Spring Retreat – Texas Conference

January 16, 2025February 15, 2025 txconfumw Events, Spring Retreat

Registration Open for 2025 Spring Spiritual Growth Retreat

You are invited to attend the Texas Conference Spring Spiritual Growth Retreat being held via Zoom on March 1.

The keynote speaker this year is Ilka Vega, a transfronteriza from El Paso / Cd. Juarez borderlands. She serves as the Executive for Economic and Environmental Justice at United Women in Faith.

You’ll also be able to attend two workshops: Soul Care led by Abby Gutierrez and Discover the Divine Connection with Nature led by Paulette Moore-Hall.

Rev Soledad de La Cerda will lead the closing worship and Love Feast.

Agenda

7:30 am – 8:00 am	Morning Praise
8:00 am – 9:00 am	Gathering Time
9:00 am – 9:30 am	Opening Plenary
9:30 am – 10:00 am	Keynote Address
10:00 am – 10:10 am	Break
10:10 am – 11:00 am	Workshops – 1st Session
11:00 am – 11:15 am	Return to the main room
11:15 am – 12:05 pm	Workshops – 2nd Session
12:05 pm – 12:15 pm	Break
12:15 pm – 1:00 pm	Closing Plenary

Biographies

The keynote speaker this year is Ilka Vega, a transfronteriza from El Paso / Cd. Juarez borderlands. She serves the Executive for Economic and Environmental Justice at United Women in Faith. She holds a B.A in Sustainability, Culture, and Social Justice and a B.A. in Business from Southwestern University and a M.Sc. in Innovation, Human Development, and Sustainability from the University of Geneva. She is a graduate of Lydia Patterson Institute and has over 14 years of experience working on human rights and different advocacy issues including migration, climate and racial justice. She has worked as an educator and campaign organizer developing social and climate justice curriculum for faith-based audiences. She has also worked on mainstreaming sustainability policies and educational resources across different UN and international organizations including the Office of the High Commission for Human Rights and the 2050Today initiative in Geneva.

Abby Gutierrez has grown up in the United Methodist Church as a Pastor’s kid alongside strong, encouraging and empowering United Methodist Women, now known as United Women in Faith. The most influential of these women has been her mother, Minerva Briones, who through powerful examples always encouraged the growth of our organization in every church her father and family were appointed to. Abby has served as a Program Advisory Group Member representing the Rio Texas Conference United Women in Faith and is now a member of the Board of Directors. She is also a part of the Charter for Racial Justice Support Team where she supports Conference presidents in the South Central Jurisdiction in their ongoing Racial Justice work. She also served as the Chair for the Texas Legislative Event planning committee for 2024.

Abby, her husband Brian and daughters Hannah & Sarah, are members of La Trinidad United Methodist church in San Antonio, TX where she serves as Lay Leader.

Rev. Soledad de la Cerda holds graduate degrees in Theology and Divinity from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. She was ordained as a Deacon in 2022. Balancing the responsibilities of being a devoted mother to five children with her role as Associate Pastor at CrossRoads UMC in Houston, Texas, Soledad also preaches as the assigned pastor at Beneke Memorial UMC on the first and third Sundays of each month.

Soledad embodies a deep commitment to both family and spiritual leadership. Born in Santiago, Chile, she encountered Christ while studying at university. She married on May 12, 1988, and is the mother of Claudia, Andres, Kevin, Dylan, and Annahi. After 33 years of marriage, she divorced in 2021.

Recently, she published her first book titled “La inclusión de las personas con discapacidad en la iglesia”, which was edited by AETH (Association for Hispanic Theological Education). The book, based on her experience as the mother of a child with disabilities, creates a moving and compelling narrative.

Paulette Moore-Hall is deeply committed to her faith and the mission ministry of United Women in Faith. She recently completed her 2020-2024 term as a member of The United Women in Faith Program Advisory Group and the United Women in Faith Legacy Endowment Fund Steering Committee. She has faithfully served in prior offices such as President and Treasurer of the Texas Conference United Women in Faith, and the former Central North District United Women in Faith. Also, Mission u study leader. She is the current president of the John Wesley Unit, United Women in Faith. In addition, she is the Chairperson for the 2025 United Women in Faith Texas Legislative Event and serves on the Board of the Spring Interfaith Council as Treasurer.

Paulette has a passion for serving ministries and is an active member of John Wesley Methodist Church in Houston, TX, ministries include Prayer Ministry Coordinator, Choir member, substitute Sunday school teacher, bible study facilitator and actively participates in her local unit mission projects and ministry outreach.

February 6, 2024April 1, 2024 txconfumw Spring Retreat

Register now for 2024 Spring Event

Save the date and make plans to join us Saturday, March 2nd, via Zoom from 9 am – 1:30 pm. for the Texas Conference United Women in Faith Spring Event.

Our theme this year is Get Together, and we are lucky to have Rev. Janet Wolf bring our keynote message.

Following the conference news items and Rev. Wolf’s message, we will hold three workshops in separate breakout rooms.

Get together to serve – Wesley Community Center will share their programs and how ladies can volunteer.
Get together to worship – Rev. Neomi Fletcher will lead
Get together to advocate – Texas Impact will share ways to engage our communities this election season.

Each workshop will be repeated once, so you can choose to attend TWO of these workshops. Each session will be 45 minutes long with a 15 minute break in between.

Speakers

Rev. Wolf is an elder in The United Methodist Church and has served as a pastor of rural and urban congregations. She is a college and seminary professor, community mediator, learner, and partner for transformative justice. In July 2012, she was appointed to work with Marian Wright Edelman and the Children’s Defense Fund on nonviolent direct-action organizing to dismantle the cradle-to-prison pipeline, work that includes the organization’s Freedom Schools and the annual Proctor Institute for Child Advocacy Ministry. She is the author of “To See and To Be Seen,” a chapter in I Was in Prison: United Methodist Perspectives on Prison Ministry, edited by James M. Shopshire Sr., et al., and numerous other writings. She is the author of the book, Practicing Resurrection: The Gospel of Mark and Radical Discipleship.

Rev. Neomi Fletcher holds a Master of Divinity from Candler School of Theology – Emory University with a concentration in Theology and Ethics. While at Candler, Neomi served on the Candler Community and Diversity Committee working to promote diversity, equity and inclusion throughout the school.

March 22, 2023 stephaniepounds Events, Spring Retreat

Spring Spiritual Retreat 2023

Make plans to join us at our upcoming Spring Spiritual Growth Retreat, Saturday, March 25, 2023, 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. We have an amazing line-up of workshop facilitators, and our keynote speaker will be Dr. Yvette Richards, Past National President of United Women in Faith.

As we prepare for our time together in a virtual format, we want to invite you to join us from 7:30 a.m. – 8:00 a.m. for Morning Glory. Many of us recall the great time we had at Lakeview for Morning Glory at the Tabernacle. Well, we expect this time of Morning Glory to offer nothing less. This will be a time of Praise and Worship, and you definitely don’t want to miss what the Lord has in store for you! This time together will set the tone for the day, and you will want to set your alarm a little earlier to make sure you are in the number.

We will Gather to Sing at 8:45 a.m., followed by our Opening Plenary at 9:00 a.m. After the keynote address, you can choose from two (2) workshop opportunities, which will be followed by our Closing Plenary. Our workshop facilitators include