NORTH CAROLINA CONFERENCE UNITED METHODIST WOMEN K E D E Knowledge SPRING 2014 VOLUME 30 ISSUE 1 SPIRITUAL RETREAT May 17, 2014 Pinehurst UMC, Pinehurst, NC Experience Develop Expand The United Methodist Women of the North Carolina Conference will host its annual Spiritual Enrichment Retreat on May 17, 2014 at Pinehurst UMC in Pinehurst, NC. The retreat is open to ALL persons of the conference. You do not have to be a member of United Methodist Women to attend. The registration form is available in this KEDE. Our speaker for the retreat is Bishop Hope Morgan Ward, Resident Bishop of the North Carolina Conference. Bishop Ward is president of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries and is a strong supporter of United Methodist Women. Childcare will be available. For children 1st thru 5th grades, Joyce Herring will be leading a children s mission study. The study is on immigration and is titled Leaving Home Finding Home. Hotel Reservations: You are responsible for making your own hotel reservations. Rooms are available at the Spring Hill Suites by Marriott. The phone number is 910-695-0234. Ask for the United Methodist Women rate. Room Rate: $79.00 (+ tax) per night (Complimentary breakfast available.) Register today! Register by April 8, 2014 to receive the early bird registration rate. Mission u July 17-19, 2014 Methodist University, Fayetteville, NC Mission u is a three-day event at Methodist University that offers three different mission studies, one of which is a repeat study from the previous year. The main purpose of Mission u is to certify study leaders to teach these studies in the districts and in local churches, but all are welcome to come and learn and enjoy the fellowship. To be certified, study leaders must be in class for a minimum of 8 hours. Teachers may receive CEU credit, if requested. Although Mission u is offered through United Methodist Women, it is open to all women and men, clergy and laity alike, as continuing education. Continued on page 2
Page 2 Mission u continued You may choose to only take one of the studies, however the schedule allows for you to take two of the three studies in one of the following combinations: Thursday night/friday morning and Friday night/saturday morning; Thursday night/friday morning and Saturday Full Day; Friday Full Day and Saturday Full Day. If you are NOT in the Friday Full Day class, you may participate in the Mission Encounter on Friday afternoon that are several hands-on service projects. This year one of our projects will be to assemble school kits. You will receive more information after your registration is received. You may register as a full-time resident student for one price, staying Thursday and Friday nights, taking two classes, with five meals (Thursday dinner through Saturday breakfast) or as a part-time student, choosing your combinations of room/board and classes. The Church and People With Disabilities is the Issues study and is offered three times: 1) Thursday night/friday morning split class. 2) Friday Full Day class. 3) Friday night/saturday morning split class. This mission study will be the repeat study for 2015. How Is It With Your Soul is the spiritual growth study and will be offered four times: 1) Thursday night/friday morning split class. 2) Friday Full Day class. 3) Friday night/saturday morning split class. 4) Saturday Full Day class. This mission study will be the only study offered in the Saturday Full Day class. Saturday lunch is not included if you choose the full time resident student option and choose this class as your second study. You must add $10.00 for Saturday lunch if you sign up for this class. The Roma of Europe is the repeat study and will be offered once, as a Friday Full Day class. If you have any questions regarding your registration, please contact: Martha Caves, Dean, at 336-599-7037 (mcaves@nccumc.org); or Madoline Murphy, Registrar, at 252-746-4797 (mamuphy39@suddenlink.net).
Page 3 FROM THE PRESIDENT -- LaNella Smith The Secret of Change.... We are continuing to live into the structural and geographical changes that occurred in 2012. An honest assessment of our current reality is that we have much more work to do, to completely live into these changes, especially the redistricting change. Your continued prayers are needed for the mission and ministries of United Methodist Women in the North Carolina Conference as we continue to adjust to our new districts. Always offer prayers for the leaders in your local unit, your district and the conference. Consider sending an "In the Service of Christ" or a "Thank You" Gift to Mission card to a woman in leadership in your local unit. The following is from ProgressiveChristianity.org website. It is titled "Openness to Change". Change is a challenge at any age in almost any context. Human nature seems to prefer the known, the predictable. Churches, as we know, are no exception! The irony is that religion is in a constant state of change, as it interacts with culture and the times, and old words acquire fresh interpretations. You can spend your energy putting up resistance to change, or you can heed the wisdom of Socrates, who said, The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new. I recently delivered the morning message at Hertford UMC for UMW Sunday. Between the 8:30 am and 11:00 am services, I attended a discipleship Sunday School class. It was during this class that I first heard the Socrates quote from the article above: "The secret of change is to focus all of our energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new". We can be successful in building the new if we frame the changes as positive. Redistricting was approved and implemented by the North Carolina Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. How do we frame the redistricting as positive? First, we look at two tenets of our purpose. UMW is a community of women whose purpose is to know God and to develop a creative, supportive fellowship. In the midst of this change, we are still Christ-centered women who continue to respond to God's love by taking seriously His desire for us to "tend His sheep". The redistricting created new communities for all of us. We are now in community with new United Methodist Women. However, they are the same mission-minded women who were in our former community. We need to focus on building new supportive fellowships. I challenge each of you to attend events of your district with the mindset that this is an opportunity to be in community with new women. This is an opportunity to increase the size of your supportive community. This is framing the new as positive. The structural changes were approved by the General Conference of the United Methodist Church. The changes allow for flexibility in leadership, which came about because many in the organization wanted such flexibility. How do we frame the structural changes as positive? Again, let us look to our purpose. The final tenet of our purpose is to expand our concepts of mission. The changes allow us to define and expand how we provide the leadership necessary to carry out our mission. Do we need five leaders or eleven leaders? How can we effectively use short term task forces to get the job done? What leadership is needed to accomplish what your local unit is doing? Appreciating the flexibility in defining your leadership and how you carry out your mission is framing the new as positive. Remember it was only six women who established our predecessor organization, the Women's Foreign Missionary Society. What a change that was for the women and for the Methodist Episcopal Church. This was women acting on faith. This was women putting their love into action. God honored their faith continued on page 4
Page 4 and their actions. Mission was started and women were empowered. We have inherited what God honored. We can allow change to diminish the organization or we can build on the changes to keep our organization going another 100 years. It is my hope that we choose to build the new; to build the new on the rich foundation laid for us by our foremothers. Our 2014 theme is "to proclaim". Our mission work needs to proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord. We do this by being advocates for the oppressed and dispossessed (with special attention to women, children and youth) and by fostering growth in our faith through mission education and social involvement. Just as our foremothers, who handled phenomenal change, accomplished their mission work in their context and time, we need to accomplish our mission work in our context and time. Currently that context is new districts and flexible leadership. The context in which we operate does not define our work, but defines how we do our work. Let us proclaim that Jesus is Lord and that He is the focus of our mission work by building on the new to do even greater things in His name. FROM THE VICE PRESIDENT -- Sandra Creech Mendell Greetings from your vice president! I pray each of you has had a safe winter! My grandsons thoroughly enjoyed playing in snow and I enjoyed watching them from the safety of a window. I hope the groundhog was wrong and spring will come soon. Save the date! Our Annual Meeting will be Saturday October 11, 2014 at Methodist University in Fayetteville. Again this year the meeting will begin at 9:30 AM with worship, followed by our United Methodist Women business and celebrations. (Group singing will begin at 9:15.) Every evaluation of the 2013 meeting was read. The Program Committee will endeavor to improve the meeting by responding to suggestions to the extent that we can. One suggestion from the evaluations that we will implement is to highlight missions done by local units. So to that end, I am encouraging any local unit that has a specific mission they d like to showcase to create a table display for our Annual Meeting. Someone from your unit should be at the table to share the mission project with others so that your idea may be used by another unit to help someone outside your local unit s reach. Your District President knows of this request so you can communicate with her about your desire to show off what your unit is doing. Also, please let me know so that I can reserve sufficient table space for your display. Remember to use Gift to Mission and Gift in Memory cards. Unfortunately, my husband and I have already used two Gift in Memory cards this year. Not only did the cards show our support for the families during their bereavement but the money paid for them went directly to our Conference pledge to missions. And, we received a note from one of the families telling us how much they appreciated their love one being remembered that way. I have not used a Gift to Mission card yet this year but I have plans to use them. Plan to come to Annual Meeting October 11 and enjoy worship and celebrations with a little business PRESS RELEASE -- FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY CLINTON TO SPEAK AT ASSEMBLY Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will deliver a Saturday morning keynote address April 26 at Assembly at the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville, KY, April 25-27. Make It Happen is the theme for 19th quadrennial gathering of more than 7,000 women of every ethnicity, background and region across the country and international guests. The morning plenary will focus on ordinary women organizing to make needed changes in their communities, states, nation and world to improve life for women, children and youth. Secretary Clinton is a lifelong United Methodist and a longtime advocate for women, children and youth, said Harriett Jane Olson, chief executive of United Methodist Women.
Page 5 FROM THE TREASURER -- Doris Wade We have just ended our second year in a row that we did not meet our pledge. Obviously we are still feeling the effects of the financial crunch. This year we have made a more realistic pledge to the National United Methodist Women. Our Conference pledge for 2014 is $430,000. Each district, unit, and individual is encouraged to do their part. If we pray about our giving and make a special effort to increase our giving, I am sure we can reach and maybe exceed our goal. One of the ways we can increase our giving is to read the history of A Penny and A Prayer and give accordingly. Penny and a Prayer is based on the precept that our founding Mothers used to begin this great organization. Prayer was very important to this small group of women. They began with just eight members and were able to raise enough money to send two missionaries to India! These ladies made giving to UMW a special effort. They gave up fancy clothes to save money that they could give. If we count our blessings and contribute a little extra money daily in thankfulness for our many blessings, we can bring in the extra money needed to support the ministries of United Methodist Women. United Methodist Women give much needed support to women, children, and youth here at home and around the globe. That support has a price tag with it, and we as United Methodist Women are committed to this ministry. Be a part of a great transformation in the lives of those we help! Pray! Give! Pray! 2014 is the 25 th Anniversary of Penny and A Prayer. Penny and A Prayer was started by our Past President/Past Treasurer, Jeanne Rouse. The concept of A Penny and A Prayer is to deposit pennies into our collection jar as we pray. This year let s do a new thing. Instead of copper, let s give silver! Quarters instead of pennies! To celebrate our twenty fifth anniversary, we would like for each unit to collect a second offering to give in honor of Jeanne Rouse. Let s make Jeanne proud of the collection! LET S GO FOR THE SILVER AND RAISE $25,000 IN 2014! Penny and a Prayer FROM THE SCHOLARSHIP CHAIRPERSON -- Hazel Hall United Methodist Women of the North Carolina Conference has a scholarship program available to Methodist Women who are members of the United Methodist church and reside within the bounds of the North Carolina Conference. Scholarships are available for students attending one of the Methodist related colleges in North Carolina and are pursuing an academic course of study preferably leading to a church-related vocation. Applications for undergraduate and graduate study at a North Carolina Methodist related institution are also given consideration. For an application or for more information please contact your district president or Hazel Hall, NCCUMW Scholarship Coordinator at hhall29@yahoo.com. The deadline for scholarship applications is April 15 th. Domestic Violence Awareness Domestic Violence is not just a women s issue. It is an issue of faith. United Methodist Women and United Methodist Men have partnered to launch a domestic violence initiative to raise awareness and provide training in United Methodist congregations. Join the Domestic Violence group on UMWOnline.org
Page 6 SOCIAL ACTION BLURB -- JoAnn Stanford Do you know what the 2014 Priority Issues are? They are Immigration, Poverty, Domestic Violence, the Environment, and Literacy. These are areas where we can study and grow in knowledge. The Reading Program offers books on these topics as well as Response, other books and magazines and the news. Each district should choose one or more of these issues for focus during the year. What is your District Mission Encounter for 2014? Consider an agency on the Project Sheet. Be sure to call the agency you choose to make arrangements for your district or unit to participate in a hands on event. There will be a Mission Encounter during Mission u at Methodist University in July. There will also be a Mission Work Team going to West Virginia in September. Watch for more information concerning these events. Make your unit aware of the Be a Green Unit: Take the Pledge form and all the ways each church, unit and individual can be involved in improving the environment. An idea from GREEN CHURCH: Does your church equipment take a Sabbath? Turning off equipment when it is not in use reduces cost, energy consumption, and globalwarming pollution. Many electronics draw power even when turned off, especially those with black transformer boxes. So you might want to install smart power strips into which transformers can be plugged. Perhaps we should consider this for our homes as well! This is from THE POWER OF HALF by Kevin and Hannah Salwen (UMW Reading Program book). There are 6 billion people in this world and you are one person. It s easy to think, How much of a difference can I really make? The short answer is, a lot. I love the quote from Marian Wright Edelman, the children s rights advocate: We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee. So as we proclaim in 2014, continue the great work you re already doing and encourage others to become involved. The small things we do make a big difference which we may never know or see. John Wesley s Rules of Conduct states: Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can. Let this be our motto for 2014. PROGRAM RESOURCES TIDBITS -- Annette Wright I would like to thank Ann Krieger for her faithfulness in this position for the last four years. This position is new to me but I will give all I can to keep you informed on matters concerning this office. My responsibility as Secretary of Program Resource is to get mission resources to members and by doing this we are making more mission possible for women, children and youth down the street and around the world. For almost 150 years members of United Methodist Women have been involved in all aspects of mission. We pray, we study and we put what we believe in into action. The purpose of the Reading Program is to encourage all United Methodist Women to: Expand understanding of and participation in God s mission; Increase sensitivity to all human beings their needs, interests and concerns; Encourage critical thinking about issues facing humanity today; Grow in understanding of Scripture as it relates to Christian faith in contemporary life; Enhance self-knowledge and act from that knowledge and Strengthen involvement in local and global Christian mission. continued on page 7
Page 7 I challenge all UMW of the North Carolina Conference to take part in the Reading Program. This is a great study opportunity for all that should lead to some form of action. You can join the Reading Program through UMWOnline( www.umwmissionresources.org ). Form an action team to take action on an issue addressed in one or more books. Start a reading group of adults and/or children or youth. Present book reviews at UMW unit and circle meetings. Take Reading Program books and Response to retirement and nursing homes and read to residents. Inform parents, grandparents and others with children and youth that books for children and youth are available through the Reading Program. Let pastors, church leaders and Sunday school teachers know of the books available through the UMW Reading Program. Highlight large print books and Recognize those who participate and complete plans in the Reading Program. These are only a few ways we can encourage the Reading Program, you may add others that fit your group. The 2014 Reading Program encourages United Methodist members to think critically about current issues. I also encourage you to find one of the four plans that represents you and act on it. Every year a diverse range of books to broaden exposure to a variety of concepts are offered and organized into 5 categories: Education for Mission, Nurturing for Community, Social Action, Spiritual Growth and Leadership Development. These books are offered in various formats and languages: Books for e- readers, Large Print, Korean, Spanish, Children, Youth and Bonus Books that count as two books - either as two books in one category or as one book in each of two categories. The categories with bonus books are Social Action and Education for Mission. I look forward to working with all district secretaries of Program Resources in the near future. Let s make 2014 a great year! EDUCATION AND INTERPRETATION -- Cathy Green Hopefully many of you have already participated in your district mission studies or even in your local units. If not, I have a schedule of coming up Mission Studies for you and others in your units may attend. Remember, many of our districts cover a vast of land and if you live closer to another district who is having a mission study take the opportunity to explode the knowledge that is being presented. Beacon District April 5th The Roma of Europe Jeanne Murray Hertford UMC 10 am to 2 pm. May 3rd Poverty Asbury in Washington, NC Contact Cecelia Kock E & I at 252-335-2522 for further information Capital District March 22nd Roma of Europe - Four Oaks UMC 8:45 to 1:00 address 302 N. Church St. Four Oaks, NC 919-221-3512 March 29th Poverty - St. Luke UMC in Goldsboro, NC 8:30 to 1:00 call 919-221-3512 for further information. May 31st Poverty - Garner UMC, 201 Methodist St. Garner NC Gateway April 12th Raeford UMC, Raeford, NC - 10:00 am Sound District April 5th The Roma of Europe - Verona Meth. Church in Verona. 5 miles before you get to Jacksonville on Hwy 17 S you will see a sign five miles before you get to Verona small area. You will be right there. continued on page 8
Page 8 EDUCATION AND INTERPRETATION -- Cathy Green We are NOT having a special project this year. We are focusing on our Gift to Mission Cards. For as little as $5.00 per card you can honor anyone in your family, church, and/or community. Each month can be special such as the following: January Birthday cards to those listed on the Prayer calendar February Thinking of You card who might not receive a valentine: Widows/children without parents March Remembering someone for Easter or just to welcome spring April See above or to college students getting ready for exams or graduation May Remember mothers and those in prison with a gift to missions June July Remember fathers, brides and grooms and anniversaries Remember someone for Independence Day or Thank you for your service August Thank you card to a person listed on the Prayer Calendar or to Nursing Homes Staff September Send a card to a child or youth starting school or going off to college Thinking of You October Pastor Appreciation month- Give an In the Service of Christ card for anyone who works or serves in who works or serves in your church; Worship leaders, teachers, nursery workers, administrative assistants. etc. November Send a card as Thanks for someone who has shown kindness. December Send a gift that keeps on giving - a GTM Christmas Card. You can send Gift To Mission any time during the year. These are the types of Gift to Mission Cards available: Baby Birthday Thank You Congratulations Special Day Peace Thinking of You Christmas In the Service of Christ Great idea: Send a birthday card every month to a person listed on the Prayer Calendar. We can proclaim our love for missions by purchasing these cards. Contact your local treasurer. What a great gift to anyone and it will be a way to show your love to others. Thank you for all you do for the glory of God's kingdom. Contact Cathy at: 919-222-5164 or 919-778-7956
Page 9 MAKE IT HAPPEN - ASSEMBLY - APRIL 25-27,2014 http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umw/assembly/ You can help North Carolina Conference United Methodist Women Make It Happen in Louisville, KY, this April by hopping on the bus we are taking to Assembly 2014. There are still a few seats left! I m holding two of them for YOU and your traveling buddy! Please call or email if you are interested in making this journey with the conference. Contact Joyce Herring, the bus trip coordinator, by email: joycie4789@gmail.com or phone @ 910-249-3679. Because the bus will not depart from Louisville until noon on Sunday, April 27th, the bus group will make one overnight stop in West Virginia on our return trip. The bus will depart from Raleigh and Burlington on Thursday, April 24th and be back in Burlington and Raleigh on Monday, April 28th. OTHER WAYS YOU CAN PARTICIPATE IN ASSEMBLY 2014: NATIONAL MISSION INSTITUTION KITS As we continue to enhance our relationship with National Mission Institutions, you are invited to assemble kits with items needed by your conference s institution(s) as a pre-assembly activity. Contact the institutions for suggestions for the contents of the kits. Kit assembling may be done locally or at the district or conference level. Make arrangements with the institutions staff to pick up or delivery of the kits. You may be able to combine a kit delivery with a tour of the institution. Take photos and videos of your kit assembly and send them to us! We ll display them at Assembly! CALL FOR PRAYER SHAWLS AND BABY BLANKETS Calling all United Methodist Women members with knitting, crocheting or sewing skills! Create prayer shawls and baby blankets for those in need! Visit the prayer shawl page for more information. http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umw/news/articles/item/index.cfm?id=1192 Stop Human Trafficking!
Page 10 MISSION TRIP - SEPTEMBER 22-27, 2014 North Carolina Conference United Methodist Women Mission Trip Scott s Run Settlement House, Osage, West Virginia UMW National Institution supported by UMW Mission Money When: September 22 27, 2014 Depart North Carolina: Monday, September 22nd Departure West Virginia: Saturday, September 27th Where: Scott s Run Settlement House, 41 Ladybug Drive, Osage, West Virginia In the late 1910 s and 1920 s members of the Women's Home Missionary Society of the current day Wesley Methodist Church in Morgantown recognized the need to help the migrated coal mining work force by offering English classes and health education. As the first World War ended, coal demand declined, mines began to close, and many residents lost their jobs. The needs of the people changed and the Women s Home Missionary Society continued to be in mission to the community and still serve today. Website: http://www.srsh.org Volunteer Opportunities: stocking food pantry leading a program for a senior group- assisting in developing a resource program - cleaning grounds organizing clothes closet office assistances - will know more at a later date. Lodging: Ramada Morgantown Hotel and Conference Center 20 Scott Avenue, Morgantown, WV 8 Rooms with double beds have been booked. Rooms are furnished with coffee/tea maker but do not have microwaves or refrigerators. Hotel does provide free breakfast and WIFI Transportation: 2 church vans cost of gas shared God is Calling Us To Proclaim Food: Each person is responsible for purchasing their own lunch and dinner complimentary breakfast is provided by the hotel Requirements: Current NC Background Check same as required for Safe Sanctuaries. Contact me for a background check form - cost $25.00. In 2013, the Conference Mission Trip was to The Wesley Community Center of Savannah. We were hosted by the Ellabell United Methodist Church. This picture was taken at the altar of the Ellabell UMC after being served dinner by the local unit of United Methodist Women.
Page 11 SCHOOL KITS FOR ANNUAL CONFERENCE - JUNE 11-14, 2014 In 2013, UMW were asked to send/take birthing kits to Annual Conference. Thanks to the outpouring of love, over 8,000 kits were received. Some of these birthing kits have gone to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and to Afghanistan. What a joy it is to know the mothers and babies are being born in healthier situations. This year, we are being asked to bring/send school kits to Annual Conference. Half of the kits will remain in our Annual Conference and half will be sent to worldwide mission sites. You must build the kits as outlined below to meet UMCOR standards. UMCOR School Kit Contents - Value: $ 11.00 1 pair blunt scissors rounded tip only no plastic scissors please 3 pads of paper spiral or top bound pads 150 sheets or less of loose leaf can be substituted for 1 pad combinations of spiral, top bound, side bound or loose leaf is acceptable 1 hand held pencil sharpener must be at least one inch long remove from packaging 1 30 centimeter ruler hard or flexible cartoon characters are acceptable; no advertisements please 6 unsharpened pencils no advertisements, religious, patriotic, military or camouflage symbols please; cartoon characters are acceptable 1 2 inch or larger size eraser no advertisements, religious, patriotic, military or camouflage symbols please; cartoon characters are acceptable 1 24 count box of crayons only 24 count boxes please 1 14 x16 cloth bag homemade or purchased bags are both acceptable heavy duty fabric only-denim, corduroy, drapery fabric etc.; no advertisements, religious, patriotic, military or camouflage symbols please; closures are optional but must be buttons, snaps or Velcro sewn in middle of opening if used NOMINATIONS -- Jean Haddock Greetings in the Name of Jesus, who chose the disciples carefully knowing that their leadership would put forward His mission in the world. I know that we are praying for discernment in how to identify the women who will be leading us in God s mission through UMW. Part of our responsibility in putting forward our leadership slate is to be familiar with the Committee has a copy so that each woman knows the responsibilities to which she is called. God will place enough good surprises in our path! In addition, I recommend using the profile I May be Interested and recommendation forms to identify the person and her gifts and graces. Take them with you wherever you go, and go everywhere! We need to communicate with God and with each other. I would appreciate information for your preferred way to be contacted for all Committee on Nominations members at any level; Conference, District and Local unit. Communication is key to all we do! Contact me at jean.c.haddock@gmail.com
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Page 14 Inside this KEDE Page 1 Page 1-2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7-8 Page 9 Page 10 page 11 Spiritual Enrichment Retreat Mission u President s article Vice President s article Treasurer s Report Scholarship Committee Report Social Action Blurb Secretary of Program Resources Tidbits Education and Interpretation Assembly Bus 2014 Mission Trip Mission Opportunity - School Kits for Annual Conference Communications Coordinator North Carolina Conference United Methodist Women 8000 Knebford Circle Wake Forest, NC 27587