United Methodist Women is a bold, diverse and dynamic community of Christian women working together to grow spiritually, live out their faith and make a difference in their communities and world, especially on behalf of women, children and youth. Together members focus on social justice issues and actions to make a collective positive impact. In recent years, the organization has named four focuses. For the 2021-2024 quadrennium, United Methodist Women will have two mission priorities: climate justice and criminalization of communities of color and mass incarceration, with particular focus on the Just Energy for All and Interrupting the School-to-Prison Pipeline campaigns.

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This episode originally appeared in the January/February 2021 issue of response, the award winning magazine from United Methodist Women.

Visit www.UnitedMethodistWomen.org to find out more.

어린 시절, 할머니는 저에게 다음과 같이 기도하라고 가르치셨습니다. “전능하신 하나님, 저희에게 베풀어주신 모든 은혜에 감사드립니다.” 조부모님 댁에서 저녁 식사를 하기 전에 우리가 드린 감사의 기도였습니다. 저는 그것을 "할머니의 감사 기도"라고 불렀습니다. 이 기도는 이번 시즌에 저에게 특별한 울림을 줍니다. 우리 가운데 많은 사람들이 슬픔을 겪고 있습니다. 우리는 가족을 잃었습니다. 우리는 함께 축하하거나 슬퍼하고 싶을 때 사랑하는 사람들과 물리적으로 거리를 두어야 했습니다. 많은 사람들이 일자리를 잃었으며, 질병을 앓고 있습니다. 인근 시설 중 일부가 문을 닫았습니다. 우리는 계획을 포기해야 했습니다. 이와 같이 우리가 겪고 있는 어려움들을 나열하자면 끝이 없습니다.

Cuando era niña, mi abuela me enseñó a orar: "Padre nuestro, danos corazones agradecidos por todas tus misericordias". Era nuestra oración antes de la cena en casa de mis abuelos. La llamé "la oración de la abuela". Esta oración tiene una repercusión particular para mí en esta temporada. Muchas de nosotras estamos sufriendo pérdidas. Hemos perdido a miembros de la familia. Hemos tenido que distanciarnos físicamente de nuestros seres queridos cuando anhelamos estar celebrando o llorando juntos. Mucha gente ha perdido su trabajo y ha sufrido enfermedades. Algunas de nuestras instituciones vecinales han cerrado. Tuvimos que dejar de lado nuestros planes. La lista continúa.

*This episode of Responsively Yours was recorded by Tara Barnes.*
We know God is continuing to bless us, even now. As Christians we believe in Emmanuel—God with us, in good times and in hard times. Without denying the struggle, this Thanksgiving and Christmas season may be exactly the right time to ask for and exercise grateful hearts.

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This episode originally appeared in the November/December 2020 issue of response, the award winning magazine from United Methodist Women.

Visit www.UnitedMethodistWomen.org to find out more.

United Methodist Women is a longtime partner of the World Student Christian Federation, a global association of student Christian groups connecting young leaders around the world to promote positive change. United Methodist Women members’ Mission Giving supports WSCF programs in the Middle East, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Asia-Pacific, whose offices in Hong Kong I visited in May 2018.

Sunita Suna is the regional executive for the Asia-Pacific region of the World Student Christian Federation. She met me at a subway exit in Hong Kong on a rainy morning and took me to the federation’s busy, packed office on the 18th floor of a nearby skyscraper. Often out marching in solidarity with women, migrants and other marginalized groups or hosting Bible studies or workshops, the office was full during some downtime.

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This episode originally appeared in the November/December 2020 issue of response, the award winning magazine from United Methodist Women.

Visit www.UnitedMethodistWomen.org to find out more.

The work of United Methodist Women members to help women, children and youth has resulted in a wonderful and exciting time for the Navajo Nation. Many who donated also sent messages of encouragement, and many of the masks were sewn by United Methodist Women units or groups, which made them even more special. It’s amazing how one call could reach hundreds, perhaps thousands in this land of the Dine. God is good all the time! We live with hope as we pray for families and strengthened bonds through these challenging days. We are so thankful to our Creator who blesses us always. Hundreds of grateful families have been touched by the donations. Ahe’hee’ (thank you) to United Methodist Women and everyone who contributed for your generosity. May you all be truly blessed and continue to walk in beauty.

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This episode originally appeared in the November/December 2020 issue of response, the award winning magazine from United Methodist Women.

Visit www.UnitedMethodistWomen.org to find out more.

The United Methodist Women Association Cameroon in collaboration with United Methodist Women hosted a workshop in January 2020 under the theme “Preventing Gender-based Violence and Promoting Mainstreaming Through Engagement of State and Nonstate Actors to Take Action Toward Recovery and Justice for Victims.” The training was held in Meme Division, Southwest Region of Cameroon.

Participants included indigenous, minority and economically disadvantaged women and women living with HIV/AIDS as well as survivors of gender-based violence and runaway child brides seeking shelter and protection.

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This episode originally appeared in the November/December 2020 issue of response, the award winning magazine from United Methodist Women.

Visit www.UnitedMethodistWomen.org to find out more.

*This episode of Responsively Yours was recorded by Tara Barnes.*

Ending racism has been a priority for United Methodist Women for a long time. Even with all I’ve learned, during this time I’ve realized that there is still so much I don’t know or that I need to relearn about the history of the United States and the ways that I and other white people are co-opted into a racist system and benefit from it, even without our conscious assent. Some of you may have a similar sense of needing to shift and change very quickly. How can there be so much to learn? How can there still be so much I didn’t see? How can all our efforts at change (in ourselves, our organization, the church and the nation) have fallen so woefully short?

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This episode originally appeared in the July/August 2020 issue of response, the award winning magazine from United Methodist Women.

Visit www.UnitedMethodistWomen.org to find out more.

최근에 저는 지붕 위의 바이올린(Fiddler on the Roof)이 새로운 무대에서 이디시(Yiddish)어로 공연되는 것을 보았는데, 그것은 1905년 러시아의 아나테프카(Anatevka)에서 유대인들이 모여 살던 작은 마을인 슈테틀(shtetl) 사람들이 직면했던 민족적/종교적 긴장을 충분히 이해할 수 있게 해주었습니다. 주인공이자 다섯 딸의 아버지인 테비에(Tevye)는 자신의 전통에 깊이 뿌리를 두고 있지만, 시대적 변화를 마주하게 됩니다. 그는 “내가 그렇게까지 바뀌어야 한다면, 나는 참지 못하고 분출하게 될거야!”라고 말합니다. 저는 우리 중 많은 사람들이 신종 코로나 바이러스 감염증과 인종 차별이라는 똑같은 전염병의 시기에 이와 같이 느꼈다고 생각합니다.

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This episode originally appeared in the October/September 2020 issue of response, the award winning magazine from United Methodist Women.

Visit www.UnitedMethodistWomen.org to find out more.

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This episode originally appeared in the September/October 2020 issue of response, the award winning magazine from United Methodist Women.

Visit www.UnitedMethodistWomen.org to find out more.