My Simple Ministry

It has been awhile since I updated you on our CUFF dinners each Thursday night, so I thought this would be a good time to do so.

Our 'free supper' for the entire community each Thursday night (well, most Thursday nights, 49 weeks this year) is called CUFF _C_hristians _U_nited in _F_eeding _F_riends is a way we at Epiphany Church serve our community. Every Thursday night between 5:30 and 7:00 PM anyone in town is invited to come by our fellowship hall for a free supper. Tonight we had chicken and noodles, mashed potatoes and salad. Just walk in, get a plate of food and sit down to visit with neighbors. Normally we have been 80-100 visitors; tonight we had 103 'through the front door', not including the kitchen help preparing the dinner, etc. There are a lot of older people come to the free dinner, and quite a few younger people as well; mothers with their kids, teenagers and street people.

The menus vary from one week to the next. Sometimes we have spaghetti, other times meatloaf or similar. My part in this ministry is to act as greeter at the front door, keeping track of the number of visitors and telling them 'welcome to Epiphany!'
Also, I unlock the door when it is time to let them in to eat, and see to it the building is locked up and secure when everyone is leaving. Based on what I see from week to week, I am certain the Thursday night suppers are the one and _only_ decent meal many of our visitors receive in a week. I say this since our community is sort of financially depressed anyway, as is much of rural southeast Kansas. We do these CUFF dinners each week in cooperation with other churches in Independence, including Saint Andrews Catholic Church, the First United Methodist Church, the Presbyterian Church, the Zion Lutheran Church, the First Christian (Disciples of Christ) Church, and the Southern Baptist Church.

Whenever you are in our town, Independence, Kansas on Thursday evening, do stop in to say hello, please.


Patrick Townson

Prayer Vigil on Account of Virginia Tech Shootings

Prayer vigil planned for KU Canterbury Tuesday evening

In response to the shooting deaths today at Virginia Tech, the campus ministry program of the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas will offer a prayer vigil Tuesday, April 17 at 8 p.m. at Canterbury House at the University of Kansas in Lawrence. The house is located at 1116 Louisiana Street.

Participating will be Kansas Bishop Dean E. Wolfe, student peer ministers, and campus missioners the Rev. Craig Loya and the Rev. Susan Terry.

All members of the diocese, and the public, are invited to attend.

Student peer ministers at the Episcopal campus ministry at Kansas State University will take the lead in coming days in organizing an on-going response by college students across the diocese, reaching out especially to Episcopal students at Virginia Tech.

Bishop Wolfe has asked that all parishes and members of the diocese offer special prayers this week and this coming Sunday on behalf of those killed and injured and their families, and for all those in the Virginia Tech community affected by this tragedy.

Bishop, campus ministers offer prayers, pledge of support

The people, clergy and bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas offer our fervent prayers for the students, faculty and staff members of Virginia Polytechnic Institute, in Blacksburg, Va., in this time of shock and grief.

We are deeply saddened by the senseless acts of violence that have occurred on the Virginia Tech campus. We grieve with the friends, families and teachers of those who have died and those who are hospitalized. We pray that God’s healing peace will enfold the Virginia Tech community in the midst of their loss and lead them to an awareness of God’s presence in the midst of unspeakable tragedy.

We who work in campus ministries treasure the relationships formed on our college campuses, the gifts shared by all members of our schools and the unique communities that grow out of our times of prayer and fellowship together.

In addition to our prayers, we offer whatever other help the people at Virginia Tech may need from us now and in the days ahead. And we pray that God’s powerful presence will enable all of us on college campuses to combat the darkness of violence with the light of God’s love.



In Christ,

The Right Reverend Dean E. Wolfe, Ninth Bishop

The Reverend Craig Loya, Campus Missioner

The Reverend Susan Terry, Campus Missioner

Deacon Stephen Segebrecht, Chairperson, Higher Education Committee

The Episcopal Diocese of Kansas

Episcopal Campus Ministry Reaches Out in Response to Shootings

By Mary Frances Schjonberg April 16, 2007
[Episcopal News Service] Members of the Canterbury House Episcopal ministry on the campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University plan to gather on the evening of April 18 for a memorial and healing service, following an April 16 shooting spree at the school which is being called the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.

The Rev. Elizabeth Morgan, interim rector of Christ Episcopal Church, Blacksburg, Virginia, said she was able to check on the small number of students who live at the Canterbury House and all are accounted for.

"They're fine," she told ENS.

A gunman opened fire in a dorm and classroom at Virginia Tech, killing 32 people and wounding another 24 before he was killed, according to the Washington Post.

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori said that the people of the Episcopal Church are shocked and saddened by the shootings at Virginia Tech. "We hold in our prayers the students, faculty, and staff of that institution, their families, and all affected by today's events," she said "As we begin to confront this senseless loss, we will continue to pray for all who grieve and search for understanding."

"Today the university was struck with a tragedy that we consider of monumental proportions," Virginia Tech president Charles Steger said at a news conference. "The university is shocked and indeed horrified that this would befall us."

The university reported shootings at opposite sides of the 2,600-acre campus, beginning at about 7:15 a.m. at West Ambler Johnston, a co-ed residence hall that houses 895 people, and continuing about two hours later at Norris Hall, an engineering building.

One student was killed in a dorm and the others were killed in the classroom, according to Virginia Tech Police Chief W.R. Flinchum.

After the shootings, all entrances to the campus were closed and classes canceled through Tuesday.

A service of Evening Prayer in remembrance of the deaths and injuries from the shootings was planned for 6 p.m. April 16 at St. John's Episcopal Church in Roanoke, Virginia.

The Canterbury Fellowship ministry on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg is part of Christ Church's outreach work.

Morgan said the town was virtually locked down after the shootings. She and her staff could hear the wail of sirens all morning but "now it's deadly silent."

The AP reported that students on campus communicated via cell phones and the internet while the shooting was going on.

Morgan said residents had some trouble communicating as telephones, especially cellular phones, were experiencing service trouble. The problems could have been due to the high winds of a nor'easter storm that began hitting the east coast of the United States on April 15 and continued into April 16. Morgan reported that medical-evacuation helicopters were grounded because of the winds.

The Christ Church staff held a prayer vigil shortly after the shootings and the church is open now for prayer -- 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. -- for the rest of the week. A sign on door of the sanctuary says "Please enter to pray."

Morgan said she anticipates an ecumenical response by the area's faith communities, but it is still too early to know what shape that service will take.

"Two of our area clergy are police chaplains but we haven't heard from them yet," she told Christie Wills, minister of communication for the Diocese of Southwestern Virginia. "I expect that we will wait on planning any services until we hear from them and find out what community services may be held."

Virginia Tech said it plans a convocation ceremony April 17.

Scott Russell, Christ Church's associate rector and campus chaplain, is in Germany and won't be back until April 18, Morgan said.

She told Wills she has made it known that Canterbury House is open and available for meals, companionship and counseling for anyone.

Wills reported to the diocese's clergy via email that there may be a need for additional clergy to help with counseling/ pastoral visits later in the week.

Bishop Neff Powell is on sabbatical and Wills reported that he has been in touch about the shootings.