CIRCUIT RIDER. Ubuntu Day. Celebrate!! 150 years of being organized for mission March 23,

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1 CIRCUIT RIDER GETTING THE NEWS OUT TO THE UNITED METHODIST WOMEN OF THE EAST DISTRICT DESERT SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE June Hanson Vol. 35 No. 1 Bev Secrist President March 2019 Editor Pro Tem Table of Contents 1 - Celebrate 1 - Ubuntu Day 2 - Welcome readers 2 - President - June 2 - Prayers 3 - Day of Giving 3 - Money Matters 4 - Your Celebration 4 - Handful of Women 5 - Introducing Cris Bass 5 - Ed. for Mission 6 - Committee on Nominations 7 - Spiritual Growth 7 - Census 8 - Mission u 9 - Mission Today 10 - Reading Program 11 - Reading Program cont Invitation 12 - Calendar 12 - Purpose 13- Ubuntu Registration Form 14- LDD pictures Ubuntu Day East District Day of Service April, 6, 2019 Celebrate!! 150 years of being organized for mission March 23, Begin at 9:00 a.m. at: St. Matthew United Methodist Church 2540 W. Baseline Road, Mesa Devotions, announcements and three volunteer projects to choose from. Please bring: $10, your own sack lunch and personal hygiene items (see list on registration form on page 13) Project 1: Help serve morning brunch at UMOM (carpool to location) Project 2: Pack food at Feed My Starving Children (carpool to location) Project 3: Assemble personal hygiene packets & letter writing to missionaries and women of Halle Center at UMOM (at St. Matthew) Registration deadline March 17. See registration form on page 13 of the newsletter for more information. PAGE 1

2 Welcome to our new readers. We ve just recently updated our list to include new local organization officers. If we ve missed anyone please let us know at Dear Sisters in Christ, Sisterhood of Grace. The members of the East District United Methodist Women are the epitome of this statement. Sisterhood of Grace is the theme of the current program book. It is chockful of gems to use in our local units. I love the Sisterhood of Grace Covenant (from page 5) which is a list of rules of engagement. I experienced grace from my district United Methodist Women sisters this week who gathered around to fill in for secretary and communications coordinator after Yvonne Fischer s unexpected resignation due to a bout of pneumonia and changes in her personal life. Yvonne, we are praying for your health and your happiness. Girlfriends, please pray for the right women to come forward and fill these positions. Although it may be observed at any time of year, now is a good time to focus on an invitation to A Call To Prayer and Self-Denial. Building a Thriving Generation of Children and Youth Worldwide is the subject this year. This invitation draws us closer to Christ. Nearly every member can deny herself at least one thing and donate the price of that item to this worthy cause through the United Methodist Women. See umwmissionresources.org to order materials ( ). I am so proud of the East District United Methodist Women for working hard to achieve so many 2018 Mission Today Goals. The 2019 goals are listed in the leadership event booklet. Contact me if you need a copy. Remember to celebrate our 150th Anniversary! May God continue to bless each of you as you and your sisters serve Christ this year! Love & joy, June Hanson, president East District junehanson@juno.com P.S. Looking forward to seeing many of you at the Ubuntu event on April 6... Several of the East District leadership team are in need of prayers. Please pray that God will touch their lives with strength and guidance, with grace and mercy, and a healing touch. Prayers, too, for The United Methodist Church & United Methodist Women as we go forward. PAGE 2

3 March 23 - Day of Giving Give to The Legacy Fund: Online at unitedmethodistwomen.org/legacyfund. By phone: (8 am-6pm EST, Monday-Friday) Text Legacy150 to By check to: Office of the Treasurer, United Methodist Women 15th Floor 475 Riverside Drive New York, NY Write "The Legacy Fund" in the memo section. Money Matters Our 2019 East District Leadership Enrichment Event was a great event and I enjoyed my time with the local treasurers (even though it was a bumpy start with our technical problems). We talked about a lot of things including Five-Star Giving and the importance of each unit making a pledge to missions. So far, I have received 13 out of 19 units pledges. Our district Five Star Pledge to conference is $48,300 for Working together I m sure that we ll be able to meet it. The 150th anniversary of United Methodist Women is almost here! On March 23, 1869, eight women met at Tremont Methodist Episcopal Church in Boston and organized the Women s Foreign Missionary Society which would become United Methodist Women. United Methodist Women is now the largest women s faith-based service and advocacy organization serving women, children and youth. A way to strengthen and pass on our mission inheritance is the Legacy Fund. It is a permanent endowment which will provide a firm foundation for the generations of United Methodist Women to come. Follow the link on the United Methodist Women s home page 150 The Legacy Fund Endowment Campaign for more information on the Legacy Fund and/or make a donation to the fund. I look forward to serving as your district treasurer again this year. Please let me know if I can be of service to your local organization. Blessings to all, Linda Moore, East District Treasurer Lamphx@cox.net PAGE 3

4 What is your local organization doing to celebrate our 150 years in mission? Have a birthday cake for refreshments? Balloons at your meeting? Tell the story On a Dark and Storm Night? Present the skit Two Pennies and a Prayer? Show the videos The League of Extraordinary Methodist Women or 150th Anniversary: When Women Organize for Mission? Relate legacy stories? Give to the Legacy Fund? Have a United Methodist Women s Sunday in your church? Tell us how your local organization celebrated. Send a brief description (one or two sentences) to: edumwomen@gmail.com THAT HANDFUL OF WOMEN by Barbara E. Campbell The Woman s Foreign Missionary Society (WFMS) was the earliest of the several missionary societies that now comprise United Methodist Women, and it existed as a separate society from 1869 to When it celebrated its 70th anniversary, it paid tribute to 1,559 missionaries sent out during seven decades to work on four continents and in 17 nations. The society had established 20 hospitals and 1,114 schools with 3,403 trained national teachers and over 68,000 students. But WFMS did not spring full-blown in a vacuum. It was a rainy, stormy day on March 23, 1869, when a handful of women came together at the Tremont Street Church in Boston to form the Woman s Foreign Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Notices of the meeting had been sent to 28 Methodist churches of Boston and vicinity but only eight women actually came. The church was locked when the earliest arrived but, once inside the church, the women prayed and listened to stories told by missionary wives recently returned from India of the shut-in women of the Zenanas, and the call of the Master to Christian women. They also heard of the recent organization of the Congregational women; so they covenanted together and with God and a resolution to organize was taken. In quick succession they appointed a committee on nomination to select officers, accepted the list presented, sang the Doxology, and set the following Tuesday as the next meeting date. Notices for a meeting on March 30 were sent out; and although on that day there was another torrential rain, 26 women were present. In the intervening week much work had been done on a draft constitution which was presented and adopted by and for the Woman s Foreign Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mrs. Osman C. Baker was named the first president. Read the rest of the story at: This article was originally printed in the Centennial Assembly souvenir Along the Journey: Vignettes of Predecessor Women s Mission Organizations. PAGE 4

5 I want to introduce myself as the new vice president of the East District. I have been asked a few times to take a position on the east district board, but I had always had a 9 to 5 job and did not want to add any more hours to my work week, so I have said no. Now that I am retired, I decided to say yes to the first board position that I would be asked to take. To my surprise, I was asked to take the vice president position. My first reaction was, What? How can I replace Kathy Schock? Then, knowing that I would have Kathy s guidance and, more important, God s support, I said Yes! And, I will add that I am very happy that I did. I have been in Arizona 36 years now, moving here from Illinois where I taught high school. Here I have served as church administrative assistants, 10 years at Tempe First UMC, and 10 years at Red Mountain UMC. My husband and I have raised two children. My daughter, Angela, who has blessed me with three beautiful grandchildren (Addison, 16, Jackson, 14, and Brendan, 10), is an UM minister and lives in Overland Park, KS, after serving St. Paul s UMC in Tucson and Santa Cruz Valley UMC for 17 years. My son, Eric, lives and works in the Dallas, TX area. My husband passed away in March of Now I am ready to try some new and exciting things for our meetings this year. What they are remains to be seen, but I will guarantee that each of our events will include some kind of stretching/movement as my current career is a fitness instructor at LA Fitness. Early mornings you will find me teaching aqua fit (water) classes, body works, and/or silver sneakers classes. I believe in taking care of our bodies as well as we can so that we can serve God as well as we can. I look forward to serving you as well as I can as your vice president. Cris Bass - crisb9146@cox.net Does your unit have an Education for Mission Leadership Team member? If not, may I suggest that this is a great avenue to get more members involved with the Leadership Team. A beginning assignment is to read an article from any response Magazine and give a 2-5 minute report on that article. The Education for Mission person could also do something similar at small group meetings. After a period of time more activities could be planned, but a Response Moment is a start, and could get a willing member more involved in the Leadership Team without this being an overwhelming commitment. Anytime we can cultivate members to take a more active involvement in UMW we are doing a good thing. Please consider adding an Education for Mission person to your Leadership Team by reaching out to one of your members who seems to be a dedicated member and might be willing to take this office on if they are contacted directly. Kaye Rountree Education for Missions East District PAGE 5

6 Change it Up Nominations News By Cyndi Heinecke East District Nominations Chair Many of our local units are planning celebrations for our 150 year birthday. My unit chose to put on the skit, Two Pennies and a Prayer. Complete with period costumes, and props it brought humor and laughter into the room, as well as pride at how we started so long ago. One paragraph I quote 150 years ago today, eight women began it all. Today, eight hundred thousand United Methodist Women from all backgrounds and experiences, compelled by their Christian faith, turn Faith, Hope and Love into Action--- and we always have room for more! Yes, we always have room for more. Women are waiting to be asked to help in some way. Women are waiting to be invited to a meeting. To our Nomination chairs in local units, get together with your leadership teams and begin looking at areas where you could plug someone into a position on your teams. Have conversations with your teams. Please ask some women to be on your committee. This gets more women involved and makes many eyes and ears looking for hidden talents. If someone has been in a position for a long time, it may be time for a change. Trade with another position, take a break, perhaps you could co-lead. There are many options. One of our units does not name their positions in their unit. They each choose to take the lead of one of the events on the calendar for their unit for that year. One takes UMW Sunday, one takes a Unit Program etc. the next year they choose a different event. Units are being creative and although no new gals are available to them they are mixing up jobs within the units. This gives a new perspective, a new outlook on planning your year and another opportunity for new women to move into your teams. Changing it up this way, allows the women who are passionate about UMW to move forward in a way that is fresh and new. Nomination committees are so important in our local units, an integral part of your leadership team. Several of our units in East District have closed because they did not rotate their leadership. Please do not let that happen to you. Contact me if your need ideas to change it up. I will be happy to make suggestions and assist you.we learn to work together in partnership with the others in our units. We look for diversity, we look for passion in our members, we look for abilities. We are focusing on a cohesive team to put our Faith, Hope and Love into action. We do this together as a team. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV) PAGE 6

7 The very first item listed in our UMW organization's purpose is "to know God". The only way we can get to know God better is by reading the scriptures carefully, meditating on the words, pondering what it is saying to us, and praying for discernment. Therefore, every unit and circle meeting should set aside time for worship and prayer. Meditation is having "the word of Christ dwell in you richly" (Colossians 3:16). In order to do this, we must set aside all our distractions and really focus in on God's word. We need to spend several minutes trying to understand what God is revealing to us through the scripture. We must let God's word soak deeply into our hearts and minds so that we can let God guide our actions. The discipline of true meditation and worship takes time to develop, so it can't be accomplished in a one minute devotional message. If your unit does not have a person responsible for Spiritual Growth, the vice-president should appoint someone to be in charge of worship at each meeting. Setting aside time for devotions is an important element of every gathering and should not be neglected or glossed over. Linda Munsil Spiritual Growth How time flies! It seems that we just got over Christmas and Valentine's Day is also past, which means all of the local units have less than a month to get their Census reports electronically filed. They can be submitted by the local President or Membership Chairperson at At the end, click on blue box to submit your information. Be prepared to enter your starting membership, members added, and members that are deceased or moved away. Let us strive to have 100% participation for If you need help completing the census, please feel free to call me at or send me an to mjmermer7@aol.com.please also me when you have completed the survey and let me know your final count for I will be contacting the local units by phone or prior to March to see how you are progressing on your report. Blessings, Marilyn Seese, membership coordinator PAGE 7

8 Look for the March 15th Southwest Winds for more information about registering for Mission u. Registration will open approximately March 22nd. If you would like a detailed description of the studies for this year click this link Studies 2019 We will NOT have any mission study books for purchase at Mission u this year. Cindey Blaydes (Conference Program Resources) has been and will continue explaining this and more to your Program resources officers. The study books are now available: To order click the title of the book. Practicing Resurrection: The Gospel of Mark and Radical Discipleship Women United for Change:150 Years in Mission About Our Money? A Faith Response You might consider ordering as a group; you might save some on postage. Amazon has Kindle versions only of study books. Locations and Dates: July Trinity UMC, Las Vegas August 2-3 Lakeview UMC, Sun City August Catalina UMC, Tucson Please invite people to Mission u: Take a flier to your meetings, post on a bulletin board, give it to your pastor. Watch the United Methodist Women s web page for more information and the registration form: PAGE 8

9 2018 MISSION TODAY ACHIEVEMENTS -- June Hanson, President & Linda Moore, Treasurer -- With extraordinary fundraising, and generous and sacrificial giving of the East District local unit members, as a District we have exceeded our 5-STAR MISSION GIVING goals by sending $54, to the Desert Southwest Conference United Methodist Women, and donating $2,2,72.00 to the Call-to-Prayer Program. The following local units have earned Mission Today recognition. In addition, the asterisks indicate 2018 Mission Giving Status up to five stars. The plus sign indicates that they exceeded their pledge. We thank you, and are grateful to God for His blessings. May we continue to serve Christ with big hearts, great faith, and strong conviction. FAITH CATEGORY Those who have met the pledge of Prayers, Presence, Money, and/or Service: Crossroads United Methodist Women dba People of Purpose Saint Paul s United Methodist Women Wesley United Methodist Women* FAITH & HOPE CATEGORY Completed 8 goals and made and paid their Pledge to Mission in-full for 2018: Chandler United Methodist Women**+ Desert Chapel United Methodist Women****+ Friendship Village United Methodist Women** Scottsdale United Methodist Women**+ FAITH & HOPE & LOVE CATEGORY Completed 15 goals and made and paid their Pledge to Mission in-full for 2018: Central United Methodist Women*** Gold Canyon United Methodist Women*** FAITH, HOPE, LOVE IN ACTION CATEGORY Completed 20 items, made & paid their Pledge to Mission in-full, for 2018: Cross in the Desert United Methodist Women*****+ Dayspring United Methodist Women*****+ Grace United Methodist Women*****+ North Scottsdale United Methodist Women*****+ Payson United Methodist Women***** Red Mountain United Methodist Women*****+ Saint Matthew United Methodist Women*****+ Sun Lakes United Methodist Women*****+ United Methodist Women of Tempe First*****+ Velda Rose United Methodist Women*****+ The 5-STAR MISSION GIVING areas are Monetary Pledge, Gift to Mission, Gift in Memory, Special Mission Recognition, and World Thank Offering. Local units are encouraged to give beyond their pledge each year by lowering their bank account to an amount that carries them into the next year. PAGE 9

10 Reading Program Honor Roll for 2018 by Judith Humbert Certificates Awarded on 01/19/2019 Congratulations, everyone! 2018 was a good year for reading. Our performance was like a super-highway... Freeway 101! Or maybe more like Dalmatians! Yes, one hundred women and one young girl read a wide range of worthwhile books. Achievements like that can change us and we can change the world. Ladies, you rock! Central Church 17 participants Judith Humbert Marilyn Seese Joy Van Sickel Laura DeNinno Silvia Dorrance Evelyn Dutra Diane Gara-Weiner Susan Greene Deanne Handlong Chris Henry Bonnie Hicks Amy Pate Mary Price Patricia Roth Reverend Floy Scott Joanne Sky Twyla Thompson Chandler UMC 3 participants Caroline Kidd Jeanette Page Jeannine Reynolds Cross in the Desert UMC 4 participants Arvilla Jungman Judith A. Smith Suzanne Hartley Linda Moore Dayspring UMC 3 participants Bev Secrist Blanche Berreman Sally Jarus Desert Chapel UMC, Apache Junction 3 participants Plan 3: Virginia Brown Ardis Gustafson Mariann Gray Friendship Village 4 participants Ann Allen Mary Lou New Doris Stanley Lorraine Wearne Grace UMC 18 participants Sharon Bratton Hilde Frazee Mary Huper Plan 3: Carolyn Swinsick Mary Brodzinski Helen Cook Linda Mead Jeanie Smith Ramona Vann Miss Jana Hajduk Toni Kirch Marilyn Moore Joyce Pomeranz Millye Reese Nancy Schofield Dorothy Strait Jane Swanson Sally Worthington North Scottsdale UMC 8 participants Roxie Helbert Betty Hosmer Joyce Nolan Sharon Pry Susan Smith Cindy Bryant Carol Dixon Jean Doede Red Mountain UMC 10 participants Debbie Kuhn Jennifer Dutton Pat Goss Diane Beatty Georgiana Crouse Judy Dunn Diane Miller Marie Pettigrew Betty Rose Linda Thistlewaite Saint Matthew UMC 2 participants Robin Gearhart Kathy Olney PAGE 10

11 Reading Program awards cont. Scottsdale UMC 5 participants Pauline Shaffer Plan 3: Ellen Bloom Janis Johnson June Shupert Anita Zastrow Sun Lakes UMC 10 participants Donna Jones Evagene (Genie) Wall Plan 3: Mary Boyer Marjorie Rasmussen Julie Hise Nan Keller Judy Laughlin Frances McGrath Charlene Smith Sharon Szabo Tempe First UMC 3 participants Elaine Bristol Sharon Clement Becky Hasler Velda Rose UMC 11 participants Billie Larime Pat Nixon Plan 3: Beverly Loftin Helen McIntire Myrna Bowman Jan Armold Susan Lyons Theressa De Weerd Dorothy Grafft Kathy Kolbo Tish Roberts St. Matthew United Methodist Women invite the women of your unit to attend a special event on Saturday, April 27 at 9 a.m. in the Activity Center. Program Changing Lives Guest speakers: Trinity Donovan (CEO of AZCEND) Trinity Donovan serves as the CEO of AZCEND, a nonprofit that helps people as they move from crisis to stability and ultimately to prosperity. Working in nonprofit leadership positions for the past 19 years, her areas of focus have included hunger, homelessness, and early childhood development. Chris Spencer, (President of AZ Justice For Our Neighbors) Arizona Justice For Our Neighbors (AZJFON) offers a hospitality ministry that welcomes immigrants by providing affordable, high-quality immigration legal services to low-income immigrants, engaging in advocacy for immigrant rights, and offering education to communities of faith and to the public. Questions? Contact Ruth Dales at Please send a count by April 24 of those planning to attend. Thanks! PAGE 11

12 2019 March YEARS! Celebrate!!! March 23 - Annual Day of Giving March Annual Spring Retreat - Redemptorist Renewal Center - Tucson March 31 - Deadline for local presidents to submit End-of-Year Local Unit Membership Count to National at April 6 - UBUNTU begins at St. Matthew UMC, Mesa 9 AM May 15 - Articles due for the June Circuit Rider September 15 - Articles due for the September Circuit Rider October 12 - District Annual Celebration - North Scottsdale UMC October 26 - Conference Annual Celebration - Sun Lakes UMC November 15 - Articles due for the December Circuit Rider 2020 Apr Western Jurisdiction UMW Quadrennial Meeting - Doubletree Hotel, Tempe PURPOSE United Methodist Women shall be a community of women whose purpose is to know God and to experience freedom as whole persons through Jesus Christ; to develop a creative, supportive fellowship; and to expand concepts of mission through participation in the global ministries of the church. PAGE 12

13 UBUNTU DAY (UMW EAST DISTRICT DAY OF SERVICE) April, 6, :00 a.m. Gathering at St. Matthew United Methodist Church 2540 W. Baseline Road, Mesa Three work projects have been chosen for our Ubuntu Day celebration. Volunteer to help on one of the following projects when you fill out the form below. Project #1: United Methodist Outreach Ministry (UMOM), 3333 E. Van Buren, Phoenix We will carpool to UMOM and help serve morning brunch. (maximum of 12) Project #2: Feed my Starving Children, 1345 S. Alma School Road, Mesa We will measure and pack food to fight world hunger. (maximum of 16) Project #3: Assemble personal hygiene packets, St. Matthew UMC We will put together personal hygiene packets for women in need. We will also write letters to women of Halle Center and our missionaries. Schedule for the Day: 9:00 a.m. -- Gathering and Refreshments (St. Matthew UMC) 9:30 a.m. -- Worship Service 10:00 a.m. -- Announcements, Instructions and Carpools 10:15 11:00 a.m. -- Departures for Destinations/Lunch What to Bring: $10 to cover registration and donations to projects Sanitary pads, tampons, panty liners Travel-size bottles of shampoo, conditioners, lotions, etc. Your personal travel mug/sack lunch Return the following information, along with the registration fee of $10 to: Cris Bass, 1402 E. Guadalupe, Unit 141, Tempe, AZ DEADLINE IS SUNDAY, MARCH Name Phone (for confirmation) Church PAGE 13

14 Leadership Development - January 19, Scottsdale UMC PAGE 14