News and Events
UMW SPONSORS 2012 GIANT GARAGE SALE!
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The second ALL CHURCH Garage Sale sponsored by UMW was held May 4-5
in our Ministry Activities Center. This is our major fundraiser of the year, and
we netted $6,230. The proceeds will go to various mission outreach agencies,
benefitting children, youth and women.
Church members were given the opportunity to come the evening of May 3rd to
enjoy an "All You Can Eat Spaghetti Dinner" and have "first dibs" on garage sale items.
A special feature of the sale allowed customers to fill an entire grocery shopping
bag the last hour of the sale for $5.
Cindy Dillon and Mary Rose Howard were terrific co-chairs of our sale,
and Sharon Rush was the chef and overseer of the spaghetti dinner. Sincere
thanks to all three of these great gals for returning a second year in a row. We
also appreciate the Inspiring Moms group for once again taking responsibility for the
children's clothing and toy area.
Since Lake Travis UMC is a mission area church, we felt especially grateful that
we could help the Hispanic community by sponsoring this garage sale which had
great bargains on children's toys and clothes, household goods and much more.
All Church Women's Retreat February 17-19, 2012
UMW sponsored an all church women's retreat at Camp Buckner Retreat Center just outside Kingsland, Texas. Thirty women attended, and the Reverend Dr. Ellen Shepard from outside Atlanta was our spiritual leader, and our own Reverend Colleen Haley was our music leader. "Taking Flight: The Risk, The Joy, The Excitement and the Landing" was the four session theme. We had time for study, reflection, worship, music, and fellowship in addition to communion on Sunday morning.
The two night retreat afforded ladies the opportunity to get to know one another better and to feel as though we had time to truly commune with God. Survey results were incredibly positive.
United Methodist Women 2011 Awards
Each year Lake Travis United Methodist Women selects a woman or women to be honored with their very highest award-the Mission Recognition Pin. Since UMW is outward focused, these recipients are women in our unit who have over some time been active in mission outreach, and the award is acknowledgment of their service. This year two women have received the Mission Recognition Pin.
Over the years, Cheri Stringer has been mission minded in many endeavors. She has offered leadership, and is always researching and providing information. So often what we do on a larger scale, as a church in mission, has come about because Cheri has skillfully communicated the endeavor---and that comes not only from her skills, but her passion for us to be a church in mission. She presently serves on the Principios Chiquitos Steering Committee. She is the UMW Social Action Mission Coordinator and has attended the women's legislative event for the past two years. She has served on about every committee that UMW offers including UMW President in 1997-1998. Cheri designed the 2010 UMW Conference logo for the Austin District annual meeting. She has been a member of the Communications Committee for several years and effectively handles much of our Impressions website, does mass mailings, takes photos for many events, and is a tireless worker on practically every project that comes along. She spear-headed the No More Malaria Campaign for UMW and this church a couple of years ago. Cheri additionally researched the western Texas cult led by Warren Jeffs and gave programs to our UMW Unit and Circles on how cults harm women and children.
Marthe Morgan has been a member of LTUMC since Clyde Chesnutt was pastor and the services were held in the Chesnutt Building. She has been the church's financial secretary in years past and to this day still helps the ushers sort and put the money in the safe after early service. She and her husband have been ushers for over 10 years and Marty is presently the UMW mission coordinator for Program Resources. She is an active member of the Lost Then Found Sunday School class and also occasionally teaches the class and is additionally a member of the UMW Growing Friendship Circle. But what has been Marty's most valuable contribution to MISSION is her ongoing service to the ESL program. She has been instrumental in being a teaching volunteer and coordinator since the program's inception---week after week, year after year with untold amounts of hours in service. This is something Marty feels so strongly about since English is a second language for her and she knows how important it is for others to learn English.
Agency Tours and Presentation of LTUMW Support Checks
Seven UMW women traveled to Montopolis to visit Florence's Comfort House and the Montopolis Friendship Community Center on June 3rd. We were able to view the facilities and personally give our UMW Board approved funding checks to Florence and to Billie Talley, volunteer at Montopolis Friendship Community Center.
At MFCC we had a tour of the main hall where the thrift shop and activity center is located and then to the Mother's Day Out program classroom.
On Sunday, June 4, at LTUMC , Patty Miles, UMW President, presented a check to Chris Ford, founder of My Healing Place (see photo at left) and member of LTUMC.
Marcia Dilly, UMW Treasurer, and Patty also presented a check to Dorothy Boddedker on behalf of Lake Travis Crisis Ministry. (see photo left) Dorothy is a Board member of LTCM, a former LTUMW President, LTUMC member and presently a UMW district officer. Other agencies that have received funding from our UMW unit include Cookson Hills in Oklahoma, and True Vineyard Ministries. All proceeds are a result of the successful all church Garage Sale that UMW sponsored in May. We hope to make more funds available to additional agencies later in the year.
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| President Patty Miles presenting check to Florence of Florence's Comfort House. | UMW members presented a check to Billie Talley at Montopolis Friendship Community Center. | |
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| UMW member Merle Hurlbert visits with children at the Montopolis Friendship Community Center. | Visiting with teachers and volunteers at Montopolis Friendship Community Center. |
A Day Apart
Over 120 women from the Austin area attended the 'A Day Apart' retreat March 26 hosted by Lake Travis United Methodist Women. The event was sponsored by the Austin District United Methodist Women. Twenty-five Lake Travis United Methodist Women were wonderful hostesses in our brand new Ministry Activities Center and served a delicious luncheon.
The guest speaker was Rev. Meri Whitaker, Lake Travis UMC missionary and director of Cookson Hills Center in Oklahoma. Rev. Whitaker is the author of "My Sister, the Father", a book on the UMW 2011 Reading Program list. She inspired us and brought us to tears with her moving stories of life at the Cookson Hills Center. Attendees responded with a very generous offering for the ministries of the Cookson Hills Center.
Following the speaker, "The Other Twelve Disciples” drama was presented by members of the Austin District Mission Team and volunteers. They portrayed twelve women in Jesus' ministry; choir music, dance and table favors enhanced their stories.
Evaluations for this first-time event in the Austin District were very positive, and attendees are looking forward to the next UMW spiritual growth event. Pictures of the event are on the Austin District UMW website: http://www.gbgm-umc.org/austinumw/.
Content ©2008 Lake Travis United Methodist Church