thanks everyone for the birthday lunch fundraiser for RMN this summer below! helped us get beyond our goal! maureen
one more gift came in today too! i think we might reach $500 now! that is great!
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Reconciling friends in NE, Welcome to FALL but let's still enjoy some summer too!
Remember the Rainbow things we called for a year ago for a Rainbow Giveaway in the spirit of the Native American tradition of Giveaway?
That is an amazing story -- as we put out the word slowly wondering if people would send me rainbow things or what would happen? In emails we kept naming various RAINBOW things people could create or find to giveaway in emails.
Slowly the idea started to sink in -- and we started to hear from some of you who were finding things and creating things Rainbow (they have lasted for two annual conferences by the way! rather like the loaves and fishes!)
We started getting emails from folks that they were making Origami Cranes from Rainbow paper, folks who were crocheting stoles, bags and afghans of rainbow yarn, folks who were finding rainbow fans and rainbow crosses for necklaces and bookmarks. They even started coming to my home in the mail!
We received a beautiful story that some friends were working together as a team to make Hanging Sun and Wind Catcher Rainbows! They were doing it as a healing project -- as they have family and friends with HIV AIDS or who had died of HIV AIDS!
We received Rainbow pencils, Rainbow mugs, Rainbow stuffed animals. Rainbow hawaiian leis, ribbons, pins and bookmarks, We gave away homemade Rainbow heart bags and rainbow pop bead bracelets and more! We even needed some Rainbow umbrellas before the week was over! Thanks to everyone for the generous contagious spirit of giving!
The response was heartwarming to say the least! Thanks to everyone and to everyone who has given to Rainbow Tables at local churches, Rainbow trunks, Rainbow fundraisers and bake sales -- those who have made meals to raise funds for Reconciling commitments and folks who have sold CLAB calendars -- and our Birthday LUNCH fundraiser this summer!
Now with the Summer Email offering we have raised $425 from friends across NE! I am sending in the last check for our Summer email offering of 2010 to RMN ministries today!
If you were not able to give to the Summer Email offering (all checks are made to RMN and go directly to RMN by the way) then we have a few options for you this fall or start saving for next summer! Or do a Birthday Lunch with your friends to raise money for RMN for your local reconciling group or for RMN (3801 N Keeler Ave, Chicago IL 60641-3007).
We will list the generous donors this summer BELOW and a few major dates coming this year! Get your local info from your local Reconciling email contacts and send the emails on to friends who might be looking for HOPE.
Giving is CONTAGIOUS and a spiritual awakening for each one who gives -- as we are all giving our gifts of time, money and energy in HOPES of a more INCLUSIVE UMC and faith groups for our friends, our children, our daughters and sons, sisters and brothers, parents and neighbors - as we give to justice ministries directly and feel a part of the spiritual awakening happening in ourselves and our communities as we particpate in change through giving!
BELIEVE OUT LOUD -- the theme for RMN currently challenges us to: 1) GIVING to RMN ministries as individuals and groups, 2) signing up RUM's at gatherings.. all kinds of gatherings: picnics, support groups, homes, churches, coffeetimes and coffee shops and 3) Telling our stories in our groups, in homes, in gatherings so we can all understand better our journeys.
In harmony with this theme, in NE we want to focus as well on Spiritual AWAKENINGS and ways to seek spiritual renewal in our lives to take care of ourselves and find the energies and passion to reach out to all God's children and change the world even if it means finding some rainbows in our lives to giveaway. ....
and also notice God's spirit moving in our lives and among us through talking to a neighbor, writing a friend, calling a friend, Rainbow Giveaways, Birthday fundraiser lunches, and cooking wed meals to gather our gifts and offerings through food.. food is always good!
Here is a listing of the generous DONORS for the Summer email offerings this summer of 2010. We will also incude a few others ways to give this fall as it is CONTAGIOUS when we see it making a difference in our lives!
Thanks so much to each person -- as our commitment to RMN is $250 a year as an official reconciling community and we went beyond that.. it feels good! Giving always does feel good!
SUMMER EMAIL OFFERING GIFTS for 2010, $425 to RMN for their many Rainbow ministries ---- www.RMNetwork.org :
Bob and Betty Dorr, Omaha, NE for registration and copies at the Reconciling table
Gifts and offerings at Annual Conference
Maureen and Jay Vetter, G Island, NE, honor of Karl Skinner & Larry Pankoke for Telling their story at Open Hearts in April
Wendy and Eric Smith, Brian and Jenna (who love ice cream), Lincoln NE
RMN Birthday Lunch Fundraiser, Lincoln: Donna Lightbody, Betty Newhouse, Liz Bady, Bill Black, Laurie Witters Churchill and Maureen Vetter, Lincoln, Hickman and Grand Island, NE (we found out our birthdays and gave to RMN as birthday gifts!)
Linda Kastning, Ponca, NE
Marta Wheeler, Giltner and Phillips, NE
Dave and Jean Harris, Grand Island, NE
Did we forget anyone? If we did let us know : mvetter@charter.net
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UPCOMING Dates to remember this year:
SEPT 12 AIDS walks in 6 cities the same day this year Sept 12 get a team together! Info at www.nap.org
Don Messer Chair of UM Global AIDS fund will be the speaker at UNK, Fine Arts Building at 1 PM, Sept 12 before the AIDS walk! He will also preach at Faith UMC in the park at 10:30 am Sept 12, at Harmon Park!
Oct 14 - 16, Lighten the Burden III, Dallas Texas, Oct 14 - 16.
If you want to give towards Bill Black, Trinity UMC Lincoln and Maureen Vetter, Trinity UMC, G Island attending you can this fall.
We are registering this week to go from NE! Send your gifts to Maureen Vetter, 4422 Drake Lane, G Island, NE 68801 and we will split the gifts to help us go. We are both on the new NE UMC HIV AIDS Task Force to promote this offering etc.
It will cost about $700 each for this HIV AIDS Conference in Dallas Texas sponsored by UM Global AIDS fund, UMCOR with the Tour of AIDS Ministries in Dallas and driving about 10 hours each way!
Go with them in spirit too!
They might even come and visit with your group when they get back -- about the HIV AIDS Pandemic and how you can get involved & UM Global AIDS fund Special offerings in NE Dec 5 (FREE offering envelopes now through cokesbury too!)
Bill Black has received $200 from Risk taking Mission and Justice Team as a Scholarship and Maureen Vetter has received $100 for Registration Scholarship from Prairie Rivers District to go so far.
For Info write Maureen Mvetter@charter.net or go towww.umglobalaidsfund.org
Oct 22, 23, INSPIRING COMMUNITIES CONFERENCE, Hastings College, this conference is coming out state for the first time! Be sure to let folks know and come join us in Central NE from the cities and rural areas!
Nov 14, INCOMPATIBLE WITH Chrisitian Teaching the MOVIE, at Saint Paul UMC, Lincoln, 2:30 PM, Rev Steve Griffith contact. We are hoping the movie creator will be there too with discussion after!
Dec 1 and Dec 5: World AIDS Day Dec 1 and Special offering in NE for all local churches for UM Global AIDS fund, Dec 5. You can do other fundraisers too for this fund that needs our help to help others! Get a World AIDS Day Task Force together! Give to this Special offering as a faith response to the pandemic of HIV AIDS.
Become an AIDS Ambassador today in the UMC or in your local church and promote this offering in your faith group and church. Send prayers to those battling HIV AIDS! To become an AIDS ambassador write to Mvetter@charter.netor to Andrew Brackett at : casemanager-2nap@
March 25 - 27. Horizons of Faith Weekend with Bishop John Shelby Spong, Omaha First UMC, more infowww.horizonsoffaith.com
ANOTHER RMN CONVO is coming TOO! www.RMNetwork.org
Giving is Contagious and can be a Spiritual Awakening. Give to RMN ministries online, or through your local RMN group and their yearly commitment or send in a gift yourself. Give to our Summer Email offering each year too! If you give $100 and send it to RMN offices you can become an ANGEL (or guessing you are an angel already).
Remember to send your $250 commitment as local official Reconciling groups for RMN ministries this fall.
Be looking for ways to Believe out loud and find ways to renew your spirit this fall.. you might want to get a few friends together and tell them about RMN and start a coffee or tea group or on Sunday mornings do a coffee group and welcome new people. Start a support group or book group, Bible study, Sunday school class or biking, walking group!
Think about the book "Tranformation Journal: A One Year Journey through the Bible" or the book "CHANGE THE WORLD." Or the book VOICES OF THE KINGDOM through the RMN website.
Get involved and find ways to give in your life!
God's spirit is moving for another Great Spiritual Awakening!
www.RMNetwork.org for more resources and info for RMN
Nebraska Statewide Reconciling Network is on Facebook groups!
INVITE YOUR FRIENDS! Share info with each other!
INVITE YOUR FRIENDS! Share info with each other!
We also have a new blog so check it out! We hope to have stories and awakenings on it this fall! www.nebraskarum.blogspot.com
Get together in person and through the internet as reconciling persons in NE can feel isolated in a small town or even in a large town! Have a great fall and see you at events! Believe Out Loud and get together when you can!
Maureen Vetter and Wendy Smith, Email Main Contacts for NE
along with local contacts, PRN contacts and youth, young adults in our local groups now! mvetter@charter.net wsmith28@gmail.com
We sent a list of all the local reconciling contacts this summer and we will do the same again later this year!
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What are your spiritual awakenings for your life, support groups and for a fully inclusive faith community?
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If you want to be off this email group list let us know or if you have someone who wants info as part of this network of friends let us know! We are trying to diversity our email more with more Main local email contacts!
Thanks to all who volunteer and send out email on their own personal time to get out info to others! Giving at it's best!
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