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Crossroads UMW Good News February, 2016 Newsletter

President’s Message Did you realize this is the second year of

Crossroads United Methodist Women? We made it through our infancy and have had our first birthday or anniversary – I’m not sure how to look at it. But I do know that I am grateful that first year has been completed!

Thankfully God answers prayer and uses some of us to accomplish his purpose. Because of this, we have an almost full slate of officers (see WANTED elsewhere in this newsletter) to lead the District in 2016. I am truly thankful for all the women who took the challenge, and stepped out bravely to ac-cept positions at our Crossroads District United Methodist Women Annual Meeting that was held in September in Industry. I have high hopes with all this support that leadership and communication from our District team to the local units during this year will be much improved. I like all of us to recog-nize the connectional aspect of United Methodist Women.

I feel like we can finally get organized! Please help us in this endeavor by responding to requests for information and reporting from District Officers and Leaders. Some of you already do a great job at this, and I appreciate you!

On January 30th, a full District Leadership Team will be meeting for the first time and we will begin to work together to set goals for serving the local units. Please pray for us and contact us with any celebra-tions or concerns. One of my personal goals as Dis-trict President is to have improved communications and more frequent contact with units, so I hope to see you somewhere, soon.

In Service, Susan Juckett

What it means to be a Charter Club Unit?

As one of the district officers for our pathway for Advocacy for Justice, I felt it was important to get the word out about what the Charter Club which is all about Racial Justice Awareness is all about. In or-der for your unit to become a Charter Club, your lo-cal unit selects, takes actions, and reports on certain activities that are provided on a list on the back of the Charter Club Report Form. Some of these items include 2 points for sending one member of your unit to Mission U to take a racially relevant study and

Call to Prayer & Self-Denial 2016

This service is an annual observance during which members reflect on the gospel of Christ, pray, and make an offering to missions in response to God's love and grace. In 2016, the offering received will support national and international programs that empower women to gain the resources they need to earn a living to help take care of themselves and their loved ones. Projects may include vocational training, job readiness and life skillsltraining, and small business development assistance. One hundred percent of the offering will go directly to partners engaged in programs and advo-cacy to empower women. To plan a Call to Prayer and Self-Denial pro-gram refer to the United Methodist Women Program Book 2015-2016: Growing in Blessedness. Program packets can be ordered from United Methodist Women Mission Resources P.O. Box 742349, Atlanta, GA 30374-2349

CALL TOLL FREE 1-800-305-9857 FAX 1-770-280-0061 ONLINE: www.umwmissionresources.org

Yvonne Wait and Andrea Drab

Charter Club Continued present the study in your unit or church. Another one is 2 points for being involved with a ministry/mission working on human trafficking. If you are a First Year Charter Club Unit, you need 4 points to become a Charter Club Unit. After your first year, you focus on either two actions that are 1 point or one action that counts for two. Some of the actions that count as one point for this year are use a pro-gram from the Program Book for United Methodist Women with an emphasis on racial justice issues, attend worship in a church with an ethnic back-ground different from your own, or planning a wor-ship experience for your unit or church with and em-phasis on racial justice. So go out there and become more aware about racial justice and make a differ-ence. This form is then turned in to either myself or Judy Johnson by July 1st. The year of reporting runs from June 1st through May 30th. If you have any questions about where to find the form to report on or you need one sent to your unit; you can contact me at 361-799-1121 or s_ritchea@yahoo.com.

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Crossroads District UMW Calendar of Events

January 8-9 - Rio Texas Leadership Training, Conference and District Officers

January 24-26 - UMW Texas Legislative Event in Austin

January 30 - 9:00 a.m. to noon - District Team Meeting - Schulenburg United Methodist Church, 209 Upton Avenue, Schulenburg

February 13 - Crossroads District Leadership Training, First United Methodist Church, Gonzales

March 5 - Crossroads District Spring Retreat, Cathedral Oaks, Weimar

April 15-17 - Jurisdiction Quadrennial Meeting, Oklahoma City Assembly 2018

April 20 - Deadline for “UMW Good News” (“UMW Good News” name chosen for District Newsletter)

May 7 - 9:00 a.m. to noon - District Team Meeting, Location to be Announced

June 11 - UMW Luncheon at Annual Conference, Corpus Christi, Texas

July 8-10 - Mission U, Rio Texas Conference Mount Wesley, Kerrville

July 20 - Deadline for “UMW Good News”

August 2 - 9:00 a.m. to noon - District Team Meeting

October 7-8 - UMW Rio Texas Annual Meeting, TBA Capital District 2015 - Coastal Bend District 2016

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Re-energize your prayer life with a new practice A UMC.org Feature by Joe Iovino* “Lord, teach us to pray,” the disciples request of Jesus (Luke 11:1 CEB). Many of us who lack confi-dence in our prayer lives ask the same of our pastors and others who seem to have a better handle on that spiritual discipline. As United Methodists, we know the value of works of piety like prayer. The third of John Wesley’s three rules for the Methodist Church was to continue “attending upon all the ordinances of God.” The list of exam-ples he offered with this rule included “Family and private prayer.” Learning to pray is like learning to ride a bicycle. What we can learn from a book or class is not enough. Proficiency comes through practice. Additionally, because prayer is a form of communication, there is no one-size-fits-all technique. Each of us needs to find our unique style.Spending a day or season invigorating your prayer life is time well spent. Experiment with some new-to-you ways of praying. You might be surprised to find what works best for you. Be still You don’t necessarily need words to pray. In Psalm 46, God tells his people who were busy trying to please him, “That’s enough! Now know that I am God!” (Psalm 46:10 CEB). Sometimes we need to stop performing for God and simply “be still.” This can be hard at first because it is so unfamiliar. Set a timer for 3-5 minutes, or find some relax-ing music or sound effects that will mark the time. Then be quiet and rest in the presence of God. Breath Prayer Breath prayers are another way to become more aware of God's presence. The Holy Spirit is as near as the air we breathe. A common way to practice breath prayer is silently repeating a single-line prayer with each breath. As you inhale address God with something like, “Jesus, Son of God.” Then, as you exhale, express a request to God such as, “be merciful to me, a sinner.” Other examples are, “Creator God, allow me to see your beauty around me,” “Holy Spirit, let me feel your joy,” “O Lord, show me your way,” and “Holy One, heal me.” Repeat the prayer with each breath for several minutes. Listen for God. Multi-sensory Prayer Engaging other senses in prayer proves effective for many. Through the centuries, Christians have looked at candles, smelled incense, and held onto beads, crosses, and more as they prayed. A creative way to do something similar is to pray while working a piece of clay in your hands and contemplating your humanity and sinfulness. The clay reminds us that God is constantly shaping us into vessels of the Holy Spirit. As Jeremiah watched a potter shape and reshape clay, he heard the voice of God, “Like clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in mine” (Jeremiah 18:6 CEB). Labyrinth Prayer A labyrinth is another helpful tool for focusing prayers. A labyrinth is a path marked out in a field, painted in a parking lot, or shown on a carpet that you walk while you pray. While a labyrinth may look like a maze, it is not. It is a single path leading participants into the center, and back out. While entering the labyrinth, prayers are focused on confession. Participants then pause in the center to read scripture, sing, or worship another way. On the way out of the labyrinth prayers for others, self, and anything else that occupies the mind are offered.

Since labyrinths are not readily available, a finger labyrinth makes a great substitute. You can pray this three-part prayer while slowly tracing the path with your finger. Print a finger labyrinth and give it a try. Or, if you would rather walk, pray similarly while strolling around your neighborhood or on a nearby hiking trail. Praying scripture Another great source of prayer is the Bible. Praying the scriptures has a long tradition among the faithful. Prayerfully read a passage by stopping every line or so, and praying what comes to mind. This can stretch us to bring before God petitions we might not think of

on our own. Praying the Psalms, for example, calls us to address every emotion. Praying Mary’s Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55) will lead us in prayer for the poor and oppressed. Many scriptures such as Jesus’ healings and par-ables, Paul’s letters, and others, may deeply speak to our needs, help us to praise, or remind us of a promise of God.

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Re-energize your prayer life with a new practice

(Continued from page 3) You may also pray by simply checking in with God at the end of the day. As you might call a friend or family member just to chat about what is going on in your life, you can have the same conversation with God. Ignatius of Loyola, a 16th century cleric and theologian, taught what he called the Daily Examen. The Examen asks the believer to share with God that for which you are thankful, moments you recognized God’s presence in the events of the day, your short-comings, and to ask God to prepare you for the day ahead. Find your way As there are many ways to communicate with those closest to us, so too there are numerous ways to pray. This list is not comprehensive, but rather a place to begin exploring prayer methods. Spend some time developing a richer prayer life by finding what works for you. This will allow you to re-energize your conversations with God. Spend some time developing a richer prayer life … and re-energize your conversations with God. #UMC *Joe Iovino works for UMC.org at United Methodist Communications. He may be reached at jiovino@umcom.org or 615-312-3733.

Wanted District Secretary of Program Resources Leadership position

available! Do you like books and like to read? Or maybe you’ve had some retail experience? Here’s your chance to combine both and be part of a winning team – that is be a very needed and neces-sary member of our district leadership team as Dis-trict Secretary of Program Resources. Duties: Order program resource materials three times a year for the Leadership Training, Spring Re-treat, and Annual Meeting. You’ll receive a few boxes of study books, prayer calendars, reading pro-gram books, and other materials. Bring them to our district events and “set up shop”. They practically sell themselves! Send back funds for sold materials and return unsold materials. You will be trained and assisted, you don’t have to do this alone! Please, please, please pray about this and when you hear the call, contact either Kathy Hunt at 361-550-6552 or Susan Juckett at 361-676-7477 to accept this position. Thank you for your consideration and we look forward to hearing from you soon!

District UMW 2016

Leadership Training Event

Crossroads District United Methodist Women 2016 Leadership Training Event February 13, 2016 First United Methodist Church 426 St. Paul Street, Gonzales, Texas

Registration begins at 9:00 AM. Meet your new District officers and fellowship with your counterparts from other units to share ideas and success stories. Program Resources will be avail-able. Event ends at noon. Questions? Call Sharon Spiess at 979-357-2759 or Susan Juckett at 361-676-7477.

Crossroads District UMW Spring Retreat Saturday, March 5, 2016 Cathedral Oaks, Weimar Registration flyer coming soon!

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School Kit Materials Each year UMW selects a mission program with which to invite members to participate. This year they have selected the School Kit Materials packs. The list of items to be included in the packs is below. Please read and follow the list carefully and make sure that the measurements and num-bers of items are exact. Many times these packs are sent into countries around the world which are extremely particular about what they allow in. The packs will be collected at Mission U, July 8 - 10. This is a wonderful opportunity for UMW units and individuals to participate directly in mission work. 1 pair blunt scissors Rounded tip only; No plastic scissors, please. 3 pads of paper Spiral- or top-bound pads; 150 sheets or less of loose-leaf paper can be substituted for 1 pad; Combination of spiral, top-bound, side-bound, or loose-leaf paper is acceptable; No composition books, please. 1 hand-held pencil sharpener Must be at least 1 inch long; Remove from packaging. 1 30-centimeter ruler Hard or flexible; Cartoon characters are acceptable; No advertisements please. 6 unsharpened pencils No advertisements, religious, patriotic, military, or camouflage symbols, please; Cartoon characters are acceptable. 1 2-inch or larger-size eraser No advertisements, religious, patriotic, military, or camouflage symbols, please; Cartoon characters are acceptable. 1 24-count box of crayons Only 24-count boxes, please. 1 14x16 inch cloth bag Homemade or purchased bags are both acceptable; Heavy-duty fabric only, such as denim, corduroy, drapery fabric, etc.; No advertisements, religious, patriotic, military, or camouflage symbols, please; Closures are optional but must be buttons, snaps, or Velcro sewn in middle of opening, if used.

Assembly Directions Place all loose items on top of paper. Turn items sideways and slide into the cloth bag. Fold over the top of the bag so loose items don’t fall out.

Important Notes All items must be new. All emergency kits are carefully planned to make them usable in the greatest number of situa-tions. Since strict rules often govern product entry into international countries, it is important that kits contain only the requested items, nothing more. Do not include any personal notes, money, or additional material in the kits. These things must be painstakingly removed and will delay the shipment.

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2015 L

ocal Mem

bership Census Form

Local Unit N

ame: _______________________________________

Unit President:

______________________________________________

District: C

rossroads District

Address:

___________________________________________________

Conference: R

io Texas Conference

City:

______________________________________________________

Reported by: __________________________________________

State/Zip: Texas, ________________

Phone: _______________________________________________ Em

ail:

_____________________________________________________

Num

ber of mem

bers as of January 1, 2015: __________________

New

mem

bers added: + __________________

N

umber lost by death or

other reason:

- __________________ Total m

embership at D

ecember 1, 2015:

__________________ A

re you a local, cluster/charge, district, or online unit? ______________________________________________ Instructions:

Send two copies to by February 29th to:

Fill in your information and insert your counts

Crossroads Pathw

ay for Grow

th/Mem

bership into the corresponding spaces.

Suzanne Veselka

P.O

. Box 721

Yoakum, TX

77995

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Prayer Ministry for General Conference

United Methodist Women’s engagement in the prayer ministry for General Conference 2016 is in full swing with the arrival of the first quilted finger labyrinths following the appeal distributed

in October. As a reminder, one of our UMW prayer ministries activity planned is to offer quilted finger prayer labyrinths for delegates and guests. We are actively seeking UMW members that enjoy quilting to assist us by making the finger labyrinths. Do you have women in your conference, dis-trict or local units who would like to help by volunteering to quilt finger prayer labyrinth squares for the delegates and guests? We need 2,000 and the variety of labyrinths made by women from all over the country will bless the recipients and lend to the support and outreach we hope to ex-tend. Attached is a pattern and picture for the finger labyrinths. Each labyrinth will be tagged with a card identifying that the labyrinth is “handmade with love and prayer by United Methodist Women”. Please circulate this request and the attached pattern among the UMW with whom you have contact. Share that anyone interested in quilting the finger prayer labyrinth squares should email GCprayer@unitedmethodistwomen.org with an estimate of how many they might be able to make. Labyrinths are to be shipped by February 29, 2016 to: Brooks Howell Home Attn: GC Prayer Ministry 266 Merrimon Avenue Asheville, NC 28801 If there are questions, email me at GCprayer@unitedmethodistwomen.org.

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Quilt Hand-Labyrinth Instructions Materials: 8 ½” x 8 ½” quilt top fabric 8 ½” x 8 ½” batting 10 ½” x 10 ½” quilt backing fabric Labyrinth pattern (found below) Contrasting thread for ma-chine-quilting the design

Center quilt top fabric (face up), batting, and quilt backing (face down). Baste or pin together, leaving 1” surplus of quilt backing around all edges. Center the paper design (face up) on right side of the quilt top and pin or baste the pa-per pattern to the three layers. Or, you can trace the design on the right side of the top fabric. Using a straight stitch, sew all four pieces together, following the labyrinth design, be-ing sure to stitch all circuits of the design. Shortening the stitch length on your ma-chine will help the paper tear away more easily. Tear-away the paper pattern. Using a satin or tight zig-zag stitch, retrace the entire labyrinth design on the straight stitch path. Finish edges. Begin with corners, folding the backing over itself at 45 degree angles toward the quilt top, covering raw corners. Stitch each mitered corner in place. Then, fold the backing of each of the four sides in half way, then fold again, over the raw edge. Finish with a 1/4'”-3/8” seam allowance.

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President Susan Juckett 2207 E. Mistletoe Avenue; Victoria, Texas 77901 361-676-7477 (C) sgjny2tx@msn.com

Vice-President Sharon Spiess Post Office Box 56; Industry, Texas 78944 979-357-2759 (H) 379-732-0531 (C) sharon_spiess@hotmail.com

Treasurer Kathy Hunt 106 South Deleon Street; Victoria, Texas 77901 361-550-6552 kathyhunt@suddenlink.net

Secretary Darla Donahoe 522 Caribbean Drive; Lockhart, Texas 78644 830-391-4040 ddonahoe10@gmail.com

Pathway for Spiritual Enrichment Barney Zimmerman 7080 Great Oaks Circle; Burton, Texas 77835 979-278-3364 bjbujol@yahoo.com

Mary Ann Eckermann 10477 Eckermann Road; Burton, Texas 77835 979-278-3544 (H) 979-277-5477 (C) maryanne@industryinet.com

Pathway for Growth/Membership Suzanne Veselka Box 721; Yoakum, Texas 77995 361-293-3223 Pathway for Advocacy for Justice Judith M. Johnson 206 Ciela Vista; Seguin, Texas 78155 830-372-4522 (H) 830-305-1344 (C) judithmj@att.net

Sarah Ritchea 2607 Cardinal; Victoria, Texas 77901 361-799-1121 s_ritchea@yahoo.com

Pathway for Education & Communication

Susan Yancey 2523 Iris Lane; New Ulm, Texas 78950 979-357-2088 (H) 832-867-9617 (C) susan.yancey@gmail.com

Liz Reed Post Office Box 156; Industry, Texas 78944 979-451-1161 liz.reed78@yahoo.com

Pathway for Stewardship/Mission Giving Andrea Drab Post Office Box 272; Industry, Texas 78944 979-357-2235 (H) 979-421-0550 (C) andreadrab@hotmail.com

Yvonne Wait 1028 Hofheinz Road; New Ulm, Texas 78950 979-357-2368 (H) 979-277-2923 (C) ymwait@live.com

Committee on Nominations, Chair (needs to be filed) Committee on Nominations Sue Gibbs (15) 1234 Brownson Road; Victoria, Texas 77905 361-578-2770 jsgibbs@dishmail.net

Anna Ruth Evans (16) 541 CR 451; Hallettsville, Texas 77964 361-798-5755

Helen Miller (17) 7727 Longing Trail; Converse, Texas 78109 210-945-0535 miller.ralph@att.net

Sonya Saul (18) 110 North River Drive; Columbus, Texas 78934 979-732-2491 Jr1930@sbcglobal.net

Susan Southard (18) 530 Guadalupe, Apt. A; Lockhart, Texas 78644 512-227-6102 Vacant (19)

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RIO TEXAS CONFERENCE UNITED METHODIST WOMEN

LOCAL UNIT APPROVED STUDY REPORT REPORT YEAR IS JUNE 1 THROUGH MAY 31

District _____________________________ Local Organization ______________________________________ Town/City _______________________________Title of Study________________________________________ Total Hours _____ Number Attended _______ Date of Last/Only Session_______________________________ Action taken as a result of the study: ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Study Leader ________________________________________________________________________________ Study Group: Church ___ Local Organization ___ mission U___ Other (circle, cluster, etc.) ____ REQUIREMENTS FOR APPROVED STUDY: Ten per-cent of members attended local or cluster study or attended Rio Texas Mission u ___Yes ___No The group spent a minimum of four hours in study ___ Yes ___No At least fifty per-cent of the group attended each session ___ Yes ___ No A current, approved mission study course and text was used ___ Yes ___ No GOALS FOR EXCELLENCE IN MISSION STUDY: Group scheduled study ahead of time and made appropriate plans ___ Yes ___No The study group had a prepared and capable leader ___ Yes ___No Class members prepared by reading the text and doing other assignments ___ Yes ___No Class members participated in discussions and other class activities ___ Yes ___No Class members, as individuals or as a group, made and carried out action plans as result of study ___Yes ___ No Name of person reporting _________________________________Phone ________________________________ Email __________________________________________________Date __________________________________ Send this to your District Coordinator for Education and Interpretation by July 1. Revised Jan 2016

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Rio Texas Conference United Methodist Women Local Organization Mission Today Report Form

Reporting Period June 30-May 31

Local Organization____________________________________Submitted by ______________________ Town/City _____________________________________District_________________Date____________ For Mission Today recognition, the local organization must complete at least eight of the fol-lowing criteria including four of those marked with an asterisk (*). _____* 1. Use the Prayer Calendar at each general meeting to pray for individuals and mission projects _____*2. Lift up an article from Response to share knowledge of what our mission money does to impact the lives of women, children, and youth. New World Outlook provides another way to tell the mission story. _____*3. At least two members will subscribe to Response magazine. _____*4. At least two people will participate in the Reading program. _____*5. Use at least two programs from the program book each year. _____*6. Make and meet pledge to mission. _____*7. Participate in at least one current mission study. _____8. Write to five people mentioned in the prayer calendar. _____9. Support a National Mission Institution _____10. Become a Five Star unit. _____11. At least two members (other than a conference or district officer) will attend district or conference annual meeting. _____12. At least two members (other than a conference or district officer will attend Mission u. _____13. Have a UMW Sunday _____14. Enable a teen or young woman to attend a conference event by sponsoring or pro-vided a scholarship. _____ 15. Have a member attend the Legislative event in January. _____ 16. Add at least one member to roll. _____ 17. Implemented the Charter for Racial Justice during the year. Send to district coordinator for Education and Interpretation by July 1. Revised Jan 16

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United Methodist Women Crossroads District

Editors Susan Yancey Liz Reed