Disciples Women
IdeaShare
Do you have an innovative idea that you'd like
to share with others? Please send it to ODW at bledwon@dhm.disciples.org.
We'll post it here for all to see.
Here are some ideas ...
Another Kind of Hunger Banquet
I am program chair for our UCC women's group and they are
more used to being entertained but I have quite a surprise
planned for our Nov. 20 meeting! Each woman is asked to bring
an item (can, box, or package) for the Food Bank and that
lunch will be provided. The tables will be set and decorated
with cornucopia filled with fruit as if they were having a
Thanksgiving feast. They will put their food bank gift at
their place as an "offering". Then - what they don't
know is that while we have our welcome, business, etc. one
woman at each table (who has been previously selected) will
take the items from that table to the kitchen and prepare
lunch for that table with what they brought. I will have eggs,
powdered milk and a few basics in the kitchen to help with
preparation, but it could be very strange since they won't
know this is going to happen. The fruit will be eaten and
they will not go hungry, but it should open their eyes to
what it is like to have to prepare from what we offer the
food bank! We have invited the Food Bank director to be our
guest and will do a version of the Hunger Banquet from the
CWF study. We will make a "grocery list" and use
funds to replace the donated food we eat.
—submitted by Phyllis Hallman, former Arizona Women's
staff
New Day - a Spiritual Growth Experience
for Women
Build the price of the magazine into Spring Event registration
charges and still keep the cost at $10!
Cathy and the women of Oregon have developed a retreat model
that takes just half a day. The 2005 event introduced "Body and Soul" at "Spirit Spa"
and included a whole range of 'hands-on' experiences related
to the material. This model does not include lunch but offers
lunch for a freewill offering to those who'd like to stay.
Cathy reports that most women do opt to stay. The registration
fee buys every participant the magazine and there is no additional
overhead. She notes that it is easier to sell the Leader's
Guide and other related materials when women already own the
magazine. This model not only appeals to women who may not
be able to commit to a whole Saturday, it places the New Day
magazine in their hands!
Note: Order your New Day resources on Consignment from CBP
and receive a 10% discount. Cathy's current "New Day Training
Model is available on the Internet under
New Day Resources.
Promote New Day all year round!
New Day magazine is a great gift for Mother's Day, birthdays,
or 'just because.' What if you had it available at your Mother-Daughter
banquet or special Women's luncheon? Make New Day the gift
you offer for special recognitions.
- Create a skit or display on what you can buy for $10—and
include New Day.
- Or, better yet, use of things you can get for $15, then
show New Day as a bargain at $10! ï Do pastors know
these materials are available? They can be good partners
in promoting it. [inset] What does your region do to promote
and sell New Day? Please share you tips, skits and secrets
with the Network!
—submitted by Cathy Myers Wirt, Oregon Disciples Women
staff
Creating a mini computer lab at a regional
women's event
During the weekend regional Assembly of Women of the Christian
Church in the Southwest in June, we plan to have a small computer
lab set up for women who want to learn basic computer skills
and how to navigate the web.
Our hotel is providing us with a secure room and will supply,
for a fee, a high speed connection. Four women are bringing
their personal laptops and will serve as the trainers. We
will provide them with a short script which will help them
guide women to several Web sites: The region's Web site, www.ccsw.org,
the Women's page on that site, the Disciples Web site, www.disciples.org
and then the Disciples Women Web site, www.discipleswomen.org.
This mini computer lab will be available on a come-and-go
basis during free time. Each trainer will be responsible for
taking her computer to her room overnight and then bringing
it back the next day.
We have decided not to have a printer available but to have
samples of the resources available. We will encourage the
women to find a computer with high speed connection at home
for downloading, since currently some of the larger files
are difficult to download on a dial-up connection.
In this same room, during our Focus Group sessions on Saturday
afternoon, a member of the IDWM Communications Team will share
the vision and we will begin to gather information for the
database. She will use an adapted power point presentation
to share the vision.
With this simple start, we know women will venture out and
learn even more on their own, and encourage other women to
take advantage of resources on the Internet.
Virginia Pingleton is Director of the Department of Church
Women, Christian Church in the Southwest.
—submitted by Virginia Pingleton
Reading Together
Read a good book lately and looking for a way to share it?
The women of Georgia have found a way! We have started a book
club. The idea was born when avid reader and Women's Commission
member, Frances Shumake, read The Secret Life of Bees by Sue
Monk Kidd and wanted to share it with others. District Coordinators
were asked to contact CWF presidents.
The regional webmaster spread the word through the Web site
www.gadisciples.org/organizations/CWF/cwf.htm.
At spring conferences across the region, lunch tables decorated
with honeycomb candles and honey jars were reserved for those
who had read the book. Discussion-starters were printed, and
commission members led the conversations. Of course, there
was plenty of room and fellowship for those who had not read
the book—no pressure! The book, along with two new selections,
was available at the conference book display at a discount,
thanks to a local bookstore.
Online purchase is available through Amazon.com; and when
accessed through www.gadisciples.org,
a percentage benefits our regional campground. New books are
chosen through readers' suggestions after review by Frances.
Our newest selections are The Five People You Meet in Heaven
by Mitch Albom and The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren.
Conversations at spring conferences have been lively, fun,
and meaningful. Response to online discussion has been good;
and we'll have more opportunity to share at fall retreat.
The women of Georgia are excited about the new book club and
are sending in lots of book suggestions.
Great idea, Frances!
—submitted by Rev. Betty Brewer-Calvert, Regional Director
of Women's Ministries for the Christian Church in Georgia
