You did not choose me; I chose you and appointed you to go and bear much fruit, the kind of fruit that endures. And so the Father will give you whatever you ask of Him in My name. This then is what I command you: Love One Another John 15:16-17

Goal Our goal is to lift up Jesus by letting His love be seen in action in our lives. The United Methodist Women are dedicated to helping others grow spiritually and strive to use their God given gifts and talents to be linked with Christ in ministry and missions.

Emblem The official emblem of the UMW is the cross and flame displayed inside the shape of a teardrop. The shape of the emblem is fluid and free-flowing suggesting change and mobility. It also symbolizes the Holy Spirit empowering us to witness and serve.

View

Purpose Logo

Circle Meetings We are organized into seven Circles that meet once per month for spiritual, educational and fun programs, mission projects, and Christian fellowship. Each Circle was named in memory of a woman in our congregation that has made outstanding contributions to United Methodist Women and our Church with their time, talent, and gifts.

Dorothy Carpenter 1st Thursday of each month at 7:00 p.m. Meetings held in the Puppet Room. Eva Groff 4th Monday of each month at 1:30 p.m. Meetings held in the Parlor. Rebecca Knight 4th Tuesday of each month at 10:00 a.m. Meetings held in Member’s Homes. Ann Mill 4th Tuesday of each month at 10:00 a.m. Meetings held in the Fellowship Hall. Mildred Naramore 4th Tuesday of each month at 1:00 p.m. Meetings held in the Fellowship Hall and Parlor. Porter 4th Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. Meetings held in Member’s Homes and Parlor. Blalock-Woodard 4th Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. Meetings held in the Parlor.

Unit Meetings All Circles meet together as a Unit on the 4rd Tuesday of each month in the Fellowship Hall from September to May and includes a short business meeting followed by a program of community or global interest. We also have many fascinating guest speakers for the Unit meetings. A salad lunch is served after the program, which is prepared by various Circles and executive board members on a rotating basis. All Unit meetings are at 10:30 a.m. except for the months of May and December which are scheduled at 7:00 p.m. to accommodate our working women.

We invite you to join the United Methodist Women, to share your skills, and enjoy the spiritual fulfillment and joy from serving Christ. You do not have to be a member of our Church or United Methodist Women to attend any of the programs we offer. There is always a place for you!

Lord, May we ourselves know,, and make known to others, Your boundless love and peace that comes only from knowning You. Amen.

Fundraisers The United Methodist Women sponsor two fundraisers each year. Our Spring fundraiser always consists of a Fashion Show served with dessert and coffee. The theme for our Fall Fundraiser changes annually.

Events Each year we offer a “Mystery Trip” in July and a “Show & Tell” Brunch in August, which is one of our most popular and interesting events. On the 1st Tuesday of each month from September to May we sponsor a Craft Workshop from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and a Dessert & Game Party from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The games include both card and board games. Reservations must be made in advance for the Dessert & Game Party. Both events are held in the Fellowship Hall. We also invite UMW from other local churches to participate in two or three mission’s studies per year.

Missions All the money collected from our fundraisers and different projects goes directly to local and global missions. The UMW makes financial donations to UMCOR who then distributes the money based on need. The United Methodist Women knit hats for those who are undergoing cancer treatments through a program called “Hugs for Hats.” Members donate the yarn, which is kept in the Church Office for those interested in participating in this project. We also knit and crochet sweaters for homeless children in developing countries.

The United Methodist Women also provide support to other groups and events within our Church. We donate and cook all the food for our annual “All Saints Day” Festival, as well as, bake, pack and deliver Christmas cookies to Church members who are homebound, in nursing homes, and assisted living facilities. Each year we donate over fifty Christmas Stockings to the Salvation Army.

The UMW also participate in the Fellowship of the Least Coin, which is a mission that involves praying each month for women in every part of the world and setting aside a token of participation - a penny - a least coin as a visible symbol of her membership. The coins are collected once per year and sent to Church Women United.

Education The UMW at Venice-Nokomis United Methodist Church promotes educational opportunities through the School of Christian Missions. We also sponsor a reading program that allows us to purchase books for our Church library with a discount from the Resource Center at the District Leadership Training and Mission Sampler. The more we read, the more we save. The official magazine of the United Methodist Women is entitled, Response. Its goal is to educate the UMW for missions, to interpret the purpose of UMW, and to strengthen the organization.

A Strong Woman versus a Woman of Strength The Fellowship of the Least Coin The Story of the Rose Mean Moms