ECW President

September/October 2009    I trust each of you had an enjoyable summer and are enjoying your fall ECW activities.  I want to take a look back and share with you what a worthwhile time Gethryn Giles, Barbara Carpenter, Fran Lowe, and I had as your delegates at the 46th Triennial in Anaheim in July.

The theme of this year’s Triennial was “Grow in Grace.”  Kay Meyer, ECW National President, summed it up in these words, “May we grow in grace and in the bonds of affections we hold for one another in prayer, in deliberation, in mission, in ministry, in play, in joy, in peace, in celebration, and in thanksgiving for what our Lord has done for us and for what He calls us to do for others.”  Kay also spoke about the ECW continuing to broaden our work with the Millennium Development Goals both here and abroad.

The keynote speakers for Triennial were author Phyllis Tickle and Bishop Steven Charleston, who is the former president and dean of the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and our Fall Conference speaker some years ago.  Both
were very well received, with Phyllis Tickle speaking about the grace of Tamar from the Old Testament and Bishop Charleston sharing his thoughts about the Virgin Mary and the beauty of her grace.

We were extremely honored to have the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev. Rowan Williams, as well as our Presiding Bishop, the Very Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, and the President of the House of Deputies, Bonnie Anderson, address us. The archbishop commended us for sharing our “prayers, care, and experience to strengthen the bonds that tie the Anglican Communion together and unite us one to another in Christ.”  After Bishop Katharine’s remarks, she presented the Triennial
Cross to every woman in attendance.  Bonnie Anderson thanked us for our faithfulness, our long lived history, and all we do for the Church, and she told us that we should all keep our “eye on the prize . . . that in God’s dream we are in relationship with each other.”

Not only did we attend workshops and meetings, but we also enjoyed several social functions.  We attended the ECW Welcoming Dinner, the UTO Dinner with Bishop Michael Curry of North Carolina as speaker, the Province IV Luncheon
for the women and guests of our province, and an evening of entertainment by Elisabeth von Trapp.  Several of us attended a reception sponsored by Duke University and enjoyed talking with the Rev. Dr. Jo Bailey Wells, who spoke at our 2008 Fall
Conference held at St. Stephen’s in Birmingham and who recently delivered stoles made by Carol McAdams from Grace Church in Sheffield to six female priests in the Sudan.  We also enjoyed speaking with Lauren Winner, a speaker at our Women’s Weekend some years ago; we learned she will be publishing another book soon.  We also enjoyed a Los Angeles Event with unusual entertainment, several other receptions, a U2 Eucharist celebrated by Bishop Mark Andres, and a great evening at our Bishop’s Dinner for all who came to Anaheim from our diocese.  As you can see, we did a lot of work, but we had a good time too!

The Triennial was a time to renew friendships, learn from many informative workshops, carry on the business of the ECW, elect the new National Board, enjoy wonderful speakers, participate in the daily Eucharist with all those attending the
General Convention, and enjoy the company of those representing our diocese.  It was also an amazing opportunity to observe all those who decide the future direction of our Church.  From my observations, I came home with a positive feeling that when all is said and done, my Episcopal Church will be just fine.

From our ECW Calendar/Handbook in September, we read about St. Anne as a grandmother and how she must have enjoyed every moment with the young Jesus.  October talks of the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Anne and her husband, Joachim, and the importance of parenthood.

I send my blessings to each of you for a wonderful fall!

Dee

Women from across our diocese thoroughly enjoyed our 60th Annual Women’s Weekend at Camp McDowell.

July/August 2009    The 60th Annual Women’s Weekend was another successful event that brought women from all over our diocese to Camp McDowell to enjoy wonderful fellowship.  What a great time we had laughing and singing while focusing on our 2009 ECW theme, “St. Anne, Grandmother of Our Savior.”  The ladies at Eppes Hall pleased all of us with delicious meals.  Cindy Funderburk from the Episcopal Book Store brought a wide array of items and books to purchase including two books by Adele Colvin, who came for a booksigning.  The workshops provided opportunities to learn from Gwen Gissendanner about memory quilts, from Joan Byrum on how to make old-fashioned handkerchief dolls, and from Sally Marsh who led a Taizé workshop.  Many of us also enjoyed the experience of line dancing for the first time thanks to Sondra Gerber.  We had an ice-cream social that featured every topping imaginable, and a silent auction to benefit the ECW Scholarship Fund.  The Rev. Mark Johnston celebrated Eucharist in the lovely new St. Francis Chapel, where our singing sounded so very beautiful.

I cannot say enough about our speaker, Sissy Wile, Director for EFM at Sewanee. She entertained all of us with three talks on the “Grandmother” theme.  Sissy brought her “singing bowl” to complement her talks, and the spiritual sounds it made
touched everyone and seemed to resonate with the very core of our beings.

Many thanks to Cathy Blackney, Women’s Weekend Coordinator; Sally Marsh for the worship services; Sue Jeffries for planning the music; Cherie Blair for planning the Ice Cream Social; and everyone on the Women’s Weekend Committee.  I especially thank all of you who came to enjoy a relaxing weekend among your sisters in Christ.  We hope each of you will come to Women’s Weekend next year—it’s always the third weekend in May.

The time for our 102 Annual Fall Conference is fast approaching.  All women of our diocese are invited to come to St. Matthew’s in Madison on October 8-10.  The Board asks that each ECW send two delegates to represent your parish.  The Tennessee Valley Convocation has planned a memorable Fall Conference, and our speaker, Katerina Whitley, promises to be
very entertaining and informative.  Come and congratulate the 2010-2011 ECW Board that will be installed, learn the news from the parish ECWs, and enjoy the best fellowship.  For more information please visit our website, www.alabamaecw.org, or contact Joan East at joaneast@knology.net or 256/325-1418.  I would like to personally invite all of you to St. Matthew’s;
we look forward to offering you the same warm hospitality that you have shown me when I visited with you. Please come!

This summer I hope you have time to relax, read several good books, attend services wherever you travel, and be refreshed.  Our Calendar/Handbook August page teaches us that St. Anne is the Patron of Fertility, and because of her love of the garden she is also the patron of the soil.  In Italy it is said that “rain is St. Anne’s gift,” and in Germany, July rain is called “St. Anne’s dowry.”

May/June 2009:   Each June women from dioceses across the Southeast meet at Kanuga for the three-day annual Province IV ECW Conference.  We gather to hear a speaker, attend workshops, learn about the upcoming ECW Triennial on July 7–17 in Anaheim, and of course spend time getting to know each other and enjoying great fellowship.  This year Gethryn Giles, Tora Johnson, and I will represent the women of our diocese.

Speaking of the ECW Triennial, the time is fast approaching when our delegates will fly to Anaheim for the 10-day  convention.  This will be my third Triennial, and I am greatly looking forward to it.  Our days are filled with business meeting, speakers, elections, awards, and terrific workshops presented by people from all over the country.  In fact Katerina Whitley, our speaker for our Fall Conference, will present one of the workshops.  One of the most moving events each day is the Bible Study and Eucharist that brings together everyone attending the General Convention, the Youth Representation, and the ECW Triennial.  Even though our days will be full, we will still have time for fellowship and enjoyment with the Welcoming Dinner, the UTO Dinner, and the CPC Dinner.  This year we will be able to blog information and impressions during Triennial to our ECW Web site, www.alabamaecw.org, so you can just log on and click the appropriate link.  Please keep your delegates—Gethryn Giles, Barbara Carpenter, Fran Lowe, and me—in your prayers, and we will be praying for you.

Enjoy your summer and find time for a little respite for your soul!  I encourage you all to stay in touch with the women of your parish, have some “downtime” fellowship, and enjoy a good book.  Our June calendar/handbook reminds us that St. Anne is considered to be Divinely Wise and is frequently shown holding a book.  Right now I am reading Same Kind of Different As Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore, and I recommend it to you.  If you want to find something new and different, you might want to get in touch with the Episcopal Bookstore at www.episcobooks.com or 205/323-2959; I know Cindy Funderburk will have many excellent suggestions.

Many blessings!

Dee

March/April 2009:  Welcome spring! With March coming in like a lion, let us pray it goes out like a lamb and this spring will be one of the most glorious.

If you would like more information about CPC, please contact your parish’s ECW president or Brenda Mayhall (bmayhall@hospicemc.org).

February 2009:  I want to mention several upcoming events in time for you to mark your calendars. This year’s diocesan Parish Leadership Training Event (PLTE) on March 28 at St. Luke’s in Birmingham will again offer a workshop for ECW Presidents and those interested in ECW.  After the positive response from last year’s workshop, we are pleased that it has been expanded to include both morning and afternoon sessions.  President Elect Gethryn Giles is diligently working with our diocesan ECW board to make this a most informative event.  Please see pages 1 and 2 in this issue of The Apostle or contact your parish for more information about PTLE, and sign up to take part.  I believe it will be well worth your day.

For graduating high-school seniors or young people and adults returning to college, it is time to think of applying for an ECW College Scholarship.  Please see the information application and deadline information on this page or on our web site, www.alabamaecw.org.

Lent begins on February 25.  I pray you will have a reflective, soul-searching, and heartfelt Lenten season this year.  If you would like suggestions for your Lenten studies, please visit the Episcopal Book Store or see the suggested items on page 10 of this Apostle, or contact ECW Devotional Chairman Anne Kimzey at hanahanford@yahoo.com or 334/834-2553.

Our ECW Handbook/Calendar page for February tells us that St. Anne is the Patron Saint of Single Women.

One of the most rewarding features of being President of the ECW is attending Convocation Meetings held in the spring and fall.  I so enjoy visiting the churches throughout our diocese, seeing old friends, and meeting the women who work so hard for their ECW and their parishes with such faith and love.  I look forward to seeing you at your Convocation Meeting this spring.
 

Blessings to you all.

Dee

January 2009:  Happy New Year!  A new year offers us new beginnings, and I pray your 2009 will bring you peace, good health, renewed prosperity, and joy.  President Elect Gethryn Giles has designed a beautiful calendar/handbook with the theme “St. Anne, Grandmother of our Savior.”  We will look forward to learning all about St. Anne and remembering our own grandmothers.  I encourage you to read Bishop Parsley’s heartfelt letter.

As I was thinking of the ECW and the New Year, I am reminded of a stewardship theme our parish used several years ago: “Just Imagine the Possibilities.”  The ECW has always been a creative group of women who have worked in good and hard times to care for not only our church families but also for people everywhere.  In these financially uneasy times, let us find ways to explore every possibility to keep our churches strong and actively doing God’s work.  If you have a good idea, please share it with the other ECWs in our diocese by writing an article for The Apostle and the ECW Web site, tell your Convocation Coordinator, come to the ECW Workshop at the PLTE, or contact a diocesan ECW Board member.  Just imagine the possibilities and what we can accomplish together with God’s help!

This coming year will be filled with opportunities for all of us to again support UTO, ECW College Scholarship, CPC, ECW ACTS2 pledge, Women’s Weekend , Convocation Meetings, PTLE ECW Workshop, and our Annual Fall Conference.  Our new ECW calendar / handbook includes many upcoming events as well as answers to all your ECW questions.  Presidents, please read over the President’s Checklist for 2009 and remember that January is the time to send in your Annual Contribution and Convocation dues.  Also please send the information sheets found in your 2009 calendars to Fran Lowe, Missions and Ministries, and to Lisa Gruner, Corresponding Secretary.

I ask that you join me in thanking our diocesan ECW Board members for all the work they do because they really are a very dedicated group of women and a joy to work with.  At the Fall Conference, the new slate of officers for 2010 was elected, and I thank these ladies for continuing to serve the ECW on a diocesan level.  The newly elected officers include President Elect Fiona Watts of St. Stephen’s in Birmingham, Treasurer Jill Whitten of St. Joseph’s in Mentone, Secretary Nancy Thompson of the Advent, and UTO Chair Brenda Mayhall of Christ Church in Albertville.

The 2010 officers, including President Gethryn Giles, will be installed at this year’s Fall Conference to be held at St. Matthew’s in Madison.  The women who attended the 2008 Fall Conference also elected the following delegates to the 2009 Triennial to be held in Anaheim, California, this coming summer:  Gethryn Giles, Barbara Carpenter, Fran Lowe, and me, with Marilyn Atkins as an alternate.

Again, Happy New Year to each of you!  As I look at the January article on St. Anne, I have learned that she is not only the patron saint of homemakers, mothers, and single women, but also an Intercessor, second to St. Mary in intercessory prayers.  I look forward to learning more about St. Anne in the coming months.

Blessings to you all.

Dee

December 2008:   As this year comes to a close, I am so thankful for the blessings of the members of the ECW of our diocese throughout 2008.  You have given so freely of your time, your talents, and your money.  You organized fundraisers for your Inreach and Outreach projects; contributed to the Annual Contribution to support our ECW; attended convocation meetings; had fun at Women’s Weekend; raised funds for our ACTS2 Pledge; attended an ECW workshop at PLTE; contributed to CPC, our Scholarship Fund, and UTO; came together for a delightful Fall Conference—and this list does not nearly cover all the many blessings you have given to others.  As Kay Meyers, our national president, said, “The ECW is alive!”  You have surely proved it!!  Thank you all, and I pray we can go forward into the new year with a feeling of joy, commitment to our ECW Mission, and great anticipation for what we can accomplish together.

I know you will agree with me that the 2009 ECW Calendar/Handbook designed by President Elect Gethryn Giles is beautiful, and we look forward to learning about “St. Anne, Grandmother of our Savior” during the year.  Thank you, Gethryn!  Please look through the calendar so you will know where to find all the information you need for your ECW.  There are two loose pages in the president’s calendar to be returned that will provide needed information to the ECW Board.  One is the Parish Information Sheet, and the other is the Parish Mission Activity Report.  Please mark your calendar for all the upcoming
events, keep it up to date, and enjoy St. Anne.  Don’t forget, you will be able to view or download the calendar from our Web site, www.alabamaecw.org, in January.

This year has been amazing, and you have worked hard.  I pray you will take a break from all the business of the holiday season to enjoy a time of reflection and meditation and to feel the presence of the Lord in your life.  The Virgin Mary sings with such joy in the Magnificat, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my sprit rejoices in God my Savior; for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.  From this day all generations will call me blessed; the Almighty has down great things for me, and holy is his name.”  May you all feel blessed this Advent season and sing your own songs of praise.

Blessings to all.

Dee

November 2008:   BLESSED.  That is the only word I can find to describe the Annual ECW Fall Conference held at St. Stephen’s in Birmingham on October 9-10.  Blessed for the warm hospitality of St. Stephen’s, St. John’s Deaf Church, and the Birmingham Convocation.  Blessed to hear such an inspiring and entertaining speaker.  Blessed to have national officers join us.  Blessed to hear about the work of the ECWs in our diocese.  Blessed to have so many women attending and the
loving fellowship that the women of this diocese give to all.  It was a joy.  The women of St. Stephen’s welcomed us to their “church in the trees” with such warm hospitality, and the women of St. John’s Deaf Church treated us to a wonderful Wine and Cheese Party filled with fellowship and delicious goodies.  Our speaker, the Rev. Dr. Jo Bailey Wells, gave three inspiring and delightful talks on our theme for this year, “Blessed Is She Who Believes,” Jo spoke about the Virgin Mary, Mary, and Elizabeth, as well as six ordained women she worked with in the Sudan.  She was contagious in her enthusiasm as she spoke to us, and I felt the women who were present responded to her with such warmth and appreciation.  If you ever have an opportunity to hear Jo, I encourage you to do so.

We were very honored and pleased to have Kay Meyer, National President of the Episcopal Church Women, and Marcie Cherau, National Board Representative from Province IV, join us for our conference.  Kay assured us that the ECW is alive and well and doing great work, and Marcie brought news of Province IV including events planned for 2009.  They enjoyed meeting the women of our diocese and hearing all that you do for your parishes and for others.  For all of you not able to attend, I really wish you all could have been able to meet these two special women who are also fine examples of our theme and who are a blessing to us.  For those who did attend, you blessed us with your participation, your fellowship, and your making the 119th Fall Conference a priority in your ECW.

There are so many people to thank.  Birmingham Convocation Coordinator Liz Ensey, the ECW Presidents who organized the conference, and the members of the ECWs who worked for months to give to all of us an enjoyable conference.  The women and staff of St. Stephen’s for hosting the conference.  The women of St. John’s Deaf Church for hosting the Wine and Cheese Party, and the women of Grace Church in Woodlawn (Birmingham) and Holy Cross in Trussville for assisting them.  The women of St. Thomas’ in Birmingham for handling registration and nametags.  The women of St. Mark’s in Birmingham for the
Goody Bags.  The women of the Advent, St. Luke’s, and St. Mary’s on-the-Highlands in Birmingham for preparing the delicious dinner.  The women of Epiphany in Leeds, St. Alban’s in Hoover, St. Andrew’s in Birmingham, St. Francis of Assisi in Indian Springs, St. Michael’s in Birmingham, Trinity in Bessemer, and St. Andrew’s in Montevallo for providing cookies and snacks.  The women of All Saints’ and Ascension in Birmingham for the delicious lunches.  Janet Robertshaw of St. Stephen’s for designing and making the beautiful heart decorations given to all the attendees and Martha Black of St. Stephen’s for organizing all the food.  Thank you also to the Rev. Russell Kendrick, rector of St. Stephen’s, who welcomed us, and a special thank you to Bishop Miller, the Rev. Alison Carmody, and the Rev. Deacon Katy Smith who celebrated the Memorial Eucharist.  To all the women of the Birmingham Convocation, we thank you.  A job well done!

May we all continue to be blessed as we go into this Advent season.  When you have a moment, I invite you to read Luke’s account of the Annunciation, and because we are all blessed with God’s gift of faith, say to our Lord, “Let it be with me according to your word.”   Blessings to you all.

Dee

August 2008:  The Annual ECW Fall Conference is almost here, October 9-10 at St. Stephen’s in Birmingham.  We invite you to join us for three inspirational talks by our speaker, the Rev. Dr. Jo Bailey Wells, director of Anglican Studies at Duke Divinity School and associate professor of the Practice of Christian Ministry and Bible, who teaches Old Testament and biblical theology, particularly in relation to the contemporary relevance for ministry.  Dr. Wells, who was one of the first
ordained in the first wave of female priests in England, received her Ph.D. in Old Testament from the University of Durham, served as dean of Clare College in Cambridge and was a lecturer at Ridley Hall, a seminary in Cambridge.  Dr. Wells is also a wife, mother, and author of God’s Holy People and Isaiah in the People’s Bible Commentary Series.  Her extensive travels in Africa, Haiti, Uganda, and India will bring us a unique opportunity to explore the theme for 2008, “Blessed Is She Who Believes.”

I know you will enjoy being with your diocesan sisters as we gather at St. John’s Deaf for the Wine and Cheese reception and at St. Stephen’s for an informative business meeting, Sharing Session, and delicious dinner.  One of the most touching moments at the Fall Conference is the Memorial Eucharist on Friday morning when the names of those ECW members who have died in the past year are read aloud.  The Memorial Roll and our theme “Blessed Is She Who Believes” go hand in hand this year as we remember these women whose faith has blessed us and others.  We are so enriched and inspired by these women and those who came before them.  May we strive to follow their example of faith knowing that God keeps his faith in us.  I look forward to seeing you at Fall Conference as well as the Fall Convocation Meetings.  Y’all come!

If you have questions or suggestions concerning the ECW, please don’t hesitate to contact me or one of the board members—we are here to help and serve you.  Please continue to visit our ECW Web site, www.alabamaecw.org, for all the diocesan ECW news and board information.

If you have not registered for the Fall Conference, please visit our ECW Web site, www.alabama.ecw.org for a registration form or call Liz Ensey, Birmingham Coordinator, at 205/951-0075.

“If faith is lacking, it is because there is too much selfishness, too much concern for personal gain.  For faith to be true, it has to be generous and loving.  Love and faith go together, they complete.” —Mother Teresa

July 2008:  Whether you are traveling far and wide this summer or staying close to home, I hope you are enjoying the summer, taking time to reflect, and being spiritually renewed.  I would like to suggest a book to add to your summer reading, The Desert Mothers: Spiritual Practices from Women of the Wilderness by The Rev. Mary Earle, the delightful, compassionate speaker who spoke to the Montgomery Convocation at the Church of the Ascension in May. 

May was a busy time for the ECW.  Almost sixty women from around the diocese came together at Camp McDowell for our annual Women’s Weekend, and what a good time we all had!  The weather was perfect, the beautiful magnolias were blooming, and of course, there was a lot of laughing, talking, and singing.  The Cathedral Bookstore provided shopping and a book signing- The Rev. Richard Losch’s new book All the People in_the Bible. There were craft workshops and once again belly dancing and Karaoke  that provided much entertainment.  In keeping with the 2008 theme, “Blessed Is She Who Believes”, our speakers for the weekend, The Rev. Bob and Kay Blackwell, presented informative, interesting, and humorous talks on their time as missionaries in Syria, with a focus on three women of faith who inspired them by living their faith under unusual circumstances. Thank you to Cathy Blackney, Women’s Weekend Coordinator, and to all those who helped make this another great weekend.  If you have not attended before, please consider joining us next spring.  If you would like to help, please contact Cathy.

The Scholarship Committee, chaired by Nancy Thompson, awarded scholarships to 15 deserving applicants, and what an impressive group they are.  I know you join me in congratulating these students and wish them every success.   I invite you to be generous and support the ECW College Scholarship Fund.  Also, we were very pleased to receive word that the National UTO awarded the Diocese of Alabama two grants for 2008.  Please read Barbara Carpenter’s article on the UTO recipients and for information on how you too can apply for a UTO Grant.  Let us remember our Blue Boxes each day as we give thanks to our Lord, and support UTO.

It is not too early to be planning to attend our annual Fall Conference, October 9^th and 10^th , to be hosted by the Birmingham Convocation and the ECW of St. Stephen’s.  Liz Ensey, Birmingham Coordinator, reports that the women of the convocation are hard at work planning for the conference.  Our speaker, The Rev. Dr. Jo Bailey Wells, Director of Anglican Studies at Duke, will enlighten us all with her spiritual gifts as she talks on our theme “Blessed Is She Who Believes”.  Each parish is asked to send two voting delegates to the business meeting.  We will be voting on a slate of officers to be installed at the 2009 Fall Conference and it is important that your ECW is represented.  It is our custom to read the names of those ECW members who have died within the last year during the Memorial Eucharist on Friday.  We ask that you send in the names of those ECW members who have died since September 2007 to the ECW Treasurer, Carolyn Woodson, 2101 Vestavia Dr., Birmingham, 35216 by September 15^th.   Please, join us for the best fellowship, informative business meeting, delightful Wine and Cheese at St. John’s for the Deaf, beautiful St. Stephen’s, a remarkable speaker, and a moving Memorial Eucharist Friday morning.    I’ll look forward to seeing you on October 9^th at St. Stephen’s.   Y’all come!

 This summer may God be within us to refresh us; around us to protect us; before us to guide us; above us to hold us up; Who lives and reigns, One God, world without end.  Amen

A poem written by Ann Henry of the Church of the Good Shepherd, Decatur about Women’s Weekend.

Camp McDowell, by Ann Henry

A time to play, a time away

I’m so glad we’re here today!

See folks we know, watch friendships grow

With those we met a year ago.

Sing together, whatever the weather

No matter what our lives will be better.

Rock and smile, Hike a mile,

Work on a puzzle for a while.

Eat a snack.  Hit the sack.

Joyously welcome each other back.

Share God’s care.  Say a prayer.

See God’s beauty everywhere.

Communion wine-God’s grace is mine,

And fellowship here is just divine,

Restful sleep-bonds grow deep

We all have promises to keep.

Share a plan. Touch a hand.

Alike and different as grains of sand.

Stretch and reach.  Learn and teach.

Live our lives God’s love to preach.

Go back home-on our own

Remembering always how we’ve grown.

June 2008:  One of the joys of being the Diocesan ECW President is visiting parishes all across our diocese by attending convocation meetings. It was a pleasure this spring to renew friendships and meet so many women who are living their faith by working for their parish, diocese and the world. They are amazing, committed and gracious women, and I want to acknowledge their decision to serve the Lord with gladness.

As promised, I am very pleased to announce that the Wine and Cheese Auction held at All Saints’ on April 17 raised approximately $20,000 toward the ECW ACTS2 Pledge for the sacristy of the new chapel at Camp McDowell. It was a memorable night with warm hospitality from the ECW of All Saints’; delightful music from the St. Mark’s Praise Singers; delicious and bountiful treats from St. Mary’s on the Highlands; wine; more than 300 items for auction including contributions by Bishop Parsley and Bishop Sloan; a large crowd including many clergy; and a festive atmosphere enjoyed by all. A huge thank you to Fiona Watts, Olivia Weingarten, Alleen Cater and their committee for a job well done; to all who contributed; and especially to those who came and participated in the evening. Your support of the ECW is very much appreciated and heartfelt!   (click here to see photos from the event)

	On April 8 at Carpenter House, the ECW Board was honored to have Bishop Parsley lead us in Noon Day Prayers and dedicate the Bishop Stough Cross, designed by the late Cordray Parker, and given by the ECW as the Corporate Gift. We were pleased to have Leslie Stough Lynch, Bishop Stough’s daughter; Summer Stough Horn, niece of Bishop Stough; Past ECW Presidents Olivia Weingarden and Alleen Cater; representatives from the Church of the Advent; and members of the Carpenter House Staff join us for this very spirit filled	Bishop Parsley, Summer Stough Horn, Leslie Stough Lynch, Olivia Weingarten, Alleen Cater, and Dee Buzby
occasion.  Please stop by the chapel when you visit Carpenter House and view the cross from the chapel and the garden for different perspectives.

This year seems to be flying by, but I hope you will take time this summer to relax, renew and listen to God’s words which are intended just for you.

Blessings to you all,
Dee

May 2008:  After a beautiful Easter and spring, I pray that you are all refreshed in heart, mind and spirit and eager to begin anew to joyfully serve our Lord. In addition to being a very busy time in our secular lives, May is an active month for several of the ECW ministries besides. I hope you will find time to enjoy both.   

Going once! Going twice! Going three times! Sold!

Exciting words heard at the Wine and Cheese Art Auction on April 17 at All Saints in Birmingham. A huge thank you to all of you  who supported this event to benefit the ECW’s ACTS2 Pledge by offering such a wide array of items to be auctioned, and by attending the event and making it such a success. Special thanks to Olivia Weingarten of St. Thomas, and Fiona Watts of St. Stephen’s and their committee: Alleen Cater, Nancy Thompson, Carleton Ambrose and Kate Cotton of the Advent; Mary Todd Davis, Margaret Sullivan and Darla Sellers of St. Luke’s; Virginia Phillips of St. Mary’s On-the-Highlands; Sylvia McClain of St. Mark’s; and Memily Colvin and Laura Blackstock of All Saints, and many more who all came together, worked hard and created a very special evening for everyone. Ladies, thank you! I will have the final results for you next month.

Kanuga?  I am sure most of you have heard the word without knowing what or where it is. Kanuga is a beautiful conference center southeast of Hendersonville, N.C. Accommodations are either in an inn (motel-type rooms) or in cabins dotted around the hillside. Kanuga is the site of Province IV conferences and offers a comfortable lodge, meeting rooms and delicious meals.

The Province IV ECW Conference will take place June 2-4. The speaker at this year’s conference will be the Rev. Alan W. Hansen, the president and ECW of the Atlanta-based ACTS29 Ministries, who will speak on the theme “Lord, Teach us to Pray.” His presentations are designed to help develop a more effective prayer life, and he will answer how God answers prayers, what the hindrances are to prayer, and what the spiritual requirements there are for answered prayer. The Rev. Sharon Lewis of Holy Spirit (Osprey, Fla.) will be the Chaplain. Several members of the ECW Board will be attending, and I hope you will also consider joining us. The warm fellowship, beautiful location and the conference center itself make it all worth the drive. You may find more information on the website, www.kanuga.org.

May Ministries:

May 6                   CPC Sunday

May 15            UTO Ingathering

May 16-18       Women’s Weekend at Camp McDowell.

Wishing all the mothers a very Happy Mother’s Day on the 11^th!  I would also like to encourage all of you to come, bring your mother, sister, daughter, or good friends to Camp McDowell for Women’s Weekend where we will again be “Celebrating Sisterhood” and enjoying a fun weekend together.  Please remember to visit the website at www.alabamaecw.org for all ECW information.

Blessings,

Dee