IRD Spring Meeting 2012

Transcription

1 I R O Q U O I S R I V E R D I S T R I C T U M W V O L U M E 7 I S S U E 2 M a y INSIDE THIS ISSUE: President s Perspectives f 2 The Fox Den 3 IRD Spring Meeting 2012 VA Hospital Item List 3 Spiritual Growth 4 Memorial List 5 Social Action 6 Education & Interpretation Lessie Bates Davis NH & Cunningham 7 8 Program Resouces 9 Thank you, Wesley United Methodist Women, for being such gracious and welcoming hostesses at our IRD Spring Meeting on March 31. Thanks also go out to Pat Wright, the Executive Director of the Midwest Mission Distribution Center, for speaking to us on such short notice due to the sudden illness of Rev. Floyd Blackard. Those in attendance appreciated learning more about the work of the MMDC. Your response with items for the MMDC was incredible. Pat left with a van packed with donated items for the health kits. Thank you Iroquois River District United Methodist Women! Keynote Speaker Pat Wright from the Midwest Mission Distribution Center Festival of Quilts back Recipients of Reading Program The Morning Program Fellowship while enjoying a Certificates delicious lunch

2 Page 2 President s Perspectives WOMEN OF CHANGE Summertime and the livin is easy - or is it? Since the weather has turned warm my grass is growing almost as fast as the weeds in the flowerbeds and garden! There s always work to be done outside but I love being outside and working in the soil - just an old Iowa farmgirl. My wrens are back to nest in the birdhouses in my backyard so every morning and evening the air is filled with their songs. God is good! In the last newsletter I talked about change in our world of United Methodist Women. The key words in putting our love into action are: Choose - Learn - Determine - Act - Pray. I received a report that the legislation dealing with national, jurisdiction, conference and district restructure was passed at the Conference in Florida. There are a couple areas of concern that were being worked on at the time I received the report, which we will be hearing about soon. As Harriett Olson said, Welcome to the start of the next 143 years of mission. All the time God is good! At our Illinois Great Rivers Conference 16th Annual Celebration which will be October 6 at Grace UMC in Decatur, Ms. Andris Salter, Assistant Deputy General Secretary, Women s Division, will be the keynote speaker, talking on the theme This is the Day of New Beginnings. Make plans to spend the day, learning about how UMW will be growing and changing in the coming years. A new wind is blowing the spirit of change and reconciliation. As the first disciples experienced the flames of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, we celebrate God s re-creative energy that blows our life open to the divine winds of change. Open our hearts Lord to your gifts! Change is also coming to Iroquois River District. I will be stepping down as your President at the end of this year. It has been an honor and privilege to serve this district over the years, first as treasurer and now as President. I have followed wonderful dedicated women whose past accomplishments challenged me to greater achievement. It has been such a blessing to work with all of you as you opened your hearts and gave of your resources to the projects we have worked on. You all are amazing women! Pray for the new leadership during this time of change. God will provide! Always: Love God - Love Others! Shalom! Judy Stoll, President 1463 Harper Drive Rantoul, IL cell: jstoll@illinois.edu 2012 School of Christian Mission and Young Women s Mission Event That All May Have Life August 3-5, 2012 Weekend School August 5-8, 2012 Weekday School Northfield Inn & Suites, Springfield Geographic Study: Haiti Current Issue Study: Poverty Spiritual Growth Study: Immigration and the Bible Registration and fee deadline is July 7, Registration forms were in each unit s President s packet distributed at the Spring Meeting, March 31, Textbooks can be purchased in advance from the Mission Resource Center ( ). Make plans now to attend this event to increase your knowledge of and interest in the mission of the church, not to mention the great fellowship and friendships that develop.

3 Page 3 From the Fox Den Sing a new song to the Lord! Let thewhole earth sing to the Lord! Psalm 96:1 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them. Matthew 18:20 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. Hebrews 13:16 WOW! DRUM ROLL, PLEASE and KUDOS to the Wesley United Methodist Women. Thank you for giving the Iroquois River District Spring Meeting of the UMW a day of rejoicing. Our attendance was up, the program from your evaluations was very positive and the fellowship with other women with a mission could not have been better. In the afternoon Lois Gullerud, a member of the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra, enthralled us with her violin music. She was wonderful! The Midwest Mission Distribution Center, Cunningham Children s Home and Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House vans were full of your donations. You were very generous in your giving. Do you, as Vice-Presidents, need ideas for your local programs? I would like to share three with you. One is to use and include the Response Magazine, New World Outlook and/or the Prayer Calendar to help tell the mission story and our PURPOSE for the UMW. Our shepherdesses need to attend a unit meeting each year. Each unit has been assigned a Shepherdess. If you do not know who yours is, please let one of the officers know so we can assist you.. Have you invited yours? She can give a program or be a guest. Also, you could do a book review. Plan I has five books for Be sure to read one in each category. Does your unit have a library where you can check out books? Our fall meeting will be at St. James UMC at 504 N. Vermilion, Danville, Illinois. Our speaker for the day will be Rev. Brian Mangold, a United Methodist minister who is the Staff Chaplain and is with Illiana VA Health Care System. Our theme will be LOVE IN ACTION. Listed below are items needed for our hands-on project for the veterans in Danville. United Methodist Women of St. James have already started planning for us. Be sure to invite newcomers, oldcomers and women who are interested in having a deep joy through experiences in the United Methodist Women. We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you. Colossians 1:3 Rebecca Becky Fox 203 Misty Cove Savoy, IL fox_rebecca@att.net VA Hospital Hands-On-Project at District Fall Meeting Saturday, September 22 Listed below are items that can be donated for our hands-on-project to benefit the Danville VA Hospital Personal Comfort Items Needed for Patients Shampoo Crossword puzzle books Casey s gas gift cards Spray deodorant Word search books Crayons, coloring books, Liquid soap (not bar soap) Handheld games Happy Meal toys (still Shaving cream Personal CD players with earphones wrapped) for children Mouthwash 100 calorie snack packs, pudding visiting Toothpaste Coffee (decaf and regular) Lap blankets and prayer shawls Razors Combs Patient Clothing Room New Men s blue jeans Ball caps or Visors Duffle bags New Polo type shirts New casual Docker type jeans T-shirts (white, new, not used) New colored T-shirts Tennis shoes (like new) Men s boxers (M, L, XL, new, not used)

4 Page 4 Notes from Nina Hello Ladies, Thank you to all of you for your prayers and all of the beautiful cards. I will still have a few more tests, but I m feeling much better. If there are any new treasurers, please me all of your information so I can update my books. I am able to e- mail you any forms that you will need. If you do not have a computer, I can mail them to you. Just give me a call. Please, when you send in your Remittance Forms and check, do not make the checks out to me! The checks must be written out to Iroquois River District UMW or IRD UMW. The money all comes to our District and we pass it on to the Conference, which then passes it on to the Women s Division where it is then used for missions UMW supports. As of the end of April we have received $15, It is amazing when we all give a little here and a little there what great things God can do with that money. I watch it grow before my eyes. God is great! If you would like more information here is a website that s very helpful: projects/search/. If you want to do an UMCOR project here is where you can find all of the information about each one. You can also go to This is a beautiful site. There is so much information. Please don t forget about the School of Christian Mission at the beginning of August. It is truly refreshing and you will come away feeling like a new person. All of the forms need to be sent in by June 22. Barb Rascher can get you any of the reading material you will need. Thank you, treasurers, for all of your hard work. God bless you! Nina Holt 181 No E Rankin, IL Cell: nlholt55@yahoo.com Check out our website: Spiritual Growth The Iroquois River District s Spring Meeting held March 31st at Wesley UMC in Urbana was a time of great fellowship and celebration of women who have passed on. Since I was out with a viral infection my presence was missing but my thoughts and prayers were with you all. My deep appreciation is extended to Betty Roberts, my UMW friend and circle leader from my church, who willingly stepped in at the last moment to conduct the morning devotions and memorial service. Thanks to all of you who reported we had a record number of 75 women whose lives were honored at that service. Those names are listed on the next page. Next spring we will list those who have died between April of 2012 through March 16, Many units take a break during the summer months, but I hope to see many of you at the School of Christian Mission this summer. If you don t have this special time on your calendars, I urge you to pick either the weekend or weekday school and join us for a time of learning, worshiping, playing and growing. It can also be a time to share good ideas with each other as we set goals and plans for the rest of 2012 and See you there! Pat Davis Spiritual Growth Coordinator 3204 Ridge Park Rd Urbana, IL pat@bnpdavis.com is a publication of the Iroquois River District United Methodist Women. Editor: Kay McCoy, Communications Coordinator, , mccoy18@comcast.net. is published to report and inform UMW of district and conference programs. For more information visit the Iroquois River District web site ( and click on the UMW link.

5 Page 5 Remembering Those Who Have Graduated to Heaven March 31, 2012 Arcola Velma Black Camargo Rosemary Cox Champaign Faith Wilma Fonner Nancy Foster Aileen Moore Mary A. Seward Madeline Worden Champaign First Evelyn Brahana Betty Craft Mary Derby Gertrude Ennis Betty Kell Marge Langdon Meredith Marsh Velda Routh Cathryn Schrader Evalyn Shroeder Dorothy Tittsworth Elizabeth Betty White Danville St. James LaCorda Guggemos Thelma Johnson Francis Jones Karen Kitchens Betsy Mankin Hindsboro Shirley Anderson Chloanne Greathouse Loda Donna Thompson Mahomet Dorothy Brewer Isabelle Parnell Murdock Pauline Shearer Paxton Clara Batte Judy Hanes Marion Vogel Piper City Mabel Cresswell Anna Mae Krulls Rankin Doris Bolin Louise Nease Jean Plymate Mary Ann Scott Rossville Phyllis Bell Mary Dishman Marge Queen Savoy Lillie Smith Sullivan Luella Fortner Marvene Leach Helen Mauer Mary Naughtin Aliese Paschall Jane Rentfrow Ina Roney Earletta Shain Pat Stuart Rosemary Wood Geri Woods Tolono Barbara Barnhart Gladys Mathews Tuscola Edith Bozart Ruth Henderson Catherine Hoke Lois Marsh Dana Woodall Urbana Wesley Cindy Combs Kay McClelland Dorothy Munger Anna O Connor Jan Shepherdson Watseka Mabel Cavitt Vivian Christy Dorothy Collier Ruth Dannehl Gladys Dunlap Mildred Simmons Velma Sprau Weedman Mary Hoffman Weldon Edna Anderson

6 Page 6 Social Action Bom Dia, Keyhalchal, (key-hal-chal- Indian), G day, Ladies! Of the world s 195 countries over half have been created since Millions of these inhabitants live in regions of poor soil, deserts, mountains, and lands subject to flooding, hurricanes, earthquakes and drought. These are the people who are most adversely affected by our world CLIMATE CHANGE. When natural disasters strike, they hit poor communities first and worst. Women make up an estimated 70% of those living below the poverty line and are most likely to bear the heaviest burdens. At the same time, women are often left out of conversations about adapting to climate change, even though they are often in the best position to provide solutions. Climate change affects women in Uganda, Bangladesh, Brazil, Mississippi, China, etc. Those persons who are disproportionately affected are women and girls particularly those who are poor, from communities of color, and those located in countries in the global South. Throwaway attitudes, yearnings for upto-date technology, latest appliances, multi-car families, travel in comfort, wastefulness, and burning fossil fuels have helped cause climate change. Scientists have recorded major changes in animal migrations, melting glaciers, deforestation, and greenhouse gases. Over 50 years ago, author/ scientist/naturalist, Rachel Carson wrote Silent Spring, a prophetic book of upsetting the balance of nature and poor stewardship of God s creation. Our best guide is the Bible: But ask the animals, and they will teach you; the birds of the air, and they will tell you, ask the plants of the earth, and they will teach you, and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Job 12: 7,8. For infor- about how to cut your carbon footprint check: HUMAN TRAFFICKING, a worldwide multi-billion dollar business, preys upon our poor and destitute sisters around the world. Many children and some men are also victims of this modern day slavery that affects 27 million of God s children, more than any time in history! In all 400 years of the African slave trade, there were 13 million individuals demoralized! Human trafficking is found in 60 countries. The USA, a fertile ground for this atrocity, involves humans trafficked from 35 countries, found in all 50 states and 90 American cities. Today we have 50,000 victims, arriving mostly from China, Mexico, and Vietnam who are caught in this nightmare of greed and corruption. The most common forms of Human Trafficking are: (1) Bonded labor/debt bondage (loans never allowed to be paid off); (2) Contract Slavery (employment offered but contract entraps them in slavery); (3) Forced Labor (domestic service, agriculture, factory, hotel and restaurant work); (4) Sexual Trafficking/ Sex Tourism (in 2005 UNICEF estimated 1.2 million children were sold into sexual slavery ). Learn more at IMMIGRATION: You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. Jesus, Mary and Joseph were immigrants/aliens to Egypt to escape the wrath of King Herod. What if they had been turned away/sent back? Why do immigrants continue to come to our country? Is it the freedoms, ability to own land, escape from oppression/persecution, right to choose a vocation, desire for adventure, or expectations of getting rich quickly? Millions have come due to poverty, Patty Russell, Social Action Coordinator. violence and threats in their home country, natural disasters, joblessness, hunger, political asylum, family unification, and better quality of living conditions. Our US Government is receiving over $340 billion from undocumented immigrants, including $120 billion in taxes alone. If all undocumented individuals were taken from the US, we would lose $1.7 trillion in spending and $651 trillion in lost output. In 2007 Social Security deposits by undocumented persons had extended the life of the system by 6 years. UMC Task Force on Immigration study guide and DVDs are available at umwmission.org. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE is a national problem of epic proportions. Everyday television, radio, and newspapers report horrendous acts of violence upon (mostly) women and children by the loved ones. The Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA) allocates about $430 million yearly to states, tribes, and territories for training, law enforcement, and victim support agencies. Women and children are protected in shelters, restraining orders are filed against abusive spouses/ boyfriends, ambulances and medical personnel respond to and spend countless hours attending victims. The legal system and social agencies are over burdened by abuse/violence cases. Psychologists, psychiatrists, and pharmaceutical companies profit from the effects of domestic abuse. Many men and some women who have committed acts of domestic violence are incarcerated. Domestic violence is often perpetuated for generations; the children believing this is normal living. Physical, sexual, psychological, and verbal abuse are all forms of domestic violence. Send to VAWA@gmail.com and petition to reauthorize this bill. Shalom!

7 Page 7 Education & Interpretation About a Leader Harriett Jane Olson has provided service in the United Methodist Church for many years. She is charismatic, graceful, and an effective intellectually productive resource for the United Methodist Church. Specifically she is the leader for 800,000 United Methodist Women. Harriett Jane Olson believes in and demonstrates through her leadership that Christian women are powerful women who encountered challenges and overcame real limitations AND took the church to a new place. Harriett Jane Olson is faith, hope and love in action. Harriett Jane Olson s Statement Critical to United Methodist Women is the combination of spiritual formation, leadership development, personal engagement in mission work and social advocacy. In the spirit of John Wesley and in accordance with our United Methodist self-understanding, these are interdependent approaches. Who is Harriett Jane Olson? Chief Executive Officer of the Women s Division, the national administrative and policy making arm of the United Methodist Women. She is OUR leader! Date Time Event Location Fri. Aug. 3 Weds. Aug. 8 School of Christian Mission Springfield Northfield Inn Sat. September 22 9:00 am-2 pm District Fall Meeting St. James UMC, Danville Sat. October 6 10:00 am-3 pm Conference Annual Meeting Decatur Grace UMC Pertinent Biography of Harriett Jane Olson Member Morristown United Methodist Church, Morristown, New Jersey Affiliate Member McKendree United Methodist Church, Nashville, Tennessee Bachelor s Degree Houghton College, Hougton, New York Law Degree Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts Law Partner, Pitney, Hardin, Kipp and Szuch Law Firm, Morristown, New Jersey Specialized Attorney, Real Estate and Environmental Law Senior Vice-President, Publisher and Editor United Methodist Publishing House Director of the United Methodist General Board of Discipleship Delegate General Conferences of the Denomination Committee Member Northern New Jersey Conference Committee Member Task Force Sexual Harassment Policy Committee Member Commission Status and Role of Women Speaker and Teacher Words That Hurt, That Heal Board of Trustees Houghton University, Houghton, New York Deputy General Secretary, Women s Division of the General Board of Ministries References: 1. Harriett Jane Olson, UMW Staff; gbgm-umc.org/umw/ 2. Olson Directed to Lead Church s Women s Division; gbgm-umc.org/umw/ Calendar of Events Cheryl Towne Education & Interpretation Coordinator 1109 Lake Ridge Road Danville, IL cheryl.luann.towne@gmail.com Sat. November 3 9:30 am District Spiritual Growth Retreat/Officer Update Rankin UMC

8 Page 8 Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House FAST FACTS FROM THE NEIGHBOR- HOOD HOUSE: Teen Reach, the Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House after school program serving youth WORKS! Last year 90% of the 165 teens participating in this program improved their academic progress by at least one grade level. Over 70% of the graduating seniors participating in the program continued with higher education. The Neighborhood House Youth Services program has a 95% success rate in keeping families together. The Healthy Families program prevented abuse and neglect in 100% of the participating at-risk households. Neighborhood House operates the largest food pantry in the East St. Louis area serving over 5000 families monthly from a 5 county area. QUESTION OF THE DAY: Who is Dean Schardan and why did he send llamas and alpacas to visit Teen Reach at the Neighborhood House? To find the answer, check out the Neighborhood House website at and look into the photo gallery. While you re there watch the staff explain what Neighborhood House means to them. Highly recommended!! Your LBDNH representatives: Linda Grose 1189 Country Club Road Sullivan, IL mikelindagrose@gmail.com Pam Socie 1533 CR 2200 E St. Joseph, IL socie@gmail.com Cunningham Children s Home A HUGE thank you to each of you who in some way helped to make the 8th Annual Festival of Quilts a terrific success! No matter how you helped baker seamstress purchaser filled a volunteer time spot sold tickets or came and enjoyed the event you were important in making it the best yet Festival of Quilts $39,000 for the kids at Cunningham. Photos of some of the quilts can be found on the back cover of this newsletter. The other event that happened recently which you all might have been involved in was the Mission Day for youth in your church. If your confirmation class does not participate, talk to your minister about the event for next spring. Mostly confirmation classes come and spend a day on Cunningham s Campus to learn about the mission of Cunningham. For many it is an eyeopening experience. There is opportunity to interact with some of the Kids at Cunningham as they act as guides along with an adult as the guests travel from one area to another to learn about activities at CCH. Are you interested in receiving CCH stories about the kids and events at CCH? The opportunity is yours. All you need to do is become a guardian parent. Want to know more? Just call one of us. Your Cunningham representatives: Betty Kmoch 2908 Springhill Lane Champaign, IL bettylouisek@sbcglobal.net Bobby Walker 406 W. Diller Broadlands, IL bswalker@ablwireless.com

9 Page 9 Program Resources It s May which means that we have more than seven months to complete a UMW Reading Program. Yahoo! Not wanting to show favortism or take credit for great work, I must tell you about the Tolono UMW. They are on fire with the reading program. Three of the ladies from my local unit have already completed Plan I and are well on their way to the next level. Catching up with Betty, Brenda and Casey, the ring leader, will be tough but I, too, love a challenge! Casey has been instrumental with guiding us through the reading program. She hands out the books to the ladies in a way to keep them interested and eager to read the next. She also records their accomplishments so all they do is READ! Perhaps that is just what your unit needs - a ring leader! There might be one lurking in the corner of the room unbeknownst to the rest of the unit. At our local meetings Casey gives us little snippets of the books. Here s one you will enjoyabout the book called Ostriches, Dung Beetles & Other Spiritual Masters by Janice McLaughlin. In cultures of Zimbabwe each person is given a totem at birth. A totem is a guardian animal spirit that is supposed to protect and guide its bearer. It is a means of identification among peoples and is often used when one is introduced to another. Those with the same totem immediately feel at home with one another and share as if they were blood relatives. One is forbidden to eat the meat of one s totem and is prohibited from marrying someone with the same totem. Sometimes individuals emulate the characteristics of their totem spirit such as a child who has a rabbit as a totem might be clever and mischievous while one with a buffalo might be strong and dependable. Janice was given a butterfly totem because she was always on the move flitting from place to place. She starts each chapter with the description of an animal, a bird, or a plant - not ones you might expect. Have you ever thought what you might learn from an ostrich, a warthog, or a dung beetle? Barb Rascher 802 E. Larmon St. Tolono, IL Telephone: cell: rascher@illinois.edu She tells things I doubt many of us ever knew such as an owl for courage, a porcupine for justice or a hammerkop for ambition. It is an interesting book and includes short chapters on 26 different animals, birds and trees. The spring meeting was a blessing, but went by too fast. Between the Easter eggs from Sullivan to the piles of supplies for Lessie Bates Davis NH and Cunningham Children s Home, Wesley was a delightful venue for God s work. Hopefully you found something to enhance your efforts this spring and you acquired knowledge that you will share with others. Education is the best way to make a difference. We will keep learning together and sharing our knowledge like we share our books. Have a fabulous summer, ladies! ** A sample of some of the selections in the 2012 Reading Program **

10 Iroquois River District UMW Savoy United Methodist Church P. O. Box 65 Savoy, IL NONPROFIT US POSTAGE PAID SAVOY IL PERMIT NO. 48 Address Service Requested FESTIVAL OF QUILTS 2012 Ladies of the Sea by Carolyn Stine Best of Show & Best Bed Quilt (hand-quilted) Livia s Star by Cynthia Hubert & Art Needle People s Choice & Honorable Mention Bed Quilt (machine quilted) Double Wedding Ring by the Niantic Quilters Honorable Mention-Bed Quilt (hand quilted) Bluebirds in My Garden by Carolyn Stine Best Machine Quilted Bed Quilt Dresden Plate shown by Mary Metzger-Harris Best Antique Quilt Friendly Wreath by Carolyn Stine Best Wall Hanging or Lap Quilt