​St. John the Baptist, Wausau is hosting a Celebration of New Ministry with their new Rector, the Rev. Samuel Cripps, Thursday, October 19th at 6:00 p.m. All are welcome and invited to attend. The service marks the transition of ministry for the congregation and the priest as they live into a new relationship in serving the Gospel

St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Menasha, has released the profile in the search for its next Rector. The profile is available at diofdl.org/neenahmenashasearch. where it may be downloaded as a PDF or read directly on the page. Other information regarding the Neenah/Menasha area is also noted.
 
Please keep the people of St. Thomas in your prayers as they continue to search for their next Rector.

Beloved Community (Intercession), Stevens Point is a congregation that has an active Campus Ministry. Coordinator, Cyndi Royer shared that they support students at UW Stevens Point through the Queer Resource Center, Multicultural Center, and Native American Center and that they plan to try to engage students monthly.
 
One of the first events planned is via the Queer Resource Center and Multicultural Center which will be hosting a Drag Loteria (think Bingo with a Latin vibe). The ministry team volunteers will be running the games, (handing out tickets, loteria cards and prizes) so that the students can participate in the games. The idea is to develop a relationship of love and acceptance. This event will be Friday, September 15th.
 
On September 28th, Beloved Community will open their doors so that the Native American Center may use their facilities to host the Orange Shirt Society-a not for profit organization that supports Indian Residential School Reconciliation and the inter-generational impact of Residential Schools while creating the concept of “every child matters”. The event will include speakers, drumming, cooking and rock painting.
 
If interested in supporting this ministry or helping at an event, reach out to the church office at (715) 341-3233 or office@belovedcommunitysp.org.

The Rev. Glenn Kanestrom, Rector of St. Paul’s, Marinette shared that they are in a “season of celebrations that highlight who we are and what we do best-worship, music and great food.”
 
The “season” began August 25th when the congregation held a “Brats & Bluegrass” festival as an informal celebration of the anniversary and a time to “burn the mortgage” for the new wing completed in 2002. The official celebration for past and present parishioners is to be a formal dinner on Saturday October 7th at 6pm at the Little River Country Club. Wrapping up the celebration is a Choral Evensong presented by the St. Paul’s Choir on October 15th at 7:00 pm which will feature various pieces composed by a former parishioner. All are warmly invited to attend.
 
St. Paul’s was established as a mission congregation of the Diocese of Wisconsin in 1873. Services were led by a priest who periodically came to the area from Green Bay. Sadly, the two halls rented by the congregation burned down the following year. It was in 1881 that the cornerstone was laid for the new church on land donated by Isaac Stephenson. Again, tragedy struck in 1886 when the church was struck by lightning, destroying the spire and tower, and damaging the interior. St. Paul’s was reopened in 1887 and renovations were completed in 1912 when the original structure was enlarged and encased in brick and stucco in the English Gothic style. In 1965 a new parish hall was built which provided office space, Sunday School rooms and a larger gathering space. In 1994 a new quarter of a million-dollar Jaeckel tracker organ was installed, and the sanctuary rebuilt. In 2002 a new wing was completed to provide a beautiful entryway into the church and to meet ADA requirements. This year the church has successfully raised over $17,000 to install a new sound system to be completed in October.
 
Kanestrom notes, “Through all the changes that have come in our history, we’ve laid a solid spiritual foundation for many in our area. It’s marvelous to celebrate the fact that St. Paul’s has been a loving and vital congregation here in Marinette for many 

It will be a double celebration weekend in Minocqua, October 14-15. All are welcome on Saturday, October 14th for a Celebration of New Ministry. This event is the occasion for the faithful people of St. Matthias to gather in mutual support of each other and to joyfully install their new rector, The Rev. Deb Woolsey. Sunday, October 15th is the 50th Anniversary of being an Episcopal presence in the Minocqua community. Learn more about their history by clicking here. 
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All are invited, Saturday, September 23rd from 10:00-2:00, to attend St. Anne’s Episcopal Church, Women’s Ministry free fall retreat. The speaker is Mother Amy Heimerl, Vicar of Ascension Episcopal in Merrill and Chaplain to Lincoln Hills/Copper Lake School, a juvenile correction facility. She will discuss the struggles of incarcerated youth and what we can do to help them. Please join us!  No registration is required. St. Anne’s Episcopal Church is located at 347 Libal St., De Pere, 54115. Lunch will be served. Questions? Please call the church office (920) 336-9571

Have you taken advantage of the opportunity to hear more about the proposal from the Trialogue Task Force by attending one of the Town Hall Meetings? If not, be sure to attend. If you prefer an in-person meeting there are several scheduled through out the month of September, including two within our diocese. St. Anne’s, De Pere will host on Wednesday, September 20 at 6:00 PM and Intercession (Beloved Community), Stevens Point, will host on Saturday, September 23 at 10:00 AM. There will also be a few more Zoom options in October. To see the entire list please click here.

​“Wisdom and the Glorious Works of Nature”, the 8th lesson in the bishop’s teaching on abortion is now available for study, comments and questions. Find it on his blog, An Odd Work of Grace or by clicking here.

​St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Sister Bay will host the Celebration of New Ministry with it’s new Rector, the Rev. Brit Frazier the evening of Tuesday, September 5th. All are welcome to attend. The service marks the transition of ministry for the congregation and the priest as they begin and honor their new connection serving the Gospel. 

29 youth and friends from around the diocese have returned from house building in Mexico. Click here to read a letter from the Rev Aran Walter as he describes the “why” behind the St. Thomas Youth Group’s annual “Love Journey”.

The Board of Trustees passed a resolution to present the report of the Trialogue Steering Committee to the people of the diocese for review and reflection. There are Town Hall meetings being held through the summer and fall to discuss the report and the proposal found by clicking here.
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A Town Hall meetings schedule is here and you may register for one or more dates you wish to attend.

The Trialogue Steering Committee recently released additional information regarding the proposed reunion of the three Wisconsin dioceses. There is a plan to hold a series of Town Hall Meetings, in person and via Zoom, from July through October to discuss the proposal for reunion. Click here to see the list of meetings.
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Visit episcopalwisconsin.info for the latest news and communications regarding the proposed reunion.

​Seeking to be more proactive about reaching potential new members? Want to help visitors feel welcomed and loved? Looking to help your community invite a hurting world into God's abundant life and love?

All are invited by Trinity Episcopal Church, Oshkosh at 311
Division St. to find answers to these questions, Saturday, July 15th from 9:30am to 3:30pm. Click here to register and learn more. Lunch and snacks are provided. Donation to offset the cost of the food is requested.

Contact the church at office@oshkosh-episcopal.org or (920) 231-2420 with questions.

A letter from the Trialogue Steering Committee just released shares that the Executive Councils in Milwaukee and Eau Claire and the Board of Trustees in Fond du Lac have each reviewed the report made to them and voted to take the next step in discernment regarding reunion of our dioceses. To read the complete letter please click here. “We give thanks that the Holy Spirit has brought us to this new season in our common life, and we look forward to continuing this journey together.”
For other news and information about the Trialogue please visit episcopalwisconsin.info

​EYE is a gathering of youth ages 15-19 from around the world who assemble on a college campus to learn, laugh, and worship together, Jorden Karstetter (grade 9, St. Anne’s, De Pere) will be representing the Wisconsin delegation this year, along with Mthr. Portia Corbin (St. John’s, New London) & Amma Diane Murray (DIOFDL, retired)  who are serving as chaperones for the trip.
 
The culture of EYE is like Summer Camp-a very large one of around 1500 people! Youth will meet and get to know people who share their Episcopal faith in all of its diversity.
 
We are delighted to share that serving on the Event Team is Erin Wolf  (DIOFDL & DIOMIL), Youth Networking Coordinator.
EYE23 takes place July 4-8 at the University of Maryland – College Park. Please keep our delegation in prayer! For more information click here and visit eye.episcopalchurch.org/en. Facebook users can follow by clicking here.

Twenty-five years ago, St. Peter’s, Sheboygan Falls experienced a fire in the much beloved shrine to Our Lady, which also nearly destroyed the building.  After rebuilding, there has been a small but underutilized shrine in the same location as well as a chapel. Recently many spaces within the church were reassigned, resulting in the need for a new chapel space for weekday services. So, congregational member Rick LeMahieu built a new altar by repurposing a deconsecrated altar and set of pews.  The new altar is now at home in the shrine space and all has been properly prepared, including a portrait of our Lady and a frontal from the former Blessed Sacrament Church, Green Bay. Bishop Matt consecrated the new altar soon after it was complete.
The first Mass utilizing the new altar was Thursday May 18th (Ascension). St. Peter’s begins Holy Day Masses and midweek services before Bible study this summer. Fr. Paul Coey shared, “It will provide for us a more intimate setting for smaller services and is a major return of our Marian piety.” 

St. Matthias, Minocqua is delighted to announce that they have concluded their pastoral search by calling the Rev. Deb Woolsey as Rector. Woolsey is a daughter of the diocese being a native of Waupaca where she attended St. Mark’s Episcopal Church. She received an M. Div., from Nashotah in 2007 and is a graduate of Northland College, Ashland.  Woolsey has served congregations in both Wisconsin and Ohio. The people of St. Matthias shared that “we are most grateful that Mother Deb and her husband Michael Luelloff, will become part of this community”. Woolsey’s first Sunday at St. Matthias is July 2nd. 

St. Matthias' Church was officially organized on October 14, 1973. They are a worshiping community of more than 100 members and their motto is “Open Doors, Open Hearts and Open Minds”.

The 2022 Convention of the Diocese of Fond du Lac adopted Resolution 2022-03 regarding the church’s teaching on abortion. Bishop Matt is posting a series of teachings on the subject for study, comments, and questions.

In Part 7, Bishop Matt goes “Back to the Bible” to examine and reflect on what scripture says about abortion and discusses ideas by Christian thinkers such as Gregory of Nyssa and Hildegard of Bingen. To read the teaching click here or visit An Odd Work of Grace, a bishop’s blog.

You are invited to join a time of sharing between Bishop Osiward Mapika of the the Anglican Diocese of Masvingo and Bishop Matt Gunter of the Episcopal Diocese of Fond du Lac.  The dioceses began a Companion Diocese relationship in 2017. This video discussion was made for use on Companion Diocese Sunday, May 21st, the Seventh Sunday after Easter, 2023. Click here to watch the video.

​The Rev. Chris Arnold has accepted the position of Interim Priest in Charge of St. Thomas, Menasha. Fr. Chris is canonically resident in the Diocese of Fond du Lac and a recipient of the Bishop's Cross in 2021. He received an M.Div.  from Church Divinity School of the Pacific in 2008. In his ordained ministry he has served congregations in Kansas, Kentucky, and Wisconsin. He and his wife Celeste live in Oshkosh. 

After its's most recent meeting on April 16th, the Trialogue Steering Committee stated in a letter that it has agreed to present a proposal for reunion to the appropriate governing bodies of each diocese—the Executive Councils in Milwaukee and Eau Claire, and the Board of Trustees in Fond du Lac, in early June. This proposal will draw heavily on the work from the following task forces: Structure, Finance, Culture and Mission, and Parish and Regional Engagement. Who recently submitted final reports concluding their work. We are grateful to all of the people who have contributed their wisdom and hard work to those task forces over the last year. Read the complete letter from the Steering Committee here or visit Episcopal Wisconsin Trialogue .

The 2022 Convention of the Diocese of Fond du Lac adopted Resolution 2022-03 regarding the church’s teaching on abortion. Bishop Matt is posting a series of teachings on the subject for study, comments, and questions.
​After a short pause in the teachings, the lesson on “Tradition” continues, you can read it by clicking here or by visiting  his blog at An Odd Work of Grace.

​St. James Episcopal Church, Manitowoc announced that The Rev. Brian Staude has accepted the position of “Transition Pastor” beginning April 1st. Staude is ordained in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). He received an M. Div. from Wartburg Theological Seminary in 1989. In his ordained ministry he has served congregations all around Wisconsin, most recently as Interim Pastor of Bethel Lutheran, Green Bay; St. John’s Lutheran, Little Suamico and Grace Lutheran, Winchester. He and his wife Barb live in Manitowoc. 

The Episcopal Church has a relationship of full communion with the ELCA under the terms of "Called to Common Mission," which was adopted by the 73rd General Convention of the Episcopal Church as Resolution A040.