Author Archives: ECRD DistrictUWF

Mission u 2021

Mission u 2021: There's far more here than meets the eye

Mission u, hosted by our California-Nevada United Women in Faith, educates 20,000 United Methodists each year through the Mission Studies and local Mission u events, sponsored by United Methodist Women:

  • Learn about mission opportunities
  • Develop ideas for spiritual growth
  • Bring social action to your home church

Four studies (with some variations) are available this year, all via Zoom online meetings.  Adults and youth of all genders are welcome to participate.

Come join us!  ALL are welcome.

“Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools”

This study calls for critical examination of self and systems, mission engagement, advocacy and action by the faith community.  

  • Two weekends from 2-4pm PDT:  July 31, August 1, August 7, August 8.  

“Bearing Witness in the Kin-dom”

The focus of this study is to help the church and its members discern our call and bear witness to the will of God for a more just world. This study is offered as a weekend event in 3 languages. 

  • Korean: July 22 (7-8pm PDT in English), August 7
  • English: July 22, July 23, July 24
  • Spanish: July 22, July 23, July 24

“Finding Peace in an Anxious World”

Using “The Serenity Prayer” as a scaffold, Finding Peace in an Anxious World explores ways to discover peace through scriptural and spiritual disciplines so that we can be rooted in God and energized to live fully as disciples of Christ.  This study is offered as a weekend event.

  • August 12 (7-8pm PDT), August 13 (10am-noon, 1-3pm PDT), August 14 (10am-noon, 1-4pm PDT)

Youth study: Becoming Peacemakers in a Culture of Violence

Youth participants (entering grades 7-12) explore together the roots of violence, and understand that “peace,” as Martin Luther King, Jr. says, “is not merely the absence of tension but the presence of justice.” Activities include interactive Bible studies and exercises to stimulate frank discussions about current issues and proactive steps you can take to develop your capacity as a peacemaker. This study is held the same weekend as the adult study “Finding Peace in an Anxious World.”

  • Originally scheduled for August 13, 14, and 15, this event has been postponed due to leadership illness.  It will be rescheduled, so check back soon.

June 22: UMW Climate Justice Federal Legislative Day

As a follow up to our very successful National UMW climate justice federal legislative day in April, please register and join United Methodist Women from across the nation for a second legislative and call-in day that will take place June 22.  Congress is currently working on infrastructure legislation, and we want Congress to hear that women of faith are urging them to advance infrastructure legislation that accelerates the transition to renewable energy with equitable and just policies. 

A pre-briefing and training session will be held on June 21, 1-3PM PT (4-6PM ET), and will include a review of climate justice and energy and transportation issues, training on how to conduct a virtual Senate meeting, and time to plan your legislative visits with others in your state. 

People from all states are encouraged to call their Congressional representatives at any time on June 22, 2021. You can use this link, which provides a script and will connect you directly to your elected officials. 

 

Speaking Out Against Anti Asian-American Hate Crime

by Katherine Kim

Signs saying Stop Asian Hate and Asian Lives MatterWe are proud Asian Americans.

Anti Asian hate crime is not new. It has 150 years of discrimination history, including the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 (repealed in 1943), and Japanese internment during WWII.

Hate crime against Asian Americans has gotten worse since the COVID-19 pandemic. President Trump didn’t help by calling it terms such as “China Virus,” “Kung Fu virus,” etc.  The California State University reported that hate crimes against Asians has increased by 150% in 2020, and Stop AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islanders) Hate has received reports of 3,795 hate crime incidents since the beginning of the pandemic.  58% of Asian Americans believed that racist views have increased during the pandemic. Continue reading →

Changes to the Reading Program

by Carolyn Bircher

The UMW reading program is being administered a little differently this year.  Instead of creating an all-new 2022 book list, the 2021 list is being expanded.  The new expansion has just come out.  From my perspective, it seems like a normal yearly list with lots of great books, except we get it in May instead of September! 

The newly added books are included at the end of the online Reading Program catalog, or you can find a list of titles for both 2020 and 2021 at UnitedMethodistWomen.org/readingprogram.  Look in the lower right-hand corner, under “Get lists by year,” click “2021 – Updated for 2021-2022.”  The new titles are highlighted. 

Also, we’ve added a list of the new books, including local public library availability, on our District UMW Reading Program page, https://ecrduwf.org/educate/reading-program/. 

Some other Reading Program changes for this year are:

  • Books going back as far as 2015 can be counted for 2021 & 2022.
  • Listening to two FaithTalk podcasts can be counted as one Spiritual Growth book.
  • Three FaithTalk podcasts count as a Bonus Book in the Spiritual Growth category.
  • Watching these movies/documentaries will count:  (I’m not sure yet which category.)
    • Just Mercy
    • The Hate U Give  
    • Pushout

Note: Some of these changes may not yet be reflected on the UMW Reading Program page. Please contact me if you have any questions.