United Methodist Women News
UMW Unit Meeting Thursday, October 20, 7pm in Room 112
Our annual World Thank Offering will be received, with Bev Haubrock presenting
"Letting Go to be Thankful." This offering supports projects working with women,
children and youth in the U.S. and around the world. Please bring your thank
offering container, if you took one home. We are also collecting items for
newborns to be delivered to Wesley Community Center. To learn what's needed,
call Helen Jenkins, and bring your item to the October meeting.
UMW Circles
Circles begin again in October. All women are invited to attend any of our meetings.
- Greeting Card Circle: Thursday, October 6, 9:30am, Room 112.
Members make original and recycled greeting cards to support UMW missions.
- Connie Reading Circle: Thursday, October 13, 9:30am at Blanche Berreman's home.
Pearline Roberson will review A Deepening Love Affair: The Gift of God in Later Life, by Jane Thibault.
- Mary Martha Circle: Thursday, October 13, 7pm at Nancy Jamison's home.
Marilyn Miller will present a program based on response, the UMW magazine.
Our Purpose
The organized unit of UMW 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.
How We Fulfill the Purpose
- Centered in relationship with God through Jesus Christ
- Focused on ministries with women, children, and youth
- Involved in mission locally and globally
- Committed to inclusiveness
- Pledged to provide financial support for mission(s), including
Wesley Community Center and United Methodist Outreach Ministries
- Developing the use of skills for service, leadership development and personal growth
- Encouraged to work with other organizations on issues of mutual concern
UMW is a group organized for mission. Because we are a connectional church,
local units of UMW relate directly to the district and conference UMW and to
the Women’s Division of the General Board of Global Ministries. We have over
1 million in membership!
Who are members of UMW?
Anyone who can commit herself to our purpose and participate in meetings, prayer,
giving, study, action and service. We welcome all women who want to be members.
response
response is the magazine of women in mission. If you don't subscribe
to this great magazine, you can still read its feature articles on the UMW website.
Among other things, the website also has free resources, e.g., for spiritual growth
and for learning about social justice issues. You will also find news about
missionaries, UMW events and programs. Check it out:
www.unitedmethodistwomen.org.
United Methodist Women 2010 Assembly in St. Louis
UMW Assembly met in St. Louis, MO, April 30 – May 2, 2010, to share
"Faith, Hope, Love in Action." Among the 6,500 delegates were two
from Dayspring: Bonny Sloane, Central East District vice-president,
and Nancy Jamison-Dawe, local unit president. Assembly is held every
four years, Bonny's fourth and Nancy's first. They arrived
a day early to take part in the Ubuntu (Zulu word for concept of
community) day of service.
The Ubuntu experience was wonderful and truly amazing
to have 500 women descend on St. Louis to volunteer. I was assigned
to LeMay Housing Partnership. We (105 people) stuffed bags with flyers
on housing repairs, how to avoid housing scams, weathering homes to
make them more energy efficient, a flyer on an upcoming workshop on
reducing energy cost, and a 9 volt battery for a smoke detector.
After lunch catered by a group from the local homeless shelter, we went
out into the neighborhood and delivered the bags. The area was not in
poverty but was struggling. Some houses were in foreclosure. We covered
over 600 houses on our walk and talked with people who were at home,
a worthwhile experience.
Each morning before workshops, there were affinity groups. I went
to knitting and crocheting both days. I attended several focus groups
and workshops. One was called UnNatural Causes: Is Inequality
Making US Sick? It was about how people's economic level affects
the quality of their health care. Another was a panel discussion on
challenges of educating girls and women. We also heard Dr. Joycelyn
Elders, former U.S. Surgeon General, speak about the history of health
care reform efforts.
Bonny Sloane
Central East District Vice-President
Assembly was amazing! Great music. Inspirational worship.
Thought-provoking workshops. Hundreds of prayer shawls and baby blankets.
People of all ages from across the country and beyond. One woman I met
several times came from Alaska in a wheel-chair, assisted by her granddaughter.
My Ubuntu service was at the Green Center, an arts and environmental
organization. Its Learning Gardens provide hands-on experience with native
plants, herbs, vegetables, prairie and more. It also manages a 26-acre
woods that is the last remaining stand of oak-hickory hardwood forest of
its size and quality in the St. Louis area. We weeded, potted, mulched,
raked and watered. I was impressed by their extensive outreach to the
community, especially to children.
UMCOR Health Kits
The Dayspring United Methodist Women put together 32 health kits to
go to the UMCOR Western Depot in Salt Lake City. The Depot collects
the kits ahead of time, and when a disaster strikes they can get needed
items into the area quickly. Since they may be sent overseas, all the
kits have to be exactly alike. The health kits contain a hand towel, a
wash cloth, bar of soap, nail file or clipper, plastic band aids, comb,
and toothbrush. The Dayspring United Methodist Women collected these
items over a period of three months. We also collected money for toothpaste
and shipping. A few of us got together one day to put the items in gallon
plastic resealable bags. This will help UMCOR help people in time of need.
Saturday, May 1, was Immigrant Rights Day across the country. In St. Louis,
many of us at Assembly took part in either a prayer vigil at the convention
center or in a march to a local park. At the march, with the St. Louis
arch and the impressive dome of the old city hall in the background, we
listened to leaders from several faith traditions, including our
Bishop Carcano. Their message:
- We affirm the image of God in each human being.
- We embrace the call of Jesus to welcome the stranger.
- We urge our elected leaders to put aside the politics of fear and to
lift up policies that preserve families, acknowledge the need for work
and workers, and provide a path to citizenship to those who, while here
without proper authority, have worked and contributed to this country.
I came home with a great appreciation for the work of UMW in mission to women,
children and youth around the world. I hope other Dayspring women will join
us at Assembly in 2014 in Kentucky.
Nancy Jamison-Dawe
President, Dayspring UMW
