As I write this, we have recently celebrated Pentecost Sunday. Do you remember how the apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit and were enabled to share the message of Jesus’ love and salvation to the crowd that surrounded them? As a result of their testimony that day, 3,000 people were brought into a living relationship with their Savior and with one another. As Lutheran Women in Mission, we, too, can share the message of our Lord’s great love to those around the world. By filling our Mite Boxes, we can fund outreach programs, both within the Chesapeake District and around the world. How blessed we are to have this opportunity!
Great News! The 29th LWML Chesapeake District will be at a physical location and it’s going to be in a new format (2-day convention). The dates are September 23-24, 2022 at the Double Tree Hotel in Gaithersburg, MD. It will be awesome to see everyone in person. This edition of the Chesapeake Breeze is full of details about our 2022 District Convention and the women of the DCMARVA and Potomac Zones are excited and ready to host all of us for this convention, organized under the theme “….and You Are My Witnesses.” We are blessed to have a wonderful program, including mission speakers from Bethania Kids, Faith and Works Enterprises, and Orphan Grain Train-Maryland Division. LWML Recording Secretary, Brenda Piester, will share news from the national organization and plans for the 2023 convention in Milwaukee. Our song leaders will be Erin and Jake Pomrenke- this will be their first convention, so please make them feel welcome and introduce yourselves to them. Yes of course, we will have our Humorist Interrupter, Martha McGlynn, who will provide us with plenty of laughs.
Since the electronic voting worked so well in 2020, we decided to continue with it. There will be a Zoom delegate orientation meeting on September 10. Each group may send two delegates as part of their Zone Delegation to this meeting, but keep in mind, the same delegates must attend the convention September 23-24. The delegates will be casting votes for officers & mission grants for the 2022-2024 biennium. More information will be sent to the Zone Chairs. The convention is a wonderful opportunity to share the excitement of LWML with other women! Each zone may send AT LEAST one Young Women’s Representative to this convention. I also encourage you to seek out the ethnic congregations in your areas and see if there is support you can provide to help some of the women in these churches join us in convention.
Your Mites are still needed. The deadline for Mite contributions is June 30. Groups are encouraged to seek means of continuing to gather and submit Mites monthly. Not all members utilize the Mite Box. For those who prefer giving a lump sum dollar amount at a meeting, please continue the habit. Grab a mug, place it in an obvious spot and fill it with those lump sum funds! Mailing your offerings to your church? Mail a check to your group treasurer at the same time. Unconventional times call for unconventional actions. Who knows – the unconventional may bring good changes! The Financial Secretary (Yvonne Brown, 9111 Alcona Street, Lanham, MD 20706) will now accept checks (no cash please) from individual group members. Make your check payable to LWML Chesapeake District. These can be mailed directly to her at the address below. Please include a note with your church and city, group name, your phone number and email address (if applicable). The offering will be credited to your society just as if it had flowed through the society’s treasury. The contact information is necessary should there be a question regarding your offering. This method will cease once the so called “normal” returns.
Have you been on the LWML Chesapeake District Website? There is the option of “Giving to the LWML” https://www.lwmlchesapeake.org/giving-to-lwml.html which allows for giving to the district mission grants online. Through this method, you can authorize a contribution using your bank account or credit card either one-time, or as a regular monthly, quarterly or yearly gift (secured through the LCEF Joyful Response program.) These contributions may also be included in your group’s biennium Mite offering totals if you provide that information.
Your LWML Sister,
Teresa Tester
District President, LWML Chesapeake District
Great News! The 29th LWML Chesapeake District will be at a physical location and it’s going to be in a new format (2-day convention). The dates are September 23-24, 2022 at the Double Tree Hotel in Gaithersburg, MD. It will be awesome to see everyone in person. This edition of the Chesapeake Breeze is full of details about our 2022 District Convention and the women of the DCMARVA and Potomac Zones are excited and ready to host all of us for this convention, organized under the theme “….and You Are My Witnesses.” We are blessed to have a wonderful program, including mission speakers from Bethania Kids, Faith and Works Enterprises, and Orphan Grain Train-Maryland Division. LWML Recording Secretary, Brenda Piester, will share news from the national organization and plans for the 2023 convention in Milwaukee. Our song leaders will be Erin and Jake Pomrenke- this will be their first convention, so please make them feel welcome and introduce yourselves to them. Yes of course, we will have our Humorist Interrupter, Martha McGlynn, who will provide us with plenty of laughs.
Since the electronic voting worked so well in 2020, we decided to continue with it. There will be a Zoom delegate orientation meeting on September 10. Each group may send two delegates as part of their Zone Delegation to this meeting, but keep in mind, the same delegates must attend the convention September 23-24. The delegates will be casting votes for officers & mission grants for the 2022-2024 biennium. More information will be sent to the Zone Chairs. The convention is a wonderful opportunity to share the excitement of LWML with other women! Each zone may send AT LEAST one Young Women’s Representative to this convention. I also encourage you to seek out the ethnic congregations in your areas and see if there is support you can provide to help some of the women in these churches join us in convention.
Your Mites are still needed. The deadline for Mite contributions is June 30. Groups are encouraged to seek means of continuing to gather and submit Mites monthly. Not all members utilize the Mite Box. For those who prefer giving a lump sum dollar amount at a meeting, please continue the habit. Grab a mug, place it in an obvious spot and fill it with those lump sum funds! Mailing your offerings to your church? Mail a check to your group treasurer at the same time. Unconventional times call for unconventional actions. Who knows – the unconventional may bring good changes! The Financial Secretary (Yvonne Brown, 9111 Alcona Street, Lanham, MD 20706) will now accept checks (no cash please) from individual group members. Make your check payable to LWML Chesapeake District. These can be mailed directly to her at the address below. Please include a note with your church and city, group name, your phone number and email address (if applicable). The offering will be credited to your society just as if it had flowed through the society’s treasury. The contact information is necessary should there be a question regarding your offering. This method will cease once the so called “normal” returns.
Have you been on the LWML Chesapeake District Website? There is the option of “Giving to the LWML” https://www.lwmlchesapeake.org/giving-to-lwml.html which allows for giving to the district mission grants online. Through this method, you can authorize a contribution using your bank account or credit card either one-time, or as a regular monthly, quarterly or yearly gift (secured through the LCEF Joyful Response program.) These contributions may also be included in your group’s biennium Mite offering totals if you provide that information.
Your LWML Sister,
Teresa Tester
District President, LWML Chesapeake District