Thursday, May 13, 2010

Welcome to the Summer Reading Group

Courage and Calling
An On-line Summer Reading Project

Introduction

As Christians we are called to be part of what God is doing in the world here and now. But as we participate in God’s purposes in our time, we automatically become part of something much bigger than ourselves which spans all time and space – we become part of God’s plan for all humankind. “Yeah, right,” you say. “So how does that work on a daily basis for me?” The answer lies in an understanding of your life as VOCATION.

God has called you – first to Himself, to know and follow Him, but also to a specific purpose, a particular reason for being. According to Gordon Smith, the author of the book we will be reading together, this “Second Call,” defines our purpose or mission in life and is often termed vocation, from the Latin root meaning “calling” and it has implications for our work and occupation, but its ramifications reach far wider to include our giftedness and our weaknesses, who we are, and how we live with other people.

“Do I have a calling? And if I do, how do I live it out in the midst of all the challenges of my real life?”

These and other questions will be the focus of our on-line reading group for the summer. Come join us…who knows…it may change your life.


Procedures

Book. Each participant will be responsible to getting a copy of Courage and Calling: Embracing Your God-Given Potential by Gordon T. Smith. This book is in print and available from on-line book sellers or by ordering locally.

On-Line Connection: Each week June 6 through August 29 Becce or Charlene will post thoughts about what we are reading and some questions for participants to think about, on our blog http://christianwomensnetworksji.blogspot.com (graciously loaned to us for the summer by Christian Women’s Network – San Juan). Participants will be invited to share their own insights and questions, respond to other’s posts and generally enjoy a simulating conversation around this amazing idea of being “called” by God and what it means for you.

Reading Schedule:

May 27 – 6:30 p.m. Face-to-Face meeting for study introduction and for anyone one wanting help with the “technology” part of participation in an on-line class.

June 7 – 19 (2 weeks) Introduction and Chapter 1 The Content of Our Lives & Work

June 21 – July 3 (2 weeks): Chapter 2 Seeking Congruence

July 5-10 (1 week): Chapter 3
Chapters in Our Lives

July 12-17 (1 week): Chapter 4
As Unto the Lord

July 19-24 (1 week): Chapter 5
Thinking Vocationally

July 26-31 (1 week): Chapter 6
Courage and Character

August 2-7 (1 week): Chapter 7
The Capacity to Learn

August 9-14 (1 week) Chapter 8
The Cross We Bear

August 16-21 (1 week) Chapter 9
Working With and Within Organizations

August 23-28 (1 week) Chapter 10
The Ordered Life

Sometime the last week of August or first week of September we will have another Face-to-face meeting to process our summer’s journey together.

How to Join and Maintain Contact with the Group

You can connect with the group through our blog either by clicking on the blog address here, bookmarking it as a favorite or subscribing to an RSS feed. You can subscribe to the RSS Feed for the blog and receive e-mail whenever a new post is made. You can do this by adding an RSS feed to your incoming mail. The RSS feed address is:

http://www.christianwomensnetworksji.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss.

Instructions for adding an RSS Feed to Outlook 2007 or Internet Explorer, click here. Other e-mail software may also enable you to subscribe to an RSS Feed both on PC's and Macs.

If the RSS Feed does not work for you, you can simply bookmark the blog and visit it regularly.


Facilitators

Becce Bettridge - I love to read, garden, and hike…I am not so fond of church committee meetings, gossips, and liver. My greatest joy is sharing God’s Word with those who desire a closer and deeper walk with God, and I am very much looking forward to the conversations we will have this summer. My most recent adventure is taking me on a very old path…the path of spiritual formation. I am learning what it means to lay my entire life down before the Lord…challenging territory for all of us!


Charlene Amsden
– I am a writer, a teacher, a talker, a story-teller. Like Becce I am not fond of church committee meetings or gossip, but do like liver and onions if it is cooked just so … yum. Right now I am in transition in my life and trying to come to terms with who I was and who I am now supposed to be. Wherever my prayer and study takes me I am certain there will be teaching as well as learning involved because both are my passions.

3 comments:

  1. Even though I live far away, I would love to join this group. I've given alot of thought to this topic and haven't really been able to answer my own questions. This summer study may be just the thing for me!

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  2. As Charlene said, the book is available online and in bookstores. It's also available for Kindle or Kindle for PC. I got the Kindle for PC version.

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  3. Before I respond to the questions, I would like to thank Charlene for sending me an email inviting me be a part of this group. I am struggling a little right now finding my calling. I am 69 years young and I have been retired for almost two years. I lived in Las Vegas and was really "busy" with responsibilities I enjoyed and felt lead to do. Because of a couple of health issues, I decided I should move back to Oklahoma to be closer to family. I was lost. I now have to rekindle old relationships from years back and make new ones and I have felt as if the purpose for me is to just sit down and be quiet. Well the introduction and the first chapter of this book have really challenged me. I love the book and I am sure now that God has a calling for me here. I just do not know what it is yet. Thanks for letting me struggle through this discovery time with all of you. Even at 69 God has work for me to do, and he will open my eyes to the task if I watch and listen to Him.

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