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Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina
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Cursillo

Cursillo is a movement, a method and a ministry.

The key elements of the Episcopal Cursillo Ministry are relationship, evangelism, and reconciliation in the home, the parish, the community, and the world. Cursillo offers a time to experience living in a supportive Christian community though the Episcopal Cursillo Weekend, following a three-day schedule that begins on Thursday evening and concludes on Sunday. The weekend includes fifteen talks, five meditations and a Eucharist every day. The Episcopal Cursillo Weekend isn't a retreat. It's an opportunity to gather with clergy and laity, seeking to strengthen our faith.

EDUSC Cursillo is guided and empowered by a national ministry, the Episcopal Cursillo Ministry.

Cursillo provides:

  • An environment to experience the reality of God's gift of love through shared prayer, individual meditation, worship, study, fellowship, laughter, tears, and unconditional love
  • An opportunity to grow in faith and in spirituality
  • Experience with a method involving piety, study, and action to deepen our spiritual journey
  • Tools for bringing Christ into our individual environments
  • A community that supports and encourages us to carry out our Baptismal Vows
EDUSC Cursillo’s Pay It Forward fund was established to ensure that money never stands in the way of anyone’s experiencing God’s love in a supportive Christian environment by attending a Cursillo weekend. It is a gift from the Cursillo community, with prayers that we can pass the gift to others who want a deeper walk with Christ and the tools to serve others.
The fees that Cursillo Council requests for a weekend are well below actual weekend expenses. The difference is covered by donations from the Pay It Forward fund. Scholarships are available to candidates and staff. We pray that everyone will donate to this fund: Ultreyas, Group Reunions, Churches, and anyone who believes in the potential of Cursillo to change us, and through us, our environments. Your support makes a critical difference!
"A purposeful act or extension of kindness to another is never wasted, for it always resides in the hearts of all involved in a chain of love," Molly Friedenfeld, The Book of Simple Human Truths
"For the rendering of this ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints but also overflows with many thanksgivings to God." 2 Corinthians 9:12

Pay It Forward Donation Form

You can also send a check made out to "EDUSC Cursillo" with “Pay It Forward” in the memo. Mail the check to Emery Clark, Treasurer, 1420 Belmont Drive, Columbia SC 29205.

Cursillo FAQs

Who can attend?
Any Episcopalian, eighteen years of age or older, may attend a Cursillo. Episcopalian is defined as any baptized Christian and member in good standing, as defined by the parish priest, of any parish in the Diocese of Upper South Carolina. Cursillo is intended for laity and clergy who are curious, searching, discovering, growing.

What is the relationship of Cursillo to the Church?
Cursillo is a ministry within the church, under the direction of the Diocesan Bishop.

Are there Cursillo secrets?
You may have been told by someone who has attended the weekend that he or she cannot tell you what Cursillo is about, or what goes on during a Cursillo weekend. This is not correct. Everything that goes on during the weekend may be told to anyone. Cursillo literature is available to anyone who is interested. While there are no secrets, there are very pleasant surprises in every weekend.Talks and meditations are included in the Flow of the Weekend.

What happens on a weekend?
The three-day weekend brings together a group of Episcopalians to share the richness of worship and to broaden each one’s appreciation for the Church. Lay people conduct the weekend with two or three members of the clergy functioning as spiritual advisors. In the course of the weekend, a series of 15 talks are given with emphasis on the doctrine of Grace, the Sacraments, and the Cursillo Foundations: Piety, Study and Action. Table groups discuss and respond to the talks. The Eucharist is celebrated daily, and the Daily Offices are used. Some time is provided for prayer, confession, and spiritual direction. There is also fellowship, singing, good food, time for privacy, meditation and prayer.

How much does it cost?
The three-day weekend costs $200. Scholarships for Cursillo are usually available both from the Diocese and sometimes from parishes. For more information, contact your sponsor, rector, the Cursillo registrar or any member of the Cursillo Council.

What is a Cursillo sponsor?
Your sponsor is an invaluable support person before, during, and after your Cursillo experience. If you are interested in attending Cursillo and don't have a sponsor, contact your rector and he or she will help you find a sponsor.

How should a new person approach Cursillo?

  • Be curious
  • Be open to what happens in the now
  • Be honest with yourself about where you are in your spiritual pilgrimage
  • Be assured that Cursillo expects no specific response from you.
  • Allow others to respond in their way and yourself to respond in your own way

Cursillo Documents

  • Candidate Application (2022)
  • Staff Application (2023)
  • Cursillo Policies (2022)
  • Cursillo By-Laws (2022)
  • Stages of Cursillo
  • Flow of the Weekend
  • Sponsor Guidelines

"I was fortunate to attend Cursillo in Alabama 39 years ago when I was 30. I loved God and loved church, which provided the "what" of a Christian life, but my Cursillo weekend gave me the "how" tools I needed to live a balanced life of faith. For more than thirty years, I met weekly with my group reunion, and we help each other accountable to a life of piety (worship), study (learning about the gift of God), and action (being God's hands and feet in the world). We also learned how to talk about God (evangelize) in a very natural way, as "God-talk" became a weekly practice. My long-ago Cursillo weekend was far more than a retreat -- it was my roadmap for a faith-full life." - Sharon Landis

Upcoming Cursillo Gatherings

Cursillo #144 Day of Deeper Understanding

29Apr
Saturday, Apr 29, 2023, 9:30 AM
Join the Cursillo community for a Day of Deeper Understanding following the 144th weekend!
Details

Grand Ultreya (Midlands)

03Jun
Saturday, Jun 03, 2023, 3:30 PM
Join us under the oaks on the Cathedral lawn for food, fellowship, witness, and worship! If you'd like to volunteer, email Emery Clark .
Details

Weekend 144 Dedication

Cursillo 144 is dedicated to Mary, the mother of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Mary is a perfect example of what it is to be a willing servant who trusts God and obeys His call.

While alone one day, Mary found herself in the presence of the angel Gabriel. Although she was fearful and troubled, he explained to her that she was highly favored by God and was chosen to be the mother of our Messiah. Mary was young, poor, and female - qualities that made her unsuitable in the eyes of her people to be used mightily by God. But God saw Mary's heart and knew she was a woman of integrity, trust, and obedience. He knew she would willingly serve Him in one of the most important callings ever given. Although she could not comprehend how she would conceive the Savior, she responded to God with humble belief and obedience. In fact, her response was, "I am the Lord's servant, may it be to me as you have said!"

Mary's submission to God's plan would cost her dearly, yet she was willing to be God's servant. God knew she was a woman of rare strength. She was the one person to be with Jesus throughout his entire life: from birth until death. She delivered Jesus as a tiny infant and watched Him die as our Savior.

God looks at our obedience and trust - not typically qualifications that we consider to be important. God will often choose the most unlikely candidates to serve Him.

Mary was willing to submit her life to God's plan no matter what it would cost her. Obedience to the Lord's will meant Mary would be disgraced as an unwed mother. Surely, she expected Joseph to divorce her, or worse yet, he might even have her put to death by stoning (as was permitted by law)

Mary may not have considered the full extent of her future suffering; she may not have imagined the pain of watching her beloved child bear the weight of sin and die a terrible death on the cross. But surely, somehow, she knew her life would hold many sacrifices as the mother of the Messiah.

Being chosen by God for high calling requires total commitment and a willingness to sacrifice everything out of love and devotion to our Savior.

I covet your prayers for Cursillo 144! I hope we’ll all consider these reflective questions:

Am I like Mary, willing to accept God's plan no matter the cost?

Can I go a step further and rejoice in that plan as Mary did, knowing full well that it will cost me dearly?

Cheri Beesburg, Lay Rector, EDUSC Cursillo 144

Cursillo 144 Staff & Candidates

Lay Rector

Cheri Beesburg, St Francis of Assisi, Chapin

Observing Lay Rector

Duvy Spruill, St. John’s, Columbia

Chas

Janet Jendron, St. Paul’s, Fort Mill

Adam Dougherty, Trinity

Grace Keller, St. Matthews, Spartanburg

Karen Ingram, St. Michael’s and All Angels, Columbia

Rebecca Rogan, St. Thaddeus, Aiken

Table Leaders

David Rutledge, St. Matthews, Spartanburg

Janice Bryan, St. Francis of Assisi, Chapin

Ellison Weist, St Thaddeus, Aiken

Bill Borellis, St. Paul’s, Fort Mill

Musicians

Marilyn Becker, St Francis of Assisi, Chapin

Tommy Caldwell, St. Thaddeus, Aiken

Jim Jordan, St. Thaddeus, Aiken

Spiritual Directors

the Rev. Phil Purser, St. Francis of Assisi, Chapin (retired)

the Rev. Jill Williams, St. Simon, St Jude, Irmo

the Rev. Amanda Robertson, Good Shepherd, York

EDUSC Cursillo 144 Candidates (to date)

Gail Anastasion, Trinity, Columbia

Sponsor: Emery Clark


Kim Barnhill, St. Margaret’s, Boiling Springs

Sponsor: Grace Keller


Terry Dennis, St. Thaddeus, Aiken

Sponsor: Rebecca Rogan


Dewey Michelin, St. Margaret’s, Boiling Springs

Sponsor: Grace Keller


Karen Michelin, St. Margaret’s, Boiling Springs

Sponsor: Grace Keller


Cynde Payne, St. Margaret’s, Boiling Springs

Sponsor: Stanley Payne


David Rodrick+, St. Margaret’s, Boiling Springs

Sponsor: Scott Collins


Carole Rowell, St. Margaret’s, Boiling Springs

Sponsor: Grace Keller


Pam Steude, St. Francis of Assisi, Chapin

Sponsor: Cheri Beesburg


Kent Weymouth, St. Paul’s Fort Mill

Sponsor: Janet Jendron


Sally Weymouth, St. Paul’s Fort Mill

Sponsor: Janet Jendron

Cursillo Council

The EDUSC Cursillo Council includes people from different convocations and parishes. The Council meets regularly, to ensure the health of the ministry, call Lay Rectors for upcoming weekends, make policy/guidelines decisions, and coordinate trainings for the diocese and in the region.

EDUSC Cursillo Council 2023

  • Shannon Beckham Berley, St. Francis of Assisi, Chapin
  • Emery Clark, Trinity Cathedral, Columbia, Treasurer (ex-officio)
  • Kaye Curtis, Christ Church, Greenville, President
  • Carol DuBose, Trinity Cathedral, Columbia
  • Mary Balfour Dunlap+, Resurrection, Greenville
  • Adam Dougherty, Trinity Cathedral, Columbia
  • Kathryn Hix, Christ Church, Greenville
  • Janet Jendron Borellis, St. Paul's, Fort Mill, Communications Coordinator (ex-officio)
  • Ernest Jenkins, Christ Church, Lancaster
  • David Rutledge, St. Matthews, Spartanburg
  • Susan Sadler, St. Augustine of Canterbury, Aiken
  • Duvy Spruill, St. John's, Columbia, Kairos Liaison (ex-officio)
  • Gloria Talley, St. Alban’s, Lexington
  • Dan Wagner+, St. Augustine of Canterbury, Aiken


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Upcoming Events

New Beginnings
Friday, Apr 21, 2023, 5:00 PM
Details »

Cursillo #144 Day of Deeper Understanding
Saturday, Apr 29, 2023, 9:30 AM
Details »

5th Grade Bridge Retreat
Saturday, Apr 29, 2023, 11:00 AM
Details »

Grand Ultreya (Midlands)
Saturday, Jun 03, 2023, 3:30 PM
Details »

Cursillo #145
Thursday, Sep 28, 2023, 5:00 PM
Details »

Happening #89
Friday, Nov 17, 2023, 5:30 PM
Details »

Diocesan Calendar

Sunday, 4/2 at 2:00 PM
Piedmont Convocation Meeting
Tuesday, 4/4 at 11:00 AM
Chrism Mass: Clergy Reaffirmation of Vows and Luncheon
Friday, 4/14 at 9:00 AM
Commission on the Diocese Regular Meeting
Saturday, 4/15 at 10:00 AM
Commission on Ministry Regular Meeting
Friday, 4/21 at 5:00 PM
New Beginnings
Saturday, 4/29 at 11:00 AM
5th Grade Bridge Retreat
Saturday, 5/6 at 10:00 AM
Diocesan Executive Council Mutual Ministry Review
Saturday, 5/13 at 12:00 AM
Still Hopes and Finlay House Day - loose offerings to these institutions

Piedmont Convocation Meeting

Sunday, April 2, 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM



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Chrism Mass: Clergy Reaffirmation of Vows and Luncheon

Tuesday, April 4, 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM



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Commission on the Diocese Regular Meeting

Friday, April 14, 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM



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Commission on Ministry Regular Meeting

Saturday, April 15, 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM



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New Beginnings

Friday, April 21, 5:00 PM - 1:00 PM



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5th Grade Bridge Retreat

Saturday, April 29, 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM



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Diocesan Executive Council Mutual Ministry Review

Saturday, May 6, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM



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Still Hopes and Finlay House Day - loose offerings to these institutions

Saturday, May 13, 12:00 AM - 12:00 AM

When: Occurs the second Saturday of May effective 5/8/2010 (GMT-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada). Note: The GMT offset above does not reflect daylight saving time adjustments. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

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Episcopal Diocese of
Upper South Carolina

1115 Marion Street
Columbia, SC 29201

Tel: (803) 771-7800

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