How do you interest the "baby boomers" and "Generation X" in the church? Most persons agree these groups have wonderful gifts to offer, and the church needs to be a recipient of these gifts.

Six years ago, the Rt. Rev. Robert Hargrove, Bishop of Western Louisiana, addressed this by asking the executive board of the diocesan Episcopal Church Women (ECW) to pray about this issue. As a result, the "Time for Joy" weekend was born.

The concept of the "Time for Joy" (Jesus, Others, Yourself) weekend is to provide young women under age 40 from each church in the diocese time to get away from their stressful, over-busy life.

Young women from all over Western Louisiana gathered for the sixth year of of the program April 24-25. From the moment the young women arrive at the diocesan conference center, their needs are taken care of, and their time is theirs. Gift baskets composed of items donated by women from all over the diocese, and fresh flowers, are found in each room. Participants may spend their time in any manner they choose. There are low-key activities provided such as working with herbs, wildflowers, and crafts, reading, relaxing in a bubble bath or walking in the woods.

When the ECW board began this weekend six years ago the board members served as staff. This year the co-chairmen for the weekend were two former participants of a Time for Joy weekend and they selected their staff. Bishop and Mrs. Hargrove were in residence for the weekend. There is no charge for the women to attend. The churches they represent pay $15 for each participant from their parish and the diocesan ECW has now written "Time for Joy" into their annual budget to pay for the weekend.

The close of the weekend is a Eucharist at the outdoor chapel by the lake. At that service Bishop Hargrove gave the young women an opportunity to talk and express their feelings. One woman told how "Time for Joy" helped her with her grieving over the loss of her fiance in a car accident just three weeks before the wedding. Another told of the divine presence she felt as she waited for a heart transplant for her 3-year-old son. Many of the participants have gone back to their parishes to become very active. Three of those who attended have been presidents of their parish ECWs and four of them have served on the diocesan ECW board.