The UMW Reading Group was formed in January 2003 at an organizational meeting consisting of several women representative of the various UMW Circle groups active in the church at that time. Using the 2003 Reading List booklet available from the Women’s Division of the General Board of Global Ministries, the group chose Plan I which requires the members to read a minimum of four books in a year, one each from the following four categories: Education for Mission, Nurturing for Community, Social Action, and Spiritual Growth. Each year the Women’s Division publishes a booklet of book choices in each of these four areas; but the books to be read may be chosen from the current year’s booklet or any of the booklets issued in the past three years. One other requirement necessary to receive a reading certificate for the year is regular reading of Response: The Voice of Women in Mission, a magazine published also by the Women’s Division with eleven issues a year.
As the group’s membership evolved and more women interested in reading but who are non-church members became regular members of the group, the membership decided in January 2007 to not choose books on the yearly reading lists for group discussion at our meetings. Those members interested in participating in the official reading plan chose books from reading list booklets and have read them independently on their own.
Each year, the January meeting is dedicated to choosing the books to be read and discussed each of the remaining eleven months of the year. Various members gather suggested fiction and nonfiction book titles with synopses and present the possibilities to the entire group attending that month’s meeting. After all presentations are finished, those members of the group attending vote on specific titles and the month a particular book will be discussed. Members then volunteer to lead the discussion and provide refreshments for specific monthly meetings.
Meetings are generally held the first Sunday of each month at from 2:00pm to 3:00pm in the parlor. Meetings are scheduled for the second Sunday of a month when the first Sunday falls on a holiday weekend. Occasionally depending on the subject of a book or the preference of the discussion leader, the members hold the meeting at a different public site (such as a museum, etc or at the discussion leader’s home.)
All women are welcome to attend! For information, contact Cindy Robinson,
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