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Communiqué Vol. 19, No. 3 Fall 2010 Website: www.ecwnational.org Tollfree phone number: 1-877-NATL-ECW (1-877-628-5329) National ECW Vice President for Information and Communication: Marilyn Rishkofski Maggie Williams, editor Printed by Copy Cats Printing Hattiesburg, MS Submissions to Communiqué are from unique and diverse people throughout the world. Opinions expressed in these submissions are those of the author and not necessarily held by members of the ECW board. To receive the Communiqué, to report a change of address or to submit an article or photograph for inclusion in the next edition, contact: Marilyn Rishkofski 186 Little River Road Hampton, NH 03842 603-926-0443 vpinformationcommunication @ecwnational.org Subscription to Communiqué is on a voluntary basis. Suggested rate is $12. Additional contributions are always welcome. Send check payable to the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society to: Sandra Powers ECW Treasurer 3 Adoracion Circle Hot Springs Village, AR 71909 [email protected]

Deadline for the next edition of Communiqué is Feb. 1, 2011.

Communiqué

Fall 2010

From the President’s Desk

Blessings of God’s ‘stuff’ carry us through every time “You can’t out give God.” I have heard that little quote a few times, and it was the theme of a sermon a few weeks ago. So, as we enter the season of stewardship, I am thinking Marcia Himes about God’s abunECW National dance. President Romans 5:5, says “We can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit” (from the Message). God gives in abundance. But God’s abundance is not the same as man’s abundance. Several years ago we built a 30-by-40foot shop on our property. When my mother-in law saw the foundation work, she asked what we were doing. I responded that we were building a shop to hold everyone’s stuff. I’m sure I’m not the only one still holding on to things that belong to children who have not yet moved those things to their homes. As things accumulate in the house, they get moved to the shop. This usually means I have to make a trip to the local discount store to buy some sort of plastic container. I have quite an assortment of those on the shelves in the shop: Blue, green, purple, clear, snap on tops, attached tops. They come in “seasonal” colors, black and orange for fall and red and green for Christ-

mas. Some for electronics, others for extra bedding and clothing that I’m keeping for some unknown reason. When the weather allows, I “clean out” some of those containers. Some things I finally get rid of; other things, I pass along to family, friends or the local secondhand store. All the while during these cleaning efforts, I keep wondering what possessed me to keep some of these items. What kind of containers would we buy to hold the “stuff” that God gives? Would good health, family and friends, a comfortable home be in clear plastic? Would we try to match the colors of our beautiful surroundings with a container of a complimentary color? What about the gifts we are given, those that we use for ministry, and share with others? Would we clean them out or keep them covered in something that has a snap-on top? I do try to hold in my heart (like Mary), some precious things: the sound of my granddaughter’s laughter; my son on Skype from overseas; the smell of the coffee my husband brews in the morning; the greeting from my pets when I arrive home after a bad day. Watching a bald eagle soaring over the Wyoming landscape cannot fit in any container. As I look at the “good stuff” on my shelves, neatly organized and labeled, I try to remind myself that I don’t need any kind of box to keep all that I receive daily from God.

God’s peace to you, Marcia Himes

IN THIS ISSUE of Communiqué, the focus is on young people and young adults in the Episcopal Church. A special thank you to the staff of Episcorific for designing our cover. Many thanks to all of you who contributed stores and photos of children serving their church with a joyful spirit. And to the faithful women of ECW who send in news from their dioceses and provinces, we are ever so grateful. www.ecwnational.org

Fall 2010

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The Youth Factor A look at the ministry of young people and young adults in The Episcopal Church

The Road Between Internet ’zine seeks to fill in the blanks for readers and the church Submitted by Jeremiah Sierra

Episcorific started in a truck somewhere between San Antonio and Houston. The truck had no air conditioning, and we shouted over the highway noise and wind that poured in through the open windows. My brother and I wanted to spend more time together and to make something. “A ’zine,” he suggested. “What’s a ’zine?” I asked. He explained it’s a mini, homemade magazine, usually black and white with a small distribution. We decided to make a ’zine for young adults – Episcopalians in their 20s and 30s. We stole the name Episcorific from a friend. We called our friends and asked them to write things and submit their poetry. We printed them out and drove them to churches in Houston; we mailed some out to people in San Antonio and Austin and sent electronic copies to our friends. From this humble beginning, Episcorific has broadened its readership beyond Texas and has a board of six people spread across the country in New York and Washington, Texas, Tennessee and California. Episcorific has been read by thousands of people – young adults and those who want to read their stories and see their art. It includes photography and artwork, poetry and fiction and personal essays. Each quarterly issue of Episcorific is brimming with honest juxtapositions; it is playful and irreverent, serious and theological. It can clarify an issue and burst

with unanswered questions. It includes whatever engages young adults; whatever it is they have to say within the Episcopal Church, which so many of us have grown up in or have grown to love in college or discovered later in life. You can access the ’zine at Episocrific.org, though it is our hope that it reaches beyond our internet lives. There are plenty of personal blogs and websites written by plenty of young adults detailing their lives and breakfast choices, giving their opinions on movies and politics, but so many of them speak out into empty space, read only by their friends and their parents. We live in a first person, presenttense world, obsessed with what is happening right now. As much as we seem connected by the internet and the telephone and text messages, we remain profoundly unconnected. Our hope is to bring those unconnected young adults into conversation with each other. This means bringing many diverse voices together, voices that do not always agree but wrestle with the personal, theological or political (sometimes all three at once) in a way that is honest and authentic. Episcorific strives to contribute to the larger conversation happening within and between people and churches and demographic groups. This means being read by adults of all ages, across the country and even outside our borders. We have on average 4,500 readers who come from nearly every state and from countries like Aus-

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tralia, Japan, England, Canada and Kenya. We hope Episcorific can inspire real conversations, inform our understanding of our local communities and enrich our spiritual lives. Episcorific is not the voice of young adults. There is no one voice of young adults, any more than there is one voice of…um…older adults? But sometimes there is a gap, a silent space where we should hear the voices (plural, you see) of young adults. A place where we should speak from our place of transition and confusion or hope and overconfidence or wherever it is we happen to be. It is wherever it is that we find ourselves alive and with something to say. The highway genesis was appropriate for Episcorific, born between a starting point and a destination, on a big stretch of road connecting cities and human beings. Episcorific is a place where young adults can connect, a highway, a meeting place, a noisy place, where sometimes you have to shout over the wind and the highway noise to be heard. But it’s a place where you keep shouting because you have something to say. ***** Jeremiah Sierra is co-founder of the young adult web ’zine, Episcorific. He is a graduate of Rice University in Houston and is currently studying creative writing at The New School in New York City. He attends St. Lydia’s, a “dinner church” on the Lower East Side.

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Fall 2010

Youth in the Diocese of Arkansas prepare for the procession during the 2010 Arkansas Episcopal Youth Event. Programming throughout the Episcopal Church prepares younger Episcopalians to take part in church traditions and changes. (Photo submitted by Randall Curtis)

Stories of growth; ministries of devotion The Youth Factor

Editor’s note: Below are stories that provide a sampling of A look at the ministry youth ministries of young people and and programs young adults in The Episcopal Church alive and well throughout the Episcopal Church.

The Diocese of Arkansas

Submitted by Randall Curtis, Jr. Ministry Developer for Young Adults and Youth

For a very long time youth ministry seemed to be one great “niceness club.” As a youth minister, I had parents tell me their children were getting involved with the wrong crowd. The parents hoped getting them involved in church would fix that. Youth ministry was not about faith formation, but more about how to churn

out well-behaved boys and girls who dressed nicely. Youth ministry has changed as the church has changed. Recently at a youth retreat in Arkansas I heard a youth say, “But what if we did it this way?” Just like you, the little Episcopal churchman who lives inside me screamed and hid. Slowly, I breathed in and realized we COULD try it that way. This new perspective is what youth and youth ministry bring to the Episcopal Church. In Arkansas, we recently finished our 2010 Arkansas Episcopal Youth Event. At AYE, 86 youth gathered to elect three youth delegates to the diocesan convention and nine youth who will be the on the diocesan youth commission, which plans and leads future youth events. Both groups are created so that we – the church – can hear from the youth. It is not only that the youth need the church. It is that the church

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needs the youth. It is now time for the church to listen and act. Youth and young adults are available to be on vestries and boards. They are quick to jump into outreach projects. They can even be involved with creating and developing liturgies. It is our job now to make sure that we are not trying to only create nicely dressed, well behaved boys and girls, but we are forming young Episcopalians and asking them to help form us.

The Diocese of San Joaquin

Submitted by Cordelia Burt National ECW VP of Program

Sometimes, it’s the smallest people who have the biggest jobs. At St. Andrew’s Mission, which is the most westerly mission in the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin, there are only

Fall 2010 three children. Two of those children serve the church faithfully as acolytes. The third, who is now 2 years old, can’t quite master the skills needed just yet. Katie McKown is only 7 years old and 4-foot, 6-inches tall, so the large adult processional cross was a bit much for her to carry. But the wooden cross that was made by a parishioner and used on the altar for Good Friday was just the right size. Katie’s father put a dowel in the smaller cross and it is now the processional cross of St. Andrew’s. Thomas Wilson is two years older and a little taller than Katie, so it is easier for him to light the tapers on the altar. Both take turns collecting the offering and no one lets the plate pass without putting something in. At St. Andrew’s, we are pleased our children are actively involved with the services and look forward to the day that Claire, Thomas’s sister, is old enough to begin her training.

The Diocese of Florida

Submitted by The Rev. Tim Nunez, Rector, St. Mary’s Epicopal Church At St. Mary’s in Belleview, Fla., we encourage our youth to take positive steps into adult ministries as they are able. For example, youth who are 16 or older and confirmed may become Lay Eucharistic Ministers. Once they are ready legally and spiritually for that holy ministry, we train and license them. They serve on Youth Sundays (every fifth Sunday) but can serve anytime as well. Also on Youth Sundays, our youth serve as ushers, greeters and lectors. They've even done the sermon a time or two. Encouraging youth to take on responsibilities in worship and service is vital to the life of the church. It helps them personally grasp the faith of the church, embrace the richness of our worship, and build a bond with Jesus Christ which they will hopefully continue a lifetime and pass to the next generations. This same approach applies to our Daughters of the King, Brotherhood of St. Andrew and every other ministry and fellowship in our parish. Our Lord is touching lives in many ways.

Communiqué

Katie McKown, 7, front, and Thomas Wilson, 9, are already involved in serving the church at St. Andrew’s in the Diocese of San Joaquin.

The Youth Factor A look at the ministry of young people and young adults in The Episcopal Church

Eric Rayford of St. Anna’s in New Orleans, from left, Mark Granier and Kevin Owens of St. Timothy's in LaPlace, La., serve their respective churches as acolytes. Eric and Kevin were the two acolytes representing Louisiana at the National Acolyte Festival in Washington D.C. during October.

Diocese of Louisiana

Submitted by Barbara Owens Diocese of Louisiana

Sept. 12 marked the Diocese of Louisiana’s first Acolyte Festival.

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Page 5 Sixty-plus acolytes representing 13 churches and one Episcopal school from all parts of the diocese processed with banners at Trinity Episcopal Church in New Orleans. Holy Eucharist was celebrated by Louisiana’s bishop who was consecrated May 8, the Rt. Rev. Morris K. Thompson. Many of the youth had not met the new bishop prior to the festival. The event was organized and the homily preached by the Rev. Rich Clark, who has recently begun serving the diocese in the newly created position of minister for youth and young adult ministries. Following the Eucharist, participants unvested for a fun afternoon including a short acolyte workshop, a 10-question Book of Common Prayer Scavenger hunt and a picnic for all the acolytes and their families.

The Episcopal Church

Submitted by Bronwyn Clark Skov Youth Ministries, The Episcopal Church The Formation and Vocation Ministries Team of The Episcopal Church strives to equip ministries in our dioceses to strategically engage lifelong Christian formation and vocational discernment. Our team is currently staffed with five officers carrying specific portfolios: Children’s Ministries, Youth Ministries, Young Adult and Campus Ministries and Adult and Lifelong Learning. All of our offices seek to build networks of experts, practitioners and baptized leaders to carry out the work God has called us to do. Please visit the denominational website to learn about these ministries and resources; www.episcopalchurch.org/children or /youth or /youngadults or /campusministries or/adult. You can subscribe to electronic newsletters from both the Youth Ministries and the Young Adult and Campus Ministries offices. The brand for all of the internet sources for the Youth Ministries Office includes the phrase “EpiscoYouth.” Please look up EpiscoYouth on the internet to find our blog, our FaceBook page and our Twitter feed. We also welcome old fashioned email and phone calls.

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Fall 2010

Walker School for Boys aims to change lives By Meigan Chan Province III representative

Many in the Diocese of Washington D.C. as well as others who traveled to be there, gathered June 6 to attend the very special dedication service of the John T. Walker School for Boys in the far southeast corner of the nation’s capital. This area is plagued by poverty and its resulting aspects, with the most risk for the children who live in the area. Many of us and our various churches have followed “the miracle,” as Bishop John Chane calls it, of this school A look at the ministry of young people and and its ministry in this blighted young adults in area. The June dedication of the The Episcopal Church school is the fulfillment of the dream of the late Bishop John Thomas Walker, the sixth bishop of Washington, who died in office on Sept. 30, 1989. Walker’s vision of an Episcopal school on the east side of the river where none existed opened its doors in 2008 with a pre-kindergarten class in facilities at St. Phillip’s Episcopal Church, Anacostia. The new facility, located in Holy Communion Episcopal Church, affords permanent facilities with an addition to the building adding spacious and sunny classrooms as well as space to fulfill the needed after school programs and a

The Youth Factor

Diocese of Washington D.C. Bishop John Chane blesses a classroom during the June 6 dedication of the new campus of the Bishop John T. Walker School for Boys as some of the students greet him. (Photo by Valerie Woody).

training center for parents and other siblings. We marvel at the accomplishments so far and are in awe of what these little boys have learned as a new group joins them in pre-kindergarden and they move up to the next grade. They are the most precious children you could meet anywhere. To top is all, we were thrilled to learn we receive the United Thank Offering grant this year of $40,000 toward making the needed next phase a reality.

College ministry efforts create community on campus Submitted by John H. Moore Canterbury program coordinator

Canterbury Colorado is a vibrant, close-knit community of college students and young adults serving the student population at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Canterbury is also part of the larger community of St. Aidan’s parish in Boulder, which has been home to the Episcopal ministry to CU for more than 60 years. Canterbury is governed by the board of stewards, which oversees and manages our endowment, and is led by Canterbury Core, the student leadership group. Since Canterbury and St. Aidan’s are located directly across the street from CU, we are uniquely positioned to have a real on-campus presence. Our evening guided Labyrinth Walks, our Welcome Back Ice Cream Social and our bimonthly healing services are all well-attended by members of Canterbury

and St. Aidan’s, and we make a special effort to extend invitations to all students, faculty and staff of CU. Since we are located adjacent to Folsom Field football stadium, we traditionally sell hot dogs and brats during football games, raising money for outreach. We are also home to a small art gallery, where students and faculty from the university can display their work. Worship is the central focus of our life together. Lay leaders at the 5 p.m. Sunday Eucharist are drawn from the general Canterbury population (not just the Core members). Worship music is provided by volunteer musicians, including several Canterbury members. After the service, students share a meal prepared by members of St. Aidan’s parish. Canterbury Core is the student leadership group for our ministry to CU. At meetings, we have Bible study, faith formation, discipleship and leadership training and conversation and discernment

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about where God is calling us. We have taken part in numerous service activities and projects, including a mission trip to the Dominican Republic in 2009. In 2008, we held two concerts to benefit the Mental Health Center Serving Boulder and Broomfield Counties. Canterbury Colorado is fully committed and engaged in our mission to minister to the student population of the University of Colorado. Within our own community, we work to foster spiritual and personal growth, and to help students and young adults mature in their faith and grow into a fully adult Christian life. Canterbury is closely intertwined with St. Aidan’s. We are one of the few campus ministries in Boulder that provides college students with a truly intergenerational community of faith and love. We are always mindful of Christ’s commandment and commission to us, and we strive each and every day to make our lives an example of his love.

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Acolytes: Beginning the gift of service Editor’s note: For many Episcopal youth, years of service to the church begins as an acolyte during their younger years. And from that point, some begin a lifetime of service to the church in both the lay and clergical ranks. The acolyte position was once reserved only for young men, but young women joined the acolyte ranks in the ’60s and ’70s. Here are some reflections from current and former acolytes on what it’s like to serve the church in that manner. My name is Savannah Emmrich and I am a 17-year-old student at Plainfield South High School in Plainfield, Ill. I am currently an acolyte at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Morris, Ill. I have been an acolyte for 10 years – yes, I started at age 7 at St. Edward and Christ Church in Joliet, Ill. At that time, I was told I was the youngest regularly serving acolyte in the Episcopal Church in America. It was my idea to become one. I have always acted older than my age and I wanted to do what the big kids were doing. I took this role very seriously and even today when I am not “on duty,” I am in church most Sundays. At St. Thomas, once you have served at 100 services you receive a silver cross necklace in a ceremony. It is really a beautiful cross and a beautiful honor. At St. Thomas, I like the more formal way we are taught to serve including having our hands in the prayer position throughout the service when standing. I get a lot of comments from visitors on how elegant that looks. I also have been trained to be an incense bearer and that is my favorite part of all. I have done it for three years now and may have been the youngest at that, too. At St. Thomas, there are a lot of opportunities to be a incense bearer as they regularly have the Rite One service. I hope to continue serving at the altar throughout my college years, too. I feel it is where I belong and I love it.

this way: “I didn’t know being a girl acolyte was a big deal. I grew up not knowing any different. … My sister was the first girl acolyte at St. Thomas so she broke some ground. I come from a family where my parents and grandparents were and are super involved in church so it was just what we do!” Heather Gay, now 24 and the sister to whom Holly Gay referred, began acolyting while in the third grade and was St. Thomas’ first female acolyte. She said, “I never realized being a female acolyte was anything unusual. I knew our church was small so I just felt like it was expected of me; it was a necessity.” Heather Gay also said serving at the altar with her grandfather, the late Rev. Theodore R. Gracia, was always a special time and she felt honored to be at the altar with him.

****

****

Holly Gay, 19, and a sophomore in college, sums up her acolyte experience

The Youth Factor A look at the ministry of young people and young adults in The Episcopal Church

Gilbert Vincent Bryan, of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Harlem in the

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Diocese of New York, watched history change with the addition of girls and young women serving as acolytes and in other roles in the church. Here is Bryan’s story: I served as warden of acolytes in the ’60s at the time the priest was not in favor of girls or women serving as acolytes on the altar. Following much consideration and prayer, my response to the first young lady who asked if she could serve was “I have a robe for you.” Her brother had served as an acolyte for a year. She would constantly watch him and other acolytes performing their duties. She was ready for the privilege to serve on God’s altar. Her name was Monique Weekes. Within a year, I had two more young women serving as acolytes at our parish. These young women did an exceptional job serving with the young male acolytes. A third young girl received her training at St Andrew’s and served in another parish. By 1975, there were at least 10 young women assisting the priest in a liturgical service and serving in a vital role for their church and their Christian formation. The Rev. Cheryl Parris, one of the young women acolytes, currently serves as rector of a parish in Savannah, Ga. She has often expressed her gratitude to St. Andrew’s for what she learned about the church and her faith through her service as an acolyte. Two more of the acolytes have become lay readers. Monique Weekes, the first young girl acolyte, currently lives in Massachusetts and serves as a chalice bearer for her priest in her home parish. When she visits her family in New York, she continues to proudly serve God and her church family at Saint Andrew’s. I also think it is important to share that two of the young male acolytes from that time are ordained ministers. One is a permanent deacon, the Rev. Earl Christian, currently serving in Hampton, Va., and the other serves as an ordained minister in another denomination. I have retired as warden of the acolytes, but young girls and women are still faithfully serving God and St. Andrew’s.

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Fall 2010

Junior DOKs embrace prayer, service By Jennifer Mariano National Junior Daughters chair Order of the Daughters of the King

In their own words: “When becoming a Junior Daughter, a vow we take is to pray often. When we pray, we are sharing our stress and burdens with God, and then trusting Him to handle the situation appropriately.” Micha, age 15 “Faith is knowing that God will take charge of the situation. Without faith, I tended to think worldly on situations. With faith, I think spiritually, not leaning on my own understanding but God’s.” Franchesca, age 17 “Our personal experiences with God are the ones that help us to establish a relationship with Him. We must find out for ourselves who we are as Christians.” Leah, age 18 These profound statements were written by Junior Daughters, clearly wise beyond their years. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, the vision of the Order of the Daughters of the King is to know Jesus Christ, to make Him known to others and to reflect God’s love throughout the world. Daughters seek to grow in their relationship with God through a Rule of Life that incorporates a rule of daily prayer and of service. Junior Daughters are young women and girls ages 7-21 who make a promise of daily prayer and service to Jesus Christ. Junior Daughters wear a silver cross with the initials “FHS,” which stands for “For His Sake,” as a symbol of that promise. A junior chapter is a group of three or more girls with a senior daughter as director. Junior chapters provide a loving and supportive Christian community of peers and mentors, and offer a sacred place for young women to discuss their faith, and support and pray for each other that they will have strength and courage to face the world today. The chapters also provide opportunities for the girls to serve both church and community. Junior Daughters work to grow in their relationship with Jesus and their Christian

The Youth Factor A look at the ministry of young people and young adults in The Episcopal Church

Members of the Junior Daughters of the King chapter study (above) and do service projects (right) together as part of their membership in the chapter.

faith through fellowship, prayer and Bible study. Juniors spend a lot of time studying the Bible, sharing and exploring, lecto divina and acting out Bible stories. They study women of the Bible and different saints. Juniors also pray together and have their own prayer list. Many attend retreats either with their own chapter or join other Daughters from other places. Juniors also make a promise to be Christ’s faithful servants and to extend His love to all people. The girls have made Linus blankets and prayer blankets and given them to the homeless. They have made prayer bears and given them to members of the military, emergency service personnel and cancer survivors. They

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visit shut-ins, volunteer at nursing homes, help at food pantries and soup kitchens and give gifts to children who have a parent in prison. Several chapters have sent Christmas cards and Easter boxes to men and women in the military. Many have gone on mission trips at home and abroad. Whatever Juniors do, it is always under the leadership and guidance of their dedicated leaders: the unsung heros of our Order. These women facilitate, support and often finance activities and projects. It is up to us, as adults, to provide the support, encouragement and mentorship to our young sisters in Christ. The Order has taken bold new steps to Please continue on the next page

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Province I Jr. DOK benefits from fund Submitted by Mariana Bauman Province I

The Order of Daughters of the King’s new Alpha Fund, which Jennifer Mariana described in her article about Junior Daughters of the King, is a great blessing because no DOK (junior or senior) can participate in fundraising. It was a grant from the Alpha Fund which made a recent retreat with Province 1 girls possible. This retreat was a wonderful experience we hope to repeat many times, with many more girls. Last April, after a couple of years of wishing, months of talking and weeks of planning, we finally were able to have a retreat with the girls from the two chapters located in Province I. The Naomi Chapter from St. Monica’s in Hartford, Conn., and the Family of

Junior Daughters of the King members participate in all aspects of the church, including serving as acolytes. (Photos shown above and on the previous page submitted by Jennifer Mariano).

Love and Faith Chapter from Christ Church Cathedral in Springfield, Mass., joined together at Genesis Spiritual Life Center, Westfield, Mass., for a fun day of activities. Eleven girls and ten adults learned names through a sock-toss game. We sang the junior hymn, played a Bible trivia game and each girl made a set of Anglican prayer beads. There was a short walk after

lunch and the discovery of a couple of glider swings. We ended with a short worship service in which the girls acted out the story of “Daniel in the Lion’s Den” with paper bag hand puppets. It was a joy to see the girls, previously strangers, working, praying and playing together. Everyone agreed we needed to get together again – and soon.

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help our Junior Daughters by establishing a new Alpha Fund which provides financial support to help start new chapters, strengthen existing ones and provide assistance for retreats, service projects and activities. The Order is also creating new resources for leaders and establishing a mentoring program for Juniors who are ready to transition to Senior Daughters. The junior department of the Order was established in 1896 by Mary G. Davenport, a Daughter of the King and wife of the rector of Emmanuel Parish in Washington DC. She believed Daughters “had a responsibility concerning the girls who come within the reach of our influence.” Her vision to bring girls and young women into a deeper relationship with Jesus through prayer, service and evangelism lives on 114 years later. Today there are more 1,000 Junior Daughters nationally with chapters in every province. There are also chapters outside the United States. I am incredibly proud of our Juniors. They are inspirational and give me so much hope for our future. I believe in this ministry to help our youth develop a deeper and more personal love

Junior Daughter Prayer God of love, God of life, God of holy strength, guide us, that by our daily practice of Prayer and Service we may draw others to Christ. Help us to reach up in hope, receive in spirit, respond in faith, and reach out in love for all. We pray that your Kingdom will come for all creation, all people living together in love and peace. For His Sake. Amen. of Jesus through prayer and service, fellowship and Bible study. Our young women need to know the love of God; we need to help them build that firm foundation in Him that will carry them all through their lives.

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GFS: The Girls’ Friendly Society USA Submitted by Llyn Carter Diocese of Pennsylvania I would like to introduce myself to the Anglican Community. I am Llyn Carter from the Diocese of Pennsylvania and the newly elected president of The Girls’ Friendly Society USA. The Girls’ Friendly Society USA is active and alive in the Episcopal Church for young girls and young women. The Girls’ Friendly Society – known as GFS – is 133 years “young,” offering young girls and young women positive guidance that helps to develop the whole person.

The purpose of GFS is to provide a program whose members accept the Christian faith and are provided a program of worship, study and service to others along with recreation. GFS is a parish-based program that empowers girls with faith, self-esteem and self-confidence. I would love to talk to you about GFS and starting a branch in your diocese and parish. Please contact me at this address: [email protected]. Get connected to GFS. It is a place for young girls and teens to have a place to belong.

Episcopal Church Women

The Youth Factor A look at the ministry

of young people and young adults in The Episcopal Church

We’ve reserved a spot for YOU as a future leader and for the GIRLS in your parish. Please look forward to further information on what we are doing in 2011.

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Dioceses join forces to provide help for Haiti Submitted by Norah M. Joslyn Diocese of Olympia

It’s been nine months since the devastating earthquake in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. But the physical and psychological rubble left by the natural disaster lingers for some of the country’s most needy. The young people who rely on the St. Vincent’s Center for Handicapped Children School and Medical Facility fall into that category. To support those children and restore their hope and dignity, the Episcopal dioceses of Olympia and Louisiana have formed a partnership with The Red Thread Promise, a 501(c)(3) organization based in New Orleans. With interior architects Tom Landry II of New Orleans and Randa El gayar of Montreal, both experts in sustainable building practices, these organizations combined compassion for children with their talents and resources to rebuild the much-needed St. Vincent’s facility. “St. Vincent’s is the center of these children’s lives,” said Kathy Korge Albergate, president of The Red Thread Promise. “It’s where they flourish and where they learn to take care of themselves, including acquiring skills to become productive members of society.” Prior to the earthquake, St. Vincent’s served approximately 250 children with special needs, including the hearing- and sight-impaired. The former facility housed classrooms, general, dental, eye and audiology clinics, surgery and recovery rooms, a pharmacy, a prosthetic and orthotic workshop, kitchen, cafeteria, dormitories, administrative offices and guest quarters. Only three rooms of the original structure remain, so the team will work closely with the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti as well as St. Vincent’s engineers and architects to finalize plans for the new facility. Guided by best practices in accessibility, safety and sustainability, the new facility will be constructed to be both hurricane and earthquake resistant. “We want to do everything we can to create a facility that is less vulnerable to this kind of natural disaster,” said the Rt. Rev. Gregory Rickel of the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia, based in Seattle, Wash. “If we learned nothing from Hurricane

St. Vincent’s in Haiti before the earthquake (left above) and afterward (right above).

Katrina in New Orleans five years ago, it’s that we need to use every possible technology and sustainable practice to prevent a worst-case disaster here.” The partners have been raising funds and awareness for the rebuilding and refurnishing project. They’ve also funded a full shipping container of allterrain wheelchairs and medical equipment, including scales, instrument sanitizers, canes, crutches, blood pressure cuffs, cast cutters, typewriters and other medical supplies needed for the new St. Vincent’s medical facility. “St. Paul’s (Episcopal Church – Lakeview) has been blessed by the friendship de- Prior to the earthquake, St. Vincent’s provided services to veloped with the Dio- about 250 young people in Haiti. A partnership to rebuild the cese of Olympia over facility was formed between the dioceses of Olympia and Louisiana under the leadership of, from left, Randa El gayar, the past five years since Hurricane Kat- Sally Carlson, Sadoni Leon (director of St. Vincent’s), Tom Landry II, Kathy Korge Albergate, Scott Albergate, Sonya rina,” the Rev. Dr. Yencer at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church–Lakeview. Scott P. Albergate children in Haiti.” said. “This project is the ideal opportunity Giving and other information can be for St. Paul’s to continue nurturing this found at www.redthreadpromise.org or by relationship while making a positive imemailing [email protected]. pact on the lives of these most vulnerable

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EpiscoView: Been there, done that. OR What’s new and how can I help you?

Submitted by Jaimee March ECW board VP, Diocese of Oklahoma

Collaborating with Youth = ENERGIZE – ENTHUSE – ENGAGE

SCENARIO: A rather mature lady is mulling around the tables at the ministry fair. One by one, she “ticks” them off – “Been there, done that.” A rather youthful lady is sitting behind the Christian Ed table hoping she has enough paper for all the volunteer’s names and numbers she is surely to acquire. STOP. Ponder that scene for a moment and put yourself in each of these ladies’ positions. Now, suppose the rather mature lady had commented instead “What’s new, how can I help you?” Can you feel the energy and enthusiasm from that last inquiry? The rather youthful lady can feel it, too. Without hesitation, the scene shifts from one of lethargy and indifference to one of energy and enthusiasm. And this is just the beginning. The two then engage or converse and, before you know it, fervent collaboration ensues. “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.” Romans 12:11 Young women have a great capacity for spiritual maturity and we “rather mature” ladies have a responsibility to make sure this capacity is realized. Multigenerational teamwork is nothing new: Do Naomi and Ruth ring a bell? When pondering youth, remember having a “been there, done that” attitude isn’t the way to accomplish anything; promoting collaboration is. So, with great energy and enthusiasm, I ask...What’s new, how can I help you?

Calendar of Events Information for this calendar comes from ECWs throughout the church. If your group or diocese has plans for meetings, special events, special missions or other happenings, please send all pertinent information for inclusion in the next edition of Communiqué to: [email protected]

71909

Nov. 6 – Diocese of Massachusetts Convention.

Activism Against Gender Violence campaign.

Nov. 12-13 – Diocese of North Carolina annual meeting and retreat. “Decluttering Our Life for God: The Benedictine Path of Simplicity.” Led by the Rev. Dr. Jane Tomaine and to be held at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Greensboro, N.C. For more information: .

Nov. 29 – International Women Human Rights Defenders Day.

Nov. 12-13 – Diocese of Mississippi ECW Fall Conference and Annual Meeting. Nov. 25-Dec. 10 – 16 Days of

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Dec. 1 – World AIDs Day. Dec. 6 – Anniversary of the Montreal Massacre. Jan. 7, 2011 – Diocese of Mississippi ECW Winter board meeting. Feb. 22-March 4 – Anglican Women’s Empowerment’s UN Commission on the Status of Women. For information, contact Kim Robey, at .

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A Word about The Word

By the Rev. Nancy Crawford Province VIII representative

Miriam

One of the books on the shelves in my childhood bedroom that I shared with my younger sister was A Little Golden Book: Bible Stories of Boys and Girls. Here the children of the Hebrew Scriptures came alive – Rebekah at the well, Joseph and his dreams, Samuel the Lord’s child, David the shepherd, and Miriam the good sister. Each child had an encounter that, knowingly or unknowingly, brought them closer to God. Bad times had come to the children of Israel. Pharaoh of Egypt wanted all boy babies killed. Jochebed and Amram had a son, and his mother hid him for three months. When she could not hide him any longer, she laid the baby in a covered basket of bulrushes and put the little boat among the reeds by the river bank. And the baby’s sister Miriam stood at a distance to watch over him. Pharaoh’s daughter found the baby, and saying she needed someone to care for the child, Miriam stepped forward and suggested her own mother (and the mother of the child). Pharaoh’s daughter said to Jochebed, “Take care of the child and I will give you wages.” So the happy mother had her child back. Because his sister Miriam had watched over him, he grew up safe and sound at home, and when he was older, this boy Moses was educated in the Pharaoh’s palace and became the greatest leader his people knew. Miriam’s role as big sister did not end in the simple tale of one sibling looking after another. She became a leader-prophet of the women of Israel. After crossing the Red Sea, following the great song which her brother Moses sang in honor of all Israel, Miriam organized the women in response, with “timbrels and with dances” (Exodus 15:20). The singing of women in ancient times gave expression to war, battle, and miracle. It is believed that the Song of Moses was actually composed by Miriam to articulate and summarize the historical experience of escaping the

Pharaoh’s chariots, and also to prepare the people to cope with the forthcoming challenges. And so, Miriam was a herald; she prepared the people for what was to come following the crossing of the Red Sea. She had been the guardian of the vision; having watched over her baby brother, perhaps knowing even then that there was greatness ahead. In the wilderness she was the guardian of the vision to be, a new home for their people. She was, in childhood and in adulthood, the “big sister” who watches and worries and prepares for the future. Miriam wasn’t a perfect big sister. Who in Hebrew Scriptures, after all, is perfect? Who of us is perfect? She and her other brother Aaron criticized Moses and resented his authority. Has the Lord spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also? (Numbers 12:2) The Lord called the three into a meeting, and at the end of it, Miriam only (not Aaron or Moses) was plagued with leprosy. Because of Moses’ and Aaron’s pleas, the Lord allowed her leprosy to disappear after her seven days of banishment from the camp. In a lovely touch of compassion, the people did not journey until she was brought into the camp again. She lived on, and as tradition tells, became a mother and the forebear of kings. What is Miriam’s message for us as Episcopal Church Women? We are the big sisters of the church, in our youth and in our maturity. We as women at any age help others find greatness and find in ourselves the greatness to lead. As some of us look to the future and to the younger women of the church who are accomplishing wonderful things, we can be their big sisters, watching out for them and accompanying them on their journey. We who are younger can learn from the wisdom of the women around us and know we are never alone in all the works we do. Together we are members of a women’s chorus. We give expression to the concerns of God’s people and we sing not a call to war and battle but a call to peace and justice, and always as an expression to the miracles of our God. We are sisters to each other.

SAVE THE DATE

Triennial Meeting 2012 set for Westin Indianapolis

Submitted by Cordelia Burt National ECW VP of Programs

The Episcopal Church Women have a home for the 2012 Triennial Meeting. We will be meeting in the Westin Indianapolis, which is the hotel that is closest to the entrance – directly across the street – of the convention center where the Episcopal General Convention will be held. We will be meeting on the second floor of the hotel with a walkway that leads directly into the convention center. Our location is close to the mall entrance that will

have many food vendors for a quick lunchtime fare. Your executive board has stayed at the Westin and found the staff and accommodations very satisfactory. I feel this is a wonderful location for us to gather for our 77th Triennial Meeting. So go ahead and mark your calendar for the opening ceremony for the 2012 Triennial Meeting: Thursday, July 5, 2012. Triennial Meeting will conclude on July 12. Make plans now to join us in Indianapolis for this special event.

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For the 77th

Episcopal Church Women Triennial Meeting July 5-12, 2012 Westin Hotel,

Indianapolis, Indiana

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Groups unite to fight violence Submitted by Kim Robey Chair for AWE

“Violence against women is the most pervasive human rights violation in the world,” Kofi Annan said, a sentiment echoed by almost every human rights organization, the United Nations and countless other non-governmental organizations worldwide. Here in the United States, violence against women and girls manifests itself in human trafficking, rape, domestic violence, pornography and less severe ways daily. No aspect of our society is immune. For the first time, the Episcopal Church Women, the Episcopal Women’s Caucus and Anglican Women’s Empowerment will unite for the purpose of developing an Episcopal Church campaign of activism and awareness to coincide with the 16 days of activism international campaign established by the Center for Women’s Global Leadership at Rutgers University. Known as the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence, the campaign starts Nov. 25, which is International Day Against Violence Against Women, and runs until Dec. 10, International Human Rights Day, to emphasize that gender violence is a violation of human rights. This 16-day period also highlights other significant dates including Nov. 29, International Women Human Rights Defenders Day; Dec. 1, World AIDS Day; and Dec. 6, the Anniversary of the Montreal Massacre. Since 1991, more than 2,000 organizations in approximately 156 countries have participated in the campaign focused on: • Raising awareness about gender-based violence as a human rights issue locally, nationally, regionally and internationally. • Strengthening local work around violence against women. • Establishing a clear link between local and international work to end violence against women.

• Providing a forum in which organizers can develop and share new and effective strategies. • Demonstrating the solidarity of women around the world organizing against violence against women. • Creating tools to pressure governments to implement promises made to eliminate violence against women. The Episcopal Church version of the campaign will recognize that the dates will overlap with Advent and begin on Thanksgiving. There will be opportunities for people and churches to write and share prayers and liturgies celebrating both Christ’s coming into the world and the elimination of violence against women. Our campaign will be shared with other provinces within our Communion on the International Anglican Women’s Network. IAWN considers the elimination of violence against women to be its number one priority. During the 16 days of activism, churches are encouraged to participate through prayer, special services, sermons to emphasize the issue, speakers or films at adult forums, articles written in church and diocesan publications and many other ways. A website blog is in development so people can share what they are doing. Each organization will have information available but together we will create a resource which can be distributed to all. We invite you to share your prayers, liturgies, stories, and resources about gender violence by sending them to . Together in solidarity, we lift up this very important issue. Marcia Himes, president for ECW http://ecwnational.org/ Elizabeth Kaeton, convener for EWC http://www.episcopalwomenscaucus.org/ Kim Robey, chair for AWE http://anglicanwomensempowerment.org/

UNCSW 2011 to focus on education issues Submitted by Kim Robey

AWE has begun the planning for next year’s United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. The dates will be Feb. 22 to March 4 and the theme is “Access and participation of women and girls to education, training, science and technology, including the promotion of women’s equal access to full employment and decent work.” The commission will also evaluate progress in the implementation of the agreed conclusions from its 51st session on “the elimination of all forms of discrimination and violence against the girl child.” As in the past, our participation will

focus on the first week but unlike other years, CSW begins on Tuesday. We hope new delegates can arrive Sunday, participate in the NGO consultation day Monday and stay until the following Sunday. Repeating delegates could come a day later. Only first-time delegates will be eligible for financial assistance and they should be able to commit for the whole week. The UN itself is now, and will be at the time of CSW, under construction, which means space will be limited and there might even be limits on how many people can get into the UN itself. As those of you who have been to CSW before know, much of the action happens at the parallel events which do not require a UN pass. So AWE will be creating a program that

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is not dependent on UN attendance, but takes advantage of the wide diversity of other events taking place during the week. If you are interested in attending the AWE program as a self-funding delegate, you may come for as many or as few days as you wish and be with us while you are here. In the coming months as we refine our plans, we will be putting out additional information and application forms for attendance. If you think you might be interested, start working on getting some financing now from your church or diocese. In the meantime, if you have questions or comments, please contact Kim Robey at [email protected].

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CPC proves pennies buy more than thoughts Submitted by Ursula Baxley CPC president and Mary Lou Sharp Miles of Pennies chair

Here is a sampling of stories from Miles of Pennies grant recipients: • Jackson-Feild Homes, a girls’ residential home and treatment center in Jarratt, Va., was founded in 1855. Many of the girls are sent there by the court system. The on-campus Gwaltney School is a licensed alternative school. In 2009, its 20 graduating seniors were part of the largest graduating class in the history of the school. Miles of Pennies covered the cost of special educational materials. • The Diocese of Lexington (Kentucky), the Diocese of Southern Ohio, Christ Episcopal Church and Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa are three examples of sponsors of summer reading camps to help underprivileged children in grades 3 and 4 improve literacy skills and self-confidence. In Iowa, day campers are mentored by Coe College students, Christ Church and community adults and teens. In Ohio, each overnight camper goes home at the end of the week with a book bag filled with at least three new and several used books. In Kentucky, the camper takes home two book bags full of new books. Miles of Pennies helped with the cost of the books. • Saint Ann’s Episcopal Church in Old Lyme, Conn., held a weeklong simulcast vacation Bible school with Camp Hispaniola, a community of Haitians in the Dominican Republic. Together 30 American and 200 Haitian children, ages 5-12, learned about Noah’s ark, sang and prayed together. Books and CDs were purchased with a grant from Miles of Pennies. • Rhema Education Foundation, Ltd., in Dodoma, Tanzania, began January 2003 as Rhema Nursery, Pre- and Primary School to educate and support AIDS orphans and HIV/AIDS children. Originally located in the home of the founder, the Christian school for 15 children soon moved to a small school building. Students were mixed with non-infected children whose school fees help pay teachers and care-givers. In 2009, the school started a

What is a penny? A penny is that small coin that is usually left on the street. It is the coin the U.S. Department of Treasury talks about dropping. It is the coin that is given away by stores in “take one, give one” containers. Yet the penny is the cornerstone of a grant program for children’s books. In 1988, to help celebrate the 100th birthday of the Church Periodical Club, then President Janice Cook founded the Miles of Pennies Fund. For two years, pennies were collected until grants started being made in 1990. Pennies are collected by dioceses in miles; that is, 84,480 pennies or $844.80 per mile. It is also granted up to one mile with the largest grant given being $844.80. All collected pennies get sent to New York and, like UTO funds, cannot be spent by the parish, diocese or province. In the space of these 20 years, over 380 miles of pennies have been given. A lot of these pennies have been collected in large jars in parish halls and children’s collections. Please give when you see them. Children’s grants have gone all over this country and in several overseas dioceses. Twenty-four grants were made in 2008, 19 in the United States, one in Haiti, two in Kenya and two in Tanzania for a total of $17,222.05. The total amounts given in most years are similar. All of this is from a coin thought too worthless for most people to lean over and pick it up. Yet it changes lives, and has enriched children all over the world. It is a penny that says “In God we trust.” In the collecting and sending, we are trusting God to help us spend them wisely. secondary school and is building new classrooms for the now 175 children enrolled. Three grants from Miles of Pennies covered the cost of text and exercise workbooks first for the pre- and primary school, and this year for the secondary school. To become self-sufficient, the school has acquired wide community support and started a poultry project. • The Lillian Vallely School, a kindergarten-grade 5 elementary day school in Blackfoot, Idaho, was founded in 1998 by Episcopal Bishop John Thornton at the request of Shoshone/Bannock elders led by Deacon Lillian Vallely. It has grown from an old schoolhouse to a 60-acre campus. In addition to the required academic subjects, the school offers classes to about 30 students in their Indian culture, including Shoshone language, dance, crafts and Indian flute. Christian faith is taught using the Godly Play curriculum.

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With a new building replacing the old administration/dining room building, the school can accept 15 more students in the fall of 2011. Up to five mission teams of young people from Episcopal churches throughout the country come for a week to teach summer school and work on various projects. Strongly supported by the tribe, the school may be the only Indian school started by the Episcopal Church that still exists. Miles of Pennies is honored to help purchase various textbooks as needed. • Originally from Nigeria, Dr. Stephen C. Uche is a member of St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church in Ann Arbor, Mich. Miles of Pennies gave him two grants to purchase Igbo Bibles, hymnals and religious books for some 800 youth at St. Mark’s Anglican Church, Umunachi Obowu, Imo State, Nigeria. He delivered these items in person. Over time, because Please continue on page 16

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UTO: A worldwide gift of thanks The Episcopal Church of Liberia received a 2010 United Thank Offering grant of $36,800.00 to purchase a vehicle and to pay salaries for new positions including Director, Accountant and Assistant Director of the Education Secretariat of the diocese for one year. As a result of many years of war and civil unrest in Liberia, the lives of families and children have been severely affected. Schools have been greatly damaged and education for children has been interrupted to say the least. There are 31 primary, junior and secondary schools which fly the Episcopal Church flag enrolling over 10,000 students. Each school must meet standards set by the country’s Ministry of Education but receives no public financial support so operates independently. Using this UTO grant the Episcopal Church of Liberia will establish the structure which includes the position of Secretariat/Super-

intendent that will do the following: “Will mandate that all the schools will maintain the highest academic, moral and ethical standards; that there will be open communication among the schools to form a self-help network; that academic standards meet or exceed those required by the Ministry of Education; that concrete and verifiable efforts are made to increase female enrollment; that each school have a local board; that the parish priest take an active role on the board and in administrative oversight; that there be financial transparency on all income and expense items; determine what revenue enhancements can take place at the school level; and there be a central reporting system for self- and comparative-evaluation of performance to standards.” The Episcopal Church of Liberia is moving ahead on this project and hopes to be ready for the opening of school in Sep-

tember. They are in process of hiring for the three positions and are about to purchase a vehicle. Construction of the new office is progressing nicely. A diocesan staff member reported that, “the reception by the Bishop, the Diocesan Staff and clergy has been overwhelmingly enthusiastic. I won’t pretend that the money doesn’t count. Every dollar counts. But having the support of UTO is very, very positive for a country still recovering from the ravages of war.” This is just one example of where your prayers and gifts of thanks go…around the world by God’s plan – neighbor to neighbor, church to church, country to country. Please join us with your prayers of thanksgiving from your own Blue Box and in that way you receive our prayers of thanks. Contributed by: Jan Goossens, United Thank Offering Board

ERD network holds meeting in Belize Submitted by Valerie Hoffman-Hatcher ECW liaison to ERD

Each year Episcopal Relief and Development has invited all diocesan ERD coordinators to attend a network meeting for three days of information and reports. Belize City, Belize – formerly British Honduras – was the site of the network meeting for 2010, the first meeting outside of the United States. We began our visit and meeting by attending Holy Eucharist at St. John’s Cathedral which was dedicated in 1826, making it the oldest Anglican Church in Central America. After dinner, we were greeted by the Bishop Philip Wright, Luke Foder, Dr. Rob Radtke and the Rt. Reverend Rob O’Neill. The following day we began our visits to the schools. Our first school visit was to Flowers Bank where we visited St. Stephen’s School. The children and teachers welcomed us and we observed the classes in session. In each classroom, there was a designated area for materials on HIV/AIDS which is a problem in Belize. The Anglican Church requires teachers to provide instruction to the students in an effort to combat HIV/AIDS.

The next day, we visited the businesses of four recipients of micro-loans. Support from ERD and the Belize Enterprise for Sustainable Technology has promoted the Millennium Development Goals while providing loans at a lower rate of interest. The four recipients were Julia Gonzalez – agriculture – farmer of the year award; Alan Jones – carver; Cherrymae Galaz – grocery shop and fast food; and Lorie Wallace – craft and souvenir shop at Altun Ha archaeological site. Marlene Leslie, superintendent, and Michelle Elliot, program administrator, compiled a list of school supplies needed by the Anglican schools. Melanie Stewart from Wisconsin organized coordinators to volunteer for one or two days in the Anglican schools – a cultural exchange for all participants. Some taught in the classroom, others listened to children read and others assisted children with spelling and math and several taught the girls in the upper grades how to knit, a very popular activity. I assisted a few children with reading, spelling and math in a pre-school class at St. Mary’s School. Later in the day we gathered for dinner and discussed our experiences in an Anglican School in a Central American country of Belize.

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of the extreme heat and high humidity, books and other paper items become mildewed and crumble and need to be replaced. • Citizens Against Physical, Sexual and Emotional Abuse, Inc., in Ridgway, Pa., provides crisis intervention, emer-

gency shelter, transitional and permanent housing. Miles of Pennies provided books for its counseling program designed to help children deal with issues of abuse in their families and realize that the abuse is not their fault.

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• Lydia’s Place, Inc., in Pittsburgh, Pa., sponsors “A Mother’s Voice,” a storybook project where mothers who are Allegheny County inmates can read and record stories for their children. The books were purchased by a grant from Miles of Pennies.

She’s such a doll!

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Elsie Chelsea Worthmore

Submitted by Marilyn Rishkofski ECW VP – Information/Communication What better time to reintroduce Elsie Chelsea Worthmore than with this issue of the Communiqué dedicated to the young people in the Episcopal Church. Let’s begin by telling you how Elsie became the 17th member of the ECW national board. Donna Keller, 2006-2009 vice president of program said Elsie’s story began with a discussion at a communication committee meeting. “We agreed that we needed to reach young women to bring ECW alive. We asked, `What could we use to tell the ECW story to young girls?’ Ideas were flying until someone said, ‘Let’s create an image of a young woman to be a spokesperson for ECW.’ ” A sketch was drawn; a name was chosen. But someone was needed to bring Elsie to life. Donna said, “I have made many dolls for my children and grandchildren in the past. When I saw the face Marilyn (Rishkofski) drew, it reminded me of the dolls I had made. After the meeting, I told her I could make a doll to animate her sketch. “We decided to keep Elsie a secret until she was completed and dressed for her first meeting.” So Elsie was born. And she tells the story from here: “I first met the national board and the board met me in April, 2008 in Palos Verdes, Calif. Donna drove me to the

meeting in her car. She made me several different outfits so I would not have to wear the same thing every day. My two moms, Donna and Marilyn, each held my hand as they led me into the meeting room. I had on my prettiest dress. After my new friends got over their surprise, I was hugged and passed all around and really felt loved. It was fun to meet everyone. But I was happy when they started their meeting and let me rest in a chair. “The next meetings were really exciting. I got to ride in an airplane – and not in the baggage compartment but in the cabin in (or under) a seat. This meeting was at Trinity Conference Center in Connecticut in October 2008. It was so cold, so mother Donna made me a beautiful red plaid coat. In March 2009, it was off to Solomon Episcopal Conference Center in New Orleans. I got to go to see the Jericho Road project we have all been working on. I had work jeans and even a hard hat. “Our next meeting was at Proctor Center in Ohio in May 2009. Traveling home from that meeting was kind of scary. I got lost. I got mixed up with packages to be shipped to the board secretary and was sent to New Jersey to Aunt Nancy’s. She did not notice me at first. It took a couple of weeks for mother Donna to find out where I was and have me sent home to her. After that I have always been with one of my two mothers, Donna or Marilyn. “But the best time I had was in July 2009, when I was the center of attention at the Triennial Meeting of the ECW in Anaheim, Calif. I met so many new friends and listened to so many stories and saw so many good ways of helping others and learned of so many other women’s groups like ECW that help young people like me and I wanted to be just like them. I asked Donna how could I be in ECW and she told me, I already was. So she gave me the new ECW pin for my pretty sweater that I had to wear every day. “When the meeting was over, I said goodbye to mother Donna which made me sad and moved to New Hampshire with my other mother, Marilyn. Do you know

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ECW Donna Keller and her creation, Elsie Chelsea Worthmore, pose in front of the ECW home on Jericho Road in New Orleans.

they have lots and lots of snow there? And it gets really cold. “After I settled in a room decorated with pretty colors and princesses all over everything, I started looking at all the brochures and papers and stuff I brought home from the Triennial Meeting. There was so much to think about – almost too much for me, being so new. Where do I start? I want to help others, but how do I do this? I have so many questions. “I guess I asked so many questions the ECW webmaster gave me my own column in the e-Communiqué. I have to do a lot of work to answer a question from someone like me but it makes me learn about ECW. I have my own UTO blue box. “I just read a story from CPC – Church Periodical Club in case you’re wondering – about what a penny is. And I really like the idea of buying books especially for kids like me. I love books. I am thinking this is something I can do. Even I, Elsie, can collect pennies and maybe even make a mile. So as soon as I finish this chapter of my story, I am going to start collecting pennies for books.”

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Social Justice in Action:

Women to Women provides vehicle, opportunity

By the Rev. Irene Miller Radcliff ECW Member at Large – Social Justice

In August, the National ECW board approved the Social Justice Committee’s recommendation to financially support three programs. These programs are in conjunction with the traditional Women to Women programs and demonstrate commitment to the Millennium Development Goals as a guide for our actions. RECONCILE PEACE INSTITUTE CENTER IN SUDAN The Reconcile Peace Institute is an ecumenical communitychurch based program established in 2003 by the New Sudan Council of Churches to promote civic education and trauma healing and mitigate conflict in the communities in Sudan. The institute offers courses and training in peace studies, conflict resolution and transformation. EL CENTRO BUEN PASTOR SCHOOL AND CLINIC The El Centro Buen Pastor School and Clinic is operated by the Episcopal Church Sisters of the Transfiguration in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic. Currently, 224 are enrolled in school, pre-school through the

eighth grades. A full or partial scholarship provides the tuition for the majority of the students. The clinic offers maternal and child health, general medicine, family planning and full vaccination programs. LILLIAN VALLELY SCHOOL The Lillian Vallely School located in Blackfoot, Idaho, is an accredited Christian elementary school which serves children who live on the Fort Hill Reservation. The school was founded by an Episcopal bishop to provide a safe space for learning and the opportunity for scholarship and to learn Christian faith and values in the Episcopal tradition. The school opened Jan. 20, 1998, in an old house and subsequently added a library and a playground. The school does not charge tuition; however, the Fort Hill families assist in other ways. The board also identified the 2012 Unified Gift. Each Triennial, the national ECW board selects an organization, project or program is to be the Unified Gift recipient. With the financial commitment reached for the Jericho Road Housing initiative, the 2009 Unified Gift, the “Nets for Life” is designated as the Triennial 2009-2012 “Unified Gift” recipient.

Film shows strengths, stamina of Liberian women

By the Rev. Irene Miller Radcliff ECW Member at Large – Social Justice

The film “Pray the Devil Back to Hell” is a detailed historic account of the courageous women of Liberia and their struggles to bring peace to that nation. Liberia is a West African country founded in 1847 by freed slaves from America. The population of Liberia is approximately 4 million. For many years, Liberia was the scene of civil wars, murders and starvation. Male children were forced to carry and use

guns, rather than attend school. Violence against women was commonplace. And there were other atrocities as well. Thousands of Liberian women – ordinary women both Christian and Muslim, rich and poor, rural and urban – came together at the risk of their own lives. Through their non-violent efforts they ended the civil war, ended the reign of a brutal dictator, brought the nation to its senses and brought about change and peace. In the movie, it is amazing to see the women, dressed all in white, take action

defying the government and denying their husbands. At times their actions will cause you to cry; at other times, you’ll laugh. But most of all, you will marvel at their courage, stamina, and fortitude. “Pray the Devil Back to Hell” is a must for anyone who believes nothing can be done to change an unacceptable situation. It is a must have for every diocesan and parish ECW and every Episcopal women’s ministry group. For a new or used copy of “Pray the Devil Back to Hell,” visit Amazon.com.

ECW board appreciates efforts to fully fund Jericho Road project

By Sandra Powers and Cordelia Burt National ECW board members

As of Nov. 1, the era of Jericho Road has come to an end. The women of the church have been faithful to submit dollars to build a house for some needy recipient left homeless by Hurricane Katrina that swept through New Orleans in 2005. We have further spent time voting for the community to receive an orchard for the initiative. You have done well faithful servants.

It is time now to move on to another Unified Gift and to continue your support for the Women to Women program. Your national board hopes you will support with as much vigor the Women to Women program so that we are able to help women become self supporting. Thank you again for your faithful service. **** Contributors to the Jericho Road project from July through September include:

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Province IV Altar Guild ECW Holy Trinity, Nashville, Tenn. Kathy Mank Brenda Perry Kathleen Gosselin Province IV ECW Diocese of Louisiana ECW Nira Smith, Diocese of Oklahoma Diocese of Newark ECW Diocese of New Jersey ECW St. Thomas ECW, Vernon N.J. St. Mark’s, Teaneck N.J. N.J. and Janet Sommerrock Diocese of New York ECW

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A gift of time for Jesus, others and YOU! Submitted by Sara Milford Diocese of Arkansas

They might come against their better judgment or escorted by someone to make sure they arrive, but young women across the Diocese of Arkansas have been gathering for the Time for JOY retreat since 2005. It’s an intentional weekend away from things, nestled atop Petit Jean Mountain at Camp Mitchell. What is sometimes called a “spiritual spa,” the weekend retreat gives women time to rest and enjoy genuine hospitality and plenty of nourishment for mind, body and soul. One of the goals of the weekend is to remind each woman she needs to make time for Jesus, for others and time for herself. The Episcopal Church Women in Arkansas sponsor this retreat, believing that nurturing young women, encouraging them to take care of themselves and connecting them with the larger Episcopal

community of women, empowers them to live connected to spirit in a way they might not have realized before. “Women need to hear this,” said one participant at the 2010 Time for JOY. “Society doesn’t want women to get together and know how strong we are, how strong we can be. But we need to be connected to each other and trust the spirit working in our lives.” The Time for JOY staff never ceases to be amazed by the way the spirit works in the lives of everyone who makes the retreat and is part of what keeps them com-

ing back year after year. Volunteers staff the retreat. A woman can only be a retreatant once, but many have found a way to reciprocate the compassion and hospitality by coming back as a volunteer as part of the “Angel Team.” The entire diocese plays a role in nurturing the women. Each parish sends its own retreatant, paying her way. Groups and individuals donate gifts and necessities; still others sponsor retreatants or offer scholarships. A true sense of community grows from a common effort – an effort to treat a young woman with time and compassion she deserves. It is hard to explain the weekend in a few words, but our evaluations tend to ring with “awesome,” “wonderful” and “amazing.” For women who had to convince themselves to leave home for a weekend, the only complaint we hear year after year is that “It’s not long enough.” For more information about Arkansas Time for Joy, visit .

Province II president ordained deacon On May 1, Jennifer Kenna, president of Province II Episcopal Church Women, was ordained a transitional deacon at St. James Church in Pulaski, N.Y. She was prepared for ordination through a diocesan formation program in the Diocese of Central New York. Jennifer is presently serving her diaconate at St. Matthew’s Church, Liverpool, under the tutelege of Carrie Schofield-Broadbent, rector, where she is participating fully in worship services, including preaching, presiding and “setting the table” as she hones her liturgical and sacramental skills. In addition, she is doing some pastoral care calling and assisting with worship coverage as St. Thomas Church, North Syracuse, and St. Matthew’s, Liverpool begin their life together as merged parishes. Jennifer is also working on a diaconal project with Church of the Savior, Syracuse, N.Y. Church of the Savior is a downtown parish in the more Anglo-Catholic tradition with an aging population that has recently been blessed with a large group of younger, enthusiastic Burmese refugees. However, the language barrier has prevented true inclusion of the Burmese in all areas of worship, church school, altar guild, etc. Jennifer’s project has been to interview Americans and a Burmese refugee involved with the Refugee Resettlement program at the Syracuse Center for New Americans, as well as area clergy from other denominations who possess knowledge of and experience with Burmese Christian practices. From these conversations plus meetings with the wardens and rector and a meeting

with Bishop Adams, a plan emerged to hold a parish meeting on Sept. 12, with a paid interpreter and dinner provided. The American congregation wanted to discover what gifts the Burmese people possessed and how they had served in their parishes in their homeland. It was the first step in a dialogue that must be ongoing, but it was felt by all involved that progress was made and some sense of understanding established. The interpreter, a lovely young woman named Eh Khuwah, will continue to work with various program leaders at Church of the Savior to facilitate inclusion of some of the Burmese congregation in the life of the parish as acolytes, altar guild members, church school leaders and other positions of service. The “Anglo” population also expressed a great desire to have the Burmese members of the parish family cook a meal to share with them and teach them how to do it. There may be cooking classes in the future of this blended congregation. Jennifer continues to serve as president of both diocesan and Province II Episcopal Church Women. She preached and acted as deacon at the annual diocesan Honored Women Celebration eucharist in June and has engaged a group of women from around the diocese who will present the play “Yet We Persist,” by Katerina Whitley as the after-dinner entertainment at Central New York’s diocesan convention in November. Jennifer looks forward, “God willing and the people consenting,” to her ordination to the priesthood in the not-too-distant future.

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Long Island honors 30 special women

Long-time service in the church and communities earns each recognition By Daphne Small Diocese of Long Island

June 5 was a memorable day for 30 Episcopal Church Women in the Diocese of Long Island. The occasion began with Eucharist in the Cathedral of the Incarnation in Garden City attended by family and friends with the Rt. Rev. Johncy Itty as celebrant and homilist. The ladies processed into the cathedral, beautifully dressed and with corsages, which was most appropriate for these women Myrna Atherley, St. Lydia, Brooklyn. Angela Becker, St. Peter, Bayshore. Geri Davis-Bell, St. Philip, Decatur Street, Brooklyn. Thelma Brown, St. George, Flushing. Beryl Buchanan, St. Augustine, Brooklyn. Linda Burgess, St. George, Hempstead. Marjorie Boyden Edmonds, Church of the Resurrection, East Elmhurst. Glenda Charles, All Saints, Richmond Hill. Irene Choate, Christ Church, Mt. Sinai. Barbara Cobham, St. Alban, Brooklyn. Valerie Gittens- Colder, All Saints, Park Slope, Brooklyn. Ruth Dendato D’Eon, St. Luke, East Hampton. Rosalie Drakes, St. James the Less,

Diocese of Long Island honorees:

chosen by their peers to be honored for their work in the church and their communities. The service was followed by a luncheon at the Cathedral House where more than 200 guests assembled. After lunch, each biography was read as they approached the diocesan president to receive a certificate and journal depicting their dedication and love to God and humanity. Thunderous applause was offered to each honoree as she received her gifts, and particularly the eldest recipient, 90-year-old Elsa Ivey, still active in her church. We can all learn something from Elsa who said her motto is to be a “friend to all and enemy to none.”

Jamaica. Jeanne Fedak, St. Mark, Westhampton Beach. Florence Ferguson, Trinity-St. John, Hewlett. Jennifer Greenaway, St. Bartholomew, Brooklyn. Patricia Harding, Caroline Church, Seatauket. Marcia Hunte, Epiphany and St. Simon, Brooklyn. Beverly Smith Hutson, St. Mark, Union Station, Brooklyn. Elsa Z. Ivey, St. Barnabus, Brooklyn. Jane Kaiser, Trinity, Northport. Sarah Kim, Trinity-St.Joseph, Flushing. Yvonne C. Lewis, All Saints, Bayside. Donna Lubrano, St. Philips, Dyker Heights, Brooklyn. Dorothy Mitchell, St. John, South Ozone

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Park. Odessa Robinson, St. Stephen and St. Martin, Brooklyn. Lois Rodney, St. David, Cambria Heights. Cynthia Stephens, St. John, Springfield Gardens. Sybil Winifred Tull, St. George, Brooklyn. Wilma West, St. Gabriel, Hollis.

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Pink time for pink talk

By Sheryl Simmons St. Andrew’s, Bronx

The temperature was approaching 95 degrees on the afternoon of Saturday, June 14, 2008. It was hot and humid under the clear skies in the breathtaking, lush green garden of the The Tavern on the Green on the edge of Central Park on the west side of Manhattan. There, a group of 28 women from our parish whose ages spanned the generations gathered to enjoy each other’s company in a pre-summer tea party. As the ladies arrived at the garden and took their seats, the tall glasses of water that sat the tables seemed to be the beverage of choice to combat the humidity. The heat notwithstanding, the pleasure of having made the decision to attend the event was evident on the faces of everyone when they arrived. It was “pink time.” A time designated especially for women; a self-induced state of mind born out of the need to take timeout to relax and smell the roses and recognize that, although by nature women are nurturers, they often fail to take the time to care of themselves. For so many reasons and circumstances, some women seem unable to find that moment to simply sit back and get a welcoming massage or manicure. They rarely take time to relax in the comfort of a spa or just to read their favorite book. For a woman, pink time is not supposed to be a utopian experience. But for most of us, it ends up being just that because of our overscheduled lives. Otherwise, we don’t include pink time in our parameters and our vision of realities. Pink time is a woman’s entitlement which must be taken without guilt to promote and enable spiritual wellness, tranquility of the human spirit, balanced and a holistic approach to life. It is a time when a woman unwinds, calms down, takes a deep breath, exhales, takes a seat and lets go of all her burdens. She sits somewhere – somewhere preferably where she could lose herself in

tranquility and listen to her heartbeat and connect with her most innermost thoughts. It’s a moment in time where she reflects on her miracles in life and releases the balance of her worries. When that happens, she can truly give God an opportunity to respond. And, in doing so, she simply retreats into His arms. So it was an afternoon of light conversation filled with encouragement and positive reinforcement. It was supposed to be an afternoon when we forgot about our most worrisome stresses and just listened to the friendly chatter with endless girlish laughter. It was supposed to be an afternoon where the sound of the crystal glasses and silverware made melodious music while we anticipated the moment we would be waited upon. Suddenly, the skies grew grey and the clouds above swallowed that most glorious sunshine. There was a drop of rain and then another. I saw the ladies’ eyes grow wide and then wider as if to say, “Not now, Lord. Not the rain. I just got my hair done.” Without hearing them say it – I heard their thoughts: “I got dressed up for a tea party. No, not the rain; at least just not now.” These were anxious moments. For a moment, I was numb. Someone whispered jokingly, “I thought the priest had cleared the weather for today?” I only wished. Then I saw an umbrella go up and then another and in that moment, the women responded with a powerful gesture. As if they were saying in unison, “I am not letting the rain stop my pink time.” I saw a bonnet come out of the storage space of a purse and then two and then I did a take two. Unbelievable. Did these women actually bring along rain bonnets? Indeed they responded like well-trained Girl Scouts being true to their motto, “Be prepared.” At that moment, a man walked by and saw our group trying to brave the rain. He also noticed the many ritzy umbrellas hoisted in the air. He definitely saw the rain bonnets. He commented as he tried to

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move inside, “You ladies sure came ready.” I sighed, a sigh of relief and something clicked. Indeed the ladies were ready. They were ready to relax. It was a picture-perfect moment to see the ladies determined to have a good time, a pink time. In retrospect, I recalled discussing the idea of having the tea party with my husband. As I explained my idea to him, it was clear that he was initially very hesitant. “My dear,” he exclaimed. “Why a tea party?” I wish that the priest could have been a little pink birdie in the tree at The Tavern to witness the genuine fellowship. He would have felt the power of pink time and learned a lot from pink talk and enjoyed the private tour of the Tavern, which was divinely scheduled. We had that pink time and pink talk despite the weather. We were together having fellowship and sharing ideas in that moment in the space that we shared. We had showers of blessing and yes, it was ministry. We had all sorts of goodies, hot tea, ice tea, lemonade, pineapple and cranberry juices. We also had delightful sandwiches and pastries. But the most important thing we had was fellowship and it was wonderful. For one afternoon away from the Bronx, we mixed and mingled with each other and laughed. We made rain jokes about our episode. We collected one more memory for our golden years. We collected one more memory to hold onto. I was happy I was there to witness the smiles, the wide eyes, the moment. What should have started with a conversation started with showers. They turned out to be showers of blessings on us and on The Tavern. What an enriching exchange of fellowship on that day. Amazingly, it ended with a snapshot; a snapshot in our memories. To all the ladies who attended, I express my gratitude. Thank you for creating one more memory at least on my journey.

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Chicago’s fall forum explores Islam Submitted by Susanne Lenz Diocese of Chicago

On Sept. 18, the Diocese of Chicago held its annual Fall Forum at the Islamic Foundation North Mosque, in Waukegan, Ill. Eighty-five people, including five men and 12 members from the mosque, attended the forum. We came to a better understanding of the response, “A Common Word,” issued and signed originally by 138 Muslim clerics and academics following the Regensburg address of Pope Benedict XVI in September 2005. Dr. Lucinda Mosher's talk was followed by questions and answers. Dr. Mosher holds a Th.D. from General Episcopal Seminary in New York and is a Christian ethicist, consultant, author and educator on inter-religious matters. Members of the mosque gave us pamphlets and copies of the Koran to educate us. The photos here are a collection from the event.

Connecticut honors Valzie Peterkin Submitted by Sylvia Corrigan Diocese of Connecticut ECW president

Valzie Peterkin

On Saturday, Sept. 25, Valzie Peterkin, vice president of the Connecticut ECW diocesan board, was among four people honored for their pivotal roles in founding and growing the St. John’s Family Center in Bridgeport. The center opened in 1996 as a drop-in learn and grow preschool program for at-risk children. The Rev. Anne Jensen introduced and began the idea for the center. Euna Coleridge has been a long time supporter and former board member. The Rev. Geoffrey Hahnemann, current rector of St. John’s Church, has been a driving force in preserving and restoring Sanford House, where the center now is located. Valzie ran the Family Center from 2000 through 2007 and continues to coordinate its community suppers program. Each of the four honored has a room in the center dedicated to them. Each room was blessed during a service of dedication at the restored Sanford House. The house, built in the early 1900’s, was originally the church’s rectory and was later used for outreach programs. Although it was registered as an historical building, at one point it fell into disuse and was condemned. Because of the efforts of Father Hahnemann and others, it was rescued and newly restored. Among the programs now situated in Sanford House are the Learn and Grow Playgroup, the Learn and Grow Parenting Group, Computer Friends, English for Speakers of Other Languages, citizenship classes, a summer camp, a bilingual support group for cancer patients, an Autism Project, Family Literacy Programs and a number of emergency resources. Our congratulations to Valzie!

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At the September ECW board meeting in the Diocese of Chicago, board members donated 100 Spanish language Books of Common Prayer to Sagrada Familia/Holy Family, in Lake Villa, Ill. Accepting the books are the Rev Jose Arroyo with his daughter, Karlis. The board also challenged diocesan women’s groups and parishes to donate enough to purchase 100 more books. Bookplates will be put in each book stating the name and parish of the donor. Shown here, left to right, are Jane McCarron, international outreach; Patricia Harper, UTO; Arroyo and Karlis; Maureen Puleo, corresponding secretary; Dee Norris, Aurora member at large; Johnnie Newton, vice president; Susan O’Brien, Joliet member at large; Kate Milliman, Chicago West member at large; and Susanne Lenz, president. (Photo by Beth Petti, ECW Diocese of Chicago treasurer.)

I am an Episcopal Church Woman because... In each issue, we will propose questions to our readers about being an Episcopal Church Woman. We asked: • Why are you an Episcopal Church Woman? • How did you discover ECW? • When did you feel you belonged in ECW? Enjoy the answers. From the Diocese of Long Island: Barbara Taylor said, “I am an Episcopal Church Woman because I feel the ECW calls attention to the issues that affect women and children worldwide and then acts to attempt to solve some of the issues. Since women are the backbone of the church, it is important that they are recognized as a force in the church. “(ECW) was mentioned by my priest years ago and the women of the parish took up the charge and ran with it. “(I felt I belonged) when I became involved with the programs of the ECW on the diocesan, province and national levels.” Daphne Small said, “I am an Episcopal Church Woman because it is my ministry, my family and my friend. My rector started a group at my parish over 30 years ago. (I felt I belonged) when I became president of my parish ECW.” Birdie Blake-Reid, ECW Brooklyn Archdeaconry president said, “I am a member of the Episcopal Church Women because of my faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and the mission of this organization. The varied ministries and special projects have enabled me to utilize my gifts and talents in furthering His work through our sisterhood. “I was introduced to this organization through the active involvement of my mother who served as the ECW president of St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church in Brooklyn, and president of the Brooklyn Archdeaconry in the Diocese of Long Island.

“My involvement and sense of belonging developed through my parish ECW sisters and their encouragement and support to assume a leadership role and bring a new perspective and understanding of their evolving role in fulfilling ECW ministries. By acquiring ECW ministry publications, materials and documents and networking with ECW sisters at diocesan, Province II annual meetings/conferences and my first Triennial Meeting reaffirmed this was the organization I belonged in and was committed to.” From the Diocese of New Jersey Maria Newman said, “I am an Episcopal Church Woman because the works of Christ are many and we provide the hands and hearts to further them. I discovered the ECW by virtue that the organization had become extinct in a former parish. Its history of ministry was so inspiring was the catalyst of my spearheading a resurrection. (I felt I belonged) from the moment I realized I AM one.” From the Diocese of New York Dorothy Smith said, “I am an Episcopal Church Woman because Irene Henderson brought me into the fold. She introduced me around on a diocesan level – my home church still has no chapter no matter how hard I’ve tried, but they still collect for the United Thank Offering – and got me involved when I ran for assistant treasurer/registrar. The rest is history. (I felt I belonged) from the time I met my first fellow ECW after Irene, Mary Wibiralske. She welcomed me, helped show me the ropes, and from that time I was hooked. I’ve never regretted the time and energy. We had so much to do and so much fun doing it, that it never seemed like work.” For the next issue our question will be, “What do you enjoy the most about being an Episcopal Church Woman?” Please send answers to .

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Episcopal Church Women 186 Little River Road Hampton, NH 03842

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NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID HATTIESBURG, MS PERMIT NO. 50

2009-2012 ECW National Board President: Marcia Himes 45 Farview Circle Riverton, WY 82501 307-856-5934 [email protected] Vice President/Program: Cordelia Burt P.O. Box 6971 Ocean View, HI 95737 808-939-7555 [email protected] VP/Information & Communication: Marilyn Rishkofski 186 Little River Road Hampton, NH 03842 603-926-2344 vpinformationcommunication @ecwnational.org Secretary: Kathy Mank 9559 Kelly Drive Loveland, OH 45140 513-677-2126 [email protected] Treasurer: Sandra Powers 3 Adoracion Circle Hot Springs Village, AR 71909 501-922-3090 [email protected]

Social Justice: The Rev. Irene Miller Radcliff 1094 Oakland Park Ave. Columbus, OH 43224 614-267-2145 [email protected] Multi-Media: Christine Budzowski 8130 Tuscany Ave. Playa Del Ray CA 90293 310-821-0111 [email protected] Province representatives Province I: Shirley Greiman 25 Wolcott Woods Simsbury CT 06070 860-803-7525 [email protected] Province II: Margaret Ann Cash 3923 Amundsen Ave. Bronx NY 10466 718-994-1946 [email protected] Province III: L. Meigan Chan 1940 T Place SE Washington DC 20020 202-889-3802 [email protected] Province IV: Barbara Owens 5 Mary Ridge Court River Ridge, LA 70123 504-737-1845 [email protected]

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Province V: Valerie Hoffman-Hatcher 437 Vine St. Morris IL 60450 815-942-5432 [email protected] Province VI: Mary K. Whisler 645 South 43rd St. Boulder, CO 80305 303-499-5551 [email protected] Province VII: Patsy Duncan 2209 W. Spruce Ave. Duncan OK 73533 580-255-4310 [email protected] Province VIII: The Rev. Nancy Crawford 1595 E. 31st Ave. Eugene OR 97405 541-543-1122 [email protected] Province IX: The Rev. D. Digna Suyapa Rodriquez Colonia Trejo 23 Av.C Calle 21 Al Sur Oeste 1106 San Pedro, Sula/Honduras 011-504-773-6089 [email protected] Parliamentarian: Connie Skidmore, RP P.O. Box 4588 Incline Village, NV 89450 775-831-6289 [email protected]