Wednesday night

There is a kind of peace that comes with recognition. A comfort in routine. A bonding in ritual. Tonight was special celebrating the Eucharist with these women and men from all around the country. Even though many of us have just met for the first time...worshiping together makes us one community. One family. Singing hymns like God of Grace and God of Glory and Lift High the Cross, which we sing often at Grace.

The banquet was a wonderful opportunity to get to know other Christian Education Directors doing what Episcopalians do best...eat! The menu was prepared and served by parish members of St. Mark's. In their recent renovation, St. Mark's has a cafeteria style serving kitchen that made the process of dinner easy. NAECED is the first group to hold a conference at St. Mark's since they finished their renovations last year.

At dinner, I was seated with Margaret Hutton of the Diocese of Washington, Melissa Neofes Mischak of the Diocese of California, Debbi Rodahaffer of the Diocese of Kentucky, and two other women whom I didn't get a chance to talk with so I missed getting their names. I'm sure I'll see them tomorrow.

I am one of the few here who are not a paid staff member. Some have recently been employed at 15 hours after many years of volunteering. Some have been cut from 40 to 20 hours. Others have been cut from 20 to 10. These economic times have touched every church, of every size, of every budget. But the other Christian Ed volunteers I have met all feel as I do...this is our calling and our ministry to our church.

Sports on Sundays was a hot topic at our table as well. Melissa Of California is making it her mission to gather every coach and Board of Education member in her city for a sit down to discuss the issue that accounts for families to have to make the decision of whether to honor their commitment to their child's spiritual formation by attending Sunday School & Youth Group or having their child honor their commitment to their team mates and coaches. We talked about how unfair pressure is being put on families who are trying to do it all, 7 days a week, in an exhausting cycle of schedules and running around.

St. Mark's, by the way, has many similar architectural features that Grace has. The high, vaulted ceilings and beams. The dark wood. The beautiful stained glass. The marble alter. But St. Mark's is much bigger, with 4 sections and 3 aisles. And more ornate wood carvings along all the walls. Still...it says "Episcopal" to me. Anglican. Traditional.

Tomorrow our workshops begin. 8:30am we gather in the meeting room at St. Mark's and then it begins.

Oh, and the location for the 2010 NAECED conference was announced during the banquet...San Francisco, California.