Suggestions that emerged during Worship on December 3 to empower women at New Day..

(We're excited to announce the Launching of our new Womyn's Ministry.  Contact Pastor Lisa at newdaybronx@gmail.com.  And please join us for our Women's Liberation Panel on Sunday morning, March 25 at 11:00 a.m.)

Women’s group 

Focusing on feminist and womanist theology

Planning a women’s retreat

Providing support and healing for women

Discussing internalized patriarchy

Women’s Leadership

More women speaking in worship

Develop the leadership of women including women of trans experience to take on important roles.  

Move beyond traditionally gendered roles:  (ie. more men caring for children and preparing hospitality table)

Men’s group

Examine privilege and dismantle patriarchy

Prepare men to talk with men about patriarchy and feminism

Develop healthier forms of masculinity

Listen to women at New Day

Develop a space for men to be real

Develop rituals for men

Acknowledge that given statistics, there may well be men in the congregation who have harmed or are currently harming women. Establish a process for analyzing and interrupting this harm.  

Develop a Brothers in Faith gathering and men’s healing circles

Supporting Healing and Transformation

How do we respond when someone shares a violent experience?

Attend bystander intervention training

Have the hard conversations

Develop rituals of healing for men and women

Discuss partner violence during intimate partners violence awareness month

Use a 12 step format for survivors of sex abuse or intimate partner violence

Establish a weekly or monthly prayer call to unload burdens of hetero-sexism

Have the pastoral team take the domestic violence training offered by CONNECT in Harlem on how to identify domestic violence and provide pastoral support

Conduct a mixed gender forgiveness ritual for harm done, harm experienced and of self including taking vows to undertake the training of doing no harm

Other Suggestions

Support Trans justice

Look for signs of sex trafficking

Oppose street harassment and other forms of harassment in the workplace and school

Take trainings in undoing heterosexism

Model liberational parenting practices

Find and use and develop more music written by women