June 18, 2026 I spent nearly three weeks in East Africa with five other delegates from our diocese as we represented all of us who make up the Episcopal Church in Western Washington. We went with two priorities: establish relationships with dioceses and congregations in both South Sudan and Kenya, and to deliver 100 birth kits to Mangalla Camp for internally displaced persons outside the capital city of Juba. After passing through five security blockades en route—we had our own security detail to assist with this—we were joyously greeted by midwives, congregants, and leaders at Mangalla. With nearly 60,000 people temporarily housed there, the needs are great, but that did not curtail the exuberance and hospitality that we received from the people we met. In the time since I’ve been reflecting on the thing I did not experience on that day: cynicism. Instead of seeing the kits we brought in light of scarcity—those 100 kits will likely all be used up by now—we received deep gratitude and appreciation because of the gift which they received as coming from a place of abundance. They received the blessings and saw them fully for what they were and expressed joy. Because of those gifts you help provide, hundreds of lives will be changed. Jesus reminded us this past Sunday that the harvest is plentiful and the laborers are few. For a long time I heard those words as a plaintive expression for more workers, but that’s taking the view of scarcity and cynicism. This year I’m hearing those words fresh both from a place of reality, but also with deep gratitude for the laborers and their work. The work of Christ can happen with those who make space in their lives to participate in it. Lives can be changed even with seemingly small acts. Our trip was coordinated by the Rev. Mary Bol—missioner for our African congregations—and her husband Simon Dau Angok—a member of Diocesan Council—who have strong family ties to both South Sudan and Kenya. I am eternally grateful to them, their deep love for the people in South Sudan and Kenya, and for their faithful leadership among us. And my deepest thanks to all of you who gave so generously to provide the medical supplies to the people of Mangalla. |
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Juneteenth Service June 20, 9:30 am Program, 12:00 pm Liturgy | St. Margaret’s, Bellevue Join the Circles of Color and our whole diocese for a special program, liturgy, and lunch as we celebrate freedom, history, and the gifts of our Black community! |
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Show Your Pride in the Diocese of Olympia! Join with others from the diocese to celebrate our LGBTQ+ community this Pride season! Registration is live for the diocesan presence at Trans Pride, the Seattle Pride Parade, and the Seattle Center PrideFest booth. Timing and location information TBA once we receive our assignments for the parade and booth. If your community is celebrating Pride in your city, please let us know so we can promote it and send t-shirts, stickers, and other resources! |
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| 2026 Convention Exhibitors and Workshops Interest Form October 23-24 If you or your ministry are interested in exhibiting or presenting a workshop at the upcoming 2026 Diocesan Convention, please mark your interest in the below forms by July 24th. For more information, please reach out to Caleb Gomes for exhibits and Ivar Hillesland for workshops. |
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Iona School Applications Open for 2026–2027 Applications are now open for the 2026–2027 academic year at the Iona School for Ministry in the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia. Iona is also launching a new Lay Ministry Certificate Track designed to equip lay leaders for collaborative ministry in their congregations. There are two upcoming informational Zoom meetings: - Tuesday, June 23, 11:30 am -12:30 pm on Zoom
- Thursday, June 25, 4:00 – 5:00 pm on Zoom
This track may be especially helpful for: - Lay leaders who would like to deepen their theological education
- Members of Total Common Ministry (TCM) congregations discerning a call
- Folks discerning a possible call to ordained ministry
Your questions about this new program are warmly welcomed. Please check our Frequently Asked Questions page, or reach out to The Rev. Courtney Jones. |
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Supporting Relief Efforts in the South Philippines As the Southern Philippines continues to recover from the 7.8 magnitude earthquake on June 8th, we are taking up an offering to support our partners in the Episcopal Diocese of the Southern Philippines. You can read more about the earthquake and the Philippine Church’s response here. Please continue to pray for the diocese and all communities impacted. Donation instructions: To support EDSP’s earthquake relief, you can make donations online or via check to The Diocese of Olympia and we will wire the funds directly. To give online, visit the giving page. Select the Giving Option: “Other Donations” and indicate “earthquake relief” in the “Designation Specification”. To give by check, make the check out to The Diocese of Olympia with “earthquake relief” in the memo line. Mail to 1551 10th Ave E Seattle, WA 98102. |
Summer Camps at Camp Huston Camp Huston Spots are filling up, so register today! Come spend a week (or two! or three!) having all kinds of summer fun at Camp Huston. We have camp experiences for youth ranging from rising 1st graders to rising 10th graders. Visit our site below for information on dates, rates, and to view our parent handbook. SUPPORT Camp Huston by donating items from their Amazon wish list. |
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| 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. More information will be made available in the weeks leading up to the ordination liturgy. |
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Circles of Color Retreat August 14-16 | Sacred Waters Center for Restoration and Retreat Save the date for the annual Circles of Color retreat – August 14-16 at the Sacred Waters Center for Restoration and Retreat! More information will be coming soon! |
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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. |
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| African Transformative Conference September 5, 11:00 am – 5:00 pm Save the date for this year’s African Transformative Conference – September 5, 11:00 am-6:00 pm! More information will be coming soon! |
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Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) Funding Opportunity) The information at the following link is applicable to all potential Washington state applicants interested in applying for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program. For any questions, please contact Ron Miller at rmiller@ecww.org or the Rev. Canon Cristi Chapman at cchapman@ecww.org. |
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Official 2025 Constitution and Canons The current version of the Diocese of Olympia’s Constitution & Canons have been certified per Article XX and can be found here. This is the version that was approved by the 2025 Convention. |
Survey Supports Research on Intergenerational Worship in the Episcopal Church Help the Roots & Wings grant team research current worship practices in the Episcopal Church by taking a short survey on the five hallmarks of intergenerational worship. Our goal is to collect 500+ survey responses in 2026 to give us a snapshot of the current levels of intergenerationality in Episcopal liturgy based on five core characteristics. You do not have to already be practicing intentionally intergenerational worship to participate! The survey is accompanied by a toolkit for congregations that want to strengthen intergenerational worship practices. Roots & Wings: Intergenerational Formation Collaborative (R&W) is a five-year grant administered through Lifelong Learning at Virginia Theological Seminary. |
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For more upcoming diocesan events, visit our Diocesan Events Page at the link below. |
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CONGREGATIONAL EVENTS Choral Evensong for Pride Month at St, Luke’s Memorial Church, Tacoma; Vacation Bible School, “Road Trip: On the Go with God,” at St. Andrew’s Church, Seattle; and an Icon Workshop with the Rev. Peter Pearson at St. Dunstan’s Church, Shoreline. |
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DIOCESE STAFF TRAVEL AND VISITATIONS - June 21 | St. Mark’s Church, Montesano | The Rev. Courtney Jones
- June 21 | St. John’s / San Juan Church, Olympia | The Rt. Rev. Phil LaBelle
- June 21 | St. David Emmanuel Church, Shoreline | The Rev. Canon Cristi Chapman
- June 28 | St. Peter’s Church, Seattle | The Rt. Rev. Phil LaBelle
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In this month’s Diocesan Cycle of Prayer, we pray for: - St. Bede’s Port Orchard (June 21)
- St. Paul’s Church, Port Townsend (June 21)
- Faith Church, Poulsbo (June 21)
- St. Luke’s Church, Sequim (June 28)
- St. Antony of Egypt Church, Silverdale (June 28)
- St. Nicholas Church, Tahuya (June 28)
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