The West District

United Methodist Women

Purpose: 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 throuigh participation in the global ministries of the church.

Cynthia’s Sharing January 2012

Happy 2012! There are lots of things going on with the Central Texas Conference United Methodist Women. Hope you put these events on your calendar and come. It’s good to come together to learn and grow, so that we may be able to go out renewed and ready to continue in our mission. See you soon!

Journey to Justice February 18

Charter for Racial Justice- Sing a Rainbow

I hope all of you will join me on Saturday, February 18, in Waco at the Woodway UMC for our Annual Charter for Racial Justice Event- Sing a Rainbow. We will be focusing on the issues of maternal health, domestic violence, and immigration and how they are affected by racism.
Our guest Julie Warren will be leading us as we study the issues of maternal health and domestic violence. Julie developed the birthing kits used by United Methodist Committee on Relief and is a leader in the Healthy Families/Healthy Planet Initiative of the United Methodist Church. She will also speak about the problem of domestic violence. Julie is a spiritual and dynamic speaker. Please don’t miss this special opportunity.
Our conference Spanish Language Coordinator Heidi Careaga and East District Social Action Coordinator Karla Rodriguez will lead the focus on immigration as we study the effort in this country to pass the Dream Act.
For lunch everyone is asked to bring a dish that you would take on a journey to go along with our theme of Journey to Justice. We will be making birthing kits as a part of our day, so please bring $7.00 to cover the cost of the kit.
Click here for flyer and registration form. Please make an effort to come and bring a carload. This is the first time we have had this conference event outside the Metroplex. I hope everyone will come to Waco even if it’s a longer trip than usual.

Young Women’s Event at Duke University

There is a wonderful opportunity for young women coming up August 2-5, 2012. We are looking for women (ages- 14-30) willing to serve on a national young women’s group for the upcoming quadrennium (4 years). Please send me the names of women who would be interested in going to this event and serving on the advisory board.

Mission Event February 4 at Acton UMC

Global Ministries Comes Alive is a gathering for anyone who is passionate about missions. Dawne Phillips is hoping that United Methodist Women will be interested in learning more about upcoming mission trips, hear from Missionaries Jerri and Bill Savuto, and learn more about the Healthy Families/Healthy Planet Initiative.

The United Methodist Women who attended the Healthy Families/Healthy Planet
meeting in Denver this past October will be helping in the HF/HP presentation. So please help get lots of people to this event. Encourage the mission committee at your church to attend. This is an event for the men, youth, and women. If you are able, please join us in this mission event.
Host: Acton United Methodist Church- 3433 Fall Creek Hwy., Granbury, TX 76043
$20 fee includes your lunch and the materials for building a Birthing Kit.
Register online at www.ctcumc.org/missions
or contact MaDora Ratliff at 800-460-8622 for more information

Central Texas Conference United Methodist Women’s
Spiritual Growth Retreat
March 23-24 Glen Lake Camp
Being Alive in a Crazy, Busy World
Leader- Rev. Dr. Cynthia Rigby
This year’s spiritual growth retreat is going to be wonderful. Please register right away!
Rev. Dr. Cynthia Rigby from Austin Seminary is coming to be our leader. Those of us who heard Dr. Rigby speak at the Legislative Event last January are very excited that she has agreed to be our leader for the retreat this year. She was wonderful and I still remember what she talked about a year later. I truly believe you are going to love her presentation.
Here’s just a little of her biography:
Dr. Rigby is a graduate of Brown University and Princeton Theological Seminary. In 1998 Professor Rigby received the PhD in systematic theology from Princeton Theological Seminary where she was awarded a doctoral fellowship and the Wildrich Award for Excellence in Homiletics.
In an article in the Dallas Morning News, Rigby was cited as one of the great theologians of our time. In his article, William McKenzie wrote about twelve contemporary theologians who can “span the gap between church and society. Attention to theology, politics and sociology allows these thinkers to shape the world, not just follow in its wake.” Rigby’s special area of interest is setting Reformed theologies in conversation with theologies of liberation, particularly feminist theologies.
Dr. Rigby is actively engaged with congregations, teaching adult education classes and leading church conferences.
We will be at Glen Lake Camp this year and you have several choices in lodging.
We have rooms at Still Water, the Marriage Ministry Center, and Paluxy Cabin that offer hotel-type lodging.
We have rooms at the Health Center are private rooms, but you bring your own bedding and share a bathroom.
And then finally, we have the regular cabins like we have used at School of Christian Mission where you bring your bedding and share the sleeping space and bathroom.
More details are in the flyer and registration. Click here for flyer and registration. See you there!

Making Plans for Abilene
Make your plans to attend the South Central Jurisdiction UMW Quadrennial Meeting in Abilene, Texas June 22-24.
Please save your money and be ready to register as soon as we can. I’ll be letting you know when the on-line registration begins.
Please contact me if you are interested in riding a bus to Abilene. The cost is $60.00 round trip. We need to know by February 18.
Also, if you want a hotel room at the headquarters hotel in Abilene (MCM Elegante Suites) for June 22 and 23, please contact me. I have a block of 30 rooms reserved. There are other hotels available as well. Go to www.gbgm-umc.org/scjurisdictionumw for all the information.

United Methodist Women Mission Trip in 2012
It’s time to sign up for the UMW Mission Trip to McCurdy School in Espanola, New Mexico September 3-8. The cost is $300 and for more information please contact Lynne DeChairo at ldechairo@gmail.com or call 940-549-4230.
I hope you will join me on this adventure in Faith, Hope, Love in Action!

Save the Date
Some Central Texas Conference United Methodist Women Dates to Remember
January 22-24- Legislative Event- Austin
February 18- Charter for Racial Justice Event- Sing a Rainbow- Woodway UMC, Waco
March 23-24- Spiritual Growth Retreat “Being Alive in a Crazy, Busy World”- Glen Lake Camp
May 4- deadline to register for Jurisdiction meeting in Abilene
June 5- UMW Annual Luncheon/ Ubuntu Day- Waco Convention Center
June 22-24- Jurisdiction Meeting- Abilene, TX
July23-26- Evening and Weekday Conference School of Christian Mission Fort Worth FUMC
July 27-28- Weekend Conference School of Christian Mission Temple FUMC

Former Brownwood District UMW Officers - 2011
Note: New officers for the West District will be announced as soon as they are elected.

President:	Nancy Brown	300 S. Austin	De Leon, TX 76444 254-893-6271
Vice-President:	Dee Cox	605 Spring Meadow	Stephenville, TX 76401
Secretary:	Ann Baugh	108 Ivanhoe	Brownwood, TX 76801
Treasurer:	Jane Patrick	1228 CR 613	Hamilton, TX 76531
Social Action:	Charlotte Rabbe	203 Chestnut St.	Gustine, TX 76455
Spiritual Growth:	Bonnie Gripp	283 PR 1544	Hico, TX 76457
Education & Interpretation	Joy Mooney	1105 E. Boynton	Hamilton, TX 76531
MN&Outreach:	Rachael Kammerer	1431 Oakwood	Stephenville, TX 76401
Communications:	Jennifer Miller	1198 CR 254	Stephenville, TX 76401
Program Resources:	Suzanne Stratmann	641 S. Bowie St	De Leon, TX 76444
Nominations Chairperson:	Janelle Beran	1207 N. Dale	Stephenville, TX 76401

West District
Churches With Active UMW Units

Ballinger	Gustine
Bangs*	Hamilton
Breckenridge FUMC	Hico
Brownwood Central	Iredell
Brownwood First	Lake Brownwood*
Cisco*	Morgan Mill/Bluffdale
Coleman First	Pleasant Hill
Comanche	Santa Anna*
Cranfills Gap	Stephenville First
DeLeon	Stephenville Oakdale
Dublin First	Tarleton State University
Early	Winters*
Eastland*
* Denotes inactive units

Visit Central Texas Conference United Methodist Women
and
Visit the United Methodist Women Website

Last undated: January 19, 2012
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