UMW to Celebrate Mission at Annual Meeting

 

NTC women are starting fresh on a new year as they look back on accomplishments

The United Methodist Women of the North Texas Conference will celebrate the closing of one year and the start of the next at its annual meeting and luncheon on Oct. 21, 2017, at First UMC Denton.

Mae Alexander, president of the NTC UMW, said the meeting is usually the largest of the year.

Sally Vonner, UMW assistant general secretary of membership and leadership development, will speak on “At the Water’s Edge.” It’s based on Matthew 14:28-31, best known for the “Oh ye of little faith” verse.

Vonner, a member of the North Texas Conference, will take the audience through a journey of how the UMW has been rocking waves with Jesus and moving with the spirit of God for almost 150 years. She’ll also tell how a bold legacy has prepared the UMW for a bold future as the women continue to put their faith, hope and love into action. Also, expect to hear updates on how UMW members all can share in mapping a course for the next 150 years.

Alexander took a brief look back at the concluding year, then forward to the next in her two-year term. She counts as among the group’s successes its first breakfast held during Annual Conference, open to all.

The UMW also completed a year of mission devoted to the Grace Children’s Hospital in Haiti, working through International Child Care. Severely damaged in the 2010 earthquake, the hospital has rebuilt facilities and is doing outreach to tent communities.

The UMW is in the process of selecting a mission project, possibly with a local focus, for the upcoming year. Mission work is also more attractive than meetings to younger women juggling family responsibilities, Alexander said.

Members work hard behind the scenes, and one of Alexander’s goals is to create more visibility for those good deeds, perhaps including a return to presenting a report at the Annual Conference in June. She is also working with a new three-member communications team who will work on website design, keeping the site updated, email blasts and improving the UMW program book and registration.

The meeting begins at 8:30 a.m. Lunch, from Corner Bakery, is $10, and T-shirts are available. 

Published: Tuesday, October 10, 2017