Visit our new site at revgalblogpals.org.

Monday, July 22, 2013

RevGalBlogPals: The Next Big Step

How did you come to RevGalBlogPals? Perhaps you stumbled across the 11th Hour Preacher Party, or saw the wisdom shared on Ask the Matriarch. Maybe you found a link to our Tuesday Lectionary Leanings at The Text This Week, or a friend told you about those clergywomen who do Continuing Education on a cruise ship. You may have found us via something a friend shared on Facebook or a tweep’s Retweet, or even by cruising CafePress and discovering a mug asking the eternal question, “Does This Pulpit Make My Butt Look Big?”

Eight years ago, a loose collection of friendly bloggers organized themselves just enough to get a t-shirt or that mug, naming themselves RevGalBlogPals. As we celebrate our birthday, a webring and a blog have become a social media ministry and an interpersonal web of connection offering support to clergywomen and others who serve God literally around the world. Many of us have been blessed by meeting in person and developing deeper relationships; some are still waiting for that opportunity. Our non-profit board has heard the desire for more face-to-face events organized by RevGalBlogPals at the same time we have been considering better ways to use our social media presence to foster broader connections. 


BE 2.0 in Arizona, 2009
As we announced in June. we have called a Director, the Rev. Martha Spong, whose ministry will include both expanding our reach via social media and developing new programs designed to bring even more of us together in person. Those programs will include regional retreats, spring and fall, beginning in 2013, and a second annual Continuing Education event, REVive, beginning in July, 2014.

We took this leap prayerfully, in the hope that our community will support this expanded vision financially. We have drawn up a modest budget that would pay our Director to be compensated as a half-time employee and to cover other expenses including her travel and our technology needs. Today we are asking you to make a one-time gift toward our goal of $12,000, the budget amount for September through December of 2013. We hope you will also consider a monthly pledge or annual gift for 2014.


The handiwork of our Founder, BE 6.0, 2013
Please make a donation via PayPal or send a check to:
RevGalBlogPals, Inc.
2101 West Oak Street
Denton, TX 76201


RevGalBlogPals, Inc., is a 501(c)3, and all donations are tax deductible.


We have big dreams for empowering women in ordained Christian ministry. We trust the Holy Spirit has our backs in this. We hope you do, too.


Faithfully,
The Board of RevGalBlogPals, Inc.
Mary Beth Butler, Treasurer and Chair pro-tem
Sally-Lodge Teel, Vice-President
Chrysanne Timm, Secretary
Sarah Miller
Teri Peterson
Julia Seymour
Stacey Simpson Duke
Sharon Temple
and
Martha Spong, Director

13 comments:

  1. I love the plans for future events!

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    1. This is SOOOOOO exciting - not just because I'm a landlubber, but because the variety of spaces and places will help us support more RevGals in their vocational Callings. :)

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  2. Can you clarify the email address that is associated with the RevGal PayPal account? When I tried the link it told me that the transaction did not go through...

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    1. The link works now. PayPal has various different versions of links and we had the wrong one for this format. All better now!

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    2. THANK YOU!!! :)

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  3. I am super excited about the expansion of programming. I'm wondering if any thought has been given to expanding the membership base to include non-bloggers? It seems like there are quite a few inactive bloggers identified as members and I suspect there are quite a few of us non blogging type who enjoy and appreciate this site who would like to join.

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    1. Hi, Liz~
      The history of what it means to be a member has been very fluid. Once upon a time we had webring members (bloggers) and corporation members (people who paid an annual fee to join the non-profit group). Now we have Facebook group members (many who do not blog) and blog commenters and many fewer bloggers. We have delayed weeding the blogroll because we are moving the blog around the 1st of September. We're considering having the new site list donors.
      At this point, the definition of "member" is anyone who feels invested in our activities, our ministry, our online or in person life. There's no actual way to "join" the blog other than to participate, which I encourage you to do. Commenting on the blog has never been limited to bloggers. I hope this helps clarify and that you will feel as much a part of us as you already are. We would be happy to link to non-blogging members, if they wanted, but I'm not sure to what we would link.

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  4. The link has been fixed, so sorry. PayPal has two different ways to link, and we had the wrong one at first. You can also use the "donate" button in the sidebar.

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  5. Done. Wish it could be more, but I'm happy to support all those who have supported me in more ways than I can list...

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  6. Done! Grateful beyond words for RevGals. Blessings on this next part of the journey!

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  7. Thanks Martha. When I read instructions (the key work when) I follow the instructions. Step 4 of how to join always hung me up!

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  8. Not work...word! Good grief. Must learn how to type.

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  9. Any consideration of changing the name (did I say "change?") to just RevGalPals instead of RevGalBlogPals? It's much less cumbersome and better captures your interest base. Plus when I reference the group, which I do often from the pulpit, I always shorten it to RevGalPals. Just stirrin' the pot!!

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