Cursillo

God's Unconditional Love

Jesus loves me, this I know
For the Bible tells me so
Little ones to him belong
They are weak but he is strong.

Yes, Jesus loves me
Yes Jesus loves me
Yes, Jesus loves me
The Bible tells me so.

We all remember that song from when we were little. The truth is; we are loved by Him. This love is mentioned anywhere from 310 times to 551 times in the Bible, depending on what version we read. God loves us even if we do not love Him. He is always with us, even if we ignore Him. And He carries us, even when we think we're doing just fine on our own.

God's love for us does not mean that we aren't going to live a life free from pain. It doesn't mean that we're not going to have sadness and anger in our lives. But what it means is that when we do have that pain, sadness and anger in our lives, that we can turn to Him and let His love fill our heart and soul and we will trust in Him to guide us through those times and know that we are going to be alright.

So, what does that mean for us? Does what we do and how we live make a difference? I think what we do does make a difference. What remains, when everything comes to an end, is love. The love we have with each other, and the love we have with God. If the essence of God is love, then that is all that matters -- the love we choose to show for others, and the love we choose to show God in prayer, devotion and worship. And at the end of our days, at the end of the Earth's days, that is the one thing which will matter more than anything else.

Our time will come to an end and all our possessions will fade away. Yet even at the very end, when everything else is gone, God will remain. And the essence of God, the essence of the only thing which will last forever, is love.

Lay Rector
Lee Brewer - Holy Cross, Simpsonville

Spiritual Directors
Scotty Brock+ - Head SD - St. David's, Columbia
Slaven Manning+ - St. Francis of Assisi, Chapin
Dan Wagner+ - St. Augustine of Canterbury, Aiken

Table Leaders
Ike Waters - Church of the Good Shepherd, York
Bill Lee - Church of the Redeemer, Greenville
Chris Smith - Christ Church, Lancaster
Sharon Landis - Christ Church, Greenville

Cha's
Gale Smith - Head Cha - Christ Church, Lancaster
Melissa Senf - St. Alban's, Lexington
Gale Stellar - St. Matthews, Spartanburg
Nancy Mathews - Holy Cross, Simpsonville
Lynn Edgerton - St. Francis of Assisi, Chapin
Ed Schneider - St. Thaddeus, Aiken

Music Cha's
Parks Majors - Head Music Cha - Holy Cross, Simpsonville
Chick Gosnell - Holy Cross, Simpsonville
MaryAnne Brock - St. David's, Columbia

Observing Lay Rector
Dinks DuPree - Christ Church, Greenville

Candidates

Sarah Arnold - St. Matthew's, Spartanburg
Sponsor: David Rutledge

Ann Gorman - St. Francis of Assisi, Chapin
Sponsor: Phil Purser+

Jerome Gorman - St. Francis of Assisi, Chapin
Sponsor: Phil Purser+

Whitney Jones - Holy Cross, Simpsonville
Sponsor: Mike Flanagan+

Sarah Arnold - St. Matthew's, Spartanburg
Sponsor: David Rutledge

Ann Gorman - St. Francis of Assisi, Chapin
Sponsor: Phil Purser+

Jerome Gorman - St. Francis of Assisi, Chapin
Sponsor: Phil Purser+

Jean Henslee-Downey - St. Francis of Assisi, Chapin
Sponsor: Cheri Beesburg

Lee Hutson - Trinity Cathedral, Columbia
Sponsor: Marian Hornsby

William Hutson - Trinity Cathedral, Columbia
Sponsor: Emery Clark

Phil Johnston - Trinity Cathedral, Columbia
Sponsors: Joan and David Danforth

Susan Johnston - Trinity Cathedral, Columbia
Sponsors: Joan and David Danforth

Whitney Jones - Holy Cross, Simpsonville
Sponsor: Mike Flanagan+

Donna Knowles - St. Augustine of Canterbury, Aiken
Sponsor: Regina Flowers

Dee Pennington - St. Alban's, Lexington
Sponsor: Melissa Senf

Jim Pennington - St. Alban's, Lexington
Sponsor: Melissa Senf

Caitlin Roberts - St. Matthew's, Spartanburg
Sponsor: Gail Stellar

Seth Roberts - St. Matthew's, Spartanburg
Sponsor: Grace Keller

Dottie Robinson - St. Augustine of Canterbury, Aiken
Sponsor: Peggy Denny

Wynde Sipe - St. David's, Columbia
Sponsor: MaryAnne Brock

Charlie Taylor - St. Augustine of Canterbury, Aiken
Sponsor: Peggy Denny

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 $150. 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

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 2020

• Dawn Beaver, St. Alban’s, Lexington
• Cheri Beesburg, St. Francis of Assisi, Chapin
• Shannon Berley, St. Francis of Assisi, Chapin
• Lee Brewer, Holy Cross, Simpsonville
• David Danforth, Trinity, Columbia
• Mike Flanagan+, Holy Cross, Simpsonville
• Paula Greenway, St. Phillips, Greenville
• Gordon Hamilton+, Christ Church, Lancaster
• Janet Jendron, St. David’s, Columbia
• Ernest Jenkins, Christ Church, Lancaster
• Richard Mark, St. Thaddeus, Aiken
• David Rutledge, St. Matthews, Spartanburg

We never want money to stand in the way of anyone's receiving the gifts that a Cursillo weekend provides. When we leave a weekend, we leave with better tools and a renewed heart for bringing Christ into our individual environments and our Church. Candidates will know that the weekend of growth is a gift from the Cursillo community in hopes that they will pass the gift on to others who are seeking a deeper walk with Christ and the tools needed to serve the world in his name.

We require a non-refundable registration fee of only $150 for each candidate. The rest of the candidate fees will be paid by donations to our Pay it Forward Fund. Ultreyas, Group Reunions and churches can also donate to the Cursillo Pay it Forward fund.

Scholarships funds will also be available to help staff members who serve on a weekend. These requests will continue to be handled individually, with help from parishes or through donations by Ultreyas, Group Reunions and churches.

Download a Pay It Forward and Staff Scholarships Handout.

• Donate to Pay it Forward
• Donate to Staff Scholarships
• Mail a check made out to "EDUSC” with the memo “Cursillo Pay it Forward" or “Staff Scholarship” to the Diocesan House, 1115 Marion Street, Columbia, SC 29201, Attention: The Rev. Jimmy Hartley

If you would like to pay fees for a Cursillo weekend, please contact Bill Lee, Council President, [email protected].