Celebrating Women's History Month

This month is Women's History Month, and to celebrate, I would like to mention some of the amazing women we have at our church.

• First, there's my Aunt Wanda, our church matriarch. She coordinates cards for people in the community, she helps organize potlucks, and she's great at getting things done. 

• Then there's Wanda N. She was instrumental in helping our church rebuild, and her expertise has been very important in taking care of our new church building. She's also our Sunday School superintendent. 

• My Aunt Jake is the oldest member of our congregation, and every time you see her, you feel a part of the spirit of the old church.

•  Phyllis is our pianist, and she also leads the adult Sunday School class sometimes.

• Pat N. is our organist, and she's our fearless leader here in the Cave.

• Pat P. is our fabulous substitute teacher, and we love to discuss the Bible with her.

• Velma was responsible for setting up the outreaches that we had at the community center before we had our new building, and she also began the Thursday night meals for the community.

• Geraldene takes care of making sure that bereaved families have meals, and that is such a blessing. She's a light when many families are going through their darkest moments.

• Bennie Lou is our fantastic UMW leader, and she always makes sure that everyone is organized for meetings and conferences.

• Joye is our amazing Children's Church leader and she teaches the young kids' Sunday School class! She's also a lay speaker and sometimes gives the message when the preacher can't be there.

• Julia is our church secretary and one of the keepers of our church's history. She's amazing at gathering the historical documents of our church and recording the minutes at meetings. She can tell you a multitude of beautiful stories about our church and our church family, including those who have gone on.

Speaking of our church history, it's important to remember the important women of our church who have come before us. My Aunt Mil, Helen Hart, Edna Hodge, Reba Heath, Alberta Self, and so many others dedicated much of their time, effort, and love to our beautiful little church and its congregation. Many of them stayed with our church until the end, and are now buried in the Summit Cemetery.

Life would not be the same without Julia looking through her archives for Decoration bulletins from 30 years ago, or without all the ladies gathering together to lay out the dishes for Fifth Sunday lunches, or without Wanda N. peeking in on the Cave to see if we need a teacher. Life wouldn't be the same without Aunt Mil's punch recipe and it wouldn't be the same without Nadine Hart's organ being played during Sunday services. Our church wouldn't be the same without all of the women of our church making it a better place.

Without all of these amazing women, both past and present, our church would not be what it is today. Every one of the women in our church contributes their unique talents and spirit to our little corner of the world, and without them, we would be lost.

One thousand thank-yous to all the wonderful ladies who help make Summit UMC our home!