On May 15, 2012, Women of Grace will officially launch an innovative new virtual study pilot program. It will test the idea of enabling women cannot meet in a group to be able to participate in an on-line Foundational Study group. This use of technology will also be instrumental in bringing together women from all over the world who want to answer the Church's call to " . . . aid humanity in not falling."
"This pilot program will address some of the challenges we face in getting the study to women who want to participate but can only do so in a virtual way," said Isabelle Liberatore, Women of Grace® Marketing Coordinator. "If you're in Alaska and there's no study group in your area, you can participate this way and then potentially be the facilitator who can bring it to that location at some point in the future."
The virtual study will be facilitated by Becca Kelly, a mother of four and grandmother of three (with one more on the way!) from Evansville, Indiana who will conduct the meetings by phone and webinar.
"Participants will register through Women of Grace® and we'll meet once a week," Becca said. "The women will read the book, watch the DVD, and complete the workbook lessons on their own, then we'll go over everything together on the phone."
Because conference calls typically don't allow more than one or two people to speak at a time, women will also use a webinar chat box so everyone who wants to speak has a chance to be "heard."
Does this mean women have to be computer savvy to participate?
"Absolutely not," Becca says. "I'll send them a link every week by e-mail and all they have to do is click on it to get into the right place."
When asked why she was chosen to be the facilitator for the pilot, Becca laughs and says it was because she was the one who kept asking, "When can we do this?"
She recounted how the idea was being bantered around GracePlace by women who thought an on-line study would be a great idea for women who can't get to a meeting or are confined to home. Finally, someone decided it should be suggested to Women of Grace® founder, Johnnette Benkovic, to see if it would be feasible.
“I was struck by the idea on several levels,” says Johnnette.
“First, I was incredibly impressed by the zeal of the women. It was clear they wanted to take the study and had come up with a solution to overcome the obstacles preventing them from doing so. Savvy, very savvy. And a great leadership quality.
"Second, they had already formed a community via GracePlace, the Women of Grace social network and they wanted to continue to use that technology as a way to meet their need.
"Third, I could see that this might be a great way for women to make a decision to facilitate a study group in their own locations. It would be lovely if the virtual study became a fertile ground for new facilitators.
"Fourth, I was excited about what this meant – women from a variety of geographic locations and countries could participate together. What impact would different cultures and different world experiences bring to their discussion?
"Finally, it seemed to me the hand of God was in this. He was making a way within Women of Grace® to dispatch distance and difference so as to unify His daughters in a work of spiritual formation, transformation, and renewal that could span the globe. Put simply, I was intrigued. I knew we had to give this a try.”
The pilot study will be important for determining if the concept is something that suits the needs of today's woman.
"We're going to be looking for feedback from participants to determine if they like the virtual study, if they feel the same connections that our women experience in face-to-face meetings," Isabelle says.
Johnnette agrees. “That will be interesting to discover.” I can see the negatives. But, I can also see the positives. One of the reasons why radio is an intimate medium is due to a certain anonymity it provides. That may hold true here. We won’t know until we try. In the end, women are women. They have a natural capacity to bond, to empathize, to share from the heart. Give them a way, and they will use it to the full.”
Visit Grace Place for more information.
