At the Cutting Edge

At the Cutting Edge

July23, 2016 Volume XVIII Issue # 2

President, Marlene Ward

July 2016

My UMW Sisters ….

I am so excited to report to you that we finally have our new website: canvunitedmethodistwomen.org It is up and running!!! The website is still very much “under construction” which means that you will need to visit the site regularly to see what has been uploaded as there will be ongoing changes. Our sincere thanks goes out to Edith Isidoro-Mills for taking on the role of “Web Mistress”. (She is also our Green Ministries Coordinator.)

So many events have occurred since our last newsletter and so many issues have been addressed. I have visited several churches and spoken on their UMW Sundays, Novato and Walnut Creek and I visited with women at San Rafael UMC as they are interested in forming a local UMW. I attended the Western Jurisdictional Quadrennial meetings in Salt Lake City and am now representing CA-NV UMW on several conference committees ….. Commission for Annual Conference and Lay Leadership Development Team. I attended Annual Conference in Burlingame as your voting delegate and was honored to present Robin Ridenour at the commissioning service as she has become a new deaconess.

We have had two successful Conference UMW events since our last newsletter …. Social Action Event and Annual Conference UMW Breakfast. Both were well attended and highlighted wonderful speakers.

Focus is now on Mission u ….. four locations during the month of August. There is one weekend Mission u in Merced and then three one day events …. Visalia, San Rafael, and Roseville. I hope that many of you will take advantage of these educational events. The topics are: The Bible and Sexuality: Claiming God’s Gift

Latin America: People and Faith

Climate Justice: Call to Hope and Action

These studies are relevant to issues facing each of us in our everyday lives. Mission u not only provides information on each of these issues, but it is a gathering of women from all around the conference which enables you to link with your UMW sisters …. see and hear what they are doing.

This year is and continues to be a learning experience for me …. Something new each day …. Someone new to get to know …. A new issue to come to know and understand. I am so grateful to have this experience as your president. Please continue to walk with me on this journey …… ours is an adventure in “connected leadership.” I may be the president, but “we” are the hands and feet of Christ ever looking for those opportunities to be in mission.

God Bless each of you and I hope to see many of you at Mission u and then our Annual Celebration later in the fall.

Grace & peace, forgiveness & love,

Marlene G. Ward, President Conf. UMW

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Visit from the Vice President – Pat Lawrence

It was a great privilege to be one of the three voting delegates from California-Nevada District at Western Jurisdiction Quadrennial in Salt Lake City in April. Jurisdiction gave us a program well balanced between the business of the Jurisdiction, information, and special moments that were spiritually uplifting. Although our candidates were not elected to serve on National Board of Directors, we are delighted that Juliet Maliska has been selected to serve on the Program Advisory Committee. Our dear JoAnn Lawson will be serving as Jurisdiction Vice President for the next 4 years. Our broad connection is strong!

One of the many highlights while in Salt Lake City was the tour of the Crossroads Urban Center. The Center is in a former residential home donated to UMW in 1905, and has served in one mission capacity or another ever since. UMW now leases the facility to Crossroads Urban Center for $1.00 per year. Services are provided by the coordinated efforts of several providers of food services, housing/shelter, transportation, health service, and advocates for the low income and homeless population. By working together, these agencies, including 15 different faith traditions, are reducing duplication of efforts, and serving more of the needy with more services than could be accomplished individually. Their work is amazing. Check them out at .

The next part of our Salt Lake City tour took us to the UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) West warehouse. That, too, is a very impressive operation. Director, Brian Diggs, walked us through how donations are received, stored and prepared for shipment to wherever needed in the world. He shared that financial donations often go further because he can purchase wholesale in bulk. However, the hands-on participation in assembling and packing the kits provides a connection to the projects that writing a check can never do. If you ever get an opportunity to visit an UMCOR warehouse, please do so. See our relief efforts in action. It is good!

I had the honor of serving as one of the voting delegates to Annual Conference from my home church, St. Paul’s Reno UMC. I had not expected to be able to attend the UMW Breakfast during ACS, but that opportunity just fell into my lap. God is Good! Again, our UMW sisters put together a delightful meal, with a delightful speaker. Are we ready to give up our disposable sanitary products and sew up a batch of pouches for washable pads? Katherine Parker’s presentation was an eye opener, and gave us a tiny glimpse of what it’s like to be a woman in these developing nations of the world. She is an amazing young woman serving our sisters just where she finds them. God bless her.

I hadn’t been to Annual Conference for several years so was excited to be able to be present as Bishop Brown ends his tenure with our Conference. I enjoyed hearing David Vasquez-Levy, Pacific School of Religion, preach from Galatians on Naaman’s healing of leprosy. All he had to do was “get in the river.” Rev. Vasuez-Levy had a recent graduate of PSR with him who recited a passionate poem on this theme, with multiple urgings to “get in the river.” Whatever God is calling you to do, just “get in the river” and do it.

And now it’s time to look ahead to future events and opportunities to “get in the river.” Mission u events are happening all over the Conference in July and August so find that information elsewhere in this Newsletter and get registered now at Our topics (The Bible and Human Sexuality, Climate Justice, and Latin America) are topics being discussed in the news every day. Come and hear the faith community perspective as together we learn for the transformation of the world.

I hope you have October 14th and 15th on your calendar for the training of District Officers on the 14th and Conference Annual Celebration on the 15th. Both events will be held at the Santa Rosa First UMC on Montgomery Street. Look for the Celebration flyer attached to this Newsletter, and let your District President know that you wish to participate in the officer training event. Rev. Cynthia Stateman will be our keynote speaker in the morning and four workshops will be offered in the afternoon as we nurture growth for Christ. Come early and carpool as parking will be tight.

God is Great – Here and Now!

Pat

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CA NV UMW SECRETERIAL REPORT JULY 2016

My sisters

Another few months have flown by. Here’s what I’ve been doing:

Of course, I attended our April Executive meeting in April, trying to keep track of all our activities. Shortly thereafter I was a delegate at Western Jurisdiction in Salt Lake City. We had well over 40 from our Conference! It was my first, & it won’t be my last. If was an awesome experience in so many ways. We heard excellent speakers and, of course, met with and talked with those who were running for office. As a delegate we spent time “speed dating”, or having a 3-minute conversation with each candidate asking scripted questions (& also our own). The voting process was new, using a computerized system. I always love new opportunities & the learning process, & this was certainly one!

I attended a presentation by Missionary Katherine Parker at First UMC, Sacramento, in May. She gave a great deal of information about her work in Nepal, & I will not be the only one who will continue to follow her, I’m sure.

The Conference Executive Team met July 9-10 at the Conference Center in West Sacramento. This is a most amazing group of women whose interests are varied. We spend many hours listening to each presentation, voting for or confirming the work that needs to be done. We also presented the Standing Rules that a small committee worked long hours on correcting or bringing up to date these Rules. They were confirmed by the group & will be presented for vote at our Annual Celebration in October in Merced. I want to thank those ladies: Sally Wenzel, Marlene Ward & Pat Lawrence. They were excellent to work with!

I also am preparing for the VIM trip July 15 to Salt Lake City. It is my first & I am really looking forward to another new learning experience. I already have my trunk filled with kits from my own local UMW & others. Actually, I will be leaving my home in less than an hour, so pray that each of us reach Utah with our goal met: help others at time of disaster.

Secretary, CA NV Conference, UMW

Betty Jo Rose (BJ)

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TREASURER’S REPORT

Greetings, UMW Sisters! Like many of you I have been busy with local church, family, Conference, and other volunteer activities. I delight in being to see my 3½ month grandson every day, relieving my daughter-in-law for an hour or two. June and July were busy months to get together with old friends in an annual camp out with abalone diving and a potluck and helping with a Fourth of July party for the small town of Black Butte.

From April to June I helped gather signatures for a petition for rent control for the city of Alameda,

with two groups supported by Buena Vista UMC. The petition got enough signatures to make the November ballot. Next step will be voter education and registration. I am co chair of our local UMW and we have been busy with making school kits for UMCOR, preparing for a memorial service for one of our members, and providing support to a family from Guatemala now living in our former parsonage. I am also serving on a Housing Authority Committee for Special Needs to help figure out ways to help house the chronically homeless, homeless veterans, and those exiting from prison. Housing will always be my passion.

Jan Mathis, Bridges District Treasurer, has been very helpful in purchasing computers, printers, and software for the District and Conference Treasurers and has given us training on the Excel program she uses for UMW. She will do some catch up for those who couldn’t make it.I have already received $129,856.15 in remittances from the Districts this year and sent on $53,881 to the National office. As of July 8th, the Conference had $58,251 in expenses. Both our Social Justice and ACS Breakfast events were successful this year, bringing in more income fromregistrations than we had in expenses. Thank you to the generosity of the local churches for helping us get more than halfway to meeting our 2016 remittance goal. Thank you also to the Conference officers and team for being careful of expenses so that we can send more money toNational and mission.

I have been trying to finish the 2015 audit preparations and am still working on final balancingand sending more documents to the auditor. I’m pretty good on documentation but not so goodon balancing but am whittling away the difference as I go over monthly reconciliations. Hopefully, the audit will be ready by the fall. Another goal of mine is to give the Conference team clear budgets and reports that can help in planning for the future.

In the parable of Mary and Martha, I have always been a Martha, working to get things done. I amlearning from all of you how to accentuate and grow my spiritual side. I am blessed to be in your company.

Peace and blessings,

Lynette Jung Lee

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Announcing our “new” website!!!

Our new website address is:

This site is still very much “under construction” but you need to start visiting the site for current and upcoming events as well as postings from your conference team members and links to various sites including National UMW. At this time, you will find Mission u information/registration forms. Soon we will be posting our Annual Celebration information/registration form and Beulah information/applications.

Visit this site often to see what has been added!!!

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CALENDAR CONFERENCE & DISTRICTS 2016

July 29th Friday – July 31 Great Northern District Spiritual Retreat, Mercy Center

Auburn, CA.

August Mission u (see more info pg 1&2 President Msg )(Registration see April Newsletter on web page)

Sept 17th Sat Great Northern District Annual Celebration Trinity UMC Anderdon, CA.

Sept 24 Sat Bridges District Annual Celebration

Oct 1 Sat Central Valley District Annual Celebration Oakdale UMC

Oct 8 9:30 AM Bleulah Grant Committee Conference Center West Sacramento

Oct 14 District Leadership raining Event (D’LTE) Santa Rosa, CA.

Oct 15 Conference UMW Annual Celebration Santa Rosa, CA.

Beulah Older Adult Fund

We are so pleased to award financial support to some twenty seven projects throughout our conference in 2016. Those projects and program are valuable incentives for our elderly to get up in the morning and look forward to meeting their peers to socialize and get physical workout and exercise.

Grant applications are available now, visit our website call559-906-5473.Please observe the deadline date,AUGUST 1.

Joy and Peace,

Chairperson Juliet M. Maliksi

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Education & Interpretation (July 2016)

There is still time to register for a Mission u event. Also, to apply for a District and/or Conference Scholarship. To apply for a scholarship, contact your District E & I chair. If a Conference scholarship is needed, they will forward it on to me (that is a partial scholarship). Registration forms and scholarship application is available from the newly redesigned (still a “work in progress” website: On the home page, you can click on “Mission u” and get the forms there. Or even easier, register on-line. Also, on the website page, you can click on “Newsletter” and all the registration forms for the Mission u events are in the “April 2016” newsletter.

The Mission Today forms are due to your District E & I chair before September 1st, so they can send the information to me. I need time to get the Mission Today certificates ready for the Annual Celebration (October 15th, in Santa Rosa).

I am also including with my newsletter article, a copy of the Mission Today checklist. Before you send in your completed form to your District E & I chair, please be sure to fill in all the appropriate places.

In case you need to order any of the items you need for your Mission Today requirements, the information is available on-line from: Also, from:

To contact me, my e-mail is: . My phone number is: 559-584-2911 (home) or 559-212-5016 (cell).

Vicki Beeman, E&I Chairman

Sorrow looks back,

Worry looks around,

Faith looks up.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

2016 Mission Today1

United Methodist Women

California/Nevada Conference

To be recognized by Mission Today in the CA/NV Conference of UMW, the group must meet at least 10 of the following criteria including 5 of those marked with an asterisk (*). Groups with less than 15 members can submit 5 criteria, 3 starred and 2 others. Acceptable expectations for these smaller groups are in parentheses.

Mark the circle for those attained:

• *1. Use the Prayer Calendar at each general meeting to pray for persons in mission and for our mission work with women, children and youth.
• *2. Make and meet our pledge to mission.
• *3. Add at least 2 (1) new members to our roll.
• *4. Have at least 2 (1) members subscribing to response magazine.
• *5. Use 2 (1) programs from the Program Book for UMW.
• *6. Our group or circle conducts or participates in one mission study.
• *7. Implement the Charter for Racial Justice in at least 2 (1) ways.
• Read and discuss books and articles about other races and cultures.
• Sponsor a joint interethnic event between two or more groups.
• Develop bi-racial or multi-racial group.
• Write to elected representatives to support legislation affecting issues such as immigration, affirmative action, low income programs, civil rights, etc.

• 8. At least 2 (1) members, other than conference/district officers, will attend the district or conference annual meeting and report on the events.
• 9. Invite a district or conference officer, other than a group member, to a meeting or event.
• 10. At least 1 member of the group, other than a conference/district officer, attends the Mission u and reports back.
• 11. Contact 5 persons listed in the Prayer Calendar.
• 12. At least 1 person signs up online for the Women’s Action Network. gbgm-umc.org/umw
• 13. At least 2 (1) persons, other than district/conference officers, complete 1 of the Reading Program Plans and report on 1 of the books read.
• 14. Contribute to all 5 channels of Mission Giving.
• 15. Support one local mission project or one Conference Hands-On Mission project. List the local project on this form. ______
• 16. Get involved with children in at least 2 ways.

• Help sponsor a church or community program related to youth needs.
• Sponsor a children’s Sabbath.
• Mentor, tutor, or become a big sister.
• Learn how the government serves children.
• Get involved in local school issues.
• Partner with local church leaders to strengthen children’s ministries.

• 17. Include a response moment where an article from response magazine will be lifted up as a way to tell the mission story.
• 18. Work toward becoming a “green” UMW group by initiating one choice:

• Purchase of Fair Trade items,
• Eliminating Styrofoam/plastic,
• Use of chlorine-free paper,
• Recycling.

• 19. One person attends a spiritual growth retreat of at least 1 day.
• 20. Plan 1 program from the Social Principles of the United Methodist Church.
• 21. Create an article with photo illustrating your group’s support of the UMW Purpose and send to Marlene Ward:

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