Global Women's Project

August 2009 Steering Committee Meeting

globalwomensproject — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 04:08:56 +0000

GWP Semi-Annual Retreat Global Women’s Project Steering Committee met at the end of August in N. Manchester, Indiana. We welcomed new board member, Kim Hill Smith, from Minneapolis to the committee and heard from Yvonne Dilling who shared insights she learned from working with development projects in Central America. We happily began our collaboration with a new project in the US., Growing Grounds, Wabash , IN (see below for information on Growing Grounds). Also, we received over $3000 between our Mother’s Day Project and Lenten Calendars. Thank you for all you have given to the work of Global Women’s Project! We are grateful for the donations that are coming in. The GWP steering committee will meet in March, 2010 in Indianapolis.

Can we get Fair Trade in our Districts?

globalwomensproject — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 21:40:28 +0000

Carrie Eikler, co-pastor of the Morgantown (WV) Church of the Brethren/Mennonite Church, has a vision and a challenge…to get Fair Trade goods into all the Church of the Brethren district conferences! Some district conferences already support SERRV sales…does yours? (Don’t know about SERRV? Then check it out here)

If your district conference hasn’t sold fair trade products before, this is a great opportunity to host a mini-SERRV sale! Carrie approached West Marva district about hosting a mini-SERRV sale during their district conference in September. They happily agreed and profits from the sale will be given to Global Women’s Project. What better way to connect people with women around the world, than seeing, touching, and bringing art into their lives…art made by economically empowered women.

As a supporter of Global Women’s Project, consider hosting a sale to benefit the work of GWP. Perhaps your congregation, a group of committed GWP supporters, or any number of district commissions could join you in organizing your sale. SERRV makes it really easy to begin. Click here to begin the process of organizing your sale. (And if your district conference has come and gone, then tuck this idea away for next year).

Let Global Women’s Project know if you will be hosting a sale! Also, let us send you GWP information to go alongside your sale, or for a GWP table of its own. We are working at weaving a web of education and knowledge about women’s empowerment, and district conferences are a great place to start.

So let the count begin!
Districts Conferences that have SERRV sales: 2
SERRV sales benefiting GWP: 1

Mother’s Day

globalwomensproject — Thu, 07 May 2009 15:30:18 +0000

Thanks to everyone who is giving the gift of women’s empowerment this Mother’s Day! We are delighted to offer the Mother’s Day project for the third year in a row. We send beautiful, handwritten cards to the women you want to honor. Women honored in memoriam are:

Anna Baker
Barbara Alley
Louise Erbaugh
Louie Rieman
Verda Gibbel
Vinna Helstern

International Women’s Day Worship Resources

globalwomensproject — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 16:41:44 +0000

Sunday March 8 is International Women’s Day! Consider planning a worship around this theme using the following materials created by Global Women’s Project. If you can’t plan an entire worship, perhaps use certain items, or celebrate in worship on another Sunday.

The theme for these resources is ”Hearing the voices.” This calls us to recognize that we are called not only to be a “voice for the voiceless” but first must recognize and hear the voices that have been silenced throughout time-through gendered, economic, and racial oppression, as well as the suppression of Biblical stories highlight the strength of women, as well suppressing the critical analysis of biblical stories that speak of violence towards women.

Women around the world, and women within scripture, open up new insights to God and Christ’s message as lived out in a gospel of universal accessibility.

1. Invocation

Mothering God–whose wisdom created us, whose strength sustains us, whose compassion guides us– crack us open this day. Crack open our ears so we may hear the words of our sisters from across space and across time. Crack open our eyes so we may see the places our lives connect. Crack open our hearts so the redeeming power of Christ may renew our relationships with those we may never meet. Crack open our lives, so you may infuse us fully with your passion and grace. In Christ’s name, AMEN.

2. Call to Worship

One: Come, like Sister Miriam, leading the Hebrew people out of bondage with tambourines and dance!

People: We come to our God with praise

One: Come, like Sister Martha, running through the dark with courage, proclaiming that Jesus is God!

People: We come to our God with our doubt and our faith.

One: Come, with the word of God on your lips, like Sister Sarah Riter Major, who did not fear preaching to the early Brethren

People: We come to our God with proclamation

One: Come and proclaim justice, like Sister Stella of Uganda with a passion for all people and an unquenchable search for justice.

People: We come to our God with hope

One: Come sisters and brothers, as you are, and join in the worship of the One who unites all women, all men, all children.

ALL: Here we are! We raise our voices in unity and celebration! Praise to the one who unites us all!

3. Prayer of Confession

Mother God, who gave birth to us through the molding and forming of the earth–you breathed life into our lungs and called us good. You made us a people to dwell together. But we confess, something happened. We have distanced ourselves from your love. We have built walls between each other. What we don’t see we don’t love and what we don’t love we are fearful of. In your generous diversity, loving God, we have formed division–divisions made deeper by money, opportunity, violence, and arrogance. We don’t want to hear the stories of those less fortunate than us because it hurts. We don’t want to see the faces of our sisters and brothers who are hurting because we will feel responsible. We don’t want to feel responsibility because we will feel the need to change. We don’t want to change.

(silence)

But you call for us to be transformed. You call for us to open our eyes and see ourselves in each living breathing being on earth. We know we can’t change the entire world in our lifetime. But help us see how we can transform ourselves so the world might come one, small step closer to realizing your love. AMEN

4. Assurance of Pardon

God hears our cries and longs to help us in our struggle. God hears our confessions and forgives us. May we take God’s desire for transformation seriously, and find ways to respond to God’s forgiveness with acts of love and faith.

5. Children’s Story

Talk with children about the difference between talking and listening. What happens when people don’t listen to you? How does it feel when people talk over you? Consider doing an activity that demonstrates how frustrating it is when someone interrupts, or let one child begin a story and pretend to ignore it. Discuss how that feels.

Emphasize that Jesus calls us not just to speak about how much Jesus loves the world, but to listen to other people, and how they understand Jesus. Talking and listening are both important ways of sharing God’s love.

6. Offertory Thought (Consider giving a part of your congregation’s offering to Global Women’s Project, or another organization that supports the empowerment of women internationally. This may be an opportune time to introduce your congregation to the GWP Lenten Devotional Calendar if you have not already done so).

We know that money does not buy love. We know that money does not purchase peace. No matter how much money we save, or give, or spend, there will still be voices who cry out in need. What can we offer, in addition to money, that can take these voices of pain and transform them into shouts of joy? We must give more of ourselves than our pocketbooks allow. We must give of our humility, our hearts, our humanity. As you give your monetary gifts this morning, consider how you can give of yourself to the lives of others.

7. Prayer of Dedication

God of all things, we give this money as a token of what is important to us. May this money go to do good. May this money go to do justice. But also, may the giving of this money help guide us into the path of awareness, recognizing that what this world needs is not more money, but more good…more justice…more of each of us loving one another. AMEN.

8. Scripture options – forgotten/nameless women

Exodus 1:1-22 (Shiphrah and Puah)

Gen 30:21; 34; 46:15 (Dinah)

Judges 19-20 (Concubine/Second Wife of a Levite)

Judges 11:34-40 (Jepthah’s daughter) -

Matthew 1:1-17 (Jesus’ geneology – 4 women, all outcasts!)

Acts 16:11-15 (Lydia)

Healing stories of Jesus

9. Sermon Seeds-

Perhaps you or those in your congregation have never heard of the story of Shiphrah and Puah. Or felt the pain and disgust that arises out of the story of the the concubine. Or known that in Jesus’ geneology listed in Matthew there are four women named, all who in their own ways are outsiders. Consider telling one of these unknown stories, asking why we don’t talk about these stories in church. Ponder what these strange and distant situations that can teach us about listening to the voices of women around the world–voices we ignore, situations we overpower with our own solutions.

Consider how Jesus listened to those he healed. At times he knew the ailment before hearing it from the mouth of the one who needed healing, but most often he listened to the need. Do we listen before we suggest healing/quick fixes/charitable actions, or do we assume we know what is needed? What is a Christ-like approach to healing a broken world?

Share stories of women from around the world. How do others experience Christ’s love through worship/expression/relationships that may seem different from our own cultural context

11. Benediction

Go now with your ears open. Go to listen and learn the ways that God speaks through others, without regard for time or space, color or creed. Go now in peace. AMEN

12. Hymn Suggestions

HWB 20 Come and See

Supp. 1046 Gathered here in the mystery of this hour

HWB 307 Will you let me be your servant

HWB 142 Brothers and sisters of mine

Remembering Louie Baldwin Rieman

globalwomensproject — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 00:18:30 +0000

Louie Baldwin Rieman

We remember Louie Baldwin Rieman, former GWP steering committee member and life-long proponent of global relationship-building and a shared journey of empowerment.

Louie and her husband Phil were killed in a car accident on December 26, 2008. Their children, Ken, Tina and Cheri, as well as thousands in the Church of the Brethren and all walks of life, all around the world, are devastated by this loss. All who knew Phil and Louie are also inspired by the ways this couple met the world with hope and love.

Sister Stella, Organizer of SITEAW, Shifting Ideas Through Education for African Women, a GWP partner project in Uganda, wrote of Phil and Louie Baldwin Rieman, “Everyone of us had been touched by the deep love they shared. The challenge is on our side to keep that fire of love burning.”

Share your own memories of Louie, and of the Baldwin Rieman family, here.

New GWP logo!

globalwomensproject — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 20:41:44 +0000

Thanks to Jane Robinette for our new logo! Click here to see more of Jane’s artwork.

: Our new logo!

Nan in Sudan!

globalwomensproject — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 23:25:33 +0000

Nan in Sudan, 2007

Thirteen people from around the country boarded planes this afternoon.

They’re headed for Sudan.

Nan Erbaugh, GWP steering committee member, is traveling with New Community Project for this learning tour – her 4th trip to Sudan! Nan looks forward to seeing familiar faces and places, meeting with GWP partner projects, and returning to a land that has captured her heart.

New Community Project is one of GWP’s most important partners as we work with women around the world. Read more about their learning tour to Sudan here.

Nan will travel throughout Sudan, and even be in Uganda, for the next 3 weeks! She will spend time in Nimule, where GWP project partners have a sewing cooperative. Nan was able to visit these partners in 2007, when they had 8 brand new donated sewing machines, but no money for supplies and teachers. A one-time $3500 GWP grant helped immensely, and these women are working with love and commitment for their daughters’ futures, and the health of their whole community.

GWP also has a project partner in Maridi, Sudan, but Nan will not be able to visit this carpentry cooperative on this trip.

~~~~~~~

Pray for these 13 people (most from the Church of the Brethren, including GWP sister Elizabeth Keller) as they experience a new culture, reflect on their own lives, and consider violence, poverty, struggle, power and love in utterly new ways.

Pray for the women, children and men of Sudan, who seek peace and joy, as all of us do, all around the world.

Prayers for our partners and sisters

globalwomensproject — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 03:35:13 +0000

Bethlehem: The holiday lights were taken down and the only glow came from the candles spelling out “Gaza” on the cobble stone.

Please be in prayer for our sisters around the world:

Esperance Nyirandayisenga, coordinator of “Life is Expensive,” our partner project in Rwanda, as she battles malaria.
Rana Al-Arja, coordinator of a (partner project) women’s radio show in Palestine, and all in Palestine, especially Gaza, throughout this recent escalation of violence. Rana writes: “To us there is no celebration with the horrible aggression going on in Gaza; our hearts are full of pain and sorrow. Everything is canceled in Bethlehem and with this situation I don’t think any more tourists will come to Palestine.” Unemployment is overwhelming throughout Palestine and the West Bank, and Bethlehem is fully dependent on tourism.
Please pray for all suffering in this world, and thank God for the blessing of the work these women are doing in their communities! May this new year be more peaceful than the last!

Give a gift to someone you love, and to women around the world

globalwomensproject — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 20:13:32 +0000

Eimani Rebecce in Maridi, Sudan

As you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Eid, Solstice, or Kwanzaa, God comes to us in many ways. Global Women’s Project sees God in the lives of women and children all over the world! Join us as we work with women seeking justice through grassroots projects in Rwanda, Nepal, Sudan, Palestine, and Uganda.
This holiday season, who really needs more stuff? Instead, we invite you to make a donation to Global Women’s Project in honor of someone you love.

Cards are available highlighting each of our partners, for your convenience.

What are YOU thankful for?

globalwomensproject — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 16:11:34 +0000

In this time of Thanksgiving, we on the GWP steering committee are grateful:

for Ruthann Knechel Johansen, whose speech 30 years ago inspired Church of the Brethren women to start Global Women’s Project
for all of our sisters around the world who are standing up for themselves and their daughters, reaching for justice
for the dozens of women in the US who have served on the GWP steering committee
for all of the women and men in the US and around the world who thoughtfully live simply, that others may simply live.