Conduct:
We anticipate that synod will discuss the use of women's gifts on
June 13 or 14. We encourage your attendance on those days so you
can meet, discuss and pray with other witnesses who have been blessed
by the ministry of our women members.
If
you are only able to be here for the session(s) when the use of
women's gifts is discussed, that is fine. We will inform people
of the exact time of the session(s) via the web site, listserv and
text messaging as soon as the discussion is scheduled.
All
synodical sessions are open to guests, and we encourage you to attend
as many as you are able to get a feel for the breadth of our denomination's
ministry. We ask that you conform to guidelines of good conduct
in the Fine Arts Center. If anyone does not act according to the
guidelines, they run the risk of being asked to leave--and potentially
may jeopardize the entire witness. So, do not express approval or
disapproval audibly or visibly by clapping, talking, groaning or
the like. Please maintain a respectful silence. In this place and
case, silence speaks powerfully. Our presence will speak powerfully
all by itself.
Talking
with the media: Our designated media spokesperson
is Shirley Roels. However, some of you may be interviewed by the
media, as well. Please remember the purposes of our gathering. Though
many of us have been deeply hurt by the church's exclusion of us
and our gifts and though those painful stories can be told appropriately,
we gather primarily to rejoice in a vision for the future, not to
bemoan the past. If you talk with the media, please speak about
the goals of the gathering:
-
We
gather as a cloud of witnesses to bear testimony to the wonderful
ways our denomination is being blessed by the service of its
women members, "as we run with perseverance the race marked
out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus" (Hebrews 12: 1,2).
-
We
gather to praise our ascended Savior for the gifts given to
the church and to pray for the full use of those gifts.
-
We
gather because we love the Christian Reformed circle and what
it does in the world.
-
We
gather to promote the future health of the Christian Reformed
Church.
Please
join us in that praise and prayer.
