Vol. 2 Issue 2 March 2019 The Voice of the Harpeth River District UMW Sisterhood of Grace Campaign for Children Opioids: A Family Crisis with Guest Speaker Dr. Cory L. Calendine affiliated with the Bone and Joint Institute of Tennessee Sunday, April 28 th at 2 p.m. at the Thompson Station United Methodist Church (Directions on Page 2) ALL are invited to attend! Bring Everyone! Your UMW sisters, your congregation, family & friends, school principal and teachers, the next-door neighbor. I think you get the idea. We want Everyone to come! We look forward to seeing you there!
** Thompson Station United Methodist Church ** - 615.595.1855 1517 Thompson s Station Road West - Thompson Station - 37179 ** If you are travelling South on Hwy 31: (from I-840, approx. 2 miles) After crossing I-840, the first major intersection will be Thompson s Station Road. There will be an Exxon station on your Right. Turn Right. The church will be on your Left. ** If you are travelling North on Hwy 31: (from Saturn Parkway, approx. 7 miles) Go through the intersection of Thompson Ridge Road / Buckner Road - with a CVS Pharmacy on your Left and a Shell station on your Right. The next major intersection is Thompson s Station Road. There is an Exxon station on the Left. Turn Left. The church will be on your Left. Happy 150 th Anniversary! To celebrate the dedication and foresight of our foremothers, March 23, 2019, has become A DAY OF GIVING to the Legacy Fund Endowment Campaign. Your contribution to the Legacy Fund will underwrite endeavors to strengthen our internal capacity to further invest in lifechanging programs and services. This will create a promising tomorrow for future generations of United Methodist Women members in answering God's call to service. Aquilla Lillard, from The CALL Social Action Event Saturday, April 6, 2019 Registration 9:00 a.m. - Program 9:30 a.m. Mary T Newman, Speaker United Methodist Women s Program Advisory Council Mother Earth calls women of the world to care for her. Whether we label efforts "climate justice, environmentalism, or recycling", how do we as women heed the call to care for creation? How do we connect today? How do we sit at the feet of Jesus, then stand up to walk a path toward healing the earth? Centerville UMC - 103 College Avenue, Centerville 37033-931.729.3540 2
PRESIDENT Having a Heart for Mission Is the Sisterhood of Grace theme catching on yet? Our first district event of the year was a trilogy of meetings - planning by the leadership team, sharing information and updating the local units, and hearing from Rev. Judy Stevenson about Being Faithful at our Faith Lift. Many thank-you s to the members from each unit that participated at some point during the day. We also offer our sincere thanks to Coleman Memorial for hosting our gathering. One of the things we hope to do this year is increase participation, both in the local units and at district events. Our next scheduled district event will probably be covered elsewhere in this newsletter, but I want to personally encourage you to attend our Campaign for Children event Sunday, April 28 at 2:00 p.m., at Thompson Station UMC. Thompson Station is located north of Spring Hill. The church is a short distance off of US Hwy 31. Our District Social Action Coordinator, Ursula Grimes, has planned an informative program entitled, Opioids: A Family Crisis. Promote this event and invite as many persons as you can (i.e., church members, family, neighbors, teachers). It is a topic that has been in the news many times recently. As you know, United Methodist Women focuses on issues that affect women, children, and youth. Opioids not only affect those who struggle with dependency, but it affects the family as well. It is a tragic situation. If we have a heart for mission, it is a concern we should become educated about. Spring is approaching; many people say it is their favorite season of the year. I hope you will join me in being intentional about dedicating some time each day to devotions, prayer, study, and other activities that will enrich your spiritual life as we journey through Lent and prepare for Easter morning. To have a heart for mission, we need to be spiritually grounded. Don t forget that the district leadership team is available to visit your unit. We want to get to know you. If you need a program, let us know. After all, we are a Sisterhood of Grace, right? Your sister in Christ, Lois Azar 3
Devotion Moment SPIRITUAL GROWTH As spring and the Easter season approaches, our hearts and minds are reminded of renewal and of the significance of The Resurrection. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life John 3:16 (NIV). Yes, we have repeated this verse many times during our lifetimes. It is a message to us about God s gracious gift. Take a look at the word so; a powerful word emphasizing that God is absolutely and unconditionally adoring us always. Our choice is to turn toward God and not veer away. God is there ready and willing to welcome each one of us at every moment in time, never turning away from us, even when we turn away from him. Because of his steadfast love, God gave us his very own son, Jesus Christ. This precious gift ensures that we will live with him forever, if only we believe and turn toward God each and every day. Our Prayer: Lord, help each one of us to live a life of love which is what true love is - your love - so we can receive it and give it away to others. Let LOVE be our motivation for action. Thank you for your amazing, unconditional and eternal acceptance. Amen Marcia Woodcock District Spiritual Growth Development Coordinator Hey Treasurers! First Quarter submissions are due to me by March 8. You should have received your packets in the mail (if you were not at the District Training) with all of the forms. My address is 839 Pintail Ct., Franklin, TN 37067. My phone number is: 615-337-2686. Thank you, Debbie Miller TREASURER 4
CONTACT PERSON ** Please send a confirmation of your Contact Person to Janet, pdj1169@gmail.com ** Bethesda Linden First Pulaski First Trinity Cedar Grove Lynnville Santa Fe Circuit Whitten/Cross Roads College Grove Oak Grove Shawnettee PURPOSE of the UNITED METHODIST WOMEN The organized unit of the 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. HELPFUL RESOURCES Harpeth River District UMW: hrumw.weebly.com Tennessee Conference UMW: tnumw.org National UMW: umwomen.org United Methodist Women Online: umwonline.org Program Resources: umwmissionresources.org 5
NOMINATIONS 2018 was a challenging year for many of us, including myself (knee and hip replacements). I eagerly look forward to 2019 as a new beginning; one that I and the District Officers are ready to embrace. My outlook this year is for the District Officers to visit as many Harpeth River UMW Units as possible. The goal of these visits is to convey our accomplishments, what we are working on for the future and how you can be a part of that future. By providing this face-to-face interaction, you will: gain confidence in the District Officers; have an opportunity to meet us; and be able to convey concerns. We want and need to receive feedback from your Unit, including what we can do to help you be successful in 2019. The Harpeth River District UMW cannot be successful without talent like you, to continue working with an outstanding group of women toward fulfilling the vision of the UMW. Kate Howard 615.579.7668 DIRECTORY UPDATE Nolensville First - Connie Fisher Spiritual Growth Development Coordinator Marcia Woodcock Unit Treasurer Patsy Elliot Local Treasurer St. Andrew Memorial - Mary Theresa Lowry mlowry5144@energize.net 6
COMMUNICATIONS Let me begin by saying: Thank You! Yes, thank you to everyone that has been going to the website to check it out! The unique weekly visits were averaging 65-70 people. As of 02/25/19, the average is 85! Yay! As some of you know, there have been a few changes. Home Page * Every month, there will be a different article written by one of the District Officers. If you happen to miss it, you will be able to read previous articles under News --> Website Articles. Calendar * I have entered the holidays, the district events and the conference events. In addition, you will find some of the local unit events listed as well. If you click on an event, the entry will open so you can read more about it. News * I have changed the way that you can access the Reminders & Newsletters. No longer will you need to have an account with Scribd. I have everything as a file that can be downloaded and read on your computer or printed to share. * If you would like to read a Newsletter, hold your cursor on News. When you see the drop down menu, move the cursor down to Newsletters, then over to the year you are interested in. Now, you can let go of your cursor and click on the Newsletter of interest. * This is how you access the Reminders, also. Hold the cursor down on News, move down to Reminders and over to the year of interest. Now let go and select the Reminder you are interested in. Forms - * The Forms are on the website a little different this year. If you go to Forms and pause, a drop down menu will appear with Events / Reports / Treasurer s Forms. Presently, I do not have any forms for Events, but that will change soon. Under Reports, there are 5 documents, e.g., the Reading Program Report. Likewise, under Treasurer s Forms, there are 5 documents. Please contact me with your suggestions, comments, articles & pictures. After all, it is Your website. J With blessings, Janet Pierce District Communications Coordinator www.hrumw.weebly.com pdj1169@gmail.com 931.242.0428 7
2019 Harpeth River District Officers DISTRICT President Lois Azar loisazar@bellsouth.net Vice President Martha Butler mabutler101@gmail.com Secretary Jennifer Scoble jenniferscoble58@gmail.com Treasurer Debbie Miller debbie.miller718@gmail.com E & I Coordinator Patsy Elliot pelliottquilter@comcast.net MNO Coordinator Vacant Social Action Coordinator Ursula Grimes ursulagrimes1938@gmail.com Program Resources Bobbi Toombs bobbitoombs@att.net Communications Coordinator Janet Pierce pdj1169@gmail.com Spiritual Growth Marcia Woodcock marcbrownsk@att.net Nominations Chair Kate Howard katehoward01@gmail.com THE VISION of the UNITED METHODIST WOMEN Turning faith, hope and love into action on behalf of women, children and youth around the world. 2019 Harpeth River District Calendar Apr. 28 (Sun.) 2:00 p.m. Campaign for Children Thompson Station Jun. 29 (Sat.) 10:00 a.m. Local President s Round Table Godwin-Chapel with Potluck Lunch 1:00 p.m. District Executive Team Meeting Aug. 24 (Sat.) 9:30 a.m. District Mission Study St. Andrew Memorial with Brown Bag Lunch 2:00 p.m. District Executive Team Meeting Sept. 28 (Sat.) 9:00 a.m. District Annual Meeting Nolensville First with Registration 8:30 a.m. 9:00 a.m. 8
CONFERENCE CORRECTED 2019 Tennessee Conference Officers President Nita Wright nita_wright@bellsouth.net Vice President Peggy Owen owenpeggy@gmail.com Secretary Katie Harris kh14@united.net Treasurer Karen Maynard karenabmaynard@gmail.com E & I Coordinator Donna Dilts donnadilts@gmail.com MNO Coordinator Pam Nelson pam.nelson@rvtilc.net Social Action Vacant Spiritual Growth Aquilla Lillard annaquilla77@gmail.com Program Resources Nancy Beyer tonybeyer@yahoo.com Communications Coordinator Cassandra Sloop Cassandra.sloop@gmail.com Nominations Chair Kathy Booker bookerk2@aol.com Relax and let go. Let God hold you. 01/02/12 Thought for the Day, The Upper Room CORRECTED 2019 Tennessee Conference Calendar of Events April 6 (Sat.) 9:30 a.m. Social Action Event Centerville UMC Conference Executive Team Meeting June 1 (Sat.) 9:30 a.m. Hands-On Workday / Mission Day Smyrna First UMC July 11-12 (Th.-Fri.) 9:30 a.m. Mission u St. Mark s UMC Aug. 3 (Sat.) 9:30 a.m. Conference Executive Team Meeting Bellevue UMC Sept. 6-8 (Fri.-Sun.) Conference Spiritual Life Retreat Beersheba Springs Oct. 12 (Sat.) Conference Executive Team Meeting Bellevue UMC Conference Annual Meeting 9
March 1 2018 Membership Census Form on website. DUE DATES March 8 1 st Quarter Submissions UNIT NEWS * Need an idea of how to celebrate 150 years? * The Columbia First UMW is sponsoring a 150 th Challenge! In order to celebrate 150 years of United Methodist Women, they plan to help people in need in their community. How? They are asking the UMW members and the members of the church to donate cans of food for the Harvest Share and Family Center. In addition, they are asking for gas cards or cards to buy groceries for Maury County Students in Transition homeless students. They hope to collect at least 150 cans of food and $150 in cards. The challenge begins March 3 and ends on March 24. What is your unit doing to celebrate 150 years? Send me an article &/or pictures! RUN for MISSION Mark your calendars now for the Run for Mission at the Franklin First UMC. The 5k will take place on April 7 th at 3 p.m. This event supports Take the Reins ministry. Folks of all ages are encouraged to come out and run or walk around the beautiful church campus. There will be a 1k for the kids. Prizes will go to all age categories! In addition, there will be homemade baked goods. For information about Take the Reins ministry, click here.. Women s Woven Conference May 5 th 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Brentwood UMC 10
SOCIAL ACTION Just a note to let you know that I would be happy to visit your UMW s group anytime. You can send me an email: UrsulaGrimes1938@gmail.com or give me a call: 586-215-5123. We can talk about the subject you would like for me to cover at your meeting. Lawrenceburg First United Methodist Women I had a joyful day when I visited the Lawrenceburg First United Methodist Women. The ladies went to work in a hurry and made 30+ sanitary kits for the high school girls in Africa. Thank you, to all of you. You really are a positive group to be with. Thompson Station United Methodist Church UMW Many days, Saturdays and evenings were spent to complete 100 sanitary kits for the Mamma Lynn House in Congo. You may remember that the Mamma Lynn House was completed last year and benefits the abused women. The Ruth Circle of Thompson Station UMW The Ruth Circle has completed a year-long project of making a quilt for a family that lost everything in the Gatlinburg fires. Everyone participated by making one square. It was an extremely joyful moment when we delivered it to the church in Gatlinburg. 11
* * Save the Date for our Campaign for Children * * * * Sunday, April 28 @ 2 PM * * You saw the nice write-up at the beginning of this newsletter. The opioid crisis is real. Think about it. If you could be responsible for saving one life by hearing, understanding, and being able to stop one person from going down this awful road, wouldn t that be great? Well, here is your opportunity. Don t come alone. If you bring teenagers, grandparents, mothers, fathers, and your neighbors, there is a chance we could make a difference in many lives. After Dr. Calendine has completed his presentation and answered your questions, we will serve refreshments. I look forward to seeing all of you on Sunday, April 28 at 2 o clock at the Thompson Station United Methodist Church. Prayerfully, Ursula Grimes Nolensville First UMW UNIT HAPPENINGS The joyful UMW ladies at their annual Christmas party. They are planning to celebrate UMW s 150 years with a Birthday Party at their monthly meeting on March 13 th. Every month, they collect specific items to donate to GraceWorks Ministries of Franklin. This is one of their longstanding missions. A small team of members go to volunteer every month. What has your unit been up to? Let me know! Janet Pierce, Editor pdj1169@gmail.com 12