Do you want to build a snowman?

Do you want to bake a cake?

If you want to put our cross on it, 

then they may insist

to see the policy

that says that its OK!

Now that you have that tune in your head, I have some good news! You can now have cakes, cookies, cupcakes, brownies, and even pies decorated with our trademarked emblems!  We've had quite a few requests from bakers who, after finding out our emblems are trademarked, request permission to use them.  Good for them!

We have amended The Trademark Policy and Procedures of The Order to include cakes and other baked goods. Now found under "Permissible Use": 

So, if the baker requests special permission or even a trademark license agreement in order to decorate with our trademarked emblems, you can show him or her The Trademark Policy and state that, you, as a member in good standing, have permission to use our emblems.  

After that you can just..."Let it go! Let it go!"

Fun in Christ,

Jen Mariano

First Vice-President

Note:  The Trademark Policy and Procedures are available in their entirety on our website.  

The vows we take at our Service of Admission to the Order reaffirm our promises made at baptism and confirmation.  The vows to pray, serve, and evangelize provide a structure within which to live out our baptismal vows, a structure that provides us continuing opportunities to grow spiritually in our prayer life, to serve others, and to bring others into relationship with Jesus and into the fellowship of the church (evangelism).  That last one - that "E" word - is for many the hardest to "do."  We think of our faith as something shared privately with God.  However, through workshops and retreats at chapter meetings, Diocesan and Provincial gatherings, and at Triennial, we can learn how to share our gift of faith lovingly and joyously.  

Evangelism was the theme at the Assembly and Retreat in Province VII held in San Antonio in 2014.  The Reverend Clayton Elder was one of the speakers.  In his words evangelism is "stirring people up for the kingdom of God."  He identifies four agents or players in evangelism: our Triune God, the Church, the Evangelist, and the Persons to be evangelized.  Everything starts with our Triune God, with prayer, through him all things are made possible.

One occasion for praying and "evangelizing" is a practice Daughters can do singly (Daughter at Large) or in a group (chapter).  The suggestion:  Arrive at church prior to a service.  Lay hands on and pray over each pew.  Pray for those who will be sitting in the pew.  Pray for their joys, for their concerns, for their relationships, for their knowledge of God's love (you get the idea).  That's it.  This suggestion may also be put into practice at our Diocesan and Provincial Assemblies when they are held at local parishes or over the chairs set up for business meetings at our Diocesan conventions.  

Other opportunities to evangelize include paying attention to the needs of the people around you (service); sharing your life, your faith within your church and outside its walls (telling your story); and prayer walking through your community (inviting someone to join you).  You are a silent witness through your actions, your behavior, and your everyday life.  To wear our cross is an evangelism tool that speaks volumes without a word being spoken. Evangelism takes God into the world wherever you are and carries the responsibility to be more than the light of the moment.  Too often those with whom we have shared our faith get lost because they are left after an initial encounter. Evangelism happens every day but it also requires followup.

Hopefully, these suggestions will make that "E" word easier to "do."   Hopefully, we will be emboldened to make public what we often want to keep private, sharing our faith story with others, sharing His love and shining His light.  Practice may not make us perfect, but it will make it easier.  So go, practice evangelism.

"To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people that by all means I might save some." 1 Corinthians 9:22

I'm guessing that somewhere in each of our stories there is someone who listened to us to hear our pain, sadness, anger.  How that person responded to us makes all the difference in the Kingdom of God.  Did the response:  

• Seem merciful or unhelpful?
• Touch our hearts or make us feel small and stupid?
• Seem helpful to us or was it impatient or derisive?

I imagine those of you reading this could tell one or more stories of how someone helped you work through a problem or an issue in your life.  I imagine you have positive and negative experiences around these experiences.  Perhaps you have been in the role of the listener who was helping someone else.  

God provides opportunities to stretch and grow and to help others stretch and grow. How we respond to these opportunities is up to us.  How we respond is crucial.  We can be a positive influence or a negative influence.  The positive influence can be called evangelism.

Lyn Zolman,

Service and Evangelism Chair