Our Annual Gathering, formerly called the Annual Meeting, was held in October when all annual meetings are held in the US. This is a time to celebrate our accomplishments and do the required business to continue into the next year.
There were program changes, and I received many positive comments on those changes. While meeting virtually with all the VPs in the US, I learned that many needed to have a meeting more than one day. We did that. Many wanted a nice dinner included in the cost of registration. We did that. The conferences felt that an effective keynote speaker was essential to the event. We did that. The focus was on essential business but also fellowship. Many conferences added workshops. Hmmm, I think we might look at that for next year.
By the way, we will be meeting in Bothell next October. Plan now with your budgets to attend and bring someone else into your unit. Our National Board of Directors president, Jana Jones, will be our keynote speaker. She is fabulous. Meet this inspiring woman.
Lastly, I’m not sure I can top our entertainment from this year. You might have heard of the Native American students from the Yakama Nation who belong to a group called Dancing Our Prayers. This team of students travels locally, regionally, and nationally, sharing spirituality and ways of life as followers of the Jesus way. Students drum, dance in full regalia, perform dramas with a positive message, share testimonies, and share about conciliation, justice, and healing between the Church and Native Americans. They are a part of Mending Wings, a native lead faith-based non-profit organization.
Let’s start with this event: you becoming a member of the Charter for Racial Justice this coming year.
I always love to share what I do and know. Our district’s leadership teams are looking for women who want to walk alongside us, bringing our organization and what we stand for to all our units and others. Join us
Let’s Up Our Game
We all know that COVID-19 created a time of change. For some, it is refreshing; for others, it can be uncomfortable. At the national level, they heard your concerns. Expenses were trimmed from NYC down to units. We all looked at our priorities and the needs of all those affected by this change. Programs were cut if inefficient, and priorities were revamped to meet the organization’s goals to serve women, children, and youth. Our giving to the mission took a hit. Our current CEO, Sally Vonner, has set goals for the immediate future. We want to regain our giving momentum to before-Covid levels. This is achievable. Our promise to serve ourselves and others, here and around the world, must have resources to include today’s current inflation rates. Many of us have gotten out of the habit of planned giving as personal pledges or monthly contributions. So, let’s start making the change. Be the unit, the district, and, yes, the conference that increases our pledges. Take the money out of your accounts at the end of the year. Save enough to begin the first quarter of next year, but give your excess to the greater organization. The more we have to give, the more good we can do.
Life Is a Dichotomy!
Life is a dichotomy! We like and expect clear direction, stable feelings and relationships, and binary clarity. Everything is either yes or no. People are either good or bad. We will always love our work! We would always be 100 percent in love with our partners and never be frustrated with our children, neighbors, or colleagues. It would be great if life were so simple.
At some point, we realize that life is rarely that orderly; life is almost never that simple. When I was in middle school, I figured out one clue for those pesky true-and-false questions. If one of the options had the word “always” or “never,” that was not the correct answer. In life, there are almost always exceptions to “always” and “never.”
Because things are not so simple, I think Scripture gives us language that addresses the reality of life, the complexity of living, and our imperfections.
- Forgiveness because we all, at some point, make poor choices and even horrible decisions.
- Redemption because there needs to be a way to come back from our broken behavior and relationships.
- Grace which is an acknowledgment that no matter how good we are or how great our intentions are, we sometimes or often get things wrong.
- Compassion is the realization that we share the same brokenness, and if we can’t be perfect, we should not expect others to be perfect, either.
- Joy is the gift of knowing that even in our brokenness and imperfection, we can celebrate God’s love and our humanity.
- Love is lovely because it confirms that even as we live our dichotomous life, in which we seem to have multiple personalities, God surrounds us with love.
So here is my prayer that we will live with less anxiety, fear, uncertainty, and perfectionism because we know the gifts God gives us. We know that God does not expect perfection from any one of us. We open ourselves to live life the best we can with God’s help, and God gives us the language to know that we are beloved.
Several months ago, I read these inspiring words by Rev. Daniel Miranda, district superintendent for Seven Rivers and Inland districts. How poignant in this time and place! Please be kind to yourself and others in this time of wondering what is to come.
Your humble servant and worker bee.
Stell Wallace, Vice-President
PNW Conference
United Women in Faith