St.  Margaret’s  Episcopal  Church  

And  Day  School  

Episcopal  Church  Women   5310  Stahl  Road  San  Antonio,  TX  78247  

(210)  657-­‐3328  www.stmargs.org  

Arise, Woman Of God

Rise  up,  O  woman  of  God  In  what  He  has  given  you,  

The  things  God  has  laid  on  your  heart,  Rise  up,  go  forth,  and  do  

Unlock  what  God  has  placed  within,  The  potential  you  have  inside  

The  world  is  waiting  for  your  release  To  expand  your  wings  and  fly  

Arise  in  your  God-­‐given  gifts  For  this  is  your  finest  hour  

Arise  in  the  Lord's  holy  might,  Ignited  and  empowered  

For  God  is  calling  you  to  come  forth  To  impact  this  world  for  Him,  

Don't  hold  back  or  limit  yourself  Let  His  power  arise  within  

And  take  His  message  to  the  world  To  those  that  have  lost  their  way,  

For  you  can  surely  make  a  difference  If  you'd  hear  His  voice  and  obey  

You  shall  be  strengthened  in  the  Lord  As  you  begin  to  arise,  

Conquering  those  doubts  that  pull  you  down  And  believe  who  you  are  in  Christ  

For  you  shall  surely  be  transformed  As,  in  you,  God  increases  more  

And  become  a  woman  of  true  excellence Bringing  honour  to  her  Lord.  

© By  M.S.Lowndes

St.  Margaret’s  

ECW Prayer

Almighty  God,  we  pray  that  You  will  bless  our  work  in  mission  and  ministry  in  the  world.  

Help  us  to  pray  fervently,  labor  diligently,  and  give  liberally  to  make  known  the  power  of  your  love  given  through  your  son  Jesus  Christ.  

Let  us  not  forget  the  lessons  from  the  past  nor  fear  the  challenges  of  the  future.  Anoint  us  with  your  grace  and  shine  in  our  hearts  as  we  reflect  your  light  throughout  the  world.  Amen.  

   Who We Are

We  are  Episcopal  Church  Women  of  all  ages,  ethnic  origins,  and  socioeconomic  backgrounds  who  hold  a  variety  of  views.  However,  the  common  denominator  of  our  members  is  the  love  of  God  and  the  wish  to  do  His  work.  Our  vision  for  all  women  of  the  Episcopal  Church  is  that  we  become  a  vibrant  blend,  coming  together  as  a  peacemaking,  healing  part  of  the  Church.  We  seek  to  be  an  inspiration  that  shares  the  love  of  Christ.  

St.  Margaret  of  Scotland  

Why Women Only  

An  important  reason,  “why  women  only”,  is  because  we  simply  enjoy  getting  together  with  other  women  –  whether  it  is  for  fellowship,  Bible  study,  or  any  other  kind  of  project.  Another  important  aspect  is  the  opportunity  for  women  to  grow  into  the  life  of  the  Church  through  women’s  ministries.  Many  of  the  women  in  leadership  roles,  in  the  larger  body  of  the  Church,  began  their  involvement  or  ministry  through  the  Episcopal  Church  Women’s  group,  ECW.    Most  importantly,  ECW  groups  offer  an  environment  for  spiritual  growth  and  opportunities  for  ministry.  Participation  in  these  groups  also  promotes  an  understanding  of  the  structure  and  functionality  of  the  Church.  

History of ECW

At  the  30th  General  Convention  in  1871,  the  Board  of  Missions  was  authorized  to  organize  a  Women’s  Society.  By  the  2nd  Triennial  Meeting  in  1877,  48  dioceses  had  formally  organized  groups.  They  typically  addressed  the  problem  of  funding  women’s  missionary  work.  The  1922  Triennial  Meeting  formed  the  National  Board  to  oversee,  not  only  the  missionary  work,  but  social  services,  religious  education,  and  prayer  &  worship.  In  1958  the  bylaws  were  adopted  to  designate  the  group  as  the  Episcopal  Church  Women.  In  1985  the  National  Board  of  the  ECW  was  created  and,  with  only  minor  changes,  continues  to  function  today.  

ECW at St. Margaret’s

All  Episcopal  women  are  automatically  members  of  the  ECW.  We  are  the  women  who  participate  in  the  church  and  are  active  in  our  community.  Some  of  us  are  members  of  Altar  Guild,  United  Thank  Offering,  Daughters  of  the  King,  Vestry,  and  Prayer  Team.  Members  of  ECW  also  volunteer  for  Pumpkin  Patch,  Fiesta  Carnival,  the  Easter  egg  hunt,  Haven  for  Hope,  and  have  helped  with  our  fundraising  cookbooks,  or  any  of  the  other  numerous  activities  and  ministries  that  are  connected  to  the  church.  We  support  each  other,  our  church,  and  our  families.  We  all  share  a  love  of  God  and  celebrate  the  gifts  he  has  granted  us,  by  serving  the  Church,  and  serving  each  other.