IDWM

IDWM NEWS

 

November Meeting

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

First Christian Church Fellowship Hall, 7:30 PM

Hostess:  Emily Barbour

Program:  Melissa Earnest

 

Fall Bazaar

Friday, November 21, 2008

First Christian Church Fellowship Hall

8:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Chili will be served 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM

 

Service Project

CWF will be collecting school supplies in a basket in the church foyer.  Supplies needed are as follows:

  • Jumbo crayons
  • Colored pencils
  • Scissors (round tip)
  • Glue Sticks
  • Baggies – zip-lock – gallon size
  • Boxes of tissue
  • Baby wipes
  • Flat zippered pencil holders
  • Spiral notebooks (wide-ruled)
  • Notebook paper (wide-ruled)
  • 3-ring notebooks (1/2-inch, 1-inch, 1 ½ inch)
  • Gym shoes (do not have to be new)

 

 

ABOUT IDWM

The International Disciples Women’s Ministries, or IDWM as it is more commonly known, welcomes all

women of the church to participate in various activities throughout the church year. For eight

months during the year (January, February, April, May, July, August, October and November),

we meet either at the church or in members' homes on the second Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. and for

the remaining four months (March, June, September and December), we meet at the church at

11:30 a.m., which includes a potluck lunch as a part of the meeting.

 

The 2008-2009 study theme is “Whose Voice Is It?  Learning to Listen for God,” and the mission focus is Haiti.  This year’s study asks women to engage in listening for God’s voice through several channels:  personal testimonies of how the Bible has shaped individual lives; a look at Bible stories in which people literally heard the voice of God; using Bible study tools to “turn up the volume” on God’s voice; stories of God’s power told in the voices of sisters far and wide, including Haiti; and ideas for praying with scripture to amplify God’s voice in our souls.

 

One of the many ways you can participate in the women's ministry for our church is to use "The

Blessing Box". This is a small, simple coin box, but its function is very important. All you have

to do is deposit your coins inside the box. By doing so, you support the wider mission of the

church through the Disciples Mission Fund. Each spring at the annual IDWM district conferences,

Blessing Box monies are turned in to support efforts in your own region, across North America

and in over 90 countries throughout the world. Since 1992, Blessing Box gifts have average over

$280,000 annually. If you need a Blessing Box to keep at your home or office, please see

Melissa Earnest, IDWM President.

 

 

 

 

IDWM’s symbol illustrates our past, present, future, dreams and actions. The

foundation for all Disciples Women is our faith in God and the Lord Jesus Christ. The cross is

the pivot-point around which all our beliefs and activities revolve. Our future as Disciples

Women is built upon our heritage and the faith and vision of our foremothers. In 1874, Caroline

Neville Pearre organized women of the church for mission work, creating the Christian Women's

Board of Missions. Jessie Trout, in 1949, birthed the Christian Women's Fellowship, which is

represented with the former CWF symbol. Disciples Women are strong. We are strong in our

faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, our dedication to the church and our relationships with our

families and communities. We are strong because of our faith and the figure on the lower right

represents this faith. The energy-filled arms swinging up in a gleeful arc indicate the joy of

being a Christian and a Disciples woman. The joy permeates our lives as we serve our Lord in

mission, in our church and in our world community. The figure on the lower left represents this

joy. Disciples Women embrace others. We are nurturing and all inclusive. We welcome

women of all races and colors, of all nationalities and languages. The figure at the top middle

represents this inclusion. In this new symbol, the artist, Michael Dominguez, a Cuban Disciple

reflects on the heritage and linkages of Disciples Women. The lines indicate the continuous flow

and interconnectedness of all women. For Disciples Women, as in all of life, the whole is made

up of many individual components. These are important in their own right, but they are crucial

to building up the whole and making it strong and beautiful.

 

OUR VISION:

As daughters of God, inspired by scripture and informed by heritage and history, we believe that

God calls us to be an intentionally inclusive community, empowering all Disciples women to be

full partners in the life of the church.

 

OUR GOAL:

We intend to be an organization where every woman is valued, nurtured and encouraged to use

her gifts for the whole body of Christ, one that ministers to, with, for and by all women, and one

that is anti-racist and pro-reconciling.

 

WELCOME TO ALL WOMEN:

Disciples Women encourage all women to serve God's mission in our congregations, our

communities and our world. If you would like more information, please visit our web site at

http://www.homelandministries.org/Women.