WNALC FALL TEAM-BUILDING CONFERENCE BLESSED. Help Wanted. the. Save the Date! Women of the North American Lutheran Church

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1 N O V E M B E R - D E C E M B E R the WNALC Women of the North American Lutheran Church Help Wanted WNALC Needs YOU FALL TEAM-BUILDING CONFERENCE BLESSED The Women s Council met October at a cabin in Wimberley, Texas, for orientation sessions for new members and planning time. We prayerfully worked on organizing our efforts to assist and connect our sisters in Christ throughout the NALC churches. Lodging for this event was graciously provided by Mr. and Mrs. Randy Stubbs, and Holy Ghost LC in Fredericksburg, Texas, generously prepared and donated much of the food for our meals at the cabin. (more on page 4) Save the Date! ANNUAL GATHERING 2015 August 12, 2015 Airport Hyatt DALLAS, TEXAS STAY TUNED FOR MORE DETAILS As mentioned at the Annual Gathering in Charleston this past July, the many tasks we see before us cannot be done by an eight-member board alone. We believe that God is calling more of YOU, the membership out there in the member churches, to work with us. A volunteer form is provided at the end of this newsletter for your convenience, or can be downloaded from our website., completed and ed to your Mission District Representative (MD rep) (updated list in this issue as well). Each MD rep will then work with you to determine where you are called and equipped to work for the Women of the NALC. Jobs include committee membership (list later in this issue) and the new Advisory Boards being formed by each Women s Council member from her MDs. Please join us in fulfilling this mission. Volunteer Form on page 11. Thank you.

2 The WOMEN S COUNCIL brenniboor@icloud.com h c 1762 Meyersville Rd. wnalc@icloud.com Meyersville, TX Beverly Bruns bcbruns@wildblue.net c 47 Yorktown Slickfield Rd Yorktown, TX Pamela Charas mcharas@earthlink.net h 5624 Mark Dale Drive Dayton, OH Sherrie Palan sherriepalan.wnalc@gmail.com c 133 Lauren Ct LaVernia, TX Jessie Phillips jmp218@att.net c N562 County Road R Watertown, WI jeannewallace.wnalc@gmail.com c 60 Quail Run jw@beecreek.net Fredericksburg, TX lutheranchick@gmail.com Glennola Lane Vale, NC The WOMEN S COUNCIL OFFICERS Chair WNALC COMMITTEE CHAIRS Vice Chair Jessie Phillips Communications Secretary Sherrie Palan Budget Treasurer Nominating Sherrie Palan Spiritual Growth Mission Support Pam Charas Fellowship & Community Annual Gathering subcommittee Guidelines Review 2

3 MEET BRENDA WAUSON BOOR, TWC Chair MEET JESSIE PHILLIPS, TWC Vice-Chair I am a lifelong Texan, now married to Pastor John Boor who was called from Ohio to the church in the little berg of Meyersville where I was born. Though the years took me away from this neck of the woods for long intervals, the last return of the native occurred in 2010, and then Pastor John arrived the following year. In April 2013, we were married at St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church, a vintage 1920 structure with the Old Stone Church (circa 1860) standing in the background. Also in 2013, I attended my first NALC Convocation and the WNALC Annual Gathering the day before. At that meeting, I was elected to The Women s Council and subsequently to the job of Treasurer. I also served on the Nominations, Spiritual Growth and Budget committees. I have worked on my Church Council as Parish Education chair, sung in the Choir and annual Christmas Cantata productions with another church, participate with Altar Guild, work with my husband in the nursing home services ministry, coordinate funeral meals for the Women of St. John, and attend community meetings and events representing God s kingdom. My secondary education includes a program of study in the mid-90 s for state licensure as a midwife, a B.S. in Biology/Chemistry at Southwest Texas State, and a M.Ed. at Texas State University, completed I have worked for the past 18 years as a self-employed medical transcription contractor. In my spare time, I enjoy gardening, reading, watching movies and traveling to see the kids & grandkids. Between us, John and I have 8 children and 9 grandchildren living in Georgia, Ohio, Texas, Colorado and Washington. I believe God has prepared me and lead me to this season of service to the Women of the NALC. Please, pray for the Women s Council as we work to assist and connect you. I am the eldest of four children, born in 1954 to a Caucasian father and Japanese mother in Tokyo, Japan. I am an Army Brat who lived most of her formative years (until I was 13) moving back and forth from the United States and Germany. From 1967 to 2005 I lived in a small rural town called Caldwell, OH which happens to be the headquarters for the NALC Disaster Response and raised my three children (2 daughters, Jennifer and Kristina and a son, Levi) there. My daughters live in Ohio and my son lives in Michigan. They have blessed me with four grandchildren (Sydney, Tate, Khepri, and Ronin). In 2005, I married David Phillips and gained four step-children (Michael, Meghanne, Stephen, and John). We lived in Dearborn, MI from 2005 October 2011 at which time David was called to be the pastor for Immanuel Lutheran Church of Lebanon, Watertown, WI. I am now embarking on a new chapter in my life, serving the Lord as a pastor s wife and thanking Him every day for his many blessings. David and I have been married for 9 years and have been truly blessed to be called to our church, a church filled with the love of Christ and members who are eager to serve him. I am the chair for the Outreach Committee, art teacher at our parochial school (grades 3-8), sub at our daycare, serve on the NALC Disaster Task Force Committee, volunteer in the community and do those other duties as assigned. Being elected to the WNALC Women s Council has allowed me to share my love of God with my sisters on the Council and those within the mission districts to which I serve as liaison. 3

4 MISSION DISTRICTS Regional subdivisions should follow the lines of the mission districts of the NALC. MD Reps Each Mission District (MD) is assigned to one of the eight Women s Council members, who serves as contact between the MD and the WNALC, delivering communications from the Women s Council (TWC) to the NALC churches within her MD(s). The next page lists the Mission Districts with the MD rep for each assigned until Sept-Oct of (At that time, some MDs will be reassigned to newly-elected members.) For whatever you need from the WNALC, please contact your Mission District Representative using the contact info in the current roster of TWC provided earlier in this newsletter. Advisory Boards (WNALC Organizational Guidelines sec 9.01) Membership We consider all women in NALC churches to be WNALC members, and they can be rostered for voting purpose, as groups or individuals, simply by returning their completed Membership Form 2015 as soon as it is possible to provide a reliable contact not necessarily an officer. By having updated information each year, we are better able to keep our contacts list current and to make sure you stay in the loop. The 2015 form can be obtained from your MD rep or found in the Jan-Feb newsletter, and soon on our website. Each TWC member has been asked to recruit, from her MDs, leaders called to serve with us. With 8 advisory boards thus composed of women from the farthest reaches of the NALC, we will gain a richer diversity of input and more hands to the tasks before us. Please, volunteer for this. Fall Team-Building Conference Report from the Chair As the name implies, our time in Wimberley together was intended to help us get to know each other & work together. The Women s Council is a diverse group of Lutheran girls, brought together by the call on our lives to serve in this capacity. Our three new board members (one incumbent was reelected) were given a thorough orientation on what we have done, then we looked at what we will do. After two years of such brainstorming at these conferences, based on our guidelines and mission statement therein, we have seen that our primary functions are to assist women s groups with organizing, as needed, and then to connect them. We can do this through our newsletter, website, Facebook, NALC Network, and our Annual Gathering, so we all can more widely share what God is doing in our parts of the continent. We also explored ways to get done all the tasks this involves. We are developing working models, designed to promote continuity, cooperation and communication, as we seek to involve more members in ongoing operations. We are thankful for the foundation laid by the founding mothers of the WNALC, and, by God s grace, we intend to build upon that structure of order and heart of love for all our sisters in Christ. 4

5 NALC Mission Districts Contact Person NALC Mission Districts Contact Person Atlantic Mission District CT, DE, ME, MD (east), MA, NH, NJ, NY (east), PA (east),ri,vt, DC Caribbean & Hispanic Mission District Caribbean & Hispanic Ministries Canada Mission District Canada Carolinas Mission District North & South Carolinas Central Pacific Mission District Northern CA & Northern NV Eastern South Dakota Mission District Eastern South Dakota Great Plains Mission District Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska & Oklahoma Great Rivers Mission District Illinois Heartland Mission District Indiana & Kentucky Iowa Mission District Iowa Michigan Mission District Michigan (lower peninsula) Mid- Northeast Mission District Western MD, west NY, west PA and WV Pam Charas Jessie Phillips Beverly Bruns Beverly Bruns Jessie Phillips Pam Charas Mid- South Mission District AL, AR, FL panhandle, GA, MS, & TN Minkota Mission District MN and eastern ND North Texas Mission District TX (north) Northwest Mission District AK,ID, OR, & WA Ohio Mission District Ohio Rocky Mountain Mission District CO, NM, UT, & corner of TX below NM Sonshine Mission District of Florida Florida (except panhandle area) South Texas Mission District TX (south) & LA Southwest Pacific Mission District AZ, southern CA, HI, & southern NV Virginia Virginia Western Dakotas, Montana, & Wyoming Mission District Western Dakotas, MT, and WY Wisconsin and Upper Michigan WI & Upper MI Sherri Palan Pam Charas Sherri Palan Jessie Phillips 5

6 WNALC NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2014 Eastern South Dakota About 100 Women of the NALC gathered for a meeting on October 18 at Brandon, SD. Heritage Lutheran & Spirit of Truth Lutheran women planned for over a year and worked together to host this meeting and they plan to do it again. Juliet Mikeworth (above), who was born in Africa in 1964, also spoke, describing her life in Kenya. She lives now in Brandon, is married and has four sons. Ellen Bechina, of Renner, SD, shared many twists and turns her life has taken and how she eventually started Key2Life Designs. She makes distinctive jewelry, with each piece featuring either a key, a cross or both. Renee Metcalf spoke on Finding the Beauty Behind the Knots and Mary Ehrichs on Quilts of Valor. Pastor Sandy Soye lead a Bible study: Remember: God chose me; I didn t choose Him, which asked questions like How am I a blessing? What are our special gifts to be given away to family, at work, in community? 1st English Lutheran, Lennox, SD (L R Harvest Day quilt & school kit bags, Norway Guest Night folk dancing & table décor) NALC website Questions? Please contact your Mission District representative OR, Chair, Women s Council of the WNALC wnalc@icloud.com Sharing Sisters in Christ await your story Please send to your MD rep photos of your activities, stories about successful projects, and reviews of study materials you have used, including title and source, to be published in our newsletter and/or website. One of our most important missions is to connect the women of the NALC and to provide platforms for sharing inspiration, encouragement, resources, and insights that will help us all do a better job of what God has called us to

7 BULLETIN BOARD Website Needs Updating So, what else is new? Websites are great for getting information out to interested parties, aren t they, and they optimally inform when they are regularly updated and refreshed. We are working on getting this done, in order to more completely serve you, the women of the NALC. Please, be patient and pray with us that all necessary resources will become available for this project. Guidelines Review Committee THANK YOU!!! WNALC does not specify an amount of offering from our membership, nevertheless, your generosity has funded our operations so far, and we trust that you will continue to partner with us in accomplishing the tasks that God has set before us to effectively network our Sisters in Christ throughout North America, for the work of His Kingdom. It is now over two years since the initial adoption of the WNALC Organizational Guidelines (OG), and a number of areas where it can be refined, corrected and/or amended have emerged in practice. While it is still our working document, our constitution, if you will, we would like to polish it up and perhaps propose an amendment of two for accuracy & continuity. To this end, a committee is forming to process input on proposed modifications/additions to the OG. This will require reviewing the OG in detail, making notes and discussing within the committee. We will also accept marked-up copies of the OG from any members who want to contribute their observations and opinions to this process. You can download this document now at wnalc.org. The help of previous Women s Council members would be appreciated as well. Out of discussion within the committee (most of which can be done by ) will come draft recommendations made to the Women s Council (TWC), voted on there and proposed to the membership as changes, according to the timetable in OG, Chapter 11. Proposals must be made in writing to TWC 90 days before the next Annual Gathering (Aug 12, 2015), sent to rostered membership at least 30 days before AG, voted on at the AG and sent out to rostered membership for ratification within 6 months. 7

8 Mission Committee Report Greetings from the WNALC Mission Committee: The Women s Council has decided to include in our newsletter a section for noteworthy local, National and International missions that the NALC are in partnership with or is an approved ministry. By doing this we are reminded that one of the NALC core values is that we are Mission Driven and that those missions should encompass local, national, and international ministries. So every two months please be on the lookout for new ideas that you might want to utilize within your congregations. Local Missions Each congregation usually has those special missions that they have supported over the years. There are times when we think that a local mission has to be outside our congregation; but there are needs there also. Spending a few hours with a caregiver to give that person an outlet from the stress of caring for their loved one. Helping a new mother who doesn t have family support with the care of her newborn and housework. Volunteering at your schools, becoming a story time reader. Volunteering at assisted living facilities by leading Bible studies or reading the Bible to them. (For over 40 years my aunt did this until she herself was placed in such a facility when she was almost 90.) So many of our congregations members are elderly and miss the fellowship they had while attending worship. These are only a few ideas; the committee would like to hear from other NALC congregations with their ideas to share with others. Contact us: Sherrie Palan sherriepalan.wnalc@gmail.com, Pam Charas mcharas@earthlink.net, or Jessie Phillips jmp218@att.net National Mission At this time we are featuring the NALC Disaster Relief, an organization that provides Bibles, gift cards, hygiene kits, buckets and cleaning supplies, blankets/quilts, and baby layettes to assist those places in our nation that are struck by disasters. It is the goal of the NALC that each mission district be trained in disaster preparedness at two levels: Basic and Specialized. These educational workshops provide training for volunteers in each participating congregation, preparing each to form disaster volunteer teams. Recognized credentials will be provided. 8

9 Level One (unskilled disaster response for debris removal and basic information on FEMA regulations) Level Two (specialized trainings) including: Case Management/Coordinated Assistance Network how to identify and track client needs and the assistance they receive BECOME A VOLUNTEER CASE MANAGER! Donations Management/Aid Matrix how to coordinate and organize donated materials Volunteer Management/Disaster Response Database how to identify the skills of each volunteer and address risk management issues FORM A DISASTER VOLUNTEER TEAM & HELP REBUILD HOMES! Spiritual and Emotional Care how to identify and document qualified volunteers to provide spiritual care PROVIDE SPIRITUAL CARE TO THOSE HURTING AND IN NEED! Spiritual & Emotional Care Provide an appropriate level of emotional, spiritual and physical care both to those affected by the disaster and to team members. Construction Estimating complete estimates for homes impacted by disaster in preparation for rebuilding and repairing Congregational Facility Preparedness prepare congregations before disaster strikes WRITE A DISASTER PLAN FOR CHURCH FACILITIES! Family Preparedness prepares families before disaster strikes, construct family preparedness kits GREAT SUNDAY SCHOOL PROJECT! Training is provided by Mary Bates, Disaster Coordinator. At this time Ohio and Texas have completed these workshops; California, Washington, Iowa, Carolinas and Wisconsin are willing to hold training workshops within their mission districts. Churches within those states should be hearing from their Deans with further details. The Donations Management/Aid Matrix is the area where the help of the women of our congregations is needed. We will need to catalog items, to take charge of donations and keep track of our supply needs so that we can get the message out to our state s congregations before we run out of supplies to send to areas affected by disaster. So, when your state sets a date for your workshop, please be willing to attend. We would also like to plan an Annual Mission Trip to the NALC Disaster Warehouse in Caldwell, Ohio (last week of June?), allowing any NALC congregation to come and stay there and learn about disaster relief, build a ramp, and other activities. What a great way for our youth to get involved in sharing God s love with others. 9

10 Please feel free to use the information below as an insert in your church bulletin: 585 children lost everything in 2014 due to flooding and tornadoes. The NALC Disaster Response is providing new toys for Christmas for these children, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. Monetary donations in the amount of $25 (gift cards work great) or new toys valued at $25 need to be received by Wednesday, Dec. 10. One of the core values of a NALC church is that we are Mission Driven what a great way to affirm this and spread the joy, hope, and love of Christmas with these children. Once these donations are collected, please forward them to the address below. Mary Bates, Disaster Coordinator P.O. Box 176 Caldwell, Ohio For more information, call Mary at May your Christmas be blessed as you are a blessing to others. International Mission The NALC seeks to facilitate links between congregations and ministry and mission agencies throughout North America and beyond, to enable congregations and movements of the NALC to work together in efforts beyond their local context. Through the shared resources of World Mission Prayer League, Youth Encounter, East European Missions Network, Lutheran World Relief, other para-church organizations, and faithful resources from other Lutheran church bodies, the NALC will support the identification of new ministry opportunities for proclaiming the Gospel through outreach with God s Word and in the serving of human need. The above paragraph comes directly from the NALC website under Ministry Partners. Please take a look! Listed are the NALC Ministry Partners as well as the NALC Recognized Ministries. In a future newsletter we will share how we the Women of the NALC can be a vital support of these ministries, all a part of God s mission of connecting the world to Jesus, one disciple at a time. 10

11 Volunteer for a WNALC Committee and/or Advisory Board Please indicate your areas of interest/expertise and provide your name and contact information below. Communication: newsletters, website, social media, blasts Fellowship & Community: Annual Gathering subcomittee Mission Support: Connecting WNALC groups & mission opportunities Spiritual Growth: Resources reviews, Retreat planning/facilitation WNALC Operational Guidelines Review (per Chapter 10, WNALC Organizational Guidelines, adopted 08/15/12) Mission District Advisory Board (per Chapter 9, WNALC Organizational Guidelines, adopted 08/15/12) Specific talents you can share? and/or suggestions for other areas of service? Name: Address: City: State Zip Phone: Alternate Phone: Name of Congregation: City (of congregation): THANK YOU! Please send completed form to: your MD rep (see chart & contacts list earlier in this issue or on wnalc.org) OR, 1762 Meyersville Rd. wnalc@icloud.com Meyersville, TX