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Grace Episcopal Cathedral Topeka, Kansas
September 2014 Vol. 88, No. 9
Dear Friends:
“When two or three
are gathered together
in my name . . .”
Okay, I know Jesus
was probably going
in a different
direction with this familiar saying (a
part of our gospel lesson for
September 7), but, sometimes, I think
he was referring to summer
attendance at church and providing
assurance that despite the absence of
many in the community, and an
apparent lack of faithfulness and
devotion to worship, the blessing of
his presence remains among us.
In 24 years as an ordained
minister, and 14 at the Cathedral, I
have never been able to get used to
the mass exodus that summer brings
to church. Look, I get it. Summer is
vacation time. Kids are out of school,
many of our regular activities take a
summer break, things slow down in
many businesses purely because their
people are away. The weather is nice
for traveling. I understand summer
and vacation time. I take some time
off in the summer myself. But what I
don’t get is why people / Christians
suddenly decide to make church on
the Lord’s Day such a low priority in
their lives, to vacation from church,
from worship and praise of the Lord.
Of course, people are out of town
occasionally, and many who are,
attend church somewhere else when
they are away – and sometimes,
occasionally, it is probably even
From the Dean. . .
Continued on page 2.
healthy to just “chill” and take a
weekend or week off from everything
that is your regular habit, including
church.
But when our average attendance
here drops 70 to 100 people a week
all summer long, and when I miss
seeing folks for months at a time, it
leads me to believe that there is more
going on than just vacation and trips
out of town.
If this all sounds like belly-aching
or scolding, well, honestly, there may
be a little of that, but, mostly it is
simply a matter of concern from your
pastor that we are taking our worship
of and relationship with God far too
lightly. Do we not have an hour or
two in our week – every week – to
give to the One who gives us all that
we have? Do we want God to be
with us in all times and in all places?
Do we not expect God to be present
with us those times when we want
and need God most? Then, perhaps,
it is time to reassess our commitment
to God in our lives.
We certainly all fall short of
what we should do and be as God’s
Join the choir!
From the Dean continued
people, but a conscious effort toward
community worship is something we
can all do as a minimum offering of
time to God (and to our church
family. Fellowship with our brothers
and sisters is important as well.)
The good news is whenever we
are together, whether few or many,
God is with us and among us,
blessing us and enabling us for all
that we do the rest of the week, and
when we miss that time together
with each other and with God, we
miss that important feeding and
blessing. And the community misses
you. And God misses you.
God loves us and cares for us
and, yes, is even present with us
whether we come to church or not.
But when we come to church, and
when we make worship and devotion
a regular part of our life – fall,
winter spring AND summer – we are
saying to God, “Thank you. We love
and care and are present with you,
too – at all times and in all places,
and in all seasons.”
Isn’t that the kind of relationship
we want with God?
—I’ll see you in church,
Steve+
Heads up on Adult Forum
Next month we’ll print a complete
schedule for the 2014-15 Adult Forum. But
just so you’ll know what is coming up—
beginning October 5, Pastor George will
lead a series on the prophets and kings of
Israel (and Judah). A short video will be followed by a group discussion on
how the faith of Israel affected its daily life and national decisions.
This class will be interrupted for two weeks October 19 and 26, for
presentations about our Haiti and Africa ministries. Deacon Stephen
Segebrecht will be with us on October 19 to talk about Kansas2Kenya, and on
October 26, Bishop Andrew Waldo (Upper South Carolina) will share about
our Haiti Partners-in-Health program. The Cathedral’s Outreach budget
supports both these humanitarian programs which provide housing, healthcare,
food, clean water and education for those who would otherwise be without the
basic and life sustaining commodities.
Phase One building program and Christian Formation It’s an interesting combination for a newsletter article, but
since the building project plays a part in this this year’s Sunday
School calendar, we thought we’d tackle them both together.
Our construction appears to be on schedule at this point, but
some unfortunate discoveries (which we were fortunate to
discover!) like rusted drain lines and faulty wiring (sometimes renovation pays
off in unexpected ways!) may delay our finish date a bit. In any case, the
completion date is October 1.
Therefore, we have elected to delay the start of our Sunday School and
other “upstairs” church activities that usually begin just after Labor Day until
the first Sunday of October. Sunday School will begin on October 5, as will
Junior Choir (kindergarten through 3rd grade). Girl Scouts and other groups
will begin later that week. For more information about your program, if in
question, call the church office. Thank you for your patience.
Junior Choir
(K-3rd grade) - Sundays at 9 a.m. (when Sunday School is in session)
Gentlemen’s Choir
(High School & Adult) - Sundays at 11:45 a.m.
Cathedral Choristers
(4th grade-High School) - Tuesdays at 5:45 p.m.
Handbells
(Adults) - Wednesdays at 6:30 & 7:30 p.m. Childcare is provided
Cathedral Choir
(Adults) - Thursdays at 7 p.m. Childcare provided upon request
For more information on joining any
of these choirs, contact Music Direc-
tor Steve Burk at 235-3457 or email
Daughters of the King resume meetings Daughters of the King resume their monthly meetings on
September 6 with a slightly later starting time. DOK
members will gather at 9:30 a.m. in St. Mary’s Chapel
for Morning Prayer followed by refreshments and the program in the Bubb
Room. Current DOK members are encouraged to bring a friend to this first
meeting. Daughters of the King is open to all women of the Cathedral.
Help Wanted We need two individuals or couples to serve on our Second Sunday greeter
team. This ministry is for persons who attend church regularly and are able to
spot a new face when they see one. If you have an interest in being a part of
our greeter team and are available on the second Sunday of each month,
contact Dean Lipscomb or Second Sunday Greeter Captain, Jeanne Atha
Sunday morning Bible Study
Are you interested in an overview of the Bible? An 8-week study, “Getting
Acquainted With Your Bible” could be what you’re looking for. The class,
led by Karel Ramsey, is planned for 9:30 a.m. on Sundays beginning October
5. If you would like to participate, please contact the Cathedral office by
September 15. A minimum class size of five will be needed to proceed.
Players needed for Cathedral volleyball team Come have fun playing on the Cathedral Adult Volleyball Team! Games are
scheduled on Friday evenings, beginning November 7, in the Shawnee
County Winter Recreational League. Each week, the team plays matches of
three games each against two different teams. Teams keep their own scores
and play on a friendly “just for fun” basis. Please send your name, address,
primary contact phone number, email address, and T-shirt size to Michael
Massey at [email protected].
Cathedral to host both Cub and Boy Scouts A new year for Cub Scout Pack 29 and Boy Scout Troop 29 is currently
underway on Monday evenings, 7-8 p.m. There is still room for new
scouts! Adult scout leader Ed Adams extends an invitation to all boys who
have completed Kindergarten and have not yet reached their 18th birthday to
join the scouting program. Please contact Ed at 231-4501, or call the church
office.
New Girl Scout troop forming A new Girl Scout troop will be starting at Grace Cathedral this Fall. If you
are interested, please email Karri Quintana at [email protected].
Congratulations! Sheryl and Mark Kingman are proud to announce the birth of their first
grandchild, Emily Paige, who was born July 10 to their daughter, Lindsay,
and her husband, Matt, of Kansas City. Emily is also the great-granddaughter
of Paul and Martha Smith. Congratulations!
Sympathies Sympathies of the parish go out to the family of Cathedral member Bill
Williamson, who died August 2; and to Cathedral member Debi Hedtke on
the death of her mother, Shirley. May their souls, and the souls of all the
faithful departed, rest in peace.
Register for Fall Fun Fest now
Fall Fun Fest for youth grades 6-12
will be Sept. 20-21 at St. Thomas,
Overland Park. Start the year off
right with the first diocesan youth
event of the school year. There will
be music and games, including an
inflatable obstacle course, human
hamster ball races and sumo
wrestling. There are opportunities to
make friends with youth from all
over the diocese and learn about
Christian spirituality. All youth are
encouraged to invite a friend to this
welcoming event. Cost is $40 with
some scholarship assistance
available. Registration forms are
available online at http://
edokyouth.wordpress.com/fall-fun-
fest/.
Youth can be pages and acolytes
at Diocesan Convention
Youth grades 8-12 are invited to be
pages at Diocesan Convention,
October 24 & 25 in Topeka. Pages
pass out ballots or other handouts
during the business sessions. Youth
also are needed to serve as acolytes
and assist with a Taizé-style
Compline service on Friday night.
Interested youth should register by
Sept. 22. There is no cost to attend
and forms can be printed on the
Diocesan Youth web site http://
edokyouth.wordpress.com/diocesan-
convention/ on the forms page.
ATTENTIONATTENTIONATTENTION Cathedral Youth!Cathedral Youth!Cathedral Youth!
The gathering meeting for this year's conversation group will be
November 5 in the Parish Hall. We will all gather to enjoy dessert and
groups will be assigned. Groups meet in members' homes in December,
January, February and March. Then, in April, we will come back
together for a pot luck supper at the church.
On November 5, you'll be spending some time in conversation with
your group as an initial "test run." Also, your group will determine
meeting dates so it's important that you're present at this first
meeting.
If you haven't participated in a conversation group before, you
should consider it. It's a great way to meet new people and get
to know your fellow parishioners better. During all of October,
there will be a sign-up sheet in the Cathedral on Sundays for all
interested in participating in a group. You can also sign up by
email at [email protected].
This year, we're asking everyone to seriously consider their
commitment to being in a group before signing up. If you sign up to
be in a group, you need to show up and participate every month, not
just once or twice during the season. Dropping in and out defeats the
purpose of the group and can even cause the entire group to dissolve if there are members who don't participate
regularly. While we want you to participate, we need you to be committed to your group once assigned.
Join a Grace Cathedral “CONVERSATION GROUP”
Grace Cathedral Ceremonial Verger Elizabeth Massey recently served
as guest Verger at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco during her summer
vacation by train to the West Coast.
The magnificent Gothic Cathedral overlooking San Francisco is the
third largest Episcopal Cathedral in the United States. One of four Vergers
in the Choral Eucharist, Elizabeth served as the Presider’s Verger during
the principal liturgy on July 20. She said that participating in this service
was a very exciting experience and a high point of her trip.
Elizabeth was invited to take part in the service by Grace Cathedral’s
Verger Charles Shipley, who many will remember served as our own
Verger from June 1995 to September 1996. Charles was born and raised in
Prairie Village, Kansas, and also served as Verger at St. Andrew’s in
Kansas City.
During his time in Topeka, Charles recruited Elizabeth, then a fifth
grader, to join our Acolyte program. Since then, Elizabeth has continued
serving as an Acolyte, as well as taking on additional duties as Thurifer and
Chalice Bearer. Cathedral Verger, Kent Wingerson, appointed her Verger
beginning Christmas Eve 2012. She serves in rotation with our other Ceremonial Vergers, Ed Adams and Mike Lesser, as
well as serving as Verger for our monthly Evensong services from fall through spring.
Cathedral Verger participates in San Francisco service
Elizabeth Massey with Grace Cathedral (San
Francisco) Verger, Charles Shipley
Are you a good listener
who has a caring heart? If
so, prayerfully consider
becoming a Stephen
Minister.
Stephen Ministry offers
confidential, high quality,
confidential, Christ-centered, one
-to-one, distinctively Christian
care to individuals experiencing
life difficulties.
A Stephen Minister is someone
who keeps confidences, is
reliable and consistent.
A Stephen Minister is committed
to the ministry, the education
connected with it and their care
receivers.
Stephen Ministers receive 50
hours of initial training and
ongoing supervision to equip and
empower laypeople in the
ministry.
Applications for the training class
beginning this fall are being
accepted now through September 14
in the Cathedral office. For more
information, contact Kathy Slawson
785-506-4142 or Gwen McLain 785
-506-6929, or email them at
This Ministry of Compassion needs you!
Stephen
Ministers are
sometimes
called the
“after” people because they often
arrive after the
casseroles stop
coming, people
stop calling and
sometimes after
someone has observed that after “this long” you should be done grieving, or
happy, or feeling better, etc. Stephen Ministers are companions on the difficult
journey through grief, divorce, job loss, chronic or terminal illness, or some
other life challenge—either the care receiver’s own issues or those of loved
ones.
The relationship between a care receiver and a Stephen Minister is always
confidential and men are matched with men, women with women.
There are as many reasons to reach out for a Stephen Minister as there are
challenging situations in a person’s life. We have a group of Stephen Ministers
at Grace Cathedral,each ready to be a listening ear, a compassionate sounding
board, or other companion on the journey.
Whether you are afraid that family or friends are tired of hearing you try to
work through something, or tired of pretending to be OK with loved ones who
only want the best for you, or if there’s just no one to talk to about life-altering
challenges, find out if a Stephen Minister might be right for you. It’s as easy as
contacting Gwen McLain 785-506-6929, Kathy Slawson 785-506-4142, sending
an email to [email protected] or talking with the Dean.
Stephen Ministers are ready to walk with you
Copyright © 2014 The Church Pension Fund. All rights reserved.
VBS 2014
About the window…About the window…About the window… Some of the stained glass windows in the Cathedral are so rich with images that it is easy to overlook some of the depictions. The image of an angel featured on the cover of this month’s issue is nestled at the very top of the Nativity Window on the Cathedral’s west side with several other geometrically shaped windows.
September
3 Frances McClintock Shoemaker
6 Adolph Henry Meyer
7 Thurlow R. West
13 William Bruce Wright
Gertrude A. Weaver
17 Charles John Baer
Patricia Corbett Shinn
20 Willard R. Garhart
21 Dorothy Mason Miller
22 Deane E. Ackers
Chester Burns Reed
23 Harold E. Van Laer
25 Ira Burkholder
26 Mary Christine Grooms
26 Marguerite Harrington
28 Lillian Whitelock Davis
29 Anne Poland Page
30 Joel Randall Burrow
Bessie Gibson Palmer
Carmen McKercher Dougherty
1 Kyle Garrison
2 Bobbie Athon
Edna Greene
3 Phil Coolidge
4 Alan Johnson
6 John Stone
7 Dennis Richter
9 Janet Nelson
10 Robert Hamilton
12 Robert Durst
Roy Ridgeway
Tami Smith
13 Charlotte Burris
Julie Dittmer
Diane Green
15 Megan Digiovanni
16 Jeanne Atha
Claudia McKinsey
Nicole Nielsen
17 T. Jay Wiechman
18 Mary Hamilton
19 Kelly Johnson
Mark Weber
20 Bessie Johnson
Sheryl Kingman
Alicia Salisbury
22 Lorene Hamilton
Bill Ohlemeier
23 Chris Escalante
24 Carol Mongold
25 Phyllis Evans
26 Edna Cave
Bob Horton
Mark Kingman
Penny Neill
Bev Tilly
27 Kent Wingerson
28 Grace Miller
Eric Shutt
29 Nancy Neiswanger
30 Lily Escalante
Joanne Kensinger
Linda Park
September
JULY ATTENDANCE
2014 2013 2012
1st Sunday .... 223 ........ 246 ........268
2nd Sunday ... 272 ........ 254 ........267
3rd Sunday ... 222 ........ 220 ........289
4th Sunday .... 208 ........ 238 ........260
5th Sunday .... .............. ..............243
Total 925 ........ 958…..1,327
Bring non-perishable food items
to fill the grocery
cart in the Cathedral.
The food is distrib-
uted to Let’s Help
and Doorstep.
FOOD SUNDAY
September 7
Treasurer’s Report
July 31, 2014
Operating income for the month
of July was $114,637 and operating
expense was $68,623. Income
exceeded expense by $46,014.
Operating income for the year to
date was $507,737 and operating
expense was $495,424.
Cash in the bank checking account
on July 31, 2014 was $67,787.
— Paul Smith, Treasurer
Weekly Schedule Sunday
8:30 a.m.—Holy Communion, Rite I
9:30 a.m.—Sunday School (Sept.-May)
10:30 a.m.—Children’s Chapel
10:30 a.m.—Holy Communion, Rite II
Wednesday
12:10 p.m.—Holy Communion
Grace Episcopal Cathedral
701 SW Eighth Avenue
Topeka, Kansas 66603-3219
(785) 235-3457 • Fax (785) 235-1863
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.GraceCathedralTopeka.org
Grace Cathedral, Topeka, Kansas — A House of Prayer for all People and a National Jubilee Ministry Center of the Episcopal Church
GRACE CATHEDRAL CLERGY
The Very Reverend Steve Lipscomb, Dean
The Reverend George Pejakovich, Assistant to the Dean
Deacon Donald Chubb
CATHEDRAL STAFF
Kent Wingerson, Cathedral Verger/Finance Manager
Connie Vosburgh, Office Administrator
Steve Burk, Organist/Choirmaster
Sylvia Hamilton, Assistant Organist
Michael Massey, Ministry Coordinator
Kathy Smith, Director of Children’s Ministries
Lisa Wilk, Youth Director
Michael Godfrey, Sexton
John Barber, Security
VESTRY OF GRACE CATHEDRAL
Cynthia Sheppeard Langston, Senior Warden; Kevin Cassidy, Junior Warden
Paul Smith, Treasurer; Phil Elwood, Chancellor
Julie Dittmer, Barbara Nuss, Allen Jeffus, Sarah Shipman,
Ed Adams, Deborah Barnes, Alan Johnson 2014
