1 Corinthian 12:5 There are different ways of serving, and yet the same Lord is served. (GW) The Flame February 2015 The voice of the Seven Rivers District of the United Methodist Women Inside This Issue: Spiritual Day Apart registration Mission u registration Officer Reports Making It Happen! Vickie Newell Chair of Nominations How do UMW women celebrate an amazing year of spiritual growth, sisterhood, and mission at Christmas time? Mission work! Two locals, Riverview and Prosser, celebrated with the traditional food, fellowship, and entertainment but their heart for mission was still burning! Riverview sponsored the Mitten Tree and Grace Bags. Warm gloves, scarves, hats, and socks were donated to the UGM and Mark Twain Elementary Emergency Clothing Bin. Ken and Teresa's Place day shelter were graced with bags containing a candy bar, hat, gloves, and flashlight in a handmade bag. Prosser collected items for the Sunrise Outreach Center in Yakima. Both locals welcomed new faces including young women that were new to UMW! The Flame Page 1 Happy New Year! Tressa Cummings Seven Rivers United Methodist Women President I would like to share with you the Seven Rivers District Team’s goals for 2015. 1. Shepherd local units to gain knowledge of our roles and acknowledge their good works. 2. Focus on inclusive creativity at every opportunity. 3. Support the 150 year Legacy Fund and encourage local units to tell their stories. I have just come from a weekend meeting with our PNW Conference Executive Team which was held at Wesley Homes. We as United Methodists need to be proud of this facility. We enjoyed great meeting rooms, friendly and helpful staff, and good food. The atmosphere at the facility seemed very positive for the residents who live there. If your unit would like a District Officer to come visit, please call Lindsay Suta or myself and we will arrange for someone to visit your unit. We want to support our local units and help in any way we can. Share what has been happening in your unit. Send a note so we can share your story in the flame. Who knows? It might spark a creative idea for another unit! United Methodist Women will soon be celebrating 150 years. We would love to hear how being a member of UMW has inspired or changed your life in some way. Maybe there is someone in your unit that mentored you. If you have a story to share send it to Lethe McGavran, our communications coordinator. I am going to challenge UMW members or units to try one new thing this year that is outside your comfort area. For me it is this coming weekend in Yakima. There is an Anti-Trafficking Walk on Saturday, January 24th. This is out of my comfort zone, but with other members of several units we are going to march and get the word out about Human Trafficking. I am sure this will not be the only thing I do that is out of my comfort zone. The women who started our legacy took that step in faith and comfort zone to set the mission work we do today. Let us do the same. Praying to Change Your Life Tressa Cummings and Pam Serrano District President and Vice President Do you need a day to get away from it all and spend time to nurture your spiritual life? Join us for the southern Spiritual Day Apart in Goldendale on March 14, 2015 or the Northern Spiritual Day Apart in Grand Coulee on May 16th. Presenters are members of your Seven Rivers District Executive Team. The cost is $10.00 and registration starts at 9:30 am. The program will last from 10:00 am to 2:30 pm. “Praying to Change Your Life” by Suzette T. Caldwell is featured in the reading program, RP 1530. This study focuses on our prayer life using the Lord’s Prayer as a guideline. You can order the book online through UMW Program Resources or purchase a copy at the Spiritual Day Apart. Come spend a day in fellowship with other women, nurture your spiritual life, and come to relax. The Flame Page 2 Mission Giving Yvonne Gowell Treasurer Harvest Bazaar Blessings were many in November at Trinity UMW - East Wenatchee. Therefore we were able to send $1,200.00 ($150.00 each) to eight local missions that we try to support - The Lighthouse, Children's Home Society, Bruce Hotel, Salvation Army, Cancer Care of Wenatchee, Mobile Meals, Hospitality House, and Haven of Hope. We also gave an Extra Blessing of $500.00 to Lazy F Camp in Ellensburg to the "Place At the Table" Campaign to Qualify for the Virginia Searles Matching Gift Opportunity. At our Dec. meeting, we made 80 packets of Cookies & Candies that were delivered to Mobile Meals Recipients. Monitor UMC & UMW are involved with Feeding 10 Kids on weekends at a local Elementary School. Cashmere UMC with assistance from other churches and community members has been offering a full meal on Thursday Evenings to anyone in the community. Leavenworth Community UMC & (I am sure UMW helpers) opened its doors for the annual "Christmas Lighting Luncheon" every Saturday from 11am to 3:30pm while the town’s Christmas Lighting was held. The public feast is open to all, offering sandwiches, soups, and pies, which vary weekly. This event is evidently held every year, costs $10.00 per person, and assists mission programs. Many of the people who come by Greyhound bus get a Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce $10.00 voucher to use for the luncheon and are able to sort of spend the afternoon to keep warm. The event has been going on at the church for about 10 years. I never heard about this before, but read it in the 12/14/14 Wenatchee World paper. I think this is a great way to earn money for missions. The Flame Seven Rivers was able to give $1,504.00 over pledge. Our budgeted pledge was $25,000.00; we gave $26,504.00 for a total mission giving of $31,435.29 and total designated and other designated for grand total of $34,272.98. Thank you all units for being so generous in your Giving. Moses Lake UMW Lois Ostrander District Secretary The Moses Lake UMW made bags for "goodies" (like pencils or nail clippers, etc.) for the residents of Columbia Crest, a nursing home. We also provided calendars for residents of assisted living centers & nursing homes. The mittens, hats, etc. from our Mitten Tree at Christmas goes to the food bank and then to needy children of the community. The Sheperd's Care committee visits shut-ins. In addition to this our ladies make quilts, knit sweaters and hats, and make soup for the community once a month. We are a busy group! Page 3 Contact Information Slate of Nominees for 2014-2016 President: Tressa Cummings 509-728-4259 lolocu5@hotmail.com Vice President: Pam Serrano 509-788-0728 pssuccess7@gmail.com Treasurer: Yvonne Gowell 509-884-7559 ygowell@msn.com Secretary: Lois Ostrander 509-855-4962 lbostran@nctv.com MN&O: Lindsay Suta 406-579-9619 lindsay.suta@gmail.com Program Resources: Lori Chadek 509-396-9064 rlchadek@charter.net Communications: Lethe McGavran 509-308-9914 mcgavrana@gmail.com Nominations Chair: Vicki Newell 509-391-5428 vlynnnewell@msn.com Nominations: Cindy Wade Nominations: Carol Gaston 509-997-2071 Nominations: Jean Spence 509-925-9796 jeanlacook@yahoo.com Nominations: Donna Wilson 509-985-3597 dwilson@ynce.com Nominations: Carolyn Hart 509-973-2881 cjhart@embarqmail.com Spiritual Growth: bcwade2488@aol.com Website: www.sevenriversumw.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/sevenriversumw Pac NW Conference www.pnwumw.org Mission u Lethe McGavran All School Study: Latin America Communications Spiritual Growth Study: Created for Happiness In 2015, we invite you to study Christian Living and Latin America, while still offering a chance to learn more about serving with people with disabilities. This year we will come together on July 17-20th at the Central Washington University campus in Ellensburg, Washington. Social Issue: The Church and People with Disabilities http://www.pnwumw.org/missionu.html Youth: Latin America Your registration is included in this issue. Print copies for other church members and plan for scholarships early! SPIRITUAL DAY APART United Methodist Women of Seven Rivers Register starting at 9:30 AM Program 10:00 AM – 2:30 PM South: March 14, 2015 Goldendale UMC 109 East Broadway Street, Goldendale, WA 98620 North: May 16, 2015 Grand Coulee UMC 405 Center Street Grand Coulee, WA 99133 Do you need a day to get away from it all and nurture your spiritual life? Join us for : Praying To Change Your Life This study focuses on our prayer life using the Lord’s Prayer as a guideline. You can order the book online through UMW Program Resources. We will have copies available to purchase at the Spiritual Day Apart. NAME: PHONE: EMAIL: ADDRESS: CITY, ZIP: CHURCH: Please circle SOUTH or NORTH (or both!) Order “Praying To Change Your Life” at www.missionresources.org Send $10.00 for lunch And the above contact information to: Yvonne Gowell 94 – 17th NE E Wenatchee, WA 98802-4184 I Have No Papers… Vicki Carr Lake Chelan United Methodist Women I grew up in the Lake Chelan Valley and had two uncles who were fruit growers. I took two years of Spanish in high School because I thought I would actually use. Farm laborers weren’t coming to North Central Washington from the Dust Bowl states any longer. My uncles had warm, friendly people who spoke Spanish working for them. I did use my high school Spanish whenever I could, but it wasn’t until I took an immigration study workshop at the School of Christian Mission a few summer ago that I fully understood what was going on with the Hispanic populations in our midst. There was a lot of information about immigration for us to absorb. I knew a few horror stories about what had happened to people who didn’t have legal permanent resident papers. One handout took my breath away. It was a maze to follow on becoming a U.S. citizen. It was full of dead-ends and it doubled back on itself. It showed clearly why our Hispanic friends and neighbors find getting citizenship a daunting task. My heart grew heavy. You see, three of my four grandparents were immigrants—two from Norway, one from Poland. So I knew some of the baggage that went along with being an immigrant, a stranger in a strange land. Well, I learned about Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP) somewhere along the way. I learned about a workshop NWIRP was offering in April of 2012 at Granger. So I cajoled Pastor Lilia Felicitas-Malana and church secretary Sharon Lukacs into going with me to Immigration 101: A Training for Social Service Providers. We were surprised to find ourselves seated in a room full of social workers, law enforcement, medical and criminal justice workers. We spent the day soaking up information like sponges. At the next School of Christian Mission I heard a talk by NWIRP’s Attorney Margaret Gaffney who was eating lunch with Lyda Pierce, Seven Rivers District Hispanic outreach sister. Later I heard NWIRP’s Attorney Jorge Barōn speak at a district UMW meeting in Ellensburg. I got a crazy idea, and it worked! LCUMC sponsored two years’ of immigration and citizenship workshops with Margaret Gaffney. Friday nights were devoted to question-and-answer sessions, with personal and private consultations afterwards with Gaffney who is fluent in Spanish. The first Q-and-A was during our elementary school’s parent night. The second year it was held in City Hall. Saturday’s were devoted to helping applicants fill out lengthy citizenship application forms. We had several interpreters on hand to do the preliminary work before Gaffney took over. Chelan’s UMW chapter provided funds for gas, lodging and meals both years. Dozens and dozens of people came for help. Some traveled from Tonasket, Wenatchee, Brewster, Dryden, Manson and Pateros. People from Canada, Sri Lanka and several Central American nations were in the mix. Undocumented people—who have worked and lived in the U.S.A. for decades, who have American born children, who have paid taxes and followed the laws of the land—are becoming more and more desperate to “get their papers” and many believe that time is running out. Margaret Gaffney followed up on several candidates and saw them through the entire process. She is now retired, but NWIRP offices in Granger and Wenatchee have Spanish-speaking attorneys on staff who are eager and willing to help. All is takes is a phone call and some organization. God was with us and blessed us as we sought to reach out in love to serve others. The need is great! Pray about how you can help. Reading Program Suggestions 2015 Are you called to Christian service with United Methodist Women? The district officers have particularly enjoyed or found to contain touching topics worth learning from in each category listed below: God Qualifies the Called Vickie Newell Chair of Nominations Winter greetings from the nominations team! In Education for Mission Good God, Lousy World by Holly Burkhalter As nominations chair, I ask you to prayerfully consider filling out a talent sheet that gives our team a snapshot of your gifts and talents. You can also suggest a member of your local who you feel would make a good team member. In Nurturing for Community As our team travels in the SRD, they will have talent sheets available. Serving on the district team has been a rewarding experience for me. Team members have a heart for mission, a desire to grow spiritually, and passion for Christian sisterhood. Excellent leadership training is available. January First by Michael Schofield In Spiritual Growth Finding God in a Bag of Groceries by Laura Lapins Willis In Social Action That Used To Be Us by Thomas L. Friedman and Michael Mandelbaum In Leadership Tough Cookies by Cathy Cloninger You may feel you are not qualified, but remember God's promise to qualify the ones He calls! The team is eager to share their expertise with your local organizations. We welcome invitations to your local events. At the present time we are searching for three Mission Coordinators, Social Action, Mission Education, and Interpretation and Spiritual Growth. If you love educating people and advocating for current UMW justice initiatives such as human trafficking, domestic violence, gun control and environmental justice, this position is for you! The Mission Education and Interpretation Coordinator should have a heart for mission and be able to assist locals with meeting their mission goals. The Spiritual Growth Coordinator selects devotionals, lifts up prayers during the district meetings, and supports local organizations with their spiritual growth goals. During odd numbered years they lead the planning of the SRD spiritual retreat. Contact any nominations team member if you would like further information. Contacts are listed in this edition of the Flame. The Purpose of the United Methodist Women 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. PLEASE SHARE: We encourage you to print this newsletter for members of your church you may not have access to email. SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION: You may e-mail electronic subscription requests to: mail@sevenriversumw.org For paper subscriptions to The Flame, please submit $2 for mailing costs to the return address listed below. Lethe McGavran Communications Coordinator Seven Rivers UMW PO Box 4871 West Richland, WA 99353 ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED July 17-20, 2015 Central Washington University Ellensburg, Washington Latin America: People and Faith The Rev. Paul Jeffrey Youth: Latin America: Places, Culture, and Faith Created for Happiness: Understanding Your Life in God The Rev. Bo Bryan, The Rev. Keith Hackett, The Rev. Jen Stuart The Church and People with Disabilities Lynn Swedberg, The Rev. Karen Davison Registration starts 1 p.m. Friday July 17, 2015 Opening session 4 p.m. Friday, July 17, 2015 *****Scholarships are available. Deadline May 16, 2015 ***** Application available at www.pnwumw.org Scholarship contact: Linda Key at lmkey@charter.net 505 Eberle Pl., Grandview, WA (509) 882-3110 cell: (509) 830-1960 Page 1 of 4 Registration Form Learning Together for Transformation of the World CLASS DESCRIPTIONS* ALL SCHOOL STUDY: LATIN AMERICA: PEOPLE AND FAITH This study is an invitation to enter into this land, called Latin America, knowing it is a sacred land. We come in with respect to face the dignity of a people and with the love of God for them. We are in the Americas. In a certain sense this mission study is about us. We share the same corner of the world, we are neighbors, we are interconnected, but really the study is about another America. America in plural! SPIRITUAL GROWTH: CREATED FOR HAPPINESS: UNDERSTANDING YOUR LIFE IN GOD This study will examine the understanding of happiness and how to live the life that God calls us to. We live in a time when the search for happiness has become a dominant topic in our culture. For many years now, it has been common for Christians to think of happiness as an unimportant goal, reserving the word “joy” for the true satisfaction of Christian life. The early Methodists used the language of happiness often—secure and fulfilling happiness in God. SOCIAL ISSUE: THE CHURCH AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES The text increases awareness of issues around disability awareness by discussing attitudinal and architectural barriers encountered by individuals with disabilities. The book covers ways to enhance full participation of persons with vision and hearing loss as well as people with mobility loss. The book intends to lead readers to engage in advocacy to help the church become more welcoming and accessible to those with disabilities. YOUTH: LATIN AMERICA: PLACES, CULTURE, AND FAITH The text contains a wealth of information on Latin American life, customs, culture, young people, geography, and liturgical practices that will help increase understanding of what life is like for Latin American youth who are working toward and dreaming of a better world. Each session will be a laboratory of life experiences through which participants will learn to listen and gain new knowledge and, in turn they will learn to explore. *Attendance at Elective Class may qualify for Continuing Education Credits. Early Bird Cost $290.00 Must be postmarked on or before May 30, 2015 Full Time July 17-20 Friday - Sunday Night Lodging $240.00 Friday & Saturday Night Lodging Only $195.00 Meals from Friday Dinner to Monday Breakfast Weekend Package July 17-19 Meals from Friday dinner to Sunday Dinner Commuter July 17-19 Meals include three dinners starting Friday and two lunches starting Saturday. Regular Cost Full Time $310.00 Postmarked May 30, 2015 through June 15, 2015 Weekend $260.00 Commuter $215.00 Add $20.00 per night if requesting a single room for all lodging packages! Limited number available, not guaranteed. Page 2 of 4 Registration Form Registration Name _________________________________________________________ Address ________________________________________________________ City ____________________________________State _______ Zip _ _____ Phone: cell home/work Email: Can you open e-mail attachments Yes______ No ______ Church District Status (check all that apply): First-timer UMW Officer UMW Local Gender: Male _____ _____ _____ _____ Pastor/Clergy UMM District _____ _____ _____ Lay School Staff Conference _____ _____ _____ Female _____ Age: 12-17 _____ 18-30 _____ 31-45 _____ 46-65 _____ 66+ _____ Dietary: Meals are served in a buffet style. The caterer works hard to accommodate most diets by providing a variety of options. Gluten free and diabetic choices will be available. ADA needs: We are happy to help you prepare for an enjoyable experience! Please share your challenges or concerns. If we don’t know before the event, we may not be equipped to assist: _______________________________________________________ Will you require shuttle service to and from dorms and classes? Yes/No _______________ If you DO NOT want your photo used in promotional materials, initial here _____________ ***CHOOSE YOUR CLASS*** All School Study: Latin America: People and Faith Elective Class (Choose One): “Created for Happiness: Understanding Your Life in God” “The Church and People with Disabilities” “Latin America: Places, Culture, and Faith” (Youth: 12-17) ________ ________ ________ ***CIRCLE DESIRED PACKAGE*** EARLY BIRD: Postmarked on or before May 30: Full Time: $290 Weekend: $240 Commuter: $195 REGULAR: Postmarked after May 30: Full Time: $310 Weekend: $260 Commuter: $215 Page 3 of 4 Registration Form Local Church/UMW District Church/UMW Conference Church/UMW Other: Total: ***FUNDING PROVIDED BY*** $___________from:_____________________________________ $___________from:_____________________________________ $___________from:_____________________________________ $___________from:_____________________________________ $___________Participants responsible for the difference. Total amount enclosed _______________ Make checks payable to MISSION U *Pre-payment, including scholarship funds, required. *NO payments accepted at the school. Dorm Information: Linens and towels will be provided initially. Beds will not be made, nor towels changed out daily. Sue Lombard: Has elevators and air conditioning. Located next to Tunstall Dining Hall and the Resource Center at Lombard Room. Ideal for those who cannot walk long distances. Kamola Hall: Has elevators. Has air in halls but not in sleeping rooms. Has a few single rooms. Located next to the Resource Center at Lombard Room. Suitable for those with physical challenges. ***CHOOSE YOUR DORM*** Sue Lombard: _________ Kamola: _________ Early Riser _________ Late to bed ________ Upper Bunk okay ______ Single Room Requested _______ add $20 per night Roommate(s) preference ______________________________________________ Mail completed registration to: Marilyn Wudarcki, Registrar 2534 Carr Creek Road Sandpoint, ID 83864 Please return pages 3 and 4 with your registration fee. (For questions call Marilyn at (208) 265-5968 or email mwudarcki@gmail.com) (text 208-290-0011) Welcome Letter: Upon receipt of your registration, a confirmation letter will be sent out to you. If you indicate you have Email and can receive and open attachments, the letter will be sent to you by Email. It will include: 1. Details of the school 2. Study book information 3. Map of school 4. What to bring 5. What to expect 6. Youth registrants: Medical release form mandatory for attendance Study Books: Available for purchase online at http://www.pnwumw.org/missionu.html or the Mission Resource Center. A limited number of books will be for sale in the Mission u resource room at the school. Page 4 of 4 Registration Form