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We Are Disciples Women

We Are Disciples Women. What does it mean to be a Disciples Woman? How do YOU answer that question? Does each Disciples Woman know that she is a ‘Disciples Woman’? How do we share with other women what it means to be a Disciples Woman?.

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We Are Disciples Women

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  1. We Are Disciples Women • What does it mean to be a Disciples Woman? • How do YOU answer that question? • Does each Disciples Woman know that she is a ‘Disciples Woman’? • How do we share with other women what it means to be a Disciples Woman? As part of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Disciples Women (DW) welcomes all to the table as Christ has welcomed us. The ministries of Disciples Women are part of the movement for wholeness in a fragmented world by: providing opportunities for spiritual growth, enrichment, education and creative ministries to enable women to develop a sense of personal responsibility for the whole mission of the church of Jesus Christ. Any woman who participates in any way within the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is considered a part of Disciples Women. We seek to be a network of women committed to the justice-seeking, compassion-focused mission of Jesus Christ with no membership requirement or condition.

  2. Being a Disciples Woman is….

  3. Sharing Joys Preaching at Great River Region Women’s event in Louisiana while Myka was being born Outpouring of cards, gifts, phone calls and prayers to celebrate graduation

  4. …and Concerns

  5. Sharing Experiences

  6. Doing Tangible Expressions of God’s Love Baby Quilts at Children Welcome SOAP Project at Super Bowl 2012 Come-Unity Garden Project, Oregon, funded by WEF grant

  7. Disciples Women share the Good News through: • Worship for spiritual growth and renewed discipleship; • Bible Study for greater knowledge, understanding and service; • Issue Study for action and advocacy; • Mission Study for knowledge, understanding and acceptance of others; • Service / Action for hands-on/personal involvement; • Fellowship / Networking for building the faith community with other women; • Leadership Training for service to God in the church, the community and the world; • Stewardship of time, talent and resources for the mission of the church.

  8. Disciples Women are stewards of what God has given us Giving $954, 997 in 2012; $1,067,288 in 2011 Support Disciples ministry and mission through 33 regions seven seminaries and foundation houses 17 colleges and universities ecumenical partnerships and unity connections global ministries in 52 countries home missions stewardship and funding for the church ministerial relief communication ministries of justice and compassion

  9. Disciples Women are thankful to God We use blessing boxes as a way of practicing the spiritual discipline of giving out of gratitude for God’s daily blessings $166,311 in 2012; $170, 089 in 2011 Half of blessing box giving goes to Disciples Mission Fund Half of blessing box giving supports Disciples Women’s Ministry

  10. Disciples Women respond to the needs of others Through mission and advocacy Disciples women seek to understand themselves and their place in the world We work together and ecumenically to recognize the needs of others and injustice in our world, and then we seek to develop creative approaches to addressing those needs with compassion and just actions. We propose General Assembly resolutions and calls to action for the denomination, so that the Church might recognize the needs of others and respond with gospel boldness

  11. Disciples Women embrace life • Just Women magazine is a Disciples Women publication developed by and for Disciples women as a resource providing theme articles inspired by scripture, multi-generational conversations, reflections on healthy living and faith, ecumenical Bible study, group study guides, and more. • Just Women magazine is the official study resource to accompany the Woman-to-Woman Worldwide focus country.

  12. Disciples Women affirm the unity of the global church • Woman-to-Woman Worldwide (WWW) offers a life-transforming connection and learning experience. • WWW responds to the call for women of faith to experience solidarity with one another, to affirm the unity of the church in Jesus Christ and to join the common struggle for justice and peace in the world today. • Each year a delegation visits sisters in other countries to learn from them what it means to be a woman of faith in their context. • International, ecumenical and personal experiences encourage faithful women to see the world through new eyes and bring that perspective back to their congregation and community.

  13. Disciples Women honor faithful women and fund new and creative ministries • Women’s Endowment Fund was established in 1990 to provide an opportunity to contribute to a permanent fund that benefits the ministry of women in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). • With each new dollar, the WEF value increases, so that the amount earned off the permanent fund increases to provide more financial grants in the present and future to encourage women to live out the gospel in creative and empowering ways. • The funds are invested through the Christian Church Foundation to keep pace with inflation and produce a steady stream of income. Only the interest on the investments is used to support grant requests, and first priority is given to ministry which benefits the entire women's network. • WEF funds are a resource to assist women across the life of the church to begin a new and creative ministry that serves recognized needs in their own congregations and communities.

  14. Disciples Women train and mentor leaders • The Leader Apprentice Program (LAP) focuses on equipping Disciples women of color to serve in their home congregations and in regional and general arenas of church life. • The annual Staff Fellowship meetings include Disciples Women staff persons from each region, Disciples Women presidents of regions without a staff person, and constituency group leaders to ensure the voices of all Stone-Campbell movement women are heard. These meetings provide opportunities for renewal, networking, professional development, enrichment and support of the members, updates on current resources and objectives, and an advisory and communication channel to share in advocacy for women. • InterRegional Leadership Training takes place within the quadrennium between Quadrennial Assemblies in each of the 5 Interregion groups. The training provides tools and information to strengthen established leaders while encouraging new leadership among newly involved women and young women.

  15. Disciples Women assemble each quadrennium • Quadrennial Assemblies began in 1957 and continue to bring together the women of the Christian Church for worship, study, training, advocacy, service, networking and fellowship. • Opportunity to build relationships with sisters in the United States and Canada as well as across the globe, gathering women of all ages, cultures, and countries. • QA provides space for leadership training and growth and often result in women taking on greater leadership roles across the life of the church.

  16. Disciples Women are… • Council of General Ministries: • Voice as part of Sharon’s cabinet; Participant in Covenantal Dialogues at General Board; Full participant at Seminarians’ Conference • Justice Table • Justice Primer writer/Bible study for Justice Primer; Facilitator of Women and Children Task Group • HOPE Partnership with Church Extension • General Board and Administrative Committee of General Board

  17. Disciples Women are… • Justice for Women Working Group • Ecumenical partnership that affirms the faithful witness of women. • Serves an important role in the context of the churches that mirror society’s continued ambivalence toward women who seek equality and justice. • Words Matter • Global Women Connecting • Provides a channel by which all women members of the Stone-Campbell heritage churches and of the United churches who share that heritage, may be joined in fellowship and, through prayer, study, and service, may share the gospel to the ends of the earth. • World Convention • Church Women United • Christian ecumenical women’s movement initiated and carried out by women in the United States and Puerto Rico. It is a movement that brings together women of diverse races, cultures and traditions in closer Christian fellowship, prayer, advocacy, and action for peace with justice in the world. • Letter to President Obama to seek the end to all violence • Junia • Denominational women’s leaders

  18. Disciples Women are… www.DisciplesWomen.org www.Facebook.com/discipleswomen www.Discipleswomen.wordpress.com • USA, Canada, UK, India, Indonesia, China, Norway, Australia, France, Chile, Switzerland, Belgium, Italy, Philippines, Viet Nam, South Africa, New Zealand, and more Twitter @DisciplesWomen www.Facebook.com/JustWomenDW www.Facebook.com/Quadrennial

  19. We are Disciples Women

  20. We are Disciples Women • What can we do to help others know what it means to be a Disciples Woman? • What is your story? • What is your ‘elevator speech’?

  21. We are Disciples Women • Please remember to sign up for an opportunity to share a video of what being a Disciples Woman means to you • Begin with your name and where you are from • Talk about being a Disciple Woman in general or a specific short story about WWW, WEF, Blessings Boxes, etc. • End with “We are Disciples Women” • Each clip should be approximately 60 seconds

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