The Purple Cloth. How Beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things ~Romans 10:15

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1 Indiana Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church Northeast District 3898 New Vision Dr Ste A Fort Wayne, IN NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID Fort Wayne, IN PERMIT NO. 936 The Purple Cloth Northeast Indiana District United Methodist Women August 2011 Volume 4 Bonnie Elam, Editor things.. How Beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things ~Romans 10:15 CURRENT RESIDENT OR Words From the President BEGIN TO CONTINUE... Where has the year gone? And yet, it s more than half over. We have accomplished so much! Our Spring meeting was inspirational and the School of Christian Missions will have been a memory by the time you read this. Still, there is a lot coming up. Our Fall meeting is September 24 and the Training of Local Office with the Mini School is November 19, This year, our Northeast District joins one other district in the Conference to provide Christmas gift cards for the residents of Lucille Raines. Each Local Unit is asked to contribute to this wonderful opportunity to provide Christmas blessings to these residents. Find more information about the donation to Lucille Raines residents within this newsletter. United Methodist Women PURPOSE The organized unit of 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. Women in local churches are serving God through the Mission outreach of the United Methodist Women. You are all Missionaries. Is the college president any less of an educator than the professor in the classroom? There are those in contact and those who administer and support. As you begin to think and plan for 2012, start brainstorming about new ways to do UMW. Two years ago, at our training meeting, we talked about having a ten to fifteen minute monthly UMW mini-meeting in the church kitchen over a cup of coffee with some of our younger, very busy women. One unit started a successful program doing just that. Another church talked about a men s group that met during the UMW meeting where the men carried out missions as well. What about a monthly or quarterly family night, with activities for children, projects for men, all during the UMW meeting time with shared refreshments or a light supper for all? It can be all of these, or none of these, depending on your church s interest and needs. Just think outside the usual and reinvent some wonderful opportunities for your church. You are all amazing women who can come up with many new ideas. Please bring your ideas to share at the Training event in November. With your suggestions, there can be fresh ideas from which all of us can glean. There are so many needs: earth quakes, floods, the war, unemployment, underemployment, foreclosures, homelessness and so much more. The Midwest Mission Distribution Center is constantly gathering supplies for those in need. We all know someone who is personally touched by one of these family crises. Yet, our United Methodist Women s support of existing missions is vital to the success of those missions. If UMW does not support many of them, they would cease to exist. Let us not be the generation that abandoned our mission commitments. I know expenses are tight in all families and our workload has often increased. The price of gasoline is staggering. Still, let us remember there are still those who have so much less than we have. What we have will never be enough to most of our thinking, but what we have to offer God is more than enough for him to work the miracles he is ready to perform. Our young people want to do, to roll up their sleeves and accomplish a task for someone else in the name of Jesus. We can bring those needs to our church families and watch them serve the Lord in joy and thanksgiving. Blessings, Doris Rapp Northeast Indiana District UMW President

2 EXPANDING CONCEPTS OF MISSION The theme for our fall meeting on September 24 at the Church of the Covenant in Fort Wayne is Expanding Concepts of Mission: How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news! The first part of the theme, Expanding Concepts of Mission, should sound familiar since it is part of the UMW Purpose. When we recite the Purpose, we acknowledge that we are a community of women who pledge to expand concepts of mission through participation in the global ministries of the church. The second part comes from Romans 10: How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news. It is hard to imagine beautiful feet in the time of Jesus. Pedicures and polish were not a part of life. As people walked everywhere on dusty, rocky roads either barefoot or in sandals, the feet took a beating. They were so dirty that washing feet before entering a house was common practice. So, imagine these least lovely parts of the body being called beautiful. When carrying the amazing, life changing good news of Jesus, even the feet become beautiful. As we come together for our Fall meeting, we will put these two parts together. We will learn more READ ~ LEARN ~ ENJOY! Blessings Sisters, I would like to give you a brief description of some of the books available on the 2011 reading list. The books can be found in The Reading Program Catalog which is in newspaper format. The catalogs are available at our events and meetings. It can also be downloaded from the Mission Resource Center website ( or ordered by phone Chose the books that interest you and ask your local Secretary of Program Resource person to order them for your unit. Share them and turn in your reading list in January stating the books you have read for the year. The Reading Program is a mission enrichment experience that not only educates but binds us together in our goal of helping those less fortunate. The Children books are excellent this year! I talked about "The Noticer", by Andy Andrews, in our last newsletter; it s a great book. I hope you read it! about expanding our concepts of mission from our speaker The Rev. Lekisha Reed, Associate Director for Missions and Advocacy for the Indiana Conference. We will also be challenged by Rev. Reed and through our worship to take that knowledge from our head all the way down to our feet. We will consider how we as Northeast District UMW can bring the good news of Jesus and support and send out those who preach the good news to the world. They will know we are Christians by our love and our beautiful feet. How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news! ~Romans 10: Carolyn Danielson Vice President In the category of Education for Mission, Disfigured: A Saudi Woman's Story of Triumph, by Rania AlBaz, is exactly as the title states: Triumphant! "Rania AlBaz was the smiling face of a family program on Saudi television. She was the first Saudi woman TV anchor when her abusive husband assaulted her. Rania's memoir is not simply a story of the violence she suffered, nor is it a tale of revenge. It is a story of generosity of spirit and evolution into an activist on behalf of women. Happy Reading...Peg Conrad 2011 NORTHEAST DISTRICT EVENT November NORTHEAST DISTRICT EVENTS Local Unit Officer Training/Mini School April 16 Monday -Two programs 2:00 & 6:00 Lucille Raines 35th Anniversary Celebration - Lucille Raines Residence, Indianapolis April 21 Spring Spiritual Enrichment (Brunch) Churubusco UMC September 29 November CONFERENCE EVENTS Jan Fall Annual Meeting (Brunch/Lunch) Aldersgate UMC Mini School/Officer Training (Lunch) St. Joseph UMC 7 p.m. Thursday-Friday 3 pm - Spiritual Growth Retreat, Canyon Inn, McCormick s Creek State Park March 2-3, 7 p.m. Friday-Saturday 3 pm - Spiritual Growth Retreat, Epworth Forest, North Webster March p.m. Friday-Sunday lunch - Guided Silent Retreat Sarto House, Evansville April 16 Monday -Two programs 2:00 & 6:00 Lucille Raines 35 th Anniversary Celebration - Lucille Raines Residence, Indianapolis April 25-May 4 General Conference - UMC - Tampa, FL May Friday-Saturday - Guided Silent Retreat, St Joseph Retreat Center, Tipton June TBA UMW Dinner at Annual Conference June North Central Jurisdiction - Drake University, DesMoines July North Central Jurisdiction, Akron, OK July - TBA School of Christian Mission - Place to be determined October - TBA The Northeast District Fall Meeting Saturday, September 24, at Covenant UMC How Beautiful are the Feet of Those who Bring Good News of Good Things Check out the enclosed flier and plan to attend. You won t want to miss it! Annual Meeting - Place to be determined Page 2 Page 11

3 PROPOSED NORTHEAST DISTRICT OFFICERS FOR 2012 President* Doris Rapp (10-13) 1219 Hitzfield Huntington Vice-President* Myrna McCracken (12) 75 Lane 101 Lake Pleasant Fremont Secretary* Bonnie Elam (12-13) 6919 Forest Glen Court Fort Wayne Treasurer Joanne Beerbower (11-12) Bayview Boulevard Grabill Secretary of Program Resources* Mary Jane Smith (12-13) 6811 Wrangler Court Fort Wayne Spiritual Growth Alice Peterson (10-13) 1930 Medina Cove Fort Wayne Education & Interpretation Phyllis Pieper (11-12) 6260 W 442 N Huntington santa@onlyinternet.net Membership Charleen Allison (11-12) P.O. Box 307 Hudson charlou43@gmail.com Social Action* Carolyn Danielson (12-13) 213 West Lafayette Street LaGrange badydaniel@aol.com Communications Coordinator* (12-13) Chairperson, Comm.. Nominations* Sharon Kimmel (12-13) 3283 West Shoreline Drive Columbia City slkimm8@embarqmail.com Nominating Committee Members: Laura Gater (12) 341 Line Street Columbia City lsgater@kconline.com Johanna Lange (12) 6708 W Maple Grove Road Huntington Kittie Kenney (13) 4911 Fairington Drive Apt. 114 Fort Wayne, kittie1234@comcast.net Sharon Bowser (14)* 3537 Algonquin Pass Fort Wayne Sarah Menefee (14)* Fritz Road Fort Wayne seandrj@frontier.com Ann Bricker (15)* 5125 North SR 9 Howe abricker2001@yahoo.com Ardys Hendryx (15)* 1625 Woodland Crossing Fort Wayne ahendryx@frontier.com *To be elected For even the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others ~ Matt 20:28 God has blessed us living in northeast Indiana this year. Yes, we have had financial troubles due to loss of jobs and delays in getting crops in because of the heavy rains this past spring, but we have not suffered from the tornado destructions, massive floods and wild fires found in other parts of our country. We, as an area, have provided financial support, health kits, and other needed goods through our mission giving to help those hard hit areas. A big thanks to all the district untits who have been great in getting your mission money to me so it can be forwarded on to the Conference. Our 2011 district Pledge to Missions goal is $85,000 for the year. We have collected about $33,000 or 38% of this goal so far. I realize that many units have their fundraisers in the summer and fall. So, hopefully, we will get a much higher percentage of mission money in this second half of the year. For those of you who have not notified me of your Pledge of Mission and wish to do so, just send me a note with your next Remittance Form.. Please remember that all money sent to me, regardless of the category, needs to have a Remittance Form with it. If you need a copy of one, let me know and I will mail you one to be copied for your records. Thanks to all units who have either paid your full SERVING Serving as Communications Coordinator for the last four years has been rewarding in so many ways. I have enjoyed being a part of the executive board and participating in the planning of district meetings as well as getting to know some exceptional women. If you have never served as a district officer, I encourage you to think about serving and pledge or submitted partial payment int. Please review the Year to Date spreadsheet found in this newsletter showing what your unit has contributed in the various categories so far this year to see if these figures agree with yours. These figures are as of June 30, Please let me know if there is a problem. As a reminder, to be recognized as a five star unit, the five channels of Mission Giving are Pledge to Missions, Special Mission Recognition, Gifts to Mission, Gifts to Mission, Gifts in Memory and World Thank Offering. This year is our district s year to help give Christ gift cards to the residents of Lucille Raines. We are asking each unit to contribute $25 to this project if you can. The residents will receive the gift cards before Christmas so they can use the cards in the way they wish. I need your contribution by the end of October so I can send it to the Director of Lucille Raines Residence the first of November. Our purpose states that we want to expand concepts of mission through the participation in the global ministries of the church. That is why each of your are doing. Thanks for your support of missions. If you need any help, please contact me and I will try to answer your questions. Joanne Beerbower Northeast District Treasurer Bayview Blvd. Grabill, IN jbeerbower@aol.com prayerfully consider being a part of this wonderful team. Thank you! Enclosed in the this newsletter you will find several items to be copied and given to your members. Please help us get the news out! The fall meeting at Covenant UMC promises to be an experience you won t want to miss! Invite a friend or get a carpool together with you members and share this beautiful experience. Blessings, Bonnie Elam Page 10 Page 3

4 SHARE YOUR SERVING OF OTHERS Ready or NOT this year is more than half over and it will soon be time to fill out the Mission Today Unit Report Form (included in this newsletter) and return it to me. These reports will help us, your Northeast District Officers, to better understand what your unit is doing. To know what areas we may need to take a look at or what kind of things we might be able to change or help. I have heard some people tell me that their unit is too small; we just can t do what the BIG churches do. Allow me to tell you about one unit and what they did last year in They provided meals to Habitat for Humanity volunteers; paid a sewer bill for 3 months for a local woman and gave financial assistance to a local family. They rent out there parsonage and also gave that family financial help. They conducted worship service for Mother s Day, assisted in the church garage sale, gave financial assistance to Youth Service Bureau Tools for Life, sponsored 24 boxes to Samaritan s Purse Shoebox Ministry, contributed to Salvation Army coat program and provided two funeral dinners. They also initiated a grocery shower for LOVE, INC and donated 25 pork chops from Nelsons BBQ to LOVE. This was just there local giving as they also paid a pledge of over $ to the district. All of this was done by 16 ladies ages 65 to 92 of which one is in a nursing home, one is home bound and one is a college student. Is this a large church? NO, not in numbers but big in heart. On most Sunday mornings the church attendance is less than 30. But these ladies believe in mission work BOTH local and around the world. Do they have fun? You bet they do! They have gone to Wabash to see a play and to North Webster for lunch and a paddle boat ride around the lake on the Dixie. How dictated is your unit to doing missions? Congratulations to our School of Christian Missions scholarships winners for this year; Tracy L Smith young women; Tressa Smith - ChiMiCa; Marcelline Hoy and local first timer, Nicholas Albertson, YoPeMiCa. Please fill out those forms and let us hear what your unit is doing! Blessings, Phyllis Pieper Coordinator for Education & Interpretation pieper6369@comcast.net IS YOUR UNIT GETTING COUNTED? EVERY UNIT NEEDS TO REPORT Please copy the enclosed Unit Membership Report 2011 form. Give one completed copy to your pastor and send two copies to me by January 5, This is an important way of counting your unit and including them in all communications and reports. I look forward to hearing from you. God bless, Charleen Allison Membership Nurture and Outreach Coordinator PO Box 307 Hudson, IN NORTHEAST DISTRICT WOMEN AT SCHOOL OF CHRISTIAN MISSION WHAT A BLESSING! Page 4 Page 9

5 HONOR HIM THROGH SOCIAL ACTION Dear Coordinators for Social Action, Hope you all are surviving the heat and humidity of Indiana summers...and still smiling! School of Christian Mission provided many learning, worship, and fellowship experiences at DePauw University. I had the pleasure of leading the youth (YoPeMiCa) in a study on forgiveness. The five issues of emphasis for Social Action are: Environmental Justice, Trafficking, Health Obama Care, Immigration, and Racial Justice. We also want to educate our units and churches about Creation Care and going green efforts. Any of these topics would be ideal for a unit program. In addition, I know many units have specific ministries in Social Action at the local level. All of these opportunities can honor God through helping others. for easy communication. If you do not have , I could send communication to your president or another officer who has an address. Please contact me by phone or with an address that I can use. May God continue to nudge us in the right direction as we honor Him through Social Action. Hope to see you at our September 24 district meeting at Fort Wayne Covenant Church. In His service, Deb Johnson 1950 South No Number Road Bluffton, IN dj_53@mchsi.com (note the underscore after dj) If you have , please send me your address AN OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE Are you interested in broadening your horizons? Are you interested in learning more about United Methodist Women? Are you interested in attending outreach events that provide enthusiasm and a new perspective for the work of United Methodist Women? There is an opportunity waiting for you to become part of the Northeast District Executive Committee. We are always looking for willing women to join our team and participate in planning the District events. If you would like to be one of these women, please contact me and I will see that you get a talent bank form to fill out for the Nominating Committee s review. At the present time we are searching for a Communications Chairperson. If you would be interested in editing the District s newsletter and being responsible for the programs for our District Meetings, please give me a call or send me an . It s extremely rewarding to be a part of this worldwide organization working to make the world a better place for women, children and youth. God s blessings, Barb McCoy Chairperson, Nominating Committee barb.mccoy@frontier.com ATTENTION ALL LOCAL UNITS!!! We will be remembering all of the local unit members that have gone on to a greater glory at our Fall Annual Meeting in September. Please send or the names of the women in your unit who have died between September 1, 2010 and August 31, 2011 to Barb McCoy, 1025 Brandon Way, Fort Wayne by September 5, 2011, barb.mccoy@frontier.com Page 8 Page 5

6 GREETINGS ON BEHALF OF LUCINDA PINS When you look for a meaningful gift to give, remember that a Lucinda pin is a great idea; and each is always unique. The sale of these pins help to subsidize the ministry of the Lucille Raines Residence, a project of United Methodist Women of Indiana. Contact me to purchase, or to secure pins to sell at your church, meetings, or other events. Sell, Sell, Sell! (View video of Lucinda flowers pins being: Pat Hoover gphoover@rtcol.com TALK ~ TOUR ~ LUNCH ~~ ALL FOR ONLY $5.00 PER PERSON Carpool and bring your friends. Districts bring your United Methodist Women. Churches bring your congregations. Just phone Lucille Raines Residence at to make reservations. Lucille Raines Residence is a facility owned and operated by Indiana Area United Methodist Women. Many of the men and women, who are residents, are actively engaged in rebuilding their lives from substance abuse and some are parolees. They all share in learning to function independently and as whole people in life. Many are finding Christ to be the source of successful recovery. JUST IN CASE YOU MISSED IT... LUCILLE RAINES RESIDENCE AND YOU ~TAKEN FROM THE MAY 2011 MESSAGE MANAGER Next year on April 16, 2012, the Lucille Raines Residence celebrates its 35th anniversary. Owned and operated by the Indiana United Methodist Women, it offers hope to as many as forty-nine men and women who are actively engaged in rebuilding their lives from substance abuse. Many of these residents find Christ to be the source of their successful recoveries. Though residents pay rent, this accounts for only half the expense of the program. United Methodist Women provide support local UMW units contribute $7.50 per UMW member. Opportunities for giving, sale of Lucinda pins, gifts made in memory and in honor, and conference advance specials provide funds for staffing, programming and residence upkeep. In addition to UMW monetary gifts, there is a Lucille Raines Residence Executive Board that meets monthly (with the exception of February, July and August) to assist in decision-making, to maintain awareness of on-going needs and to provide that little extraǁ to the residents upon occasion. (At the April board meeting, Easter baskets for the residents and staff were filled from board member donations.) As with any board, terms expire and new members are elected to the Lucille Raines Residence Executive Board. The board is composed of members that represent all districts of the Indiana Conference United Methodist Women. If you are interested or know of someone you think would make a good board member, please consider completing a Talent Bank form. The form can be obtained online by going to the Lucille Raines Residence website or by contacting Linda Crawford at (812) or carlelinda@sbcglobal.net. If you have questions or would like further information, contact Linda. Page 6 Bring Hands-on-Mission Items to Fall Annual Event October Local units of United Methodist Women are asked to participate in the collection of hands-on-mission items. Please bring new small stuffed toys, packaged NEW, modest-style underwear and socks for all ages of girls, ladies, and boys (only new, packaged items, please). STAY CONNECTED ~ STAY INFORMED United Methodist Women of Indiana: North Indiana Conference United Methodist Women: General Board of Global Ministries of UMC: Lucille Raines Residence: UMCOR: Northeast Indiana United Methodist Women Blog: Indiana United Methodist Church: INTERNET RESOURCES FOR INFORMATION AND ADVOCACY UNITED METHODIST WOMEN OF INDIANA GOVERNMENT Updated information on Congress Common Cause (government watchdog) Vote Smart Project for information about local and state elected officials Contracting your US Representatives Contacting your US Senators Information for the Whitehouse Indiana state government Women, Children and Youth Women Thrive Worldwide (Shaping U.S. Policies that help women life themselves and their families out of poverty Children's Defense Fund National Coalition Against Domestic Violence About Fair Trade ENVIRONMENT Water for Life, (International Decade for Action) United Nations Development Program, Water Governance UMW Green Team Women's Environment and Development Organization Sudan Save Darfur Coalition (180 faith-based, humanitarian and human rights groups representing 130 million people) Enough Project of Center for American Progress Professor Eric Reeves, Sudan information site Ginghamsburg (Ohio) United Methodist Church Sudan Project Page 7