JOINED AND HELD TOGETHER
Mission u 2017
Camp Sumatanga: July 27-29
Mission u is one means of fulfilling the purpose of the United Methodist Women in emphasizing the global mission of the church. This year Mission u event is giving all people the opportunity for spiritual growth and understanding our connection with our national Missionary Conferences. The Spiritual Growth Study is entitled: Living as a covenant Community. This study explores major covenants throughout the Bible and what they reveal about God’s character and eternal love for us.
The adult, youth, and children’s geographic studies will focus on the Missionary Conferences of the United States of America; Alaska United Methodist Conference, Red Bird Missionary Conference, and Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference. These studies will help deepen our understanding of these Missionary Conference and may open opportunities for relationship – building and hands-on mission.
Do not miss this great opportunity of learning this summer. Mission coordinators, children and youth directors, this is an opportunity to encourage your groups to participate. Mission u is for everyone- men and women; children and youth; clergy and laity. Come let us learn together for the transformation of the world. We are all joined and held together by the unconditional love of God that calls us to be in mission with our brothers and sisters all around the world.
Adlene Kufarimai- Dean
2017 MISSION U STUDY LEADERS
KIM WOODIN – SPIRITUAL GROWTH
Kim Woodin is currently the District Director of disABILITIES Ministry for the Mountain Lakes District. She has worked specifically with the special needs and disABLEDcommunity through Special Olympics, teaching Preschool Handicapped in the public-school system in North Carolina, as well as at the elementary, middle and high school level. She has been very involved as a volunteer to this community through starting two Special Needs Ministries in the local church as well as working with agencies in the community. Kim is also passionate about her work with Celebrate Recovery and volunteers sponsoring women and leading step work groups.
Kim and her husband enjoy and have a passion for this community and volunteering as camp counselors at Camp Sumatanga for Adult and Older Adult Special camps in the summer. Kim is also a licensed K-12 Music teacher and is currently teaching private piano and voice lessons, as well as choral music through the F.U.E.L. Homeschool Co-op program. She enjoys volunteering as a pianist and choir director to local churches when needed.
KAREN MCINTOSH FITE- GEOGRAPHICAL STUDY
Karen is married to Dr. Larry C. Fite, retired family physician, for 41 years.
She has one son, Jeremy, a rural mail carrier in Danville. Karen is a Registered Nurse with a BSN, MSN from the University of Alabama in Birmingham (UAB) School of Nursing. She taught in the Nursing Department at Calhoun Community College for the past 30 years full time and currently is a Part Time Clinical Supervisor for nursing students in the clinical setting at Decatur Morgan Hospital in Decatur, Alabama for the past 7 years.
Karen is a member of Gandys Cove United Methodist Church in Falkville, Al for 37 years. She has been a member of United Methodist Women for 30 years, has held office in the local unit through the years, President, Vice President and Secretary. She served as Dean for Mini School of Mission for the Northeast District in 2014. Currently she is serving as North Alabama Conference UMW Member of the Nominating Committee. Karen has had multiple leadership positions in the local church, Past Chair Administrative Council, Chair Pastor Parish Relations Committee, Sunday School teacher, youth Leader, Mission Committee and lay member to annual conference.
Karen has a deep commitment to volunteering in Missions, has served on medical mission teams to Ghana, Africa 2012, La Ceiba, Honduras 2013, home repair team at the Hinton Rural Life Center in Hayes, North Carolina in 2015, Food Pantry, Hot meal program and Thrift shop at the Tree of Life Mission on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, 2016, 2017. Karen volunteers regularly at the UMCOR depot in Decatur, Ala. She also serves as guest speaker for UMW units and Women’s Groups concerning Volunteering in Missions. Her hobbies are reading, hiking, gardening and traveling.
JOANNE FINLEY – GEOGRAPHICAL STUDY
Pastor of Haven Chapel United Methodist Church, Dadeville AL.
After retiring in 2001, from the United States Army from serving her country for 25 years, she returned home to be with her family and to fulfill her burning desire to become a Missionary.
In October 2003, she attended a Deaconess Discernment Event in New York. After being approved to become a deaconess, she was appointed as a consultant for GBGM to the borders of Laredo Texas, to the “Hispanic” community, to conduct a Community Need Assessment for Holding Institute, a mission institution which is owned by United Methodist Women Organization, Inc. The Institution main focus was English as a Second Language and life skill classes for sustainability of the family. The mission institution had to close it door for financial reason which was a lost to the community. However, under Joanne Leadership, Holding Institution reopens its doors and to this day is still in operation, teaching English as a Second Language and life skill classes.
After spending 2004-2005, on the Borders of Laredo Texas, assessing the community, she was selected to go to New Orleans to help rebuild the City after the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
In 2006, to St. Mark’s Community Center to rebuild the Center, a United Methodist Women Mission Institution. St. Mark’s Community Center was not able to be rebuilt. Another mission institution was organized in its place which is called North Rampart Community Center. She served out her calling as the Executive Director of North Rampart Community Center and House Manager for the Volunteer Housing of the United Methodist Church, Southeast Louisiana Disaster Recovery Ministry affiliated with the Louisiana Annual Conference.
In 2008, Joanne was commissioned as a Deaconess and Church and Community Worker for the General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM) and she continues working out her calling at North Rampart Community Center until 2010.
In 2010, Joanne moved back home. She started working with the District United Methodist Women Organization, Inc., trying to get local units organized. She served as the President of her local unit, on the District Level; she served as Spirit Growth Mission Coordinator and the Conference as a Parliamentarian until she resigned to take a position as a local pastor at Haven Chapel United Methodist Church, Dadeville, AL. She has been with Haven Chapel now since 2013.
As part of her ministry as a Deaconess here in Alabama, she is working with the Southeast District of the United Methodist Church as Mission Specialist, working outside of the four walls of the church in the ethnic ministries and ministry with the poor.
Joanne’s home church is St. John United Methodist Church in Lafayette, AL. She holds a Master of Education Degree in Adult Education from the University of Phoenix, Bachelor of Science Degree in Health Care Management from the University of Southern Illinois and Associate Degree in General Studies from Georgia Military College and a host of other certificates and certifications.
Joanne’s hobbies are journaling, surfing the web, reading the Bible and other books of interest as it relates to the betterment of God’s people.
CLAUDIA PETTWAY LEWIS
Claudia Lewis is a native of Birmingham, Alabama. She holds a baccalaureate degree in Music Therapy from the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa and currently works as a board-certified Music Therapist, where she uses music’s unique effects on the brain to address client’s physical, cognitive, psychosocial, and communicative needs. For over a decade, Lewis has utilized her gifts of music, science, and psychology to impact the lives of thousands of children and adults suffering with mental illness, grief, abuse, physical rehabilitation, and end-of-life transitioning.
Lewis also serves as a licensed local pastor in the United Methodist Church, and is a member of the House of Restoration United Methodist Church Mission. She leads the children and youth ministries; is a member of the praise team, and is a counselor at the Dream Garden Inc.
Lewis is a woman of strong faith, and believes that with God, ALL things are possible . . . not always EASY, but ALWAYS possible! When asked the question: “What would you like for your epitaph (headstone) to read after you die, her response is: “She was FEARLESS, she walked on water and LOVED IT!!”
Lewis resides in Birmingham, Alabama; is married to minister Robert Lewis, lll., and is the mother of seven energetic children, ages 12, 10, 8, 7, 6, 4, and 3.
MARGARET PARKER
Margaret Parker is a member of Huffman United Methodist Church where she serves as church organist and Children's Choir Director. She is an active member of her local UMW. She has taught in a number of Mini Schools in the past several years. She received her degree in Music Education from The University of Montevallo and her Masters from University of Alabama in Birmingham. She taught in Jefferson County and Trussville City Schools for a total of 37 years. She is married to Bob Parker and they have one son, Seth. They live in Trussville
SHAE LINDSEY – KIDS CAMP
Shae Lindsey is a graduate of the University of North Alabama with a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education and certification in Early Childhood and Elementary Education. She currently teaches through a homeschool covering her area. Shae is married to her wonderful husband, Kevin. They have two beautiful daughters, Anna and Ruth (whom have both been United Methodist Women since before they were born.) She has served the North Alabama Conference of The United Methodist Women Offices of Membership Nurture and Outreach (2016) and currently as Spiritual Growth.
Shae has taught the Children's Mission Study at the Children's Mission Camp since 2003 (except 2013 due to the birth of her daughter, Ruth's birth.) She has alsotaught the Children’s Study for Adults in district mini schools. Shae is interested in teaching in district mini schools. She is honored, delighted and excited to teach the children's study at the Children's Mission Camp. Shae loves teaching, interacting, and learning from all the ways that the UMW reaches out and teaches Mission Awareness to the future of the United Methodist Church, and our children.