Every month women’s groups across the country meet and discuss topics in Café. Every month, we will will highlight some of these groups. If you don’t have a Café group, why not start one?
Bringing women together for enrichment and fellowship, Monona, Wisc.
Lisa Hansen has been the “driving force” behind a multi-generational Café group at St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church, Monona, Wisc. according to Julie Buss, an active participant. This group of women meet regularly to discuss Café ‘s topics, engage in Bible study, advocacy and social events.
Read about their group:
St. Stephen’s Bold Café Brings Women Together for Enrichment and Fellowship
Seated in a living room on chairs arranged in a circle and sipping coffee, nearly a dozen women from St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church in Monona, Wisconsin, gathered at a member’s home to contemplate Psalm 104, discuss God’s glorious creation and encourage committed stewardship.
Using essays, scriptural readings and discussion questions provided monthly on www.boldcafe.org, St. Stephen’s Bold Café members pause from their busy days to reflect on how God is involved in their daily lives and how they can establish and enhance a lifelong relationship with Jesus. They also create meaningful relationships with each other and, through hands-on projects, improve the lives of women and their families in their community and around the world.
St Stephen’s Bold Café welcomes women of all ages for monthly meetings and frequent special events. In addition to the discussion topics and materials provided by the Bold Café website, members have assembled and sewn many, many boxes of midwife kits and Little Dresses for Africa for overseas shipment, enjoyed daylong and weekend retreats, explored their community by boat and bicycle and shared the awesome beauty of God’s nature during a kayaking adventure in early summer.
Bold Café enriches the lives of the women of St. Stephen’s through discussion, contemplation, stewardship and fellowship. St. Stephen’s is an ELCA Reconciled in Christ church that welcomes all to worship. St. Stephen’s offers support and encouragement to all in their journey of faith; care and concern for each other, the community and sisters and brothers throughout the world; opportunities for service and fellowship; and many ways to respond to God’s great gifts of love and grace.
We are so happy to learn about this vibrant group and we thank the Cafe group at St. Stephen’s for sharing their experience.
Are you involved in a Café group? Do you meet on campus? Or meet for dinner? Or discuss Café issues over wine? If so, we’d love to hear your story! Send us a message and you can write next month’s “Café Groups” article.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly God, Thank you for bringing us together to discuss these topics that are important to us as women of faith. Thank you for reminding us through this issue of Café that although our paths may change or be redirected, we pray that we do not lose sight of your love for us. Help us to stay open to changes so that we can continue to do your work. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
The offering collected at this Café group experience will go to support Café, the online magazine published by Women of the ELCA. Clergy and Lay women contribute to every issue and are paid for original content. This resource is supported by women active in Women of the ELCA, the national women’s organization of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. This offering can submitted here.
So, how did your Café group go? We want to hear all about it! Send us a comment!
Thanks for your comment, Kathy! There are many free and easy ways to create an on-line group for your family and freinds! I have had great luck with creating groups on Facebook.com. On facebook, provided that you have an account, you can have both private and public groups, as long as you and your members are on facebook. (http://www.facebook.com/help/?faq=167970719931213)
If your family is not currently using Facebook, then perhaps you can create a blog (free blogs are available via wordpress.com (http://wordpress.com/), or blogger (http://www.blogger.com/home). You can also use email.
I’d also ask other Cafe readers. Cafe readers: What ways are you connecting with women aon-line? Do you have any suggestions for Kathy?
Good luck!
Blessings, Elizabeth