| CURSILLO About
Cursillo
Frequently Asked Questions CHC
Cursillistas
Upcoming
Meetings and Ultreyas
W. TN Secretariat & Leaders Diocese
of W. TN Cursillo Community About
Cursillo
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Cursillo is a movement of the church. Its purpose is to help those in the church
understand their individual callings to be Christian Leaders. The leadership may
be exercised in work situations, in the family and social life, in leisure activities,
and within the Church environment. The goal of Cursillo is the goal of
the Church: to bring all to Christ by enhancing their spiritual journey. Many
people have said Cursillo provides an important learning experience which causes
many to feel like newly made Christians with a purpose and with support. The
Cursillo weekend brings together a diverse group of Episcopalians to share the
richness of many modes of worship and to broaden each one’s appreciation
for our Church. Lay people conduct the weekend with two or three members of the
clergy functioning as spiritual advisors. Cursillo presumes that those who attend
are already grounded in the faith. It is not intended to be a conversion experience
but an enriching and deepening of what is already there. It often provides new
insights into our faith as well as fostering ministry among lay people. Cursillo
weekends are held at St. Columba the last weekend in April and the first weekend
in November. If you would like more information, please contact Susan
Carlsson at 755-5346 or Alicia
Puckett at 685-8536. There are Cursillo Bulletins available at the church
in the racks near the elevator. You can also visit the National Episcopal Cursillo
website at www.episcopalcursillo.org.
or the Diocese of West Tennessee Cursillo community website at www.episcopalian.org/wtncursillo. |
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Frequently
Asked Questions What does Cursillo mean? Cursillo
(pronounced cur-see-yo) is a Spanish word that means short course in Christianity.
What is the purpose of Cursillo? Cursillo is a movement within the church
that provides an enrichment of your faith community and leadership skills in Christian
living. A number of churches require that all clergy and vestry members attend
a Cursillo weekend to enhance their Christian leadership skills. Cursillo is NOT
to take the place of church, but is intended to help laypeople increase their
skills as Christian leaders within their churches. How do I know if this
is the right time for me to go to a Cursillo weekend? If you are thinking
about making your Cursillo, ask for God's guidance through prayer. It is also
a good idea to talk with some other people who have gone, talk with your priest,
and talk with someone who will be your sponsor. Why do I need a sponsor
and what do they do? A sponsor is someone who has gone through his/her
own Cursillo and will be able to answer any questions you may have. A sponsor
can help you determine if now is the right time for you to attend a Cursillo weekend.
They arrange for your transportation to St. Columba for the weekend, but, mainly,
a sponsor is a person with whom you can share the Cursillo experience as you take
what you learn on the weekend back into the world with you. I have heard
that there are things that cannot be talked about before the weekend. Why would
that be? The schedule of the weekend and the format is something that
you sponsor can share with you. The weekend does have several wonderful surprises.
If someone told you about all of those details, it would be much like knowing
about your surprise birthday party ahead of time if you were to find out…..you
could still enjoy the party, but the element of surprise and the reactions that
follow would be very different if you already knew. There is nothing "weird"
about the surprises, just good stuff. Are the weekends co-ed, and is
it better to go alone or with my spouse or a friend?
In West Tennessee,
the weekends are co-ed, although this is not the case everywhere. However, spouses
do not stay in the same room, and they would not be placed at the same discussion
table. Whether you go alone or with your spouse or a friend is a very personal
decision. Certainly, you will not feel alone for long if you go without knowing
a sole besides your sponsor before arriving Thursday evening. Some people really
want to go at the same time as their spouse, and others, for many reasons from
child care to belief differences, come alone. There is a good mixture of both
couples and individuals on every weekend. Will I be "put on the
spot" to give my testimony or something like that over the weekend? The
weekend does provide opportunities for people to share if they choose, but certainly
nobody would be put on the spot. Is there a fee to attend the weekend? Yes,
but there are scholarships available to anyone who may need them. The cost for
the weekend is $150 at this time, and that covers all meals and lodging at St.
Columba, as well as any supplies and materials used.
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