News + Notes

Dear Sisters in Christ,

Hopefully you are keeping cool in the middle of this summer and able to relax and rejuvenate some.  Thankfully, we are blessed to have air conditioning for our hot days in the 90’s.  My son was surprised in Geneva, Switzerland, where he is doing research at CERN, by a record heat wave in the 100’s.  Most of Europe does not have air conditioning.  At least he has a fan now for his apartment to help him sleep and his work is air conditioned.  

Our Central/Southern Illinois Women of the ELCA Board has been working on our Fall Biennial Convention to be held October 11-12, 2019 when it will be cooler and much more pleasant.  It will be at Lake Williamson Christian Center in Carlinville (like 2017). We hope to see many of you there.  Please refer to our Summer Newsletter and the website for more information on the convention. Packets will be mailed out soon with nomination forms for Board offices such as Vice President and Treasurer and conference representatives.  Nominations are needed for 2020 Triennial Delegates as well.

Read On

Dear Sisters in Christ,

I hope you had a relaxing Christmas enjoying family and friends and are looking forward to a blessed New Year! My husband and I were happy to have our youngest son, from Los Angeles, home for two weeks and our oldest son, from Iowa, for a few days. Visiting with family and friends is always a blessing, even though things may not go as planned and tempers become short. My youngest son, who is trying to break into the movie business in LA like everyone else, reminded us to be kind to each other. Thanks to Dan for reminding us to be lights for one another. God brings us his hope and light and this is discussed in “Fear not”, the December Gather magazine article.

Read On

One of the guest speakers at the C/SIS 2003 Women of the ELCA Biennial Convention was a short, vibrant, engaging woman from Madagascar by the name of Toromare Mananato.

February 10, 2018 was the first meeting of our new C/SIS Board. We had a balance of $9,276.47 per Lynn Smith, Treasurer. We voted to send $2250.00 to our sister in Christ in Madagascar, Toromare. She reported to our Mission Chair, Mike, that she has many needs and this money will help with purchasing a camera and recorder to be used with the women’s magazine, computer needs, and repairs to her car so she can reach out to others in her ministry. We have supported Toromare in the past with other needs and especially toward building a home that will be used as a bed and breakfast to help raise money. She reports they still need $4000 to complete the home, money to support women students and donations for a workshop to promote gender equality as women are not currently allowed to serve as pastors in Madagascar.