The Messenger s Flame Montgomery- Prattville District UMW

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1 Winter, 2013 The Messenger s Flame Montgomery- Prattville District UMW Summer, 2013 District Officers: President Cathy Givan Vice President Cami Hacker Secretary Bonnie Strait Treasurer Reba Wooten Communications Coordinator Spiritual Growth Amberly Crawford Social Action Henrietta Thomas Education and Interpretation Gloria Jean Williams Membership Nurture/Outreach Reda Brooks Nominations Committee Mary Wilson, Chair Evelyn Teel Mable Lawrence It s Summer! From our District President Ladies, our mission continues as we put Faith, Hope, and Love in Action. and support from my very beginning as a United Methodist woman. If you were not able to join us at Dalraida in Montgomery for Conversations with Harriett, you missed a treat. It s not very often that the CEO of UMW is in our backyard and I was happy to see over twentyfive ladies in attendance. Harriett Jane left Montgomery headed to Blue Lake as our guest speaker for the Spiritual Enrichment Retreat. We were informed, empowered, and inspired. Additionally, Amberly Crawford, District Spiritual Growth Coordinator, led an uplifting on Saturday evening. District Day Apart was all a buzz at Chapel in Eclectic. Our speaker was the Reverend Jackie Slaughter of Capitol Heights in Montgomery. We were enlightened about the lives of bees and the role each one plays in the hive. We also learned about the Bee Etiquette: don t be afraid, don t swat, and send the bees love. This was followed by a beautiful celebration of life ceremony to pay tribute to our sisters who are no longer with us. Also, we recognized Nancy Deabler, Communications Coordinator. Nancy and her husband the Reverend Ed Deabler are moving to a new church appointment and a new district. We thank Nancy for her services and wish her well in the Bay Pines District. Thanks for all who planned, participated, and hosted District Day Apart. We received a very warm welcome from the ladies at Greenville First for our Poverty Mission Study. The study was presented by Jackie Strickland. Jackie was very informative and presented an interactive study involving participation from all present. Additionally, the ladies of Greenville were challenged to provide lunch on a budget of only $1.00 per person and they deliciously met the challenge. I look forward to seeing many of you at Mission u, formerly Cooperative School of Christian Mission, August 1-4, at Spring Hill College in Mobile. More information is proved in the Education and Interpretation article.

2 The Messenger s Flame Page 2 of 6 President s Message continued Presidents, please look over any reports that are due before District Annual Day, September 14 at Whitfield in Montgomery. Units, you still have plenty of time to qualify as a 5-Star Unit. You may be closer than you think. Are you doing your reading? What about a Mission Today Unit and a Mission Now Unit? Don t forget about becoming or renewing your Charter for Racial Justice. The requirements are in your new this year, Unit Training Guide. If your unit does not have a Training Guide, please contact me at [email protected] and I will send one to you. Also, don t forget to bring your Change for Change Cans. Remember ladies, the cans can include coins, bills, and checks. Help us reach our pledge. I know you can. Don t forget to visit our webpage at We are now on Facebook. You can now post news of your unit, share with others, and keep abreast as to what is going on in the district. Do you have ideas or suggestions of how we can do things? I am always ready to hear how we can do things new and different. Remember, it takes each of us to make a difference for ALL of us. Faith, Hope, Love in Action, Cathy Givan President A Message from Our Treasurer, Reba Wooten I can't believe this year is coming to a close. It is time to send in all your contributions for this year. We had a large number of units that qualified as a Five Star Unit last year. Let s beat that number this year!!! Our Mission Giving helps turn faith, hope and love into action for many women, children and youth as we remind ourselves when we say our Purpose. Pledge to Mission, Special Recognition pin, Gift to Mission, Gift in Memory, and World Thank Offering are ways we meet this Purpose. Think of how fortunate and blessed we are and the "extras" we have. Maybe we can make a little sacrifice and send extra money for our Mission Giving and help provide a need for some child. We made our pledge of $12,000 last year by the "skin of our teeth" and we need our money now in order to meet our pledge for this year. If you have not sent in your Remittance, please do so no later than September 1. Our District Annual Day is September 14 at Whitfield Memorial and that is when we all receive our awards and recognition. I hope to see you there as you receive your recognition for the year.

3 Page 3 of 6 The Messenger s Flame MISSION EDUCATION To all Montgomery/Prattville Education & Interpretation Coordinators, be sure that your unit has the information concerning the Mission u Event The date is August 1-4, 2013, at Springhill College in Mobile, Alabama. The Mission u Event registration form, health form and the information flyer can be found on our website The Mission u study topics: 1. Spiritual Growth, Living Sacramentally and Walking Justly 2. Social Issue, Poverty 3. Geographic, The Roma of Europe. You will be able to take two mission study classes. The study books are available from UMW Mission Resource Center at and from Margie Outlaw, Secretary for Program Resources at [email protected]. Remember, we can count the reading of the study books as part of our reading program. Three adult scholarships available for Mission u are the Lib Claridy Scholarship, Don Brill Scholarship and Nell Chance Scholarship. To apply, the criteria and the forms may be found on our website or contact any Alabama-West Florida United Methodist Women officer or Margie Miller at [email protected]. There is also a Youth Scholarship available. Make plans now to attend Mission u 2013 and support Lynn Hamric, Dean of Mission u, Harry Hodges, Associate Dean and Betty Helms, President. The Mission u team is working for this event to be a wonderful success. Springhill is a beautiful college and has a lot of history that is important to all United Methodist Women. Also, E& I reports are due by August 25. I will mail forms to each district president for completion. Please contact me if I can be of assistance. God Bless, Gloria Jean Williams Montgomery/Prattville District Education & Interpretation Coordinator [email protected] or call

4 The Messenger s Flame Page 4 of 6 A BOOK REPORT BY BONNIE HALL GET UP, STAND UP Uniting Populists, Energizing the Defeated, and Battling the Corporate Elite By Bruce E. Levine In Get Up, Stand Up Bruce Levine describes the majority of us Americans as being politically passive and resigned to powerlessness. He goes on to explain just how our major US institutions have created helplessness and fatalism. He describes the corporatocracy and its domination over us as individuals and a country. But! We are not completely hopeless. He goes on to describe how we can recover our dignity, and unity in order to wrestle power away from the corporatocracy and put the power back in the hands of We the People. You have to read it to find out how. My name is Reda Brooks and I have been a member of UMW for 27 years. I have held a variety of offices. I like UMW because there are so many ways to grow spiritually built into the very fabric of our events. If a new member would just attend, I am confident that she would hear from God somehow calling her to a deeper, more enriched walk. The responsibilities of this office are as follows: Determine needs of membership Keep updated list and attendance Recommend ways to involve inactive members and keep absent members abreast of happenings Provide creative fellowship activities Prepare and present an annual program to promote membership and fellowship Establish ways to support members Serve on executive, finance, and program committees Submit an annual report to District Coordinator WE NEED YOU AND YOU NEED US!!! COME AND JOIN!!!

5 Page 5 of 6 The Messenger s Flame 2013 District Annual Day Montgomery-Prattville District UMW Celebrating What 1 Can Do September 14, 2013 Whitfield United Methodist Church Fisk Road, Montgomery, Alabama Registration: 8:30 AM Program: 9 AM Guest Speaker: The Reverend Anita Brown Anita Brown has served as a pastor in the United Methodist Church since She has experience speaking, singing, storytelling, and clowning in many settings including church worship services, women s events, revivals, and Bible schools. Her desire is to honor Christ and present Him to others in whatever way God calls. She resides in Ariton, Alabama where she currently assists her husband in his pastoral appointment at Pleasant Ridge UMC and Ariton UMC. Ruth Ann Powers, the Alabama-West Florida Nominations Chair, will also join us to tell us about the changes occurring in the United Methodist Women as a whole and to install our 2014 District Officers. Don t forget to bring your 1 Can coins that you have been collecting during the year for our offering to missions. We are now on FACEBOOK! Check out our page, Montgomery-Prattville District United Methodist Women. You can share what s going on in your units, share photos of your events, and be aware of what s going on in our district. LIKE US ON FACEBOOK AND INVITE OTHERS TO JOIN IN THE FUN!!!

6 Stay Connected UMW: AL-WFL: Mont-Pratt District: PrattvilleDistUMW 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. Faith, Hope, Love In Action A Message from Betty Helms, UMW Conference President OUTRAGEOUS, COURAGEOUS, CONTAGIOUS... Remember these words all during the year...they need to become words that symbolize who we are as United Methodist Women. We should be OUTRAGEOUSLY outraged when we hear about human trafficking. We must be COURAGEOUS about standing up for the rights of women, children and youth...and most of all we must be CONTAGIOUS as we tell everyone about our mission and PURPOSE as United Methodist Women! In an effort to be better Stewards towards saving God s earth our district is Going Green. Please help us by sending your address to [email protected].