new church life: november/december 2015
bachelor of science degree from the University of North Carolina, Chapel
Hill, and a master's in Education from Arcadia University. She has been a
very popular teacher of Introductory Physical Science and Human Anatomy
and Physiology for the past 26 years in the Girls School. Among her many
other responsibilities she has been Senior Class Adviser and a leader in the
collaboration with the Gurian Institute on gender learning differences.
Kira is married to Robert Schadegg and they have two grown children,
Kellan and Brenna - both graduates of the Secondary Schools.
The members of the search committee were: Chancellor Brian W. Keith
and James M. Adams, co-chairs; Trustees Lee A. Allen and Eileen R.
Glenn; Corporation member Jill Brickman; and Girls School faculty members
Megan S. Allen, Gail R. Cooper and Elizabeth Fuller. Non-voting members
of the committee were Boys School Principal Jeremy T. Irwin and Chaplain
Barry C. Halterman.
gathering leaves 2015
The Rev. Julie Conaron
Gathering Leaves, a Swedenborgian women’s retreat, was held June 4-7 at the
Transfiguration Spirituality Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was hosted by the
New Church of Montgomery, Cincinnati. The theme of this year’s Gathering
was From Root to Fruit, based on this passage:
“A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from her roots a Branch
will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on her – the Spirit of wisdom
and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the
knowledge and fear of the Lord – and she will delight in the awe of the Lord.”
(Isaiah 11:1-3)
What a wonderful event! As a very small part of the team getting the event
started “from root to fruit” I was inspired by the love and dedication given
to this event by the women who were the backbone of it. For example, those
women from the New Church of Montgomery, especially Gloria Toot, the
primary organizer there, and her wonderful spouse Pete, who willingly picked
some of us up from the airport. I can’t name all the wonder ful people who put
lots of love and hard work into making this a success, but I so appreciate them
for it.
The center we stayed in was indeed a spiritual one. No matter how rushed
and hurried we might have been to get there on time, the sphere and beauty
of the center enabled us to breathe deeply and leave our worldly cares behind.
To appreciate the amazing way the event flows, and why it is so heartcentered here’s the mission statement of Gathering Leaves:
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