Day Apart – June 9, 2026 - Part One

 

Retreat Theme: "Finding & Building Peace in an Anxious World"

Registration Table - Melody Sanders (Area Treasurer)

Traveling Reading Program Library

L-R: Rev. Judy Clark (Area Communications Coordinator), Melody Sanders (Area Treasurer)

Reading Program Coordinator - Connie Scott - Ready to Share Books

Day Apart – June 9, 2026 - Part Two

 

Pat Hansen, Deb Anderson (Area Secretary), _______ (sister in Christ), Alice Johansen: Having fun putting a puzzle together and coloring

Great time visiting and marveling at building block "creations"

L-R: Sylvia Farrells (Area Membership, Nurture, and Outreach (MNO) Coordinator), Janet Rieke 

L-R: Beryl Perry, Connie Rollings

L-R: Rev. Judy Clark (Area Communications Coordinator), Belinda Alkula (Presenter, Day Apart/Area Spiritual Growth Mission Coordinator)

L-R: Rev. Judy Clark (Area Communications Coordinator), Helen Eslinger

Prairie Winds Area (District) Day Apart – June 9, 2026

Theme: "Finding & Building Peace in an Anxious World"

Location: Normandale Hylands UMC, Bloomington

Schedule:
9:00 a.m. – Emma Norton’s Tea

9:30 a.m. – Program Begins
2:30 p.m. – Program Concludes

Registration Deadline: May 24, 2026

How to Register:

Online registration is preferred. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeGyydLEQfE-Jpx7hVFELo72CnmPGxKch2zCS70YkZ9265qVg/viewform?pli=1

-        Pay $20 registration fee at door or online.

 OR … Complete registration by providing information below and mail it with $20.

-          Checks to be made out to Prairie Winds UWFaith.

-          Mail registration details to Sandy Meyer, 8724 Valley View Pl, Chanhassen, MN 55317.

-          QUESTIONS: Contact Sandy Meyer.

-          Email: regumumw@gmail.com / Cell: 952-270-1157

  

Registration information:

Name: ______________________________________

Address: ____________________________________

E-mail Address: ______________________________

Phone: __________________________

Church: ____________________________________

Previous District (if applicable) _________________

First time attendee at a Prairie Winds District event? Yes_____ No______ 

Mark if Local/District Officer: ______

Office Held: ________________________________

Food Allergies or dietary concerns: ______________

June 9, 2026 - Day Apart - "Finding & Building Peace in an Anxious World"

Prairie Winds Day Apart June 9, 2026   Normandale Hylands UMC 9920 Normandale Blvd Bloomington, Minnesota

     

Don’t you love summer road trips? There is nothing like hitting the road, getting out of town, blowing out the cobwebs, turning up the radio, singing your favorite songs as you beep-bop down the highway! You never know who you will meet or what you will learn along the journey!

Well, this year’s Day Apart will be like that. It will be time to hit the road, get out of town, blow out the cobwebs, and join other United Women in Faith as we take a trip together – a trip of fellowship, celebration, renewal of mind and body – time to do some soul care.

Our tour guide will be the District Spiritual Growth Coordinator, Belinda Alkula.

These times – they can be overwhelming. Point of fact, we live in an anxious world. During our Day Apart, we will explore how to build and sustain peace within ourselves and our circles of influence. We will focus on spiritual tools and actions we can take to calm anxieties and to explore our faith, enabling us to serve as peacemakers in these anxious times.

Decide to give yourself a Day Apart. Take that road trip! Head for Normandale Hylands UMC in Bloomington. You will be glad you did! – See you there! 🤍

9:00 am: Emma Norton’s Tea
9:30 am: Program begins
2:30 pm: Program concludes

Mission u Offerings in 2026

Mission u this year will study "Experiencing Emmanuel through Every Part of our Lives." There are two ways to participate - online or in-person.

Please make your check payable to: MN UWFaith and mail to Linda Oberg, 715 East Larpentuer Ave., Unit G, St. Paul, MN 55117 (Note: put a note regarding what you are paying for on your check.) 

OR request scholarship application form here:
https://forms.gle/VTsYhUwQ6gqihvqz9
 
You can order your study book at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=%22uwfaith%22
 
REGISTRATION DEADLINE
May 15 for scholarship application and online registration
 
ONLINE:  
4 sessions 6-8:30 pm CDT
November 1, 8, 15, 22 on ZOOM
Cost:$25 per person
 
IN-PERSON: 
July 24-26
Koronis Ministries
15752 Lake Avenue, Paynesville, MN 56362
 
- Housing: includes 2 nights (2 person per room) and 5 meals -- Cost $289
- Housing: includes 2 nights (single) and 5 meals -- Cost: $329 (3 available) includes 5 meals, event fee and housing in single room at Sunrise Center. Due to limited single rooms, please register early
 
COMMUTER:
Cost: $150 includes 5 meals

OR pay online at https://www.uwfaithmn.com and click on DONATIONS/ PAYMENTS IN VANCO scroll down to "Mission u Registration" and "Mission u Offering."  Note: we are also gathering a special offering for Assembly so consider making a donation for this event as well.

Prairie Winds Area (District) - United Women in Faith - Spring Gathering - Part 1

 

At Cornerstone United Methodist Church, Marshall, Minnesota

Prairie Winds Area's President Betty Stancer Greets Everyone

Cornerstone UMC UWFaith Unit Rep Welcomes Everyone

Lovely Space to Meet, Greet, Laugh, Learn Together

Fun Nametags for Everyone

Ready for Lunchtime Simple Joys Swap

  

In the morning, Prairie Winds Area Spiritual Growth Mission Coordinator Belinda Alkula gave a presentation on "Joy in the Morning."

Prairie Winds Area (District) - United Women in Faith - Spring Gathering - Part 2

Cornerstone UMC Pastor Mickson Celebrates Holy Communion

Prairie Winds Area's Treasurer Melody Sanders

Five-star Mission Units (units giving money in all five pledge areas)

Pictured are members from the following UWFaith Units: Balaton UMC, Hope of Blue Earth UMC, Centenary of Mankato UMC, First UMC of Redwood Falls UMC

 

Not pictured, following UWFaith Units: First UMC, New Ulm UMC; Hector UMC,  Richfield UMC

 

Mission Today Units (meeting four requirements of participation)

Picture members are from the following UWFaith Units: First UMC of Redwood Falls, Hope of Blue Earth UWF, Centenary of Mankato UWF,  East Chain UWF 

 

Not pictured, following UWFaith Units: Holy Trinity, Hector, UMC of Montevideo, Trimont UWF, Richfield UWF

  

UWFaith Reading Program Award Certificates Presented to Jean Doeden, Kathleen Svien, Connie Scott, Betty Stancer

Prairie Winds Area (District) - United Women in Faith - Spring Gathering - Part 3

Prairie Winds Area (District) - United Women in Faith - Spring Gathering - Part 4

 

Prairie Winds Area's Secretary Deb Anderson

Rev. Dr. Fred Vanderwerf

Prairie Winds Area President Betty Stancer and Rev. Dr. Vanderwerf

  

In the afternoon, Rev. Dr. Vanderwerf presented information about his service as the partnership coordinator for In Mission Together—Ukraine, working with the United Methodist Church's General Board of Global Ministries. 

"To Do"

 

Easter Blessing

This Easter Sunday, 

may your faith grow deeper 

and your spirit feel lighter 

as we celebrate the risen Lord.

Holy Saturday Reflection

 

Holy Saturday Reflection by the Reverend Jessica Rooks, District Superintendent, Mountain Sky Conference, The United Methodist Church

Matthew 27

57 That evening a man named Joseph came. He was a rich man from Arimathea who had become a disciple of Jesus. 58 He came to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. Pilate gave him permission to take it. 59 Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had carved out of the rock. After he rolled a large stone at the door of the tomb, he went away. 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting in front of the tomb.

The scripture for Holy Saturday is brief. After a week filled with activity and events, with drama and high emotions, with betrayal, denial and abandonment, with hope at the beginning and despair at the end, today is an odd day.

Today is ‘tomb time.’ Today we sit, and we wait. Nothing of significance occurs in the scriptures. Jesus has been laid in the tomb, and now all we can do is wait.

For many, today is a preparation day for tomorrow’s celebrations. And yet, for the disciples, it was a very different kind of day. They weren’t preparing for resurrection, because they hadn’t experienced it yet. They weren’t preparing for sunrise services, easter egg hunts, family meals, sanctuaries filled with lilies, and trumpets preparing to announce the arrival of the risen Christ.

For the disciples, this day was one of disbelief, confusion, grief, and fear. Jesus lay in the tomb, out of sight, his presence gone from the world. For the disciples, the life they knew had come to an end, and the life ahead of them was not yet revealed. For the disciples, for Jesus’ mother, for Mary, for the community who had put their faith and love in Jesus, it was a day of grief and disbelief.

As Jesus lay in the tomb, they experienced their own tomb time.

What does it look like today to really experience Holy Saturday? To sit and wait. To take a moment at some point today to experience the tomb time, the grief, the disbelief, or the uncertainty of what is next. What does it look like to honor the experiences of so long ago, today, as we sit and wait on this Holy Saturday?

Prayer:

O God of the liminal moments, Today we sit in the in between: in between death and resurrection, in between pain and hope, in between grief and new life. Help us, O God, to stay present to this day, to this space of unknowing, to the uncomfortable moments of Holy Saturday, so that we would not rush through this day, missing the sacred moments that are only offered in the in between. Help us, O God, to accept the invitation into the tomb, an invitation into mystery and the unknown place of transformation. Help us to pause on this holy day, so that our hearts might truly prepare for the unexpected, the unanticipated, the unbelievable that is to come. God, be with us in our tomb time, so that we might be more fully present with Christ. Amen.

2026 Easter Message from Bishop Malone, President of the Council of Bishops, The United Methodist Church

 

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” 1 Peter 1:3
 
At Easter, we return again and again to the biblical witness of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Each time, we rediscover a truth that does not change and a promise that never fades—a truth that holds steady yesterday, today, and for all our tomorrows.
 

The tomb is empty.
Jesus has conquered the grave.
Christ is risen.

 
And this good news meets us right where we are.
It meets us in a world scarred by violence and war…
in communities longing for justice and equity…
in families carrying both visible struggles and quiet, unspoken burdens…
and in churches seeking God’s direction amid a rapidly changing landscape.
 
The resurrection is not distant from these realities—it speaks directly into them.
In the majesty of God’s power, the cross—once a symbol of death, suffering, and shame—has been transformed into an eternal sign of life. It reveals the depth of God’s redemptive love, the radical gift of salvation, and God’s ultimate victory over pain, evil, and death.
 
The Easter story reminds us that no matter what we face—amid life’s adversities, uncertainties, and trials—God’s Spirit is at work, bringing light into dark places, hope into weary hearts, and possibility where things feel stuck or broken. What feels final is not final with God. What looks like defeat is not the end of the story. Nothing is too hard for God.
 
As Easter people, we are not called to ignore the realities around us—but to face them with resurrection faith. Each day, we choose not to be paralyzed by fear or consumed by despair. We choose not to surrender to injustice, division, or hopelessness. Instead, we rise—with Christ.
 
We rise to love more boldly.
We rise to lead with courage.
We rise to stand for justice and extend compassion.
We rise to be the Church—not only in word, but in our witness.
 
For the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in us.
 
And so, even now, we depend on God’s endless grace and mercy and declare with confidence that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. We boldly proclaim that we are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ—our hope and our salvation—through whom all things are possible.
 
And so we sing with joy and conviction:
 

My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
all other ground is sinking sand,
all other ground is sinking sand.
(My Hope Is Built - Edward Mote, 1834)

 
Let us pray:
Risen Christ, meet us in the realities we carry today—the burdens we name and the ones we hold in silence. Breathe new life into weary hearts, renewed hope into your Church, and fresh courage into your people. Empower us to live as resurrection witnesses in a hurting world—bringing hope where there is despair, justice where there is brokenness, and love where there is division. Strengthen us to rise with you—today and every day—until your transforming work is revealed throughout all the earth. In your risen name we pray. Amen.

 
Bishop Tracy S. Malone
President, Council of Bishops
The United Methodist Church

A Thought

 

A New Season Unfolds

 

UWFaith Units Survey Due March 31

The unit survey is now open on the national website. Each unit is encouraged to complete the survey. The link is https://uwfaith.org/unit-survey/.

We are part of the North Central Jurisdiction, the Minnesota Conference, and the Prairie Winds District. The survey asks for your membership numbers and ways that you may have participated in the past year. Please complete this survey before March 31, 2026. 

Pause and Pray

 

How to Improve Your Life

 

Doing Well in Life

 

Sometimes progress doesn’t look like success, it looks like provision. If you’re breathing, cared for, and still hoping, God is at work in your life. Pause and thank Him for the quiet gifts we often overlook. You’re doing better than you think 
 
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:18

To Do List

 

 

Before the emails. Before the errands. Before the noise. This is the only to-do list that truly matters.

Message from Mindful Christianity which is the spiritual discipline of paying attention on purpose with the goal of being acutely aware of experiencing Christ’s presence.

"You are the salt of the earth"

 

The Deaconess Community -- S

onrodteps184a97hugc2u“You are the salt of the earth.” -Matthew 5:13

Salt works quietly.
It preserves what is good.
It brings out what is hidden.
Today, may your presence add grace to ordinary moments—
not with noise, but with faithful care.