This Saturday: Ordinations to the Priesthood July 18, 10:30 am | Saint Mark’s Cathedral, Seattle Please join us for this year’s priestly ordinations on July 18, at 10:30 am, at Saint Mark’s Cathedral. All are invited to worship with us and celebrate the ordinations of five new priests: Vincent Booth, Tina Francis, Elizabeth Holland, Alison Leary, and Gabriel Oakes. Clergy: Please vest if you plan to participate in the laying on of hands. The festive color is red. |
Wild Church in RoslynSunday July 26 at 9AM We’re going on a Wild Church field trip to Roslyn, WA! Join members from our diocese as we engage with our friend Brian Sellers-Petersen and his Terra Divina group connected to the Episcopal Church of Roslyn, a church in the Diocese of Spokane. All are welcome to join for church at the Episcopal Church of Roslyn for service at 9:00 AM where Kim+ McNamara will be presiding and Adrienne Elliott will be preaching. We’ll also do the farmers market in the afternoon before Terra Divina at 5 pm. Email Adrienne if you’d like to come, need a carpool, or would like to offer a ride. |
Webinar: Welcoming a Feast of the Creation in Christ and Keeping a New Season of CreationMonday August 3, 1PM Join us on Monday, August 3, at 1 PM (Pacific) for this webinar co-sponsored by the Bishop’s Commission on Liturgy and the Arts and Associated Parishes for Liturgy and Mission. Amy McCreath, Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral Boston, and Samuel Torvend, Priest Associate for Adult Formation at St Paul’s Seattle, will lead this discussion. To register, send an email with FEAST in the subject line – no later than Wednesday, July 29. |
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A Holy Waste of Time: Retreat for 20s & 30s August 14-16 | Sacred Waters Center for Restoration and Retreat | $60-150 Registration Adults in their 20s & 30s from around the Diocese of Olympia are invited to our annual weekend of fun, friendship, faith, and blessed time-wasting at the Sacred Waters Center for Restoration Retreat, formerly St. Andrew’s House – a comfortable, rustic lodge situated on the Hood Canal with the Olympic Mountains just beyond. More information and registration here. |
Circles of Color Retreat August 14-16 | Sacred Waters Center for Restoration and Retreat Join the Circles of Color for a rejuvenating weekend at the Sacred Waters Center for Retreat & Restoration! This retreat will focus on connecting, relaxing, and worshiping together. There will also be an opportunity for conversation about our Multicultural Ministries 2030 strategic plan, activities for youth, plus options to get your hands dirty in the garden or around the grounds (if you want!). To promote an environment of rest and safety for our members of color, the number of spaces open for Allies’ participation is limited and by invitation only. The 20s/30s Holy Waste of Time will also be happening at Sacred Waters so if you’re a younger BIPOC member and would like to come to both, we can accommodate that! Email Adrienne with any questions. Don’t wait…Reserve your spot for the Circles of Color Retreat today! |
Lay Preaching Course with Backstory Preaching Preaching Among Friends is a seven-week online course offered by Backstory Preaching for lay preachers. Designed specifically for those who preach while balancing the demands of everyday life, the course meets Sunday evenings from September 20 through November 5 and offers practical instruction in sermon preparation, biblical interpretation, and the spirituality of sermon writing – all within a supportive community of peer feedback. The Rev. Courtney Jones, Dean of our Iona School for Ministry, contributed to the curriculum for this course and regularly serves as one of the instructors. To learn more, contact the Rev. Dr. Lisa Cressman or the Rev. Courtney Jones. |
Exploring Discernment Retreat September 12, St. Mary’s, Lakewood Do you have a big question in life that you are thinking about and wondering what God would have you do? A question like: Should I retire? Should I go back to school? Should I try this ministry? Should I start my own business? Where should I volunteer my time? These questions and more are invitations to explore your relationship with God, yourself, and others more deeply and this one-day retreat will give you resources to do just that. Learn more and register here. Questions? Contact Michael Seewer. |
Continuing Education for Lay and Clergy Leaders The Iona Collaborative has announced its Fall 2026 Continuing Education offerings. Because the Diocese of Olympia is a member of the Iona Collaborative, clergy and lay leaders in our diocese are eligible to participate at the reduced member rate of $25 per course! Upcoming classes include: Beyond Crisis and Grief Care: Group Formation as Community, Classic and Postcolonial Images of Spiritual Care, Identity-Shaping Images of the Diaconate (Vocational Deacons Only), Life in Full Color, Nuts & Bolts of Small Church Ministry, Reading & Preaching Acts as the Mission of God, and Tending the Inner Life of the Leader: Cultivating Presence, Resilience, and Renewal in Ministry. Registration for all courses opens August 4, 2026. For full course descriptions, schedules, and registration information, visit the Iona Collaborative website here. For any questions about the Iona Collaborative or our Iona School in the Diocese of Olympia, please contact our local Dean, The Rev. Courtney Jones. |
Province VIII Creation Care Conference September 25-27, 2026 Come to a transformative three-day event centered on faith, climate action, and Indigenous wisdom! Join Episcopalians from the nine western states of Province VIII as we gather to renew, repair, and restore our relationship to God’s creation. The goals of the conference are to: Equip for climate action, empower congregations, and work toward the Episcopal Church goal of climate neutrality by 2030. Join us in Salt Lake City! Learn more and register here. |
Convention News Nominations Convention 2026 is coming up and we’re looking to fill the following roles: Diocesan Council – Be Attitudes, Sno-Isle, Peninsula, At Large (1 Clergy and 1 Lay) Standing Committee – 1 Clergy & 1 Lay Commission on Ministry – 1 Deacon & 1 Lay Nomination form for diocesan roles available here. General Convention – 2 Lay Alternate Nomination form for general convention delegates available here. Pray about how God might use your gifts and passions at the larger Diocesan level. If you feel called to serve, please complete a nomination form. Questions? Contact Fr. Wesley Evans. Workshops & Exhibitors If you or your ministry are interested in exhibiting or presenting a workshop at the upcoming 2026 Diocesan Convention, please mark your interest for workshops here and for exhibitors here by July 24th. For more information, please reach out to Caleb Gomes for exhibits and Ivar Hillesland for workshops. Pre-Convention Meetings Tuesday, October 6th at 6:30PM – Narrative Budget Zoom Session Wednesday, October 14th at 7:00PM – Resolution Information Zoom Session The sessions will be recorded and shared publicly at the conclusion of each session. Important Deadlines and Dates July 24: Deadline for exhibitor and workshop interest forms September 21: Deadline for nominations and convention reports October 21: Deadline for 48 hour resolutions |
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Important Dates & Upcoming Events July 18 – Ordinations at Saint Mark’s Cathedral July 26 – Wild Church in Roslyn learn more here July 26 – St. Anne’s 75th Anniversary Celebration learn more here July 28 – 31- Province VIII Youth Pilgrimage in Hawaii learn more here August 3 – Webinar: Welcoming a Feast of Creation August 16 – Compline Choir’s 70th Anniversary September 5 – African Transformative Conference September 12 – Exploring Discernment Retreat September 19 – College for Congregational Development Saturday Sessions Begin September 26 – Antiracism Training (online) October 3rd – Ordinations at St. Mark’s Cathedral October 6th – Pre-Convention: Narrative Budget Zoom Session at 6:30PM October 14th – Pre-Convention: Resolution Information Zoom Session at 7:00PM October 23 – 24 – Diocese of Olympia Convention |
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For more upcoming diocesan events, visit our Diocesan Events Page at the link below. |
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August 8th – Even Here, God Abides with Rev. Debie Thomas at St. Barnabas, Bainbridge Island Join the St. Barnabas community in Tierney Parish Hall on Saturday, August 8 as we welcome special guest, The Reverend Debie Thomas, who will lead us in a workshop titled Even Here, God Abides: Finding Hope in the Midst of Uncertainty. The workshop begins with fellowship at 8:30 a.m. with programming from 9 a.m. to noon. $10 |
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August 13, 14, 15 – Faith in Trying Times: Remorse, Compassion and Rage Explore how Christians engage in acts of remorse, compassion and rage in an age of uncertainty and fear. St. Paul’s (Bremerton) welcomes folks from around the diocese to join in conversations with local priest authors Stephen Crippen, Hillary Kimsey and Elizabeth Riley. |
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August 16 – The Compline Choir’s 70th Anniversary The Compline Choir at Saint Mark’s Cathedral is celebrating 70 years this summer. Enjoy a full day of music beginning with morning worship services, with the Compline Choir women singing at the 9 a.m. service and the Compline Choir men singing at the 11 a.m. service. At 9:30 p.m., both the men and women of the Compline Choir will sing the office in a rare combining of the men’s and women’s voices. |
Fall 2026 – St. Andrew’s Church Seattle EFM Class St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Seattle is looking for students interested in a course we are once again offering this fall. The school of theology at the University of the South has created a four year course called Education for Ministry (EFM) designed to help create a more educated laity. You can learn more and register here. |
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UPCOMING BISHOP VISITATIONS - July 26 – St. Anne’s, Washougal
- August 2 – St. Augustine’s in-the-Woods, Freeland
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In this week’s Diocesan Cycle of Prayer, we pray for: - St. Luke’s Memorial, Tacoma (July 19)
- St. Matthew’s, Browns Point/Tacoma (July 19)
- All Saints’, Tacoma (July 19)
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