October 2015
Issue 58

 
Almighty God, you proclaim your truth in every age
by many voices: Direct, in our time, we pray,
those who speak where many listen and
write what many read; that they may do their part
in making the heart of this people wise, its mind sound,
and its will righteous; to the honor of
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer For those who Influence Public Opinion, BCP pg. 827
Lori Geres, Online Media Chair
 
It is an honor to be selected to join this dynamic National Council for The Order of the Daughters of the King.  While I may be the newest member to the Council as well as to The Order of Daughters, I feel as if God has been preparing me my entire life for my vow of service, prayer and evangelism.

My life and career have been focused around service to others. Growing up in the Lutheran church, I learned my way around church kitchens and how important it is to be of service in all that you do.  Right out of college, I began my career in non-profit administration, serving as a volunteer for the American Cancer Society.  I was fortunate enough to be hired on as a staff member, and my life work began to take shape. I've worked with several national and international non-government organizations (NGOs), as well as local community based organizations.

I have woven my personal and professional passions together to be what some would call a "do-gooder", motivated by an intense drive to be of service to those around me.  God fuels this passion within me. I am about His work, and in that, I bring that spirit of service to the Daughters of the King.

In my role as the Online Media Chair, my goals are to use web-based platforms to announce that The Order of the Daughters of the King� is alive, well and working in the Kingdom.  As we move well into the 21st century, it is important that our Order uses all of the tools given to us by God to showcase our love in action, our strength in prayer and our simple vision of bringing others into precious relationship with our Lord.  We post daily on Facebook, we are Tweeting up a storm on Twitter and we are building a website that will provide the right resources to anyone who needs them.

I am excited about the work that will be done by the National Council of The Order of the Daughters of the King�, and thank you all for the faith you've placed in me. I am honored to share myself with all of you.

Lori Geres
Online Media Chair
Royal Cross 



Around the Province photos and articles for The Royal Cross submitted after October 15, 2015, will be considered for use in the Spring issue.

In This Issue
Online Media Chair
Royal Cross Submissions
Service & Evangelism Chair
Province VIII President
Triennial Photos Available
Roger Grenier's CDs
Chapter's Corner
Evangelism
Where I Saw God Today


Cross+Links Editor

Assistant Editor
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Province V
Lela Joscelyn

Province VI
Nancy Severin

Province VII
Pat Hind

Province VIII
Cynthia Carson  
 

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Marilyn Vinson McAfee, Service & Evangelism Chair
 
Several Daughters asked me to run for the Council. I prayed many days and followed God's call. I am so excited and happy to be on the National Council. I enjoyed Triennial so much and Shining the Light of Christ. This is what we do every day; it was such a blessing at Triennial.

The next three years I will be the Service and Evangelism Chair. This is truly wonderful for me; all the Daughters serve Christ and follow him. As we serve Christ, we wear our cross and people ask about it. Then we have a blessing to talk with them about Jesus. Many of these people do not go to church and are not Christians. With God's help we may guide them to the Kingdom of Christ. One 60-year-old woman, whom I met at the Food Pantry we run about ten years ago, was baptized five months ago. She is still in poverty but she talks with me often and asks for prayer.

On the National Council I serve as co-chair of the Bylaws committee. I am also on the International, Self-Denial and Alpha Fund committees.

Marilyn Vinson McAfee
Service & Evangelism Chair
Cynthia Carson, Province VIII President

The Order of the Daughters of the King is my heart and has consistently offered community and a sure way to serve God no matter what my circumstances or where I have lived.  My father was a career Air Force officer and pilot.  As he was sent, so were my mother, brother and I.  Baptized as an infant, I embraced the importance of the vows spoken for me and as a teen was confirmed into the Episcopal Church.  I saw the church as the source of hope for a war-torn world and the Kingdom of God the only community worth serving. I worked for the American Red Cross as Medical Chair, Station and Hub Chairs in the Pacific; taught Art History and Classical Studies; attended seminary; served in youth and campus ministry; trained as a hospital chaplain; and was appointed by my bishop as Formation Director at the Cathedral.  I have a passion for the catechumenate, preaching and sharing my faith.  Married for 26 years, my husband and I continued the nomadic life I knew with my family.  We raised five children, five cats, and are now blessed with five grandchildren.  We live in Hawai'i where culture is as diverse as the Pacific Rim.  God's grace has provided a broad view and perspective of people, life and culture and turned my heart to the Daughters of the King whom I treasure for their enduring faith, evangelism and community.

I look forward to all of the people I will meet as Translations Chair and Province VIII President.  If you are fluent in a language other than English and would like to help with our Triennial guests or with a small written translation project to further the Order on mission in the USA or abroad, please introduce yourself to me by telephone or email.  Although my languages are primarily romance and classical, I think that the most important discourses in theology and ministry in 21st century America are shifting from the Atlantic to the Pacific due to the extensive immigration of Asian Americans since the Immigration Reform Act of 1965.  These Asian communities are part of the US Church and share the same status with their European predecessors in our expansive immigrant nation.  For us that means understanding their cultures and inviting them into our DOK communities.  I will be attending the Episcopal Asiamerican Ministries Consultation (EAM) this month to share the DOK with Asiamerican neighbors.   Please keep this critical ministry in your prayers.

As Province VIII President, I am humbled and lit with enthusiasm to serve with you in leadership.  We have a distinctive call that is not satisfied by other organizations and societies for women in the Church.  We provide a consistent means for women to use the consecrated energy that they are given through baptism to show the Church in its broadest and grandest light with prayer first, seeking the soul of our sisters, and supporting works that build up our faith communities, dioceses and missions.  It is my prayer that a love, wisdom and ghostly strength from the Holy Spirit will abide in us all as we work together across diocesan lines over the coming three years for the spread of God's Kingdom.

Cynthia Carson
Province VIII President
Triennial Photos Now Available 

Our official Triennial photographer, John Dlugolecki, did a beautiful job of capturing on film the amazing and wonderful Triennial celebration. All the Triennial photos are now available to view and order on-line at dlugophoto.zenfolio.com/dok.  Photos will be available in several sizes and low-res digital downloads.

If you need help finding Triennial photos, please email John at [email protected] or call his studio at 818-848-0148.
Roger Grenier's CDs 
Did you find yourself singing the songs Roger Grenier performed at Triennial 2015? Were you not able to attend Triennial 2015 but have heard all about his wonderful music -- or even heard another Daughter's CD and wished you could order it? Now you have the opportunity to own Roger's CD "Go Light Your World" featuring his songs performed at Triennial 2015.  All CDs are $12.00 each, which includes shipping and handling.

To order:
  • Visit his website at http://rogergrenier.com/home.html
  • Call 352-687-4133 Monday through Saturday
  • Mail a check or money order to: Roger Grenier, 24 Hemlock Radial Court, Ocala, Florida 34472
Chapter's Corner
 
FAQ regarding Daughters at Large

The most frequently asked questions I received when I was a Diocesan President were about Daughters at Large.  The Number 1 question was "How does one become a Daughter at Large?"

The most frequent answer I gave was that Daughters at Large were created by geography, not non-attendance at meetings or whether or not the Daughter got along with everyone in her chapter.  

When a Daughter physically moves away from her chapter, to another city, state or even country, she should fill out a transition form to become a Daughter at Large.  Our Bylaws state that any "Daughter without a chapter shall be called a Daughter at Large." (Article 3, Section 3, C, 1. )

Other reasons for a woman to become a Daughter at Large:
  • Her church closes and, therefore, her chapter disbands.
  • Her chapter disbands because it has less than 3 members, after consultation with the rector and Diocesan Assembly President.
Question Number 2 was, "Do Daughters at Large continue to pay dues?"   Article lll, Section 3, #3 and #4 state this answer clearly. Yes!  Every Daughter of the King pays dues in order to support our Order and to remain a member in good standing.  A woman who is not in good standing is not supporting the Order. If she doesn't pay for two years, she is dropped from the membership records. Of course, she may seek reinstatement and we will welcome her back!  All Daughters of the King pay their dues as faithful members of the Order.

Daughters without chapters present a serious issue our Order has been working to address. We want to stay connected to them. We have Daughters at Large Chairs in all Provinces and are working to establish Daughters at Large Chairs in all Diocesan Assemblies. The Order asks our Daughters at Large to keep praying, keep paying their dues and keep in touch with the Order through their Provincial or Diocesan Daughters at Large Chairs.  However, nothing replaces belonging to a chapter.

As we all know, we become Daughters of the King within a Chapter.  We cannot become a Daughter of the King by ourselves, alone.  We are part of a community and that community is what so many of us treasure. When a Daughter moves, she looks to join another chapter. This has become a bit easier with the internet.  She can research churches with Daughters' chapters in the area of her new home. (Make sure that fact is on your church's website!) She can check out our national website for senior chapters.  Sometimes, she can begin a Bishop's Chapter (which has more than one church involved.) Unfortunately, we do not have chapters everywhere and sometimes it may not be possible to start a new chapter in the new church, despite her best efforts.

Our Order requests prayers for Daughters at Large and we invite them to Assemblies and Retreats.  If a Daughter at Large is in a nursing home, other Daughters living nearby should try to visit her and send cards. Daughters at Large read The Royal Cross and many Daughters at Large are very good about checking our website and reading Cross+Links.  But there is nothing like personal contact so we hope that all chapters will reach out to any Daughters at Large in their area. Above all - keep in touch, for His sake!  

Mariana Bauman
Province 1 President
Evangelism
As the Evangelism Chair, I could not imagine standing on the street corner handing out tracts. I also can't imagine knocking on doors and talking to total strangers, sharing my story with people who may or may not be strangers and telling how I love Jesus. What does the Order of the Daughters of the King� want from me? Even more, what does Jesus Christ want from me?
 
I decided to start at the beginning with Webster's Dictionary. Just what does evangelism mean? Webster states evangelism is the winning or revival of personal commitments to Christ. The revival of personal commitment to Christ is why all of us are members of our Order. Being with other Christians and studying "The" word is a way of deepening our commitment to Christ.
 
The Daughters of the King spread the word of Christ through their daily actions. This way of life is evangelism. We never know what impact we have with people by our very innocent actions. How do we react to the driver who cuts us off the road? How do we react when a person cuts in front of us in line, especially when we have limited time? We are wearing our Cross, showing our love of Christ but do we smile, do we make unkind remarks, what is our response?
 
For some people in the world, the only Christian they may come in contact with is in very public places: at the grocery store, the movies, museums or even school. We show Christ in our everyday walk, in the simple things we do or say when we may not even realize it. Wherever we go, we wear the cross -- and often a simple compliment gives us a chance to explain why we wear it. 
 
The best gift we as a group, or as individuals, can receive is for a person to say or think, "I want what she has." What does she have that makes her happy? What does she have, that even though her life has many troubles, she keeps smiling?
 
EVANGELISM!! People see Christ through our everyday life. Going to the corner and handing out tracts seems so much easier.
 
Marilyn Vinson McAfee
Service & Evangelism Chair
Where I Saw God Today

 
This high school girls basketball team volunteered one afternoon at Habitat ReStore.They were contributing their hours to the sweat equity requirement of the family of one of their team members to help that family become eligible for a Habitat House.
Submitted by Susan Keith 

We were in Austria in the mountains. As we were hiking one morning, the fog was rising off the valley as the sun was coming up. The combination created this photo. I missed church in a building, but definitely found God on the mountain!
  Submitted by Lois Weed  
 

O God, because without you we are not able to please you,
mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
 
Proper 19, BCP, pg 233
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