Post on 28-Apr-2018
transcript
St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church
And Day School
Episcopal Church Women 5310 Stahl Road San Antonio, TX 78247
(210) 657-‐3328 www.stmargs.org
Arise, Woman Of God
Rise up, O woman of God In what He has given you,
The things God has laid on your heart, Rise up, go forth, and do
Unlock what God has placed within, The potential you have inside
The world is waiting for your release To expand your wings and fly
Arise in your God-‐given gifts For this is your finest hour
Arise in the Lord's holy might, Ignited and empowered
For God is calling you to come forth To impact this world for Him,
Don't hold back or limit yourself Let His power arise within
And take His message to the world To those that have lost their way,
For you can surely make a difference If you'd hear His voice and obey
You shall be strengthened in the Lord As you begin to arise,
Conquering those doubts that pull you down And believe who you are in Christ
For you shall surely be transformed As, in you, God increases more
And become a woman of true excellence Bringing honour to her Lord.
© By M.S.Lowndes
St. Margaret’s
ECW Prayer
Almighty God, we pray that You will bless our work in mission and ministry in the world.
Help us to pray fervently, labor diligently, and give liberally to make known the power of your love given through your son Jesus Christ.
Let us not forget the lessons from the past nor fear the challenges of the future. Anoint us with your grace and shine in our hearts as we reflect your light throughout the world. Amen.
Who We Are
We are Episcopal Church Women of all ages, ethnic origins, and socioeconomic backgrounds who hold a variety of views. However, the common denominator of our members is the love of God and the wish to do His work. Our vision for all women of the Episcopal Church is that we become a vibrant blend, coming together as a peacemaking, healing part of the Church. We seek to be an inspiration that shares the love of Christ.
St. Margaret of Scotland
Why Women Only
An important reason, “why women only”, is because we simply enjoy getting together with other women – whether it is for fellowship, Bible study, or any other kind of project. Another important aspect is the opportunity for women to grow into the life of the Church through women’s ministries. Many of the women in leadership roles, in the larger body of the Church, began their involvement or ministry through the Episcopal Church Women’s group, ECW. Most importantly, ECW groups offer an environment for spiritual growth and opportunities for ministry. Participation in these groups also promotes an understanding of the structure and functionality of the Church.
History of ECW
At the 30th General Convention in 1871, the Board of Missions was authorized to organize a Women’s Society. By the 2nd Triennial Meeting in 1877, 48 dioceses had formally organized groups. They typically addressed the problem of funding women’s missionary work. The 1922 Triennial Meeting formed the National Board to oversee, not only the missionary work, but social services, religious education, and prayer & worship. In 1958 the bylaws were adopted to designate the group as the Episcopal Church Women. In 1985 the National Board of the ECW was created and, with only minor changes, continues to function today.
ECW at St. Margaret’s
All Episcopal women are automatically members of the ECW. We are the women who participate in the church and are active in our community. Some of us are members of Altar Guild, United Thank Offering, Daughters of the King, Vestry, and Prayer Team. Members of ECW also volunteer for Pumpkin Patch, Fiesta Carnival, the Easter egg hunt, Haven for Hope, and have helped with our fundraising cookbooks, or any of the other numerous activities and ministries that are connected to the church. We support each other, our church, and our families. We all share a love of God and celebrate the gifts he has granted us, by serving the Church, and serving each other.