The UMW of Audubon Park are members of Inland District and the Pacific NW Conference.  United Methodist Women is the group of women in each congregation organized for mission.  Because The United Methodist Church is a connectional church, local and district units of the United Methodist Women relate directly to district and conference organizations of the United Methodist Women and to the Women's Division of the General Board of Global Ministries.  We are currently over one million strong.

 

Purpose Statement:  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.

* excerpts from the Local and District Units' Handbook

 

Our local unit has about eighty members, organized into three Circles. 

The Naomi Circle meets the 2nd Wednesday at 12:00 noon in the church Parlor; September through May.  

The Ruth Circle meets on the 3rd Monday at 1:30 pm in members' homes, September through May. 

Rachel Circle meets at 7:00 pm on the 2nd Tuesday in the church Parlor; September through June.

 

Current UMW Officers:

President                                    Karen Peacock

Vice President                             Ann Fritz

Secretary                                    Jan Ferguson

Treasurer                                    Melva Lohstroh

Sec./Program Resources                Jennifer Ash 

Communications                           Helen Bell

Nominations Chair                        Pauline Smith

Mission Coordinators                     available

Education and Interpretation           Pat Leaply

Social Action                                 Kathy Dung

Membership, Nurture & Outreach    Dori Young

Spiritual Growth                            Retta Nickell

 

National Seminar 2007

Report from Nashville

Karen J. Peacock
    The temperature was 102 with 100 % humidity (at least it seemed that way!)  We were met in the airport by members of the Tennessee Conference, and they greeted and directed us to the shuttle.  There I met a familiar face, that of Cecille Corsilles-Sy., from Kent.  Megan Waddle, from Grandview arrived at that same time.  Marilyn Sanchez-Reid had already arrived.
    The first thing I noticed, my first Ah hah, was that Nashville is a brown city.  They have not had any rain and everything is really dry.  It makes me appreciate the water that I have always taken for granted, here in the West.
The Seminar was held at Scarritt-Bennett Center in Nashville, where we were assigned housing, had our meals, and the conference took place.  The theme of this year’s seminar was For Christ’s Sake… Turn the World Upside Down!  “Justice Education is waking us up to feel, see and think beyond our perspective so that we take an active part in the continuous creation of a just world now”.* The National Seminar is where we renewed our commitment to know God and participated in the local and global mission of justice and advocacy.
    As a group, we were guided toward a “spiral” learning process. It has six steps that begin with “ourselves”.  During the next year, I will introduce you to this process, through this column; a workshop is being planned; and our District Training Event.
    During the week, we were engaged into theatre exercises; worship and bible study everyday with Janet Wolf; small group discussions; creating the “big picture”; community visits’; creative activities ; dynamic music; issue groups (mine was Education); public witness actions; and reflection groups.
    It was an honor and privilege for me to attend the National Seminar. Over the next four years, it is my mission to help you realize your role in Turn the World Upside Down…For Christ’s Sake!

*Helene Castel, “Taking Learners as Seriously as the Issues”, 1983.

 

The UMW Calendar

 

October

Oct. 12-13th  PNWC annual Meeting in Olympia

 

November

November 11th    Bazaar  from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

 

December

Dec. 1st  Christmas Tea    1:00 p.m.