The Episcopal Church Women (ECW)
are women of the Episcopal Church of the USA. They are rooted in their
past and growing into God's future.
PURPOSE: The purpose is
to assist the women of the Episcopal Church of the USA to carry on Christ's work
of reconciliation in the world and to take their place as leaders in the life,
governance and worship of the church.
OUR LIFE as the Episcopal
Church Women begins in the local congregation, continues at the diocesan,
provincial and national levels. Each has its own unique characteristics which
enable the mission and ministry of women. Episcopal Church Women are an integral
part of the Episcopal Church of the USA which consists of nine provinces and is
a part of the world wide Anglican Communion.
There are three focuses of
the ECW Program:
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To assist/enable the women of the church to carry out their
mission and ministry;
-
To encourage proactive advocacy for educational initiatives; and
-
To provide the opportunity for women to come together at Triennial
Meeting for worship, study and action.
They Offer:
*
Spiritual Growth & Nourishment
*
Fellowship
* Education
*
Leadership Training
*
Information on Website
*
Information in Communique
*
Opportunity for Service, Social Action and Advocacy
The Diocesan President is
Mrs. Shirley Stephens:
shirleys@grics.net while the Chaplain is
the Reverend
Mollie Ward:
stmats@mtco.com.
The United Thank Offering (UTO)
is a program of the Episcopal Church for the mission of the whole Church,
founded by and administered by women since 1889.
The Mission of the United Thank
Offering is to invite people to offer daily prayers of thanksgiving to God and
outward and visible signs of those prayers which will benefit others.
The United Thank Offering
Committee is entrusted to promote thank offerings, to receive the offerings and
to distribute the thank offering monies through grants. The Committee awards and
administers grant monies within the framework of the policies and procedures of
the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society.
Bishops, within the Episcopal
Church of the United States of America (ECUSA) and/or Anglican Communion, groups
within dioceses having the bishop's approval, may submit grant requests
according to the number invited by the Committee. As new provinces develop,
United Thank Offering Grant Policy for New Provinces applies. Application
packets containing request forms, instructions, policy statement and United
Thank Offering Committee roster are available through diocesan offices in
October. The application must be completed and submitted by December. When two are invited and submitted, the
diocese/province must name a first and second priority.
One copy of the application is sent to the United Thank Offering Office. January
31 is the last possible postmark date and the last possible fax or hand delivery
date for submitting all required documents for a complete application. Only
complete applications that are submitted in time will be considered.
From January through April the
contact person for the applying organization is expected to respond to research
questions from the United Thank Offering network. The Committee gives
consideration to priority ranking by the diocese or province; also,
recommendations of the United Thank Offering screening committee in ECUSA
diocese. Grant award decisions are made by the United Thank Offering Committee
in May. Funds are available from June 1 of each year for expenses incurred for
the ensuing year beginning in the month of June. Accounting is required.
The Co-ordinator of the program
in our diocese is
Jan Goossens:
utospil@sbcglobal.net.
THE CHURCH PERIODICAL CLUB
THE CHURCH PERIODICAL CLUB
(CPC) is an independent organization affiliated with the Episcopal Church. It is
dedicated to the worldwide Ministry of the Printed Word and to the Promotion of
Christian Mission. It is the only organization in the Episcopal Church of the
USA dedicated solely to providing free literature and related materials, both
religious and secular, to people all over the world who need and request them
who have no other source for obtaining such literature and materials. Bibles,
Prayer Books, books for seminarians, educational materials, medical textbooks,
agricultural manuals and books for those in local and global mission are some of
the publications the Church Periodical Club supplies.
THE CHURCH PERIODICAL CLUB
(CPC) functions at all levels of the Church - national, provincial, diocesan and
parish. The goal is to make the CPC program a concern of the whole Church. That
goal includes having an active and enthusiastic CPC representative in every
parish and diocese.
Funding to THE CHURCH PERIODICAL CLUB (CPC) is done by voluntary
contributions from people of all levels of the Church. Each year, the Presiding
Bishop officially declares the first Sunday of May as CPC Sunday. Donations are
received from each parish in the diocese and half of the contributions are sent
to the National CPC office in New York, as required, to assist in filling grant
requests worldwide. The other contributions are dispersed to our seminarians for
the purpose of purchasing books.
Through the national giving programs, grants are allocated worldwide, based on
contributions to two funds. The National Books Fund (NBF) helps meet
religious and secular needs by providing printed and audio-visual materials to
individuals, including seminary students, churches and organizations affiliated
with the Anglican Communion. The need for materials to carry out the mission of
the church must be established for all requests. Grant applications are
processed after receiving the endorsement of the Episcopal Bishop of the
diocese. Grants for the NBF are awarded twice a year.
Grants are also awarded
through the Miles of Pennies (MOP) program which provides for the needs
of children aged preschool through high school. This is geared for Sunday School
and youth group projects, but adults may certainly add their coins to the
collection, also. Requests may be made for books, workbooks, manuals, videos,
CD's, Vacation Bible School and audio-visual materials. Grant applications are
endorsed by any active CPC representative. Contributions to the Miles of
Pennies can also be made. 1 mile of pennies equals $844.80 and grants are awarded up to that
amount.
For further information or those desiring a grant request form, email Roberta
Clark, CPC Director of our diocese,
rmsathome@msn.com. Checks for donations to
CPC should be made to ECW/CPC Diocese of Springfield.
CPC is supported by the prayerful concern, time, talents, labor and money of
those who believe in the Ministry of the Printed Word.
