Our thoughts and prayers join with all who grieve for the lives lost in Newtown, CT. May each family find peace and comfort through hands reached out in love and hearts joined in prayer.
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Campus Ministry
For many of the women of the Diocese of the Rio Grande, college is a long way back. However, for others, college is much more current. For generations, the Episcopal church, has operated "Canterbury Centers" on university campuses around the country. Sometimes they are very active and at other locations they are nearly empty buildings.
In Albuquerque, the Canterbury Campus Ministry is a busy place with a variety of activities for students to participate in. Leaders know that busy schedules mean that it is not necessarily the same group that gathers each time, so activities are catered to a drop-in crowd.
Things like Yoga for Night Owls and Theology Pub encourage students to come to a church and to discuss theological topics in a less structured environment. Cooking 101 serves a dual purpose by giving cooking skills to students and providing meals to perennially hungry young men and women, plus, through fund raisers like the fall Pie Baking and Tamale Making events, raising money for Campus Ministry and outreach to Episcopal Relief and Development.
It's all about planting seeds of faith and nurturing the sprouts. Because young women (and men) in college now get their information via the internet and social media, leaders of Canterbury Campus Ministry use these avenues to get the information to students. As women in the DRG, we might consider taking a page out of that book to reach the younger women in our parishes and cities... something to think about.
In Albuquerque, the Canterbury Campus Ministry is a busy place with a variety of activities for students to participate in. Leaders know that busy schedules mean that it is not necessarily the same group that gathers each time, so activities are catered to a drop-in crowd.
Things like Yoga for Night Owls and Theology Pub encourage students to come to a church and to discuss theological topics in a less structured environment. Cooking 101 serves a dual purpose by giving cooking skills to students and providing meals to perennially hungry young men and women, plus, through fund raisers like the fall Pie Baking and Tamale Making events, raising money for Campus Ministry and outreach to Episcopal Relief and Development.
It's all about planting seeds of faith and nurturing the sprouts. Because young women (and men) in college now get their information via the internet and social media, leaders of Canterbury Campus Ministry use these avenues to get the information to students. As women in the DRG, we might consider taking a page out of that book to reach the younger women in our parishes and cities... something to think about.
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Where we are going
The final session of the weekend
involved concrete planning of steps to get to the envisioned results.
Three things were identified as
the first steps.
Organization Structure of Women of the DRG
A definition of role of the Women of
the DRG and a mission/vision statement is needed. We will meet in February (in
conjunction with the Feb. 9 retreat) to develop this, based on email and other
conversations between now and then.
The statement might incorporate such
things as:
[We] Encourage, recognize, support,
and empower women (lay and ordained) in the DRG to see that each activity is a
ministry whether in a church or in a family or community.
[We] Support and include diverse
opportunities for spiritual formation by leadership training, retreat
opportunities, and fellowship among all women in the DRG.
[We] Acknowledge and embrace the
multiplicity of demographics present in women of the DRG and encourage them to
participate fully.
Inclusivity of all Women of the DRG
Sub-committees and/or focus groups will
be formed to gather input (younger, Hispanic, Native American, etc.) Women from
these demographics will be identified and invited to participate in the groups.The
Rev. Jennifer Phillips from Rio Rancho was suggested as a person to include re:
Native American contacts.
Communication to all Women of the DRG
The key to successful ministry will be communication across the Diocese.
Some ways to accomplish this include:
Personal invitation (Members of the SE
Deanery covenanted to bring 10 women to the Feb. event)
Blog
(www.VarietiesofGifts.blogspot.com)
Link on Diocesan
website to blog
Facebook page link
to and from Diocesan FB page
Together articles
and In the Loop notification
Contact person in
each Deanery to assure that info is shared at Deanery meetings.
Already we have the opportunity to hear important women
leaders like Bishop Barbara Harris and Dr. Ruth Anna Hooke.
Already many women represent the diocese in leadership roles
including as CATO.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Crazy Quilt Conversations Part 2
Why we are
Small groups put together random pieces
of paper into a square as way of demonstrating that seemingly unconnected
things can form a design and create something.
Starting with this idea of unconnected
things, the groups brainstormed ‘outside the box’ to vision who Women of the
DRG are in 5 years.
Then the ideas were shared in the large
group, captured as if the 5 year dream was a present reality:
Demographics of Women of DRG:
We have a ministry to the ‘differently
abled’.
We have churches full of children (and
by extensions families, which can mean single parents).
We realize we have many roles/ministries that are not church related and
we honor those roles.
We have women lay leaders, training lay
leaders and more clergy women.
We have articulate, grounded women (lay
and ordained) who can respond to seekers and to fundamentalists.
We have women as active lay preachers,
and who can give inspiring testimonials.
We have shared leadership between lay and ordained.
We, as women, are leaders in taking the
diocese ‘out of the box’.
Spiritual Life of Women of DRG
We promote spiritual development education for all ages, esp. for women.
We have a fully understood baptismal
ministry.
We have joyful, gender inclusive
liturgies.
We draw inspiration from our historical past.
We focus on wholeness in women:
spiritual, safety, mental, physical, emotional, health, intellect.
Women are free to express their
creativity in artistic, intellectual, relationship, leadership ways that are
not necessarily ‘traditional’.
We hold events where all (ages, demographics, economics, ethnicity, etc.)
can come together.
Events are planned with input from all target audiences.
We have childcare (including activities) in conjunction with women’s
events.
We always have scholarships for events.
Half of the attendees at women’s events
are under 50.
We hold periodic meetings with women’s
groups in various places in the DRG (ECW, DOK, MOPS, etc.) for input.
We facilitate varieties of ministries in our parishes.
We have reciprocal ministries, i.e.
cross border, cross age, cross economic lines where we not only minister to
them, but also learn from our sisters in ‘different’ circumstances.
We encourage eco-friendly homes and
churches.
Communication
We get news about women’s events in a
timely fashion via many media (diocesan website, email, blog, Facebook, etc.)
We are connected via social media.
We have virtual study and/or book
groups and online forums so women around the diocese can participate without
having to travel.
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