In sure and certain hope of the Resurrection, we commend to Almighty God the soul of Rev. Stanley Joe Smith, who died last night at Baptist East in Louisville with his beloved Kella and dear friends at his side. Father Joe was rector of St. Luke's Anchorage.  

Father Joe's visitation will be held Thursday, October 4th at St. Luke's Episcopal Church from 5:00 - 8:00 pm EDT. The funeral will be held the following day, October 5th, at 11:00 am at St. Luke's with a reception following at Owl Creek Country Club, 12400 North Osage Road, Anchorage, KY 40223 with Bishop White celebrating and officiating. The internment will follow the 10:00 am service on Sunday in the St. Luke's memorial garden. 

In lieu of flowers, donations and condolences may be sent to St. Luke's Episcopal Church, 1206 Maple Lane, Louisville, KY 40223.

Please join us in prayer for Father Joe's soul and all who mourn, especially his beloved Kella, his family, his parishioners, and all whose life Father Joe touched with God's grace. May the comfort of the Risen Christ give them hope, strength, and peace.

Almighty God, we remember before you today your faithful servant Joe Smith; and we pray that, having opened to him the gates of larger life, you will receive him more and more into your joyful service, that, with all who have faithfully served you in the past, he may share in the eternal victory of Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reign with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

Eighteen young adults from 13 Episcopal Church dioceses will be serving as missionaries in the Young Adult Service Corps (YASC) for the 2012-2013 term in locales throughout the Anglican Communion, including eight new ministries.

This year's group of missionaries boasts the largest number of YASC volunteers ever. 

YASC is a ministry for Episcopal young adults, ages 21 - 30, who are interested in exploring their faith in new ways by living and serving in communities around the Anglican Communion.

The Rev. David Copley, Mission Personnel Officer, noted that while the day-to-day duties of each placement vary, the experiences of the YASCers are life-changing.  "YASC brings young adults into the life of the worldwide Anglican Communion and into the daily work of a local community," he explained.

"YASC offers young adults an opportunity to live out their Baptismal Covenant by seeking and serving Christ in people all around God's world," commented Elizabeth Boe, Global Networking Officer.

Each YASCer maintains a blog, detailing their service, reflections and adventures. Boe, a former YASC volunteer who served in Tanzania, reported that blogs provide an ideal means for connecting with others in the Episcopal Church and around the world.

Meet the YASCers

Primarily working in administration, communication, education, and agriculture, the 18 YASC missionaries, their home dioceses, assignments and blog addresses are:

Grace Flint, Diocese of Kentucky

Serving in Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui, Grace is a mission intern with the Mission for Migrant Workers in Hong Kong. tohongkongwithgrace.blogspot.com

Andrew Joyce, Diocese of Kentucky

Serving in the Diocese of the Northern Philippines, Andrew works at the Tadian Learning Center and Demonstration Farm. Andrew is the first YASCer to serve in this ministry. andrewwjoyce.wordpress.com

Last October, when I received an email from a friend of mine saying that the had just been speaking with the Rev. Robin Jennings of St. Francis in the Fields about me, I had no idea that four short months later my wife Liza and I would be leaving Louisville after a whirlwind 36 hour interview, convinced and excited that this should be our new home! I have been called to St. Francis in the Fields as the Associate for Young Families and Outreach and look forward to being a part of this exciting diocese and lively parish.  

Liza and I met while at Washington & Lee University and both attended Trinity School for Ministry where she received an MAR and I an MDiv.  From there, we moved to Germany and I have spent the past 5 years in Europe working in the Church of England at St. George's Berlin and Christ Church, Vienna while writing my PhD in Systematic Theology at Humboldt University in Berlin. 

During that time, however, we always had an eye towards returning home, ideally to the South where both Liza and I grew up-Raleigh, NC  and Baton Rouge, LA, respectively-but we never really saw an opportunity that could pull us back "over the pond," that is, until this one. We are incredibly excited to be entering this lively diocese and exciting parish and trust that the Lord has many exciting things in store for us all. And, although we have only been here a little over a month, we've already become very fond of our "New" Kentucky Home!

The Diocese of Kentucky is seeking a dynamic Director of Youth Programs to collaborate with the Christian Formation Department to set goals for the spiritual formation of youth and is responsible for ensuring the implementation of the following components: Summer Camp, Youth Council and other Diocesan related functions including but not limited to Youth Gatherings. All of these components are to be accomplished for the support of the ministry of the youth, parents, laity and clergy of the Diocese.

This position is currently a three-quarter time, salaried position with benefits, reporting directly to the Canon to the Ordinary and ultimately responsible to the Bishop of the Diocese of Kentucky. The Diocese's goal is to grow the position to full-time in the next two or three years, sooner if possible.

Office location: Downtown Louisville, KY 40202

Job Posted: October 2, 2012

To download the full job description, click here.

To inquire about the position, email Canon to the Ordinary Joan Smith at joan@episcopalky.org or call 502-584-7148 ext. 239

The original job posting can be found on our website here. Please feel free to forward this page to interested and talented parties.

Seven members of the Order of the Daughters of the King traveled to Indianapolis the week before General Convention to attend their Triennial meeting. The Order not only elected new officers and transacted necessary business during this meeting, but workshops and banquets were held and daughters from all over the world came together to meet and learn about each other.

Dramatic presentations by "Friends of the Groom" and the music of Roger Grenier added much to the daily events, and The Rev. Major Sarah A. Shirley's keynote addresses on two consecutive days informed us about the realities of war in Afghanistan as well as her experiences of being a hospital chaplain in a war zone. Her message of love and acceptance to all inspired us. We also heard reports from the international chapters about the amazing work being done by daughters in many places. 

The final tally showed nearly 500 daughters in attendance. President Grace Sears (from Berea) held a service project to collect items such as socks and toiletries for The Julian Center, the largest residential facility in Indiana for domestic violence survivors. She hoped to collect about 400 items for the center, but when it was all collected, six large hotel carts were needed to move it to the door of the hotel, where it took two vans and a few extra cars to hold it all. The center's representative was overwhelmed by the generosity of the gathered Daughters. 

We sang, we prayed, we worshiped together, we shared meals and made new friends. It was a wonderful time that was true to the theme: "Looking to Jesus, Spreading His Love."  

Attn: Youth and Parents. Fall Gathering is upon us!  

School of Ministry hosts workshops on stewardship and the Holy Trinity  

Diocese walks to support two Kentuckiana fundraisers to feed hungry and heal sick  

St. George celebrates 47th anniversary with fundraiser to continue service to west Louisville youth  

Festival of Faiths

Sacred Fire; Light of Compassion

185th Convention of the Diocese of Kentucky

Continuing last year's precedent, the first set of pre-convention materials, including the registration form, in now available on our website at "Diocesan Convention 2012". 

Materials provided offer information about location, registration, hotels, youth participation, a tentative agenda and more! The 185th Convention of the Diocese of Kentucky will be held at Grace Episcopal Church in Hopkinsville. 

 International Day of Peace.

"What is our responsibility for peace in the world?" asked the Rev. Lyndon Harris, executive director of the non-profit Gardens of Forgiveness, who served as priest-in-charge of St. Paul's Chapel at the time of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center towers.

Quoting Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town Desmond Tutu, Harris continued, "'... there is no future without forgiveness.'"

Beginning at 8 a.m. 10, 30-minute litanies designed around the theme "The Things that Make for Sustainable Peace" were scheduled to take place through the vigil's 3 p.m. close. By 8:30 a.m., more than 30 people had gathered at the chapel.

For Harris, working for peace in the world meant first making peace in his own heart, he said. He then asked those present to take stock of their lives, passions and commitments, and ask themselves what is preventing them from being peacemakers in the world.

The Rev. T.K. Nakagaki, a Buddhist priest and president of the Buddhist Council of New York, also encouraged those present to "recognize who you are and what you can do." He's most frustrated, he said, by killing committed by those who claim to want peace.