United Methodist Women - UMW

Wesley-Rankin In the Center 2013 Luncheon

Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Royal Oaks Country Club

"Women Who Inspired You to Serve"

Speaker:

Regina Nippert, Executive Director of the Center on Communities and Education at SMU will explain the innovative new School Zone program that includes WRCC as a key agency. Ten agencies are collaborating to improve academic success to transform West Dallas!

Lunch reservations - $40
Honorariums and Memorials - $10 or 3/$25

Make your reservation now!

Deadline: April 2, 2013

Dedicate Honorariums and/or Memorials to the "Women Who Inspired You to Serve" either when you buy your ticket online or by mailing a check to: Wesley-Rankin, 3100 Crossman, Dallas, TX 75212.

MORNING APART “Dancing to the Beat of His Heart”

Join with women across the District for this special Spiritual Growth Event!

This is a very unique opportunity to hear Jerri Savuto, retired United Methodist missionary who was appointed through the North Texas Conference.

Jerri and her husband, Bill, had completed 11 years at Maua Methodist Hospital in Kenya, Africa, where Jerri taught at the Hospital’s School of Nursing- medical, surgical and pediatric nursing along with anatomy and physiology, nutrition, psychology and growth and development. The last 6 years Jerri was responsible for developing the Quality Improvement Department and Staff Development, worked with the Palliative Care Program, AIDS Orphans and Hope Companions. Prior to Kenya, they served in Nigeria, Belize, and the Navajo Methodist Mission in Farmington, New Mexico. I know that you will see that she is a very dynamic and inspirational speaker.

The Love Offering will go to support the Maua Methodist Hospital, Kenya.

Saturday, April 13, 2013
9 am – 12 noon
Program begins: 9:30 am
Lunch available after the program*

Whaley UMC, 701 Rosedale Drive, Gainesville, Texas

Registration and fellowship: 9 am with continental breakfast and drinks available while you browse the Reading Program materials or visit with your UMW sisters. Remember to bring your checkbook and church Tax ID#.

* Catered lunch will be available: Cost will be $8.00 and is a fundraiser for Abigail’s Arms (a family shelter in Gainesville). The lunch includes casserole, salad, bread, dessert and drinks. Please contact Nita Boardman at 940-665-7019.

Deadline for reservations: April 8, 2013.

Learning together for the transformation of the world...

We are so excited! Mission u (formerly School of Christian Mission) has the United Methodist Women of the North Texas Conference fluttering with pure excitement as they approach mission studies through the Spiritual Growth Study, Geographic Study, and Issue Study. Come join us as we walk and learn together for the transformation of the world through Mission u.

Men, women and youth are invited to participate in this educational experience as we expand our knowledge of mission in today’s world. Classes will be offered Monday through Thursday (July 15 -18, 2013) at St. Andrew UMC in Plano for adults and children. Classes are held mornings, afternoons or evenings. We will be offering two studies in Spanish. The Children’s Study is for school age children and childcare is provided for the younger during the day.

There is a chance to be a part of a learning community with the weekend study experience (July 19- 21, 2013) at Austin College in Sherman, Texas. This is an opportunity for the entire family to attend. Join the excitement as we learn, live and walk together for the transformation of the word.

2013 Mission u Study Themes:

• Spiritual Growth: Living Sacramentally, Walking Justly (English/Spanish)
• Geographic: The Roma of Europe
• Issue Study: Poverty (English/Spanish)
• Children’s Study: Migration
• Youth Study: Migration (Weekend Only)

For more information, please contact:

“Mission u” Barbara Weaver, Dean of Weekday at 214-415-4446 or
Lori Stafford, Dean of Weekend at 214-649-2233

teens and twentysomethings

Maddy Reed and Mary Shaffer attended the 2012 national LIMITLESS event last August. It was so exciting and motivational that they would like to replicate it specifically for teens and young women of the North Texas Conference.

Your input is valuable to the planning team and you can be part of it for the July 2013 event here in North Texas!

Please contact Maddy, Mary or adult mentor Marci Moore, your District President, or Michelle Barber, Membership Nurture and Outreach Conference officer.

Read more about LIMITLESS 2012

Sue Murray, immediate past president, Northwest District

On January 27th, 2013, the United Methodist Women in Texas began their 25th Annual Legislative Event. This year over 200 women were present from all seven conferences in Texas. We had over 30 women from our conference and six persons from the NW district! This is an opportunity for the UMW to learn about major issues the state legislators will discuss during this session and visit with their legislators. Chairing the Planning Team for this event was Lori Stafford, our recent North Texas Social Action Chair! She did a great job working with other Conference representatives and Texas Impact. Speakers are selected by Texas Impact to provide facts on the issues, as well as, have a wonderful worship leader for each evening. Leading the group in worship were The Reverend Dr. Monya Stubbs, an associate professor of New Testament at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, and Harriet Jane Olson, our General Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the United Methodist Women, Inc. Both of these inspiring speakers reminded the group of Christian responsibilities.

One of the issues discussed was water. As you well know all of us are concerned about all Texans having access to water. Since there is an interaction between water and energy resources, the conclusion of the UMW was to urge lawmakers to prioritize the issue of water and energy to plan a comprehensive plan for our future.

Education was another issue. Those present affirmed that the state legislation has a constitutional obligation to provide a high quality education for all of Texas citizens. All felt that the legislators should restore funding and increase it to public schools to provide for the increasing growth of students in Texas.

Medicaid was a third issue. Since Texas has more uninsured people than any other state, the group concluded that the Legislators should extend Medicaid. Criminal Justice and Mental Health was another issue. The group felt that legislators should guarantee humane treatment for all Texans caught up in state’s criminal justice system. Effective programs and treatment need to be provided for better rehabilitation.

The last major issue was predatory lending. Since the legislators did not properly regulate payday lending and auto-title leading in 2011. The UMW concluded that it should be properly regulated to eliminate cycles of debt. Post cards were given to those present to send to Texas Impact to be delivered to the legislators to stress the importance of regulating these loans.

If you are interested in reading more about this event, you can go to the Texas Impact website. More detailed information is available on the issues with power point programs for local or district meetings. See most of us from North Texas that were there in the picture on the home page - and ask one of us about the event or to come and talk to your group or Sunday School class about our Methodist perspective on these state issues.

Hopefully, even more UMW members of North Texas and the Northwest District will attend in 2014!

— Sue Murray, immediate past president of Northwest District

Phyllis Clark (right) of Plano surprises Fran Lobpries (left), Dallas Bethlehem Center Executive Director, with a $1200 check from the proceeds of the Custer Road UMW winter fundraiser.

Phyllis Clark of Plano surprises Fran Lobpries, Dallas Bethlehem Center Executive Director, with a $1200 check from the proceeds of the Custer Road UMW winter fundraiser. Hallelujah! The amount was just what was needed to kick off the new DBC Community Garden! Thank you, Custer Road UMW!

Another Way to Help Bethlehem Center

On Saturday, March 9, Bethlehem Center in South Dallas invites its neighbors to become involved in a community gardening project. We will serve a barbecue lunch and United Methodist Women can help by preparing food, serving, greeting, and cleaning up. We will meet on Thursday, March 7, to chop, marinate, and organize food at the Center, and then on Saturday for the meal.

Please call Karan Marshall at 214-350-3821 for more information about exactly how you can help. We also can use financial help to underwrite the cost of the food.

November 20, 2012 "Re-Open House"

Dallas Bethlehem Center celebrated a “Re-Open House” from 5 - 7 p.m. on Tuesday, November 20, 2012. Bethlehem Center has again become a vibrant community presence after the current renovations. Help was spearheaded by Amigos Days volunteers as well as others from Preston Hollow UMC and Dallas Baptist University Soccer and Cross Country teams, with work coordinated by Rich Hansen. UMW groups provided funding for this effort.

Bethlehem Center now has new siding, window trim, a fresh coat of paint. It is with heartfelt gratitude to the United Methodist Women, Inc. that we can announce the replacement, installation and full operation of 5-Air Conditioning units, extensive wiring, and security and fire system. These systems were compromised during the theft of copper components in early 2012.

With all systems go, DBC's community “Re-Open House" was quite the celebraton! Thanksgiving Dinner boxes collected and assembled by Cornerstone, First Sachse and First Wylie UMC’s, to create an abbreviated community Thanksgiving event, were distributed to DBC’s community members on the 20th as well.

Volunteers willing to help with future events, please call Fran Lobpries, Interim Executive Director at 469-955-4976.

Please continue in your prayers for DBC as we confirm with our program partners our new strategy of service to South Dallas.

— Mary Alice Garza, 2013 Social Action Coordinator, UMW North Texas

Read more about this DBC story