Local Units
LOCAL UNIT EVENTS
Posted in alphabetical order by church.
A GREAT WAY TO HELP EMMA NORTON SERVICES -BECOME A PARTNER CHURCH. A Partner Church contributes $2/member to Emma Norton Services each year. We currently have 17 Partner Churches.
The MN Council of Churches Refugee Services offers assistance to persecuted people who come to Minnesota as refugees. The MN UMC Conference is a key member of the MN Council of Churches and we are also the local affiliate for UMCOR’s work with refugees. We work with persecuted people who come by invitation of the US Government to start new lives in the United States and offer a range of educational and ministry opportunities to local congregations to learn more about and assist new refugees. Although refugees arrive filled with hope and possess vast life experience, they arrive with very few material belongings with which to begin life in the United States.
As part of our efforts to warmly welcome new arrivals to Minnesota, we set up apartments for new families before their arrival, but we need help to do so! Attached is a list of supplies needed to supply a family of five with what they need to start life in Minnesota. UMW groups at church and district levels could help to assemble welcome kits which will be delivered to new refugee familes. There is even the opportunity to set up the apartment! Since most refugee resettlement happens in the Twin Cities, this is a great opportunity for churches in Greater Minnesota to have a direct impact on the lives of newly arriving refugee families.
Thank you for sharing this information, and feel free to relay questions back to me. I think that this would be a great and impactful way for UMW groups to get involved in a group activity!
In Peace,
Kristin Zoellner
Refugee Services Resource Coordinator
Minnesota Council of Churches-Refugee Services
612.230.3219
www.mnchurches.org/refugee
Lake Harriet UMC
I am Patti Marsh Cagle from Lake Harriet United Methodist Women. I will be leading the full eight-week study using the School of Christian Mission book, The Journey on Thursday evenings from 7-9 p.m. from January 19 to March 8, 2012. I am thinking that some folks from neighboring UMWs might be interested in joining us in this study especially those who missed it at SCM last summer or who would like to experience it in more depth during the full 16 hours.
Here is a description of the sessions.
The Journey: Forgiveness, Restorative Justice and Reconciliation –
You are invited to join fellow seekers on Thursdays, January 19-March 8, from 7-9 p.m. as we explore stories from the Bible and recent history that illustrate the redemptive power of forgiveness. Our guidebook for the eight sessions will be The Journey: Forgiveness, Restorative Justice and Reconciliation, a 2011 School of Christian Mission book that will help us find paths to forgiveness, reconciliation and restorative justice for ourselves, our families and humankind by going deeper into both biblical and our own stories, taking restorative justice from spiritual concept to tangible life skill. The text was written by Co-Executive Directors of JustPeace, Stephanie Hixon and Tom Porter and published by The Women’s Division of the UMC, 2011. The class will meet at Lake Harriet United Methodist Church, 4901 Chowen Ave. Minneapolis (near 50th and France). The sessions are jointly sponsored by the Adult Learning team, Lake Harriet UMW and the Peace and Justice team.
We will carry out each session using a relational covenant developed by the group that will emphasize speaking and listening with respect, keeping confidentiality, and commitment to participation. In preparation for each two-hour Thursday night session we will read assigned Bible text and keep a journal of questions we want to ask related to the text. Optional reading from the guidebook for each session will prompt us to go deeper with our questions. Each weekly session will follow a format with inclusive circle discussion of questions related to the Bible text for the day, as well as a creative exercise, for example, drawing maps of our personal journeys, movement such as walking or moving in a circle, etc. For further information and to indicate your interest by contacting leader Patti Marsh Cagle 952-831-1531 jrpmc86@msn.com. Copies of the book will be available at the sessions for $7 each.
Minnetonka UMC
“What Churches Can Do” is the next educational offering from the Minnetonka United Methodist Church (MUMC) Domestic Abuse/Violence Task Force. The session will start with a short video of three compelling, true stories in which religious beliefs and/or church communities influenced victims to stay in their abusive relationship. After the video we’ll discuss what churches can do to help and support abuse victims, and to promote a society in which abuse or violence in intimate relationships is no longer tolerated. We’ll talk about what Minnetonka UMC is already doing and what else we might do.
The material is intense. We will have compassionate listeners present and ready to provide a private space and companionship for anyone who finds it too difficult to remain in the room.
The sessions are free and open to the public. Please feel free to share this information.
What Churches Can Do to help victims and prevent domestic abuse
January 25, 2012, 6:30 PM
Minnetonka United Methodist Church, 17611 Lake St. Extension, Minnetonka, MN 55345
952-474-4114 http://www.minnetonkaumc.org/domesticabuse
Simpson UMC
To all, Simpson is starting a Children's Book Club. We will be using the Simpson UMW is collecting children's books from the UMW Reading Program. We would love to have any children's books from the UMW Reading Program that you no longer wish to include in your church or UMW library. Eventually, we may use only current books, but to get started we welcome any books, even those five years or older on the Reading Program list. The books may be donated to Simpson or loaned; just let us know which you prefer.
Bev Bickelhaupt of Simpson UMW will be coordinating this program. Another interesting side benefit, Bev has engaged a grandmother, who has not been a UMW member, to help with this program. A new recruiting mechanism! If you find you have some books to share with Simpson, please bring them to the TC District meeting in April. Let me know if you prefer to have us pick them up. Thanks, Mary Gates, 612 789 8767