Change is good! Change is exciting! Or, change is hard… and bad! Realistically, change is inevitable—it’s our attitudes or responses that make it bad. Life is change! It’s growth, maturing, learning, adapting. Yet we need stability, and we treasure the fact that God never changes! He helps us to survive and grow in the midst of change.
This is also true for our national women’s organization. The WMCLB Constitution states that we will have an Annual Convention. We integrate this event with the CLB Biennial Convention. However, on alternate years, it is more difficult to integrate with Regional Biennial Conventions. This, at times results in squeezing a speaker, updates, and annual meeting into a brief noon luncheon. Should we change our WMCLB Convention to correspond to our synod’s Convention schedule?
This is just one of the proposed Bylaws changes that will be voted on at this year’s convention, June 1, 2019, held at a noon luncheon during the Pacific Region Biennial, at Peace Lutheran Brethren Church, Olympia, Washington. You are invited to be there! Read the complete proposed Bylaws changes at www.wmclb.org or www.ffbooks.org/wmclb-2019-bylaws or email questions to wmclbcontact@gmail.com.
We were presented with planned changes in a VISION 2020 presentation at last year’s convention. Here’s an update from the Women’s Ministry Team on how far things have come since then.
VISION 2020: UPDATE
Seven key goals were identified on the current (interim) Strategic Plan for the WMCLB which covered a two-year time period June 2018–June 2020. Four of those goals are well ahead of schedule.
- Virtual Bible studies (2) are currently being set up. We have a number of women who are interested (from a variety of age groups and stages of life). Some are excited they can wear pajama pants and enjoy tea while attending. Some are thrilled they don’t have to worry about getting a sitter. Some are glad they don’t have to brave snow and ice to attend.
- We have successfully tested and begun the process of meeting missionaries through technology. All involved so far have enjoyed these new connections.
- The WMCLB Team has now met several times through the use of technology. A few bumps at the beginning were expected, but we are managing to find our way through those.
- There is a proposed restructure of WMCLB that is completed. The proposed new Bylaws will be voted on at the upcoming 2019 WMCLB Convention. Proposed changes to the Constitution will also be presented, to be voted on at the WMCLB Convention in 2020.
Two future goals are not yet scheduled: assessment of all our resources and an update to the strategic plan. One goal (“get women in the Word”) is ongoing.
“One in Christ” is the theme of the June 1, 2019 WMCLB Convention Luncheon. It’s based on Jesus’ prayer, “The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one” (John 17:22).
May we work united, through change, to more effectively grow in Christ, and reach others for Christ at home and around the world!
Cheryl Olsen is the Faith & Fellowship correspondent for WMCLB.