Lots of new information this week. . . because you asked for it.

You've been asking for the details of this year's Annual Mission Project and we've got all the details ready for you now. Also included are details for Mission u this summer, local events in the next few weeks, and notes from local groups. There's lots more! Keep reading.

Wendy Campbell, President, NTC United Women in Faith PS - This is your last chance to register for Soul Care Saturday -- a unique, renewing and joyful experience!

peaceful garden, worship, sisterhood, prayer, art, lunch

SOUL CARE SATURDAY:

TRANSFORMERS OF THE WORLD

April 27, 2024 9 am - 3 pm

REGISTER NOW for this Day Apart for connecting, spiritual nourishment and joy! This Soul Care retreat is an activity-based, lovely event perfect to share with a friend. The day will be at a garden retreat center in the midst of the city and include worship, mixed media art, scripture meditation, poetry, and fellowship with a lovely lunch and a swag bag! No membership required, all women over 12 are welcome. The Rev. Marianne Trigg-Brown will be worship leader. Childcare is provided - if you request it by noon on Thursday, April 25th.

Registration and full info here. $20 includes lunch and a swag bag Download the flyer. Want to help? Contact Karen Anderson-Lain, Chair.

LOCATION: Copeland Retreat Center @ Lovers Lane UMC, 9200 Inwood Rd, Dallas

2024 Mission Project:

ABIDE WOMEN'S HEALTH SERVICES

The North Texas Conference Leadership Team chose ABIDE because it deals with Disparities in Maternal Health. This Black women-owned clinic in South Dallas provides birthing services along with pre- and post-natal care to women of color and works to reduce the disparities in Black maternal and infant health.

Our support will help Abide reach more families and improve birth outcomes in the DFW area. You and your group can choose to support this year's project financially, by buying items on their Amazon Wish List, by collecting items bought locally, or by creating layette handmade items. Full information & donation form on our website.

IT'S HAPPENING NOW! GENERAL CONFERENCE 2024

April 23 - May 3 in Charlotte, NC

Gain a better understanding of what is going on at General Conference, find inspiration in stories of ministry and learn how our denomination is transforming the world in this 6 min. video.

United Women in Faith Day is Monday, April 29th.

• Special UWFaith Presentation from UWF will be Mon., April 29 at 10 am - noon (EST). Tune into the LiveStream.
• Infographic on General Conference.
• Watch Live Stream at UMCGC.org/live
• Pray for the event and those attending, including the lay and clergy delegation from North Texas and our friend, Cynthia Rives, National UWF Vice-President from Denton.
• UWFaith Blog in member portal; news on UWFaith on FB and Twitter
• Use the Prayer Guide or sign up for the NTC Prayer Vigil.
• Subscribe to updates: tinyurl.com/UWFaithAtGC
• UMCGC.org is the official site offering detailed info about what is happening.

UWFaith Lunch at Annual Conference

Tuesday, June 4th at First UMC Richardson

We will be hosting a lunch on Tuesday along with Church and Society at the North Texas Annual Conference. We will learn about changes made in our Social Principles at General Conference and have Table Talk to discuss how the changes will affect us, our missions and our organization. If you will be attending Annual Conference this year please choose our lunch when you register. We will also have a ministry table like we did last year and will be looking for volunteers to staff it.

GET TOGETHER!

South Central Jurisdiction Gathering June 21-24 in St. Louis

Gather next June in St. Louis with your UWFaith Sisters from Texas, New Mexico, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri. This quadrennial event will include engaging workshops, inspiring worships, motivating speakers, and renewing soul care. The Registration link has full information. Check with Lela to see if we have any scholarship money left.

DO IT NOW: REGISTER by APRIL 30th

MISSION u 2024:

The Kin-Dom is Among You

Participants will be invited to develop practices for building healthy, welcoming communities as a result of being anchored in the abiding love of God. North Texas will offer an in-person retreat and virtual classes as well.

Retreat: Friday morning to 5 pm Saturday, July 19-20 with expanded capacity and a closer dorm to the cafeteria. Study Leaders: Rev. Danielle Kim, Rev. Gracie Millard, Rev. Christina Hardy, Worship Leader: Rev. Rosedanny Ortiz.

Virtual Evenings and Lunch Hour: Dates yet to be determined. Study Leader: Rev. Shandon Kline

Registration will open with full information about May 15th.

METHODIST DALLAS MEDICAL CTR. AUXILIARY

SPRING LUNCHEON

Thursday, May 2nd, 10 am in Hitt Auditorium

Celebrate a year of mission by the Hospital Auxiliary! Featuring Guest Speaker, John Mitchener, Chief Development Officer, MHS Foundation; Installation of Officers for 2024-2025; Presentation of Auxiliary Gifts to SANE and Breast Health Outreach; Memorial Service, and announcement of the Auxilian of the Year award. Oak + Lily will have a pop-up shop from 9:30 am - noon.

Make your reservation by April 25: email Phyllis or call Jane Morris. Guests are always welcome, just tell us how many.

LOCATION: Hitt Auditorium, 1441 N. Beckley Ave, Dallas, TX 75203

FUN FAMILY EVENT

TOUCH A TRUCK

Saturday, May 4th, 10 am - noon

Children and adults an see trucks, cars and other vehicles up close, and

meet the men and women who serve, protect and build our community. Held in the church parking lot behind First UMC Richardson. Click for tickets.

LOCATION: Parking lot on Custer Rd. behind the church at 503 N. Central Expressway, Richardson, TX

Contact us about bringing your vehicle to participate.

COMMUNITIES IN CRISIS: 4 FENTANYL STORIES

Saturday, May 4th, 10 am



Lake Cities UWFaith group is sponsoring this event with four speakers who have lost someone close to a fentanyl overdose. Come to the Family Life Center to hear their stories and how they cope. Open to the public.

Contact Laura Fernberg for more info. Flyer to download.

LOCATION: Lake Cities UMC, 300 E Hundley Drive, Lake Dallas, TX 75065

MISSING & MURDERED INDIGENOUS WOMEN AND GIRLS

NATIONAL RED DRESS DAY

Sunday, May 5th, 2024

Wear red on Sunday, May 5th to raise awareness of and bring honor to the thousands of MMIWG (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls). This is a simple way to show our commitment to justice and healing for indigenous women and girls. The University Park United Women in Faith have been studying this since it was one of our Conference Mission Projects in 2023 and brought this to our attention. May 5th has been observed annually on May 5th since 2010. Wear your red to show your continued support for systemic change amid this ongoing genocidal crisis.

Wesley UWF Doubles in Size!

EAST DISTRICT - The Wolf City UWF has joined the the Wesley UWF in Greenville and it has turned out to be a wonderful partnership! They recently met for a work day and made three no-sew blankets for the Hunt County Child Protective Service Rainbow Room. Thanks, Kathy Kissell, Pat Kennedy, Yvonne Norwood, Mary Lynn Patterson and Ruthie Williams for being the hands of Christ.

THANK YOU! from the Bold Women of Lovers Lane



METRO DISTRICT - Thanks to everyone who drove to Walnut Hill Church with their old pc's, printers, cell phones, keyboards, etc. to be recycled. You helped deprive the Dallas landfill of this stuff and raised over $800 for missions! (L to R: Becky Baird, Wendy Campbell, Sheila McLauchlin, Becky Barnebey, Jo Ann Leavitt, and Judy Bader.)

Lake Cities UWF Learns about OIMC

NORTH CENTRAL DISTRICT - Lake Cities UWF invited Conference Social Action officer, Ruth Bowen, to share her experiences attending the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference Immersion Experience five times. (Front row: Susan Anderson, Bar Coy, Sandra Gihchrist; with Ruth Bowen, donna Tesla, Stephanie Lindm Jade Fernberg and others.

TX MATERNAL HEALTH POLICY NEEDS YOUR INPUT

The Texas Medical Board has gotten the message from thousands of petition signers. Now the draft of their rule clarifying Texas’ abortion ban exception has been published. Public comments will be accepted until May 8th and can be easily made with this Texas Impact printable comment form. (print and scan it or copy it and put it into your own email)

Let your elected officials in Austin know that you have submitted a comment - they will be glad to know that you have participated in the process. Then tell your friends and neighbors! You'll encourage others in your community to 'get involved' too! And its not hard to make a comment using the above form and your opinion counts!

Questions? Contact Marilee Hayden, a member of the Texas Women's Reproductive Justice Team.

WESLEY-RANKIN COMMUNITY CENTER:

B3X: STEAM-based Summer Camp



VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! SUPPLIES NEEDED! B3X uses hands-on activities to reinforce science, math, reading and art learning for 200 children this summer. Click to see how you and friends can help: Amazon Wishlist for supplies, application and dates for volunteers.

JERRI SAVUTO RESCUE CENTER

Support the Girls with a Monthly Gift

They want to go to school. We believed that the girls in rural Kenya could escape FGM if they had a place to stay safe. The Jerri Savuto Rescue Center is now a dream come true. The girls are attending school and thriving in their new home. Your monthly gift will help pay school fees, pay for supplies and other necessities for a growing girl! Contact Joyce Whiteley to make your gift.

2024 NORTH TEXAS TIMELINE UWFaith READING PROGRAM

It has been decided to stick with our original Reading Program timelines for 2024. For one more year we'll follow the established procedures of previous years.

There will be changes in 2025. If you have questions, contact Dr. Dana Jobe. Happy Reading!

2024 Reporting Period: September 1, 2023 – August 31, 2024

2025 Reporting Period: September 1, 2024 – December 31, 2025

Connect with Dallas Bethlehem Center Connect with Wesley-Rankin Community Center! Each of these 'national mission institutions' are local - in North Texas -- and have amazing, new programs meeting the needs of their communities. Have you heard about them? Request they speak to your UWF group or Sunday School class, or schedule a tour for your group to visit and see their mission up close. Schedule it now and for credit on your unit's annual report due in August. Click on name above for contact abd more information.

Look at new and updated PROGRAM IDEAS on our website.

CHECK OUR WEBSITE CALENDAR FOR MORE INFO ABOUT:

• General Conference of the UMC: April 23 - May 3 in Charlotte, NC
• United Women in Faith Day at General Conference, April 29
• METRO Book Club: Friday, May 10th at 1pm
• NTC UWFaith Lunch at Annual Conference: Tuesday, June 4
• MISSION u 2024 Retreat, July 19-20 at UTD; Virtual sessions TBA
• DISTRICT ANNUAL MTGS in September

DISPARITIES IN MATERNAL HEALTH:

Click for program recording, speakers' slides, advocacy video, and a list of articles, websites, videos and more. MATERNAL HEALTH RESOURCES

PHOTO ALBUMS - See pics from recent events. Please send your photos to news@UWFNorthTexas.org.

LOCAL OFFICER TRAINING HANDOUTS

2024 handouts for all local officers are available in our website Resource section. Helpful Hints for: Presidents, Treasurers, VP-Programs, Social Action, Secretary, Spiritual Growth & Soul Care, Education & Interpretation, Membership Nurture & Outreach, Program Resources (clean presentation uploaded), Communications and the Committee on Nominations. Questions? Contact your District officer.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

See ideas for individuals or groups in the Volunteer Opportunities at Local Missions section on our website.

WOW -- TOGETHER WE DO A LOT! Check out the 2 pages listing "All We've Done Together" with who UWF of N Texas supported, where we donated items, and many, many examples of activities and events we organized, presented and attended in the past year.

NEW! Follow us on Instagram & facebook: ntcuwf

Connect & follow our accounts and share.

We look forward to engaging with you!