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From Your Treasurer, Delores Smith: Faith, Hope, Love in Action.. The time is drawing near!
Assembly Offering “The Assembly offering is an opportunity for designated giving by United Methodist Women. The 2010 Assembly offering will fund organizations and projects that address issues of global health and environmental justice issues through education, advocacy and direct services on behalf of women, children and youth. Because we believe that all of God’s children, especially the disempowered, must be included at the table, we invite women, children and youth to come in Faith, Hope, and Love in Action.” Assembly begins Friday, April 30, 2010. Are you going to be there? I hope so. I am so excited about spending three days with my sisters from all over the WORLD! YES, WORLD! Sign up today. You will not want to miss this event. To participate in the Assembly offering, make sure your local treasurer sends your offering to your district treasurer who will in turn send it to me. I will be taking our check to Assembly to make our conference offering in person. What joy wells up in my heart just thinking about what we as a conference can do for women, children and youth all over the world. Give today and give generously! And don’t let the giving stop there. We have pledged $190,500 to the Women’s Division for 2010. That is a deep commitment from all of us. Let’s start the year off right! Give early. Don’t wait until the end of the year. Give from the second fruits (first fruits go to your local church!). We need to send $47,625.00 to Women’s Division in the first quarter. The end of the first quarter will be MARCH. Awesome task, yes, but we are up to it. Remember giving is simple. Give a check to your local treasurer, give a Special Mission Recognition pin to a friend, send a Gift to Mission card to a friend, send a Gift in Memory card to recognize someone who touched your life, participate in the World Thank offering, give to Candleburning in honor/memory of someone you love. Give to all these areas and go ABOVE AND BEYOND! (Form available online). I want to thank each of you (in advance) for all you do for our conference. Let’s work together to find new ways to keep our giving up. I urge you to use the other cards available through out the year. For $5 you can send a card for any occasion. If you do not know what I am talking about, call me (731-487-0084). I will be delighted to share my cards with you! |
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Page 3 February 2010
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REDBIRD WORK CAMP TRIP By Beth Brown, Team Leader Deep in the heart of Appalachia stands a mission called Red Bird that touches the hearts and lives of God’s “least of these”. Since 1921 this mission has been a stronghold of kingdom work for the United Methodist Church serving Bell, Clay and Leslie counties in southeastern Kentucky. The mission was founded by Rev. John J. DeWall who opened a school in 1921 and a medical clinic in 1922.
Eight United Methodist Women from the Memphis Conference travelled to Red Bird as a work camp team for a week. Mary Mooney, Sandy Mauney, Melba Mitchell, Carol Wimberly, Barbara Boden, Lois Pharris, Ann Freeman and Beth Brown made up the team. Our team was assigned the task of painting the exterior of Goldie Brown’s home. The trip up the side of the mountain in search of her home was an experience in itself. Upon our arrival we spotted a sign: Brown Family Cemetery. Much to our dismay, Goldie’s husband is buried on the bank behind her house so she has started her own family cemetery. She and her husband had lived on this mountain for over 40 years when he died three years ago.
Our team had to use extension ladders and painted in some very precarious positions to complete our task but we all agreed it was a job well done. We left our new friend standing alone in her yard in tears as we said our goodbyes and headed back down the mountain. Goldie seemed to enjoy our company as much as she did getting her home “freshened up” by our hard work.
Another highlight of our journey was our tour of the school which was built in the shape of a cross. We met Christian teachers who are instrumental in the spiritual formation of the children and youth. The K-12 school has 220 students enrolled for a private Christian education funded by the United Methodist Church. We visited a dorm where female high school students live during the week with their teachers because home is far away in the mountains. (continued on page 5)
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