Women's Studies
All women of the church and their friends are welcome to any Women’s Studies activity. We generally gather on the 4th Tuesday of each month, at 6:00 p.m., to share a meal and to discuss a topic of general interest to women. Most of our meetings are held in homes of the women who participate. We always have a potluck dinner and hostesses who provide drinks and dinnerware.
We have one exception to that rule this year in April when our meeting begins at 5:30pm and box suppers will be provided at cost for those who attend. Although it is not a necessity, any woman who would like to attend one of our meetings is encouraged to call the church office before the end of the day on the Monday preceding a meeting so that our hostesses can make arrangements. Bringing a dish to share for our meal is also encouraged but not a necessity.
The diversity of our women and the topics we discuss make our evenings together fun and educational. Our group provides an excellent opportunity for fellowship and for strengthening the ties within our church family.
Women to Women is an international group that assists women survivors of war and racial or ethnic conflict in countries including Iraq, Bosnia, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Columbia, Rwanda, the Sudan and Afghanistan. Sponsors provide monthly support for one year to help provide direct financial assistance, job training, leadership training and rights awareness, and micro-enterprise loans. With this help, women survivors of war can move from crisis and poverty to stability and self sufficiency.
Women's Studies group has decided to support one woman in this program for one year, a cost of $27 a month for twelve months. As part of the effort, we will write letters to the sister we sponsor, a 32 year old woman in Rwanda whose 6 siblings depend upon her. For more information, go to www.womenforwomen.org or call Marilyn Kolton at 259-9461.
Monthly Meeting Schedule:
January 27, 2009 @ 6:00pm
Discussion of The Faith Club by Ranya Idilby Leader: Barbara Earnhardt
The subtitle of the book is “a Muslim, a Christian, a Jew – three women search for understanding.”. This has been called “a groundbreaking book about Americans searching for faith and mutual respect.” It interweaves the stories of three women, their religions, and their desire to understand each other.
February 24, 2008 @ 6:00pm
Women’s Stories in Poetry
Leaders: Bonnie Weldon & Barbara Earnhardt
Poetry lovers! Poetry haters! Come read with us a couple of poems about and by women. You can pick them up as attachments on e-mail, or pick up hard copies at the church reception desk. There are NO EXAMS! All responses welcomed. Some good laughs are guaranteed--and maybe a few tears.
March 24, 2009 @ 6:00pm
Discussion of the novel Home Leader: Margaret Torrence
What does “going home” mean to you? Join us for a discussion based on Marilynne Robinson’s new novel Home (Robinson won a Pulitzer Prize in 2005 for her novel “Gilead”), One reviewer said: “Home is a moving and healing book about families, family secrets, and the passing of the generations, about love and death and faith.
April 28, 2008 @ 5:30pm
NOTE: The time is 5:30pm
A Visit to a Labyrinth
We will visit one of the Labyrinths in Buncombe County and share a box supper. A Labyrinth is an ancient symbol that relates to wholeness. It combines the imagery of the circle and the spiral into a meandering but purposeful path. The Labyrinth represents a journey to our own center and back again out into the world. Labyrinths have long been used as meditation and prayer tools. Join us to learn about this ancient method of active meditation and prayer, and experience a walk on the Labyrinth yourself.
May 26, 2009 @ 6:00pm
Mary the Mother of Jesus in History, Scripture & Art
Leader: Sarah Larson
Sarah will be presenting materials gathered from her study of the representation of Mary in religious art at the Metropolitan Museum, in churches and chapels to Mary in Italy, in scripture, and in histories which record her actual existence. We will take a look at the evidence and the growing interest in Mary throughout the church with no particular view point or conclusion being encouraged.