January 2025

After a successful and highly informative district annual meeting at Tacoma Community House last fall, our officers have focused on continuing our Soul Retreats around our District. In October and December, we held Retreats, with two more set for February and March. These retreats follow three possible themes, “Martha and Mary,” “For Such a Time as This,” and “Lessons Learned for Ladies Present in the Parables.” One of our officers coordinates and helps with the planning, but the hosting unit carries out much of it and the details.

These are one-day events, usually from 10 AM to 2 PM. The main program is a Jewish MidRash, a Bible story told by Sue Raymond with costumes and props. The Unit plans lunch, snacks, and other activities with their interests in mind. Having attended the first two, I found the events fun and interesting, and they were a good way to socialize and meet folks. We combine Units and nearby small towns in these retreats. We hope to develop interest and participation in United Women In Faith, which could lead to establishing new Units or growing present ones.

We start planning for the year this month and will continue developing the Soul Retreats as we go along. We will report back on our plans for our annual meeting, where it will be, and more on the retreats later. Several of us attended the Leadership Development workshop online last fall and hope to incorporate some of what we learned this year. Filling our roster of officers this year has been difficult, so we continue to work on that, as well as retaining membership in our Units.

Bev Thomas,
Crest to Coast District President

Crest to Coast  Report

Tacoma Community House

I have become more active at Tacoma Community House since our Annual Meeting. First, UMC Olympia received a gift of hundreds of Christmas ornaments, and a third of them went to TCH to decorate the large tree in the lobby. I have been asked to serve on the board but have not yet attended my first Board meeting. I did attend the 115^th Birthday Celebration of the organization on January 10. They were also celebrating the opening of a new center in the Parkland area, which will help serve some of the most underserved residents in the state. I will submit an article for the district and conference newsletters about all that is happening and the outstanding work done at this National Mission Institution!

Blessings,
Sue Raymond