M INISTRIE S
Despite Pandemic, Kingdom Work Continues Through Cursillo BY N A NCY GO RD O N A N D C HU C K P I ERC E
Both The Episcopal Church and Cursillo have faced numerous challenges in the year 2020. Due to COVID-19, churches have had to cancel or modify services, and Cursillo canceled all activities, including weekends, reunion groups and Ultreyas. Ultreya is a Spanish term of encouragement meaning “onward,” but for Cursillo groups, the term has a special meaning. It refers to a reunion of reunions, a place where cursillistas (Cursillo alumni) come to support and encourage one another. Even with the pandemic and its challenges, God is opening doors to fresh kingdom paths and ideas for Cursillo. The Cursillo Commission and Servant Community (Cursillo leadership) remain in ongoing prayer for God’s guidance as they consider how to hold future Cursillo Weekends and how to effectively communicate the Cursillo message to the church, to parish Cursillo communities and to Episcopalians who have never experienced the joy and uplifting spirit of these sacred weekends. Through this season, God has given the Cursillo leadership the opportunity for an inward look at themselves and an outward look at Cursillo. With the Lord’s guidance, they intend to facilitate an improved Cursillo Weekend that will continue to produce Christ-centered lay leaders for The Episcopal Church and the Christian faith.
Gordon provided music. Following two songs, everyone was assigned to breakout rooms, where small groups shared the invocation and discussed moments of nearness to God along with piety, study and action. When the large group came back together, Arbri, who attended Coed Cursillo No. 129 last September, presented a dynamic lay witness talk. She spoke of the values she learned in her Cursillo Weekend and how she applies them in her life with family, work and friends as well as at church. Gordon provided an echo (a brief talk meant as a reflection on and “echo” of the larger message) with a Gospel echo by Griffith. A song followed some brief announcements, and Griffith led in Compline. The Ultreya closed with the singing of “De Colores.”
The Holy Spirit Ultreya Team offers praise to God for achieving its goal of hosting the Zoom Ultreya despite technological pitfalls and limited knowledge of the Zoom platform. If another parish wants to learn how to offer a similar event, please contact Holy Spirit’s Cursillo parish coordinators, Cindi Shaffer and Nancy Gordon. Join us. Pray, think and build action plans to help make Save the Date Cursillo a continued blessing Coed Weekend Oct. 1 - 3, 2021 to the kingdom of God both during and after the pandemic. For more information, contact Ultreya: upward, onward, Phil Phillips, strumminguy55@yahoo.com persevere! Karen Stout, 4karenjs@gmail.com
Since in-person events had to be canceled, on Sept. 20, Church of the Holy Spirit, Apopka, hosted a Zoom Ultreya. The church’s Ultreya Team first sent announcements to the Central Deanery of the diocese's rotating Ultreya group and then to the diocesan Cursillo Yahoo and Facebook groups. Parishioners from 11 churches registered to take part. As participants gathered online, they had time to get acquainted via an open chat. The Ultreya began with a welcome by master of ceremonies Cindi Shaffer, followed by an opening prayer from The Rev. Rob Griffith. Next, Dolly Arbri, Sally Davala and Nancy
Kim McMaster, kmcmaster1@cfl.rr.com You can also access the diocesan Cursillo website at: www.cfepiscopalcursillo.org. Connect to the Central Florida Facebook page @CentralFloridaCursilloGroup. If you are not receiving the Cursillo information emails, please let one of us know.
cfdiocese.org
CFE Nov / Dec 2020
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