United Women in Faith - Western North Carolina Conference

COVID-19 Safety Measures

The health and safety of our members and attendees is a top priority for United Women in Faith. We all want to meet in person, and experience the special gift of sharing time together for our retreat. To do that, we will continue to lean into doing no harm, and making efforts to keep everyone safe. With that in mind, the following COVID-19 safety measures will be in place for our retreat:

• Up to date COVID-19 Vaccinations are recommended (but not required) for all participants. Click to see CDC Guidelines related to being fully vaccinated and up to date.
• Masks will be required for ALL participants while inside buildings. Appropriate social distancing will be encouraged.
• Participants agree that they will stay home if they have any symptoms of illness, have tested positive, or have a known recent exposure.
• Online registration will include confirmation by each participate of their commitment to follow our COVID-19 Safety Measures.

Thank you for your understanding and help as we work to provide the safest possible environment for all in-person attendees at the 2023 Spiritual Growth Retreat.

Lake Junaluska Housing Reservations:

Reservations for housing at Lake Junaluska must be made separately from our retreat registration. To book Lake Junaluska lodging for the Spiritual Growth Retreat:

• Beginning February 22, 2023, call the Lake Junaluska reservations department at 1-800-222-4930. Then the Reservations Department, and the next available agent will be glad to assist you. Tell the agent that you are making reservations for the Western North Carolina Conference United Women in Faith Spiritual Growth Retreat. The Lake Junaluska reservations team is on duty from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday. ALL RESERVATIONS must be made by phone.
  • Housing Rate Information:
    
    
    
• Housing in Lake facilities may fill up quickly, so make your reservations early. We encourage you if at all possible to stay on the grounds to help support the facilities at Lake Junaluska. If the Lake facilities are full, there are lots of motels near the Assembly grounds, visit the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce or the Maggie Valley Area Visitors Bureau for more information on available accommodations

Retreat Leader:

We are excited to announce that Rev. Jan Brittain will be our retreat leader for the 2023 Spiritual Growth Retreat. Jan retired in 2022 after serving amost 11 years as the senior pastor at Williamson’s Chapel UMC in Mooresville in the Metro District. Prior to that she served for 8 years as the senior pastor at Christ UMC in Greensboro in the Northern Piedmont District.

More about Jan…

Kneeling on the concrete floor of a summer camp in the mountains of NC, Jan Brittain committed her life to full time Christian service at the age of 16. Of course, at that time, she did not know any women pastors and assumed her commitment would take her overseas as a missionary. But God had other plans. Jan has served churches of all sizes and in a variety of locations — country, urban, suburban, mountain, farm, and finally a regional church at Lake Norman.

And though, not in the way she anticipated, Jan has done her share of overseas work. She began her ministry by serving churches in Bristol, England and has worked with churches and ministries in Guatemala, Bolivia, Kenya, Uganda, Jamaica and Haiti. Jan has preached on 4 continents and in some notable settings including the New Room (the oldest Methodist Church in the world), at the 200th anniversary of the oldest Methodist Church in Bolivia, in the Duke Chapel and in Stuart Auditorium at Lake Junaluska.

Jan’s background in Christian Education and her degree in Business Administration, along with her nearly 4 decades of professional ministry are resources that are still serving the local church and the larger church. Her focus is on preaching and teaching in a variety of settings and facilitating the success of other clergy. Jan writes a devotional blog — graceinbitsandpieces.wordpress.com.

Jan is a true child of the church. As the daughter of a United Methodist pastor, Jan grew up in the parsonages of South Carolina. And, at the top of any list of achievements or blessings, Jan would put the honor of being a mother and a Gran Jan.

Jan summarizes her personal theology this way:

1. God’s motivation is always love.
2. Jesus Christ’s death on the cross is the means to our salvation. His resurrection is the promise of our eternity. We cannot save ourselves and, praise God, we do not have to.
3. There are three absolute essentials for effective and faithful living: time spent in God’s word, time spent in prayer and time spent with God’s people.
4. God formed and chose the Church. As flawed as the Church is, it is still God’s chosen agent for doing His work in the world. Those who want to be on God’s team find their place in the Church and go to work helping the Church do what only the The Body of Christ can do.

Music Leaders:

Our music leaders for 2023 will be: Rev. Dr. Mark Barden and Catherine Ritch.

Rev. Dr. Mark Barden:  Rev. Dr. Mark L. Barden is no stranger to the United Women in Faith. While serving on the Western NC Conference Staff (2000-2011), he was the staff liaison to the conference United Methodist Women. Through the years, he has participated in many UWF/UMW events including leading music at district and conference gatherings.

Mark is the son of a WNCC United Methodist pastor and grandson of United Methodist missionaries who served in Africa. He began his career teaching journalism and broadcasting at the University of Mississippi and Murray State University (Ky.). Following his call to ordained ministry, he completed seminary at Duke University , later earning a doctorate in Arts and Theology from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC. He has served churches throughout our conference in addition to serving on conference staff. He is currently pastor of First UMC, Norwood and plans to retire in June.

For 25 years, he has collaborated with Catherine Ritch on a variety of ventures. From leading music and performing concerts to photographing and designing covers for Catherine’s books, they have traveled all over the world gathering stories of God’s love at work through the church and its missions.

He is married to the Rev. Barbara Barden, retired clergy from Myers Park UMC, Charlotte. They have a son, Chris, a computer software developer, who lives in Charlotte.

Catherine Ritch:  Catherine Ritch, a native of Matthews, NC, is a published composer and author of inspirational fiction, non-fiction and children’s books with 27 books currently in print, and 7 others currently in process. A frequent speaker/musician in a variety of venues, she has entertained or spoken for audiences around the globe. She was selected as the International Profile of The United Methodist Church for September 2009 because of her continual work and efforts with missions for schools in areas of natural disasters.

A radio personality once said of Ritch, “Catherine’s lightning quick wit and musical talent are astonishing enough, but combined with her never ending source of positive energy, the woman is a ball of fire that’s sure to inspire.” Put Catherine on a piano, organ or keyboard and from Bach to Broadway to Boogie to the Best of Gospel, she’ll have the audience enthralled with the rhythms of life.

One of Catherine’s most fun ventures is a comedy series featuring Miz Eudora Rumph of Smackass Gap, NC, which happens to be a real place (where Methodists have The Hinton Retreat Center). Dressed as Miz Eudora, she has entertained doctors and medical personnel, ministers and bishops, teachers and various other groups with “Laughter Is the Best Medicine” through the simple mountain wit and wisdom of her Appalachian grandmother. In Catherine’s words, “People in today’s society take themselves way too seriously or get caught up in unnecessary stresses. A good dose of Miz Eudora is a cure for all that ails you, and also for that which don’t!”

Catherine has been introduced as an author, composer, comedienne, entertainer, teacher, musician, inspirational/motivational speaker, and volunteer-in-mission, but her favorite way to be acknowledged is “friend.”

Retreat Schedule: (Approximate)

• Thursday, June 8
  • 2:00pm – Registration opens
  • 7:00 – 8:15pm – Opening session, Harrell Auditorium
• Friday, June 9
  • Breakout options – 9:00 to 10:15am, and 10:30 to 11:45am
  • 2:00 – 3:15pm – Second session, Harrell Auditorium
  • 7:00 – 8:15pm – Third session , Harrell Auditorium
• Saturday, June 10
  • 10:00 – 11:30am – Closing worship, with Holy Communion, Harrell Auditorium

Breakout Sessions

Breakout Sessions – Friday, June 9, 9:00 – 10:15am

• United Women in Faith Choir – Led by Mark Barden and Catherine Ritch. 
• Boat Trip around the Lake (Limited to 30 persons)
• Trolley Garden Tour (Limited to 30 persons)
• Book Study – The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek – Led by Kathy Chadwell & Blue Ridge Ladies

Breakout Sessions – Friday, June 9, 10:30 – 11:45am

• Kristal Handbells – Led by Donna Ireland. Using the colored Kristal handbells, participants will learn to play various hymns.
• Boat Trip around the Lake (Limited to 30 persons)
• Trolley Garden Tour (Limited to 30 persons)
• Uniting for Justice Today: Interaction and creativity for Justice Today – Led by Joanie Strohm
• Chair Yoga – Led by LaDonna Butts

Live Streaming Information

Retreat Love Offering
A Gift to Undesignated Mission Giving…

You may make your Love Offering gift in two ways this year:

Mail it directly to:

Bess Redmond, Conference Treasurer
19 Wright’s Cove Trail
Fairview, NC 28730

Please make checks payable to:  Treasurer, WNCC UMW

Or, make your gift online today using the Donate link below:

• Click here to DONATE to the Retreat Love Offering
• We use Stripe as our secure online payment processor. You may use any of several credit/debit cards to make your gift.
• You will receive a email receipt confirming your gift to the Conference Love Offering.

Giving is a way for United Women in Faith / United Methodist Women to give expression to their faith. 

Giving is a privilege – a gift of God’s grace. …from United Methodist Women in Mission

Hands On Mission Opportunity

UMCOR Menstrual Hygiene Kits (“Period Pack”) – Providing basic necessities to support vulnerable menstruating populations. Menstrual Hygiene Kits are distributed during disasters, whether socio-economic or as the result of a natural occurrence. Download PDF instructions.

UMCOR Menstrual Hygiene Kit Assembly from Global Ministries on Vimeo.