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  "path": "/2026/03/24/united-methodist-women-reflections/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-03-24T05:02:00.000Z",
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    "United Methodist",
    "derecho",
    "Reflections on the United Methodist Women: Recipe Included",
    "Juicy Ecumenism"
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  "textContent": "We all have milestones in life that we anticipate: obtaining our first driver’s license or registering to vote. For me, it was being old enough to join my church’s United Methodist Women meetings, the Rebecca Circle.\n\nGrowing up, I was blessed to be taught in church by many wonderful Christian women. The true joy of joining the Rebecca Circle was my relationships with them, transitioning from teachers to friends. Among our regular duties was to plan events for the local church, and I have been asked to reflect on how that has impacted me as IRD’s Events Director.\n\nSome of my most cherished memories were with the UMC Women. Here are some of my favorite lessons.\n\nLesson 1: Even small acts can make difficult work pleasant. My mother likes to tell the story of Fay Smith and her “mock apple pie,” which she presented to the women while they carried out the Little Kanawha District’s request to compile a membership role for the church’s impending closure. It was sad, tedious work, but then Fay brought out her pie and asked the women what they thought of her new recipe. After everyone expressed their compliments, the women were shocked to learn that the pie did not contain apples. Her small act made a hard task fun.\n\nLesson 2: “They say that I’m bossy.” Marilyn Wright has said this to me countless times. Always in a conspiratorial whisper that challenges me to disagree with the statement. She is bossy. No one has volunteered me for more tasks, and I was always blessed for it. Marilyn has that rare ability to immediately recognize another person’s gifts and talents, even when the talent needs nurturing, and she never lets them go unrecognized. She wisely recognizes that in order to grow, some people need a push and others need a shove. Countless people found their roles of service to our church because Marilyn spotted and appreciated their talents.\n\nLesson 3: Someone has to take the meetings and the budgets. While it’s rarely fun, someone has to do the basic behind-the-scenes work. If it is not done well, the event turns to anarchy, or in the case of one fateful outside mid-July potluck, every attendee bringing a tray of deviled eggs. (Bonus lesson: events will go wrong, but as long as the company is good, you can make the most of it.) Fortunately, for Vacation Bible School, we had Cathy Morris, who attended the meetings, stuck to the budgets, and joyfully did the background preparation. Because of her efforts, we shared the gospel with hundreds of children. (Additional bonus lesson: even with planning, events can face sudden changes, such as a derecho hitting during VBS trapping 20 workers and 70 children armed with clapper hands in the fellowship hall with no electricity and lots of uncooked hot dogs. Even then, you can find ways to make the most of it.)\n\nLesson 3: Find ways to incorporate rather than tolerate the presence of children. Children know when they are loved and appreciated, and they know when they are not. If they will be attending your event, you need to be considerate of their experience. We were blessed with Connie Smith, Shelly Wood, Shirley Smith, and Cathy Morris, who always made the children feel loved.\n\nAlso, it is important to let children know their help is appreciated. From the time we were little, we were asked to help with events, and the women genuinely made us feel as though our small tasks were instrumental, which brings us to the next lesson.\n\nLesson 4: Gratitude is essential: It’s easy to become stressed or frustrated during an event, especially with those we love the most. Simple displays of gratitude are necessary to keep morale up. Jeanie Brothers, Phyllis Edman, Sue Burkey, and Opal Thompson always knew how to make you feel appreciated.\n\nLesson 4: Yes, decorations matter! The men in our church loved to joke that they didn’t _need_ decor at their events, but when they entered the decorated room, they were always thrilled. Decorating doesn’t have to be expensive. It has to be thoughtful and filled with little touches. Kim Wright excelled at this, and we were all blessed.\n\nLesson 5: Know your skill set and use it. Eve Bailey is an excellent administrator of funeral dinners. Her steadfast devotion to this ministry, even after our church closed, has been a dependable comfort to people for years. (Addendum: Don’t hesitate to use it. Sharon Hammel had not played piano for the church in years. One day, when there was no pianist, she stepped up and saved the service.)\n\nLesson 6: If people don’t feel welcome, the event has failed. One of my favorite memories of our dinners is Shirley Smith standing with the mixer, covered in mashed potatoes, laughing. Shirley has a special gift for welcoming everyone and setting them at ease. She was far too focused on enjoying others than worrying about being covered in potatoes. (Bonus lesson: If you can do a small kindness, do so. This is why Shirley always insisted on having a small serving of corn just for her nephew, who hates green beans). (Additional bonus lesson: You can never have too much food! Food, crafts, singing, and more food are the true Wesleyan quadrilateral).\n\nLesson 7: If there’s no photo, it didn’t happen. Now that the church is gone, I’m grateful for all of Shirley’s photos, including the many where I am doing something embarrassing.\n\nLesson 8: If a task needs to be completed, do it, even if it isn’t your job. This one is from my mother, who is always willing to serve because she sees even small tasks as a service to God.\n\nLesson 9: Learn to appreciate people for their eccentricities, but always remember the story for later. Shirley has a delightful anecdote about my mother, a mixer, and an ER visit that she breaks out from time to time.\n\nA very special thank you to the women of the Rebecca Circle.\n\n* * *\n\nI was also asked to provide my favorite recipe from my time in the United Methodist Women. Eve Bailey would regularly make her lemon cookies for me when I was in college.\n\n**Eve Bailey’s Lemon Cookies**\n\n1 Box of Lemon Cake Mix\n½ cup of oil or butter\n2 eggs\n1 tsp of Vanilla Extract\n\nMix together, spoon ¾ inch balls on greased baking sheet.\n\nBake for 8 to 10 minutes at 350 degrees.\n\nOnce cooled, frost with lemon frosting.\n\nThe post Reflections on the United Methodist Women: Recipe Included appeared first on Juicy Ecumenism.",
  "title": "Reflections on the United Methodist Women: Recipe Included"
}