A note from Anne Winn...
President’s Report
Greetings to everyone! Last Sunday our sermon, via YouTube, scripture was from Luke 24:13-34. The emphasis was on the “Walk to Emmaus” which was a
segue
to the topic of “a journey”. There are so many stories in the Bible about journeys: Abraham and Sarah, Joseph, Jesus, Paul, to mention a few. Aren’t we on a journey right now? Haven’t our lives been radically changed since the Covid-19 virus pandemic. We’ve all been affected in what and how you go about your daily routine, your health, your livelihood, schools, church, and United Methodist Women. All these disruptions are provoking many emotions: fears, depression, and anger. Will our lives ever be normal again!
God is always with us on our journey. We are never without his presence, his concern for us, his love. Journeys never take us backward; they lead us forward into a “new normal”. The East Central District has been using Zoom Meetings for District Team Meetings, we have a new East Central Webpage, We had a Districtwide Zoom Meeting and will have another in a couple of weeks (TBD). “
Isn’t it ironic that our District theme for this year was: Connections Unite Us—and then, we had “social isolation”. However, God has provided—“social connections via technology”. Yes, it’s not the same but telephone conversations help a lot. We still have faith, hope, and love on our new journey together. Blessings to everyone.
|
|
Upcoming East Central District United Methodist Women Events
Anne Winn, President and Vice President
We have two
District Events
planned for the fall, the
Mission Study
and the
District Annual Meeting
. Because we are unsure of the status of our Corona-19 epidemic in the fall, the District Leadership Team is planning two different types of meetings: (1) Traditional—where we physically meet together or (2) Virtual—where we meet via Zoom or some other streaming possibility.
Our original plans for the Mission Study was as follows: We were going to do the same Mission Study in two different locations on two different dates—September 19 at Grace UMC and September 26 at Tavares UMC. Unfortunately, when the United Methodist Church Annual Conference could not meet in June. They reset their meeting for one day meeting on September 19th. So, we cancelled our plans for the Mission Study at Grace UMC and will only have one Mission Study for 2020.
Mission Study: Finding Peace in an Anxious World
If we meet using the Traditional format. Here are the plans: We will join together at Tavares United Methodist Church in their Fellowship Building. Our date for this event is September 26, 2020. The time will be 9 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. The requirements for getting credit for participating in a Mission Study is three hours. We will not plan on lunch.
If we meet virtually, most likely we will use a Zoom meeting. Zoom has the capability of meeting in a large group and moving into classrooms for breakout sessions. The date for this event is flexible at this time and because many of our Women do not have computers or computer experience, we suggest that each unit discuss with your Church leader(s) to see if you can meet somewhere in the Church with a “smart tv” or other media device to join the meeting. You do have to have to register with Zoom.com to join a meeting.
The East Central District United Methodist Women Annual Meeting
The Annual Meeting will follow the same two options depending on our ability to physically meet or not. If we meet Traditionally, we will gather at Oviedo UMC Fellowship Hall on October 17, 2020. We will begin at 9 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. Plan on joining us for lunch. Our theme for the Annual Meeting is: In Shining Our Light: Darkness Has Not Overcome Us! This will be a Celebration of Faith, Hope, and Love. We have business that must be accomplished at this meeting. So, please pray with me that we will be able to meet traditionally
If we have to meet virtually, more information will be sent to you closer to the date. The business portion of the meeting will still be accomplished.
|
|
East Central District, United Methodist Women
NEW
Website!
By Janet Blume, East Central District Secretary
I have spent a portion of my quarantine time learning how to develop a website for the first time! Hopefully as I continue to learn and improve, our website, it will become a useful tool for all of us. I would like to add a list of all our units and an email link for each unit so that women looking for a United Methodist Unit in their area can contact each unit directly to get additional information on your unit. You can either set up a gmail account for your unit (the East Central Districts is
flecdumw@gmail.com
) or use an existing officers email. So if your unit would like me to enable this feature, for your unit, email me at
janetblume.umw@gmail.com
or
flecdumw@gmail.com
and let me know the email you would like to use and I will set it up on the website for you. Additionally, the platform we are using for our website (wix) includes a blog, so in the future our blog will also be located on our website. I hope you enjoy checking it out!
We invite you to view the NEW Website now: Either copy this link into your browser:
https://flecdumw.org
Mission U Cancelled
By Janet Blume, East Central District Secretary
I am sad to report that Mission U this year has been cancelled! We are still waiting on some further guidance on any changes to the Mission Study schedule for the next few years. In the meantime, this year’s adult study on “Finding Peace in an Anxious World” is especially relevant to the anxiety and life changes many of us are dealing with during this pandemic. For families that are suddenly all home schooling, please consider the Teen Study, “Managing Anxiety: A Youth Study” or the children’s study, “Managing Our Emotions: A Children’s Study.” Unit Leaders please let your Church know that these resources are available for youth/Children’s leaders or teachers. The books are age appropriate and only $10 each and can be purchased at the following link on the United Methodist Women website.
|
|
2020 Calendar (updated)
September 11-13, 2020
Florida Conference United Methodist Women Spiritual Growth Retreat
Life Enrichment Center, Fruitland Park, FL
September 26, 2020
East Central District Mission Study Event
Tavares United Methodist Church
October 17, 2020
East Central District United Methodist Women Annual Meeting
Oviedo United Methodist Church
November 14, 2020
Forty-Seventh Florida Conference United Methodist Women Annual Meeting
First United Methodist Church Lakeland, FL
May 20-22, 2022
Assembly
Orlando, FL
|
|
SOCIAL ACTION
Gillian Wolfe -
gillianwolfe@hotmail.com
To say that the social justice issues facing us today are plentiful is an understatement, and I don't know about you, but it can be overwhelming. Where to first begin? What to do?
In keeping with our last social justice article today we look at John Wesley’s second rule for the United Methodist Church : Do Good.
How do we do good when we are stuck at home due to a pandemic? I’m glad you asked because there are many ways we can do good even in such a time as this. And “such a time as this” has truly exposed some of the injustices that exist in our world, and in our country. We have been given a time out to step back from our busyness and take a look around and see some of the consequences of our actions, globally, nationally and personally. If life, and our faith, is a journey then this is the part where we stop and reflect and plan how to move forward in a more just and balanced way.
So how can we do good today?
I invite you to visit the website:
www.unitedmethodistwomen.org
or our new district website
www.flecdumw.org
for some excellent suggestions to help to do good and to stay connected with other women. Here are just a few examples: prayer, donate, write cards or letters, make a phone call, join a Faith Talk and learn something new, do the mission study “Finding Peace in an Anxious World” and buy the youth and children’s studies to share with your youth group and children’s ministry leaders, sew face masks for homeless shelters, hospitals, nursing homes, families and friends, buy gift cards and take-out from local restaurants, crochet or knit prayer shawls, stay at home to protect the vulnerable and just being a voice of hope and encouragement in this time. There are many resources and options and opportunities to do good and each of us has a voice and a role to play in helping to make this world a better place as we slowly journey forward.
Stay safe, stay connected and do good!
Love and Peace
Gillian Wolfe
|
|
NEW HORIZON UMC - United Methodist Women's
What's Happening...
New Horizon Church UMW in Haines City, Florida held their Monday, March 9th meeting at 10:30AM with fellowship and program. Thank you to Sandy Sheets for a wonderful program “Lighting the Way Through Partnership which incorporated scripture from Philippians 2:15 and hymn sing I’m Gonna Live so God Can Use Me.” As United Methodist Women we let our light shine in so many ways through our partnerships in Mission. As the ECD/UMW 2020 theme,“Connections Unite Us” in our purpose, our vision, our missions, our values and our community partners. We had a very successful Feb. UMW Rummage, Book and Bake Sale that provides funds to help us sustain our commitment to women children and youth. All of us have been impacted by the COVID 19 pandemic and are not able to meet in person but we do stay connected in one form or another either computer, phone or email. We extend to all our blessings.
|
|
PROGRAM RESOURCES
Patricia Harrell -
patriciaharrell.umw@gmail.com
Distric Secretary of Program Resources
Yes! Our Reading Program continues even while our libraries and church UMW libraries are closed (hopefully to be soon reopened). Are you taking advantage of this quiet, less hurried, time to continue your reading? Perhaps you are sharing books with friends or ordering on amazon. Our year runs July to July, and your unit will be turning in their forms to me by mid-August. Your certificates will be awarded in the fall, just as usual. Our challenge (to earn $ for your library) that was scheduled to begin in July will
be on hold for now. Do you need to see the list of books in the program?
Let the reading continue!
|
|
Reading Corner
Highlighted Books This Month
|
|
So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
, Social Action 2020 Bonus Book, takes a hard look at racism in America. Do we do racist things without meaning to? Do we say offending things without knowing it? I find it interesting that the author is black, and her mother is white, yet according to the daughter, her mother is racist without meaning to be. This book is an attempt to make the seemingly impossible possible – honest conversations about race and racism, and how they infect almost every aspect of American life.
|
|
When Others Shuddered, by Jamie Janosz
, Education for Mission 2020, looks at how God used eight ordinary women, back at the turn of the century (1900) in America. Life was swiftly changing. Men and women flooded the cities looking for work. Former slaves fled north seeking freedom and education.
Crime rose. This time in which these women served. They followed His call risking their own safety and reputation. In doing so they changed the world forever. The stories of these eight historic, faithful women will change your life as well as you see what God can do through the willing hearts of ordinary women.
|
|
Finding Peace in an Anxious World, edited by Erin James-Brown
, is one of the books to be used at Mission U this summer. While July Mission u was cancelled we still hope to have some sort of Mission Study this fall using this book. It is published by UMW and only available through them. I had hoped to have copies available at our next district event, but of course that was cancelled. You’ll need to order the book directly at this link:
Who couldn’t use some peace in our anxious world of Covid 19? This study explores ways to discover peace through scriptural and spiritual disciplines to the we can be rooted in God and energized to live fully as disciples of Christ.
|
|
Articles for Next Trumpet Sounds
The Trumpet Sounds would like to request news updates from your units! Submit by Monday, August 3rd to be included for August.
If you have something news worthy here are a couple tips to be sure your article makes it in:
- Short paragraph on event or update - a few sentences
- A picture - please include a picture
- News worthy - consider it something that another unit could also learn from.
Please send your articles to: dianeabresky.umw@gmail.com using the Subject Line: Trumpet Sounds - August.
Submit by Monday, August 3rd!
If you have any questions, please feel free to email as well.
|
|
|
|
President, Anne Winn
annewinn.umw@gmail.com
Communications Coordinator, Diane Abresky
dianeabresky.umw@gmail.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
