The Messenger s Flame

Transcription

1 The Messenger s Flame Montgomery-Prattville District UMW Summer 2015 District Officers President Cathy Givan Vice President Cami Hacker Secretary Bonnie Strait Treasurer Brenda Hargrave Program Resources Spiritual Growth Bonnie Shanks Social Action Ora Gillespie Communications Penny Colin Membership Nurture & Outreach Mary Wilson Education & Interpretation Gloria Jean Williams Nominations Chair Mable Lawrence Spring is in the air! From the President Spring is God's way of saying, 'One more time!' Robert Orben A BIG thank you to event host units for such gracious hospitality and thank each of you for showing up in a BIG way. Wow! We have really been on the move and springing-up everywhere. We have been to Capitol Heights, How Is It With Your Soul ; Montgomery First, Legislative Prayer Breakfast; Dexter Avenue, Commemorative 50 th Anniversary Voting Rights Act March; Millbrook First, The Church and People With Disabilities ; Alabama Statehouse, along with Alabama Arise for their Lobby Day and as I write this message, we have just celebrated District Day Apart at Dalraida UMC. What a great reminder that God created Man and Animals and uses both to His glory. Thank you Mary Wilson and her Collie, Sonny and Denise Dugo and her Bernese Mountain Dog, Hudson for sharing your special therapeutic ministry with us and thanks to Locust Bluff Choir for providing uplifting songs of praise and worship. Locust Bluff, we are coming your way May 30 th. Information is included in the newsletter. Events are planned with care and detail to inform members of current mission needs and educate each of us on what we can do to help. On a personal note, thank you for being present including our District Superintend Reverend John Brooks. Personal contact with our UMW Sisters is fun, informative and a spiritual blessing! Pictures are included in this newsletter and on our web page click the Scrapbook 2015 link. One of the new things that we are going to do this year is to have all our local units make a display poster highlighting one of your activities. Pictures and short messages can be on the board. The goal is to share your activities and achievements with all our local units so that others can gain insight and encouragement. These will be displayed at our District Annual Day September 19 th at Trinity UMC in Prattville. Each display will have a voting sheet, and the one with the most votes will be displayed during Conference Annual Day Saturday, October 24 th at Blue Lake. Additionally, we have been asked to begin collecting photographs and writing stories for a time line to also be displayed during our Conference Annual Day. We are asked to put a photo and story on one 8-1/2 x 11 page. These legacy photos and stories of our leaders and mentors will be posted around the wall. You will receive more information about this project as the year progresses, but please begin thoughtfully considering who in your life made an impact on your role in UMW.

2 President s Message continued: Speaking of legacy, in 2019, United Methodist Women will be celebrating 150 years! United Methodist Women is celebrating its 150th anniversary by strengthening and passing on its mission inheritance with The Legacy Fund. This forward-looking permanent endowment will provide a firm foundation for generations of United Methodist Women to come as they engage in mission with the women, children and youth of their day. Every member of United Methodist Women is invited to contribute to The Legacy Fund. Any amount is welcome. Prayerfully consider contributing to our Legacy Fund. Information will be available at district events. As always, if you need anything from me or any of the other district officers, I encourage you to pick up the phone or send an . Also, let me know about your special events and I will make every effort to come and visit with you. Remember, it takes each of us to make a difference for ALL of us. Faith, Hope, Love in Action, Cathy From Your Treasurer Brenda Hargrave District Treasurer s Article The first quarter funds from our District have been sent to the Conference treasurer. We had 8 local UMW units who participated and we are well on the way to our pledge to the Conference. Pledge to Missions: $ Candle Burning Special Mission Pin Gift to Missions Gift in Memory World Thank Offering Total Mission Giving $ ( our 2015 pledge is $12,000) Additional Giving: Prayer and Self Denial Conference Askings Total Giving $ I would like to encourage all units to strive to be 5-Star units this year by contributing to the first five items above. If you have questions, please contact me at or jbhargrave@elmore.rr.com. 2

3 The Messenger s Flame Summer 2015 The Church and People with Disabilities Mission Study Millbrook First UMC 3

4 Membership Nurture and Outreach Coordinator Thank you so very much everyone for inviting me to speak about my heart's passion, therapy pet work, at our District Day Apart. I loved getting to share what wonderful work God's special creatures do for the people who are hurting and healing, and how these wonderful dogs reach out to children of all ages and races. Sunny and Hudson love everyone. When they are with people of all ages, they don't see race; they don't see age; they don't see infirmities. They only know that these are people who need some special unconditional love as only they can give. Both dogs share this love completely. Thank you, also, for the generous donations for my animal advocacy group, TAG (That Animal Group). John and I delivered the donations to MACOA for the recipients of the Meals on Wheels program on Monday. They were delighted to get it. These donations mean so much to the people who have pets, and oftentimes share their meals with them so the pets they cherish will have food, too. This has been one of the most meaningful projects our group has done. You are most generous. I thank God for you. Mary Wilson, Your MNO Coordinator Montgomery Prattville District 2015 Mission Studies May 30 "The Roma of Europe" Locust Bluff UMC 124 West Main Street Prattville, AL Presenter: Geraldine DeFelix, Writing Center Director, The Baptist College of Florida Montgomery Prattville District Day Apart September 19, 2015 Trinity UMC Prattville, AL 4

5 Faith, Hope, Love in Action Social Action Ora A Gillespie We dressed in our yellow United Methodist Women T-shirts, put on our walking shoes, joined the March that started at 10:00 a.m. At the City of St. Jude and ended at the State Capitol Steps at 1:25 p.m. Let s March! were the words from our president, Cathy Givan. This was the final leg of the Selma to Montgomery Voting Rights March (March 25 ) and our only chance to be a part of such an historic event. A program featuring excerpts of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. s How Long, Not Long speech by his daughter, Dr. Bernice King, as well as a performance by Bonita Hamilton- Caesar of Disney s production of the Lion King. It was simply great to be a part of this day. Fifty (50) years ago, I was a part of the beginning of this Era and today I am a living witness. Montgomery-Prattville District UMW Units have been really busy getting involved in Social Action activities: Legislative Day Alabama Arise, April 14, Capitol Auditorium was another experience for about 14 of us participating. My sisters remember: Where there is doubt, faith Where there is despair, hope Where there is hatred, let me sow love Where there is light, we find understanding, peace and joy. 5

6 Montgomery Prattville District UMW A Message from Our Education & Interpretation Coordinator Two Mission Studies Held Capitol Heights UMW hosted 2/28/15 Millbrook UMW hosted 3/28/15 How Is It with Your Soul The Church and People with Disabilities Laurel Akin, Presenter Debbie Bracewell, Presenter A MISSION TODAY UNIT REMINDERS: The next Mission Study will be held at the Locust Bluff UMC, May 30, 2015 The Mission Study report is due August 31, 2015 Education and Interpretation Coordinator (E & I) Gloria Jean Canty-Williams 334/ cell 334/ home skipinc@bellsouth.net 6

7 The Messenger s Flame Summer 2015 How Is It With Your Soul? Mission Study at Capitol Heights UMC Pet Food Collection at District Day Apart Mary and Sunny, Denise and Hudson Members, District Superintendent Rev. John Brooks, Locust Bluff UMW 7

8 ALERT!... Are you a Subscriber? You too can become informed of Alabama-West Florida Conference United Methodist Women events and activities by subscribing to Alert today! Send your name and address and telephone number to Laurel Akin, 104 Windwood Lane, Enterprise AL Enclose a $4.00 check, made payable to Alabama-West Florida Conference United Methodist Women (AWFCUMW). You may receive a copy of ALERT free by . laurel36330@gmail.com with your request and you will be added to our list. Please include a telephone number! With each issue that is sent, several mailed and ed copies are returned! We need you now! Greetings Ladies: We are almost at the mid-year of This means that it is time for us to start seeking potential Leaders for the 2016 District Team. We are asking you to search your hearts and decide to join us in We hope that someone will accept this as an opportunity to get involved in the District activities. Please contact me or Evelyn Teel if you are interested in becoming an Officer for the Montgomery/Prattville District. Talent Search Forms are available at each District function. Let's put our Faith - Hope - Love into action. There are numerous areas in which UMW are involved, we need you to help battle these injustices, as well as "develop a creative, supportive fellowship, and to expand the concepts of mission through participation in the global ministries of the church". Now is the time! Mable Lawrence, Chairperson on Nominations Conference Dates to Remember JUL 31 AUG 1, 2015 Mission u Dothan UMC (Please visit the conference website for registration form and info). OCT 23 24, 2015 AWF UMW Conference Leadership Training and Annual Day ( NOV 8, 2015 (AWF 2nd Sun. of November) UMW Sunday in local churches 8

9 Stay Connected UMW: AL-WFL: Mont-Pratt District: ville.html 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. United Methodist Women Mission Resources has almost everything you need. The Handbooks and Bylaws are available for downloading from the site. 9