Ministries “I Now Remind You to Stir Into Flame the Gift of God Which Is Within You...” —2 Timothy 1:6, NEB
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GUIDELINES women’s ministries “I now remind you to stir into flame the gift of God which is within you...” —2 Timothy 1:6, NEB United Methodist Women/Women’s Division General Board of Global Ministries WOMEN’S MINSTRIES Copyright © 2008 by Cokesbury All rights reserved. United Methodist churches and other official United Methodist bodies may reproduce up to 500 words from this publication, provided the following notice appears with the excerpted material: From Women’s Ministries 2009–2012. Copyright © 2008 by Cokesbury. Used by permission. Requests for quotations exceeding 500 words should be addressed to Permissions Office, Abingdon Press, P.O. Box 801, 201 Eighth Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37202-0801 or [email protected]. This book is printed on acid-free paper. ISBN 978-0-687-64712-5 All Scripture quotations unless noted otherwise are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NEB are taken from The New English Bible. © The Delegates of the Oxford University Press and The Syndics of the Cambridge University Press 1961, 1970. Reprinted by permission. Photos courtesy of the Women’s Division. Some paragraph numbers for and language in the Book of Discipline and the Book of Resolutions may have changed in the 2008 revision, which was published after these Guidelines were printed. We regret any inconvenience. MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Contents Welcome . 4 What Is the Emblem? What Is the Purpose? . 6 Membership Counts—Introduction/Invitation . 7 Why United Methodist Women? . 8 History Purpose: Reason for Being . 14 Commitment Mission Organization Mission Formation National Ministries . 16 National Mission Institutions Deaconesses and Home Missioners US-2 Program International Ministries . 17 Global Justice Volunteers Program Mission Intern Program Ubuntu Explorer Journeys Grants . 18 Brighter Future for Children and Youth Call to Prayer and Self-Denial Membership Counts . 19 Accomplishments Looking to the Future What Is Expected of a Member? . 21 How Do We Organize a Unit? How Are We Part of the Connection? Resources . 25 General Agency Contacts Inside Back Cover Welcome ou are so important to the life of the Christian church! You have consented to join with other people of faith who, through the millen- nia, have sustained the church by extending God’s love to others. You have been called and have committed your unique passions, gifts, and abilities to a position of leadership. This Guideline will help you under- stand the basic elements of that ministry within your own church and within The United Methodist Church. Called to Spiritual Leadership Each person is called to ministry by virtue of his or her baptism, and that ministry takes place in all aspects of daily life, in and outside the church. As a pastoral leader or leader among the laity, your ministry is not just a “job,” but a spiritual endeavor. You are a spiritual leader now, and others will look to you for spiritual leadership. What does this mean? First, all persons who follow Jesus are called to grow spiritually through the practice of various Christian habits (or “means of grace”) such as prayer, Bible study, private and corporate worship, acts of service, Christian confer- encing, and so on. Jesus taught his disciples practices of spiritual growth and leadership that you, as a disciple, are to share with others as they look to you to be a model and guide. Second, it means that you always keep your eye on the main reasons for any ministry—to help others grow to a mature faith in God that moves them to action on behalf of others, especially “the least” (see Matthew 25:31-46). This is an aspect of “disciple making,” which is the ultimate goal of all that we do in the church. CULTIVATING VISION AND MISSION As a spiritual leader, a primary function you carry is to help those you lead to see as clearly as possible what God is calling your church to be and to do. Ideally, your church council first forms this vision and then forms plans and goals for how to fulfill that vision. As a leader, you will help your team remain focused and accountable to honor the vision and goals to which the church is committed. You will help your team create and evaluate sugges- tions, plans, and activities against the measure: Does this move us closer to our church’s vision to bring others to God in this place and time? 4 GUIDELINES FOR LEADING YOUR CONGREGATION CHRISTIAN CONFERENCING While there are appropriate and useful business-like practices that apply to church life, Christian practices distinguish the church as the church. In the United Methodist tradition, how we meet and work together is important. “Christian Conferencing” involves listening not only to each other, but also listening intently for the will of God in any given task or conversation. This makes prayer essential in the midst of “business as usual.” As Christians, we are called to “speak the truth in love.” This is a special way to speak in which we treat one another as if each of us were Christ among us. As a spir- itual leader in your ministry area, you have the privilege and opportunity to teach and model these practices. By remembering that each of us is beloved of God and discerning the presence of God in all that the church does, every task becomes worshipful work. THE MISSION OF THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH The United Methodist Church is a connectional church, which means in part that every local church is interrelated through the structure and organization of districts, conferences, jurisdictions, and central conferences in the larger “family” of the denomination. The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church describes, among other things, the ministry of all United Methodist Christians, the essence of servant ministry and leadership, how to organize and accomplish that ministry, and how our connectional structure works (see especially ¶¶125–138). Our Church is more than a structure; it is a living organism. The Discipline describes our mission to proclaim the gospel and to welcome people into the body of Christ, to lead people to a commitment to God through Jesus Christ, to nurture them in Christian living by various means of grace, and to send persons into the world as agents of Jesus Christ (¶122). Thus, through you—and many other Christians—this very relational mission continues. (For help in addition to this Guideline and the Book of Discipline, see “Resources” at the end of your Guideline, www.umc.org, and the other websites listed on the inside back cover.) WOMEN’S MINISTRIES 5 What Is the Emblem? ● now remind you to stir into flame the gift of God which is within you . .” (2 Timothy 1:6, NEB). Inspired by a passage of Scripture from 2 Timothy 1:6, the emblem of United Methodist Women symbolizes the organization. The cross and flame are ancient symbols of the Church and appear on The United Methodist Church emblem. Both remind us of our PURPOSE of growing in our under- standing of and willingness to participate in the global ministries of the Church. The shape is fluid and free- flowing, suggesting change and mobility. The women who came before us, serving the Church at home and in other countries, were at the forefront of movements for change. Always aware of the times, we move into the twenty- first century aware of the opportunities and obligations of disci- pleship. We are a group of Christian women with many gifts who are unified by our Spirit. We participate in God’s mission in all areas of life. What Is the PURPOSE? nited Methodist Women is a community of women whose PUR- POSE is to know God and to experience freedom as whole persons through Jesus Christ; to develop a creative supportive fellowship; and to expand concepts of mission through participation in the global min- istries of the church. Therefore, be it resolved, that the General Conference affirms the powerful witness of the Women’s Division in our church and our world; 135 years of faithful service to Christ and the church, its current commitment to mission and its dedication to work within the General Board of Global Ministries; Be it further resolved, that the General Conference affirm the powerful wit- ness of the Women’s Division in our church and our world; Be it further resolved, that the General Conference upholds the current struc- ture of the Women’s Division and the organization of United Methodist Women. The Book of Resolutions of the United Methodist Church Resolution No. 19 6 GUIDELINES FOR LEADING YOUR CONGREGATION Membership Counts— Introduction/Invitation nited Methodist Women is the official women’s organization of The United Methodist Church. Its membership is voluntary and open to all women committed to spreading the gospel through mission work. “Membership shall be open to any woman who indicates her desire to belong and to participate in the global mission of the church through United Methodist Women. The pastor(s) shall be an ex-officio member of the local unit and of its executive committee” (The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church 2008, ¶256). Since 1869, women in the Methodist tradition have been organized with the purpose of being in mission with women, children, and youth. United Methodist Women and its predecessor organizations believed all human beings are of sacred worth, therefore deserving of dignity, justice, and well- being. Today, United Methodist Women members continue to pledge their support to meet the needs; advocate for justice; and honor the lives of all women, children, and youth around the world.