Thank you from San Diego Swedenborgian Church

 [I just located this in my Womens Alliance folder. - N.L.]

4144 Campus Ave.
San Diego, CA 92103
(619) 296-5662
RevCarla@
SwedenborgianChurchSanDiego.org


The Swedenborgian Church of San Diego

July 30th, 2009

To: National  Women’s  Alliance
Chair: Nancy Little

Dear  Nancy  and  members,

On behalf of the San Diego Swedenborgian Church  congregation  and  our minister Rev Carla Friedrich, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the National Women’s Alliance for your recent decision selecting Proyecto Hispanaya (and our outreach to Mexico) as the destination for the 2010 “MITE BOX” Fund.

Your generosity, encouragement and care for new mission work, forging new ground in which to spread the healing and empowering message of the writings, building new congregations and helping families and children in the real world in meaningful ways are very inspiring and greatly appreciated.

May God’s blessings be with you,


Sincerely,

Barbara Taylor
President of the Board of Directors
San Diego Swedenborgian Church

Promoting Spiritual Growth through the Arts, Education, Fellowship, and Useful Service
   

Thank you from Western Canada Conference

Western Canada Conference
Church of the New Jerusalem
Sharon Williams, Secretary
1409 Big Springs Way
Airdrie, Alberta T4A 1K3

November 2, 2010


Gloria Toot, Treasurer Women’s Alliance
Nancy Little, President – Women’s Alliance


Dear Gloria and Nancy

On behalf of Western Canada Conference I would like to thank you and the Women’s Alliance of New Church Women for the financial support you send Paulhaven Children’s camp this year. We appreciate the confidence you have in us that we are supplying a much needed outlet for the youth in our church and those connected with the church.

Below is a picture of the 2010 campers. [The photo didn't copy so you'll just have to imagine a bunch of happy campers. - N.L.]

Sincerely,

Sharon Williams, Secretary W.C.C.

Annual Appeal Letter

Dear Members and Friends of the Women’s Alliance,
Spring is on its way! There are buds on my lilac bush and the daffodils are poking out of the ground. It’s been an unusual winter here in New England. We hardly have any snow on the ground and we’ve had milder temperatures than normal.

What does Spring mean for the Women’s Alliance? In addition to thinking about our upcoming annual meeting and luncheon at Convention this summer, it means it’s time to raise funds for the many programs that we support.

This year the Mite Box funds will go to the San Diego church to assist them in their outreach efforts in Mexico. They have been working with Proyecto Hispanaya in Tijuana. Proyecto Hispanaya consists of a Clinic and Learning Center providing health education and psychological support to school aged children and families. If you want to learn more about Proyecto Hispanaya, visit their blog at http://proyecto-hispanaya.blogspot.com/

Our fund-raising efforts also help support the SCYL. I really enjoy keeping up with the Leaguers on their blog, Facebook, and Clear Blue Sky. Looking at their photos from the Columbus Day weekend retreat at Blairhaven or winter retreat at Almont brings back fond memories of watching the sunset over Kingston Bay, hikes to Myles Standish monument, long van rides through snowstorms in New York State, and stopping at Niagra Falls.  Relive your teen years in the youth league too by visiting the SCYL blog at http://youthleague.blogspot.com/

We also support our camps.  For many of us the arrival of Spring also means thinking about summer camp! Whether your summer camp is Fryeburg New Church Assembly,  Almont Summer School or Paulhaven, we all look forward to camp like giddy children. 

Please help us to continue to support the youth league, summer camps, Swedenborgian House of Studies, and Mite Box by sending in your donation today.  Use the enclosed form to send in your membership dues and donation.
Checks can be made to:
North American Alliance of New Church Women.

Sincerely yours,

NANCY LITTLE
President

Name:_________________________________________________________________

Address:______________________________City:______________________________

State:_________________ Zip Code:_____________

Email Address:___________________________________________________________

Member Church/Society Affiliation: ____________________________________________

PLEASE SPECIFY HOW YOU WOULD LIKE YOUR DONATION DISTRIBUTED:
Amount Donated: _______ Dues ($5.00):______ General Fund: ______Mite Box:_______

MAIL THIS FORM TO:

Gloria Toot, Treasurer
10280 Gentlewind Drive
Montgomery, OH 45242-5813

Women’s Retreat at Almont Retreat Center

[Contributed by Rev. Jennifer Tafel, Lansing MI]

November 2009

A new idea for retreats at Almont was presented to the Michigan Association by B.J. Neuenfeldt: women’s, men’s and family gatherings (“like we used to do when our adult children were young”).  There was unanimous support for the idea and the plans began.  We all received flyers advertising the women’s retreat right away!

The first retreat was a Women’s Retreat: Bring your friends for fun (NO religious or spiritual theme!).  We came to Almont with no exceptions…well, maybe to have some fun.  It was a time to gather with friends at a place we love and want to show off to our dear friends.

Being one of the first arrivals was exciting because I could see the smiling faces and board games gathering in Pfister Lounge (the living room of the main building at Almont).  As night began to fall the laughter began to rise.  I think the most difficult thing for some of Almonters was being at a gathering with NO AGENDA!  What were we to do?  The majority of us were teachers and leaders (of some variety) and we had to let it go and let in the Holy Spirit to guide the fun. 

We broke out board games: Scrabble and Apples to Apples.  These were high-energy games (mostly because of the people playing them).  After lighting a cozy fire in the fireplace the real excitement began as bees starting pouring forth from the chimney (from the wood we were told later).  It was a fun evening with games, laughter and good friends.  We went to bed looking forward to great times the next day.

We ate breakfast and several people decided to go for a walk around the lake on the property. It was a beautiful autumn day and we enjoyed each others’ company for the walk.  The real fun began when a rousing round of the Barbie Game broke out before lunch.  It was to be played “light-hearted” since that is what these women tell their children and beaus as they are introduced to the game.  Well, I broke that rule because it brought up a lot of internal stuff as I was raised by a self-proclaimed feminist.  My apologies to all.  I think I will take the suggestion of one of the people there and make a spiritual-journey game for Barbie. 

We enjoyed lunch and then ended the time there by watching “The Shift” by Wayne Dyer.  The movie is about making the shift from “the afternoon of our lives to the evening of our lives.  What was true in the morning does not apply to the evening.”  Then we all packed up and headed home…after agreeing that we need to do this again some time!