Ideas
for Participation in
Current year: Aug. 16, 2008 - Aug. 15, 2009
Every unit of United Methodist Women is encouraged to become a Mission Today Unit. The purpose is to:
1. Encourage the use of mission resources throughout the organization;
2. Increase contact between units and mission personnel and projects, thus helping units understand where their money goes;
3. Expand concepts of mission including social justice as mission;
4. Energize United Methodist Women to be more involved in mission through prayer, study, and action.
In the NC Conference, there are three levels of recognition for Mission Today Units. In order to be a Mission Today unit, do one of the following:
1. A unit completing 12 of the following items, including 4 of those marked with an asterisk (*), is a Basic Mission Today Unit.
2. A unit completing at least 3 additional items is a Silver Mission Today Unit.
3. A unit completing 20 of the 21 items is a Gold Mission Today Unit.
NOTE: For Units with 15 members or less,
A Basic Unit would complete 10 items.
A Silver Mission Today Unit would complete at least 14 items.
A Gold Mission Today Unit would complete at least 18 items.
For all levels, the unit must include at least 4 items marked with an asterisk (*).
ITEMS FOR COMPLETION: Please check each completed item.
*1. Use the Prayer Calendar or Children’s Prayer Calendar at each general meeting of the unit to pray for persons in mission work. TIP: Order your prayer calendar (800-305-9857) and then each meeting during prayer, pray for those individuals celebrating birthdays and the focus ministry listed. Some units also read the scripture included in the day of the meeting.
*2.
The local unit will use two programs from the Program Book during the
year. TIP:
Programs should be customized to meet the needs of the unit.
You can take the program and choose the relevant parts to fit the time
frame of the meeting. Include
attendees as readers.
*3.
The local unit or circle will participate in at least one mission study
each year. TIP:
Sanford District Mission study day is Saturday, January 24, 2009 at St
Luke UMC in
*4 The unit will implement
the Charter for Racial Justice in at least one way during the year.
v
Have members read books and article
about other races and cultures. TIP: See point 19
v
Sponsor an inter-ethnic event
between two or more units. TIP: Maybe dinner with
another group?
v
Recruit women of color to be
members or officers of the unit.
v
View the video on the Charter,
“In Search of Racial Justice” TIP:
You can get this free from the
v
Write elected representative to
support legislation affecting issues, such as immigration, Affirmative action,
low-income programs, civil rights, etc. TIP: See point 11.
v
Attend a District Racial/Social
Justice Workshop TIP:
One is scheduled for 2009.
* 5.
The unit will attend the District Day Apart TIP:
This is a new selection for 08-09 Reporting.
The Sanford District Day Apart is scheduled for Saturday, April 25, Mt
Gilead UMC
*6.
The Unit will meet its Pledge to
*7.
The unit will have at least 2 members subscribing to RESPONSE MAGAZINE.
TIP:
Subscribe at 877-881-2385
*8.
The unit will add a member to its roll.
TIP:
Invite nonmembers to your meetings and activities.
Do any of your current members have teen daughters?
Have them attend the meetings also. Don't
forget your shut ins or church members who live in assisted living facilities.
Membership is based on willingness to pledge financial support and pledge
time to study and mission activity. There
are activities that can be done by people who cannot physically get to the
meetings.
9.
At least one member of the unit will attend the Conference School of
Christian Mission. TIP:
Held each July at
10.
At least 2 members of the unit will attend the District and Conference
Annual Meetings. TIP: Conference Annual
Meeting is at
11. The unit will have at
least one person joining the United Methodist Women’s Action Network to
receive and respond to legislative information at least 3 times per year.
(To join, contact UMW Social Action Network, Women’s Division Washington Office,
100 Maryland Ave, NE, Box 57
, Washington DC20002. Include your email address.)
TIP:
Notifications can be received either email or regular mail.
It requires someone to read the information and then correspond with
elected officials on your view of the issue.
The planned action also involves reading from the UMC Book of Resolutions
which helps us all understand how our church reacts to social issues.
This is an activity that a shut in could easily do.
*12.
Members will correspond with 5 persons listed in the Prayer Calendar.
TIP:
In the back of the prayer calendar there is a list of persons in mission.
Pick 5 of them and send a birthday card or a letter of encouragement.
Include a picture of your unit. This
is an activity that a shut in could easily do.
Be aware that there are several people in the prayer calendar who are
from the NC Conference.
13.
The unit will co-sponsor, with the local church, a Children’s Sabbath.
This is a worship service highlighting the needs of children.
The women’s Division and the Council of Bishops support this effort.
Contact the Children’s Defense Fund for material at: 25 E Street, NW,
14.
The unit will be a Seven Star
Unit, contributing to seven avenues of mission giving.
TIP: The seven avenues
include: 1) purchasing a Card in
Memory 2) purchase a Gift in Mission Card (for example a thank you card or a
graduation gift card), 3) giving to
Penny and a Prayer 4) giving to World Thank offering, 5) Meeting the pledge, 6)
honoring someone with a Special Mission Recognition pin, and 7) honoring or
remembering someone with Candle burning offering.
Information is found in the District Directory or you can contact the
District Treasurer. One other thing
to be aware of is that individual members can be Seven Star Members.
This only adds to mission giving.
15.
Each unit and circle meeting will include a “Response Moment” where
an item from Response
or
New World Outlook magazine will be lifted up as a way to tell the mission story.
TIP:
Have different members read an article then spend 1-2 minutes each
meeting summarizing what they have read. .
16.
Each unit will contribute to or visit the site of a mission project as a
District Mission Event, or
on their own, in one of the following categories:
…..A National Project
supported by funds from Women’s Division.
….One of the projects listed on the NC Conference Project Sheet.
TIP:
Have a speaker from MATCH visit your unit to share their project.
Donate money or time to
17.
The unit will increase its Pledge to
18.
At least one member of the unit (other than a conference or district
officer) will attend the Conference Spiritual Enrichment Retreat.
TIP: Scheduled for May, 2009
19.
At least 2 members of the unit will participate in the Reading Program.
TIP:
The minimum involvement would be to read 4 books and Response Magazine.
Each of our public libraries have enough books for readers to reach Level
I. Each participant can read adult,
youth or children's books. Some
books are currently in movie format so that if a participant watched the movie
it would count. So have a movie
night for one of your meetings. Encourage
readers to share what they have read and learned.
20.
The unit will have or the unit will sponsor at least one person at the
Mother/Child Retreat and/or the 39 & Under Event.
TIP: The Mother Child
Retreat is held each September at
21.
Each unit will provide at least 3 school, health or sewing kits to at
least one of the mission projects
on the NC Conference Project Sheet. TIP: Collecting school
supplies for your local school counts toward this item.
You may also put together the other kits and send them to MERCI.
Form revised September, 2008