Workshop Opportunities
Ecumenical Women’s Gathering 08
The following workshops will be offered during Gathering 08 as
timely topics in today’s society and will equip participants with
information, skills, resources and networks to be agents of change
with regard to these issues. It must be noted however that the
perspectives shared will be those of the presenters and may or may
not reflect the positions of Church Women United.
Workshops have been grouped into 5 categories: Peace and Justice;
Health and Wholeness; Diversity and Human Rights; Spirituality;
Leadership and Church Women United.
Peace and Justice
1. Is Religion Part of the Solution or
Part of the Problem? A View from the United Nations The impact of
religion in the United Nations Gillian Sorenson featured presenter.
2. Progress for Children: Water and Sanitation UNICEF’s Senior
Advisor to Water/Environment/Sanitation Section will focus on the
effect of unsafe drinking water and lack of effective sanitation
facilities on families in developing nations and UNICEF’s programs
and interventions. Theresa Dooley featured presenter.
3. Do You Know My Story? Biblical Women Survivors of Violence
Lessons which can be drawn from Biblical women who survived abuse.
Rev. Dr. Marie Fortune featured presenter.
4. Helping Children around the World by Learning about UNICEF. Learn
about and receive samples of free educational materials, empowerment
guides and take-action initiatives that can be used with children,
youth groups, after school programs, etc. UNICEF and the Director of
Non Governmental Organizations
5. Building a Country Fit for All Children Strategies and tools to
engage local units and church congregations in building the blessed
community so that all children in America can reach their God-given
potential. Children’s Defense Fund
6. Planning a Children’s Sabbath Explore how congregations can plan
special worship services, education programs and congregational
service and advocacy activities to seek justice for children in
areas such as access to health care, adequate food and housing, etc.
Children’s Defense Fund
7. Have Faith, End Hunger Practical advocacy tools, creative ideas
and knowledge that will help you lead your church in the fight to
end hunger and poverty. Bread for the World
8. Women and Water Water will be the lens to explore problems and
solutions related to the effects of globalization and poverty on
women. Church World Service
9. Combating Poverty: Innovation and the Power of Women Creating
economic stability for women and families is critical to ensuring
equity and safety in our world. Real ways to fight poverty and
attract new women into your economic justice service programs.
Women’s Funding Network
10. The Great American Pie: Our Money, Our Priorities Hands-on look
at: (1) Federal budget basics (calendar, committees, terminology);
(2) how the Federal budget pie is sliced, i.e. budget priorities;
(3) military spending; and (4) opportunities to work together for
change. Women’s Action for New Directions (WAND)
11. Faith Seeking Peace: A Curriculum for Christian Study,
Reflection and Action Receive a set of study guides and facilitator
guides placing Biblical texts in conversation with Federal budget
priorities and the issues facing our nation. Women’s Action for New
Directions (WAND)
12. My Sister’s Keeper: Envisioning a Global Peace Initiative
Profile of women’s organizations engaged in peace work with a focus
on the current Middle East situation. Learn strategies for women to
collectively address conflict and violence in our world.
13. The Three Faces of Trafficking: (1) Trafficking in Developing
Countries (2) International trafficking and (3) Trafficking and
Sexual Exploitation of US under-aged children
14. Abolition Churches Come and learn how to engage your local
church in the work of abolishing modern day slavery. Get ideas for
potential projects and events. Sally Rymer featured presenter
15. Engaging Teens in Abolition Teenage abolitionist will explain
how teens can engage themselves in the fight for justice for those
engaged in modern day slavery. Sally Rymer featured presenter
16. Looking beneath the Surface: an American Teen’s Story of Modern
Day Slavery. How her faith healed her from the trauma of being
trafficked.
17. What in the World Can My Church Do About Sex Trafficking? Learn
concrete ways to minister to the victims of prostitution.
18. Spirituality and the Domestically Abused Woman A discussion of
the influences of spirituality on domestically abused women, both
positive and negative.
19. From the Treetop to the Table Top Explore the principles,
practices and processes of Restorative Justice.
20. Faith and Fair Trade. Ways you can include fair trade in your
daily life and work in partnership with disadvantaged artisans and
farmers around the world. A Greater Gift (formerly SERRV)
21. Peace Out: Peace Skills for Families Learn six different modules
of family activities can be adapted to many settings including,
school classrooms.
22. Internet Safety. Learn the risks for kids online and how kids
and parents can avoid them. Special Agent FBI
23. Women and Conflict. How culture and faith traditions have
impacted our responses in personal and group conflict situations and
what alternatives there are.
24. Immigrant Healthcare Justice. Churches, universities and
healthcare systems can band together to assure access to affordable
and equitable healthcare for all.
Health and Wholeness
25. Mindful Living: Healthy Churches,
Healthy People, Healthy Planet. Explore the challenges and solutions
to toxic trespassers in our homes, communities, and world. National
Council of Churches Eco-Justice Programs
26. Caring for God’s Creation: Our Environmental Mission How we as
individuals and as a group can make a difference for the sake of our
earth.
27. Understanding Aging Whether you are ministering to an aging
population or dealing with your own issues of aging--resources will
be provided along with experience tips and new insights.
28. Surviving Breast Cancer with Faith and Support Sharing our
story, resources, current information and engaging in a special
worship experience.
29. HIV/AIDS Understand the trends nationally and globally, examine
the consequences for children and families and learn strategies
being used to stem the tide. Health Department
30. Good Grief! Everything you’re dying to know about Hospice.
31. Keeping it together in a Pull-Apart World Practical suggestions
to empower you to work through the stresses of daily life and focus
on what matters most.
32. Moving Into Stillness Move! Stretch! Breathe! Relax! Experience
God’s Spirit through the joy of movement and through the gift of
stillness.
33. Be Still and Know…Deep Peace based on the ancient practice of
Yoga Nidra, learn this peaceful practice.
Human Rights and Diversity
34. Human Race/Holy Race: The
Gift and Challenge of Race Relations in the 21st Century. The
central dynamics of “race” as it affects the work of women, church
leaders, interfaith relationships and public events, US societal
arrangements and outreach mission trips.
35. Diversity of Faith Groups: How to Find and Understand the
Diversity of Your Community
36. Lepers, Harlots and Tax Collectors: An Introduction to the
Welcoming Church Movement. Learn ways that churches have become
welcoming and affirming of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender
members and their families and have worked to change policies toward
full inclusion. Institute of Welcoming Resources
Spirituality
37. Asian Women’s Spirituality: a participatory
sharing in eastern meditative exercise, community building and
prayer for justice, peace, and reconciliation. Fellowship of the
Least Coin
38. Images of God A hands-on look through the Bible and how our
individual histories and faith traditions have influenced our
spiritual and prayer life and our language.
39. Sarah and Hagar: Transforming our Spiritual Identity and Destiny
as Women of Faith.
40. Hearing, Seeing and Experiencing the Voice of God: Discover ways
that we can experience the presence of God through our physical,
emotional and spiritual senses.
41. Bible Meets Broadway: A New Vision of Women in the Bible.
Through the original and adapted lyrics of Broadway Shows, gain a
new understanding of the “good girls” and “bad girls” of the Bible.
42. Sharing Food: Christian Practices for a Just and Healthy Life.
Our eating practices are both spiritually and morally important. Let
us continue Jesus’ tradition of feeding the hungry both in spirit
and in body.
43. Aging and Spirituality: the Upper Room for Our Upper Years.
Aging is a spiritual journey. Find the resources to foster ministry
and receive the gifts of this precious population.
44. Celtic Christian Spirituality for Today’s World. Explore the
spiritual practices of Christian Mystics and be inspired to a new
commitment to prayer, justice and peace.
Leadership and Church Women United
45. Something to Crow About: CWU 101: Where we came from, who we are
and will be, our common goals, our passions. Bring along new leaders
for the future. Share your stories and questions.
46. How and Why We Celebrate! An inside look at how materials and
themes for celebrations are developed, along with tips on how to use
the resources to create a successful CWU Celebration. Ask questions
and share ideas. National Ecumenical Celebrations Committee
47. Advocacy: Cooperating with the Angels and CWU Social Policies:
the Faithful Journey CWU Social Policies Special focus on advocacy
for ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
CWU Action/Global Concerns Committee and CWU Legislative Office,
Washington DC
48. Seeding Sisterhood: How to hear the voices of younger women and
engage them in meaningful dialogue.
49. Building Bridges: How to create ecumenical programming for
teenagers within the framework of CWU.
50. Inspired Philanthropy: Creating a Giving Plan and Leaving a
Legacy Strategically plan for the future by aligning and integrating
your values, passions and dreams into your giving plan.
51. To Be Or Not To Be: That is the Question: A conversation about
organizational viability. Is your unit growing, stagnating, or in
the throes of death? Come develop strategies to claim a new vision.
52. Servant Leadership: A Journey Down to Greatness. A Bible Study
relevant to the characteristics of servant leadership.
53. Join the Ribbon of Tangible Hope -- From Raw Material to the
Streets A show and tell of the history, designing and making of the
ribbons and the venues where they have been displayed.
54. Fundamental Communications in a Technical Age A demonstration
and some hands-on experiences with basic computer skills.
55. Web Page Development for State Units Learn from a state unit
that has recently accomplished this.
56. Speaking with Compassion. Explore and practice the concepts of
non-violent communication that can lead toward reconciliation.