Category Archives: News and Events

This page has news, local events and activities sponsored by our CA/NV Conference UMW, District UMW, and local units. Let us know if you have an event you wish to invite others to!

The Mission Link newsletter is published 4 times a year (February, May, September, December).

• [wpfa icon=”calendar” size=”2x”] See the Calendar for upcoming events.

Quick News is emailed to our distribution list, typically once or twice a month, highlighting upcoming events and news.  Get more info and subscribe here.

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

October 23, 2021: Knitted Together and Darning the Holes at Annual Celebration

knitting yarn and needles

Annual Celebration 2021: “Knitted Together and Darning the Holes”

by K Stone, President

We are looking forward to gathering together to celebrate another year as United Methodist Women in mission and ministry together, at our Annual Celebration, October 23, 2021.  Our theme, “Knitted Together and Darning the Holes,” represents the challenges we have had over the last year and a half remaining in community, and our anticipation of it getting a lot easier soon.

During this event, we will celebrate the mission and ministry of our District United Methodist Women. There will be a brief business meeting during which we will approve the 2022 budget and elect District UMW team officers for 2022.

Our guest speakers include Bishop Minerva Carcaño; District Superintendent Rev. Dr. Samuel Hong; and National UMW President Ainise Isama’U. They will address new ways we can make a difference in our communities, renew our faith, and recommit to justice for our earth and women, children, and youth.

The Event Program is here – includes agenda and all reports

Installation of new team members

Rev. Dr. Linda Holbrook welcomes and installs the incoming ECR District UMW team members.

Incoming and outgoing team members

Incoming and outgoing ECR District UMW team members demonstrate how they remain linked together.

Local Unit/Group Recognition

5-Star Mission Giving

Local units/groups who gave to all 5 channels of giving – get more info here.

  • Campbell UMW
  • Fremont First UMW
  • Salinas First UMW
  • Santa Clara UMW
  • San Jose, Almaden Hills UMW
  • San Jose, Cambrian Park UMW
  • Sunnyvale First UMW
  • Valley Faith UMW
  • Watsonville First UMW

Mission Today

Local units/groups who met at least 8 of 17 criteria in the Mission Today program – get more info here.

  • Salinas First UMW
  • San Jose, Almaden Hills UMW
  • San Jose, Willow Glen UMW
  • Sunnyvale Trinity UMW

Campaign for Racial Justice

Aaction and events in support of the Charter for Racial Justice within our District.

  • “Care First, Jails Last” online event hosted by ECR District UMW focused on decarceration
  • Racial Justice with Cambrian Park UMW: members participated in book study of “So You Want To Talk About Race”
  • Racial Justice with Almaden Hills UMW: members worked on neighborhood service projects, participated in “Racist Anonymous” program and “So You Want To Talk About Race” study, and more
  • Racial Justice with Reading Program: 55 District members from 8 churches read 24 UMW Reading Program books related to racial justice

2021 Reading Program

Participants read books from each of 5 categories, and regularly read the response magazine – get more info here.

This year’s participants were from 8 units:

  • Campbell UMW, Cupertino Good Samaritan UMW, Livermore Asbury UMW, Marina UMW, San Jose Almaden Hills UMW, Santa Clara UMW, Sunnyvale First UMW, Sunnyvale Valley Faith UMW

16 readers this year:

  • 7 readers – Plan 1 (5 books per year)
  • 3 readers – Plan 2 (10 books per year)
  • 2 readers – Plan 3 (15 books per year)
  • 4 readers – Plan 4 (20 books per year

Annual Celebration Event Details

  • Date & time: Saturday, October 23, 2021, 10am-noon.  Doors open for check-in at 9:30am.
  • Location:  The United Methodist Church of Gilroy, with in-person attendance limited to 50 people (masks required). For those who prefer to attend virtually, there is an online streaming option.

The UMW Legacy Endowment FundAn offering will be taken, designated to the UMW Legacy Fund Endowment

  • Give by check: Checks may be given by in-person attendees at the event. Make checks payable to “United Methodist Women,” and note “Legacy  Fund Endowment Campaign” in the memo line. 
  • Text to Give:  Text “41444” on your cell phone and enter “Legacy 150” in the message area.
  • Give online: At the UMW website.
  • Get more info about the Legacy Fund Endowment here.

Mission u – Bearing Witness in the Kin-dom

by Bonnie Home, Almaden Hills UMW

It isn’t often that the author of our Mission u’s “Leaders Guide” comes to lead that very study for us!  So when we gathered on Zoom for our July 23-24 class, we were thrilled that Amanda Meisenheimer, author of the guide for “Bearing Witness in the Kin-dom: Living Into the Church’s Moral Witness Through Radical Discipleship,” would be leading us from New York City!  

Gathering Mission u leaders and participants from all over the country on Zoom has been one of the happier unintended consequences of our pandemic lockdown.  Class members joined us from all over California and Nevada, and even from Washington state and Missouri. Continue reading

Swimming and Sisterhood

At Climax UMC in Climax, Georgia, exercise group is a lifeline

By Kara Witherow, Editor, South Georgia Advocate

To a handful of women in Climax, Georgia, “yada yada” means anything but boring, predictable talk.

These are the Yada Yadas, a close-knit group of women who have been meeting, praying, and exercising together since 2005. Continue reading