Here's an SOS from Kay Meyer

SOS to the Episcopal Church Women of Province IV
from our National Board Representative Kay Meyer .....

I recently attended the first meeting of Network Coordinators for Province IV
which was held in Charlotte, North Carolina. This is something I had really wanted to come into being during my time on the Executive Committee. It was everything I had
hoped it would be and more.

The meeting gave us an opportunity to learn directly from each other the work of each
ministry and begin to see more clearly how we could interact for the greater good. It gave me much pleasure to report to all of them of the amazing work all of you did with the JPIC grant money. That also gave me every confidence to share with them that I believed you could and would help with a very important upcoming project -- PYE 2004!!! Thank you for your faithfulness.

During this meeting, I learned of the great need of the Province IV Youth
Event for this summer. It will be held in Berea, KY, Diocese of Lexington. They
will do something different this year at PYE -- instead of just spending time
together, they wanted to reach out in service to the community.

So a Youth Outreach Center is being built by youth, to be used by youth, to help
youth. They need donations of money toward materials and professional services,
free or reduced cost materials, skilled supervision by adult volunteers should
some of you be interested, letters of support and encouragement, as well as our
prayers.

I took a giant leap of faith and said "the women of the Church will help you.
Can you, will you, how soon, how much, all of the above and in advance may I say
THANK YOU!! Whatever you and or your group/parish/diocese/board can do will be
greatly appreciated. Time is of the essence. Please read the attached.

I thank God for each of you and all you do for His Kingdom. I see this as a
wonderful opportunity to serve the Church in mission and ministry by encouraging
our Youth to truly be the "Church in Action."

Kay Meyer
Province IV Representative
to the National ECW Board

And here's a little more information from David Cupps in the Diocese of Lexington who is coordinating donations of money and materials for the Province IV Youth Event:

"At this point our main needs are financial, to pay for the myriad of building materials and supplies that the youth will use that week. If anyone has good contacts with building / construction materials suppliers, we'd also love to have materials donated or provided at a heavily discounted rate. Finally, if this really sparks someone's imagination, we'd love to have skilled adult volunteers to help manage the worksite. Please feel free to email me with additional questions. Thanks again for your interest and help!"

For further information, you can contact David Cupps at 859-252-6527, or davidcupps@diolex.org. Also, they will have a website available shortly (www.diolex.org/barnesmountain.html) which includes a lot more information about the project and the population which it will serve. Finally, e-mail David and ask him to send you the Province IV Youth Event brochure by e-mail or snail mail. Hope everyone can pitch in and help with this project!

Called by the Father

I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I; send me!" Isaiah 6:8

"You have been called by God to become who you are meant to be in Christ. It is your decision whether or not you answer that call. Your calling is to the highest purpose. God has created and called you to bring the kingdom of heaven to earth. He has a plan for your life and if you answer His call to growth and service, He will help you become the woman He created you to be.

"Don't let the world squeeze you into its own mold. You are called to be different, not because of what you do or do not do, but because of who you are and who you believe. You are called to be creative, to use your gifts and talents to make the world a better place; to be compassionate, to help one another by being the hands of God in a hurting world; to be conscientious, to do the best you can and trusting God with the rest; and to be committed, to be willing to stand for the truth even when the crowd wants you to lie.

"You are a unique individual. There is no one else like you. You have your own style, your own personality, your own quirks and preferences. You might have been a tomboy growing up, reveling in your independence and freedom. Or you might have been the little girl who preferred to follow rather than to lead, enjoying group activities where everyone encouraged each other rather than competing with one another. As you matured, you have become a unique combination of traits and interests, learning to accept the differences and appreciate diversity. God has called you to bring your unique combination of gifts and talents to a higher purpose. You are called to be like Christ.

"Christ works in and through your situation and personality to bring His kingdom into the world. He gave you your gifts and talents. You don't have to be rich or famous to have an impact on your world. No one else can do what you can do, be what you can be.

"Every time you make an important decision, remember that God called you. Ask yourself if this decision will serve the highest good. Remind yourself that you are somebody special in God's eyes, called to a unique and wonderful path of growth and service."

An excerpt from Checklist for Life for Women: Timeless Wisdom & Foolproof Strategies for Making the Most of Life's Challenges & Opportunities (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2002)

The Great Commission & the Local Community

This is what the Rev. John Scott has to say about his upcoming workshop at the Province IV Women's Conference at Kanuga:

"Jesus’ Last Will and Testament, as spoken to his followers at their last Passover Meal they shared together on Holy Thursday, was: “That they all may be ONE…” Yet, after almost 2000 years, in every community across the nation, churches claiming to be “Christian” continue to fragment along denominational and racial lines to function more as competitors than partners in the Gospel."

"Isn’t it past time that we started taking Jesus seriously and began intentionally working toward this UNITY? We’ll look at one such pattern of Christian partnership that a few small South Carolina communities are using with considerable success, and we'll ask, “Why are there not more?”

It happened on May 19th!

On this day in 1885, Miss Julia Chester Emery arrived in Charleston to meet with a group of Episcopal Church women who had gathered in the Sunday School room of Grace Church. Miss Emery was the General Secretary of the Woman's Auxiliary to the General Board of Missions of the Episcopal Church in America.

"She had come to Charleston from the national office in New York City at the invitation of Diocesan Bishop William Howe to tell them about the work of this important, relatively new national society, and to ask them to form a branch in the Diocese of South Carolina."

"The Woman's Auxiliary of the National Board of Missions had been established in 1871. Thirteen chapters had been organized in the first three years; by now (1885) 42 were in successful operation. The society was formed 'to enlist women in missionary work' . . . with the 'belief that in every parish there are women with the unselfishness, tact, and the genuine love of souls . . . necessary for missionary work.'

"Miss Emery listed the five aims of the Auxiliary: increase of funds; circulation of missionary publications; education of missionaries; clothing for missionaries and their families; and education of missionary children."

Julia Chester Emery went on to describe various mission projects for the benefit of those serving in far away lands. She also talked about needs closer to home. "She was intrigued with the information that a clergyman in western Florida had asked for a horse and carriage instead of a missionary box. He was responsible for nine 'places anxious for services' but couldn't reach them all regularly because the train travel was too costly both in time and money."

In closing, Miss Emery asked the women present to commit to memory the special prayer:

Thanks be to Thee, Almighty God, for the work which Thou hast wrought by the hand of Thy humble servants. Continue, we pray Thee, Thy grace to us from generation to generation, that Thy Name may be glorified in the lives of Thy servants until all men know Thy Son Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. Amen.

Several weeks ago, we celebrated our 120th Annual Meeting of the ECW in the Diocese of South Carolina, the seed of which was planted on May 19, 1885 by Julia Chester Emery.

Quotes are taken from A Goodly Heritage: A History of Episcopal Churchwomen in the Diocese of South Carolina by Harriett Linen Goodbody, 1984.

Are you open to the unexpected?

Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official . . . Seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. Acts 8:27-28

"At first glance, it just seems odd. Odd that on the road from Jerusalem, Philip would meet the official in charge of the Ethiopian court treasury reading the Hebrew scriptures, and, odder still, he would end up baptizing him."

"There are times at which I get far too settled in my own ways of seeing things. I'm so absorbed in the task of figuring out God's ways in my own life and habits that I'm tempted to look at others and see nothing or no one worth noting, instead of my brothers and sisters on the same journey as I am, with the same God moving in their hearts. What am I missing when I close myself off from the unexpected? Who else is journeying down the road?"

"Jesus, open my eyes to the reality of your love for every person."

taken from Living Faith (www.livingfaith.com)

West Tennessee ECW Scholarships

Did you know that the ECW in the Diocese of West Tennessee awards $1,500 scholarships annually to two high school seniors? Applicants must be confirmed members of the Episcopal Church in the Diocese of West Tennessee. In addition, they must be a high school senior or a candidate for the first year of college.

Preference is given to students exhibiting academic merit, financial need and involvement in church activities, both local and diocesan. Scholarship funds may be used for tuition, books, or other necessary college expenses. To learn more about these ECW scholarships, go to ECW in the Diocese of West Tennessee

Does your ECW have a scholarship program? If you do, drop me an e-mail and let me know more -- lydiaevans@comcast.net

East Carolina ECW Met on May 4th

Here are excerpts from the invitation to the ECW Annual Spring Meeting in the Diocese of East Carolina. Note that the letter is signed by both Bishop Clifton Daniel and Betsy Overton, the ECW president, and specifically encourages clergy to attend with their parish delegation.

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

"We want to extend a warm invitation to all of you to gather with the Episcopal Church Women of this diocese at their annual spring meeting on Tuesday, May 4th at St. Mary’s Kinston as we together seek a renewed spirit of reconciliation . . ."

"Morning speakers will be Joyce Wilding, Province IV Episcopal Environmental Network Coordinator, and Scott Evans Hughes, former president of Province IV an ardent environmentalist. Mrs. Wilding will inform us of ways to engage in environmental reconciliation and be better stewards of this fragile earth, our island home. Mrs. Hughes will speak about her progression not only through the ranks of ECW and on to national church forums, but also her insistence upon making the environment a National Church issue. As she said, 'Without proper care and concern for the environment, in itself a matter of reconciliation, all other issues are moot.'"

"We especially invite and encourage our clergy to attend this spring meeting with your parish
delegation. All clergy attending are invited to vest and process as part of the Eucharist.
After lunch, there will be a session entitled “Discovering Our Unity through Prayer and onversation: Introduction to a Process of Reconciliation.” This discussion stems from a committee called for at diocesan convention to begin a process of reconciliation of differing viewpoints emerging from the actions of General Convention. The Rev. Canon Peter Stube of Christ Church, New Bern, newly appointed Canon Theologian of the diocese and chair of the Committee on Reconciliation, will be with us to carry the discussion forward. Please plan to stay and be a part of the conversation . . ."

Yours in Christ,

The Rt. Rev’d Clifton Daniel 3rd
Bishop, Diocese of East Carolina


Mrs. Betsy Overton
President, Episcopal Church Women

Connection: the Human Moment

“The connection that takes place between a mother and a child is perhaps the clearest picture in our world of what has been called the “human moment.” It creates a little circle of life: A mother ceases to think about herself and focuses on her child; she gives love and warmth and blessing and the child receives life. At the same moment, the act of giving doesn’t empty the mother; she receives the joy of pouring herself out in service and love, and she, too, is given life. The human moment reflects a kind of relational ecosystem in which life becomes greater and richer as it flows back and forth from one person to another.”

“Even an infant being held knows, with an understanding deeper than words, that what is being expressed with the body is in fact the decision of the soul: to hold another person in one’s heart. I will seek your good; I will share your joy and hurt; we will know a kind of oneness, you and I. It is the brief enactment of a covenant. It is a promise of self-giving love.”

“But no merely human circle of life is truly sufficient. Every circle requires a larger circle to support it. The well-being of families depends in part on schools and neighborhoods and workplaces and cities and nations and economies. Every merely human circle is broken just as those of us who make them up are broken.”

“Dallas Willard states, ‘Ultimately, every human circle is doomed to dissolution it if it not caught up in the life of the only genuinely self-circle of sufficiency, that of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. For that circle is the only one that is truly and totally self-sufficient. And all the broken circles must ultimately find their healing there, if anywhere.’”

from Everybody’s Normal Till You Get to Know Them by John Ortberg

Tomorrow is the deadline!

If you haven't already made your reservations for the Province IV Women's Conference at Kanuga, tomorrow, May 9th, is the deadline. Reservations (accompanied by payment in full) will still be accepted after today, but space is limited and Kanuga cannot guarantee availability. Give Lydia a call at 843-813-1861 to find out how many spaces remain.

Louisiana ECW installs new president

On Saturday, May 1st, a new diocesan ECW president was installed in Louisiana. Janie LeBlanc passed the gavel to Sharon Edmon at the 117th ECW Annual Meeting at St. Luke's Church in Baton Rouge. Having served on the diocesan ECW board since 1981, Sharon is well-prepared for her new role -- what she was NOT prepared for on Saturday was to be named as one of three "honored women" in the Diocese of Louisiana!

Here is what her sisters in Christ had to say:

"It is hard to imagine what St. Luke's Church, Baton Rouge, would be like without Sharon Edmon. Over the past 24 years, Sharon and her husband, Dennis, have chaired the annual Arts and Crafts fair at St. Luke's which has raised nearly $200,000 for mission projects and parish outreach. Not resting on that remarkable laurel, Sharon has also headed the ECW's annual garage sale for the past 25 years raising well over $50,000. Her skills do not stop at fund raising. Sharon serves on the Greeters Committee that welcomes newcomers to church on Sunday. She is on the Bereavement Committee which prepares food and helps families during their time of grief. She leads a group which makes baptismal towels for the newly baptized. She has crocheted scores of lap shawls for people in nursing homes. She needlepointed kneelers for the church and for the chapel at the conference center. When her children were young, she taught Sunday School and helped with Vacation Bible School. As longevity of service is one of her sterling gifts, if comes as no surprise that she has served on the diocesan board since 1981, as Baton Rouge deanery chair, as treasurer -- twice, corresponding secretary, Church Women United representative, Ecumenical liaison, Women of Vision/Gates trainer, vice-president, president-elect and very-soon-to-be president. St. Luke's Church and the diocesan ECW are far richer in many ways to the presence of Sharon in God's vineyard."

Wow, Sharon, you're amazing! Thank you for continuing to answer His call.

Lauren Winner to speak in Alabama

The annual ECW "Women's Weekend" retreat is May 14-15 at Camp McDowell. The speaker for the weekend is Lauren Winner, author of the New York Times' best seller, Girl Meets God and Mudhouse Sabbath. Ms. Winner will speak on the topic of "Back to Basics, Our Jewish Roots".

The Women's Weekend is being held at the retreat and conference center in the Diocese of Alabama. Here's what they have to say about this wonderful camp: "Camp McDowell is "God's Backyard." When you see our beautiful 700 acres of forests, canyons, and waterfalls; and once you experience our facilities, service, and events you will understand why Camp McDowell is such an important place to so many people."

Registration packets will be available between 4 and 6 pm on Friday the 14th, and dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m. in Eppes Hall. Lauren Winner will speak on Friday evening, Saturday morning & Saturday afternoon. The weekend features worship, music, a wine and cheese party & a silent auction. The program concludes Saturday afternoon, but overnight accommodations for Saturday night are available. Eucharist will be offered Sunday morning. All reservations must be received by May 10th. Meals are $5.50 each; lodging rates range from $11 per night up to $45 per night. If you have any questions, please email Ginger Buck (bucklaw@bellsouth.net) or call her at (205-752-6773).

For more information, or to download the registration form, check out Women's Weekend

Called to Make a Difference

You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? Matthew 5:13

"Have you ever tasted butter that has no salt added? How about popcorn with no salt at all? All kinds of foods require a little bit of salt before they taste right to us. Without any salt, vegetables, meat and eggs taste bland, almost flavorless. Salt brings out the flavor of the food. We take for granted that a few shakes from a salt shaker will improve the flavor of all kinds of foods. Just ask someone who for health reasons must restrict his or her consumption of salt. An entirely salt-free meal can be a boring experience."

"When Jesus tells his disciples that they 'are the salt of the earth,' one thing he means is that they should make a noticeable difference in the world, a difference that improves things and makes them better. Think about this the next time you're inclined to not speak up for what you know is right. Lord Jesus, help me to welcome opportunities to bring your presence into my small corner of the world."

taken from Living Faith (www.livingfaith.com)

From the Kitchen of Janie LeBlanc

This past weekend, I enjoyed a wonderful meal of Crawfish Bisque with Janie and Jerry LeBlanc -- they were my hosts when I visited with the ladies in the Diocese of Louisiana for their annual meeting.

Janie lives in Plaquemine, a charming little town about twenty minutes from Baton Rouge, and she and Jerry are very active members of the Church of the Holy Communion. Holy Communion is blessed with fabulous Southern cooks, and they've published several cookbooks, including Treasured Traditions: Recipes from South Louisiana. Janie has graciously shared one of her recipes from the cookbook -- Oysters Rockefeller.

2 10-ounce packages frozen spinach,
or 2 10-ounce packages fresh spinach,
cooked in oleo for about 5 minutes
1 bunch green onions, cut up
1 bunch celery, cut up
1 bunch parsley, cut up
1 pound butter or oleo, melted
1 ounce Pernod
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon anchovy paste
1/2 cup bread crumbs
Parmesan cheese to taste
4 dozen oysters

Yield: 4 to 6 servings at a meal, 20 as dip

Put all ingredients, except bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and Pernod in a large pot with butter or oleo. Heat 5 minutes or so.
Blend in blender all vegetables using oleo as liquid.
Bake oysters until edges curl, about 10 minutes at 400 degrees.
Drain; place in clean oyster shells set over rock salt.
Add Pernod and bread crumbs to sauce.
Spoon about a tablespoon of sauce on each oyster.
Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Bake until hot and bubbling, about 10 minutes at 400 degrees.

Variation: For parties, add heated and drained oysters to sauce in chafing dish. Serve with sesame Melba rounds.