The Flame 150 Year Legacy Fund Inside This Issue:

1 Corinthian 12:5 There are different ways of serving, and yet the same Lord is served. (GW)
The Flame
November 2014
The voice of the Seven Rivers District of the United Methodist Women
Inside This Issue:
Officer’s Reports
Mission u
Local Legacy
New Recommended Reading
150 Year Legacy Fund
Harriet Jane Olson
United Methodist Women CEO
Storytelling and remembering the stories of people who have contributed to our organization and our
nation is important. It reminds us of who we are and evokes both gratitude for what was achieved and
motivation to live up to our forbearers’ ideals. These stores are about people who were building a
better world, making it possible to reach higher, be stronger and achieve more, making a way for
marginalized people to develop, flourish and contribute to the church, the community, and the world.
United Methodist Women members tell stories of our past to remind us who we are. Those stories
celebrate amazing women, women who acted as if change was possible. In addition to the conviction
that God is with us and has called us to this work, their optimism and our comes from being part of a
sisterhood that is so committed to grow in faith and action and to make a difference for women,
children and youth that we will do what it takes to build new ways of being together.
The Flame
Page 1
Fall Back
Tressa Cummings
Seven Rivers United Methodist Women President
I had this thought the other day during my devotional time about the day light savings time saying,
“Fall Back”, which is a reminder to turn your clocks back. The months of September and October we
seem to fall back into a more regular routine. Organizations that we are involved in start meeting on a
regular base after having the summer off. This is also a time of change as some of us take on some new
responsibilities. At the District Annual meeting in September I was installed as your new District
President. I hope at some point during the next two years to visit or contact your unit to check in and
see what exciting things your group is doing. Linda Hay our outgoing District President did a
wonderful job of connecting with the units in our District. Thank You for your leadership these past
two years!
We have a great team so if you would like a district officer to visit your unit please give me, Tressa
Cummings (509) 728-4259 or Lindsay Suta Coordinator for Membership, Nurture and Outreach (509)
579-9619 a call. A list of officers can be found in this edition of the Flame.
Thank You! To Ellensburg UMW for hosting our District Annual meeting. Our guest speaker was our
own Lethe McGavran who spoke about the journey she is taking to become a Deaconess and what her
responsibilities will be once she is consecrated.
In October our District hosted the Pacific Northwest UMW Conference Annual meeting at Wesley UMC
in Yakima. We had a great Guest Speakers Teri Stewart and our District Superintendent Juli Reinholz
leading us through creating sacred spaces in our lives and in our churches. Also there was a variety of
workshops to choose from. A Big Thank You! To the Wesley UMW for their great food and hospitality.
Thank You! To our local units who supplied muffins, fruit, juice for our morning snacks.
The District Executive Team just finished planning and set dates for the upcoming year. We are going
to have a one day Spiritual Apart day in the spring, so be watching for the dates. There in the works of
approaching the way we do things but we need your feedback. If you have ideas on topics, or projects
we could do at a meeting as a group please email or call one of the district officers.
Reading for Mission
Lori Chadek
Program Resources
Have you seen the new books for 2015? Are you ready for recognition of your Local Organization
without the paper certificates? Many of us are not sure what to do with the certificate after we receive
them, and they become clutter, but it’s important to credit your unit.
Seven Rivers District is opening the floor for your feedback and suggestions. We currently have a
suggestion of donating $1.00 per book read in your Local Organization to give to a Mission project that
your unit supports. The monies would come from your local unit, but what a great way to encourage
us to read and help local missions at the same time!
I welcome all feedback on this suggestion and any other suggestions you may have. I will then present
them to the district for further evaluations. Please send your feedback and/or suggestions to
rlchadek@gmail.com with ‘Reading Program’ in the subject line.
The Flame
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Heart for Mission
New Officers
Vickie Newell
Lois Ostrander
Chair of Nominations
Secretary
Autumn greetings from the nominations team!
I want to take this opportunity to introduce
myself and the nominations team. Carolyn Hart,
Jean Spence, Donna Wilson, Carol Gaston, and
Cindy Wade are searching the SRD for talented
leaders to be a part of the Seven Rivers District
team. As nominations chair, I ask you to
prayerfully consider filling out a talent sheet
that gives our team a snapshot of your gifts and
talents. You can also suggest a member of your
local who you feel would make a good team
member. As our team travels in the SRD, they
will have talent sheets available. Serving on the
district team has been a rewarding experience
for me. Team members have a heart for
mission, a desire to grow spiritually, and
passion for Christian sisterhood. Excellent
leadership training is available. You may feel
you are not qualified but remember God's
promise to qualify the ones He calls! The team
is eager to share their expertise with your local
organizations. We welcome invitations to your
local events. At the present time, we are
searching for two Mission Coordinators, Social
Action and Mission Education and
Interpretation. If you love educating people and
advocating for current UMW justice initiatives
such as human trafficking, domestic violence,
gun control and environmental justice, this
position is for you! The Mission Education and
Interpretation Coordinator should have a heart
for mission and be able to assist locals with
meeting their mission goals. Contact any
nominations team member if you would like
further information. Contacts are listed in this
edition of The Flame.
The Flame
The secretaries are the keepers of the past,
present, and future. It is time to get the 2015
officer contact information off to the district
secretary. She has a short amount of time to
get the directories ready. Remember to double
check to make sure that no e-mails or phone
numbers have changed. When you take the
time to do this at the beginning of the process,
it cuts down on additions and corrections after
the book has been printed.
Please send contact information, by
Dec. 1, 2014, to:
Lois Ostrander
7 Rivers District UMW Sec.
534 E. Jones Ave.
lbostran@nctv.com
Moses Lake, WA. 98837
509-855-4962
Fourth Quarter
Yvonne Gowell
Treasurer
Thank you all for getting your remittance in.
The fourth quarter remittance needs to be
delivered to me no later than December 12th. We
close our year end by December 20th, 2014.
Page 3
Contact Information
Slate of Nominees for 2014-2016
President:
Tressa Cummings
509-728-4259 lolocu5@hotmail.com
Vice President:
Pam Serrano
509-788-0728 pssuccess7@gmail.com
Treasurer:
Yvonne Gowell
509-884-7559 ygowell@msn.com
Secretary:
Lois Ostrander
509-855-4962 lbostran@nctv.com
Spiritual Growth:
Danielle Fox
509-392-3130 dfox2629@gmail.com
MN&O:
Lindsay Suta
406-579-9619 lindsay.suta@gmail.com
Program Resources:
Lori Chadek
509-396-9064 rlchadek@charter.net
Communications:
Lethe McGavran
509-308-9914 mcgavrana@gmail.com
Nominations Chair:
Vicki Newell
509-391-5428 vlynnnewell@msn.com
Nominations:
Cindy Wade
Nominations:
Carol Gaston
509-997-2071
Nominations:
Jean Spence
509-925-9796 jeanlacook@yahoo.com
Nominations:
Donna Wilson
509-985-3597 dwilson@ynce.com
Nominations:
Carolyn Hart
509-973-2881 cjhart@embarqmail.com
bcwade2488@aol.com
Website: www.sevenriversumw.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/sevenriversumw
Pac NW Conference www.pnwumw.org
Mission u
The All School Study:
Latin America
Lethe McGavran
Communications
Save the Date!
Spiritual Growth Study:
Created for Happiness
Social Issue:
The Church and People with Disabilities
I’m writing to you today as your Assistant Dean
for Mission u. This year we will come together
on July 17-20th at the Central Washington
University campus in Ellensburg, Washington.
Further updates are available on the Conference
UMW website:
http://www.pnwumw.org/missionu.html
Reading Program
Suggestions 2015
The district officers have
particularly enjoyed or found
to contain touching topics
worth learning from in each
category listed below:
150 YEAR LEGACY FUND
STORYTELLING with a Purpose!
Share your stories!
Omak Legacy Story
Marsha Aufenkamp
Omak President and Conference Education and Interpretation
In Education For Mission
Good God, Lousy World by
Holly Burkhalter
In Nurturing for Community
January First by Michael
Schofield
In Spiritual Growth
Finding God in A Bag Of
Groceries by Laura Lapins
Willis
In Social Action
That Used To Be Us by
Thomas L. Friedman and
Michael Mandelbaum
In Leadership
Tough Cookies by Cathy
Cloninger
From our Omak UMC booklet “50 years of memories” here are a
few stories from the early days. There were five circles in the
WSCS (Women’s Society of Christian Service), one was a young
Mother’s Circle (no babysitter) and an outbreak of measles was
shared by all. Back in the 1950’s they had a “Traveling Basket” to
make money. Someone would bake something and or make a
pretty apron or potholder etc., put it in the basket and take it
someone else in the group. That person would make a donation
and pass the basket along filled.
They were also busy helping the Youth Group with their activities
(The YOUTH did a documentary of Joseph & Mary on a motorcycle
not finding a room at a Motel), supporting the church with new
choir robes, tables, an organ, carpeting, rebuilding the kitchen and
many more. Pie auctions were a special occasion.
More recently, for several years we had a Christmas party at Apple
Springs and brought stuffed toys for the Support Center, touring
the Food Bank and Family Planning which we support, having
presentations by DSHS, Behavioral Health, Family Empowerment,
Support Center, Chaplain from the Okanogan County Jail,
Okanogan County Regional Home Health and Hospice Care, and
others. Using the UMW Program Book for; Prayer and self-denial,
World Thank Offering and many books in the Reading Program
(four women have received a certificate of appreciation), we were
the 1st in this Conference to be members of the Charter for Racial
Justice and this year received this certificate for the 5th time, along
with Mission Today Gold, Five Star plus award.
Of course, we can’t forget Funeral Dinners. We are blessed in many
ways. Living Faith, Hope and Love in Action.
The Purpose of
the United
Methodist Women
The organized unit of 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.
PLEASE SHARE:
We encourage you to print this newsletter for members of your church you may not have access to email.
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION:
You may e-mail electronic subscription requests to: mail@sevenriversumw.org
For paper subscriptions to The Flame, please submit $2 for mailing costs to the return address listed below.
Lethe McGavran
Communications Coordinator
Seven Rivers UMW
PO Box 4871
West Richland, WA 99353
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED