UMW Winter Mission Project
Every February and March, our local UMW holds a Health Kit Collection. We will be doing that again this year. Items needed are full size combs, nail clippers (small), bandaids 3/4 inch wide, new wash cloths, new hand towels, gallon size plastic bags, body soap (not motel size, not FULL size), tooth brushes (must be packaged singly), money for shipping and tooth paste.
These items may be brought to the church or the church office until the end of March. These kits are sent to the UMCOR Warehouses to be available for victims of emergencies. Think of this project while shopping at Costco and the Dollar Store especially. Keep an eye on Sunday ads for specials during these months.
St. Paul’s has an active Unit of Methodist Women.
We have four active Circles within the Unit and a group of At- Large members who do not have time for Circle participation, but want to help the Unit with our mission fund raising.
The Purpose of United Methodist Women reads: The organized unit of UMW 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.
At St. Paul’s we work to fulfill the purpose by sharing fellowship, programs and mission education at our Circle meetings. We actively support the Women’s Division of the Board of Global Ministry by pledging money to those missions each year. Our pledge also supports the UMW work of our Yellowstone Annual Conference. In addition to our mission pledge to the Women’s Division our Unit supports local programs that support women and children. Those include Food Share, Friendship Center (for victims and families who need support after domestic abuse), Florence Crittenton Home (for pregnant teens, teen moms and their babies), Helena Indian Alliance (Leo Pocha Clinic and Wakina Sky after school program for children), Family Promise with donations of money and support
during our church's hosting weeks, and Angel Fund in the local schools. In addition to money support the Unit collects school supplies, UMCOR Health Kit ingredients, creates Mother’s Day Baskets for teen moms and conducts clothing drives for distribution at the Blackfeet Reservation.
Our Local Unit Focus for past several years has been on homelessness. We have read, studied, and entertained programs on that topic. We have members who have been trained as Family Promise volunteers and participate in fund raisers for the Family Promise Program. For our 2012 study we have endorsed the Wednesday night classes being led by Executive Director of Family Promise, Brian Johnson, focusing on topics affecting homelessness. Those classes begin on February 22nd and will be held from 7 to 8 PM in the church balcony.
Our Annual Conference Mission support goes to Intermountain where we give money donations and participate in the Festival of Trees. We support the Blackfeet Parish with clothing drives, money donations and Mission Education trips. We support our church children’s and youth programs and the Flathead United Methodist Church Camp.
Each Circle has a chairperson or facilitator and other officers.
The four Circles in our Unit and their contact people are:
Doris Long: Jackie Mathews
Wesleyan: Pauline Hooper
Shalom: Marty Thieltges
Sheila Cates: Claudia Davis
The Unit officers are: Vicki Weida, President; Vernetta Dalbec, Vice-President; Lona Ammons, Secretary; Claudia Davis, Treasurer.
In addition to the officers, the unit has Program chair-people to help fulfill the purpose of the UMW. They are Jane Bucks, Mission and Education; Lorraine Kuntz, Mission Collections; Pam Campbell, Spiritual Formation; Ellie Parker, Social Action; Ila Steen and Mary Plank, Membership; Patti Bonnes, Nurture; Leoti Waite, Secretary of Program Resources.
As a service to the church community, UMW will provide funeral receptions and wedding or special birthday parties. Shirley Warehime and Marty Thieltges are coordinators for those events.
In 2011 our Unit’s income was $11,000.00 and of that amount over $10,000.00 was given to mission. While we celebrate being that involved in helping women and children who are oppressed, we also celebrate our active involvement in the community of St. Paul’s and the friendships we create through all of our activities.
Any woman is invited to join us at any time during the year. Declare your interest at Welcome Home Sunday in September or contact the President, Vicki, (406-442-6366) or call the church office (406-442-5643) and we will help you choose a Circle that fits your time schedule and your interests.
