FourthDayJournalJULYAUGUST - Inland Northwest Episcopal Cursillo

Fourth Day Journal
Inland Northwest Cursillo^®
a ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Spokane

Nadine Grady, editor

July - August, 2008
Volume 5, Number 4

Cursillo Rummage Sale Set For July 11-12
The long-awaited rummage sale is set for:
● Friday, July 11 and Saturday, July 12
● In the parish hall at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 57th & Perry, Spokane.
● Sale hours will be 9-6 on Friday and 9-4 on Saturday.

This is an easy way to help Cursillo support itself, and clear unneeded stuff out of your house — good stewardship all around!

Donated items for the sale may be brought to St. Stephen’s on Thursday, July 10, after 8 AM. If you cannot bring your items on Thursday, please contact Justin Stout. He’s volunteered space in his basement to store items until the sale.

Helpers are needed to set up and price the items, and to handle sales during the event.
If you can pitch in for a few hours, please contact Lolita Sutton.

And of course, be sure to come shop at the sale — you never know what treasures you may find!

From the Lay Director
Yesterday when I started thinking about this, it was doggone hot! After a long, cold, persistent winter and an all too brief spring, yesterday was boiling. The birds were singing, the sky was blue, and there was a hot breeze blowing from the southwest. I just sat in my lawn chair and let summer wash over me. I let all of the yard work and freshman essays go for the whole afternoon. Today, reality set in. April showers soaked us with a constant drizzle, June brought the long awaited thaw for most of us, and Monday is here in full bloom with all of the normal Monday things, and my short commune with nature (mosquitoes too!) is done for now.

Being tuned in to nature has taught me a lot over the years. When the meadowlarks start singing in the fields about us, I know that we probably have seen our last snow. Robins will fool you, arriving often at least a few inches of snow ahead of spring, but meadowlarks seem to be, for me, a better harbinger of warmer times. As all of you, when I see the flights of geese headed south, I know that seasons are changing again. If we watch long enough, we will see the lead goose drop down, creating a vacancy up front. The former leader will drop back and another goose within the “V” will scurry up front and wing heavily along, taking the lead as the former leader falls back and rests.

None of this is new, but it puts me in mind of change. It is a new season for Cursillo too. Our spring retreat is behind us, and everyone worked very hard to make it the success it was, but we are also another year into our mission. Just as geese are led by one stalwart volunteer as the flight aims south, our Secretariat is composed of stalwart volunteers who dedicate themselves to steering us along as we work to bring the world to Christ.

However, just as the lead goose will tire and a replacement is needed, several of the members of the Secretariat are approaching the end of their term of leadership and deserve a well-earned rest.

You are probably way ahead of me here, and I am surprising no one when I ask you to prayerfully search your heart and mind and ask if the Lord might be calling you to leadership in the ministry. I can say from experience that serving on the Secretariat is a joy and a challenge. We serve the Inland Northwest Cursillo movement under the direction of our bishop, and we face any number of challenges as we do. We also meet and work with some of Christ’s best people and are prayerfully bolstered up in our service.

Please take some time to consider if the Spirit might be calling you to serve in this capacity. Our movement needs leadership as much as Weekend participants and team members. We need you. Please let us know if you are willing to serve on the Secretariat and be available for the Nominations Committee members who might call.

In any case, there are plenty of opportunities to serve the Lord and this movement by organizing a reunion group, working on one of the activities that come up (the rummage sale for example), supporting Ultreya (one is always just a month away), and supporting us all with your continued prayers for our movement and those who labor in it.

Enjoy your summer; it seemed long in coming.
Yours in Christ,
Jim Coy
Lay Director

FOURTH DAY ACTIVITIES

Thank you!

Fredna Coy, Janet Crane, Fred Noyes and Lolita Sutton all completed their terms on the Cursillo Secre-tariat (our Board of Directors) at the end of May. We extend our heartfelt thanks to all of them for the tre-mendous work they’ve done!

Ministry Opportunity – Secretariat
Four seats on the Cursillo Secretariat are vacant, and we’re looking for good leaders to fill them. Meetings are on the 2nd Friday evening of every other month; the next one is in August. If you feel called to help grow the Cursillo ministry in this diocese, please contact one of the Nominating Committee:
● Janet Crane, Coeur d’Alene
● Fredna Coy, Spokane
They'll be contacting people, but they probably don‘t know whether you’re interested — so don’t be shy! Give them a call if you want to be considered.

Ministry Opportunity – Kairos
Kairos Prison Ministry weekends are now being held at the Pine Lodge Corrections Center for Women in Medical Lake, WA. Information about Kairos of Washington can be found online
If you want to work in this ministry, contact information is on the PLCCW page at that website.

Mark Your Calendars
Thu. July 10 — Rummage Sale setup, St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Spokane, starting at 8 AM.
Fri. July 11 — Rummage Sale, St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Spokane, 9 AM – 6 PM.
Sat. July 12 — Rummage Sale continues, same location, 9 AM – 4 PM.
Fri. August 8 — Secretariat meeting, location to be determined, 6-10 PM including potluck dinner.
Sat. August 9 — Ultreya, Spokane area location to be determined, 3-5 PM, potluck dinner 5-6 PM.
Fri. August 15 — Deadline for the September-October newsletter issue.
Fri. October 10 — Secretariat meeting, location to be determined, 6-10 PM including potluck dinner.
Sat. October 11 — Ultreya, Spokane area location to be determined, 3-5 PM, potluck dinner 5-6 PM.
Wed. October 15 — Deadline for the November-December newsletter issue.
Fri. October 24 – Rest Stop Coffee & Cookies, Sprague Lake exit on westbound I-90, 5 AM – 10 PM
Sat. October 25 – Rest Stop Coffee & Cookies continues, 5 AM – 10 PM
Sun. October 26 – Rest Stop Coffee & Cookies continues, 5 AM – 10 PM

Corrections
A few things in our last issue weren’t quite right:
● Marion Jacob’s last name does not end in “s.”
● Mary Brenda Dippel was a Sunday Angel.
● Bruce Butch Dippel worked in the kitchen.
● Lolita Sutton is still happily a member of St. Stephen’s in Spokane.
Our apologies to them… and thanks to all you sharp-eyed readers who caught the errors!

How We Got This Started
By Nadine Grady, Editor

A few weeks ago someone asked me about some things we do differently than what they’d experienced at their Cursillo weekend in another diocese. I found myself explaining again the process we used four years ago before our first weekend.

Suddenly I realized… we on that first team experienced the process, and I’d written about it for the national Cursillo journal, but I’d never explained it for the rest of our local community. Whoops! So, here’s the story, with a little history up front to set the stage.

First Steps First
Cursillo was active in our diocese during 1975-1992, then went inactive. In September 2002 my husband Jim and I, with the National Episcopal Cursillo (NEC) representative assigned to this diocese, met with Bishop Waggoner to see if he would support restarting Cursillo here. He agreed wholeheartedly. We held several meetings, inviting anyone who wanted to help. From those meetings came the core group of leaders.

In May, 2003 the Bishop appointed our first Secretariat members, including himself as Spiritual Director. Deacon Charlie Jett drafted, and the Bishop signed, our Pastoral Plan. With that information submitted to the NEC, we were officially re-started.

Forming A Community
Cursillo’s main message is that a Christian community is essential to spiritual growth, so we first tried to get that community (group reunions and Ultreyas) going. It was slow work. Cursillistas here hadn’t heard anything about the “4th Day” in 10 years, and not much about it before that. Plus, a few had negative memories of Cursillo, and weren’t sure that re-starting was a good idea.

We needed some outside help. An NEC member came from Mississippi and met with us. We learned that we were breaking new ground — several dioceses had gone inactive, but no one had actually restarted a movement before. He suggested that we needed Weekends to raise the community’s enthusiasm and involvement, so that we could get the Fourth Day going. In the spring of 2004, the Secretariat scheduled our first weekend for August at Camp Cross, and asked me to be the lay rector. (I’d been a weekend lay rector before — so I knew the drill, right? Hah! Little did I know!)

Starting From Scratch
We wanted people from all over the diocese on the team. So, armed with the 10-year-old directory, I started cold-calling. (“Hi, you don’t know me, but would you like to be on the team for a Cursillo in August?”) It took quite a while to get enough people for the team. I'd never met some of them, and didn’t know whether they’d work well together, but at least they’d agreed to serve. By then there was only time for 4 team meetings before the weekend — we had to to get it together fast.

We were from 10-12 different dioceses, all with different traditions and ways of doing nearly everything on a Cursillo weekend, and no shared history. We first agreed on the few basics that absolutely had to happen during the weekend — the 5 meditations and 15 talks, daily prayer and Eucharist, eating, sleeping and free time. EVERYTHING else was optional, and had to pass a test — if it supported the message of the weekend, we’d probably do it. If it didn’t, or wasn’t needed, or if it was a distraction, we probably wouldn’t do it.

The New, Simpler Model
We slew our “sacred cows” right and left, and ended up with a simple weekend that covers all the required material, includes an Agape meal and Mananitas, and still has 2 to 4 hours of free time in each full day. (Really!)

We worked hard to keep the weekend uncluttered and gentle. We don’t require removal of watches or clocks. All liturgies are from familiar sources. We emphasize that there are NO secrets — some surprises, but even those aren’t secrets. The “Flow of the Three-Day Weekend” chart is provided right up front before the first talk, because many people learn better if they can see how it all fits together. And on Sunday we talk about the need to be sensitive to others when we get home all fired up about our weekend.

Since then we’ve had 8 weekends, with a total of 52 participants. They’ve been small, but they’ve worked. Participants and team are hearing the message of Cursillo clearly, and becoming more active and involved in their churches and ministries with support from their Christian community. Team members are learning new roles, and taking leadership positions. Ultreyas are going in the Spokane area, and we’re trying to increase involvement in the rest of the diocese. With God’s help we’ll continue growing a healthy Cursillo ministry.

CURSILLO WEEKENDS

Dates Set for Weekend #9
At their June 6 meeting, the Secretariat set May 14-17, 2009 as the dates for our next Cursillo weekend. We will not hold a Weekend this fall.

The location has not been determined yet. The Secretariat is working hard to find a church outside the Spokane area that is willing to host a Weekend.

Any church interested in hosting the weekend should contact Jim Coy, Lay Director, as soon as possible.

What does it take? Physically, the church needs to have enough room to accommodate the weekend activities in addition to Sunday services and any other church, school or day care activities that must use the building at the same time. The rector of the church needs to be supportive, though not necessarily actively involved in the weekend.

There need to be around 8-12 local lay leaders who are not only willing to be involved on the weekend team but, more importantly, are either in an active Christian community or are willing and able to get one going. The message of Cursillo is that as Christians, we need community to support us in our Christian lives — community in which there is some accountability to keep a balance of prayer, learning and action in our lives, and to support and pray for each other as we do that. Therefore, it would be preferable to have an active community of this type operating, which people can become part of after the Weekend.

The Cursillo literature uses the terms “group reunion” for small circle-of-friends communities that meet regularly, and “Ultreyas” for less-frequent gatherings of the larger community. The names are not important; the concepts are. Cursillo also provides a suggested format for small group meetings. Again, the format isn’t important; the trust, support, accountability and prayer are.

If the terminology gets in the way of including people, especially people who haven’t been to a Cursillo or similar weekend, then we need to use other terms. Cursillo does not teach exclusivity — it intends to support our wider Christian communities, not form separate ones.

Lay Rector Reflections
By Rich Basta, Lay Rector

As I reflect on The May Cursillo weekend at St. Stephen's, I can't help but be amazed at the wonderful things committed people can do when they put God in charge. Walking up and down stairs all weekend challenged the limits of many by Sunday, but everyone on the team had a joyous spirit that would not let up. Standing next to the candidates at a well-attended closing, I looked out to see all the team members, and they were so happy for the new cursillistas. We all knew we had a hand in strengthening their relationship with Christ and His people. I wish to thank St. Stephen's for being a wonderful host, the Angel Team led by Carol Luster for their cleanup work, and a great team that lifted me up all weekend. It was my pleasure to be led by God to preside over the weekend. I look forward to working with many of you on weekends to come.
Ultreya!

New Sound System
During the past year it became obvious that the sound system used by Cursillo 15 to 25 years ago had reached the end of its useful life. The Secretariat recently purchased a new wireless system that should serve the needs of our speakers and musicians for years to come. The total cost was $2,700. Generous donations totaling $1,700 had already been received before the purchase; the remaining $1,000 came from the general budget.

Additional donations toward the cost of the sound system will be gratefully welcomed, and would make the general budget more available for other purposes. Checks should be sent to the Treasurer, Steve Ferrell - contact him for the mailing address.

Where are the Chalice & Paten?
The chalice and paten -- the ceramic goblet and plate used for Communion -- that belong to Cursillo were misplaced after Weekend #7 (the one held at the Church of the Resurrection last fall). If you know where they are, please contact Mary Kay Ferrell or Mary Basta.

PRE-CURSILLO

Start Planning Now
There are 10 months until our next weekend. Start thinking about it now, while there’s time to prepare and to reserve space in busy calendars.

If You’ve Already Attended a Cursillo Weekend:

(1) Would you like to sponsor someone else to attend? Now is a good time to get started. The weekend is intended for those who want to grow spiritually in a Christian community. Check with their clergy first, then talk to your prospective candidate. Invite them to join your reunion group (or whatever else you may call your small supportive Christian community — you do have one, right?) If you don’t already have such a group, now is a good time to form one. If your prospective candidate decides to attend a weekend, use the link in the column at left to get a Candidate Application Form.

(2) Would you like to be on a weekend team? Do you have leadership skills you’d like to use, or are you perhaps interested in developing some new ones? Every Weekend we need people to lead the music, clergy, kitchen and support teams, as well as others to serve on those teams. Some of the laypeople also need to be able to prepare a short talk from an outline, and deliver it. Every Weekend we need someone who’s good at keeping events on schedule, and some people to help with cleanup. What are your gifts? Use the link in the column at left to get a Weekend Team Application Form.

If You’d Like To Attend a Cursillo Weekend:

First, you need a sponsor. Why? Well, the sponsor’s job is to (1) answer any questions you may have about the weekend, (2) help with any arrangements you need to enable you to attend, (3) help get you there and back again, and (4) most importantly, to help you form or join a small group of friends that meets regularly for prayer, accountability and encouragement. That last part, the community, is the whole point of Cursillo.

If you know someone who’s been to a Cursillo or similar weekend and you’d like them to sponsor you, ask them. If you need some help finding a sponsor, contact me (Nadine Grady); I keep the mailing list and can help you find someone in your area.

Pray for Others’ Weekends
We’ve sent messages to the following Episcopal, Anglican and/or local Cursillo weekends, assuring them of our prayers for them. Please remember them in your prayers:

June 19-22, 2008
• Men’s Roman Catholic, Diocese of Yakima, WA

June 26-29, 2008
• Women’s Roman Catholic, Diocese of Yakima, WA

July 10-13, 2008
• Men’s Episcopal, California Central Coast
• Women’s Anglican, Diocese of Wellington, New Zealand

July 17-20, 2008
• Women’s Episcopal, California Central Coast
• Men’s Episcopal, Diocese of Oregon

August 14-17, 2008
• Men’s Anglican, Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn, Australia
• Women’s Anglican, Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn, Australia

There are many more Cursillo weekends in other denominations, plus other 3-day weekends in similar movements, going on all the time. There are far too many to list here — dozens every week, all around the world.

Messages are e-mailed from our Movement to others listed at www.3dayol.org/Palanca_Listing.html, letting them know that we’re praying for them. They, in turn, pray for our Weekends and send messages to let us know. It all occurs with no postage costs.

Missing an Issue?
No, you didn’t miss or misplace your May-June issue. We were very busy in those months, and before we knew it, we’d missed getting the newsletter out on time. This issue follows the March-April one. Thanks for your understanding.