Farmville District United Methodist Women

Transcription

1 Farmville District United Methodist Women Fall 2018 Page 1 Living Into Our Purpose & Rainbow Givers Page 2 District Officers Page 3 President s Articles Page 4 Vice President s Article Page 5 Treasure, Program Resource and Secretary Page 6 Social Action and Education and Interpretation Spiritual Growth Article Page 7 Calendar of Events Please send your articles to: Marilyn Johnson 449 Nelson Lane Charlotte C. H., VA or johnma7@live.com This newsletter is for all District Unit members. If you have something that your Unit is doing and would like to share with other Units, please send them to me. Thank you for all that you do to make this a wonderful District. Living Into Our Purpose 2018 Gold Units Level I Antioch UMC/Lunenburg Charge Bethel UMC/ Dillwyn Charge Beulah UMC/Prince Edward Charge Cherry Hill UMC Clover UMC Crenshaw UMC Evergreen UMC Farmville UMC Jamison Memorial UMC Kenbridge UMC Keysville UMC Kingswood UMC Halifax UMC LaCrosse UMC Lawrenceville UMC Main Street UMC/South Boston Mt. Carmel UMC Mt. Laurel UMC Mt. Pleasant UMC/Prince Edward Charge New Hope UMC Olive Branch UMC/South Brunswick Providence UMC Rehoboth UMC/ Lakeland District Scottsburg UMC Shady Grove UMC Shiloh UMC Silver Units Level II Salem UMC/North Amelia Mt. Harmony 2018 Rainbow Givers Vernelle Campbell Ellen Catron Carol Coker (Continued on page 3) 1

2 Farmville District United Methodist Women Officers for 2019 President Mary Fulton (2019) 6321 Phillis Road Boydton, VA Secretary Brenda Gee (2019) 1102 Dogwood Lane South Hill, VA Vice President Becky Thompson (2020) 1529 Schultz Mill Road Meherrin, VA Treasurer Evelyn L. Hines (2019) 1052 Cody Road Nathalie, VA com Spiritual Growth Jane Smith (2019) 893 School Road Farmville, VA Social Action Ann Thomas (2020) Clementown Road Amelia CH, VA Education & Interpretation Program Resources Laura Jane Rash (2020) 119 W. Pine St. LaCrosse, VA Lisa Davis (2019) 3334 Cumberland Road Cumberland, VA Membership, Linda Hogan (2019) Nurture & 8387 Green Bay Road Outreach Rice, VA Communications Marilyn Johnson (2019) 449 Nelson Lane Charlotte C.H., VA Nominating Committee Chair Nominating Committee Betsy Hanmer (2020) P. O. Box 206 Keysville, VA Linda Garrison (2019) 129 Green Pasture Lane Nominating Committee Immediate Past President Ruby Lee Anderson (2020) 100 Hume Stone Rd. Alberta, VA Betsy Hanmer P. O. Box 206 LaCrosse, VA Keysville, VA

3 (Continued from page 1) Thelma B. Crowder Mary Fulton Deane Galbreath Harriet P. Garrett Betsy Hanmer Officer/Membership form this December, please include a working address. We are currently sending out forms and collecting forms from our s. Conference also has most forms on their website so everything is available when you need it. After our leadership meeting in November we will be sending out the District and Conference calendar for next year by . Evelyn L. Hines Alice Johnson Shirley A. Martin Sue Mayo Patricia Neilsen Sue Snead Teresa Swain Nancy Nelson Fall, 2018 Dear Friends, As we enter our Christmas season, one of the most blessed seasons of the year, I like to reflect on the words of Love in 1 Corinthians. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, Love is patient, love is kind, it isn t jealous, it doesn t brag, it isn t arrogant, it isn t rude, it doesn t seek its own advantage, it isn t irritable, it doesn t keep a record of complaints, it isn t happy with injustice, but it is happy with the truth. Love puts up with all things, trusts in all thing, hopes for all thing, endures all things. Love never fails. I hoe everyone has recovered from our Annual Meeting on September 22 nd at Main Street Church. Our business session went smoothly with many recognitions and rewards given. Beverly Chestnut from Jamieson Church, shared her lovely voice with us singing two songs. Thank you Bev. Main Street hostess team gave us a lovely tour of their church, prayer garden and introduced us to many of their mission projects. They are a hard-working group of United Methodist Women. Our lunch was prepared and served by Hunter s Catering. We enjoyed their food and their efforts. The desserts were outstanding! We then had the afternoon to relax and go on to other activities for the day. Verse 13, Now faith, hope, and love remain these three things and the greatest of these is love. I wish for all of you and for me the gift of unending love and the ability to hold onto the truth of love. Mary Fulton Farmville District UMW President Thank you to all who attended and supported their Farmville District UMW. Now we are planning next year s meeting plus Prayer Breakfast in March and Mission Study in late April. As our communication style moves quickly into the internet age, it is important that we have at least one good address from each unit. When you return your 3

4 Happy Fall!!!! As we enter my favorite season of the year, please remember to enjoy the colors, smells, tastes, and events occurring as the temperatures start to cool. The busy days of summer are fading allowing us time to slow down and be thankful for all that surrounds us. God s canvas is vivid with red, gold, and yellow strokes blending together behind fresh cut fields of green. The morning air is crisp; the afternoon sky bright Cblue; the evenings inviting for those of us with rockers on our porches. Fall is a season to pause, reflect, and give thanks to God for all he has given us and to experience that love through all our senses. Savor the blessings. Pictures from the 46th Annual District Meeting Sept. 22, 2018 I would like to thank everyone and anyone who helped with the Fall Meeting in September. It was a gorgeous day full of fellowship and praise with the Holy Spirit leading United Methodist Women into We enjoyed a wonderful message from Jane Lyon and worship through song by Bev Chestnutt. Hunter s Catering provided a hearty meal with all the fixings and no one should have left hungry!!! The friendly ladies of Main Street were very accommodating and organized a variety of extras for visitors to enjoy; the Jane Jones Food Pantry, the Craft Shop, the Prayer Garden, and refreshments as we gathered to register. A special thanks to their organist Benjamin Woosley, their pastor Wayne Rickman, and Ebie Hines (District Treasurer) for all of her guidance as we coordinated the event. Carol Fields has been faithful in registering participants each year and we appreciate her, as well as countless others for the time and effort they willingly give each fall to make the meeting a success. Our President, Mary Fulton, did a great job leading the meeting and was invaluable to me as a resource. I do not have an exact count, but estimate the attendance to have been close to 110 this year. Please start making plans now to attend next year on September 25th. I will keep you all posted on the details. God bless each of you and may the Holy Spirit move you to do his will. Enjoy the Fall!!! Sincerely, Becky Thompson Vice-president Collected for the Jane Jones Food Pantry Farmville District Officers for 2019 being installed by Thelma Crowder. 4

5 Treasurer The 46 th Annual District Day is in the books, as they say, and it was a success! The Holy Spirit was in the air! Thank you, treasurers, for sending in your 3 rd quarter remittance, Rainbow Giver, and Candle Burning forms in a timely manner. I really appreciate all your help it is a busy time of year for us. This year we had 15 Rainbow Givers in our District. In addition, we had 7 5-Star and 25 6-Star Units out of 47 active units. Also, our Candle Burning total for was $5, God is good, all the time. The offering collected at District Day was $ One half will go to Mission Giving and half will go to the Jane Jones Food Pantry at Main Street United Methodist Church, the host church of this year s meeting (check has already been sent). The Jane Jones Food Pantry was also the Mission Focus and you lovely ladies donated lbs of food to this worthwhile Virginia Conference Mission. I can vouch that they are most appreciative of the food and the monetary support. Treasurers, the 4 th quarter remittance is due on December 5 th. As a District, some units are behind in meeting their 2018 pledges thus far. I am confident that God will provide. May you each have a bountiful harvest season followed by a Happy Thanksgiving. Before you know it, it will be time for Advent may your Christmas be filled with love and joy and peace. In Christian love, Evelyn Hines, Treasurer Program Resources I d like to thank all of you for your support since the passing of my son in July. I have found comfort in knowing where Alex is and that God walks beside me each step of the way. He has blessed me in so many ways and especially with Christian sisters that are there in times of need. I appreciate your messages and your cards as well as your hugs and comments during our recent Farmville District meeting. I was blessed to be Alex s mother and will continue his legacy of reaching out to others. The UMW Reading Program is undergoing some major changes that may not be seen at the unit level. As you heard at the annual meeting, New World Outlook magazine is being discontinued and each person with a subscription was able to request a refund or have your money donated to one of several charities including UMCOR, which is the one I personally chose. I have not yet heard if there is a replacement for that in the 2019 Reading Program requirements for plans above Level 1, but I doubt that it will include anything other than reading Response. I have also inquired about some books that show up on one list on the national website, but not on others. But my calls/messages have gone unanswered as there is restructuring going on at the national level. The woman who was in charge of the Reading Program is no longer there. Therefore, I have downloaded the Reading Program catalogs from 2013 to 2019 and will be cross-referencing the items in those catalogs with the list that I had already developed to make sure you have a complete list of everything you can read for credit in the coming year. I hope to have that list ready by November 1 and will it to each unit for sharing. It will include not only the books for the 2019 program year (from the reading lists for 2014 to present), but also a list of books from the 2013 list which must be read by December 31, 2018, in order to count for the 2019 reporting period. I encourage each of you to challenge your circles to read and share about your reading as well. That can only be a positive outcome with far reaching benefits. Please don t hesitate to call or write if you need something. Lisa Davis (804) lisa.blanton62@gmail.com Being A Christian Is Like Being A Pumpkin God picks you from the patch & brings you in. (John 15:16) Then washes all the dirt off you. (2 Corinthians 5:17) He opens you up & scoops out all the yucky stuff. He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, etc. (Romans 6:6) Then He carves you a new smiling face. (Psalm 71:23) And He puts His light inside you to shine for all the world to see. (Matthew 5:16) Let s all pause and enjoy the wonders of Fall with thankful hearts. Brenda Gee, Secretary 5

6 SOCIAL ACTION I want to express my appreciation to all of you for the work you do in your units throughout the year. I was so thankful to read of all your contributions that were reported on your Living Into Our Purpose reports. I found it very heartwarming to see the amount of work that was being done across our district. Up until this year my Unit had not completed this form and I had been told to just go over it and answer the questions so we did and realized that we did okay. I know that many of you think,as I did, that I can t do another report, but go over the form and give yourself credit for all you have done. Again, thanks ladies for all the work you do through the UMW. You are a blessing to our organization. Thanksgiving is fast approaching and I pray we can all take a moment to take an inventory of how many things we have to thank God for. Let us also approach this Advent Season with open hearts, spirits and minds that will allow us to center on the great gift God sent to all mankind when he sent his son Jesus on that night long ago. If you have persons that are struggling with medical bills and have not been qualified for Medicaid in the past encourage them to apply again as the program has changed. Let us join with our UMW sisters throughout the world in remembering that it is our Christian duty to see Christ in the eyes of every person that we meet and to treat them as Christ would have us treat them. Ann Thomas Goodbye Summer, Hello Fall. We had a wonderful and informative 46th Conference Annual Meeting in Newport News, October 26 th and 27th. Our two Mission projects for the conference Annual Meeting were, Early Intervention Division for Rural Infant Services Program and the Una Familia on the Eastern Shore. I got a chance to hear Kathy Phillips on the Early Intervention Division for Rural Infant Services. The keynote speaker was Sharon Priddy, the United Methodist Women s Board of Directors President. I also enjoyed talking with Deconise Lisa Nichols from the Henry Fork Service Center. Out of 558 Units we had 302 to participate in Living into Our Purpose. The Farmville District tied with York River District with the Highest number of GOLD awards! For Candle Burning and 5 & 6 Star Units we came in 3rd place. We received Honorable Mention for the Rainbow Givers. If any Unit is interested in hosting next year s Mission Study which will be on Saturday, April, 2019, please contact Laura Jane Rash at Laura Jane Rash Education & Interpretation Spiritual Growth Does an hour pass when we don t see our friends with their heads tipped down at a characteristic angle gazing down on a little screen? The may be texting, posting, social media updates, mapping routes, or just about anything that can be done, as long as there s a phone signal or wi-fi connection. With heads bowed and eyes on their smart phones, they are addicted to the need to connect and, very often, totally unaware of what s going on in the world around them. Even, drivers on the interstate check the little screen with the right hand, while the left hand steers the vehicle. Phones and technology are neither good nor bad in themselves, but when used constantly and carelessly, they turn us inward, often leaving us selfish and occupied with mundane issues. Our habits change us for better or worse, and as Christ s disciples we must examine how our time is used and if we may be over connected. The beautiful season of autumn has arrived with leaves of many colors and the return of some favorite birds. I challenge you to disconnect your electronics, find a quiet spot in the woods, and ask Christ to come join you for a (Continued on page 7) 6

7 (Continued from page 6) long, quiet and meaningful visit. Use the Bible verse, Luke 9:23, and ask him what it means to deny ourselves and to follow Him. It would also be fitting to recite our UMW Purpose and to get ideas about how you, as a member may become more committed and dedicated to making your Unit the strongest and best ever. Connect to Christ; the line is always open. Blessings, Jane Smith November Calendar of Events 3 Leadership Team 9:30am Crenshaw UMC 22 Happy Thanksgiving December 5 4th Qtr. Remittance to District Treasurer + World 25 Merry Christmas The form for Membership and Unit Officers needs to be completed and turned in by December 30th. 7

8 District UMW Newsletter Marilyn Johnson 449 Nelson Lane Charlotte C. H. VA 23923gn 8