Article on Poverty

Mission Today is a program of the Women's Division. The purpose of the Mission Today program is to increase involvement in mission through prayer, study and action; to establish relationships with mission personnel and projects so we all understand better how our mission money is being used; to encourage the use of the resources the Women's Division develops; and to expand our understanding of mission to include social justice.

The San Jose District UMW officers believe that every unit can become a Mission Today unit - so, in our second year of this program, we expect to recognize many more units at our Annual Celebration in October.

To become a Mission Today unit, the local unit must satisfy at least eight of fifteen criteria. At least four of the criteria must come from the set below:

* Use the Prayer Calendar at your meetings to pray for persons in mission.

(If you have a Prayer Calendar, you can do this for sure.)

* Present two programs using the Program Book.

(The Program Book has the Service for the Call to Prayer and Denial and a service for the World Thank Offering. There's two programs already.)

* Conduct one Mission Study a year.

* Implement the Charter for Racial Justice policy.

* Make and meet unit's Pledge to Mission.

(You are doing this already!)

* Select a project from the Material Resources for Mission Catalog, e.g. making kits for UMCOR.

(The District will likely select a project and we can all join in.)

* At least two members subscribe to Response Magazine.

(Response is the voice of women in mission and is a "must read". Order two copies for the unit and circulate them to all members.)

* Add two new members to the roll.

(To be a member, one must accept the Purpose and find a way to live it out. One does not need to attend meetings. One may Pledge to Mission, participate in the reading program, help with mission projects, etc..)

The remaining criteria, make the total of eight, may come from the following set:

• One member, other than a Conference or District officer, attends the School of Christian Mission Event.

• Two members attend the District or Conference Annual Celebration.

• One member join the UMW Action Network and become an advocate.

(You can do this from home. Contact our Mission Coordinator for Social Action for an enrollment form.)

• Write to five persons (missionaries) in the Prayer Calendar once a year.

(If you have a Prayer Calendar, you can do this. You will receive their Christmas letter and maybe even a personal note.)

• Co-sponsor, with your local church, a "Children's Sabbath", a worship service highlighting the needs of children.

(Children's Defense Fund publishes a resource handbook for this every year. You can obtain it from the Service Center.)

• Be a five star unit, by giving to all 5 channels of undesignated giving.

(This just takes a little planning. You can do it.)

• Include a "Response" moment in your unit or circle meeting to share an item from Response Magazine.

Response Magazine has many articles about the mission projects our pledge to mission supports. This is a great idea!)

I hope that with my parenthetical comments, becoming a Mission Today unit feels more achievable. If you are not familiar with the resources, like the Prayer Calendar or the Program Book, this is your opportunity to become acquainted with them. Once you begin using them, you will wonder how you ever got along without them.

The officers of the San Jose District UMW are eager to work with you to ensure your unit becomes a Mission Today unit. If you have questions or if there is something you need, please call on us.