Griffin District Newsletter

August, 2012 Volume 7, Issue 1 Griffin District Newsletter The Voice of the United Methodist Women See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; Isaiah 42:9 (NRSV) From the President.. Teresa Wynn As 2012 races to a close, I find myself seeing the days go by faster and faster. I want to thank each and everyone of you for the prayers for my Daddy, and for our family. These last few weeks have been difficult for us all and as I write this Daddy is still in the CVICU at The Medical Center of Central GA, and is slowly recovering. Inside This Issue President s Message Treasurer s Report Social Actions Appeal One Small Group District s Vice President Local Units *Mt. Zion UMC, Smarr, GA *Wesley Chapel UMC *Jonesboro 1 st UMC Upcoming Events/ Registration /Forms *North Ga Conference UMW Annual Meeting *2012 Griffin District Annual Meeting *2012 Griffin District Leadership Training Griffin District Leadership Team I recently attend the 2012 Corporative Christian Mission Education Event at Simpsonwood. It was absolutely AWSOME!!! If you haven t had the opportunity to attend this event you are really missing an education and great fellowship with other UMW members. I hope that in the future you can attend the event. The class that I attended this year was Poverty. It caused me to look at the poverty situation in America differently. Not all who live in poverty are lazy or good for nothing. Perspective is so important when it comes to this issue. On July 15 th I had the honor of representing the UMW during the installation service for our new District Superintendent Rev. Dan Brown. We welcome him and his wife Carol to The Great Griffin District, and we look forward to working with them in the upcoming years. Looking forward to the rest of 2012, we are planning our District Annual Meeting to be held on October 14 th at Forest Park First UMC. I am excited to announce that Rev. Dr. Candy Thacker will be our keynote speaker for the day, and I know she will enlighten us with the Word from God. Our Conference President, Deloris Carhee, will be joining us to install our incoming officers. The registration form for this event will be in this newsletter, and your local presidents will have one available also. I look forward to seeing as many Great Griffin District UMW members as possible at Forest Park First. Our final event for the year will be Leadership Training which will be held at Forsyth First on November 10 th. I cannot impress upon you how important this meeting is for those who are in leadership roles, and those who are interested in serving in leadership roles. This is designed to give you the information that you NEED to fulfill your responsibilities in the office you have agreed to serve in during 2013. Thank you for all you do to make The Griffin District the Greatest District to represent. Remember. By sharing our FAITH we encourage HOPE in others, and by doing for others we put our LOVE IN ACTION. Love and Blessings Teresa

Griffin District Newsletter August, 2012 Page 2 Treasurer s Report Ladies, I continue to marvel at your generosity. Since the April 2012 Newsletter, I have sent on the Second Quarter giving for our Griffin District. Again with your generous giving, our total Remittance was $13,761.47 with $6,539.35 of that in Unit Pledges. You continued to provide great support for our Designated areas to the sum of $3,495.67. The Second Quarter emphasis was the New Bethlehem Community Center which received $866.27 as part of the Designated Funds. We are not quite done with Third Quarter giving. So far at mid-july, our total Unit Remittances are over $10,000 with over $6,000 in Unit Pledges. I am working on the Annual Reports for Conference and District Awards. We will have many Five Star and Five Star Plus Units. Put on your calendar the North GA Conference Annual Meeting for October 6 th, the Griffin District Annual Meeting on October 14 th and the Griffin District Leadership Training on November 10 th. Always feel free to call me at 770 957-6645 or email me at bbouts2650@aol.com. It is always a pleasure to talk with you and work together.. In His Service Jean Bouts Griffin District Treasurer The Purpose of the United Methodist Women All United Methodist Women Members. In an effort to cut down on human trafficking, child abductions and lost/confused seniors, members of the Social Action s Committee solicits your help in trying to get policy and procedures in the hands of workers at local truck stops and convenience stores in our area. Please ask workers at local truck stops and convenience stores if they have a policy for handling suspected cases, if not please contact me and we will try and get information in their hands. Thank you for your support and prayers in this very important ministry. Should you need additional information and/or details, please contact me. Sarah Caldwell Social Action Coordinator (678) 522-1824 Email: sarahjonez@hotmail.com The United Methodist Women is 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

Griffin District Newsletter August, 2012 Page 3 One Small Group I have just returned from attending the Cooperative Christian Mission Education Event [CCMEE] at Simpsonwood Retreat Center. There were approximately 150 women, youth and children participating in the mission studies this year. The theme was So That All Might Have Life. Each of the mission studies supported that theme by the very nature of their titles: Poverty and Immigration and the Bible. We enjoyed a wonderful experience in the plenaries, Bible study, mission study sessions and general fellowship. Our studies were led in Korean, Spanish and English. Praise God! In each study, we learned what we can do to grow spiritually as individuals and communities. Margaret Mead, noted American cultural anthropologist, wrote, Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it s the only thing that ever has. We know what one group of thirteen committed persons accomplished in the first century and beyond. The Great Commission is just as important today as it was to those first disciples. We are the disciples now. There are people in our own communities as well as the rest of the world who have hope only because United Methodist Women have faith, and they put that faith into action that all might have life and have it abundantly. Those attending the mission study event completed a Mission Action Plan Covenant, outlining three steps they plan to take in their local church, UMW group, and/or community to make a difference in the lives of women, children and youth. We look forward to hearing about their successes. It only takes a spark to get a fire going...umw sparkles. If you were unable to attend the CCMEE at Simpsonwood, make a point to register for the Griffin District mission study in 2013; or if your church offers the study, take advantage of the opportunity. Commit to act in new and multiple ways for Christ in response to the issues that must be addressed in the 21 st Century. Jesus said we would always have the poor among us; Jesus said we are to welcome the stranger. We are, all of us, created in the image of God. What does that mean to you? Mary Anne Brannon Vice President

Griffin District Newsletter August, 2012 Page 4 Mt. Zion s UMW Mt. Zion s UMW has been interested for several years in sponsoring an informational program on human trafficking and sexually exploited children. Through our Monroe County Sheriff s Office and their C.A.R.E. Cottage, this program was presented on Monday, July 30, 2012 at 6:30 p.m. at the Monroe County Justice Center. It was opened to the public and the GBI presented the program. Submitted by Suzanne Newman President Mt. Zion UMW Smarr, Georgia Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church United Methodist Women The Wesley Chapel United Methodist Women s annual Spring Tea was an evening filled with love, fun and words of encouragement and inspiration. Revered Jacqueline Johnson of Trinity United Methodist Church, Stockbridge, Georgia did a magnificent job! We were entertained with a fashion show that included participants of all ages and gender. Mrs. Ruby Brown was named Wesley s Woman of the Year, runner-up Women of the Year contestants were Ms. Jennifer Johnson and Mrs. Hilda Willis (2 nd place) and Mrs. Ethel Johnson (3 rd place). Mrs. Brown and the runner-ups were presented plagues and other tokens of love and appreciation from the Unit during our Annual Women s Day Celebration. Mrs. Brown is married to Mr. James Brown, the mother of seven children, grandmother of twelve and great grandmother of seven. Congratulations to ALL United Methodist Women who helped to make this annual event a success! Wesley s Unit has been very helpful and supportive of other activities and ministries at Wesley and the Henry County Community. Assistance was given to the Daughters of Imani, a girl s mentoring program; recognition of our female graduates from both high school and college during the recently held Student s Recognition Program at Wesley. A total of seven young women were presented tokens of recognition from the Unit. We also assisted and supported the Community s Back to School Jamboree after the Morning Worship Services on the third Sunday in July. Please keep Wesley s Unit in your prayers as we plan and act upon our remaining activities for the year. Prayer Breakfast scheduled for September 22, 2012 9:00 a.m. and our Women s Retreat scheduled for November 2-3, 2012. Come and Join in the Fellowship! Submitted by: Jennifer Johnson, President

Griffin District Newsletter August, 2012 Page 5 PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY REACHES FIRST ANNIVERSARY Let s Wrap Them In Prayers! When Barb Lehr came to our church she brought with her the idea of making knitted and crocheted prayer shawls for people who were going to the hospital or struggling with health issues. With the support of long-time member Millie Sharkey, they broached the idea to Pastor George and several ladies of the church. The idea as they say Took off. This year has seen an outpouring of love and an over whelming response by the congregation. In July 2011, 47 prayer shawls were dedicated to the Lord. That day the first prayer shawl was lovingly presented to our choir director, Kurt Zeller as he prepared for imminent surgery. His thank you letter expressed the reasons for the power of this ministry. Here is an excerpt: You may find this amusing, but the moment when I knew the surgery would be fine and turn out well was when the hospital orderly brought in the hospital gown and footies I was to put on before the operation. I smiled as I remembered Pastor George s joke that with my purple shawl I would be well accessorized for the surgery. Sure enough, the hospital gown was lavender and footies were the exact shade of purple of the shawl in my lap. Well accessorized I was, not only with a purple prayer shawl, but also with the full armor of faith provided by the cloud of witnesses it stood for. Since that time we have dedicated a second group of prayer shawls and donated at least 72 shawls to people who have suffered operations, illness, or are grieving losses, enduring isolation due to aging, etc. Here are a few other comments from thank you notes: Oh the power of your prayers and your fingers and hands.... I was at peace about my test while the shawl was around my shoulders. I never stopped thinking about the person who made this for me.... Thank you so much for that very beautiful shawl. It truly does wrap, enfold, cover, give solace, mother, hug, shelter, and beautify. When I woke up in the hospital and found a prayer shawl spread full length over me above the sheet I only then realized the true meaning of Borne on the wings of angels. Monetta Metzker was so delighted with her shawl that she asked to be buried with it! Her note of thanks included these words: I wear it often... and often receive compliments on how beautiful it is. This gives me the opportunity to witness about the prayer shawl ministry at our church and the wonderful way it touches people s lives. Twenty-five persons now participate in making the prayer shawls. More are always welcome and will find help if they need to learn how to knit or crochet. We seldom know for whom we are making the shawls, but we pray for the recipient anyway. God always knows. Shawls are inspired by God. Our prayer is to bring hope and healing to those in need of physical, emotional and spiritual healing. We draw our inspiration from Galatians 6:2, Bear ye one another s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. If you would like to contribute to this ministry, please join us the third Monday of each odd number month (i.e July is number 7). Or you may help purchase yarn through a gift to the church labeled Prayer Shawl Ministry. Submitted by: Marilyn Robinson Jonesboro First United Methodist Women

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Griffin District Newsletter August, 2012 Page 7 Griffin District 2012 District Annual Meeting When: October 14, 2011, Check in / Registration 2:15pm Meeting begins at 3:00pm Where: Forest Park First UMC, 4473 College Street Forest Park GA 30297 Cost: A non perishable food item for the local food banks. Registration Deadline: October 1, 2011 Name: Church: Address: City: State: GA Zip: Phone: Email: Childcare needed: yes Names and ages of Childern: Email completed form to: Teresa Wynn President Griffin District UMW twwrt@windstream.net or mail to 108 Tuxedo Drive, Thomaston GA 30286 questions call: 706-646-3206 or 770-468-0936 Directions to Church: GA Hwy 19 to Old Dixie Road/Hwy 41 Turn right on to Forest Parkway, Left on to Ash Street which becomes College Street. Church is on the left. Church Address: 4473 College Street, Forest Park GA 30297

Griffin District Newsletter August, 2012 Page 8 Griffin District 2012 Leadership Training Unit Registration When: November 10, 2012 Registration 8:30am Meeting begins at 9:15am Where: Forsyth First UMC, 63 W. Johnston Street, Forsyth GA 31029 Who: Local Unit leadership incoming, outgoing, or interested in future service. Cost: A non perishable food item for the local food banks. Church Unit name: Unit President: Presidents Email: Officers attending: President; Vice President Secretary: Treasurer: Mission Coordinators: Griffin District Newsletter April, 2012 Page 8 Chair CON: CON Members: Childcare needed: yes no Names and ages of Childern: Email completed form to: Teresa Wynn President Griffin District UMW twwrt@windstream.net or mail to 108 Tuxedo Drive, Thomaston GA 30286 questions call: 706-646-3206 or 770-468-0936 Directions to Church: From north part of district: Take 75 South. To exit 187 GA 83 Forsyth/Monticello exit. Turn right on to N. Lee Street/GA 42, Turn right on to W. Johnston Street, Church is on the left. From Zebulon/Barnesville/Thomaston areas: Take GA Hwy 41 into Forsyth, Church is on the left. (additional parking on the other side of the church)

Griffin District Newsletter August, 2012 Page 9 Griffin District United Methodist Women Leadership Team Mailing/Contact Information Linda Brown Griffin District Communication Coordinator 443 Parkside Way McDonough, Georgia 30253 Email address: brownlf@bellsouth.net President Teresa Wynn H: 706-646-3206 C: 770-468-0936 108 Tuxedo Drive Thomaston GA 30286 twwrt@windstream.net Want to help us be green and save money? You can receive the Griffin District Newsletter via e-mail. Send your email address and those of your friends to the above e-mail address. Treasurer Jean Bouts H: 770-957-6645 C: 404-863-5800 341 Mountain Brook Ct. McDonough GA 30252 Bbouts2650@aol.com Vice President Mary Anne Brannon H: 678-583-0403 C: 678-386-1170 313 Rothaus Court Stockbridge GA 30281-7140 Bbrannon0403@charter.net Membership Nurture & Outreach Paula Vining 404-259-0289 2745 Ocean Valley Road College Park GA 30349 pvining@aol.com Secretary Alice Smith 770-914-2265 6026 Ridgemont Way McDonough GA 30253 waltalicesmith@aol.com Spiritual Growth Sandy Doty 706-975-8296 102 Pinedale Street Thomaston GA 30286 Stdoty2@windstream.net Education & Interpretation Barbara Rankin 770-227-7416 743 McLaurin Street Griffin GA 30224 bprankin@bellsouth.net Communications Linda Brown 770-957-2136 443 Parkside Way McDonough GA 30253 brownlf@bellsouth.net Nominations Team Joan Wynn-2013 Freddie Johnson-2014 Griffin Ruth District Pinkney-2012 Newsletter 770-909-9224 April, 2012 H:770-907-8006 C: 770-722-Page 11 678-333-6238 1171 Salisbury Trail 3027 532 Carlsbad Cove Riverdale GA 30296 1224 Julie Ct. Stockbridge GA 30281 Wynn9623@bellsouth.net Riverdale GA 30296 ruthpinkney@bellsouth.net Griffin District Leadership Team freddiejay@comcast.net Martha Huckaby-2014 770-227-6121 314 Leola Drive Griffin GA 30224 Huckaby314@yahoo.com Parliamentarian Ruth Ham 478-994-6042 P.O. Box 403 Smarr GA 31086 Rch1953@bellsouth.net Program Resources Ann Jones 770-957-5458 1380 Lake Forest Lane McDonough GA 30253 Jones1641@charter.net Chair of Nominations Pam Nehlig 678-472-3838 25 Love Terrace Stockbridge GA 30281 chemtree@hotmail.com Dianne Josey-2014 508 Ella Drive Griffin GA 30223 diannejosey@att.net Conference Nominations Cathy White 770-474 7912 161 Cook Drive Ellenwood GA 30294 cbewhite@bellsouth.net Social Action Sarah Caldwell 678-522-1824 272 S. Colonial Homes Cir. NW Atlanta GA 30309-1227 sarahinez@hotmail.com Historian Lemmie Knight 678-588-3477 5000 Roberts Qtr. Rd Molena GA 30258 lemjknight@yahoo.com Patricia Yarbrough-2014 770-567-5841 P.O. Box 181 Zebulon GA 30295 Yrubin3@bellsouth.net District Superintendent Reverend Dan Brown 770-227-1074 P.O. Box 13 Griffin GA 30224 grfnds@bellsouth.net

Just a reminder, the next edition of the Griffin District Newsletter will be published on December 1, 2012 Articles are due on or before November 20, 2012 Thank you for your cooperation! Mailing/Contact Information Linda Brown Griffin District Communication Coordinator 443 Parkside Way McDonough, Georgia 30253 Email address: brownlf@bellsouth.net Want to help us be green and save money? You can receive the Griffin District Newsletter via e-mail. Send your email address and those of your friends to the above e-mail address. GRIFFIN DISTRICT UNITED WOMEN Griffin District Office P O Box 13 Griffin, GA 30224 Address 2 TO: