Greetings to All Members of Atlanta Marietta District United Methodist Women,

Transcription

1 PRESIDENT S MESSAGE DECEMBER, 2016 Greetings to All Members of Atlanta Marietta District United Methodist Women, I hope that all of you are doing well in your local units of United Methodist Women. As I write this article, it is the middle of December, and Christmas is just around the corner. I am sure that you are all busy with preparations for this very special season of the year. I pray that you will have a wonderful Christmas as we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Our UMW Theme for 2017 is: A Call to Community-To Do Greater Works. This is based on our scripture passage in John 14:12. We are looking forward to a great year ahead as we are Called to Community to do Greater Works for God. We are ready and willing and able, and with God s help, we will do greater works for God throughout our district and our conference. It has been my pleasure and honor to serve as the president of the Atlanta Marietta District United Methodist Women for the past four years, I have been so honored to work with the wonderful women who have served on our Atlanta Marietta District UMW Executive Team. In addition, I have been honored to work with all of the leaders and members of all of the outstanding local units in our Atlanta Marietta District of United Methodist Women. Your tireless dedication, your unending faithfulness, and your extreme generosity have made our district exemplary. We have all worked together to carry out the purpose of United Methodist Women in so many different ways. I want to thank you for all of the love and support that you have shown me as we have worked and served together over these past few years. I appreciate each one of you, and I want to thank you for your dedication and your leadership as you continue to serve God through United Methodist Women.

2 I would also like to thank you for the beautiful Special Mission Recognition Pin which was presented to me at our Atlanta Marietta District UMW Annual meeting. I appreciate this special gesture so very much! I also appreciate the beautiful tote bag which was presented to me by the district officers. You are all so very thoughtful and so kind! I will begin serving as the Spiritual Growth Coordinator for the North Georgia Conference United Methodist Women in January of I am asking for your prayers and your support as I begin serving in this new position. I am looking forward to seeing you at our district and our conference events for United Methodist Women. We would like to make it one of our goals to improve attendance at all of these special events. This is the way we learn and grow in our organization. We want to welcome Tamara Askew as our new district UMW president. I know that Tamara will do a wonderful job as our president, and I am sure that each one of you will give her your full support as she leads our Atlanta Marietta District United Methodist Women. We will keep Tamara in our prayers as she serves as our new president. Please make plans to attend these upcoming events in our district: January 15: Faith, Fun and Everyone Event at 2:30 at Bethany UMC. Leslie Peterson, our Membership, Nurture and Outreach Coordinator, is planning a wonderful day for us so please be there along with your friends! February 11: Mission Study at 9:00 at Smyrna First UMC. Sara Worden, our Education and Interpretation Coordinator, is planning our exciting study Climate Justice: A Call to Hope and Action which will be led by Rev. Jacqui Rose- Tucker. March 26: Lenten Day Apart Service at 2:00 at County Line UMC. Lynda Teague, our Spiritual Growth Coordinator, is making plans for this event. Please join us for this special day of worship with our United Methodist Women friends from around our district. May God bless each one of you. I look forward to seeing you soon as we all work together to carry out our purpose of United Methodist Women. We want to continue to turn faith, hope and love into action on behalf of women, children and youth all around the world. Thank you for the many ways you serve God through the work of United Methodist Women! To God Be the Glory!! Carolyn Lee Wilson President Atlanta Marietta District United Methodist Women CLW770@bellsouth.net

3 Greetings in the name of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! My name is Tamara Askew and it is with great pleasure that God has given me the opportunity to serve Him by serving you. I have served on the Atlanta Marietta United Methodist Women Executive Board as the Secretary, Vice President, and now the incoming President for I am a wife and mother of three children. My family and I are members of Leland United Methodist Church in Mableton Ga. Our theme and scripture for the North Georgia Conference United Methodist Women for 2017 is: John 14:12 says Jesus tells his disciples "the one who believes in me will do the works that I do, in fact, will do greater works." The Atlanta Marietta District of United Methodist Women, who believe in Jesus are being called to do greater works. The community is represented by women who are connected to each other and God. The semi-circle is the image of the letter "C" which is the first letter for Call, Community and Christ. Are you ready to do greater works? I am looking forward to living out our PURPOSE together. Please reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns. I pray that you all have a blessed Christmas and New Year! Peace and Love, Tamara Askew President (elect) amarumw@outlook.com

4 ATLANTA MARIETTA DISTRICT UNITED METHODIST WOMEN 2017 DATES TO REMEMBER January 15 January 15 February 11 March 26 April April 23 August 6 October 15 November 11 Faith, Fun Everyone Event, Bethany UMC, 2:30 p.m. Executive Committee Meeting, Bethany UMC 4:00 p.m. Mission Study, Smyrna UMC, (Saturday) 9:00 a.m. Lenten Day Apart Service, Leland UMC, 2:00 p.m. Hands On Mission Project TBD Finance and Exec. Meeting, Trinity (Austell) UMC, 2:00 p.m. Finance and Exec. Meeting, Union Chapel UMC, 2:00 p.m. AMAR UMW District Annual Meeting, St. Andrew UMC, 2:30 p.m. District Leadership and Exec. Meeting, Powder Springs, UMC, (Saturday) 9:00a.m North GA Conference April June June 14 July October 7 November 4 Spiritual Growth Event/ Social Action, Rock Eagle, Eatonton, GA NGC Annual Conference, Classic Center Athens, GA UMW Breakfast, Classic Center Athens, GA Mission U, TBD Annual Meeting Griffin 1 st, Griffin Leadership Development/Executive Meeting, Ousley UMC, ADOX

5 Faith, Fun, and Everyone Event! On January 15, 2017, please make plans to attend our Faith, Fun, and Everyone Event which will be held from 2:30-4:30 at Bethany UMC located at 760 Hurt Road, Smyrna, Georgia This will be an afternoon of fun and fellowship with a chance to meet other women from our district. We have invited Sue Raymond, newly elected National UMW Director, to present one of her famous midrashes. If you have heard Sue Raymond do one of these before, you know how she can make Biblical characters come to life! Merry Christmas! Leslie Peterson Membership/Nurture/Outreach

6 Season s greetings, Nadine Lacy, Treasurer We are now in the season of advent and it is hard to believe 2016 is coming to an end. The year went by so quickly. It has been a great year in missions and Atlanta Marietta District United Methodist Women have made a difference. Thank you so much for the hard work and efforts put into doing what we do best, helping women and children, making life a little easier for them when and where we can. As we celebrate this time of family and friends, we can look back and be grateful we were able to make a difference in our world through our prayers, time and financial support. A few changes in our calendar year for reporting resulted in an extra remittance this year which will be due December 31 st. I will be looking for your remittances for this 2 nd quarter of the new reporting calendar with the 3 rd quarter being due on March 30 th and the 4 th due June 30 th which will need to contain all the areas of giving for the status your Unit has set to achieve. If you need help with this, please feel free to contact me and I will gladly assist you in this effort. For all local treasurers, those of you who are incoming for January 2017 and those of you who will continue serving in this position, there will be a training session with question and answer opportunity on January 11 th at 10:00am at County Line UMC. We will have an opportunity to go into some details covering all the areas of giving available to your Units as well as completing the remittance forms. I will be sending a reminder in late December with a reminder and the address of the church. I look forward to meeting some of you for the first time and seeing those of you that I have had the priviledge of working with last year. Mark your calendars now and save the date. Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year to all, Nadine Lacy Treasurer nlacy@bellsouth.net

7 Sara Worden, Education & Interpretation Dear Ones, (Women of the Atlanta-Marietta District UMW,) In this glorious Advent Season I hope we continue our Thanksgiving for the most wonderful gift we have ever been given, our gracious Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This morning during my devotion time in our Prayer Calendar, one of the people we pray for is a staff person named Winsome. I love that word. I was reminded of the time I took a Lay Speakers Class from Dr. Gordon Thompson (one of the most wonderful ministers ever in Methodism). In teaching the class he said that we just need to be winsome for Christ. I have always remembered what he said and I pray that we all may be winsome for Christ. It seems to me the best way to gain new members and keep our present ones. Most people simply want to be loved and valued as a child of God. Now, down to business. Our District Mission U is coming up February 11 th at Smyrna UMC. It starts with registration at 8:30a.m. We have a fantastic leader, Rev. Dr. Jacki Rose-Tucker. Our study is Climate Justice. A registration form is included in this newsletter. Please join us for this most interesting and educational social justice issue. I will be looking forward to receiving your registration. I thought you might like to know the North Georgia UMW giving for the 150 th Anniversary/Legacy Fund. As of 10/31/2016 YTD giving for the North Georgia Conference was $35, The amount given at Conference Mission U was $ and, at Conference Annual Meeting $ I want to personally thank everyone who has contributed to this fund that will assure that United Methodist Women will be supporting faith, hope in action for another 150 years! If there is anything I can ever help you with, please contact me at or swworden@outlook.com. I have been having a bit of trouble receiving s, so if I do not respond within a couple of days, please call me at above number it is not long distance. Wishing you and yours have a blessed Christmas, Sara Worden District Coordinator Education & Interpretation swworden@outlook.com

8 2017 Atlanta Marietta District Mission Study Climate Justice: A Call to Hope and Action Led by Reverend Jacqui Rose - Tucker When: Saturday, February 11, 2017 at 9:00 AM (registration begins at 8:30 AM) Where: Smyrna First UMC, 1315 Concord Rd. SE; Smyrna, Ga Cost: $10.00 per person (includes study and lunch) Registration deadline: Saturday, January 28, 2017 Study books are available and suggested. Please return the following completed registration form along with your check for $10.00 (made payable to AMAR District) to Sara Worden; 2820 Peachtree Road NW; Apt. 1309; Atlanta, Ga Contact information for Sara: Phone or swworden@outlook.com Please print clearly! Name Church Address Town/City Phone Ga. Zip Code If childcare is needed, please complete and include with your registration: Names and ages of children and any special needs. Please bring a sack lunch for your child.

9 Lynda Teague, Spiritual Growth We are now in the midst of the Advent season and await with expectation the day we celebrate the birth of the tiny infant that changed all of our lives. We are also frantically rushing around to get ready for Christmas Day. There are presents to buy, trees to decorate, cookies to bake and planning for guests and family with whom we share this wonderful day. Then comes the New Year where we take everything down with a feeling of relief that it's over until next year. Or is it? Perhaps there's one more gift to give. Many years ago when my daughter was about 6 years old, Santa had left a few books wrapped up under the tree. In the chaos of Christmas morning, somehow these books ended up under the tree skirt and were not opened. As we took down the tree, Melissa discovered these presents and was absolutely delighted at those last gifts of Christmas. As you can guess, that became a tradition that Santa left a small gift under the tree skirt each year! Somehow, these last gifts of Christmas became as important as all the others. Later, she carried that same tradition on to her children as well. What is our last gifts of Christmas that we can offer that tiny baby in a manger? While the three wise men will leave gifts of gold, myrrh and frankincense, we have a greater gift to present. We can offer ourselves. Let us always continue to renew our commitment to Him by sharing our faith, inviting others into our churches, and reaching more of those in need. While as United Methodist Women we work tirelessly for women, youth and children, let us continue that spirit and stretch ourselves further knowing that we serve that tiny newborn king! May you celebrate with joy the coming of our Saviour, Christ the Lord! Lynda Teague Spiritual Growth Coordinator lrteague@att.net

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12 Evelynn Herring, Historian Annual Meeting October 1, 2016 at Cumming First UMC Sandra Clarke received a Special Recognition pin from Sue Raymond, Sue Raymond received lots of goodies and a picture album from all her Districts. And Congratulation s to this year s recipient s of the Doris Paul Award Pin were Sarah Worden, Barbara Rankin, Dee O'Hara, (not pictured Ariel Murphy)

13 Conference Leadership Development Day at Deluth First UMC District Leadership Waleska UMC

14 Waleska United Methodist Women It was fun to have all of you gals at Waleska for the Leadership Meeting! We had a luncheon gathering at the home of Margaret Jackson to visit with our missionary friend Dorothy Mutambara from Zimbabwe, with Shirley Rose from Acworth UMC and with Edith Countryman, a dear friend visiting from Washington state (at 98). The Waleska Unit and Waleska UMC help to support Dorothy's community work in health care and in education. School fees are especially important now that students who were "AIDS Orphans" are going on to college. Linda Coyle organized the Second Annual Golden Ladle Soup Contest to raise UMW mission monies. Church members gathered to taste a dozen soups and voted for their favorites with their dollars. Over $300 were raised for mission. The unit splits that amount between District giving and local mission work.

15 Book Review - By Edna Felmlee St. Andrew UMC Coaltown Jesus Spiritual Growth Youth By Ron Koertge Ron Koertge is a writer and poet. He teaches at Hamline University in California. He writes for children and young adults, and teaches writing for children s literature at the university level. Ron Koertge s newest novel is Coaltown Jesus. This is the story of a 14 year old boy who is still suffering from the death of his 17 year old brother. The main character Walker, feels guilty about his last angry conversation with his brother Noah. Because of drug and alcohol abuse Noah has caused great frustration and sadness for his mother and younger brother. One morning Walker awakes to find Jesus in his bedroom! This astonishes and angers Walker; why would God take his brother causing great sadness for his mother, rather than the sick old people in his mother s nursing home? When has his prayers been answered? Told through open verse poetry, Ron Koertge takes us through a journey of healing, forgiveness, and acceptance. Walker comes to understand why Jesus would come to a nothing town like Coaltown, where very little growth or activity exists. Humor is a major influence in the mending of the sadness in the main characters. While walking around town, Jesus obtains red gym shoes, enjoys an Almond Joy, and experiences Dairy Queen s Brain Freeze. The author uses humor to heal the sadness and guilt of both son and mother. The dialog between Walker and Jesus, who can only be seen by Walker, is entertaining, believable, and comforting to the reader. Even though Coaltown Jesus is under the Youth section in our Reading Program, this is an enjoyable and rewarding story for adults. It s a quick, poetic read, and compelling re-read. You should consider taking a couple hours and read Coaltown Jesus. It will be very comforting and inspirational to you!

16 Angelique Jackson, Nominations Greetings! I am Angelique Jackson, a native of Atlanta, Georgia. I am an active member of Trinity United Methodist Church located in Austell. I serve on several committees in many areas of my life, including: The Education Committee, UMW President at TUMC and the District Chair of the Nominations Committee of the Marietta District to name a few. I am a mother of 3 girls, McKenzi-13, Bailey-7, and Summer-3, the wife to my high school sweetheart Mr. Mantevius Jackson, and the Principal of Angels In Progress Christian Academy. I graduated from Georgia Southern University, where I earned a Bachelor s Degree in Early Childhood Education. Since graduation I have been actively working in education for 16 years and I love every moment of it! I am honored to have worked with some of the best in education, and can call on many of them for support. I am excited to be able to serve God in many different ways and I continue to be utterly grateful for all the talents and gifts that He has blessed me with. I have a passion for education but an even stronger passion to serve God in every single capacity He will allow. My greatest desire above all things is for God to say to me, Well done my good and faithful servant, and in all things hope to be the beacon of such to any that I encounter. Blessings, Angelique Jackson Nominations (Elect)

17 Brooks Howell Home Merry Christmas!

18 Ada Bretti, Communications Hi All! I hope this finds you all well and happy! As the chaos of the season surrounds us, I hope you all take a moment to just enjoy the craziness! Yes, all the things that make us rush and worry, re-schedule and re-vise, searching for that perfect gift, standing in lines at the post office, or hearing the timer buzzing as you burn the cookies, each of us is trying to make this the best Christmas ever! Embrace every moment! Christmas memories old and new can be wonderful reminders of friendship, love and family. Each day is a gift and I hope you treasure each one. I have had an exciting year full of new friends and new adventures. Being part of United Methodist Women has given me the courage to reach out to others just a little bit more. Having Prayer Partners, unexpected cards in the mail, support, and well wishes have touched my heart. I am overwhelmed at the kindness, courage, and strength of commitment I ve witnessed in my Sisters in Christ. You are truly amazing women! In one of my crazy moments this year, when I was depending on the GPS in my son s Tahoe to guide me home and terribly lost, frustrated and out of patience with driving around in circles in a borrowed car, I happened to see a group of women standing on the sidewalk. I thought I would stop and ask for directions. It turned out to be a United Methodist Church! I parked in the far side driveway and went to say hello. It looked as though the church was being remodeled or painted. Then I noticed the street was blocked with old restored cars and equipment everywhere. To my surprise, they were filming a movie! I was honored to meet the Pastor of the church and two very delightful young women who were from my home town in California. The two women were here in Atlanta to be singers in the movie! Dressed in their Sunday Best they reminded me of a time past when we wore hats and gloves to church! When joy sang out from the rafters of the church where I grew up! The movie being filmed is called Hidden Figures, which is about a team of African- American women who provide NASA with the mathematical data needed to launch the program's first successful space missions. Definitely women in action! Due to be released on January 6 th, 2017, it would be an inspiring movie to see with your Sisters! Rev. Sheila Crowe of Collins Memorial UMC (a fellow redhead) told me that not only did her church have a women Paster, but was founded by a women! It s a beautiful church that you will recognize in other movies too.

19 Whether it s using our talents to send missions to space, or caring for the woman sitting next to us at Circle, we are all extraordinary women and we are making a difference in the lives of women and children everywhere! I am so proud to be part of Atlanta Marietta District of United Methodist Women! May God s Peace and Love surround you this Christmas Season! Ada Bretti Communications ada.umw@gmail.com When I noticed Taraji P. Henson walking down the steps, I grabbed my phone and snapped a few pictures much to the guard s dismay!