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How to Talk to Youth About Bias

Join us to learn!

We invite parents, leaders, clergy and adult supporters of GFS to a free workshop on Saturday, September 12, from 10AM to Noon, to become better skilled as youth leaders. We are presenting it in partnership with the Anti-Defamation League.

Please watch this video of Margaret Nolde, President of the board of GFS-Los Angeles diocese, explaining our purpose for offering this program.

This award winning program helps participants:
• recognize bias and the harm it inflicts on individuals and society
• build understanding of the value and benefits of diversity
• improve intergroup relations
• confront racism, anti-Semitism and all other forms of bigotry

Registration required
We must have a minimum of 25 participants and no more than 50. Please register by September 8.

REGISTRATION

Please complete this short survey to help inform the workshop leader.

 

 

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GFS responds to COVID-19 impact on girls

GFS LA holding a Zoom series gathering our members from around the diocese.

GFS responds to COVID-19 impact on girls

GFS-LA has gone on many outings together – camp, beach parties and rally days. Now we are staying at home due to COVID-19, but to respond to the current needs of our girls, we have a new online event – Fly Away with GFS!

Our skilled GFS-LA leaders are holding a 3 weekend Zoom series to help girls acknowledge, evaluate and address their social, emotional, spiritual and physical needs during the stay-at-home orders.  Each meeting involves activities such as dancing, spiritual devotion, teaching and a chance for girls to share ideas and talk. 

Girls got involved right away, chatting on the sidebar, waving to each other, sharing feelings and joining in the dancing. This is an evolving activity as we all get used to a different format.  Next meeting is May 23, grab your ticket contact [email protected]!

 

 

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News from Phildelphia – A tour of the City of Brotherly Love

The city of Philadelphia is where the birth of the nation took place. On Thursday we boarded a bus for a tour.   It took a long time for people to actually show up for the bus tour. We went on the tour and it was really hot. My mom and I were near the plastic hood on the top which was hot. We stayed there for half of the trip before we got to move. It was much cooler at the back of the bus and I was relieved.

After the tour, we went to a lunch place, ate Philly Cheesesteaks and we cooled of at a Starbucks for a while. Finally we made our way to buy souvenirs and the Betsy Ross museum. Philadelphia is very old and it has a lot of history to it. When we went through neighborhoods the houses looked very old fashioned. The place I enjoyed the most was the Liberty bell because it was pretty. We also saw some old technology called busy bodies. It was a three way mirror so people on the second floor could see who was at the door without the visitor seeing them.
Clover Brantner

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News from Philadelphia – Nya Thomas

Building Alheri Village – Yewande Austin

Yewande Aistin

Today we met Yewande Austin and she talked a lot about helping young people from terrorists and human trafficking in Nigeria. She is teaching people how to farm and how to make their own reusable pads. She is also trying to build a village for people who come back from human trafficking and those who live in tents. She also talked about how she held summer camps for girls who want to learn how to speak their minds. Her talk was very inspirational because she uses some of her own money to fund the children, and even though she knows building her village might fail, she keeps trying.

Nya Thomas
July 4, 2019

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News from Philadelphia – Junior Delegate

This year is my first year attending the GFS National Assembly. I had never experienced a business meeting before or knew how they functioned. I was given the honor of being the Junior Delegate for the Diocese of Los Angeles during the first session and now everything makes a whole lot more sense! Normally, I would be entertaining myself by sketching, reading, or zoning out.  But having to actively listen to others and their concerns gave me a clearer understanding on how the board works and learned how powerful soneones voice can be when they speak for what they believe in. I hope to have another opportunity to represent the LA diocese and  listen to other people’s ideas.

Aiyana Harris
July 1, 2019

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News from Philadelphia – Opening Ceremonies

Today I served as a banner bearer for the GFS Diocese of Los Angeles. The Episcopal Cathedral of Philadelphia is truly beautiful, and set the perfect atmosphere for our small, intimate service. The stain glass panels displayed the several stages of Jesus’s ministry. The dean remarked that besides it’s beauty, the church is unique in its adaptability. The pews were removed several years ago, and were replaced with chairs; this allows the arrangement of seats to be altered depending on the size of the congregation. Before the service, all of the banner bearers gathered outside in line formation. As the Gisselle music began, we filed in. My banner was very large, and so kept me from seeing anything more than a foot in front of me!  Although I was afraid to be the first GFS member to crash into an altar, with the grace of God, I managed to navigate my way safely. I took pride in being able to represent my diocese, even with a task as small as banner bearer. This is what GFS is all about: each person contributing just a little, to achieve one greater purpose.

Mikaela Sesler
July 1, 2019

Girls’ Friendly Society Marks 140 Years!

 

For 140 years the Girls’ Friendly Society has been helping girls and young women to make their way in an often uncertain society. This year we celebrate 140 years of providing education and shelter for women. Although our focus has changed over the years from training to formation, our dedication to helping create a nurturing environment with a Christian emphasis has not. Join us this May as we celebrate our anniversary at St. John’s Pro Cathedral in Los Angeles. Click here to see a slideshow of the event!

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The Lillies of the Field

This week we are all preparing for the Annual Fashion Show and Tea. As part of our meeting, we are using this devotional. It is timely and so appropriate as we prepare our fashions from recycled materials!

Consider the Lilies of the Field, Matthew 6:25-33

By Lois Parker Edstrom
OBJECTS SUGGESTED: A clothing catalog or advertising pages from the newspaper that feature clothing.

Many of you live where you are able to visit a shopping mall or a large department store.  If you’ve had that experience you probably noticed racks and racks of clothing – all kinds of pants, shirts, blouses, skirts, and sweaters.

Those of you who live in the country may look through catalogs and find pages and pages of clothing.

It is fun to look at all the choices – the beautiful colors and different styles; to think about how those clothes would look on you. You may have a favorite color. You may like a little sparkle and glitter on your tee shirt. You may wish to have just the right brand of sneakers or a hat that has the name of your favorite sports team on the front of it.

Jesus teaches us about many things and it might surprise you to find that he even spoke about clothing. This is what he said: “Why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They don’t toil, neither do they spin, yet I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of these.”

Jesus asks us to think about wild flowers we see growing in the fields. They are beautiful just the way they are, in the colors and arrangements God gave them. Jesus says that even Solomon, who was a very rich king, was not dressed as well as the lovely wild flowers found in the fields.

You are beautiful just the way you are––the way God made you. It is fun to get a new dress or a new shirt. It is fun to dress up for special occasions in fine clothes. This is all good, but Jesus reminds us not to let clothes become too important to us––not to worry about what we wear and how we look.

This time of the year we give thanks for our many blessings: our friends and family, our food, our homes, the beauty of nature, and yes, our clothing. We remember that all of our blessings come from God and give thanks.

Scripture quotations from the World English Bible

Copyright 2008, Richard Niell Donovan

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Souper Bowl of Caring Bean Soup


Each year, the Girls’ Friendly Society in Los Angeles participates in the Super Bowl of Caring. Some of our branches make a packaged soup mix and sell it at church to raise money for the food pantries in our area. Below is a recipe for Bean Soup adapted from Cooking Light Magazine.

 

Basic Bean Soup Mix

Ingredients:

Dried-bean mix:
1 pound dried kidney beans
1 pound dried yellow lentils
1 pound green split peas
1 pound dried black beans
1 pound dried black-eyed peas
Spice mix:
5 teaspoons salt
5 teaspoons dried basil
5 teaspoons dried rosemary
5 teaspoons dried marjoram
2 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
1 1/4 teaspoons crushed red pepper
5 bay leaves

Preparation:

To prepare dried-bean mix, combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Divide the bean mixture into 5 equal portions (about 2 1/2 cups each), and place in airtight containers.
To prepare spice mix, combine the salt and the next 6 ingredients (salt through bay leaves) in a bowl. Divide spice mix into 5 equal portions. Package separately from the died beans and combine the packages for sale.

 

Include the recipe card available here for the soup below.

Basic Bean Soup
1 package dried bean mix
8 cups water
1 package spice mix
1 smoked ham hock (about 1/2 pound) (optional)
1 cup chopped onion
1 12 oz can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained

To prepare the soup, place bean mix in a large Dutch oven. Cover with water to 2 inches above beans; cover and let stand 8 hours. Drain.
Combine the drained bean mixture, 8 cups water, and the ham hock in a large Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Add 1 packet spice mix, onion, and tomatoes. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 2 hours. Uncover; cook 1 hour. Discard bay leaf. Remove ham hock from soup. Remove meat from bone; shred meat with 2 forks. Return meat to soup.

Cooking Light April 1999

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Superbowl Chili

 

Halftime Chili

 

Here is another great recipe for your Souper Bowl Sunday fund drive. This one is adapted from Food.com and is used by the GFS at St. John’s in Costa Mesa.

Submitted by Charlotte J

Photo

Ingredients

3 cups dried pink beans or 3 cups dried red beans or 3 cups dried kidney beans

3 tablespoons chili powder

2 tablespoons dehydrated onion

1 tablespoon granulated garlic

1 teaspoon oregano

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce

2 (14 ounce) cans diced tomatoes

Directions

  1. Put beans into a jar or large bag.
  2. Combine spices into a small bag.
  3. Place the cans of tomato sauce and diced tomatoes in your gift basket.
  4. LABEL:.
  5. Wash beans. Put into pot with spices.
  6. Cook until done, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
  7. Meanwhile, brown 1 pound of ground beef and drain.
  8. Add meat, tomatoes and sauce to the beans.
  9. Simmer to blend flavors.

Here is a link to the recipe cards created by Marie Greatorex for this recipe.