Category: Womens Assn - Edmonds Presbyterian Church

WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION NEWS

9/29/2021

The Women’s Association started off the fall season with a picnic luncheon at the church. Seven women attended and enjoyed the opportunity to get acquainted with our new pastor, Rob C. Secretary and Mission chairman Ruth R informed us of the 3 main ministries supported by the Birthday Offering which are:
1) The Garden Gate Ranch in Des Moines, Iowa, funds go to helping exploited women and children by providing therapeutic services and vocational rehabilitation
2) Memorial Drive Ministries, Stone Mountain, Georgia, funds to replace their gym roof.
3) Nkhoma Mission Hospital, a Women’s Health Center in Nkhoma, Malawi.

A collection was taken up by treasurer Kathy M and is being sent to our Synod. Kathy reports $63 was collected from our group.

Sunshine committee sent a condolence card to Myrtle S family who reported her death on August 31 and remembrance cards to June N, Marcia P, and Martha O.

Those present drew names for prayer partners. Please call Margaret S if you would like to be included in prayer partners.

The meeting ended with a delightful picnic lunch provided by Kathy M and Ruth R. Lunch for the November meeting will be by Mary C and Kathy M. October meeting will be a 12 noon luncheon at the Pancake Haus in Edmonds and you are all invited to join us. The November and December meetings will both be at the church at 11:30 am.

Please remember that Presbyterian Women are often God’s hands and feet as we impact the lives of people in need in this country and around the world.

Women’s Association News

8/26/2021

Our next Women’s Association meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, September 8 at 11:30 AM at the church. We plan to have a business meeting in the sanctuary followed by a picnic lunch outside the fellowship hall with the food being provided by the officers. All women are invited and all are asked to sign in when entering the building and please wear masks when inside the building.
Mission chairman Ruth R will tell you about the Birthday offering, so please bring your contribution to that fund. We plan to reveal last year’s Prayer Partners and draw for new Prayer Partners at that time, as well as make plans for our meetings for the rest of the year.
Pastor Rob suggests we pick a theme for our charitable giving such as homeless women or school children in poverty, then aim our mission giving in that direction. So think about what our priorities should be and how we can do the most good.
Our October meeting will be lunch at the Pancake Haus; The November and December meetings will be at the church. We have the option of having our meetings online if the weather is bad for driving.
I’m looking forward to seeing everyone and hearing your latest news.
Margaret S, Monitor

Women’s Association News

7/1/2021

The EPC Women’s Association held their last meeting of the spring on June 9, 2021 with 8 women attending. Secretary Ruth R. gave an excellent summary of our mission projects that we work all year to support and promote. They include:

Mary's Place: Operates five family shelters where fathers, mothers and children can stay together. Many support services are provided for homeless and low income people, including a day room, children’s activities, and job training and placement services. One service, Popsicle Pete, offers a safe place for children with special needs and chronic health issues.

Everett Gospel Mission: Provides shelter, job training, addiction counseling, and help getting employment and permanent housing. Those who want to can hear the gospel message of God’s love and salvation. There are separate shelters for women and children and another for men. Cares for about 145 men and 70 women and children each night.

New Horizons: Provides help for homeless youth, including live-in shelter, day room, job training, and Bible Study and Christian discussion time for interested youth.

Pregnancy Resource Center: Provides pregnancy tests and ultrasounds for women who want them. Gives baby clothes and supplies, maternity clothes, classes for expectant parents, new mothers’ groups, and a chance to hear God’s message of salvation for those who want to hear it.

Cocoon House: Provides shelter a d other services for youth from high school age to age 24. Works to improve relationships with parents, helps people overcome addictions, provides a safe place to study and help older youth to obtain jobs and permanent housing.

Matthew House: Provides services to prisoners families while their loved ones are incarcerated. During the pandemic they have been delivering food,, clothing, and other necessities to needy families because there is not enough space for safe distancing. They do have rooms where people can come to pray. Their goal is to meet the spiritual and practical needs of the families during a difficult time. It is often hard for children to understand why their fathers can not be with them.

Vision House: Provides private apartments for people who are homeless and are getting ready to transition into permanent housing. Sometimes their need comes from job loss or medical costs. Gives child care while parents attend school or work. Gives furniture and household items to families getting ready to move into permanent housing.

Concern For Neighbors Food Bank: During COVID, the food bank is open for business, but is carrying packaged groceries to cars instead of letting clients enter facility to choose some items. This is the Mountlake Terrace Food Bank.

Habitat For Humanity, Snohomish County: Stores are now open again, which provides some income to finance their construction or repair of housing for those willing to work to obtain their own home. They are building new houses on a site in Gold Bar with room for 12 new houses, two are built and occupied. They are also planning to build six four-plexes on a site in Everett. Each family puts in 500 hours of work toward finishing and owning their new home.

Operation Nightwtch: Dinners are still being prepared for pick-up rather than being eaten on the premises. Overnight shelter is found for as many people as possible. If too few beds are found for the homeless they are given a warm waterproof blanket to make sleeping outside a little easier. They have a street ministry that provides water, clean socks, food and blankets to people staying outside. Those who want to, have a chance to hear the gospel message of God’s love and gift of salvation.

Support 7, International Chaplain’s Ministry: Their website hasn’t been updated, but when I spoke to a volunteer at the Chamber of Commerce in January who is a part of the support ministry, he said their work of supporting firefighters is continuing even though Ken G, the founder, passed away. The new director lives in Lynnwood. They still provide spiritual and emotional support to people facing tragedies and emergencies such as fires or accidents or other difficult situations. Accident victims can find a place to obtain water or snacks or quiet rest in the Support 7 Vehicle.

Jan Griffith-our home grown missionary to Sweden: Jan grew up in our church where her parents, Bob and Marian were very active in our congregation. Jan has been working with the minister in a church which operates a Christian School. Some of the families attending the school are immigrants. Jan has also been active in ecumenical outdoor Passion Plays and in spiritual development classes. For several months Jan has been suffering from exhaustion syndrome. She has to rest a lot and would like prayers for her recovery.

World Concern: World Concern was founded by a former member of our congregation. The foundation strives to improve living conditions primarily for people in Africa living in difficult circumstances. They provide wells and clean water in some areas such as a village in South Sudan. They work to prevent malnutrition and sex trafficking. They teach improved farming techniques and work to provide tools and livestock and seeds to people to grow their own food and help lift themselves out of poverty. Their goal is to provide impoverished people a means to earn a sustainable income.

Our Women’s Association collected nearly $600 last month and voted to take funds from our treasury so we can pay each of these mission projects $75 in support of their operations.

Prayers for Kathryn G., Kathy M., Linda R., Marcia P. and Jerry G. that they will continue to heal and gain strength, and also for our members who are unable to attend meetings.

Our next meeting will be on September 8, 2021 at our church where the officers will provide a picnic lunch and we will make plans for the coming year. What a joy it will be to see each other face to face again!

Margaret S, Moderator

Women’s Association News

4/28/2021

Our April meeting was held at 11AM on April 14 via Zoom and hosted by Linda R. After an opening prayer and a short business meeting, we were joined by Brianna V and Marty H who gave an inspiring presentation about Mary’s Place. Their goal is to provide safe shelter to families with medically fragile children who would otherwise have no place to go and have to sleep outside or in their car. This includes car accident victims, family members undergoing cancer treatment, newborns, and children with various mobility conditions needing to use a wheelchair. Mary’s Place owns 5 apartment buildings scattered across King County providing 500 beds for mostly single parent families, but are seeing increasing numbers of multi-generational families with a handicapped senior member. Services provided their members include employment and budget counseling, nursing care and transport to medical facilities and outreach to those living in tents or cars. Their Women’s Day Center provides meals and activities for around 100 women per day. The Kid’s Club provides activities and help with school work and access to computers, scouts and counseling. The Popsicle Place provides focused care with a nurse for the medically fragile and provides a safe place for preschoolers to socialize and play, with direct access to doctor and hospital care where needed. Baby’s Best Start provides housing for expectant mothers and newborns and gives access to supplies and resources to stay healthy. Their Make a Room project gives local organizations an opportunity to collect and donate household items for “graduates” of their program to furnish their own home when ready to move into more permanent housing.

We will collect our annual mission offering at our next meeting which will be at 11am on May 12. Please send your mission contribution to Treasurer Kathy M. We have invited Jan G, our missionary to Sweden to join our meeting and tell us about her life there while coping with the Covid-19 virus. Everyone is invited.

Women's Association News

2/25/2021

The Women’s Association met on Wednesday, February 10, 2021 at 11am virtually via Zoom with ten members and one guest (Freddie) present. Mission Chairman Ruth R reported she made and sent Valentines and candy to three students from our congregation, Teddy K, Kate S and Tyler M. Ruth also gave a report on recent activities of Habitat for Humanity, one of our mission recipients, telling of new homes being built in Gold Bar with the help of the new home owners and community volunteers.
Our program was a presentation by Tyler and Rochelle H, a missionary couple partially sponsored by our church who are presently sheltering in place in Louisville KY, while awaiting permission to return to their mission post in Malawi. Tyler works with the University of Livingstonia Faculty of Theology training new pastors and church leaders for the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian. Rochelle works (virtually) with Mzuzu University Center of Excellence, in water sanitation, supporting research and community outreach. Clean water and sanitation are a real problem in Malawi and is often a matter of life and death. They presented a slideshow showing the area where they lived in Malawi and some of the native people they work with along with their daughter and some of their friends. They ask that we pray for the country of Malawi, its government, its leaders and its students and also for the CCAP and the universities that they work for.
Our next meeting will be March 10, 2021 and we plan to have a presentation by Mary’s Place as a program.

Women's Association News

2/3/2021

The Women’s Association met on January 13, 2021 via zoom, with Pastor Amy hosting the meeting. Thank you notes were read from the Pregnancy Resource, Salvation Army, Everett Gospel Mission, and New Horizons. Vision House has remained open and has welcomed 10 new families. They continue to support their clients even after they find other housing and move out, so the appreciate all the help we can give them.

Our next meeting will be via zoom at 11am on February 10. We have 2 speakers scheduled. Tyler and Rochelle H have agreed to join us and tell us of their missionary life in Malawi and their work among the Malawi people. The entire congregation is invited to attend the meeting if you are interested in what missionaries do in Africa.

WOMENS ASSOCIATION NEWS

12/1/2020

The November 11th Women’s Association meeting was via Zoom hosted by Pastor Amy with 8 women attending. Minutes of the last meeting were read by Ruth R and the treasurer’s report was read by Kathy M who said we still have ample funds for a special project in our treasury.

Mission chairman Ruth R reported that she mailed 83 pairs of socks and a check for $80 to Operation Nightwatch. Ruth is also accepting donations toward buying gift cards for the Christmas family whose information was given to her by Pregnancy Resources. This year the family consists of a mother, a 14 year old girl and a younger boy. Contributions for gift cards for the family are being collected by sending a check to our church office.

We had the privilege of having Ann Sakaguchi from Operation Nightwatch as our speaker. Ann told us about Rick Reynold’s episode with being ill with Covid-19 with the good news that he has recovered and is now a blood donor for treating others with the disease. They have had to markedly cut down on their mission housing due to the virus so now can only 24 people per night instead of the 99 they used to house. It is a constant struggle to find food and housing for all their clients. They have to purchases hotel rooms for those who need help the most and they need warm hats, scarves, hand warmers and snacks for those who have to sleep on the streets. They really appreciate any money we can send. The church will collect contributions and we will see that they are delivered.

Our next fund raiser is the Thank Offering for this month which Ruth will report about in our December meeting. Our December meeting will be our Christmas program which Pastor Amy and Kathy M are planning. We will again have a communion service and sing Christmas carols. The meeting will be at 11 AM on December 9, the same zoom as our church service. Hoping to see all the women of the church there for our Christmas party. Wishing you all a Merry Christmas!

Margaret S, moderator

CHRISTMAS FAMILY
Our Christmas family this year is a mother, Courtney, a girl, Kiara, who is 14, and a 7 year old boy named Kingston. Kim said $435 has been donated for the family, enough to give each child two $50 gift cards, a $100 grocery card, which we can increase to $135 and still have $100 for gift cards for the mother. We will be able to give all we were required to give, plus some extra. Thank you to everyone who donated to make this family’s Christmas a little brighter. I will deliver the cards to Pathways in early December. Let us keep this family in our prayers. Although we do not know what problems they face, God knows, and he can provide guidance and hope for them.

WOMENS ASSOCIATION NEWS

11/10/2020

The Thank Offering for The Women’s Association will be by mail this year. Please mail checks to Treasurer Kathy M. at 18300 88th Avenue West, Edmonds, WA 98026. Recipients for offerings given this fall will be chosen early in 2021. Grants will be given to entities who work to help victims of sexual abuse, child abuse, people experiencing hunger, and/or homelessness, people in need of justice, areas where clean water is needed, people needing medical help and others who meet requirements and are chosen by the committee. Forty percent of the offering goes for health care. One recipient from last year’s offering was the Green Lantern Lunch Program in the Olympia Presbytery which received $30,000. This ministry provides summer-time lunches to children whose families cannot find jobs providing adequate income. Lumber and fishing jobs lost in the area have not been replaced with other jobs that provide a living wage for families.
Ruth R., Session Liaison
The EPC Women’s Association met via Zoom on October 14, 2020 with 7 women attending. Treasurer Kathy M. reports she received enough money in member contributions to send each of our 13 mission projects $75. Mission chairman Ruth R. has already received thank-you notes from Cocoon House who informed us they have expanded their teen services, and Mary’s Place who provide housing for homeless women. We are collecting white socks for Operation Nightwatch via a collection box just outside the front door of the church every Tuesday morning all through October. Ruth plans to contact Pathways for Women for a Christmas Family for us to adopt.

Please contact me if you have an idea for a speaker or mission project you would like to hear from. Amy Sukaguchi from Operation Nightwatch has agreed to be our Zoom speaker for the Women's Association meeting to be held on November 11th at 11am. I am asking her to Zoom in to our meeting at 11:30 and to speak to us about how their program is progressing in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Even if you are unable to use Zoom on your computer you can dial in by phone by using the same telephone instructions as for our church services. Either Pastor Amy or Kim will host the meeting.

Our condolences are being sent to Dick S. for the passing of our longtime friend and member Barbara S. Remembrance cards are being sent to Jerry G, Ila C, Marcia P, and June N.

Kathy M. is already making plans for our Christmas meeting which will be on December 9th. We will discuss more about this at our November meeting. Wishing you all good health and good cheer.

Margaret S., Moderator

WOMENS ASSOCIATION NEWS

10/1/2020

Eight women of the congregation met together with Pastor Amy for Zoom meeting at 11:30 Wednesday, September 9. We enjoyed hearing from each other about what activities we are doing since we last met and how we entertain ourselves while in isolation.

Our treasurer, Kathy M, is collecting our mission offering and will disperse $75 to each of the 13 mission projects we support. In this time of unemployment they surely need all we can send them. We already sent $75 to Jonna R per special request as she informed us she had a specific need.

Linda R shared her views on establishing a Prayer Walk as a special project as she has noticed various neighbors walking in our woods and seeming to enjoy the peaceful quiet of our property. We discussed making or purchasing some inspirational signs with a Christian message which could be placed in various places on the grounds and perhaps motivate visitors to continue visiting our church.

Our next Zoom meeting will be at 11:30 am on Wednesday, October 14. All women are welcome to attend, and feel free to invite a visitor which can be easily accomplished by sending them a copy of our church service with instructions to use the Zoom link.
Looking forward to seeing you all in October.
Margaret S, Moderator

Womens Association News

9/3/2020

Since we still can not meet in person, the board has decided to give our mission offering by mail. Checks may be sent to our treasurer, Kathy M. (please contact the church office for her mailing address if you do not have a church directory.)

She will mail checks to the mission agencies we have been sending to each year.

A Zoom meeting has been scheduled for 11:30 am on Wednesday, September 9th. Pastor Amy and Margaret S will host the meeting. We will begin with devotions and prayer, followed by a chance to visit with each other. This will give us a chance to see how well the Zoom meeting works. If it works well, we can get some speakers in the future.