Author Archives: ECRD DistrictUWF

Farewell, Welcome to District UMW Team members

By Betty Spencer Dickey, Nominations Chair, and Carolyn Bircher, Reading Program Coordinator

Following the election of ECR District Team Members at our October Annual Celebration, it’s time to bid farewell to the outgoing members, and welcome the new members into active participation in the team.  As Rev. Dr. Linda Holbrook described at Annual Celebration, even as the team composition changes, we remain linked together as United Methodist Women.

Continuing on the team, several with new roles:

  • Debbie Ow (President)
  • Carolyn Bircher (Treasurer)
  • Karen Hall (Secretary)
  • Angelica Martinez (Team member)
  • Katherine Kim (Team member)
  • Sandra Nesheim (Team member)

We are happy to welcome five women as new members of the District UMW Team.  With their varied backgrounds, they add a wealth of experience and interest.  May the year 2022 be a year of learning, inventiveness and joy for the whole team.

  • Saniata Melchor (Chair of Nominations) is a preschool teacher who is passionate about her work with young children.   She is patient as teachers need to be and as a person who serves on multiple committees and is involved with the many ministries at her church.  She enjoys learning, music, dancing and occasionally plays the piano.  She speaks English, llocano, and Tagalog, and is interested in Social Action and in broadening our group to young women to show them all that UMW is about and all that we can do together.  
  • Laurie Lindsey (Communications/ Web Manager) is a Software Engineer who has worked in the computer field for most of her career.  She is interested in Social issues and is willing to work on any of the many programs that we produce to increase awareness of Social Justice and promote learning through her work on the website, and our other communication tools.  She serves on the Finance committee and is a great piano player.  She has played for our church many times as well as participating as an alto in the choir.  Thanks for your willingness to serve on the District, Laurie.  
  • Joyce Wilkinson (Leadership Team) is a recently retired High School Science teacher who has been involved in UMW as Secretary and President of her local UMW in Marina. She has been a church treasurer, educator, on many committees, Administrative council and a Trustee!  She is interested in professional development, working on presentations and workshop organization.  We are excited to have her and think she has come to the right place.  
  • Esther Ribeiro (Leadership Team) has been involved in jobs that required her accounting, Management and administration skills.   She has been a Treasurer and Vice Chair in the Hollister UMW.  She is bilingual in English and Spanish and enjoys translating for Spanish speakers and readers.  We know that she will be able to help bring more understanding about UMW and the exciting programs we offer to our Spanish sisters.  Welcome Esther.
  • Leslie Fisk (Leadership Team) is busy managing a commercial real estate company and also serving in her church on Finance, Trustees, Bell Choir and on the Joint Youth Group.  She is interested in working on Social Issues, Spiritual growth, retreats and concerned with public policy, community building and inclusiveness.  She is hoping to become more familiar with the District UMW and we are very happy she has decided to join the team.

Now for the sad part – it’s time to say farewell to five members who have served us well.  We have been graced with wonderful women leaders over the years and have been lucky to be able to work together with these special ladies.  Thank you all for your service, good humor and dedication to UMW.  

  • K Stone has been our district president for several years.  It has been a pleasure to work under her.  She is so gracious and kind and has the contacts to bring in some wonderful speakers.  We will miss her and hope to see her at conference events as she starts her new UMW life in Sacramento.
  • Betty Dickey has headed our nominations committee for many years, in addition to past roles she’s held in our district.  I joked about how you better watch out if Betty calls and wants to have coffee.  But she always asked in such a nice way and she put together such supportive teams that I’m glad she called.  She has also worked hard on the jurisdictional team for Climate Justice.
  • Wanda Garrett is leaving some big shoes to fill.  She’s been an awesome communications leader.  Her expertise in website design and email technology have made us look so good to the outside world.  But, mainly I’ve admired her organization skills, keeping us all on task to create newsletters, plan events and run meetings.
  • Lynn Hermoso has been our cheerleader.  She brought a lot of enthusiasm to our meetings and our events.  She was full of ideas about how to do things in new, exciting ways.  She also served as our liaison to the Mary Elizabeth Inn in San Francisco.
  • Kat Teraji has been such a calm presence on the team.  Although she has been offline for chemo treatments this last year, her spiritual thoughtfulness has benefited us in previous years.  She gave an awesome sermon at our 2018 Mission Springs Sunday worship.

Scarves for Mission

by Katherine Kim

United Methodist Women from Korean UMC of Santa Clara Valley and New Creation UMC (Campbell, CA) made warm fleece scarves for people in need around the world.

The UMW groups at Korean UMC of Santa Clara Valley in San Jose, and New Creation UMC in Campbell, CA. joined together in mission to make and send over 730 hand-made items, including over 650 fleece scarves.  These scarves will keep people warm in cold weather for the people of Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference, Arizona Hopi Indians, and Kazakhstan. 

As our UMW groups were making scarves together, we all shared our love with our group as well as helping people to whom we are sending the scarves.  We were all happy to serve. 

We had been planning this project for a while, so I had purchased much of the fleece material through the year at good prices.

We donated fleece scarves and other warm items to the following organizations:

  1. Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference:  We shipped to a local representative 465 fleece scarves, 10 knitted baby sweaters, 17 knitted hats, 4 knitted scarves.
  2. Arizona Hopi Indians (Navajo Nations):  My church Senior Minister Rev. Kwon and our Mission Committee chair visited Arizona Hopi Indians in November 2021. They brought 70 fleece scarves, 10 knitted hats, 5 knitted scarves.
  3. Kazakhstan: The missionary Ms. Helen Park is returning to Kazakhstan in late November 2021 after recovering from COVID19. We have sent two boxes of items for her to distribute, with 120 Fleece Scarves, 20 knitted Hats, and 10 knitted scarves.

Isaiah 58:7 says: …When you see the naked, to clothe him…

I think God wants us to do good deeds, not just do rituals like fasting in a meaningless way.  Thanks to be God.

HEY THERE LADY!! May I have a moment of your time?

By Nancy Olson, First United Methodist Church of Palo Alto

Have you heard of United Methodist Women? Did you know that it is an organization that works beside The United Methodist Church? And that to be a member, a woman must just decide she wants to belong to and participate in the global mission of the church through United Methodist Women, and to commit herself to the PURPOSE*.  (Membership in the church is not required!)

You might never have attended a UMW small group activity, or read a book in the UMW Reading Program, or really given much thought about the organization.  But by deciding to be part of UMW, you are part of:

  • a large national organization,
  • global mission projects in remote lands as well as programs across our own country in support of women, children and families,
  • district and state organizations working on women’s rights, racial justice and climate justice.  

Augustinho Indigenous Public School, Bororó Village, Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Photo © Nile Sprague 2017

WOW – that’s a lot.  What’s more, the work goes on day after month after year.  No stopping for pandemics.  The UMW has an impressive, historical record for supporting women’s rights.  And it is all being done in YOUR name!

In many individual United Methodist Churches, there is a small group of women who come together in a social gathering to carry on the work of the organization by supporting mission projects, and by educating ourselves.  So much more could be done locally, with your help.

Did you know that the UMW Reading Program promotes reading current books in specific areas?  We are annually encouraged to choose to read books

  • promoting Spiritual Growth (books to bring personal comfort in times of stress),
  • on different geographical areas of the world (so we understand news stories in the world)
  • on social action (so we understand needs outside our own experience, and can take appropriate action – like writing action letters or voting)
  • a book of the Bible (to keep us attuned to God’s word and relevance today)
  • on leadership development (women should not remain silent in the church)

We are encouraged to join women across the United States who are reading similar books in an effort for Methodist Women to be educated on many subjects so we can speak and act with knowledge.

Right now our Methodist Church is going through an identity crisis.  Within the next year there will be a final vote that quite possibly will split the denomination.  During all the deliberations and disagreements, the UMW has remained steadfast in keeping a unified group, welcoming ALL God’s children.

I am so proud and humbled to be part of this great organization.  Please consider joining us.

Nancy Olson
First United Methodist Church of Palo Alto

(Article adapted from original version published in FUMC Palo Alto newsletter.)

*The PURPOSE of United Methodist Women:  United Methodist Women shall be a community of women whose purpose 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 ministries of the church.

Tri-Church Holiday Faire, November 20, 2021

Almaden Hills United Methodist Church, Cambrian Park United Methodist Church, and Willow Glen United Methodist Church are joining together in a Holiday Faire, November 20, 2021, 1-4pm, at Cambrian Park UMC.

Bring the whole family for an afternoon of festive fun, music, culinary delights and holiday gifts including homemade baked delights, homemade crafts, and potted plants. Get your picture taken at the holiday photo booth.  Rev. Mariellen Yoshino will offer an Advent prayer.

Continue reading →