Winter 2018 Volume 3, Issue 1 Corridor Connections

Corridor District of the Conference United Methodist Women

Greetings Sisters in Christ

Jesus summons us to GO wherever he may lead, in all places and all circumstances.

I attended a district meeting on COMMISSION ON A WAY FORWARD recently. There is still work to be done here but we as United Methodist Women should keep ourselves informed on what is happening in the United Methodist Church. These decisions may affect UMW in the future.

I do hope you are planning to GO to Conference Spiritual Enrichment Event April 21. Our speaker is Rev. Gypsie Murdaugh. (Before her call to ministry, Rev. Murdaugh served as our Conference UMW 39 & Under Representative.) I recall this was one of the first Conference UMW events I attended years ago and I was in awe. This used to be a two day event and was held at Louisburg College. This is a day of re- newal. I urge you to gather a group from your unit and make the trip to Smithfield. Registration form for this event may be found in this publication or on conference or district website corridorumw.org and is due by April 14.

Keep in mind time period covered for some reports have changed, examples: Mission Today, Reading Program, Mission Study, Officer List, Social Action, Deceased Member reports time period covered is July 1 -June 30. Reports are still due by August 15. This is a chance for you to get them in early. A schedule has been sent to local presidents and you can find a copy on the website. corri- dorumw.org

Please check your Mission Today form now so you can complete the items needed by June 30. Local Presidents, please report to me number of those who have read the conference book, HOSPITA- BLE PLANET by April 1. The Corridor District had the most readers last year for the conference book. I hope we can continue the tradition.

Hope you are making plans to attend these upcoming events:

• March 24 ~ District Mission Encounter at • July 26 -28 ~ Mission u, Methodist University. Durham Diaper Bank. • August 10 ~ Sister to Sister at First Elon • April 21 ~ Conference Spiritual Enrichment UMC. Event at Centenary UMC in Smithfield. • August 25 ~ Legislative Affairs Forum - • May 5 ~ District Mission Studies at Walnut Edenton St. UMC, Raleigh. Grove UMC. • May 18 -20 ~ UMW Assembly, Columbus, Ohio. Corridor Connections Page 2

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Be Ready to Go!

I know spring is just around the corner, according to my calendar, but it sure doesn’t seem like it these past couple of weeks. Yet driving down the road on my way to town I see Bradford Pear trees blooming like they know something I don’t. Daffodils and crocuses are in full bloom, and even some vinca ground cover is peeking above the cold, hard soil in our yard. Life goes on for these plants without a concern for the win- ter storm we all anticipate, whether it comes or not. They do know something we don’t.

I read a most interesting article, in our March 2018 issue of response magazine. It’s called “In the Begin- ning, How United Methodist Women Became United Methodist Women,” (pages 24 -27). As fascinating as the story of the original 8 women who started the Methodist Woman’s Foreign Missionary Society in 1869, this article tells the story of how in 1972, there were 24 women who created what would be the organization as we know it today. They wrote the purpose statement. I want to tell you more about that article, but you really need to read it yourself. Subscribe, or check it out at the library, or borrow an issue from another UMW. We can’t be committed and active if we aren’t informed. Response magazine is one way of becom- ing informed of issues, events, programs, and missions of the UMW.

A big event is coming up soon: the Conference Spiritual Enrichment Retreat, to be held at Centenary UMC at 140 E. Market St. in Smithfield on April 21st. Registration begins at 9:30 AM and Praise and Worship begins at 10:00 AM. Reverend Gypsie Murdaugh will be our speaker. I haven’t met her yet, but everything I’ve heard and read about her makes me arrange my life so I can be there. She is pastor of Greater Piney Grove UMC and St. George UMC. During lunch, there will be a concert by the Harry Hosier UMC Mass Choir. There will also be a spirit filled liturgical dance! Finally, we will have Communion, served by Dis- trict Spiritual Growth Coordinators from our Conference. Please make plans to be there! Deadline to regis- ter is April 14. The registration form can be found at the link below. Copy and paste to your browser. http://umw.nccumc.net/files/2018/01/Spiritual -Enrichment -Retreat.pdf

UMW Assembly is May 18 -20 in Columbus, Ohio. I can’t wait to go! It will be my first Assembly, and I’ll know I will soak it all in. I hope some of you are making plans to go as well. If so let me know so I can look for you.

Let those early spring blossoms inspire you, Sisters, to push ahead, to make the plans, to get it done… April will arrive whether you plan or not, and so will May. Will you be ready for all the great things God has in store for you as you walk in this world as a Disciple of Christ? Pencil those Corridor District UMW dates in your calendar and be ready to Go!

Yours in Christ, Bea Gilmore Corridor District Spiritual Growth Coordinator Corridor Connections Page 3

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The 2018 Corridor District United Methodist Women Mission En- counter will be held at the NC Diaper Bank from 10 -noon on Satur- day, March 24. Reservations are required. To participate, please contact Elaine Herndon, District Social Action Mission Coordinator, at [email protected] or at 919 -489 -3249.

The 2018 Conference Spiritual Enrichment Event will be held at Centenary UMC, 140 E. Market St., Smithfield, NC 27577 from 10 -4 on Saturday, April 21. Come join other UMW members from across the North Carolina Conference as we continue to learn how God desires us to GO in 2018! The retreat is open to all women of the conference; you do not have to be a member of UMW to attend. The speaker for the retreat is Rev. Gypsie Murdaugh of the North Carolina Conference. Rev Murdaugh currently serves as Pas- tor of St. George -Piney Grove Charge in the Gateway District and is a strong supporter of United Methodist Women. Registration is required and must be postmarked by April 14; on -site registration will also be available. Registration forms and further details can be found online at: http://nccumw.org/2018/02/05/ spiritual -enrichment -retreat/

District Mission studies will be held on May 5, 2018 at Walnut Grove UMC, 7215 Walnut Grove Church Rd, Hurdle Mills, NC 27541. Gathering is at 9 am, and the studies begin promptly at 9:30 a.m. Childcare is provided, but preregistration is required by April 28 by contacting Carlye Carr at [email protected] or 919 -732 -7183.

May 5, 2018 is also Church Women United Friendship Day. The 2018 theme is “Reaching for Wholeness.” When the Ecumenical Celebrations committee met in 2017, they sought to find a theme that looked forward and considered all of the issues that Christian women were dealing with: health, aging, denominational dif- ferences, and political instability. They agreed that their motto was their guiding principle: “Agreed to dif- fer, resolved to love, united to serve.” They wanted to encourage all units to search for ways to bring wholeness to their families, churches, and communities. “The body is a whole unit, made up of many parts.” (1 Corinthians 12:12). As Church Women United, we need to strive for this kind of wholeness in all that we do.

Assembly is on May 18 -20 in Columbus, Ohio.

2018 Mission u will be held on July 26 -28 at Methodist University. Information and registration can be found at: http://nccumw.org/

Sister -to -Sister will be on Friday, August 10, 2018 at First Elon UMC, 1630 Westbrook Ave, Elon, NC 27244. Gathering is at 6:30 p.m., and the event starts at 7 p.m.

The Total Program for United Methodist Women is Mission! Corridor Connections Page 4

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The first quarter for 2018 is off to a good start and all funds have been sent to the state UMW treasur- er. Based on the amount received for the first quarter we could fall short of our annual pledge. Hopefully the amount received in the second quarter will reverse this trend. It may help clarify our goals in mission giving if the information printed about the UMW mission work in the February Response magazine were made available to all units. The February issue of the magazine can be purchased through Mission Re- sources. The article states that "Mission Giving Makes Mission Happen" and maps out the scope of the work of UMW for everyone to see. If anyone has trouble finding or purchasing the issue, we may be able to share some copies. Please let me know if you need assistance.

Please contact me if you have any concerns or questions about your remittances or other duties as Local Unit Treasurer. ([email protected])

Our members often ask “How is our money spent?” Let’ look at the other side of that question, “What we don’t fund.”

United Methodist Women Does Not Fund: • Projects and programs that don't benefit women, children or youth • Projects and programs that do not comply with the Social Principles and Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church • Programs administered by organizations that discriminate based on faith, ethnicity, race, or gender

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It's March and 2019 seems far away. However, it is never too early to start thinking about your local unit lead- ership positions for next year. Has your local nominations committee met yet? Do you have officers whose tenure will expire in 2018? Just remember, your local unit officer list for 2019 is due to the district secretary by September 1, 2018.

• A person always doing his or her best becomes a natural leader just by example. (Joe DiMaggio);

• The role of a creative leader is not to have all the ideas; it's to cre- ate a culture where everyone can have ideas and feel that they're valued. (Ken Robinson); • A leader's job is not to do the work for others, it's to help others figure out how to do it themselves, to get things done and to suc- ceed beyond what they thought possible (Simon Sinekl) Corridor Connections Page 5

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Greetings from Hillsborough, NC on this cold but beautiful morning,

Mark your calendars now for these two very important upcoming events.

• May 5, 2018 District Mission Studies at Walnut Grove United Methodist Church

• July 26 -28, 2018 Mission u at Methodist University

United Methodist Women members of Walnut Grove United Methodist Church, located in Hurdle Mills, NC, will be hosting the 2018 District Mission Studies on May 5th from 9AM -1:30 PM. A light breakfast will be served but you are asked to bring your own lunch. The studies this year are:

• The Missionary Conferences of the led by Becky Brock.

• A Covenantal Community Part 1 led by Roxie Floyd.

• Climate Justice 2nd year led by Brenda Connelly.

I’m sure most of you have heard of Fanny Crosby, Susanna Wesley, Corrie ten Bloom or Mother Teresa, but who has heard of Sojourner Truth before? Certainly not me. Isabella Van Wagenen (1797 -1883) was a slave who promised God she would live a life of purity and self sacrifice for others if he would free her. God answered her prayers through a vision. At one point He renamed her Sojourner. Because everyone else had two names she asked God to give her a last name so “the Lord gave me Truth because I was to declare truth to the people”. Interesting, isn’t it? These and many more stories can be found in 50 Women Every Christian Should Know - Learning from Heroines of the Faith. What I like the best about this book is the way it’s broken into 50 chapters. It makes it real easy to read because you can read 2 -3 chapters and then put it down.

Are you new to United Methodist Women and the reading program and not sure what a bonus book is? Bo- nus books are books that count as two books in either Education for Mission or Social Action, or as one book in either of those two categories. Look for the big red circle with a white B in the middle. An example of a bonus book is Hospitable Planet – Faith, Action, and Climate Change.

Hospitable Planet – Faith, Action, and Climate Change is the

Conference recommended book. The book focuses on faith and action and deals with one of our priority issues, Climate Change. The Con- ference has asked all districts to participate in a challenge to read this

book by April 1st and turn in results by April 7th.

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The reading program has several books in Spanish and Korean including Cinco Marcas De Un Metodista – El Fruto de una Fe Viva or Five Brands of a Methodist: The Fruit of a Living Faith.

There are four plans that also include regular reading of the response and New World Outlook magazines. For 2018, book selections can be from the 2013 -2018 reading lists. A pdf version of this list can be down- loaded from: www.unitedmethodistwomen.org/readingprogram.

I’m going to end with this poem written by Susan Rayle.

Read, Read, that’s what we say. Read a little every day. You’ll never know until you look In a book A reading program book What fascinating stories of People and places, and justice too. Leadership and faith -living so true. Go, go, go, pick up a book, A reading program book. Changed you’ll be If you’ll just go, go, go with me And read a book, A reading program book You’ll see.

So go pick up a book, a reading program book. Trust me. You will be changed.

The Reading Program encourages members to think critically about current issues through an annual selection of member -reviewed books.

Blessings and Peace,

Carlye Car Corridor Connections Page 7

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2018 Mission Studies

May 5, 2018

WALNUT GROVE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 7215 WALNUT GROVE CHURCH ROAD

HURDLE MILLS, NC 27541

All 3 studies will be offered. Select ONE study for the 4 -hr class.

♦ Gathering/Registration 09:00 am ♦ Class (morning session) 09:30 am ♦ Lunch 11:30 am ♦ Class (afternoon session) 12:00 pm ♦ Adjournment 02:00 pm

Participants are asked to bring their own sandwich for lunch. Drinks, chips and desserts will be provided. A limited supply of mission study books will be available for purchase.

Child Care: Contact Carlye Carr (919) 215 -7749 by May 1st

Questions: Contact Carlye Carr, District Education & Interpretation Coordinator (919) 215 -7749 or Carolyn Wood, District President (336) 229 -5297 or presi- [email protected]

Please use Google Maps for directions found on the Corridor District website: corridorumw.org.

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March is National Women’s History Month

In 1987 the US Congress designated March as National Women’s History Month. This creates a special op- portunity in our schools, our workplaces, and our communities to recognize and celebrate the often - overlooked achievements of American women.

The 2018 National Women’s History theme presents the opportunity to honor women who have shaped America’s history and its future through their tireless commitment to ending discrimination against women and girls.

One of 2018 honorees is Pauli Murray. Pauli Murray has a connection to Durham, NC and to United Methodist Women. She grew up in Durham and graduated from Hillside High School. As an attorney, she was hired by United Methodist Women to write a document about state laws on race.

Pauli Murray Based on a 1948 UMW National Seminar recommendation, in 1952 the first of a series of Charters for Racial Justice was formulated by Methodist women. The language of the first charter was heavily influ- enced by the reality of segregation both in the nation in the Methodist Church itself. Civil rights lawyer the Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray, the first female African -American Episcopal priest and co -founder of the National Organization for Women, was commissioned by the Women’s Division to write an analysis of state laws governing segregated education in a paper titled “States Laws on Race and Color .” This document was influential in the work of lawyers arguing the Brown v. Board of Education case in which the Supreme Court ruled that segregated education was inherently unequal.

Copy and paste this link in your browser to view a UMW -produced video about Pauli Murray: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLpGfWarb -c

What you can do to celebrate Women’s History Month

• Identify a woman in your local unit or congregation who meets the theme • Honor them with a Gift to Mission Card or a Special Mission Recognition Pin

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Join us for our Annual Day of Giving

On March 23, 1869, eight women gathered at Tremont Meth- odist Episcopal Church in , , and orga- nized the Women's Foreign Missionary Society, what would become United Methodist Women. Those women raised money to send a doctor, Clara Swain, and a teacher, Isabella Thoburn, to India as missionaries to serve the women of that nation.

Since then, for nearly 150 years, United Methodist Women has evolved to become the largest women's faith -based ser- vice and advocacy organization, underwriting programs that provide life -changing opportunities for women, children and youth.

To celebrate the dedication and foresight of our foremothers, every March 23 has become A Day of Giving. to the Legacy Fund Endowment Campaign. But you may make a donation any time!