Celebrating an ordination has always been inspiring to me but today I would personally celebrate the first gift made possible because of a collaboration Carrot Top Studio has entered into with Diakonos Solutions. Rev. Dr. Susan Rose, the founder, and Executive Director of Diakonos Solutions says, “Stoles are an important piece of ordained ministry, often with meaningful stories and memories attached. Gifting stoles offers encouragement to a newly ordained woman in ministry.”

Together we strive to help honor women new in ministry with a gift for their graduation, ordination, installation in a new call, birthday, or pastor appreciation month. Let’s face it, it takes a while to build up a stole collection that covers all of the liturgical seasons. This collaboration will help women in their first five years of ministry obtain the stoles that are just right for their particular vocation.

For example, in the case of our aforementioned ordination a member of the search committee contacted Carrot Top Studio. We set up a donation page on our website that was specific to this gift. Two weeks before the ordination the committee member secretly sent out the link to the congregation. Donations from $10 and more poured in. I can’t tell you how lovely it was to see this affirmation and love wrapping this new pastor with this gift.

Upon being ordained a congregation member presented a gift certificate from Carrot Top Studio for seven stoles. The gifter’s words were lovely —

It is also a symbol of the call to the office of the Word and Sacrament.” The gift recipient gasped at the generosity and then a bit of a chuckle was let out thinking that this number seven was maybe a holy one! And now as the joy of the ordination day has moved into the joy of ministry, the recipient has chosen five in-stock stoles from the online collection and we will use the remaining funds to create a custom stole featuring artwork from her children.

As you may be able to see already, Diakonos hopes to be a place of connection for women serving in a variety of ministry leadership contexts. Whether striking out with an entrepreneurial ministry or serving a long-standing congregation, together we can explore, engage, and live into who God is calling us to be. I am thrilled to be working with them! Questions about the collaboration or scholarships may be directed to Diakonos Solutions or Carrot Top Studio.