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Added to Parish Events:
If you love to shop, eat, keep the children entertained and support your community don’t miss the 14th Annual Angel fest at St. Michael and All Angels on October 15th!  click here for more info....

The Cheaha Convocation has changed the date of their Fall Convocation meeting to October 25th.  Bishop Parsley will be there to bless the new UTO playground and celebrate Holy Eucharist.

The Black Belt Convocation announces their Fall Meeting on September 10th at Christ Church Tuscaloosa. click here for more details and registration form.

The Cheaha Convocation Fall Meeting (with UTO Playground Dedication) will be at St. Peter's, Talladega on Tuesday, October 25th. Thursday September 29th.   We invite you to join us in giving thanks for the many significant projects United Thank Offering provides all over the world as we tour the Handicapped Accessible Playground  at St. Peter's made possible with the help of a UTO grant.  We will celebrate the Eucharist, have a speaker, and conclude with lunch and installation of our new officers for 2012 - 13.  We hope many of you can join us. RSVP:  Jane Wood, Cheaha Convocation Coordinator, cheaha@alabamaecw.org

The Mountain Convocation has announced their Fall Meeting will be held at  Holy Comforter, Gadsden on Saturday, October 15.

The 2011 SPAFER Lecture Series presents Bishop John Shelby Spong in Birmingham on November 4 - 5 speaking on "Eternal Life". (also speaking Nov. 6 in Tupelo, MS).  Click here for more details....

Tennessee Valley Convocation will have their Fall Convocation Meeting on Tuesday September 13th at St. Matthew's.  The speaker will be The Rev. Bill Winters.  click here for more details...

Board Reports posted:

• April 2011 Board Minutes preliminary
• Parish Giving Report 4/30/11
• Trust Fund Income 6/30/11

Please let Fiona Watts know if you would like to order extra 2012 Calendar Handbooks.  Each parish receives 2 calendar handbooks and they can order as many extra as they like at a small cost.  Also let Fiona know if you have any parish or convocation events to add to the 2012 Calendar.  Contact:  Fiona Watts, preselect@alabamaecw.org.

Added to our Parish Events page:
St Stephen's, Smiths Station invites you to their "6th Annual Christmas in July Tea" on July 23, 2011 from 3:30 - 5:30 pm. EST.  Wonderful raffle prizes and lots of door prizes as well as fantastic food!
more details...

Applications for Women at the Well Scholarships are now available.  Read the article about this new scholarship program of Alabama ECW in the latest The Alabama Episcopalian - see page 20.

Exciting News for Community Kitchens in Birmingham!  They are one of this year's recipients of the Today Show's Lend a Hand Series!  Help celebrate and cheer on Al Roker when he pulls up his Penske truck and reveals all the terrific stuff Community Kitchens has been given.  The newscast will be bright and early Thursday June 16th at 6 am from the UAB parking lot adjacent to their southside kitchen located at St. Andrew’s Parish 1024 12th Street South.  They are hoping to have at least 100 people join them to celebrate their good fortune and blessings. If you’d like to attend, please email  volunteer@thecommunitykitchens.org.

Report added to Board Reports page:  Mountain Convocation Spring 2011 Report

Reports added to Board Reports page:

Everybody come to the Episcopal Place Gumbo Gala on Saturday May 7th at Caldwell Park in Birmingham.  Frank Romanowicz thinks that ECW should field a cook team.  He says:  "A great cause, a great event, a great opportunity for some collaborative efforts by several Birmingham area ECW teams.  It would be a win-win-win!"  The deadline for team registration is past, but ECWs should keep this in mind for next year.  more details about this year's event at www.gumbogala.com

Don't forget:  the deadline for ECW College Scholarship applications is April 30th.  click here for details and application forms/instructions ...

Reports added to Board Reports page:

The Alabama ECW calendar theme for 2012 will be "Welcoming The Stranger".  We want to feature stories and pictures from different parishes as to how they welcome. strangers.  This can involve new members or community members, Inreach programs and Outreach programs. Information is needed by the end of May if possible.  Please contact Fiona Watts, President-Elect at preselect@alabamaecw.org.

The East Alabama Convocation invites you to their Spring Meeting on April 9th at Saint James Episcopal in Alexander City.  The speaker will be Mary Bea Sullivan, member of Grace Cullman.  more details and registration form...

The Birmingham Convocation Spring Meeting will be April 9th at St. Thomas on Acton Road with registration beginning at 9:30am.  Contact:  Alyce Daniel, Birmingham Convocation Coordinator

St. Barnabas, Hartselle's ECW is hosting a "Savings with Coupons" class on March 19th from 9:30am to 12:30pm.  At a time when every penny counts, learning how to make the most out of coupons, discount cards, and sales is a great idea.  more details...

Posted to Board Reports:  Jan. 2011 Board Minutes Preliminary

Not Your Mother's ECW!  Join us on April 2nd (at this workshop at the diocesan Parish Leadership Training Event) for a discussion on how to grow your ECW and how to provide programs and meeting formats that appeal to all ages and especially our new members. More details and link to registration form / brochure....

Updated application and forms for 2011 ECW College Scholarships are now available on our Scholarships page.  The deadline for applications is April 30, 2011.

Added to Board Reports page:

• St. Stephen's, Smiths Station is having its annual Yard/Bake Sale on Saturday, November 20th from 7 am - 12 noon EST.  Bobbi Avsharian says "We always have a fun assortment of items, including furniture and books.  Please come and find some great bargains!"  more details.... 
• Grace Episcopal, Woodlawn, Birmingham are having their Ninth Annual St. Nicholas Day Bazaar on December 11th.  There will be unique craftspeople and artisan vendors in our parish hall, a bake sale, silent auction and raffle. Who knows - we may even have a visit from St. Nicholas himself.

Photos from the Wine & Cheese Reception and Dinner at Grace Church Anniston during Fall Conference are posted on our Facebook pages.  Thank you to Christina Dorn (Grace, Anniston) for sending this photos for the website.  We are still trying to identify some of the faces in the photos.  If you can help us with this, please contact webmaster@alabamaecw.org.

Read the Missions and Outreach Report that Fran Lowe compiled from the forms completed by 15 parishes who shared details of their ministries, outreach, and the fundraising done to support these activities.

Fall Conference:
Serving Others in Christ:
Mission and Ministries in the Diocese of Alabama

See the items to be raffled at Fall Conference.

Alabama Diocese Clergy Spouses need our help for Krik? Krak!   Krik? Krak! is the school lunch program for children in Crochu, Haiti.  Clergy spouses have raised funds for the first year of lunches. Now they are raising funds to build the cooking facility.  Contributions may be made to: Diocese of Alabama and earmarked for:  "Krik? Krak! Cooking Facility". click here for more info and to donate online...

Added to our Parish Events page:

St. Michael and All Angels in Millbrook invite you to their 13th Annual Angel Fest Saturday, October 16th.  Entertainment, scores of vendors including unique arts and crafts and other distinctive treasures, silent auction, kid’s carnival, and great food.   Proceeds are put back into caring for the community.  click here for more details...

Added to our Parish Events page:

St. Stephen's Smiths Station invites you to their 5th Annual Christmas in July Tea on Saturday, July 24. 

Added to our MarketPlace:
A beautiful new cookbook, Angel Fare,  compiled by members of St. Michael and All Angels Church, Millbrook.  Proceeds from sale of the cookbook go to their outreach program.  More details and ordering info.....

Attention ECW Presidents:  Each parish in our Diocese will receive two Calendar Handbooks each year. The Calendar Handbook will be available at Fall Conference or from your Convocation Coordinator.  If you need extras, you may order as many as you wish at $5.00 each.  If you have a date set for an event in 2011 that you would like published in the Calendar Handbook, please send your information and orders to the President Elect by July 31.

Hotel Information for Fall Conference is now available.  ECW group rates are available until Sept. 15.

Click here and enter your email address to subscribe to receive eCommunicate, enewsletter of the Episcopal Church Women (national).

Proudly Presenting Our Diocesan UTO Contribution:

Barbara Carpenter, who is our diocesan UTO Coordinator, has expressed how honored and proud she felt as she presented our three-year contribution of $108,705.46 at the UTO Ingathering Eucharist during the 46th ECW Triennial Meeting, held concurrently with General Convention from July 8 to 17 in Anaheim.  Thanks to each and every one of you, our diocese made one of the largest diocesan contributions.  read more.... (including details of the 2 UTO grants funded in our diocese for 2009)

Here is a video of Bishop Parsley at General Convention talking about our Episcopal liturgy and UTO - especially Alabama's UTO donations!  Please note:  this video file needs Real Player to play.  Download Real Player here.

Seventy-three Episcopal Church Women were recognized Friday at Triennial as the Honored Women of their dioceses for the past triennium.  Alleen Cater is the Honored Woman for our diocese.  Congratulations Alleen!  read more...

Don't forget to read Dee Buzby's posts on our Triennial blog.  In today's post, Dee mentions a project to fight malaria in Africa.  Here is a link to the Nets for Life website if you want to learn more.

Marilyn Atkins, Diocesan Board Secretary pointed out this image in the slideshow on the diocesan website about the May dedication of the new Chapel of St. Francis at Camp McDowell.  The plaque lists contributors of various parts of the chapel.  Under Sacristy, it says, "Episcopal Church Women of the Diocese of Alabama".  Read more about our fundraising for the Sacristy.

Attention all parish ECWs:   All parishes are encouraged to send information (including photographs if any) for any ECW event/activity you would like to publicize, to the Diocesan ECW Publicity Chair.   Sending your request to the Publicity Chair will ensure that it gets publicized in new The Alabama Episcopalian and also on this website.  Please notice that the issue dates and deadlines for The Alabama Episcopalian have changed.  Click here for full details....

Updated Clergy Pictorial Directory provided by ECW.

It is the hope of the ECW that the pictorial directory will be a useful tool for clergy and laity alike, in working together on the various ministries to which Our Lord has called us. We offer it in the loving spirit of the countless women who have served this diocese faithfully throughout its history.

By Adele Colvin and Peyton Carmichael
 Adele Bibb Colvin, a native of Birmingham and an active member of St. Luke’s ECW and Church in Birmingham, served as ECW Board devotional chairman this past year.  Adele is also the author of The Donkeys’ Tales, which is beautifully illustrated by another talented woman in our diocese, Peyton Hamilton Carmichael, who attends St. Mary’s on-the-Highlands in Birmingham.  Read more....

We have posted detailed information about our St. Clare's Needle Arts Guild - an ECW "web guild" to provide resources and ideas for all kinds of needle arts projects.  If you have interests in any kind of Needle Arts, please check the lists on this page of people and projects.  This webpage will also be a place for you to post photos of needle arts projects of your parish ECW.  If you can teach or want to learn, or can provide patterns, tools, and other resources, links, etc., please let us know if you would like your name added to any of the lists.

Crosses and Ornaments for sale added to our Marketplace:

-St. Philip's ECW - Handcrafted Wooden Crosses

-St. Luke's, Scottsboro - Ornaments featuring the beautiful stained glass window over their altar surrounded by brass

These special Six Women of Sudan were featured in our Fall Conference speaker's talks earlier in the month.  These 6 women priests get to connect to the world at the single internet equipped cafe in Renk, Sudan and would love to know that we are praying for them!  Please add them to your prayer lists.

June 26

We are almost 2/3's of the way to our Diocesan ECW goal of raising funds for the ACTS2 Campaign.  The Arts Auction held in April by the Birmingham Convocation contributed almost $25,000 towards our current total raised of $42,172.  Please make plans in your parish and convocation to help us go over the top of our goal!

Slideshow presentation shown at Fall Conference on ECW Diocesan Communications uploaded

  slideshow viewable only in Microsoft Internet Explorer

ECW President Dee Buzby shares her thoughts about the ordination of Bishop Suffragan McKee Sloan on January 12:

Ladies,
Just a short note to try to describe the very beautiful service yesterday at the Advent. First of all, Brian and I arrived at 10:00 and all the seating was taken, we stood till 12:45 when several seats opened up. We were pleased that Marilyn stood with us and kept us company. What a service! All the pomp and circumstance that our Church does so well. The procession was festive and Alleen did a super job carrying the Diocesan Banner (former Corporate Gift) and she made us proud. The music were hymns that we all love, the number of Bishops- at least 7 or 8 from our Province IV- who laid hands on Kee, our Presiding Bishop who during the announcements received the warmest welcome including a standing ovation, the sometimes hilarious sermon by David Meginniss, and our new Bishop celebrating the Eucharist. The reception was very nice and Marilyn and I enjoyed working with the women of the Guild, especially Linda Kennedy who so graciously organized the reception. It as packed. Alleen made a beautiful caviar pie in the shape of the Episcopal Shield which was beautiful and delicious and which must have taken much patience.

 

After the reception, I had the opportunity to meet the Presiding Bishop at Carpenter House and she was lovely. I knew she was tired and this was her down time so I stayed just a few minutes. She has a warm and welcoming feeling about her.

Brian and I then went to the new campus ministry building and enjoyed the Tea and Conversation with the Presiding Bishop. I would describe her as confident, very intelligent, very spiritual, articulate, compassionate, and having a sense of humor. Just wish this could have been recorded. The questions ranged from the problems in our church today, to a college student asking about the priesthood, and to biblical questions. It was a comfortable time and I enjoyed it.

Blessings to you all,

Dee

Also, Alleen Cater, past president, shares her thoughts about the event and and her Episcopal Shield Caviar Pie:

Attached is a photo of the caviar pie I made as a contribution of the diocesan ECW to the reception yesterday. It's Johnny Tyson's recipe and instructions, but it was still a learning curve for me. As I was using tweezers and a very small spatula to pick out waxed paper strips and stray bits of caviar, it occurred to me that it would have been much simpler to have a big chocolate chip cookie decorated with the shield; but ....  nothing's too good for our bishops! I'm happy to share Johnny's recipe with anyone who wants it.

In addition to being as lovely as Dee Buzby said it was, yesterday was also a high moment of closeness, joy, optimism and togetherness for our diocese, in my opinion. The Holy Spirit led us all, no doubt; the fruit of that Spirit is infectious and we should all try to catch and keep it. How wonderful to see women of various parishes working hand-in-hand with the women of the Advent! Thanks to one and all. The women of this diocese are the best! Please let me know if there are others who should receive thanks for their help. I was rather late getting into the reception and missed seeing who all was helping.
Blessings,
Alleen

St. Philip's Episcopal Church NoteCards added to the MarketPlace - depicting St. Philip's Episcopal Church, Fort Payne, during its 50th Anniversary Celebration

Alabama Folk School

Need a Get Away?  Here's your chance.  How would you like to spend time studying your favorite craft or trade at a retreat center that features modern accommodations as well as over a thousand acres of forests, canyons, and waterfalls?  Come join us for a week or weekend to participate in any of the 40 classes ranging in everything from pottery, weaving and woodcutting to dance, music, and printmaking located near Poplar Springs, AL.  Please check the website http://www.campmcdowell.com/folkschool and register today to secure your spot.  For more information, contact Megan Huston at 205 387-1806 or folkschool@campmcdowell.com.  There's a rocking chair waiting for you!

The ECW of the Diocese of Alabama has made a gift of a cross in memory of the late Rt. Rev. Furman C. Stough, Eighth Bishop of Alabama, which hangs in the center window of the Chapel at Carpenter House.

Alabama ECW has pledged $65,000 over 5 years to the ACTS2 fundraising campaign for our Diocese.  This is to be applied towards the $125,000 item of the Sacristy for the proposed new Chapel at Camp McDowell.  We will keep tabs on how we are doing to reach our goal on this page.

Set of NoteCards of St. Wilfrid's Episcopal Church added to Marketplace