Erie – Meadville District
United Methodist Women
CONTACT
Spring 2017
April 8Mission Study at Edinboro UMC
Details inside - please post flyer
May 7 - 9 Mini- mission u
Olmsted Manor - details inside
July 27 – 30 Mission u at U California / PA
July 29 Mission u Sampler Day
Details inside and in the Communicator
Details for these will be in the Fall Contact in August:
September 23Day Apart at Wesley Woods
October 22District Annual Meeting
Blooming Valley UMC
October 28Conference Annual Meeting
Faith Delmont UMC / Greensburg District
February 2017
Praise God from whom all blessings flow and the UMW are certainly one of those blessings. Let us open our hearts and minds to ways we can be a blessing to others in 2017.
Have you had the pleasure of meeting Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi? If you have the chance to meet or hear her speak, GO! You won’t be disappointed. She is a friend to UMW and we look forward to her support in the years ahead. In fact, she will be the speaker for theConference Annual Meeting on Oct. 28 at Faith Delmont UMC in the Greensburg District and be present at the first two days of Mission u.
Save the date – Saturday, April 8, 2017 – Spring UMW Mission Study – You will find all the details in the flyer included in this newsletter. Jodale Barnhart will fill our day with stories and insights about the people of Latin America. I have been in several classes with her instructing, including a cooking class, and have always come away with new understandings and respect for the people or issues studied,
Mini-Mission u – May 7 – 9 – Olmsted Manor – This is taking place at beautiful Olmstead Manor and I hear the accommodations and food are excellent. A registration form is included in this Contact.
Many of us will be attending Annual Conference from June 8-11. The traditional UMW’S dinner will be held Friday evening, June 9. The cost is around $5.00. You can sign up at the same time you are registering for AC and learn the details. You must register ahead either online or with Diane Miller, Conf. President, 814-498-2308 or .
Mission u will be held at CaliforniaUniversity of PA. The dates are Thurs. July 27 to Sun. July 30 with sampler day on Sat. July 29. There are some good changes this year: everyone will be able to attend the Plenary Session “Living as a Covenant Community” with Rev. Lisa Grant as the presenter and still chose a Mission Study. See the Mission u registration form included in this Contact for complete details including the email address of where you can get a form to apply for the WPA Conference Lay Scholarship. Any member of the UMC can apply for this scholarship. Our District UMW also offers one scholarship, first-time attendees will receive first consideration or if no first timers apply anyone will be considered. That form is in this Contact.
I am so glad I am an UMW and can participate in the events I have told you about. I hope you will get excited too and pass on this information to your local organizations and anyone who might be interested. If you have any questions contact me?
Dottie Super – Acting President/ Vice President
814-774-3993 or
“Every person you meet today is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be Kind.” Unknown
ATTENTION: UNITED METHODIST WOMEN OF THE ERIE-MEADVILLE DISTRICT
Our district nominating committee is looking for a woman who would like to lead our district as president. I am willing to be vice president for two years so I can help train this person and work along-side her. It is a challenging and interesting position and you will find your life blessed in more ways than you can count. You need to be computer friendly and able to drive to the Conference Leadership Team Meetings held four times a year. These are usually held at the ConferenceCenter in Cranberry. This has been a prayer concern of mine for over a year. Are you the answer to this prayer? I hope this speaks to someone’s heart and they will contact me or Cindy Hickernell.
Dottie Super, Vice/Acting President-814-774-3993
Cindy Hickernell, Chair of Nom. 814-654-7381
JOIN OUR TEAM!
As Dottie has mentioned, we really need a President for out Erie-Meadville District Team. Perhaps you are the person God has in mind.
We also need more women for our Nominating Committee. As you can see from the District Officer list on the back page, we currently have 2 1/2 members: Barbara Gaither will be moving south mid-year, leaving only Barbara Evans and me.
Serving our District on our District Leadership Team is a wonderful way to promote United Methodist Women in our area. We meet four times per year, including our Christmas get-together, to plan programs / activities for our women. It is a great group!
Please prayerfully consider how you might serve our ladies and JOIN OUR TEAM. Please contact me for information.
Cindy
Communications / Nominations / Union City - TitusvilleSub-district
E-MEADVILLE DISTRICT UNITED METHODIST WOMEN
MISSION U SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION FOR 2017
Funds are available for a full scholarship for a young adult/adult to cover registration, room and board.
Recipient is responsible for purchase of study books.
- Scholarship Rules: First-time attendees given preference
- College student or adult woman or man
- Sponsored by the Local UMW organization or Pastor, when no local UNW is available
Deadline: Form must be returned by April 30th
Selection and notification: By May 31st each year
Mission u will be held July 27 - 30 at the University of California of PA
Name of applicant______
Address______
Telephone______email:______
Local church______Local Pastor______
Are you a member of a Local United Methodist Women Organization?______How long? ______
Offices held, if any______
Motivation: Indicate your reason for interest in attend the school______
______
Comments: Will you read the book for the study you chose, attend the study classes, and participate in other learning opportunities?______
Would you be willing to share your experience with others through promoting Mission u at our spring or fall meeting in 2018?
Signature of applicant______
Signature of President of Local UMW Organization or Local Pastor______
Mail to: President Erie-Meadville United Methodist Women
Dottie Super
10760 Cross Station Rd.
Girard, PA 16417
Call with any questions: (814) 774-3993 or by Email:
UMW MISSION STUDY
AWARDS PRESENTATIONS
Saturday April 8, 2017
9:00-3:00
Registration 8:30
EDINBORO UMC 113 High Street
LATIN AMERICA:
PEOPLE AND FAITH
Speaker – JODALE BARNHART
Mission Ambassador
Bring a bag lunch
Beverage & Dessert Provided
Please note: any local organization who has25% of their regular meeting attendance come to this study will qualify for a
Mission Study Certificate
WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA CONFERENCE
UNITED METHODIST WOMEN
2017 MISSION STUDY CERTIFICATE APPLICATION
The requirements for a Mission Study certificate are as follows: A local, youth group or children’s group holds a study of not less than four (4) hours on a recent Mission u study. Use of the text listed for the study is required and use of applicable audio-visual resources is desirable. In this conference, the Mission Ambassadors and Mission Coordinators for Education and Interpretation are additional resources. Twenty-five percent of the average attendance of your local organization or group should attend the study. You may also count those who attended Mission u. Mission studies for certificates for 2017 are:
2015 Created for Happiness
Latin America
The Church and People with Disabilities
2016The Bible and Human Sexuality: Claiming God’s Good Gift
Latin America
Climate Justice: Call to Hope and Action
2017Living as a Covenantal Community
The Missionary Conferences of the United MethodistChurch
Climate Justice: Call to Hope and Action
------
Western Pennsylvania Conference United Methodist Women
Mission Study Certificate Application
Local Organization/Church______District______
City______Zip______Phone______
Study______Date Completed______
Method of completion (number of sessions, videos used, setting, etc.):
Submit this application following the event, but at least by January 15, 2018, to your district Education & Interpretation Mission Coordinator:
Debbie Noel 322 Lincoln Ave, Meadville, PA 16335
814-333-6234
Spiritual Growth
I had thought for this issue of Contact, I would give you a devotion. Youcan model this, in your own meetings or publications, or, even use my devotion, if you’d like. I’ve been studying Matthew in my own personal quiet time, so I’ll draw these thoughts from that Gospel.
In the popular “Ask, Seek, and Knock” passage from Matthew (Mt. 7:1-6), I got a new insight into the things for which we should be asking in our prayer time. Jesus mentions only two examples of requests made to the Father. Paraphrasing, he says, if you ask for bread, will you be given a stone. And, then,if you ask for fish, will you be given a snake. What jumped out to me this time, was the fact that both of these requests deal with daily sustenance, and good, healthy sustenance, at that. Contrarily, these examples do not talk about asking for prestige or power or, what would be considered luxuries in life, extras, or, really, anything else. In another well-known series of verses, “the birds of the air and lilies of the field” passage (Mt. 6:25-34), Christ isagain speaking to daily needs. But, the end of that passage is even more clarifying for us. Jesus says, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (verse 33) It’s like we don’t even need to ask for our daily allotments, but we need only to be focusing on the things of God. Wow, won’t that simplify our prayer lives?!
What I’m suggesting is this: in order to ask “aright”, we need to grasp what the Father sees as the crux of day-by-day living…good, warm clothes, and, a satisfying, nutritious diet…but, the gem here is that we willhave these as we consistently emphasize the “things of Him”. To the Father, it seems, life’s goals are very simple. Dear sisters, think of all the things for which we pray, that are, perhaps, more fluff, than need. The Father wants us to be living simply, purposefully, and faithfully. And, thus, I think, our communication with Him should be likewise…clear-cut, kingdom-oriented. honing in on that which helps move forward our, and His, mission, here on earth.
May God bless you today! Donna Miller . (814)838-4388
Happy spring to Erie Meadville United Methodist Women and district treasurers!!!
As I write this in early February (and it is snowing), this seems to be a “laid back” time of year, especially for some units of UMW. Because of the uncertainty of the weather and other issues, my group at Faith Geneva do not meet in January or February. Then when we regroup we are energized about activities later in the spring and summer. We always have an Easter morning breakfast and host a Mother Daughter banquet and other activities.
So plan to attend the Mission Study and enjoy the fellowship of many United Methodist Women. It is nice to hear what other units are doing and at that meeting we will honor our 5 Star Unit members for 2016. There are 13 units this year.
Thank you for volunteering to be treasurer for your unit and contact me any time with questions. My address is 15393 ST HWY 285, Conneaut Lake, PA 16316 or or 814.382.3877 at home or my cell is 814.720.0573. Enjoy the daffodils!!!!! Linda
Reports from the Conference Leadership Team Meeting on Jan. 21. 2017
Elizabeth A Bradley Fund/RuthM.SmithCenter
The Elizabeth A. Bradley Fund recently disbursed $54,000 from interest earned on this account in 2016. Included in the money disbursed were seven grant awards, with three of them being in the Erie-Meadville District; Henderson UMC – Summer program for children $2,000, Erie United Methodist Alliance – Ending Homelessness $5,000, All God’s Children Ministries, Inc. Volunteer Respite Care Program $5,000. Groups can apply for a grant three years in a row and then must take a break for one year.
President Diane Miller gave us some information about The Ruth M. Smith Center in Sheffield, PA, a longtime national mission of UMW, which provides a personal care home for adults with intellectual and/or physical impairment and the elderly. Of the 24 people currently living at the SmithCenter, one pays the full cost of $3,1000/month, one veteran pays $2473/month, and 22 residents without funds are assisted by State Supplemental Security Income which pays $1087.30/month. The SmithCenter makes up the rest. In 2017 their Workmen’s Comp Insurance has jumped from $26,000 to $60,000. They do not have these funds. If your local organization or church is able, please consider sending additional funds or have a fundraiser for the RuthM.SmithCenter. They need help.
Membership, Nurture and Outreach
Technology is a part of our life whether we welcome it or not. This is the second year our census report was completed by computer and this year each local organization was encouraged to submit their own information. Remember we still ask you to send in information so we can see what is happening in the Erie Meadville District.
Did you know UMW can be found on Facebook: Do you receive the conference e-news? It comes out once a month and has four or five stories of happenings around the conference. Sign up on the bottom of the page. You will find news about the Erie-Meadville District, including UMW information, in the Wednesday Bulletin. Contact Kristin Ramey at Be in the know by taking advantage of the sites mentioned.
Ellen Hepler13 Lourdes Dr.
814-774-8226Girard, PA16417
Debra Tennant, Business Manager for Mission u, sent a note of appreciation to the local organizations that supported Mission u in 2016 with a donation of $40 or whatever their organization could afford. A big thank you to: Pine Grove, Glenwood, Lawrence Park, Park N.E., Blooming Valley, Harmonsburg, Fairview, Cambridge Springs, South Harborcreek, Stone Church, Edinboro, Hamlin Chapel, Erie First. The Erie-Meadville District UMW evening snacks.
UNITED METHODIST WOMEN LOCAL UNIT SUPPORT FOR MISSION u
Local Unit Name:______District: Erie-Meadville
Local Treasurer or Contact Person:______
Address:______
City______Zip Code______
Phone number: (______)______E-Mail______
Church Name:______
Amount of Check:______
The suggested donation is $40.00 per year but any amount is accepted.
Make Check Payable to: Western PA Mission u
Sent Payment To: Debra J. Tennant (Business Manager Mission u)
710 Taylortown Rd.
Dilliner, PA15327-1648
Phone: 724-324-5144 E-mail:
Thank you for your support of our Mission u. You help us to keep costs reasonable for all attendees.
2018 Pledge to Missions
THE UNITED METHODIST WOMEN OF ______
IN ______, AFTER PRAYERFUL CONISERATIONS PLEDGE $______
TO THE ERIE-MEADVILLE DISTRICT OF UNITED METHODIST WOMEN FOR 2018.
Treasurer ______Phone ______
Address ______
______Email ______
Reminder: I need this by June 10! Thanks!
Please send to: Linda Murdock; 15393 State Hwy 285; Conneaut Lake, PA 16316
Dear Friends,
We are excited to offer an invitation to you and members of your congregation to explore a new outreach opportunity in the Erie Meadville District. All God’s Children Ministries, Ramps of Hope is moving forward with a plan to augment our outreach ministries to include a program we are calling “Aftercare”. What we have found to be true, in many of the homes where we are building ramps, is that our recipients are often living lives that are in need of some “CTLC” Christ’s Tender Loving Care. We are planning a meeting to explore with you, what this might look like and how you might be a part of sharing Christ with the world. This first meeting does not require you to make a commitment. It’s a time to explore the possibilities and do some discernment to see if this is something God might be calling you to do.
Please spread the word to your congregations and talk this up in your spheres of influence. It is a real opportunity to make a difference in the lives of some very vulnerable and marginalized folks; the very ones Jesus came to love and set free. Training and mentoring will be provided for those who choose to accept the call and everyone will be sent out in twos. Mentoring will also be provided. Please mark your calendars for March 18, 2017, at 9:30 at Asbury UMC in Waterford. Please find attached to this email, a flyer you can use as a bulletin insert, or if enlarged, as a poster. You can contact us as listed below to let us know you are coming or to get more information.
Blessings in the Name of Jesus,
Rev. Debbie Hills,
Executive Director, All God’s Children Ministries Ramps of Hope Program
(440) 812-4624
Mrs. Kim Kinnear,
Ramps of Hope Aftercare Coordinator
(814) 449-2965
COMMUNICATIONS
We send copies of the Contact to the President and Secretary for each local organization. It is also available through the District newsletter. If you would prefer to only receive the digital copy, and save us the printing / mailing expense, please contact me.
The secretary's copy should be taken apart and distributed to the appropriate officer. Please be sure to post the flyer about the Mission Study and encourage your members, and others, to attend.
Additional copies can be made of the registration forms for Mission u or mini-Mission u.
Cindy
Registrar Use OnlyDate Rec ______
Check # ______
Amount $ ______
Balance Due $______
Study ______
Name______
Address______
City/State/Zip______
Phone (______) ______
Please check all that apply: / Email______
Church______
District______
_____ First-timer? Welcome!
_____ Resident - Single
_____ Resident – Family*
_____ Commuter
_____ Saturday 29 July Sampler / _____ Need CEUs?
_____ UMW District/Conference Officer
______
_____2017 Mission u Team
_____ Other (study leader, music, tech, etc.)
ADULT Registration Form
WPA Annual Conference 2017 Mission u
Thursday 27 July - Sunday 30 July, 2017
CaliforniaUniversity of Pennsylvania
Cost: Adult-$225; Child-$80 – see cost schedule on back Please print:
Mission Studies:
_____ Mission u in Action (hands-on work off-site during the day) – this is new for 2017 All choose one study below: