The WDCES welcomes you to our Web Site!
For those of you who are visiting this site for the first
time or may not be aware of the WDCES we would like to formally introduce you to
the Western District Church Extension Society.
This site will be frequently updated with new and
additional information. This will include reports on recently completed
projects (including photos), information suggested for churches to use in their
newsletters and downloadable application forms. So we encourage you to
visit this site often!
Grant/Loan Application and Information
Download the grant/loan application and information here. [ Download/View File ]
From the WDCES President, April 2009
Lent: The Season of Change and Transformation
“Our Lord has written the promise of resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in springtime.” Martin Luther
With each passing day we see the awakening of the flowers and buds from their winter rest. We see the signs of spring all around us. The 40 days of Lent provide us with an opportunity to deepen our spirituality, reflect on change and become spiritually transformed as we move on to Easter when we celebrate Christ’s resurrection. We can use the bulbs from which springs forth the flowers, the buds from which the leaves spring forth and the seeds planted in the ground that will yield a harvest to learn and reflect on the season of Lent.
Dan R. Dick, director of congregational planning and leader development for the General Board of Discipleship, offered six lessons using seeds as a metaphor for the Lenten Season.
(Reference: http://www.gbod.org/congregational/articles.asp?act=reader&item_id=7411)
• Seeds Need a Rich Environment
• Seeds Can't Be Rushed
• All Seeds Grow at Different Rates
• Change Happens in Stages
• Seeds Contain the Past and the Future
• Seeds Have a Purpose Larger Than Themselves
From the seed we can learn much about change and transformation during this Lenten season.
The lessons in the “seeds” can also be a metaphor for the WDCES. As we reach out to member churches to develop partnerships in ministries these lessons can be very valuable to help discern what we, as a society, are called to do.
Peace and Blessings,
Ed Luckman
WDCES President
Western District Church Extension Society Annual Meeting Sunday, October 26, 2008 at 3 p.m. at the Jefferson United Methodist Church,
