Women's Ministry in Nebraska

05/09/2019

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSLT81ArJLg

Mother's Day - who said, "Jesus is our true Mother"
Words from Julian of Norwich - adapted by Jean Janzen - music by John L, Bell of the Iona Community

08/01/2018

At the DOK-WM Day July 21, 2018

08/01/2018

Here are Susy Miller's thoughts about the Triennial Meeting:
Serving on my parish vestry, being a chalice bearer and an EFM graduate have been the extent of my lay service to the Episcopal Church, until I was asked to attend Triennial. I really knew nothing about the Episcopal Church Women; their history, their role within the church or more specifically their role within our Nebraska dioceses. I had never met this group. I trusted and respected the person who asked me to consider attending, and so I took a leap of faith. Visiting Austin, Texas might have also played a role in luring me to say yes to this week long commitment. I learned a lot and realized I have a lot more to learn. I do recall having attended one women's retreat in Elkhorn for half a day, and enjoying it. I still can't say I have a firm grasp on how the ECW functions in our diocese, but I do see the bigger role they play within the nationwide church. I want to understand more about their history and how our ECW group functions within Nebraska. The best part of taking a week's vacation from my full-time job, was getting to experience the bigger National Convention and seeing what all takes place and the commitment people make to serve in this capacity. Getting to hear the Presiding Bishop Curry preach twice and lead a revival was life changing. Who knew Episcopalians could stand and clap and dance during singing. I loved it! And the daily worship, in many different forms and languages was also enlightening and eye opening. Overall it made me proud to be an Episcopalian and want to share the .

07/29/2018

07/29/2018

Here is an article from Heather Bauer, Province VI ECW President, on her thoughts and experiences at the Triennial Meeting.

Triennial...how does one sum up an experience such as this, in one or two paragraphs? It consisted of a lot of workshops and meetings, but also some very moving worship services. Every single workshop presenter was full of knowledge and ideas, but mostly what stood out with them all was their passion for taking care of people. Whether it was the woman from Episcopal Relief and Development, or the woman from the shower ministry, the compassion, love and belief in their cause, really made the presentations powerful, and I always walked away filled with the Holy Spirit. One of the best workshops I attended had to do with being a better listener. People often listen to respond, and not to understand, and that is where we get into trouble. It we would just listen, and not think about what needs to be said next, a lot of misunderstandings would be avoided. To really listen, we must be fully present, respectful of the speaker, and above all, be patient! I took a lot away from each workshop, and I now have a deeper appreciation for how I need to live my life, and the changes I need to make.

The best night, for me, was the night of the old fashioned REVIVAL! The music was pumping, the people were dancing in the aisles, and the messages were powerful! Bishop Curry is AMAZING! I was so excited to listen to him on numerous occasions. I even got to shake his hand and tell him he is amazing! He never loses his smile, his sense of humor or his passion when talking about the Jesus Movement. He truly makes me want to be a better person, and Christian. His enthusiasm is contagious, and one can't help but be excited about Jesus. We must fall in love with Christ, and be like Him if we want the world to be a better place. There is no room for judgement of others, only room for love without conditions. We are to love one another as Christ loved us, and at times, that can be difficult. However, with Bishop Curry's passion and excitement, it seems a lot easier to do. To say I came away with more enthusiasm for my ministries, and a full spiritual tank, is an understatement. I am so ready to be that Christian that Jesus intended for me to be. I will be forever grateful for this experience, and I can't wait for 2021!

Heather Bauer

07/29/2018

We are so proud of our DioNeb women who are serving on the national level.
Pat Wellnitz was elected at the Triennial Meeting in Austin as First Vice President on the National Board of Episcopal Church Women!
At the province level, Lynn Fitzgibbon was elected as representative from Province VI to the National Board of Episcopal Church Women and Christine Plantz was elected as Province VI representative to the United Thank Offering Board.
These photos are not great, but they show these three women taking their oath of office at the Triennial Meeting.
Go Nebraska!!

07/27/2018

Important message from Daughters of the King

Announcement from your Diocesan Assembly of Nebraska Officers: This fall we are offering a trial of a new format for the 12 lessons to discern preparation for admission into The Order of the Daughters of the King®️.

The mission of the Order is to be the extension of Christ’s Kingdom on earth through prayer, service, and evangelism. Do you know anyone interested in being part of the mission, but she or your chapter hasn’t had the time or opportunity to complete the preparation classes? Sandra Squires, past Assembly of Nebraska President, will be leading 9 live sessions via Zoom video conferencing. The sessions can be accessed individually on iPads or a home computer (if it has camera and microphone) or on a church computer for a small group. This is designed to reach women across the state. You may know someone in another part of the state who may want to take the classes - in order to start as a single Daughter at Large until she can later form a Chapter of three.

These preparation classes will be held on Tuesday evenings, 6:30 to 8:00 pm CST (5:30 to 7 pm MST) Sept 11 through Nov 6. The first session will be an orientation to Zoom and the introduction of class members.

Register on the attached form or via the link on Ministry Memo or the Diocesan web site (dioneb.org). The internet link to Zoom will be provided when registration is received. You will download the National Study Guide for the classes to follow at home.

You can text or call Carol Ott (402-469-9264) with questions.

07/26/2018

Women who attended either the ECW Triennial Meeting or the Daughters of the King meeting in Austin in July will be sharing some highlights of the meeting. The first article is from Sandra Squires.
United Thank Offering—A Gratitude Ministry



The United Thank Offering is dependent on Episcopalians of all ages expressing their gratitude by dropping coins, bills, and checks into their Blue Boxes. Those collections are gathered at each parish and turned into grants. This July UTO awarded 34 grants during the General Convention/Triennial Meeting in Austin plus six Young Adults and four Seminarian grants; the Presiding Bishop’s Grant to Episcopal Migration Ministries; gifts to 38 missionaries and 2 overseas Episcopal convents; and support for the Julia Chester Emery Internship who will be working with the Episcopal Policy Network in Washington D.C. and UTO.

In 2018, awards were for $1,283, 216.21. Every penny collected for UTO is awarded in grants each year. Over this triennium $3.7 million was given in grants, and since 1889, UTO has given 5,257 grants for a total of $137, 094, 170.52. Of that Nebraska has received 27 UTO grants, one of which was to St. Augustine’s Church in 1981 to help build the parking lot. Every penny given is awarded in grants; all operating expenses and Board travel comes from a Memorial Trust Fund.

This year grants were awarded to support the Presiding Bishop’s initiative of “Becoming Beloved Communities: Racial Healing, Reconciliation, and Justice.” Grants awarded under this initiative included grants to support reentry of formerly incarcerated women and men; to remodel a kitchen at a refugee center in Rome, Italy, to allow them to host community dinners; to hire a staff person to lead Beloved Community Initiative in Iowa; to purchase a heating and cooling system to house a Hozho Center for women in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction in Navajoland; to create a Niobrara Prayer Book in Lakota in South Dakota; to purchase vans in North Dakota and Utah to get children of all races and backgrounds to camp and Sunday school; to remodel an Episcopal property to prepare a place for sanctuary seekers to stay in Virginia; and purchase a building in Reus, Spain, to meet the needs of young refugees who need shelter, language skills, job training, and sport.

Be grateful for your many blessings, support the mission work of the United Thank Offering.



Submitted by Sandra Squires

07/26/2018

Sandra Squires was honored at the Triennial Meeting as the Diocese of Nebraska's Distinguished Woman. We are proud of her and her accomplishments!
Picture is of Elizabeth Campbell, South Dakota's Distinguished Woman, Bishop Scott Barker, and Sandra.

06/11/2018

Sat. July 21st, St. Augustine's, 285 So, 208th Elkhorn, 10-3 with 2 p.m. Eucharist with Bishop Barker. RSVP to Carol Ott by July 11 402-469-9264 or [email protected]

06/11/2018

Triennial is on deck in Austin. If you can be in Omaha, July 21, you can hear reports from Triennial for ECW and Daughters of the King and General Convention. St. Augustine's....I'll double check the time and let you know!

05/22/2018

We need YOU on May 23 -- all funds raised this year through Omaha Gives will go toward opening Thistle Lights, our survivor-led small business. Help by donating via this link: https://www.omahagives.org/Magdalene/overview. EVERY dollar makes a difference, and we hope you'll share this post with all your friends too!