Rest, then pack for a great gathering

by Inez Torres Davis

	Photo by Elizabeth McBride

Get your rest and get ready to pack up, because you are embarking on an amazing blend of color, tastes, and aromas as you head for San Antonio and the Sixth Triennial Gathering of Women of the ELCA. Close your eyes, and you can hear the sounds of Mariachi bands and Oom-pahpah melodies that are the rich mix of the city’s Mexican and German influences.

If you stay at a hotel we’ve recommended, the River Walk and the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center are only steps away. Soon, the convention center will be transformed into a panorama of thousands of women wearing badges and enjoying the energy and excitement that happens only once in three years for Women of the ELCA. (Now is the time to tell your procrastinating friend to register!)

As the event draws near, let’s join in praying for all who are traveling. And let’s pray all will be spiritually, mentally, and physically enriched. As you pack your hot-weather attire, we encourage you to consider a few travel tips:

Be safe. Confident body language and a no nonsense attitude help. Never explore a new place by yourself. Do not wear your name badge outside the convention center because it will be obvious to potential thieves that you are a visitor to the area.

Credit cards. Bring only the credit cards you plan to use. Store your cash in various places. Avoid showing large amounts of cash in shops or restaurants.

Money sense. Keep most of your cash in a money belt, fanny pack, or shoulder bag

Think ahead. Bring extra medication, comfortable shoes, bandages for blisters, sunscreen, and plenty of film and batteries for your camera.

Make extra room. The space your in-kind gifts occupy in your suitcase on the way to San Antonio can be used for souvenirs on the way home. But just in case, pack an extra bag. You’ll need enough room for the great resources you get at the gathering. Plan to create a display board for your congregation on your return.

Carry-on or checked baggage. Pack your 4K Run, Walk ’n’ Roll pledges in your carry-on bag. Don’t check bags containing money or gifts. Pack jewelry, cash, camera equipment, and medications in carry-on luggage.

Arrange for assistance. All airlines have wheelchairs and most have motorized carts. If you are unable to walk great distances, arrange for assistance at the airport or request this from your travel agent.

Money sense. Keep most of your case in a money belt, fanny pack, or shoulder bag hanging across your torso, protected by your arm. Use the safe in your hotel for valuables and keep the key with you. Put photocopies of your travel itinerary, passport or driver’s license, credit cards, and important phone numbers in a safe place in case your wallet is lost or stolen.

Exit plan. Once at the hotel, review the evacuation route map behind your door. In your room, keep your room key on the bedside stand. Travel with a small flashlight; keep this on your bedside stand with your key, glasses, and cell phone.

Inez Torres Davis is associate for programs at Women of the ELCA.

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Airport transportation and getting around town

Shuttle service sponsored by Women of the ELCA will be provided to and from the airport and the gathering hotels on Tuesday, July 5, Wednesday, July 6, and Sunday, July 10. On Tuesday and Wednesday, the shuttle is available from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m., and on Sunday, the shuttle will run from noon until 6 p.m. The cost is $10 round trip. You will pay the full fare when you board the bus and receive a voucher for the return trip to the airport. One-way tickets are not available. Look for people carrying signs with the triennial gathering logo in the baggage claim area to assist you in finding a shuttle bus. ADA-accessible buses also will be available.

Commercial airport shuttle SATrans, San Antonio’s official airport shuttle, offers transportation to and from the airport for $17 round trip. When you leave the baggage claim area, find the SATrans desk to arrange for a ride. At that time, you also can reserve the return trip from the hotel to the airport, but SATrans asks you to confirm the time 24 hours before they pick you up. The confirmation is very important to ensure you’re on their list for pick-up.

Taxi service is approximately $30 each way. Follow the signs to the taxi stands from the baggage claim area.

Shuttle service provided by Women of the ELCA is free and available to and from the convention center for people staying at these hotels: Hilton, La Quinta, Hyatt, Westin, and Residence Inn. One bus will circle the hotels and convention center in a continuous loop that requires about 30 to 45 minutes. The shuttle is available Tuesday from 4 to 9 p.m.; Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m.; and Sunday from 8:30 a.m. until after worship.

The San Antonio trolley system has many routes around the city. Stations are located near most hotels and the convention center. Trolleys run Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Fares are $3 for an all-day pass, 80 cents per ride, and 15 cents for a transfer good for two hours.

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2005 speakers enlighten, encourage, embolden

A few years ago, Barbara Ehrenreich, writer and social critic, wondered: How does anyone live on the wages available to the unskilled? How do the millions of Americans who work full time, year-round, make it on $6 or $7 an hour? So she left her home, took the cheapest lodgings she could find, and worked as a waitress, a hotel maid, a cleaning woman, a nursing-home aide, and a sales clerk in various cities, always with the goal of matching income to expenses, just as millions of poor Americans do every day. She learned quickly that life as a low-wage earner requires at least two jobs, generally requires substandard housing, and frequently demands cutting out "luxuries" such as health insurance and adequate child care. She also discovered quickly that no job is truly unskilled and that even the lowliest occupations take an enormous mental and physical toll.

On Thursday at 4 p.m., the author will speak on these experiences, which formed the basis for her book, Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America. She will help us uncover the health issues faced by low-wage-earning women who cannot afford health insurance or even to take time off the job to visit a doctor. Ehrenreich is a frequent contributor to Time, Harper’s Magazine, The New Republic, The Nation, and The New York Times magazine.

Author and speaker Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie will participate in the response panel following Barbara Ehrenreich’s keynote address and preach at the Thursday Thankoffering service. McKenzie is a bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and president of the A.M.E.’s Council of Bishops. She was the first woman elected bishop in the A.M.E., a church whose membership is 70 percent female. She has worked to get people off welfare in Baltimore, worked on a program to build group homes for children who became orphans as a result of the AIDS epidemic in Africa, and addressed issues of patriarchy in her church.

Other Speakers
Debra Farrington, author and retreat leader, will speak during the morning inspiration time on transitioning from one triennium to another. Farrington is the author of the Women of the ELCA resource, Listening to God: A Guide to Discernment, and her newest book, The Seasons of a Restless Heart.

Ione Hanson will host the Thursday morning inspiration time that begins at 9 a.m. A pediatric clinical social worker, she is married to Mark Hanson, presiding bishop of the ELCA.

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 It's your business

As you plan your days at the gathering, be sure to find time to attend a couple of business sessions. All attending the gathering are welcome to observe any of the proceedings. Convention business sessions will be held in Ballroom C, on the top floor of the convention center, only a short ride up the escalators.

During seven sessions beginning Wednesday evening and ending Saturday afternoon, the delegate body will elect the next triennium’s churchwide executive board and deliberate several memorials brought to the convention by synodical women’s organizations. The delegates’ decisions on these matters will significantly influence Women of the ELCA’s programs and focus over the coming triennium. Delegates to the Sixth Triennial Convention come from all over the United States and the Caribbean. They are elected at their synodical conventions to represent all women who are members of the Women of the ELCA (not just those from their areas).

Twenty synodical women’s organizations — nearly one–third — have submitted memorials related to halting the commercial sexual exploitation of children. Other memorials address immigration justice, ageism, anti–racism education, hunger alleviation, unity in the midst of differences on matters of sexuality, the ongoing crises in Sudan, women with disabilities, and synodical women’s organization financial audits. Delegates will also be charged with approving the 2006 churchwide budget and voting on proposed changes to the Churchwide, Synodical, Congregational/Intercongregational, and Special Unit constitutions.

Of course, some of the best moments of the convention occur when the new president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, and board are elected. These are exciting moments in the life of our organization you won’t want to miss. It’s your business.

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Young women's café opens in San Antonio

Young women’s concerns and cares are often unique — and boldly different, whether they are spiritual, emotional, sexual, or physical. On Wednesday and Thursday, July 6–7, women in their 20s and 30s will gather at a café–inspired space overlooking the San Antonio River Walk to explore various topics that relate specifically to them. Our young women’s café will offer a range of local experts who will speak on nutrition, positive self–talk, prayer, and mental, physical, sexual, and spiritual health.

For an up-to-date list of speakers and topics, visit the CAFÉ site (www.womenoftheelca.org/cafe) and go to the Young Women’s Affinity Group link. Visitors to the site are invited to suggest subjects they would like the speakers to address if time permits during the affinity group workshops.

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 Run, walk 'n' roll

Did you sign up for the 4K Run, Walk ’n’ Roll? Women of the ELCA is preparing to lead boldly in promoting complete and total health for women: physically, spiritually, and emotionally. The first effort will be at the gathering on Thursday, July 7, from 6:00 to 8:00 a.m.

The "Raising Up Healthy Women and Girls" 4K Run, Walk ’n’ Roll will involve hundreds of participants in an effort to boost awareness of the epidemic of heart disease that is claiming the lives of many women throughout the United States.

The plan over the next triennium is to motivate the 3.2 million women in the ELCA to participate in a single effort to improve their own health and the health of others.

If you signed up for the 4K Run, Walk ’n’ Roll when you registered, you received a "Raising Up Healthy Women and Girls" entry packet and pledge sheet. Don’t forget to bring your pledges to San Antonio. If you want to participate but didn’t sign up, it’s not too late. You may still register for the event when you get to San Antonio. So find some friends to join you and get moving!

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Be inspired by worship, song, and praise
 

Each day of the triennial gathering will offer ample opportunities for inspiration, singing, and praising God boldly. On Wednesday, July 6, the gathering will open with a service of Holy Communion. The Rev. Mark Hanson, presiding bishop of the ELCA, will preside at this service, and the Rev. Andrea Walker, associate pastor, St. John’s Lutheran Church, Summit, N.J., will preach.

On Thursday evening, there will be a Thankoffering service, with the Rev. Susan Gamelin presiding. Sue is pastor at Emmanuel Lutheran, High Point, N.C., and author of the upcoming 2005-2006 Lutheran Woman Today Bible study on the fruit of the Spirit. The Rev. Vashti Murphy McKenzie, bishop in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, will preach.

On Sunday, the gathering will close with a service of Holy Communion, with the Rev. Wyvetta Bullock, executive for leadership development for the ELCA, presiding and the Rev. Melanie McRae preaching. Melanie serves as a spiritual director and chaplain in Minneapolis, Minn. The organist and choir director for our worship is Dr. Sally Cherrington Beggs, chair of the music department, college organist, and associate professor of music at Newberry College, Newberry, S.C.

Morning Inspiration
In addition to formal worship services, each morning of the gathering will begin with thousands of women in prayer, preparation, and praise at Morning Inspiration. Part of the time we spend there together will be in Bible study with the Rev. Sarah Henrich, associate professor of New Testament at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn. Sarah will lead us in the study from the June and July/August issues of Lutheran Woman Today on "Act boldly!" Also, during this time of connection and inspiration, we’ll hear from global guests and other speakers, learn about the Women of the ELCA programs and resources, and get updates from the business sessions of the convention

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Dress up for the great banquet

Ardath Rodale and her daughter, Maria, are guest speakers for the Great Banquet on Saturday night, 7:00-9:30 p.m. Ardath and Maria are chair and vice-chair, respectively, of Rodale Inc., publishers of Prevention, Organic Style, Organic Gardening, and many other health and lifestyle magazines. For more than 60 years, Rodale has inspired people to live fuller, healthier lives. Ardath and Maria will help us transition into the 2005-2008 triennium focus on women’s health. We also will celebrate the 35th anniversary of the ordination of women in the ELCA, and enjoy live entertainment, giveaways, and a fabulous dinner. This is a dress-up affair.

If you registered for the gathering but didn’t sign up for the dinner, you still have time. Tickets are $65. To register, call us at 800-638-3522, ext. 2730. Have your registration confirmation number available when you call.

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Our in-kind gifts make a difference

Don’t forget to bring your in-kind gifts to the display area located in the exhibit hall, The Dwelling Place. The gifts will be distributed to local organizations and agencies in support of their ministries.

What should you bring? National retail gift cards, prepaid phone cards, health kits, and fabric for quilts. To learn more about what would be most helpful, contact Eva Yeo at 800-638-3522, ext. 2450, or Romelia Almaraz at ext. 2480. Or go to the Women of the ELCA Web site at www.womenoftheelca.org for more information. Click on the "Act boldly" logo at the right, then "Serve," and the "in-kind gifts" link.

Feel free to bring more than one gift to The Dwelling Place, which will be open Wednesday through Saturday, July 6-9, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. If someone from your women’s unit is unable to attend the gathering, but would like to give a gift, you could bring it for her.

Your gifts will go to many organizations in the San Antonio community, including agencies that serve people with HIV and AIDS, homeless families, children’s shelters, senior services, bilingual service programs, peace education projects, and more.

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Triennial gathering communion ware

 

You can order a commemorative communion paten and chalice for the 2005 triennial gathering, by calling Laura Barkenquast at 800-638-3522, ext. 2732. Each set is $80 and can be picked up at the gathering following the closing service of Holy Communion. You must order your set by June 20.

This hand-made set makes a great gift for your women’s group to use at retreats, Thankoffering services, and on other occasions. Purchase a set for yourself and one for your women’s group or congregation. Or consider giving it as a gift to women who have been mentors and examples of bold, faith-filled leadership.

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Affinity groups provide forums for sharing
 

	Photo by Mike Levin

Spend time with and learn from women who share your interest and passions. Check out these eight options for fellowship and networking on Wednesday, July 6, and Thursday, July 7. For complete descriptions, visit our Web site: www.womenoftheelca.org and click on the "Act boldly" logo on the right and then follow the "Connect" tab.

Clergy Women
Wednesday 1:30 – 9:00 and Thursday 12:30 – 3:30

Women Building Global Community
Wednesday 12:30 – 5:30 and Thursday 12:30 – 3:30

Way-Making Women
Wednesday 11:00 – 9:00 and Thursday 12:30 – 3:30; 7:00 – 9:00

Young Women Acting Boldly
Wednesday 11:00 – 6:00 and Thursday 1:00 – 3:30

Beyond the Ramp
Wednesday 1:00 – 4:30 and Thursday 1:00 – 3:30

Being Bold in the Health Field
Wednesday 1:00 – 6:00

The Gift...That Some Would Be Teachers
Wednesday 11:00 – 9:00 and Thursday 12:30 – 3:30

Synodical Newsletter Editors and Communicators
Wednesday 1:00 – 6:00

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Bold workshops enrich and empower

Workshops will be offered in three categories — for individuals, for leaders, and about health.

Boldly empowering ourselves as individuals includes prayer and spirituality, personal awareness, and chances to laugh and learn. Boldly enriching ourselves as leaders includes issues that range from advocacy to running an effective meeting. And boldly improving our health as women covers a broad spectrum from basic health concerns and self-image to related social issues.

Each workshop will be offered four times during the week, twice on Friday and twice on Saturday.

Becoming the Woman God Intended
Learn practical tools for when you face the ups and downs of life and discover how to see more clearly God acting in your life. For individuals, health. Faye Hill Thompson

Beyond the Looking Glass: Exploring, Challenging, and Celebrating the Real You
A positive self-image can be Spirit-filled, powerful, dynamic, and contagious. Experience this opportunity for personal growth as you develop skills, gather information, and gain tools to apply both to your own life and the life of your congregation. For leaders, individuals, health. Karen Ann Wiant

Building Bible Study Leaders
In the context of introducing the 2005-2006 Lutheran Woman Today Bible study, work together to build bold Bible study leaders who establish a safe setting for study. For leaders. Sue Gamelin

Child Victims of Trafficking
Traffickers prey on the emotional and physical vulnerabilities of children. Learn the fundamentals about trafficking to help you recognize and better serve victims in the U.S. For leaders. Charu Al-Sahli

Living with Depression
As Christians, how do we treat those who are depressed? We will talk about the symptoms, the available treatments, and attitudes toward depression. For individuals, health. Linda Preus

From Homeless to Enterprising Entrepreneur
Learn about personal power, perseverance, and the realities of being a woman entrepreneur. For leaders, individuals. Lucinda Yates

Joining Faith and Fair Trade
Learn how fair trade makes a difference in the lives of farmers and artisans around the world and how the choices we make are daily opportunities to demonstrate our faith. For leaders, individuals. Brenda Meier

Journey Together: A Good News Call and Reality
What does it mean to journey together as women? What can one woman do to accompany another and to promote another to journey with them? For leaders, individuals. Anne Zimmerman

Just Neighbors: A Tool to Empower Social Justice Leaders
Receive insights into the daily struggles of our neighbors in need and be inspired to act on what you’ve learned. This workshop introduces a new curriculum. For leaders, individuals. Family Promise staff

Living Faithfully in a Violent World
Explore how to walk Jesus’ path of peace through hands-on exercises. For leaders, individuals. Susan Ives

Ending Hunger in God’s World: Learning Advocacy
Learn about opportunities you have to use your gift of citizenship to seek justice for poor and hungry people. For leaders, health. Llewellyn Hille

PraiseMoves
Gentle stretches, movement, and strong Scripture combine in a practical way to glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. For individuals, health. Laurette Willis

Praying the Labyrinth: Embodied and Emboldened
Using the circuitous paths of the labyrinth you will explore new ways of praying that encompass your whole body. For individuals, health. Lisa Moriarty

Proactive People Practices
Discuss and share ideas about a number of positive people practices — ways to communicate effectively, show respect, act ethically, and prevent harassment. For leaders. Else Thompson

Sacred Space 101
The physical environment can have a great influence on the work of the Spirit. Learn what has worked for others and explore what might be the best environment for you. For individuals. Patricia Brooke

Silent Oppression: Congregations Living in Poverty
Storytelling is a powerful tool that can help participants understand how to be part of the solution and advocate for ministries for those living in poverty in our church. For leaders. Rose Mary Sánchez-Guzmán

Stirring the Waters: Protecting God's Creation
Learn about some of the issues connected to water that are faced by our sisters overseas. For leaders, health. Danielle Welliever

Taking Control: Financial Management for Women
Learn some of the latest techniques for managing money today, all presented with a woman’s needs in mind. For individuals. Cindy Steiner-Hake

That It May Be Well with You!
Define wellness, celebrate successes, and assess areas of growth on your journey into wellness. For leaders, individuals, health. Tammy Devine

Tool Kit for an Effective Meeting
Learn how to make meetings work for everyone. For leaders. Josselyn Bennett

Walking through Desert Times
Come explore the ways in which we can connect with God, especially in times of transition, and learn to listen and watch for the signposts that lead to the Promised Land. For individuals. Debra Farrington

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Servant events offer ministry opportunities
 

	Photo by Mike Levin

Providing service in the San Antonio area allows you to experience a variety of ministries. Servant events are offered July 7, 8, and 9 from 8:30 to 2:30. For complete descriptions, visit the triennial Web site at www.womenoftheelca.org and click on the "Act boldly" logo, then the "Serve" tab.

A Day in the Park
Women of the ELCA volunteers will be acting boldly with inner-city young people.

Alamo PC
Volunteers will perform data entry and other computer tasks. (www.alamoPC.org)

Circle School
Volunteers will aid in cleaning, small repairs, organizing, gardening, and painting to help get ready for the school year.

El Jardin de la Paz
Volunteer gardeners will turn soil, pull weeds, harvest produce, and plant seeds of peace for people in need.

Grace Place
Several projects will engage volunteers in crafting, decorating, cleaning, playing games, singing, dancing, and organizing. (www.ChristianSeniorServices.org)

Habitat for Humanity
Volunteers are needed to help build homes for low-income families. (www.HabitatSA.org)

Lutheran Face-Lift
Volunteer teams will work with local Lutherans in cleaning church day schools and gardens, organizing outreach ministries, and more. (Thursday and Friday only)

peaceCENTER
Use your library skills in the Gandhi Resource Center and community organizing skills in the action room. (www.salsa.net/peace)

Project MEND, Inc.
Filing, phone contacts, shredding, and cleaning medical equipment will fill volunteers’ time in mending this world. (www.proMEND.org)

Visitation House
Service volunteers will play with children and visit with mothers, and care for the house that provides shelter to those without homes.

Woman at the Well House
Volunteers will garden and paint inside and out, with and for women who were previously incarcerated and are now in transition.
(www.well-house.org)

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Pre-register for the 2008 gathering

Gathering attendees will have an opportunity to pre-register for the Seventh Triennial Gathering in Salt Lake City for a reduced special price of $200. This gathering is scheduled for the second week of July in 2008. The $200 fee is nonrefundable, but the registration is transferable to another person.

The first 75 people to register with payment for the Salt Lake City event will receive a CD of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and a chance to win a round-trip airline ticket on Delta and a free single or double room at either the Marriott or Hilton for the official nights of the gathering. The 76th person (and after) will be eligible for the drawing for the airline and lodging prize. To register for the 2008 gathering, visit the Salt Lake City booth near the Women of the ELCA booth in Exhibit Hall C.

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Welcome!

by Linda Post Bushkofsky

	Photo by Gabriela Contreras

I am so glad you’ve chosen to attend the Sixth Triennial Gathering of Women of the ELCA. The churchwide executive board, staff, and I look forward to greeting you in San Antonio. We have planned an exciting event, full of thought-provoking speakers and learning opportunities, many ways to gather in fun and fellowship, and inspirational worship and Bible study.

All these things will help you embrace the 2005-2008 triennium, equipping you to act boldly. God is making you bold, courageous, and fearless. Do not ignore the call. Act boldly.

Linda Post Bushkofsky  is executive director at Women of the ELCA.

P.S. Are you so excited about the gathering that you can barely contain yourself? It's not too late for others to register for the Sixth Triennial Gathering, so encourage your friends and family to join in this life-transforming event. Until June 20 folks can register online or via mail. After that, registrations can be completed on site in San Antonio.

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