RCWMS

Art of Conscious Aging: A Group for Women
2019-03-12 11:30 - 14:00, 2019-02-12 11:30 - 14:00, 2019-01-08 11:30 - 14:00, 2018-12-11 11:30 - 14:00, 2018-11-13 11:30 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | via Zoom, Durham, NC, United States
During the pandemic Art of Conscious Aging is meeting via Zoom.
Contact info@rcwms.org to join the group.

Making Your Art: An Advanced Workshop with Sue Sneddon
2019-02-21 19:00 - 2019-02-24 10:00
For those who’ve taken Sue’s “Finding Your Medium.” Workshop registration includes dinners. Housing at the beach house available for a separate fee.
Leader: Sue Sneddon has been a full-time painter since 1984. Much of her work has concentrated on the ocean, especially the NC coast, where she now lives.

Finding Your Medium: A Weekend of Art with Sue Sneddon
2019-02-15 14:00 - 2019-02-17 14:00
“I can’t draw a straight line.” Well, who said you should? Isn’t it time to pack up some art supplies and head to the beach? Sue Sneddon will be in residence on Emerald Isle for a weekend of exploration into various media for painting and drawing. These will include: pencil, pen and ink, charcoal, pastel, oil pastel, watercolor, gouache, acrylics, and some mixed media options. Let’s find the ones that float your boat! Sue will provide all art supplies needed for the workshop. You may also bring any art supplies you have.
Workshop registration includes dinners. Housing at the beach house available for a separate fee.
Leader: Sue Sneddon has been a full-time painter since 1984. Much of her work has concentrated on the ocean, especially the NC coast, where she now lives.

Reading: The Last Straw by Bryant Holsenbeck
2019-02-10 15:00 - 16:00 | Durham County Southwest Regional Library, 3605 Shannon Rd, Durham, NC, 27707, United States
Environmental artist Bryant Holsenbeck had long wondered where trash goes when we throw it “away.” Realizing that what we discard never really goes away, she became concerned about all the disposable plastic that piles up in landfills and clogs our streams. Bryant began saying NO to single-use plastic, and she spent a year discovering ways to live without it. The Last Straw: A Continuing Quest for Life Without Disposable Plastic documents her journey and the creative alternatives she found.

Free and open to the public.
Contact: jelevine@dconc.gov

Women's Wisdom - Telling Tales of the Heart: A Storytelling Workshop for Women of All Ages
2019-02-09 09:30 - 12:00 | Pullen Memorial Baptist Church, 1801 Hillsborough St, Raleigh, NC, 27605, United States
Do you have stories to tell? Sharing our stories can deepen our understanding of ourselves and each other. As we craft and tell our stories with other women, we find our own authentic voices and increase our internal authority, dignity, and personal power. In this participatory workshop, you will: learn seven simple steps to craft your stories, whether they be joyful, sad, happy, angry, or silly; listen and be heard in an affirming, sacred space; build connection and community with other women. This intergenerational workshop is designed especially for women who want to learn how to develop and tell their own unique stories.
Leader: Judith Valerie is an accomplished storyteller and story-circle creator. She has performed her work at many venues in NC. A yoga teacher and workshop facilitator for 30 years, she is also a certified InterPlay leader.
Cost: $35 suggested donation. Scholarships available. (Don’t be shy about asking.) Open to all people who identify as female.
Registration: http://www.judithvalerieyoga.com/workshops.html
Contact: Judith Valerie, jv@judithvalerieyoga.com

Dust Bunnies & Sparrows: A Reading and Writing Workshop
2019-01-27 14:00 - 16:00 | RCWMS Office, 1202 Watts St, Durham, NC, 27701, United States
Sparrows bathe in dust to absorb the oil that would collect on their wings and keep them from flying. This is a reminder, from nature, that healing and wholeness can be found even in the most unlikely places. Kimberly Gaubault (McCrae) is a 20+ year survivor/victim of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. Her book, Dust Bunnies and Sparrows: A Poetic Declaration of Liberation from/through Domestic Violence, is how she has chosen to tell her story to break the silence and shame of a truth that has impacted her life in challenging ways, but she has not permitted it to keep her from soaring. Come witness this survivor’s/victim’s declaration of liberation, through poetry and storytelling. The writing workshop portion of our time together will provide tools for writing/telling your story and opportunities to share. The book will be available for purchase for $10, or you can order it on Amazon for $15.
Leader: Kimberly Gaubault (McCrae) is an intentional lover of humanity and actively lives the self-care life about which she teaches and advocates. Her personal philosophy of interpersonal interaction is, “If I’ve not positively influenced someone everywhere I’ve gone, I’ve not walked in my purpose.”

Get Your Best Night's Sleep Ever! A Sounder Sleep System® Workshop
2019-01-26 12:00 - 16:00 | Garden View Offices, 2726 Croasdaile Dr., Ste. 210, Durham, NC, 27705, United States
Learn to work with the wisdom and rhythms of your own living, breathing body to create more peaceful awake time, more pleasurable approach to sleep and more restful and restorative sleep.
Leader: Betty Wolfe, M.Div., BCB, GCFPcm authorized Sounder Sleep System Teacher.
Cost: $75 prior to 1/22/19; $95 after 1/22 and on-site. Cash or check preferred, major credit cards accepted on site. Limited class size.
Registration: bettywolfe@lessonswithease.com, 919-794-4139

A Week of Quiet and Writing in January
2019-01-02 18:00 - 2019-01-09 13:00 | Trinity Center, 618 Salter Path Rd, Pine Knoll Shores, NC, 28512, United States
Wouldn’t you like a week full of quiet days to think and write? Come spend a week of quiet and writing with a supportive group of women at the beautiful Trinity Center on Emerald Isle, NC. We observe silence in the daytime so participants can read, write, or rest. In the evenings we gather to reflect on the day and often share our work with one another. Room and meals are included. Everyone gets her own room. Her own space. Her own time.
Cost: $800, includes lodging and meals.
Contact: RCWMS, 919-683-1236, events@rcwms.org

Reading: Georgann Eubanks
2018-12-18 19:00 - 20:30 | RCWMS Office, 1202 Watts St, Durham, NC, 27701, United States
Telling the stories of twelve North Carolina heritage foods, each matched to the month of its peak readiness for eating, in The Month of Their Ripening: North Carolina Heritage Foods Through the Year, Georgann Eubanks takes readers on a flavorful journey across the state. She begins in January with the most ephemeral of southern ingredients-snow-to witness Tar Heels making snow cream. In March, she takes a midnight canoe ride on the Trent River in search of shad, a bony fish with a savory history. In November, she visits a Chatham County sawmill where the possums are always first into the persimmon trees. Talking with farmers, fishmongers, cooks, historians, and scientists, Eubanks looks at how foods are deeply tied to the culture of the Old North State.

Cost: Free and open to the public.
Contact: RCWMS, 919-683-1236, events@rcwms.org.

Interfaith Celebration
2018-12-16 19:00 - 21:00 | Durham Friends Meeting, 404 Alexander Ave, Durham, NC, 27705, United States
We gather to reflect on the fading of the light and the promise of its return, on community and connections, on loss and love. All spiritual paths and religious traditions are welcome. Please join us to celebrate with song, readings, dance, and ritual designed to include and connect us all. Bring a candle.
Suggested donation: $5-10 (collected at the door)
Location: Durham Friends Meeting, Alexander Ave, Durham, NC
Contact: RCWMS, 919-683-1236, events@rcwms.org

Feminist Advent: A Writing Workshop
2018-12-12 19:00 - 21:00 | RCWMS Office, 1202 Watts St, Durham, NC, 27701, United States
Let’s be inspired by the themes of this season – light in the darkness, expectation, hope – and write from our hearts. We’ll write from prompts about the Divine Feminine, nature, and feminist readings of the Christmas story. As we write and share in community, we’ll nurture our whole selves and honor any difficult or complicated feelings that may come up during the holiday season (especially for those of us dealing with recent or not-so-recent loss). No writing experience necessary. All faiths welcome.
Leader: Rebecca Welper has an MFA in playwriting and has taught expressive writing since 2005.
Cost: $10-$25 sliding scale.
Contact: rebecca@rcwms.org.

Reading by Lynette Hartsell
2018-11-14 19:00 - 20:30 | RCWMS Office, 1202 Watts St, Durham, NC, 27701, United States
In 1892 Alexander Whitley, a white man, was lynched in North Carolina and became a local legend. Written by his great-granddaughter, Stanly Has a Lynching explores the ways his murder was justified for over a century through media, religion, balladry, and folklore.
Leader: M. Lynette Hartsell was born in 1948 in the heart of Stanly County. She practiced law in Durham, NC, for 36 years and also served as a mediator and as an arbitrator in civil matters. Hartsell lives in Cedar Grove, NC with her partner, Laurie Fuchs.
Contact: RCWMS, 919-683-1236, events@rcwms.org

Reading & Book Launch for The Last Straw by Bryant Holsenbeck
2018-11-11 14:00 - 16:00 | The Scrap Exchange, 2050 Chapel Hill Rd, Durham, NC, 27707, United States
Join RCWMS in celebrating the publication of The Last Straw: A Continuing Quest for Life Without Disposable Plastic. Environmental artist Bryant Holsenbeck had long wondered where trash goes when we throw it “away.” Realizing that what we discard never really goes away, she became concerned about all the disposable plastic that piles up in landfills and clogs our streams. Bryant began saying NO to single-use plastic, and she spent a year discovering ways to live without it. This book documents her journey and the creative alternatives she found.
Free and open to the public.

Get Out The Vote Call Party
2018-11-05 18:00 - 20:00 | RCWMS Office, 1202 Watts St, Durham, NC, 27701, United States
Let’s help break records for midterm election turnout. We’re partnering with You Can Vote to call voters and make sure they vote on November 6. It’s fine if you’ve never made voter calls before – we’ll do a quick training and get you on the phones with a script. We’ll have snacks, just bring a charged up phone and laptop. We have limited spots available so sign up today! It’ll be a fun and inspiring way to participate in democracy.
Questions: rebecca@rcwms.org

Conversations On Grief: A Poetry and Art Workshop
2018-11-02 18:30 - 20:00
Join us for a poetry and art workshop night! Duke students are partnering with the Resource Center for Women & Ministry in the South to open up intergenerational conversations on grief and end of life, using poetry and art to do that. We will have opportunities to write and draw as well as talk. Anyone is welcome, poet or not. Free food provided!
Sponsors: Duke FOCUS Program and RCWMS
Contact: grace.chun@duke.edu or rafaela.makhlouf.rivero@duke.edu

7th Annual Women's Preaching Festival
2018-10-25 - 2018-10-26 | via Zoom, Durham, NC, United States
From an opening reception, to vibrant worship, to insightful workshops, to intentional conversations, this year’s Homegrown: NC Women’s Preaching Festival will live into the theme “Her Voice Through the Generations” as we honor the voices of the generations of women that began at the empty tomb and continue through today. Our featured preachers and presenters include Rev. Yvonne Delk, the first African-American woman ordained in the United Church of Christ, and Rev. Jerusha Neal, Assistant Professor of Homiletics at Duke Divinity School, and others.
While we aren’t really about big names, fancy titles, or “experts,” we are about academic study, the creative arts, diversity, intentional relationships, and preaching. Mostly, we are about YOU! The gifts and wisdom, joys and challenges, you bring to this festive learning community for two days are the heart of who we are. We hope you will plan to join us!
Click here for the complete festival schedule

Doing Our Own Work: An Anti-Racism Seminar for White People
2018-09-06 - 2018-09-09 | Pilgrim United Church of Christ, 3011 Academy Rd, Durham, NC, 27707, United States
Part 1: September 6, 7, 8, 9 – Pilgrim United Church of Christ, Durham, NC
Part 2: October 11, 12, 13, 14 – Trinity Ave. Presbyterian Church, Durham, NC
7-9 pm Thurs. evening, 9-5 on Friday, 9-5 on Saturday, and 1-5 Sunday afternoon
Participation in all sessions is required.
At this time in our nation, we are witnessing an alarming resurgence of white supremacy and state sanctioned violence. It is imperative that white people do the deep work required to claim and embody an anti-racist identity, understand the privilege they carry, and interrupt racism where they live, work, study, and volunteer. Doing Our Own Work helps white people move through places where they often get stuck, so that they can step up with courage, humility, and compassion to participate in movements led by people of color and help move other white people to greater anti-racist awareness and action. Enrollment is limited to 20 people to facilitate in-depth reflection, dialogue, and community.
Doing Our Own Work is designed as a supplement to, not a substitute for, contexts where people of diverse races discuss and strategize together how racism can be challenged and dismantled.
Anti-racist action and reflection form the heart of Doing Our Own Work. Each participant is invited to identify a “sphere of influence” that serves as the focus of action and reflection. Utilizing input from the leaders, reading assignments, videos, group discussion, and structured exercises, we will explore the following topics and issues:

The four realms of racism and change: personal, interpersonal, institutional, and cultural
Historical roots of racism in the U.S.
Movements for racial justice in the U.S.
White privilege and unearned advantage
Claiming and shaping an anti-racist identity
Practicing the skills of interrupting racism
Strategies for institutional change
Developing networks of support and accountability

The facilitator is committed to working with the participants to create a respectful and truth-telling environment where we may bring our whole selves to this vitally important work. For additional history and rationale, see “Why an Anti-Racism Seminar for White People?“
This event is gender inclusive.Leader: Melanie S. Morrison, Ph.D., is founder and executive director of Allies for Change, a national network of anti-oppression educators. As an anti-racism educator, activist, and author, she has 30 years experience designing and facilitating transformational group process. In 1994, she founded Doing Our Own Work, an intensive anti-racism seminar for white people that has attracted hundreds of participants throughout the United States and Canada. Passionate about writing, her latest book, Murder on Shades Mountain: The Legal Lynching of Willie Peterson and the Struggle for Justice in Jim Crow Birmingham, was published by Duke University Press in March. Melanie believes it is possible to grow ever more aware of the depth and complexity of injustice without surrendering our capacity for compassion, joy, and hope.

The Art of the Condolence Note with Carol Henderson
2018-07-10 19:00 - 20:30 | RCWMS Office, 1202 Watts St, Durham, NC, 27701, United States
In this workshop, we will discuss the history of condolence notes and their value for both the recipient and the writer. Carol will demonstrate what makes a note successful and show examples of do’s and don’ts. Each participant will practice writing a note and leave knowing how to tackle this difficult task.
Leader: Carol Henderson is a writer, editor, and workshop leader who has taught in the US, Europe, and the Middle East. She is the author of Losing Malcolm, and Farther Along: The Writing Journey of Thirteen Bereaved Mothers, and edited, among other titles, Wide Open Spaces: Call Stories. Learn more about Carol at www.carolhenderson.com.

The Never-Quite Ending War: A WWII GI Daughter's Stories by Nancy Corson Carter
2018-06-27 19:00 - 20:30 | RCWMS Office, 1202 Watts St, Durham, NC, 27701, United States
FREE READING
The stories of this book stretch from the ’40s & ’50s to the present. Reflecting on her family, especially her father, and the war, Nancy Corson Carter’s stories seek peace and healing in personal as well as in wider worlds.
