1 Corinthian 12:5 There are different ways of serving, and yet the same Lord is served. (GW) The Flame November 2014 The voice of the Seven Rivers District of the United Methodist Women Inside This Issue: Officer’s Reports Mission u Local Legacy New Recommended Reading 150 Year Legacy Fund Harriet Jane Olson United Methodist Women CEO Storytelling and remembering the stories of people who have contributed to our organization and our nation is important. It reminds us of who we are and evokes both gratitude for what was achieved and motivation to live up to our forbearers’ ideals. These stores are about people who were building a better world, making it possible to reach higher, be stronger and achieve more, making a way for marginalized people to develop, flourish and contribute to the church, the community, and the world. United Methodist Women members tell stories of our past to remind us who we are. Those stories celebrate amazing women, women who acted as if change was possible. In addition to the conviction that God is with us and has called us to this work, their optimism and our comes from being part of a sisterhood that is so committed to grow in faith and action and to make a difference for women, children and youth that we will do what it takes to build new ways of being together. The Flame Page 1 Fall Back Tressa Cummings Seven Rivers United Methodist Women President I had this thought the other day during my devotional time about the day light savings time saying, “Fall Back”, which is a reminder to turn your clocks back. The months of September and October we seem to fall back into a more regular routine. Organizations that we are involved in start meeting on a regular base after having the summer off. This is also a time of change as some of us take on some new responsibilities. At the District Annual meeting in September I was installed as your new District President. I hope at some point during the next two years to visit or contact your unit to check in and see what exciting things your group is doing. Linda Hay our outgoing District President did a wonderful job of connecting with the units in our District. Thank You for your leadership these past two years! We have a great team so if you would like a district officer to visit your unit please give me, Tressa Cummings (509) 728-4259 or Lindsay Suta Coordinator for Membership, Nurture and Outreach (509) 579-9619 a call. A list of officers can be found in this edition of the Flame. Thank You! To Ellensburg UMW for hosting our District Annual meeting. Our guest speaker was our own Lethe McGavran who spoke about the journey she is taking to become a Deaconess and what her responsibilities will be once she is consecrated. In October our District hosted the Pacific Northwest UMW Conference Annual meeting at Wesley UMC in Yakima. We had a great Guest Speakers Teri Stewart and our District Superintendent Juli Reinholz leading us through creating sacred spaces in our lives and in our churches. Also there was a variety of workshops to choose from. A Big Thank You! To the Wesley UMW for their great food and hospitality. Thank You! To our local units who supplied muffins, fruit, juice for our morning snacks. The District Executive Team just finished planning and set dates for the upcoming year. We are going to have a one day Spiritual Apart day in the spring, so be watching for the dates. There in the works of approaching the way we do things but we need your feedback. If you have ideas on topics, or projects we could do at a meeting as a group please email or call one of the district officers. Reading for Mission Lori Chadek Program Resources Have you seen the new books for 2015? Are you ready for recognition of your Local Organization without the paper certificates? Many of us are not sure what to do with the certificate after we receive them, and they become clutter, but it’s important to credit your unit. Seven Rivers District is opening the floor for your feedback and suggestions. We currently have a suggestion of donating $1.00 per book read in your Local Organization to give to a Mission project that your unit supports. The monies would come from your local unit, but what a great way to encourage us to read and help local missions at the same time! I welcome all feedback on this suggestion and any other suggestions you may have. I will then present them to the district for further evaluations. Please send your feedback and/or suggestions to [email protected] with ‘Reading Program’ in the subject line. The Flame Page 2 Heart for Mission New Officers Vickie Newell Lois Ostrander Chair of Nominations Secretary Autumn greetings from the nominations team! I want to take this opportunity to introduce myself and the nominations team. Carolyn Hart, Jean Spence, Donna Wilson, Carol Gaston, and Cindy Wade are searching the SRD for talented leaders to be a part of the Seven Rivers District team. As nominations chair, I ask you to prayerfully consider filling out a talent sheet that gives our team a snapshot of your gifts and talents. You can also suggest a member of your local who you feel would make a good team member. As our team travels in the SRD, they will have talent sheets available. Serving on the district team has been a rewarding experience for me. Team members have a heart for mission, a desire to grow spiritually, and passion for Christian sisterhood. Excellent leadership training is available. You may feel you are not qualified but remember God's promise to qualify the ones He calls! The team is eager to share their expertise with your local organizations. We welcome invitations to your local events. At the present time, we are searching for two Mission Coordinators, Social Action and Mission Education and Interpretation. If you love educating people and advocating for current UMW justice initiatives such as human trafficking, domestic violence, gun control and environmental justice, this position is for you! The Mission Education and Interpretation Coordinator should have a heart for mission and be able to assist locals with meeting their mission goals. Contact any nominations team member if you would like further information. Contacts are listed in this edition of The Flame. The Flame The secretaries are the keepers of the past, present, and future. It is time to get the 2015 officer contact information off to the district secretary. She has a short amount of time to get the directories ready. Remember to double check to make sure that no e-mails or phone numbers have changed. When you take the time to do this at the beginning of the process, it cuts down on additions and corrections after the book has been printed. Please send contact information, by Dec. 1, 2014, to: Lois Ostrander 7 Rivers District UMW Sec. 534 E. Jones Ave. [email protected] Moses Lake, WA. 98837 509-855-4962 Fourth Quarter Yvonne Gowell Treasurer Thank you all for getting your remittance in. The fourth quarter remittance needs to be delivered to me no later than December 12th. We close our year end by December 20th, 2014. Page 3 Contact Information Slate of Nominees for 2014-2016 President: Tressa Cummings 509-728-4259 [email protected] Vice President: Pam Serrano 509-788-0728 [email protected] Treasurer: Yvonne Gowell 509-884-7559 [email protected] Secretary: Lois Ostrander 509-855-4962 [email protected] Spiritual Growth: Danielle Fox 509-392-3130 [email protected] MN&O: Lindsay Suta 406-579-9619 [email protected] Program Resources: Lori Chadek 509-396-9064 [email protected] Communications: Lethe McGavran 509-308-9914 [email protected] Nominations Chair: Vicki Newell 509-391-5428 [email protected] Nominations: Cindy Wade Nominations: Carol Gaston 509-997-2071 Nominations: Jean Spence 509-925-9796 [email protected] Nominations: Donna Wilson 509-985-3597 [email protected] Nominations: Carolyn Hart 509-973-2881 [email protected] [email protected] Website: www.sevenriversumw.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/sevenriversumw Pac NW Conference www.pnwumw.org Mission u The All School Study: Latin America Lethe McGavran Communications Save the Date! Spiritual Growth Study: Created for Happiness Social Issue: The Church and People with Disabilities I’m writing to you today as your Assistant Dean for Mission u. This year we will come together on July 17-20th at the Central Washington University campus in Ellensburg, Washington. Further updates are available on the Conference UMW website: http://www.pnwumw.org/missionu.html Reading Program Suggestions 2015 The district officers have particularly enjoyed or found to contain touching topics worth learning from in each category listed below: 150 YEAR LEGACY FUND STORYTELLING with a Purpose! Share your stories! Omak Legacy Story Marsha Aufenkamp Omak President and Conference Education and Interpretation In Education For Mission Good God, Lousy World by Holly Burkhalter In Nurturing for Community January First by Michael Schofield In Spiritual Growth Finding God in A Bag Of Groceries by Laura Lapins Willis In Social Action That Used To Be Us by Thomas L. Friedman and Michael Mandelbaum In Leadership Tough Cookies by Cathy Cloninger From our Omak UMC booklet “50 years of memories” here are a few stories from the early days. There were five circles in the WSCS (Women’s Society of Christian Service), one was a young Mother’s Circle (no babysitter) and an outbreak of measles was shared by all. Back in the 1950’s they had a “Traveling Basket” to make money. Someone would bake something and or make a pretty apron or potholder etc., put it in the basket and take it someone else in the group. That person would make a donation and pass the basket along filled. They were also busy helping the Youth Group with their activities (The YOUTH did a documentary of Joseph & Mary on a motorcycle not finding a room at a Motel), supporting the church with new choir robes, tables, an organ, carpeting, rebuilding the kitchen and many more. Pie auctions were a special occasion. More recently, for several years we had a Christmas party at Apple Springs and brought stuffed toys for the Support Center, touring the Food Bank and Family Planning which we support, having presentations by DSHS, Behavioral Health, Family Empowerment, Support Center, Chaplain from the Okanogan County Jail, Okanogan County Regional Home Health and Hospice Care, and others. Using the UMW Program Book for; Prayer and self-denial, World Thank Offering and many books in the Reading Program (four women have received a certificate of appreciation), we were the 1st in this Conference to be members of the Charter for Racial Justice and this year received this certificate for the 5th time, along with Mission Today Gold, Five Star plus award. Of course, we can’t forget Funeral Dinners. We are blessed in many ways. Living Faith, Hope and Love in Action. The Purpose of the United Methodist Women 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. PLEASE SHARE: We encourage you to print this newsletter for members of your church you may not have access to email. SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION: You may e-mail electronic subscription requests to: [email protected] For paper subscriptions to The Flame, please submit $2 for mailing costs to the return address listed below. Lethe McGavran Communications Coordinator Seven Rivers UMW PO Box 4871 West Richland, WA 99353 ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED