m reminded, “Mitakuye oyasin” —a Lakota prayer saying that we are all related and connected to all creation. And the work goes on…Last week a group of seven teens enjoyed a jampacked weekend introduction to mission in Shannon County, Missouri. My hope is that they too return open to new missional challenges. Heidi Gioia is the Director of Youth Ministry at St. Martin’s Church in Ellisville.
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Episcopal Church Women to lead Diocese in Haiti Appeal In January of 2010, an earthquake devastated Haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere. The Diocese of Haiti was the largest diocese in The Episcopal Church, and the fastest growing one. The earthquake destroyed 70% of the Episcopal Church buildings, including the Holy Trinity Cathedral Complex in Port-au-Prince. Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori asked the dioceses of the Episcopal Church to join together and help Haiti rebuild her church. The House of Bishops passed a resolution last September supporting this appeal, and this spring, Bishop Wayne Smith called upon Cheryl Ward, Vice
President of the Episcopal Churchwomen of Missouri Board, to help imagine a grass roots appeal for our Missouri Diocese. The ECW Board, Karen Birr, President, met in Fulton at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church last Thursday and made an important decision—to serve as the first-line support group for our diocesan response.
The appeal will run from August through October. Are you ready to help rebuild Holy Trinity? Visit the diocesan webpage at www.diocesemo.org/haiti or for more information, please contact Cheryl Ward by email: ECWMissouri@diocesemo.org
Ward and Jeanne King, a member of St. Martin’s in Ellisville, and a member-at-large of the ECW Diocesan Board, will be contacting each ECW in our Diocese regarding this effort and plan to visit any of those same churches who might want to see the presentation and curriculum for this project.
Men anpil chay pa lou.
United Thank Offering Spring Totals
by Rosemary Bagin, Diocesan UTO Coordinator
As of June 30, 2011, thankful Episcopalians in our diocese contributed $6,445.66 through the use of the UTO Blue Boxes. There were 15 congregations that participated this spring. I want to say, "THANK YOU," to all who placed coins in their Blue Box over the winter months. Many of us never see the faces of those who benefit from our contributions. But if you volunteer at the monthly birthday parties at Episcopal City Mission, you’ve met some of the young people we help. Mary Kay Digby, Executive Director of ECM, updated us on what their UTO Grant of a few years ago has meant to the children in detention. That grant was to purchase laptops and projectors. “It’s far exceeded our initial expectations,” said Digby. “We knew that having the capability to show video clips, play music, and project the words of songs to the children in detention at the weekly chapel services would be more engaging
and interesting. Our joy has been that the chaplains are using the laptops and projectors throughout the week to make more of an impact with the message of a loving and forgiving God.” The ECM chaplains report that they are using the equipment to accompany their programs of motivational movies, faith movies, and hip hop education. The Rev. Dietra Wise explained, “the children are more attentive and they seem to feel special that someone has taken the time to put together a presentation just for them." Monthly Birthday Parties that I mentioned are provided by various Episcopal congregations in our diocese. My parish, Transfiguration, goes to the juvenile detention center in Clayton every June. This year five of us went. two men and three women. We stay a couple of hours, provide pizza, soda, and ice cream donated by Ted Drewes. The detention center provides a cake. After eating we play bingo with the kids. There are simple prizes for winners and each
(Many hands lighten the load.) The Diocese of Missouri joins the Episcopal Church’ s campaign to rebuild the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti. Brick by brick.
www.diocesemo.org/haiti person who has a birthday that month receives a birthday gift. If your parish is not involved, you might want to consider trying it. There are a number of parishes that go more than one month each year so there are opportunities for more congregations to get involved. Again I want to thank everyone who participated in the United Thank Offering and hope that when you think about your blessings, you will remember to drop a coin in the Blue Box.
Love Heals: Rediscovering God’s Promises Making Disciples Conference Episcopal School for Ministry Invites you to the Making Disciples Conference 2011 "Love Heals: Rediscovering God's Promises" 8:30 AM - 3:00 PM Saturday, August 27, 2011 Christ Church Cathedral 1210 Locust Street, St. Louis Does a community help love heal? Does reading scripture in community change how we hear it? Can it change how we live in the world? Cost: $20 per person. Congregations may send a group of 10 persons for $100
The morning session will be led by Becca Stevens, an Episcopal priest, author, and founder of Magdalene/Thistle Farms, communities for women who have survived lives of violence, prostitution, and addiction. Two graduates of Magdalene will join her to explore ways we can develop a context of community that allows love’s healing power to take root and grow. The afternoon session will be led by Jeff Moore, D. Min., Ph.D., and Sr. Minister of Webster Groves Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), who has worked with Contextual Bible Study groups in the United States, Africa, Central America, and the Caribbean. Contextual Bible Study is a group process that takes seriously the history and complexity of Scripture while honoring the importance of who we are, when and where we live as readers and interpreters. Our afternoon time will include an introduction to Contextual Bible Study, and an opportunity to reflect upon the important issues raised by Becca Stevens and her colleagues during the morning session. Registration forms available in parishes, online at diocesemo.org/esm, or by email from Pamela Dolan (pdolan@emmanuelepiscopal.org) or Beverly Van Horne (beverly.vanhorne@gmail.com). To register, send the following registration form and a check for $20 made payable to the Episcopal School for Ministry, to Debbie Wheeler, c/of the Cathedral Bookstore, 1210 Locust Street, St. Louis, MO 63103.
Dates for 2011 to 2012 Episcopal School for Ministry year:
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August 20, 2011 September 23-24, 2011 October 28-29, 2011 December 2-3, 2011
December 17, 2011 Jan 27-28, 2012 Feb 24-25, 2012 Mar 23-24, 2012 Apr 21, 2012
May 18-19, 2012 June 15-16, 2012 July 20-21, 2012 Aug 18, 2012
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Reflections on Lay Ministry by Ken Luebbering During baptism and the renewal of our baptismal vows at each new baptism, we pledge to do certain things. We commit ourselves “to continue in the breaking of the bread, and in. . . prayers” and to “proclaim by word and example” Christ’s message to the world. Then we are called to “seek and serve Christ in all persons” and to “strive for justice and peace among all people.” Through our Lenten study at Grace Church this spring, it became clear to me, and probably to many others in the study, how interrelated all of those promises are. It is through worship and prayer that we become prepared for the others, not only as individuals but also as the community of our parish. As participants talked in the Easter week study of what is so important to them in our Episcopal worship, it was obvious that, although we valued various aspects of worship differently, we are all sustained by our communal experience. Whether what
is most moving to us is the sound or content of the language, the beauty of the music or the meaning of the lyrics of the hymns and anthems, the preaching or the practice of ancient rituals, we all partake of the mystery of the sacrament of the Eucharist in powerful ways. It is only through that participation that we are able to proclaim Christ’s message in the world, and since we are Episcopalians we are mostly comfortable with the advice of St. Francis to constantly preach the Gospel and “when necessary use words.” For most of us, it is through our attempt to “seek and serve Christ in all persons” and to “strive for justice and peace among all people” that we preach most effectively. This is the essence of lay ministry and what sets us apart from secular organizations that do good works in the community. One of the chief difficulties with lay ministry is sustaining the effort
over the long haul. It is important not to allow people to burn out by expecting too much or doing something for too long. It is important to have leadership succession so that burn out is avoided and all of our talents are recognized, valued, and used effectively. However, it is also through constant and deep participation in the life of our parish and particularly in our worship that lay ministry can be most effectively supported and sustained. It may seem odd to you that I write my reflection as Lay Ministry Coordinator in order to urge your most important kind of participation to simply be present and fully involved in our common life of worship and study. I believe that it is absolutely essential, however, if we are to continue to build on what we have accomplished in developing a culture of lay ministry, and continue to serve in God’s kingdom as we are called to do. As St. David advised his fellow monks, “Be joyful, keep the faith, do the little things.”
Dr. Ken Luebbering is Lay Ministry Coordinator at Grace Episcopal Church in Jefferson City.
If you are involved in telling the story of your church through the ministry of communications, you’ll want to attend a special workshop on Saturday, October 1. The Diocese of Missouri Office of Communications welcomes noted author and educator Elizabeth Drescher to speak and facilitate an interactive workshop, “Friends, Followers, and Faith: Relational Communication in the Digital Reformation,” for this year’s communications conference. Drescher is a regular contributor to Religion Dispatches on new media, culture, and religion, and her work has been highlighted by Atlantic Monthly, the BBC, the Guardian, NPR and the Utne Reader. She holds a PhD in Christian Spirituality from the Graduate Theological Union and an MA in Systematic Theology from Duquesne University, and teaches in the undergraduate program in Religious Studies and the graduate program in Pastoral Ministry at Santa Clara University. Designed for both lay and clergy, the communications conference offers intensive learning and networking, and is limited to 50 participants. If they have not already done so, participants are encouraged to create a Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn profile before the workshop. The fee for the conference is $50. Registration opens at 9, the conference runs from 9:30-3:30, and lunch is included. Conference registration information is online at www.diocesemo.org/commconf. “Maybe all of this technology and the change it is creating seems overwhelming,” Elizabeth Drescher writes, “but at the end of the day, we’re people of the Resurrection…Our traditional belief in transformation…both calls us to and prepares us for life in this period of profound renewal in the church.”
Join 50 fellow communicators Friends, Followers, and Faith Relational Communication in the Digital Reformation With Elizabeth Drescher, PhD Author of Tweet If You Jesus: Practicing Church in the Digital Reformation
Episcopal Diocese of Missouri
Communications Conference Emmanuel Episcopal Church Webster Groves, Missouri
October 1, 2011 | 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM Workshop participants limited to 50. Workshop fee $50. Registration information online: diocesemo.org/commconf Have you Googled yourself or your church lately? Today, before almost anyone steps across the threshold of a church, they have researched online, visiting websites, Facebook pages, Twitter feeds, and YouTube channels. Because of this, churches large and small, dioceses, and other religious organizations have begun to develop at least some sort of social media presence. But it’s not always clear how best to participate in digital social networking communities in ways that clearly enrich the spiritual lives of believers and seekers, and extend the Good News to wider circles within and beyond local church communities. And, for mainline churches that have had limited success with broadcast media ministries, developing a voice in the digital domain that is at once authentic and engaging can be a challenge—especially in 140 characters. This is, nonetheless, the core challenge facing religious communicators of all stripes in the Digital Age. In this workshop, we will explore the major social media platforms in light of the uniqueness of mainline Christian identity and practice and with attentiveness to the populations we are likely to find on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn. Drawing on research from her recent book Tweet If You Heart Jesus and new research from her forthcoming book with ELCA Pastor Keith Anderson, Click 2 Save: The Digital Ministry Bible, Dr. Elizabeth Drescher will help participants to develop a draft social media communications strategy which they can continue to refine in ongoing social media conversations.
Workshop Agenda 9 AM —Registration 9:30 —The Ministry of Communications 10 AM — Introduction: The Reformation Will Not Be Televised—Exploring the shift from mass communication to relational communication. 11 AM — Open the Door and See All the People—Who’s where on social network sites and how do they engage your church or religious organization? Lunch 1 PM — I Love to Tell the Story—What combination of social media platforms will enable your church or organization to best tell your story to current and prospective members as well as to the wider community, church, and world? 2 PM —Altar Call!—Exploring the art of missional, relational communication practice in the Digital Reformation. 3 PM —The Faithful Community of Practice
Making Disciples • Building Congregations • For the Life of the World
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Christ Church Cathedral, St. Louis • All Saints’, Farmington • All Saints’, St. Louis • Church of the Ascension, Northwoods • Calvary Church, Columbia • Calvary Church, We •are 12,500ofbaptized members in 44 •congregations Louisiana • Christ Church, Cape Girardeau • Christ Church, Rolla • Church of St. Michael & St. George, Clayton Church the Advent, Crestwood Church of the in the eastern half of Missouri, Good Shepherd, Town & Country • Church of the Holy Communion, University City • Emmanuel Church, Webster Groves • Grace Church, Jefferson City • Grace Church, Kirkwood • Holy Cross Church, Poplar Bluff • St. Alban’s, Fulton • St. Barnabas’, Florissant • St. Francis’, Eureka • St. John’s, Eolia (Prairieville) • Camp Phoenix • Care and Counseling, Inc. • Christian Formation • COEDMO • Commission on Dismantling Racism • Commission on Ministry • Community Gardens • Community Making Disciples Quarterly from the Episcopal Diocese of Missouri Health and Wellness Ministries • Community of Hope • Companion Diocese Relationship Committee • Diocesan Council • Diocesan Convention • Diocesan Mission Congregations Trips • Episcopal Campus Ministry • Episcopal City Mission • Episcopal Church Women • Episcopal Recovery Ministry •Building Episcopal Relief and Development • Episcopal School for Ministry • Fresh Start • General Convention • Grace Hill • Happening • Hunger and Food Ministries • Journey 2 Adulthood • Missional Model Congregations For the Life of the World TheMissouri Mission• Paseo of the Con Diocese of Missouri • Oasis Christo • Rite 13 •isSt. Andrew’s Resources for Seniors System (STARSS) • St. Luke’s Hospital • Standing Committee • Sustain A Faith • the mission all baptized Task Force for the of Hungry • United Christians: Thank Offering • Youth Ministry • St. John’s, Tower Grove • St. Luke’s, Manchester • St. Mark’s, Portland • St. Mark’s, St. Louis • St. to teach and• St. to Matthew’s, spread theMexico Gospel • St. Matthew’s, Warson Woods • St. Paul’s, Carondelet • St. Paul’s, Ironton • St. Paul’s, Palmyra • St. Paul’s, Sikeston • St. Martin’s, Ellisville Peter’s, Ladue • St. Stephen’s, Ferguson St. people; Thomas’ Church for the Deaf,Episcopal KirkwoodDiocese • St. Timothy’s, Creve Coeur • St. Vincent’s-in-the-Vineyard, Ste. Genevieve • of Missouri and its knowledge of salvation to• all Church themake Transfiguration, St. Louis Trinity Church, 1210• Locust Street Hannibal • Trinity Church, Kirksville • Trinity Church, St. Charles • Trinity andofto the love ofLake Christ known• Trinity in theChurch, world Jefferson County St. Louis, Missouri Church, St. James • Trinity Church, Central West End • Christ Church Cathedral, St. Louis • All63103 Saints’, Farmington • All Saints’, St. Louis • Church of the Ascension, through our own actions as individuals, Northwoods • Calvary Church, Columbia • Calvary Church, Louisiana • Christ Church, Cape Girardeau • Christ Church, Rolla • Church of St. Michael & St. George, as congregations, and as Crestwood the diocese, Clayton • Church of the Advent, • Church of the Good Shepherd, Town & Country • Church of the Holy Communion, University City • Emmanuel Church, by feeding the hungry, welcoming the •stranger, Webster Groves • Grace Church, Jefferson City Grace Church, Kirkwood • Holy Cross Church, Poplar Bluff • St. Alban’s, Fulton • St. Barnabas’, Florissant • St. Francis’, Eureka • St. John’s, Eolia (Prairieville) • Camp Phoenix • Care and Counseling, Inc. • Christian Formation • COEDMO • Commission on Dismantling Racism • Commisclothing the naked, housing the homeless, sion on Ministry • Community Gardens • Community Health and Wellness Ministries • Community of Hope • Companion Diocese Relationship Committee • Diocesan caring for the sick, visiting the prisoner, Council • Diocesan Convention • Diocesan Mission Trips • Episcopal Campus Ministry • Episcopal City Mission • Episcopal Church Women • Episcopal Recovery and comforting those in times of trouble. Ministry • Episcopal Relief and Development • Episcopal School for Ministry • Fresh Start • General Convention • Grace Hill • Happening • Hunger and Food Ministries • Journey 2 Adulthood • Missional Model Congregations • Oasis Missouri • Paseo Con Christo • Rite 13 • St. Andrew’s Resources for Seniors System (STARSS) • St. Luke’s Hospital • Standing Committee • Sustain A Faith • Task Force for the Hungry • United Thank Offering • Youth Ministry • St. John’s, Tower Grove • St. Luke’s, Manchester • St. Mark’s, Portland • St. Mark’s, St. Louis • St. Martin’s, Ellisville • St. Matthew’s, Mexico • St. Matthew’s, Warson Woods • St. Paul’s, Carondelet • St. Paul’s, Ironton • St. Paul’s, Palmyra • St. Paul’s, Sikeston • St. Peter’s, Ladue • St. Stephen’s, Ferguson • St. Thomas’ Church for the Deaf, Kirkwood • St. Timothy’s, Creve Coeur • St. Vincent’s-in-the-Vineyard, Ste. Genevieve • Church of the Transfiguration, Lake St. Louis • Trinity Church, Jefferson County • Trinity Church, Hannibal • Trinity Church, Kirksville • Trinity Church, St. Charles • Trinity Church, St. James • Trinity Church, Central West End • Christ Church Cathedral, St. Louis • All Saints’,
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We Are the Episcopal Diocese of Missouri Please Join Us in Worship This Week
This event is designed for:
Christ Episcopal Church in Cape Girardeau, The Baptist Student Center, and the Dept of Political Science, Philosophy and Religion at Southeast Missouri State University invite you:
• Anyone interested in Social Justice and the concept of Christian Hospitality • Anyone interested in racial equality and the history of the Civil Rights movement. • Anyone interested in the community garden movement and self sustaining gardening practices. • Anyone interested in ecumenical worship.
Radical Christian Hospitality & Food Ministry Why Your Church Needs to be Involved in Gardening Congregations involved with community gardens, food pantries, and feeding ministry, take note: a day long event with a team from Koinonia Farm has been planned by Christ Church in Cape Girardeau, and members of the diocese are invited. The event will explore the concept of Radical Christian Hospitality using the precepts of Clarence Jordan and Koinonia Farm, with emphasis on building community (including the possibility of establishing a community garden in Cape Girardeau), and will conclude with a community wide inspirational (Christian) worship service and celebration. The event includes a shared noontime meal. Koinonia Farm was founded in Sumter County, Georgia, by Clarence Jordan as a “demonstration plot for the Kingdom of God” in 1942. Koinonia is a Greek word meaning deep fellowship or communion. Although the farm is simple and small, its influence has been felt around the world. Jordan was a minister and scholar with a BA in Agriculture and a PhD in New Testament. He was
Workshop Event
Saturday, Sept. 3, 2011
9:30 AM - 3:30 PM Atrium in Dempster Hall at SEMO
Cape Girardeau Free, RSVP required deeply concerned with the poverty and racism of the rural South. Four precepts, based on the teachings of the early Christian Church have been at the center of Koinonia: • Treat all human beings with dignity and justice • Choose love over violence • Share all possessions and live simply • Be stewards of the land and its natural resources. For Dr. Jordan, this meant establishing an interracial farming community. This does not seem like a radical concept in 2011, but in
Diocesan Council invites you to a
Listening Forum on the Denominational Healthcare Plan Saturday, August 20 9 AM - 11:30 AM Grace Episcopal Church, Kirkwood diocesemo.org/DHP 8
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Southwest Georgia in 1942, African Americans and Whites living together, working together and being paid equal wages was unheard of. Former President Jimmy Carter said, “What made Clarence Jordan, the charismatic founder and spiritual leader of Koinonia Farm so innovative and courageous was how early on he exhibited his courage in defending human rights.” In the early 1940’s—fifteen years before Martin Luther King Jr. was well known— Koinonia served as a kind of beacon light for people who believed in racial equality. Harry Chapin’s musical theatre The Cotton Patch Gospel is inspired by Clarence Jordan’s life and writings. Habitat for Humanity International began as an idea of Millard Fuller and Clarence Jordan at Koinonia. Christ Church’s rector Bob Towner was awarded a National Clergy Renewal Program grant this year from the Lilly Foundation. A part of that grant was designated for renewal activities within the congre-
Over the past several months, a subcommittee of Diocesan Council, charged by Bishop Wayne Smith, has been studying Resolution A177 (passed by General Convention of 2009 and better known as the Denominational Health Plan) and its potential effect on the Diocese of Missouri. While this issue of Seek is being printed, it is hoped you will have either received the subcommittee’s preliminary findings and proposed resolution for diocesan convention, or read about it in the weekly newsletter iSeek or online.
gation, and is helping fund this event. In preparation for the event, the congregation is studying Jordan’s Cotton Patch Version of Luke’s Parables with Kerry Wynn, Biblical Studies faculty at SEMO. To reserve a place at the event, or for more information, contact Karen Wynn at brookeybob@yahoo.com or Christ Episcopal Church at 573-335-2997.
The subcommittee would like to invite you to join in a Listening Forum to ask questions and share your thoughts. The forum is scheduled for 9-11:30 AM, Saturday, August 20, at Grace Episcopal Church, 514 East Argonne Drive in Kirkwood. Information as it is made available from Diocesan Council will be posted on the diocesan website: diocesemo.org/dhp . An email address has also been set up to contact the Council subcommittee: dhp@diocesemo.org .
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