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joy with me. My hope is that each of you has special friends to share life’s joys with.
My dream for our Conference is that we remember to care for all of our members and work together to bring about change. We have a lot of work to do! As we remember our sisters who have come before us and led the way to where we are today let us be grateful for their lives. For those who have been active in the past but are aging and no longer able to attend meetings let us remember them by sending cards, visiting, and maybe have circle meetings in a nursing home so they can attend. For those who are currently holding offices at all levels let us be in prayer for them. For those who are not yet members let us invite them to be with us on our journey. It’s not just younger women that we should be concentrating on but also newly retired women who have a lot to offer and a desire to serve others. I feel we need to update our way of looking at how we operate so it is easier to be a member. My hope is that we will learn flexibility so that ANYONE who wants to be part of us will find a place.
There are so many ways we can serve others.
On March 23rd join your Minnesota Conference Team from 9:00 AM to 9:15 AM in praying for General Conference-the top policy making body of the Methodist Church which is meeting in Portland Oregon from May 10-20. Four delegates from Minnesota will be joining Methodists from around the world in making decisions that impact our denomination.
On March 23rd, the 2nd Annual Day of Giving, you will have the opportunity to contribute to the Legacy Fund (a permanent endowment to support the work of future generations of United Methodist Women). My hope is that each of us will find it in our hearts to contribute in some way to the Legacy Fund.
Every 25th of the month you can wear orange (which happens to be my favorite color) to take a stand on ending violence against women and girls. Join the United Nations Secretary General’s campaign UNITE to end violence against women. My hope is that you all will join me and add something orange to your wardrobe and/or accessories so we can make a statement every month!
May God bless each of you on your journey.
Love,
Sandy
MINNESOTA CONFERENCE UNITED METHODIST WOMEN Newsletter Editor4015 Katie Lane NWRochester MN 55901
Volume 21 Number 1 FEBRUARY 2016
From the keyboard of the MN Conference UMW President, Sandy Meyer
Greetings UMW Sisters,
It is with great joy that I start my term as the president of the Conference UMW.
My first official meeting was with the teams on January 22-23. We have a fantastic group of women leading Conference. We are truly blessed with these dedicated, creative, loving, caring women. My hope is that each of you belongs to a group that makes that you feel loved and are doing something important to change lives.
I’m looking out my window and can’t see the end of the driveway. I had a long stressful drive home from work today and after I got my car in the garage decided it needed to stay there. But then I looked out the kitchen window and realized the walking path hadn’t been plowed yet so I put on my snow shows and went for a walk. I love snow shoeing! It is so peaceful and I truly feel God’s presence. My hope is that each of you have found something that helps you feel peace and God’s presence.
On January 31 I planned the United Methodist Women Sunday worship service and gave the message at my home church (Discovery in Chanhassen). My UMW sisters presented me with a Special Mission Recognition pin. It was a wonderful surprise and a great honor. Two friends that I have done Christian clowning with for over 30 years and a third friend that I met in 8th grade confirmation attended worship that day. I was so delighted that they were there to share this
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Domestic Violence Seminar The MN Conference Commission on the
Status and Role of Women (COSROW) is planning a pre-annual conference seminar on the topic of domestic violence. One in four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. The places we think are the safest are often the most dangerous. This is a subject about which we all need to be concerned. The MN Conference UMW and the MN UMC Parish Nurses are co-sponsoring the seminar. Come and join us. Contact Faye Christensen, Co-Chair, COSROW, for more information: [email protected].
Monday, June 20, 2016
1 - 5 p.m.
Kelly Inn Ballroom
St. Cloud Convention Center
OBSERVING LENTASH WEDNESDAY this year was February 10. The article
below is written by Janis Rosheuvel, executive for racial justice for United Methodist Women. Julie Taylor served as United Methodist Women’s executive for Spiritual Growth and offers some suggestions for study, meditation and reflection. The Charter for Racial Justice can be found online at http://www.unitedmethodistwomen.org/what-we-do/service-and-advocacy/mission-focus-issues/racial-justice/charter
Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent. In the Christian year, this is a 40-day period set aside for reflection and meditation. It reminds us of the 40 days and 40 nights that Noah spent in the ark, fleeing the flood. It is reminiscent of the 40 days that spies spent in Canaan before returning with their report – two who were hopeful and the rest who were afraid – and how that faithlessness led to the 40 years the Israelites spent in the wilderness between Egypt and the Promised Land. It reminds us, too, of the 40 days Moses spent, twice, on the mountain to receive the Ten Commandments and the 40 days that Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness, enduring temptation. Preparation and change takes time. So what should the next 40 days mean to Christians? What should it include? It will mean different things to different people but here are some things that we might consider together.
Read the three accounts of Jesus’ forty days fasting in Matthew 4, Mark 1 and Luke 4.
MentorFind a friend or small group that you will contact during
these 40 days to share what you are thinking, who will help you do some serious soul searching about your own racial justice
work. Let this friend or group be your prayer partner(s) for these coming days and your ally or allies in the commitment to create mutuality and justice for everyone.
TransformBegin this Lenten season’s racial justice reflections by fully
reviewing and discussing the Charter for Racial Justice. The Charter is one of the key documents we use to ground our institution’s work for racial justice.
Use the following questions to delve deeper into how the Charter can be applied to help us realize a more racially just United Methodist Women and world:
Why does the Charter call the work for racial justice a “struggle”?
What does racism rob from people of color and white people?
How is racism about power?
What do we, as individuals and as a society, need to sacrifice to end racism?
Submitted by Jean Waldt, Conference Mission Coordinator for Spiritual Growth
2016 Mission u Themes - Climate Justice and Human Sexuality
There are exciting new themes for Mission u coming this summer at St. John’s University in Collegeville. The topics this year will be “The Bible and Human Sexuality – Claiming God’s Good Gift”, “Climate Justice – A Call to Hope and Action”, and “Latin America – People and Faith”. Save the dates: July 12 – 15 for Mission u and July 16 for Mission u Too.
• The Bible and Human Sexuality - We look at what the writers of the Bible say about human sexuality and the role of women. Explore how theologians and church leaders interpreted these stories through the ages. We will consider the influence of family systems, heritage and changing gender roles, along with the impact of race, class, age, ethnicity, and orientation and how each of us was reared and instructed in our Christian faith. Study leaders: Lynn Calvert and Rev. Cindy Kennedy
• Climate Justice study - Look not only at climate change, but also the justice concerns raised by the drivers of climate change and the communities affected by it. What are the resources available in the Church and beyond to address these concerns? Study leaders: Rev. Susan Mullen and Rev. Sarah Lawton
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• Latin America - We study the histories of Latin American countries, from colonization to independence, political and social changes, and role of woman and the church. Study leader: Deanna Hawkins
Mission u offers an in-depth study of the topics. Everyone will take the spiritual growth study, Human Sexuality. Then you choose one additional study, either Climate Justice or Latin America. You can order the study books ahead of time from the UMW Resource center, or purchase them at Mission u. The Discovery/Action Room will be filled with ideas to take back home, in regards to the current studies, as well as topics relating to other social action issues that concern United Methodist Women. The program ends on Friday at 12:15 p.m. to give you additional travel time on your way home.
Mission u Too takes place on Saturday, July 16, a one-day session with a four-hour introduction to a study. To have time to explore the topic at a comfortable pace, each participant chooses only one of the three studies. Check-in is at 8:00 – 8:45 am and the program ends at 4:00 p.m. There is an option to arrive on Friday night for those who travel long distances. Childcare will be provided on Saturday with advanced reservations.
Mark your calendars and invite a friend. Registration will be online beginning in April, with special help for those who do not have a computer.
Melinda Kohrt, MN Mission u Dean, [email protected]
Mission u and Mission u Too ScholarshipsDid you know that you can get assistance to pay for Mission
u or Mission u Too? The MN Conference UMW has funds to assist participants. Conference scholarships are available for up to the full amount of the per person rate (double room, no air conditioning). The application deadline will be May 15, 2016. Contact Myrna Kuehl at [email protected] or 763-784-2588 for application forms. In addition to Conference Scholarships, funding may be available from local UMW units or local church mission funds.
RegistrationRegistration for Mission u and Mission u Too will be open
from April 2nd through the end of June, 2016. Again this year there will only be online registration. I will be sending the link to register to those who attended last year and it will be published in the Spring Fresh Connection. When you register on-line, please submit only once. I will send you an email confirmation within a day or two. If you do not hear from me in that time, then register again. I can help anyone without a computer to register or if you need help just call me at 1-507-676-3544. I am always willing to help.
Char Frankenberry
Register
United Methodist Women Gears Up for Second Annual Day of Giving March 23
United Methodist Women members and groups around the country are getting ready for the second annual Day of Giving on March 23, 2016, part of the organization’s five-year 150th anniversary culminating in 2019.
The March 23 Day of Giving honors the day in 1869 when a small group of women braved a legendary torrential rain to gather at Tremont Methodist Episcopal Church in Boston, Massachusetts, and organized for mission. The women established the Woman’s Foreign Missionary Society, a predecessor of United Methodist Women, and galvanized women around the country to raise money to send a doctor, Clara Swain, and a teacher, Isabella Thoburn, to India as missionaries to serve the women of that nation.
A Day of Giving gifts go to The Legacy Fund, a permanent endowment that will support the mission outreach of future generations of United Methodist Women as they address the needs of women, children and youth of their day. A Day of Giving will be a 24-hour giving festival. Members and friends may give:
• Online at www.unitedmethodistwomen.org/legacyfund.• By phone: 800-278-7771 (8 a.m.-6 p.m. EST, Monday-
Friday).• Text Legacy150 to 41444.• By check to Office of the Treasurer, United Methodist
Women,475 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10115. Write “The
Legacy Fund” in the memo section.Conference United Methodist Women Liaisons will be
notified of contributions from women in their area — but the amount of the gift will always remain confidential.
United Methodist Women members and friends may consider giving $15 or $150 or even $1,500, in recognition of our upcoming 150th anniversary, or $18.69 or $186.90 or even $1,869, in recognition of the year of United Methodist Women’s founding. The Minnesota Legacy Fund encourages each member of UMW to give an annual gift; why not do it March 23? Encourage other UMW members to make a gift March 23, too. In the 21st Century, women still need to organize for mission.
A Day of Giving gifts are 100 percent tax deductible. Contributors will receive an immediate thank you and a printable tax receipt for 100 percent of their donation.
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From the TreasurerThe Minnesota Conference UMW fell short in our giving for both the Pledge to
Mission and the Emma goal in 2015. The economy played a role, but also church populations aging and even some church closings also played a part. We were only able to send to National $200,538.61 toward our pledge of $230,000.00.
Our Emma Norton goal was to send $57,000, but we only received $55,697.30. Emma Norton Services counts heavily on our annual giving, so we feel sad that we were not able to help them more.
Our goal for 2016 is again $57,000. We hope to have better news at the end of this year. Our District Treasurers expressed their frustration with their pledges as well. Two Districts made their pledge: North Star at 107.5% and Southern Prairie at 101.4% were very happy with their results. Big Waters at 91.6% and River Valley at 96.8% came very close. Twin Cities raised 84.3% toward their pledge.
Three Districts made their Emma goals, two of them overwhelmingly. Leading was Southern Prairie with 134.3% of their goal! River Valley raised 115.6% and North Star raised 100.1%.
Congratulations to these districts. Big Waters contributed 87.4%, and Twin Cities gave 64.8% through their districts.
Some people send money directly to Emma Norton. These donations are wonderful, but they do not count toward either District or Conference pledges. All money received through the District and Conference and made out to the District does go to Emma Norton. People have occasionally expressed concern as to whether money given in this way does reach Emma Norton. I can assure you that it does. As quickly as your District Treasurer receives your donation, she sends it to the Conference Treasurer. I send it to National and then check with Tonya Brownlow, the Director, to make sure it arrives. It always does.
Thank you to all you hard-working United Methodist Women for your generosity, your creative ways of raising money, and your efforts. You are very much
appreciated! Patience Gall, Conference Treasurer.
Finger labyrinths for General Conference
The National Office of the United Methodist Women intends to supply 2,000 Finger Labyrinths for General Conference which happens in May 2016. Every four years, elected delegates meet to discuss matters of importance in the United Methodist Church and make decisions for the coming quadrennium (four years). Debate can be intense, and prayer is needed for wise decisions.
The deadline to complete finger labyrinths has been extended to Feb. 29, 2016. Instructions and a pattern for the labyrinths are available from the district presidents, as well as the mailing address for completed labryinths. Each labyrinth takes about 90 minutes to complete. Basically, it finishes as an 8-inch square, with the labyrinth channels satin-stitched (close-set zigzag). You choose the fabric. The labyrinths will be labeled as gifts from UMW provided to delegates and visitors of General Conference.
O. C. MinistriesI have some O. C. Ministries
information for you from Rev. Lyndy Zabel who has just returned from a mission trip to Sierra Leone, West Africa.
This spring, OCM will not be shipping mission supplies to Africa the usual way (through Indiana). Costs are getting prohibitive ($10K per container). More and more materials are available in Sierra Leone and Liberia. All Sierra Leone materials we have sent to date are at our schools, clinics, and churches. The warehouse in Free Town is now empty.
In the future, we will be able to send specific supplies when OC teams travel in country. Last month Lyndy dropped off sewing materials at our two functioning co-ops in Yonibana and Makeni. With the help of a converter, electric sewing machines can now be used in Makeni.
In January our OC team was in Sierra Leone when Ebola came back (two cases). It’s pretty much under control now, thankfully!
The main message for UMW units is: School uniforms are always in constant demand! In the future they will be sent to Africa with work teams. Other items
such as school & health kits, clinic and church donations, sports equipment, educational and religious publications, etc. will be held locally. Instructions will be forthcoming as further shipping developments are discussed.
Local UMW units may also consider financially enabling an African student to attend school for a year. Contact Annette Brandner for information and forms. [email protected]
As always, THANK YOU for your support!
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Emma Norton Scholarships Available
Each year, scholarships are awarded to deserving women who are pursuing Christian vocations. Now is the time to apply if you or someone you know is interested.
What is the amount of the scholarship?The amount of each scholarship depends on the money
available and the number of applicants who qualify. Typically, the scholarships awarded range between $400 - $1000.
Where does the scholarship money come from?The scholarship money comes from Emma Norton herself!
Concerned about the struggles of young women to obtain an education in the early 1900s, Emma Norton gave $25,000 in stocks and bonds to women to the Women’s Home Missionary Society. Her stipulation with this generous gift in 1912 was that the money was to remain intact and that half of the interest is to be used for scholarships for women going into full-time Christian vocations. The other half of the interest is to be used for a national mission. The stock account has grown since 1912 and hundreds of scholarships have been awarded.
The fund is administered by the Designated Fund Committee of the MN Conference United Methodist Women.
Who is eligible to apply for an Emma Norton Scholarship?Women with college degrees and United Methodist
backgrounds who are currently enrolled in a course of study for full-time Christian vocations are eligible to apply for Emma Norton Scholarships. These scholarships are given annually. Previous applicants and recipients are eligible to apply again.
How do I apply for a scholarship?To receive an application, contact Lynn Gryc, Chair, Emma
Norton Designated Fund
Committee of MN Conference, United Methodist Women: [email protected]; 2333 158th St East, Faribault, MN 55021-7911, Cell: 507-210-7923. Two letters of reference are required.
What is the deadline?Completed applications and two letters of reference must
be received by June 15, 2016.
Bukola Oriola to serve on Human Trafficking Advisory Council
In Dec. 2015, Bukola Love Oriola was appointed by the President to the U. S. Advisory Council on Human Trafficking! Big Waters District has heard Bukola speak at one of our meetings. Bukola, in her new position, is available for speaking on Human Trafficking issues. Contact Bukola at [email protected]
Bukola Oriola is a member of the U.S. Advisory Council on Human Trafficking. Appointed by President Barack Obama in December 2015, Oriola is also an award winning journalist and a survivor of labor trafficking, who has dedicated her life to helping others by sharing her story and offering practical solutions to service providers, clinics, community members, and law enforcement on how to rescue victims of human trafficking. Oriola is a consultant for Office for Victims of Crime Training and Technical Assistance Center (OVCTTAC).
Oriola, who started her journalism career in 2000 in her home country Nigeria, became a victim of human trafficking as a result of fraud. She was isolated for two years, endured all forms of torture, hunger, physical, psychological and emotional abuse. She was traumatized, became depressed and was diagnosed for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Now an advocate, Bukola has dedicated her life to helping others by sharing her story through public presentations. She has put her experiences together in form of a book, Imprisoned: The Travails of a Trafficked Victim to serve as an eye opener to everybody across the world about human trafficking.
UMW Online
Find us on the web:www.mnconfumw.com/
We are now on Facebook!Minnesota United Methodist Women
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Sandy Myer, UMW MN PresidentI’ve been involved in UMW for
many years. I was president of Richfield UMW in the 80’s and held other local and district offices at that time. I was inactive for a few years while I completed my BA degree in Training and Development. From 2004-2006 I served as the Metro West Education & Interpretation Mission Coordinator. In 2008 I was the Metro West District President and in 2009-2011 Twin Cities District President. Then I served as MN Conference Membership, Nurture, and Outreach Mission Coordinator and the Minnesota Secretary/Treasurer for Church Women United from 2012-2015. I was proud to be given the Valiant Woman Award in 2015 for my service to Church Women United.
I live in Chanhassen with my husband Steve. I have been married to Steve for 40 years and our 37 year old daughter, Sharla, is an Associate Principal in Las Vegas where she was has lived for 14 years.
For the past 15 years I have been the Director of Operations at Caryn International, a model and on-camera coaching center in St. Louis Park. I’m a clown /magician and love to entertain children of all ages. I’ve been doing clown ministry with three friends from Richfield UMC for 32 years and it is a big joy in my life to share the good news that God loves us.
I am the Surviving Twin representative for the International Twin Association which will hold its annual convention in different cities every Labor Day Weekend.
I am a “life” Girl Scout and have held many volunteer positions over the years. I am proud to be a 2008 recipient of the Girl Scout Thanks Badge, the highest honor bestowed on volunteers.
When I have spare time I like to take lots of pictures, read, knit, kayak, snow shoe and go to plays. On perfect days (not too hot or too cold and not raining) I like to walk … but my favorite past time is being a “couch potato” and creating things on the computer and I LOVE to do public speaking!
Linda Paulson, Conference Social Action Mission Coordinator
I am serving my first term as Conference Social Action Mission Coordinator. I belong to Centennial United Methodist Church in Roseville, used to be involved with UMW at Hobart and Wesley UMC, and have also been involved at Fridley UMC. I previously served as Social Action Mission Coordinator for the Twin Cities District from 2011 through 2013, and was the primary source behind the TCUMW Action e-mail procedures.
I am a graduate of Augsburg College, where I majored in religion and theology. I also acquired a Master of Divinity Degree from United Theological Seminary in New Brighton. My hobbies and extra areas of interest include needle crafting, cats, reading, singing, church history and preservation concerns. As a result of both inner city education and church involvement over the years, I have strong awareness of ongoing human service needs, issues, rights, helpful options, and solutions. I know what it means, for example, to attend church worship or meetings and encounter homeless issues every time I walk out the door. The trickiest part, however, is learning how to respond properly and wisely as a concerned Christian, to situations of this nature when encountered.
My work experience has been primarily with the church and Minnesota State government. The most distinctive congregation I worked for was Wesley United Methodist Church in downtown Minneapolis. At the State level, I worked for the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS), the Department of Labor and Industry, and Minnesota State Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired (SSB). From all this I became increasingly knowledgeable over time about lots of social justice, social action, social service issues, needs, requirements, and services from the government perspective in addition to the church. (Neither are perfect but both are valuable.)
Thank you for the opportunity. May God bless everyone, and I do mean “everyone” who exists.
Photo of Minnesota Conference United Methodist Women Executive Team opening umbrellas to intercept trafficking.1/23/16
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Shirley Goutcher, Secretary
Shirley grew up in North Dakota and was a member of the former E v a n g e l i c a l United Brethern Church. She attended church camps and i m m e d i a t e ly after outgrowing one age group camp she returned as a junior camp counselor the following year. She continued being a camp counselor for years and did the same thing when she moved to Minnesota. Westmar College in LeMars Iowa is where she received her B.A. degree and later received her M.S. degree at Winona State College in Winona, Minnesota. She became a business education teacher and minus a year off for each of her two children, she continued teaching until her retirement. She married John Goutcher from Rochester, Minnesota. She has a son and a daughter and two grandchildren. A great loss in her life was the death of a granddaughter at age 6 ½ of heart stoppage of unknown cause. Shirley has been active in the local church and UMW. She has been active in teacher organizations, the Fillmore Family Violence Council and is currently on the County Salvation Army Committee. Currently she is helping with an ecumenical after school Wednesday Program that her church offers to elementary students in the local school district. She is looking forward to serving the UMW in a new way for the next two years.
Our MN Conference UMW Team to join other Minnesota United Methodists in prayer on March 23 General Conference—the top policy-making body of The United Methodist Church—will convene May 10-20, 2016 in Portland, Oregon. Four delegates from Minnesota will join other United Methodists from around the world in making decisions that impact our denomination. Every annual conference has been invited to host a 24-hour prayer vigil in the months leading up to General Conference. Minnesota churches have committed to praying on March 23, and our Team has signed up for 9:00 AM to 9:15 AM on that day. Please join us in prayer at that time. General Conference 2016 Sample Prayer for Vigil:
Almighty and gracious God, as we prepare for General Conference in Portland, have mercy on your church, troubled and divided. Pour out your heavenly blessings; redeem, restore and remold your church until we are made new, that we may be one in Christ for the sake of the world. Instill within delegates humble hearts and discerning minds that hunger and thirst for your righteousness and justice, and your vision for our future. Through the decisions and spirit of General Conference, renew in the whole church a passionate longing for the coming of your kingdom, and unite us in one mission: to reach and make new disciples of Jesus for the transformation of the world. Amen.
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PAIDDetroit Lakes, MN 56501
Permit No. 14Newsletter Editor4015 Katie Lane NWRochester MN 55901
The Fresh ConnectionIs published three times a year by
the Minnesota Conference of United Methodist Women and is
distributed free of charge to all Minnesota UMW officers and
others who request a subscriptionEditor: Diane Hellie4015 Katie Lane NW Rochester MN 55901
Email: [email protected]
For change of address or subscriptions, contact:
Sandra Meyer8724 Valley View PlaceChanhassen MN 55317
Email: [email protected]
Printed by:Forum Communications Printing,
Detroit Lakes, MN
North Central Jurisdiction 2016 Quadrennial Meeting
June 24-26, 2016 Grand Rapids, MI
Registration starts 12:30 pm Friday — Adjournment is 11:30 am Sunday
YOU ARE INVITED!Come, hear the address by United Methodist Women’s
General Secretary/Chief Executive Officer Harriet Jane Olson and President of the United Methodist Women National Office Yvette K. Richards.
Watch the voting process for selection of our new Directors and the next North Central Jurisdiction team!
Come early on Friday, June 24th, for a bus tour of Van Andel Museum and UM Community House one of our national UMW missions! Tour begins at 8:00 am (Lunch is included)
Register at http://www.ncjumc.org/ncj-united-methodist-women/
Partners Along the Journey of Change Emma Norton Services’ Annual Dinner and Silent Auction
April 18, 2016,
5:30 pm – 8:30 pm,
Minneapolis Marriott NorthwestJoin Emma Norton Services in celebrating our lifelong
partnership with the United Methodist Church and United Methodist Women!
You’ll enjoy a lively evening of dinner, entertainment, and philanthropy, and have the chance to bid on a fantastic selection of silent auction items, including theater tickets, gift certificates, homemade treats, and much more!
Featuring special guest speaker Rev. Sarah Lawton, pastor at Northeast United Methodist Church in Minneapolis.
New this year: Register by March 28th for our Early Bird ticket price and by April 8 at the latest. You must register to attend. No walk-ins will be admitted.
Purchase your tickets today! at http://www.emmanorton.org/specialevents.htm
