SPIRITUAL GROWTH VIRTUAL EVENT

For Such a Time as This…

June 12, 13 and 14, 2020

ONLINE!

Retreat Love Offering:  You can participate in the Retreat Love Offering by making a gift online, or by mailing a check to our conference treasurer, Nancy Reigel:

• Online Gift – Donate by credit card at this secure link
• Gift by Check – Mail your check to Nancy Reigel, Conference Treasurer, 375 Troy Norris Road, Boone, NC 28607. Make checks payable to WNCC UMW, and mark you check as “Retreat Love Offering”.

Litanies shared by Carolyn Payne, Mission Coordinator for Social Action, are available for download here. Carolyn wrote two of the litanies, and the third one was shared in Response Magazine.

Links to song and video mentioned in Session Two by Rev. Dr. Suzanne Michael:

• Song by the Eagles – There’s a Hole in the World – YouTube
• Video Cartoon on the Life of Esther – YouTube

SESSION THREE
June 14, 2020
Premieres at 2:00pm

YouTube Link
Facebook Link

Message:
Rev. Lisa Beth White

Music:
Catherine Ritch
Rev. Dr. Mark Barden

When Hathach told Mordecai what Esther had said, Mordecai sent her this message: “Don’t think that just because you live in the king’s house you’re the one Jew who will get out of this alive. If you persist in staying silent at a time like this, help and deliverance will arrive for the Jews from someplace else; but you and your family will be wiped out. Who knows? Maybe you were made queen for just such a time as this.”
Esther 4:12-14 (The Message)

For Such a Time as This…the Western North Carolina Conference United Methodist Women Spiritual Growth Virtual Retreat 2020 is coming to you online June 12-14.

You’ll recognize familiar elements from our traditional retreats at Lake Junaluska—inspiring and challenging messages from Rev. Pam Blackstock, Rev. Dr. Suzanne Michael, and Rev. Lisa Beth White, information about “where the money goes”, uplifting music provided by Catherine Ritch and Rev. Dr. Mark Barden, and more. “God’s Word is not chained” (or kept at home), and United Methodist Women members will join in spirit three times during the weekend.

Our three recorded sessions will appear here on our website, our Facebook page, and our YouTube page. You will be able to watch the sessions at the appointed time, or any time after that! The videos will continue to be available, and would make a great virtual program for your local United Methodist Women group! We are grateful for the gifts of love and time of each of our participants that makes this virtual event possible, and we are exited to share it with you!

Through pandemic and protests, the United Methodist Women of Western North Carolina are gathering to reflect on our calling “For Such a Time as This”. Please join us!

Our Spiritual Growth Virtual Event Leaders

Rev. Lisa Beth White
Tabernacle / Swannanoa
Black Mountain / Swannanoa
Blue Ridge District

SESSION THREE

Thank You!

Thank you to our retreat leaders, Rev. Pam Blackstock, Rev. Dr. Suzanne Michael, and Rev. Lisa Beth White
for sharing their time, their love, and their inspirational messages to lead us in worship.

Thank you to Catherine Ritch, and Rev. Dr. Mark Barden for sharing their time, their love,
and their wonderful musical talents to lead us in praise and worship.

Thank you to friends of United Methodist Women who helped with some of the recordings,
and provided advice about video production.

Thank you to all of the Western North Carolina Conference United Methodist Women team members
and others who participated and helped to make our Spiritual Growth Virtual Event happen! 

And, most especially…thank
YOU
for joining us to watch!

We hope our 2020 Spiritual Growth Virtual Event will bring you joy and inspiration. And, we look forward to the time that we can again gather together in person. God’s blessings to you, stay safe!

CANCELLED FOR 2020

2020 Spiritual Growth Retreat

Lake Junaluska

Statement about Spiritual Growth Retreat

April 27, 2020

The past several weeks have been anxious as district meetings and events were cancelled or postponed. The SEJ UMW Quadrennial meeting was postponed and no reschedule date as yet. I still have your SEJ cookbook orders and money! I suppose the cookbooks will not be distributed until we are able to hold the SEJ meeting. I’ll keep you informed.  I understand voting delegates will be given the opportunity to elect National Directors soon. Most recently, at the advice of our National Office, all Mission u events across the nation were cancelled. All these decisions were made prayerfully and in keeping the safety of our United Methodist Women members as the central factor. The government’s stay-at-home order is proving to be effective but the battle isn’t over.

This brings us to the June 12-14 Spiritual Growth Retreat at Lake Junaluska. Obviously Lake Junaluska is suffering since they have been closed to guests for several weeks and laid off much of their staff.

The WNCC UMW Administrative Committee has made the decision to reschedule our Spiritual Growth Retreat for June 11-13, 2021. We are all disappointed not to have a 2020 Spiritual Growth Retreat but many factors were considered. This is not only a safety issue but a financial one for the conference, Lake Junaluska, and those who have registered and/or have reserved housing by a deposit or full payment.

A.   The Spiritual Growth Online $25 registration fee is not refundable.

Options…

1. Request your $25 registration fee be applied to the September 11-13 Annual Celebration at Lake Junaluska
2. Request your $25 registration fee be applied to the June 11-13, 2021 Spiritual Growth Retreat at Lake Junaluska
3. Request your registration be transferred to another person for either of the above events
4. Allow your $25 registration fee to be a Love Offering toward our Pledge. The demands on Mission Giving are greater than ever and your support will be appreciated.

Please notify Julia Willis, Conference President (jawillis1@aol.com, 336-685-4857) which option you prefer.

B.   Lake Junaluska Property Housing for Spiritual Growth:

ALL Spiritual Growth Retreat reservations, deposits, and payments for Lake Junaluska properties are being transferred to Annual Celebration, September 11-13, 2020. If this is acceptable, it will require no action at all on your part.

Options ONLY for CANCELLING September 2020 reservations:

1. Transfer $100 deposit or full payment to 2021 Spiritual Growth Retreat at the current room rate
2. Give part or all of $100 deposit or full payment as a gift to Lake Junaluska
3. In lieu of a refund, get a gift certificate for lodging at Lake Junaluska that is valid through the end of 2020
4. Receive full refund of $100 deposit or full payment, because Lake Junaluska has generously agreed not to charge the $15 administrative fee for refunds.

We urge you to consider options 1-3 above during this difficult period.

ALL requests for Lake Junaluska housing payments MUST BE handled with the Lake’s registration staff via email: reservations@lakejunaluska.com.

Indicate in the email:

1. why you are cancelling your reservation
2. do you want the deposit refunded to you or donated to Lake Junaluska
3. do you want the refund on your credit card or by check

Please be patient as their “skeleton” reservation staff is very limited and refunds will not be swift. Please DO NOT call the reservations office.

Lake Junaluska has been very gracious in regard to our legal Agreement. We’ve had a long relationship with them and we greatly appreciate the understanding they have shown to us.

If you have housing reservations at area housing or non-Lake Junaluska owned property, you must contact that facility. The above options do not apply.

Our hopes and prayers are for improving medical conditions that will allow for Annual Celebration at Lake Junaluska, September 11-13. Joanie Strohm and her team are already planning for a special event and hope to have many of you in attendance. It will be wonderful to gather at that beautiful site and fellowship with United Methodist Women again!

God Bless and Keep you Safe,

Julia Willis, WNCC UMW President