Fresh Connection Fall 2023

 

Sally Vonner, United Women in Faith’s new General Secretary and Chief Executive Officer as of June 1, 2023, visited the Twin Cities area of Minnesota the week of July for a conference. She stayed on MN Conference UWFaith President Cindy Saufferer’s farm in Morristown.  While here, she visited the site of Emma Norton’s Restoring Waters and also joined the ENS Board, which includes Cindy and Twin Cities District President Melinda Kohrt, for their work day on Saturday. Emma Norton is a UWFaith National mission.   After leaving Emma Norton, Ms. Vonner and Cindy joined other UWFaith members at Say Their Names Cemetery , an art installation at 37 th  Street and Park Avenue memorializing People of Color from across the United States who lost their lives as the result of police brutality over the decades of the 20th and 21st centuries. Becky Coleman, Twin Cities District Program Coordinator), Shirley Durr (Conference Social Action Coordinator), and Rev. Dennis Alexander (retired...

By Shirley Durr, Social Action Coordinator   The Social Action Team has not met since our Spring meeting (see the Spring 2023  Fresh Connection ) .  Our awesome District Coordinators -- Diana Eickelberg (River Valley), Diane Bublitz (Big Waters), and Nancy Kipp (Twin Cities) continue to do inspiring and significant work for economic justice, climate justice, and racial justice.   As Conference social Action Chair (SAC), my work for the past few months, for the most part, has been as a member of the Minnesota Conference Church and Society Ministry Team, a group National UWFaith encourages SACs to join.   Besides helping with content for Minnesota Church and Society’s Facebook page , I helped develop Item 151, Banning the sale, transfer and manufacture of assault style weapons, that was co-sponsored by MN Conference UWFaith and presented for approval at Annual Conference 2023. This resolution passed with an overwhelming “yes” vote.   I also joined with Sally...

  Close up of last columns

By Mary Jane Reetz, Nominations Chair   The Committee on Nominations has Open positions. All positions are 2-year terms with a maximum of 4 years in that position. All of the open positions are appointed.  You will also vote for UWFaith’s  North Central Jurisdiction  Delegates and National Director nominees. We ask that you prayerfully consider a position if called. You may also nominate yourself or another person for one of these positions. A form is included on page 10 in this issue of the  Fresh Connection . Also, nominations can be taken from the floor at the Annual Gathering in October.  See a chart of positions that are Open and brief job descriptions on page 11 where you can see several opportunities for putting your love and faith into action. You will be warmly welcomed by a friendly sisterhood. Chart of Open Positions Click here to find more detailed job descriptions for a few positions.    

Red striketrhough  = Delete   •   Bold blue = Add Items highlighted require approval from MN UWFaith members   The Executive Committee approved changes to the Standing Rules to be presented at the 2023 Annual Meeting in October for vote.   Below are the approved changes for the 2024 Standing Rules to distinguish the different roles of the large Executive Committee and the smaller Administrative Committee: ARTICLE 1 – ELECTIONS Section 2. D. Label Processor, Officer Update Processor,  Registrar, and Directory Project Leader will also be appointed as needed by the  Executive   Administrative  Committee . G. Recognizing that not all positions may be filled, additional positions can be filled at any time as needed upon approval of the  Executive   Administrative   Committee . ARTICLE 2 – MEETINGS Section 7.  Time allotted to agencies, organizations, or groups, for presentations at Conference events, must be cleared throug...

By Mission u Deans Shirley Durr and Christie Brown July 7 to July 9, 24 people attended our first in-person Mission u since the Covid pandemic. And during each week of July, a total of 34 people attended our Zoom Mission u.    United Women in Faith’s newly elected General Secretary/Chief Executive Officer was in the Twin Cities for a Conference and joined us for part of our Zoom session during the 3 rd  week of Mission u before heading off for her installation in Texas. Plus, Riva  Tabelisma, a Minnesota clergy and author of our study book ( Living the Kin-dom: Exploring the Lord’s Prayer as a Spiritual Practice for Social Transformation ) , joined us for our last  Zoom  session. Both women significantly contributed to the conversation with their insights and presence.   As novice Deans, we learned a great deal reading online evaluations from participants -- as well as from our first time serving -- about how to improve Mission u going forwar...

Greetings to all of you. It warms my heart to know you are working diligently for the Lord. Whether it be in your church, community, and/or United Women in Faith. Meeting God’s call is soul fulfilling. Staying active in UWFaith, even in a small way, is important. I still follow the old adage: “Bloom where you are planted.” We learn so much from being a part of the garden surrounding us. We drop our seeds at our feet and replenish our work with women, children, and youth in our church and community. Through our beauty and actions, we inspire those around us to join in God’s work. We are right there, seeing others and getting to know them as persons and what they need. Some of us have our seeds, like burs, plucked and taken to other parts of God’s garden supporting women, children, and youth farther away from home. United Women in Faith supports 90+ National Mission Institutions (NMI). Emma Norton Services is such an important one here in Minnesota. Red Bird Mission, UMCOR Sager Brown, M...

Thirteen members of the Minnesota Conference United Women in Faith Executive Team gathered at Koronis Retreat Center August 12 and 13 and joined with Marian Hansen and Jomyla Choate on Zoom to clarify our “why” and “what” and to envision our “how” so we can grow our sisterhood with faith and action.     Top Row:  Linda Kotschevar (Program Coordinator), Joyce Prudden (COSROW Rep), Janet Ewing (Nominations), Mary Jane Reetz (Nominations Chair),  Linda Oberg (Treasurer)   Elizabeth Everitt (NCJ Officer) Bottom Row:  Melinda Kohrt (TC President), Catherine Williams (MNO), Christie Brown (Spiritual Growth), Myrna Kuehl (BW President), Linda Brinster (Secretary), Cindy Saufferer (Conf. President) Not pictured but present:  Jomyla Coates (Directory Project Leader), Marian Hansen (North Star Rep), Shirley Durr (Social Action) Dreams and Actions   The gathering started around 1 pm revisiting the Dreams list generated at the 2022 Retreat and sharing what dr...

By Cindy Saufferer, Conference President Abundance. This word has been on my heart as of late. Just yesterday, I was in my garden and realized that I had an abundance of weeds! As I was rescuing my begonias from this abundance, I remembered an article talking about edible weeds. I promised myself to learn more about this. I may not buy greens at the grocer’s next summer! Abundance.   I have been a member of the Emma Norton Services board for approximately 12 years now. When I began, things were not easy, and we often wondered where the money was going to come from to keep the doors open. Two years in, the board spent a weekend dreaming and strategizing. No dream was too large, dream it and put it on paper.    We dreamt of a new building. A building that not only housed women, one that was home and promoted healing in a world held by trauma. We nervously laughed at our audaciousness. This was too big…or was it? The board stopped focusing on the things we didn’t have and to...