ECRD UWF Annual Celebration 2024:
Theme: Unity in Community: How Do We Heal?
Was held at Valley Faith UMC, Sunnyvale on October 5, 2024.
Offering: The offering was made to support the UWF Mission Fund.
Keynote Speaker: Rev. Motoe Yamada Foor
Rev. Motoe Yamada Foor, an ordained pastor with 20 years of experience in local churches, currently serves as the Director of Adult Discipleship at the United Methodist Church. She has worked at various organizational levels, including involvement with the World Council of Churches (WCC). She holds a Master’s degree in Educational Administration from Michigan State University and a Master of Divinity from the Pacific School of Religion. She also embraces the role of coach (AC Certified through the International Coaching Federation (IFC)), finding fulfillment in working with individuals and churches and helping them navigate their journeys.
ECRD-UWF-Annual-Celebration-2024-edit-for-website-with-PF-edits-250117ECRD UWF Annual Celebration 2023:
Theme: “Racial Justice as a Spiritual Discipline”
Was held at Good Samaritan United Methodist Church in Cupertino on October 7, 2023.
Offering: The offering was made to help families still struggling from the Pajaro flood disaster.
Keynote Speakers: Deb St. Julien and Sigrid Jacobsen
Deb St. Julien is a retired Family Practice and OB/GYN Nurse Practitioner. She has been a member of SURJ (Showing Up For Racial Justice) at Sacred Heart since December of 2016.
Deb see’s the work of dismantling white supremacy and building a truly just society as a spiritual practice. She believes faith communities are the perfect place to face the harsh history and consequences of racism in our country. These communities believe that truth sets us free, that grace and mercy are available, and that we are called to work together to dismantle the evil of racism and to work for repair and restoration.
Sigrid Jacobsen has been teaching at Archbishop Mitty High School for over 15 years in the Science and Religious Studies Departments. For many years she believed that teaching young people about social justice was enough to live out a Christian vocation. But after the summer of 2020, teaching without action felt empty. Since finding SURJ, she continues to be challenged to “Show Up” for racial justice and to view this as a spiritual discipline.
Annual Celebration 2023: Annual Celebration Slides.
ECRD UWF Annual Celebration 2022:
Theme: “Renewal for the Journey”
Was held at Willow Glen UMC in San Jose.
Scripture: Isaiah 40:31: but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Keynote Speaker: Reverend Susan Smith, pastor of Children and Family Ministries at Willow Glen UMC and Director of Woodhaven Preschool.
Offering: Was made to Mary Elizabeth Inn and Gum Moon Women’s Residence, which are national projects for the United Women in Faith, located in the Bay Area.
In case you missed it, here are a couple of video highlights:
- Around the District – a video of unit activities during the year
- My Soul Desire – a captured video of Deo Augustin’s solo at the celebration.