United Methodist Women Capital District News

Transcription

1 United Methodist Women Capital District News Vol. 2017, Issue 2 August 2017 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. From the President s Blotter The words Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer have been going through my head lately. The weather has been hot and hazy, the heat makes us lazy and our schedules make it crazy! Summer does not translate into quiet days where we do whatever we want whenever we want. For most of us, that means taking our everyday activities and adding in things appropriate for summer. Granted, some of our activities happen less often during the summer so we do add in a vacation, day trips to the beach, etc., but we are still busy. As United Methodist Women, we are busy about the work of missions. In April, we celebrated our Neighborhood Center Tea at St. Paul UMC in Willingboro. Vedra Chandler was our speaker and she gave a very informative program about some of the people who come to the Center and the impact the Center is making on lives in Camden. We collected foodstuffs for the Teen cooking program and also gave them an offering of $2200. I was happy to be at Georgian Court University on July 7 9 with Rebecca Grant and Pat Marple, our two Mission U scholarship winners. Our mission project was an ingathering of items for CUMAC/ECHO in Paterson and for the Neighborhood Center in Camden. The Sunday Morning Offering was split between the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference Inside this Newsletter: Capital District News & Local Events Mission Money Matters & Become a 5-Star Unit Mission Today Unit Checklist 2017 UMW Events District Mission Team 2017 Officers UMW Assembly Poster 1

2 Construction Project Fund and the Camden Neighborhood Center. In a few short months, we will be gathering together for our Annual Meeting. It will take place on October 7 th at Church of the Good Shepherd in Willingboro. Helen Mc Cahill will speak about the Deaconess and Home Missioner program and she will talk about some of the projects she has been involved in through this program. Our morning offering will go to help support one of these projects. As a team, we ve been talking about some of the things we d like to do next year. We re thinking about doing a Spiritual Retreat, possibly in the Spring. We ve also talked about implementing a health check program for all of our local units. This will take more planning and we welcome your ideas about what should be included. We also recognize that in October 2018, a new team will be elected and we d like to help with the transition. So when the Nominating Committee calls on you and asks you to take an office, we encourage you to come and sit in on a meeting or two so that you can become familiar with the duties and responsibilities of the office you are considering. During the last two and onehalf years, we (the District team) have heard countless stories of declining membership in United Methodist Women and the aging of the local units. Each unit strives to be mission minded and there is much mission work that we want to see continue. This is why the Legacy Fund is important. This Fund will allow the mission work that is already ongoing through National UMW to continue and it will allow future generations of United Methodist Women to raise and budget their Mission Giving dollars in a way that enables them to connect even more directly with women, children and youth. Gifts to the Legacy Fund can be made in honor or in memory of someone through your local unit treasurer. Some units have chosen to give in increments of 1869 (the year United Methodist Women first organized for mission) - $18.69, $186.90, $1,869 while others are giving to honor UMW s upcoming 150 th birthday with gifts of $15, $150, $1500, etc. Any amount is welcome and is much appreciated. Lastly, consider attending Assembly in Columbus, Ohio next year. The dates are May 18-20, 2018 and the theme is The Power of Bold. There is an article within this newsletter, but more information is coming later in the Fall. There will be speakers, workshops and worship along with a celebration of 150 years in mission. It s an event that will enrich and encourage your work as a United Methodist Woman. Plan now to attend. As you continue with your summer plans, remember that God is with us. May you be blessed by His Presence. Pat Grant, President Keep in Touch Visit for District & Conference UMW News. Place your cursor on News and then click on Capital. Our 2 District news appears. If you click on News, the Conference UMW news appears.

3 Is God Calling You? Becky Louter, Executive Secretary for the Office of Deaconess and Home Missioner and a deaconess herself, declared, We are United Methodism s best-kept secret! The deaconess movement began in 1888 when the Methodist Church led other Protestant churches in recognizing that women could be church leaders as well as evangelists and healers. Now, 129 years later, there are almost 190 laywomen and 10 laymen, called home missioners, who belong to this covenant community. Founded to embody the principles of love, justice, and service, the Deaconess and Home Missioners follows Jesus mandate to alleviate suffering, eradicate causes of injustice and all that robs life of dignity and worth, facilitate the development of full human potential, and share in building global community through the church universal (United Methodist Book of Discipline, Paragraph ). coordinators, church workers, and more. Some, like Garlinda Burton, say that they knew they were called to ministry since childhood. After retiring from full-time work in church agencies, she completed the requirements to become a deaconess. Consecrated in April and commissioned in June, Garlinda began the Gordon Freedom School in Nashville Tenn. which offers free after-school programs and services to help improve the learning experiences of lowincome children. Others, like home missioner Jeff Murrell, find a calling through their work experience. Jeff uses his engineering degree to promote energy conservation awareness and environmental stewardship. In an Interpreter magazine article, Louter emphasizes the importance of having a variety of ways that people can be equipped to live out their call and find what fits best with the calling in their heart. Discerning a call from God to full-time missionoriented service is the first step to becoming a deaconess or home missioner. There are educational requirements, then approval of the candidate by United Methodist Women. Finally, a bishop consecrates, commissions, and appoints them to a place of service. Most of these theologically trained laypersons live their calling outside congregational settings. They are teachers, nurses, chaplains, firefighters, physicians, community center directors, volunteer At the Capital District United Methodist Women s Annual Fall Meeting we will have an opportunity to learn more about a deaconess s journey from Helen McCahill. Other sources of information about the Deaconess and Home Missioner Ministry are the UMW Program Book and Please consider how your local unit can learn about, support, and encourage these laywomen and laymen who are being God s presence in the community. Lesley Koengetter, Capital District VP 3

4 Cadwalader Asbury United Methodist Women The Cadwalader Asbury United Methodist Church and Cadwalader Asbury United Methodist Women closed on 3/1/2017. The Women s unit was active in the Southern New Jersey Conference as well as the Greater New Jersey Conference of the United Methodist Women. Our participation included district, conference and attendance of the assemblies, Northeast Jurisdictions, conference meeting and and training sessions. Our Unit was able to send youth to the Cooperative School of Mission (later Mission U) and also provide leadership for the Youth School As the women go forth as United Methodist Women to new homes of worship, we will always remember the legacy of Cadwalader Asbury United Methodist Women. Thanks for the memories Patricia Parks Past President of Cadwalader Asbury United Methodist Women, Trenton, New Jersey The Legacy Fund: Endowing the future of mission for the next 150 years. United Methodist Women will be celebrating 150 years of mission in We have been given a strong foundation by our fore mothers. Their wise financial planning has left us a legacy that continues to change lives in communities down the street and around the world. So while, in the 21st century, we celebrate the past 150 years of mission work, we also need to prepare for the next 150. We can almost imagine the challenges our daughters and granddaughters will face as they take on the legacy of United Methodist Women. We need to prepare a firm foundation so they are free to address the challenges of their time head on and affect real change. And to do this, we've started an endowment called The Legacy Fund, with a goal of $60 million. The Legacy Fund will undergird the capacity of future generations of United Methodist Women members to carry forward our mission of service and advocacy with women, children and youth in the United States and around the world for the next 150 years The Legacy Fund is a forward-thinking permanent endowment with income dedicated to strengthening United Methodist Women. The total program of United Methodist Women is mission. United Methodist Women service, advocacy and transformative learning opportunities equip members to be agents of change and promotes the empowerment of women that is essential to address the root causes of so many conditions harming women, children and youth. The Legacy Fund will provide the tools, resources and personnel to distribute United Methodist Women's grants, scholarships, coordinate with mission personnel and support technological updates like operating systems for data and communication, and more. The Legacy Fund will ensure a regular source of support for these core expenses of being in mission and will free future generations to budget Mission Giving to connect directly with the needs of women, children and youth. It will allow our successors to promote Mission Giving in a totally different way. And we'd like to invite you to be a part of this legacy as we ve already begun our 5 year celebration of the 150th anniversary of the organization. The campaign officially launched at Assembly 2014, will be celebrated at Assembly 2018, and will culminate in 2019, the 150th year. The celebration of the 150th anniversary will involve the organization at all levels, and will raise contributions to The Legacy Fund to permanently sustain our ongoing mission with women, children, and youth. Together we can make it happen. 4

5 A Sewing Ministry that Honors Loss by Joy Haines Magnolia Road United Methodist Church, Pemberton, NJ is proud to have the UMW Sewing Ministries start a project with Virtua Hospital for an Angel Gown Ministry. This project is for sleeping babies or to be better understood, for those babies born without a heartbeat. Faith Parrott is the lead seamstress on this project. She lost her baby at 16 weeks over 26 years ago and still feels the pain of that loss. There is nothing more devastating then to lose your baby before it s born. The UMW sewing team has joined efforts with Ann Coyle Director of Palliative Care for Virtua Health. Ann had requested seamstresses that could sew baby gowns out of donated wedding dresses. The UMW sewing team saw the need and knew this was a calling for them. They immediately agreed to initiate this project. It was named From Wedding Dreams to Angel Wings. Wedding gowns are donated, and then carefully taken apart and beautiful gowns are made for baby boys and baby girls that are born sleeping. This is such a tragic situation, so to make a beautiful outfit to help these parents is the least we can do. There is also a healing from many brides that have donated their gowns. Some have experienced a loss of pregnancy as well, and giving their gown is a way of helping their own pain. Often during a sewing sessions we have women who come to share their story of loss. Each member of the sewing team has also experienced the pain of losing a pregnancy, and sewing these gowns is their way of mending their own hearts while making beautiful outfits for these sleeping angels. We take photos of the gowns and then photos of the angel gowns made from that gown so the bride can see the beauty from her dress. This sewing ministry has also made handsewn quilts. They have given these quilts to several cancer patients. Ten quilts were sent to a missionary in Africa for distribution to women and children. These seamstresses sew with much love and dedication to our Lord, sewing each stitch with love. We invite anyone to join us. Our UMW sewing team members are Faith Parrott of Mt Holly, Janice Fulmer of Browns Mills, Joy Haines, Pemberton, Wendy Dobovich of Pemberton, and Siobhan Thompson of Browns Mills, all residents of NJ. Our church is MRUMC 229 Magnolia Rd Pemberton, NJ Dr. Vanessa Wilson is Senior Pastor of Magnolia Road UMC church. This article appeared in the Summer 2017 United Methodist Women news, a quarterly publication of United Methodist Women. 5

6 Capital District Annual Communion Breakfast Theme: Love, Justice & Service Speaker: Helen McCahill Topic: "A Deaconess Speaks" Scripture: Matthew 25:40 Date: October 7, 2017 Time: 9 am - Noon Where: Church of the Good Shepherd 110 Buckingham Drive, Willingboro, NJ 6

7 FRIENDS HELPING FRIENDS BOSCOV S DAY OCTOBER 17, 2017 Thank you for your continued support of Boscov s Friends Helping Friends. This event will take on Tuesday, October 17, am-11pm. Your Shopping Pass will enable you to get 25% off your purchases. You will receive refreshments, entertainment and can register for fabulous prizes and The Neighborhood Center Camden, NJ will receive the donation of $5.00 from the Shopping Pass. Each local unit of the United Methodist Women is encouraged to support the Center. The Camden Neighborhood Center celebrated 104 years in May. There are many changes taking place at the Center. Meals continue to be served every day 365 days a year. They may serve people a day during the week. The garden at the Center continues to provide food for the hot and cold full meals. The people in the neighborhood are welcome to come to the food pantry and the discount store. Your gifts help to make all this possible. Please plan to visit the Center, tour and volunteer some time to help in the nursery, read to the toddlers, tutor in the after school program, help in the library or help with serving the meal or even help in the office. There is always a need for people in the yard to help in the garden. All checks for Boscov s Day should be made out to Neighborhood Center memo Boscov s Day. Please send the money from your unit to the Capital District Treasurer Mary H. Wilson 15 Pennypacker Drive Willingboro, NJ The money will be sent in by one person from the unit. Please send the money in by September 30. Please share this information with all your friends as well as your church members. Please call if you need more shopping passes or have questions. Thank you, Evelyn D. Carson

8 MISSION MONEY MATTERS The following units received 5-Star Certificates at the Capital District Neighborhood Center Tea on Tuesday, April 4th at St Paul UMC in Willingboro. Broad Street, Burlington St. Mary Street, Burlington Cookstown Hopewell Indian Mills Medford Mt.Holly, St. Paul African, Trenton Cadwalader-Asbury, Trenton Turning Point, Trenton Vincentown Good Shepherd, Willingboro St. Paul, Willingboro Epworth, Palmyra Proceeds from the offering for the Neighborhood Center were $2,200. There was an abundance of foodstuffs collected for Tracy s kitchen. These were delivered to the Center by Rev. Jack Johnson, on the following day. TO BECOME A 5-STAR UNIT. There are 5 Categories of Undesignated Gifts on your remittance sheet. Give an amount in each area and qualify as a 5-STAR unit. The 5 areas are: 1. Pledge to Mission: Should be 60% of your budget. 2. Special Mission Recognition: Honor a retiring officer, or anyone, with a gold oval pin and a certificate. $40 minimum. 3. Gift to Mission: Increments of $ Gift in Memory: Increments of $ World Thank Offering: Any amount collected to share with others in the world. Each local unit which qualifies as a 5 Star Unit will receive a 5- Star Certificate at the 2018 Neighborhood Center Tea. In 2016 we had 14. Could we have 20 or more units qualify this year? ***************************************************************************** Our pledge to Conference for 2017 is $23,000. Our District UMW treasurer will notify each local unit treasurer of the deadline for turning in funds to her so that she can get these funds to the Conference Treasurer. We weren t able to meet our pledge goal for 2016, but with your help, we hope to surpass our goal for this year. Please note: When sending money to the treasurer, it is important that you complete the REMITTANCE FORM. There is also a form for your pin order and one for supplementary gift information. Don t forget the Legacy Fund! Thanks for your help, If you have any questions or need forms, please call me: Mary Wilson, Treasurer Pennypacker Dr., Willingboro, NJ (maryghwilson@yahoo.com) 8

9 GNJUMW Mission Today Unit Church's Name: District: Capital Date: Complete this form and return to Education & Interpretation Coordinator Sarah Carter, 10 Andover Court, Southampton, NJ by February 15, Your name: Address Mission Today Criteria (2017) Select the level that fits your unit: Bronze- Complete 8-12 criteria, including at least 4 starred items. Silver- Complete criteria or more, including at least 6 starred items. Gold- Complete 18 criteria or more, including at least 6 starred items. *Starred items: 1. Each unit, circle, or subgroup will open its meeting by saying the UMW PURPOSE. 2. The unit will use The Prayer Calendar at each general meeting to pray for mission workers and projects. 3. The unit will make and meet its Pledge to Mission. 4. The unit will add at least 2 members to its roll. 5. The unit will have at least 2 members subscribe to Response magazine or New World Outlook. 6. The unit will use at least 2 programs from the UMW Program Book each year. 7. The unit or circle will conduct at least one mission study (4 hours or more a year). 8. The unit will implement the Charter for Racial Justice in at least one way during the year: Plan a joint unit meeting with a unit of a different racial ethnic background, using programs from the Program Book. Develop bi-racial/cultural or multi-racial/cultural Koinonia groups. Hold a joint Vacation Bible School. Hold pulpit exchanges. Share joint worship services on special occasions. Encourage the church to sponsor a refugee family 9. The Unit will be a 5 Star unit, contributing to all 5 channels of Mission Giving. 10. The unit will include Neighborhood Center, Camden, NJ in its budget, submitting funds through the district treasurer. This is the only National Mission Center within the Greater NJ Annual Conference. 11. Each Unit will contribute annually to the UMW Legacy Fund. Non Starred items: 1. At least one member of the unit (other than a conference or district officer) will attend the Cooperative School of Christian Mission or Mission "u" 2. At least 2 members (other than a conference or district officer) will attend the district or conference annual fall or spring meeting. 3. The unit will have at least one person join the United Methodist Women's Action Network to receive and respond to legislative information. 9

10 4. Members will write to 5 persons listed in the Prayer Calendar each year. 5. The unit will participate in the Campaign for Children in at least 2 ways. a. Help sponsor a church or community program related to children and youth needs. Sponsor a Children's Sabbath (program promoted by the Children's Defense Fund). b. Get involved with children In mentoring, tutoring, and "Big Sisters" programs. 1. Write letters, or call congressional representatives or others in government about children's issues. 2. Visit your local schools or attend a school board meeting. 3. Donate or collect for UNICEF. 4. Donate school supplies for children; such as including children from Haiti, Camden Neighborhood Center or CUMAC. 6. Each unit or circle will include a Response moment where an item from the magazine will be lifted up as a way to tell the mission story. 7. Have at least 2 people from the unit, circle, or sub-group, complete one of the reading programs and report on one of the books read. Also to encouraging all members to complete Plan One and have a book review program. 8. The unit will invite a district or conference officer, other than a member of the unit, to one of the unit meetings during the year. 9. Make a pledge to care for God's creation and become a "Green" UMW unit, ( Get information on how to become a green unit at or contact the United Methodist Women INC. Office of Community Action.) 10. Hold or attend a mini-spiritual growth retreat. 11. The unit will include support for one of the following in its local budget. a. A local domestic shelter, such as: The Carpenter House, NJ Coalition for Battered Women. b. A regional food bank or local food pantry. Such as CUMAC, Patterson, NJ,SJ Food Bank, Pennsauken, NJ, Food bank of Trenton, NJ. c. Support Camp YDP in Patterson, NJ, Ranch Hope for Boys in Alloway, NJ and Victory House for Girls in Williamstown, NJ d. Support pregnancy crisis centers such as: Robin's Nest, Hope Pregnancy Center, Birth Haven, and The Lighthouse. e. Support the GNJUMC Advance initiatives specials. 12. The unit will contribute kits to Church World Service or UMCOR. This may include; health kits, birthing kits, layette kits and clean-up buckets, sewing kits. 13. The unit or circle will develop a prayer shawl ministry, quilting ministry, or the making of baby caps, layette blankets for local hospitals or lap robes for local nursing homes or UM Homes. 14. The unit will have at least one person to attend the UMW North Eastern Jurisdiction or the UMW Assembly. Revised mp 10/

11 2017 Capital District Dates Saturday, October 7, 2017 Annual Communion Breakfast Meeting, 9 am Noon Location: Church of the Good Shepherd, 110 Buckingham Drive, Willingboro, NJ 2017 Capital District Team Meeting Dates Saturday, August 12, Location: Church of the Good Shepherd at 1 pm Conference Dates Saturday, October 21, Conference Annual Fall Meeting. Location: TBA Saturday, November 18, Officer s Training for District officers. Location: TBA SAVE THE DATE Saturday, January 20, Officer Training for Local Unit officers. Location: TBA Tuesday, April 24, Neighborhood Center Tea. Location: Trinity UMC in Ewing. May 18 20, United Methodist Women s Assembly. Location: Columbus, OH. July 13 15, Mission u. Location: Georgian Court University. July 21, Mission u one day school. Location: TBA October 6, Annual Communion Breakfast Meeting, 9 am Noon. Location: Broad Street UMC, Burlington. October 20, Conference Annual Fall Meeting. Location: TBA November 17, Officer s Training for District officers. Location: TBA 11

12 CAPITAL DISTRICT UNITED METHODIST WOMEN 2016 MISSION TEAM PRESIDENT Patricia Grant (18) Drift Avenue, Lawrenceville, NJ VICE PRESIDENT Lesley Koengetter (18) Birch Drive, Southampton, NJ Kkoengetter9@comcast.net SECRETARY Keita Blinn (18) Amboy Ave, Roebling, NJ kdblinn@verizon.net TREASURER Mary Wilson (18) Pennypacker Dr., Willingboro, NJ (maryghwilson@yahoo.com) MISSION COORDINATORS: SPIRITUAL GROWTH Atiya Royster (18) Brunswick Avenue, Trenton, NJ roysteratiya@gmail.com EDUCATION and Sarah Carter (18) INTERPRETATION 10 Andover Court, Southampton, NJ SOCIAL ACTION Stephanie Crutchfield (18) Fordham Ave, Burlington, NJ steph_crutchfield@yahoo.com MEMBERSHIP NURTURE OPEN COMMUNICATIONS Cile Grant (18) COORDINATOR 100 Barnwell Drive, Willingboro, NJ rcg22.drexel@gmail.com SECRETARY OF Viola Grant (18) PROGRAM RESOURCES 100 Barnwell Drive, Willingboro, NJ Vgviolagrant4@gmail.com COMMITTEE ON NOMINATIONS AND AREA COORDINATORS CHAIRPERSON: Mary McLemore (16) Endwell Court, Willingboro, NJ Shorti0905@aol.com COMMITTEE: Evelyn Carson, Gallaway Lane, Willingboro, NJ eviec12@aol.com Carole Nelson Oak Lane, Hightstown, NJ carole.nelson@comcast.net 12

13 Area Unit Coordinators Hightstown Allentown; Crosswicks; Carole Nelson (16) Ellisdale; Emley s Hill; 101 Oak Lane, Hightstown, NJ Groveville; Hightstown:First; carole.nelson@comcast.net De Bows; Siloam Marlton Carole Nelson (16) Medford; Atco; Tansboro:Trinity 101 Oak Lane, Hightstown, NJ Chatsworth; Indian Mills; carole.nelson@comcast.net Marlton; Moorestown; Tabernacle Mercer East Cranbury; Hamilton Township: Judy Allam (15) St. Mark, Chambers, 353A Old Nassau Rd, Monroe Twsp, NJ Pearson Memorial, New Covenant; judyallam@gmail.com Princeton; Kingston; Windsor Mercer West Ewing: Trinity; Hopewell; Pat Parks (15) Pennington: First; Titusville; 31 Laurel Ave, Trenton, NJ African, Turning Point, Wesley, Lambertville: Centenary; Linvale (Ringoes) Pinelands Browns Mills; Buddtown; Viola Grant (18) Juliustown; Lumberton; 100 Barnwell Dr, Willingboro, NJ Mt. Holly: First; St. Paul; vgviolagrant4@gmail.com New Egypt; Pemberton; Smithville; Vincentown; Cookstown; Magnolia Rd. Riverview Evelyn Carson (16) Beverly; Bordentown: Trinity; 58 Gallaway Lane, Willingboro, NJ Burlington: Broad Street, St. Mary; eviec12@aol.com Columbus: Wesley; Hedding; Fieldsboro; Florence; Roebling:Trinity; Masonville; Willingboro: Good Shepherd, St. Paul Riverview South Susan Stoneback (16) Cinnaminson: Asbury; 2301 Brandeis Ave, Cinnaminson, NJ Delran; Delanco: Dobbins; susan_stoneback@yahoo.com Palmyra: Epworth, Riverside DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT: Rev. Frank Davis fdavis@gnjumc.org 13

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