Women’s Monthly Fellowship Luncheon
October 14 12:00 - 1:00 pm
Presbyterian Women (PW) is the women’s organization in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). PW is an inclusive and caring community of women, committed to working toward God’s promise of wholeness for all people. Across the denomination, more than 200,000 women align their ministry and their hearts around the PW Purpose:
Forgiven and freed by God in Jesus Christ, and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we commit ourselves
- to nurture our faith through prayer and Bible study,
- to support the mission of the church worldwide,
- to work for justice and peace, and
- to build an inclusive, caring community of women that strengthens the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and witnesses to the promise of God’s kingdom.
A primary way that the Purpose is carried out is through Circles. Circles are groups of women who meet for prayer, study, community building, and fellowship. Circles offer a sisterhood of women within WMPC and service opportunities and connections with other Presbyterian Women around the globe.
You can learn more and find ways to engage with the national organization here: https://www.presbyterianwomen.org/.
Opportunities to Participate
Circles
From September-May each year, Circles gather monthly (and some weekly) for prayer, study, community building, and fellowship. Circles are both inward and outward facing; they are communities of support for their members and sources of support for various organizations serving those in need locally and around the globe.
Each Circle is unique. Some meet solely for Bible study, some for fellowship, and some for service. We invite all women to join, share, invest, discover, and celebrate with us as we do God’s work.
If you are interested in joining a specific Circle, contact the leader noted. You may also contact PW Membership Coordinators Judy Glover (jggdesigner@suddenlink.net) and Ceil Blackwell (ceilb@aol.com).
PW Bible Study
Presbyterian Women celebrates more than 100 years of publishing studies and using them together. PW/Horizons Bible studies are prepared by and for Presbyterian women and are studied across the country.
Our PW/Horizons Bible study for 2024-2025 is Let Justice Roll Down: God’s Call to Care for Neighbors and All Creation by Patricia K. Tull. According to Scripture, the earth and its members belong to God. We are called to care for creation not only because God loves it, but also because a healthy creation supports human well-being. We are called to care for neighbors and creation with all our hearts, with particular care for society’s least powerful members who are disproportionately impacted by unjust systems. This PW/Horizons Bible study is an invitation to explore and to act, with all our hearts, in responding to an issue that impacts all life on God’s earth. Readers will learn about ecological systems, the challenges we face in this time of accelerated climate change, and the possibilities available to address or counter the impact of human-made stress on our environment. Further, readers will explore theological questions that point us to act and engage, in large and small ways.
Monthly Fellowship Luncheon
All women are invited to join us for a fellowship luncheon on the 2nd Monday of the month (September-May). We gather from 12:00-1:00 p.m. in Main Hall to spend time in community, hear from an engaging speaker, and enjoy a delicious lunch. Reservations for lunch must be made by the Friday before at noon.
Giving Opportunities
The following giving opportunities are available to support the operating budget, projects, and communities of PW. Some are available seasonally and others are available year-long, as indicated below.
PW Program Funding (Year-long)
A yearly contribution to PW Program Funding supports the operations of Presbyterian Women, including local mission projects, scholarships, the Women’s Retreat, luncheon speakers, and PW churchwide memberships. While donations are encouraged and received throughout the year, they are especially encouraged during September and October in order to provide early funding for the yearly budget. Last year, women of White Memorial gave $11,576.80 for the annual PW operating budget.
Fellowship of the Least Coin Offering (September – April)
The Fellowship of the Least Coin (FLC) Offering is a Presbyterian Church worldwide ecumenical initiative of prayer and dedication. The FLC invites women from around the world to set aside the least coin of their country as a concrete symbol of their prayers for justice, peace, and reconciliation. These least coins support a range of projects for women and children around the world, including gender justice, literacy and education, and health and social concerns. Last year $1,235.50 was collected and split between PW of New Hope Presbytery and Church Women United/Raleigh Chapter, each of which contributes to central FLC c/o World Council of Churches.
Thank Offering (September – November)
The Thank Offering is a PW Creative Ministries offering. It is tangible way for Presbyterian women to express their gratitude for the special blessings in their lives. It provides support of programs not included in on-going PW General Assembly mission support, including domestic and international projects in the areas of health, education, economic development and needs of women and children. Generally, 40% of the offering goes to funding health ministries, while the remaining is used for creative ideas for mission undesignated in advance. The Thank Offering funds up to 20 projects a year with grants between $5,000 and $50,000 that support programmatic projects such as training, advocacy or hunger alleviation, or small capital improvements. Last year White Memorial PW contributed $1,720.
Birthday Offering (September – May)
The Birthday Offering is a PW Creative Ministries offering collected annually to help support national and international programs that meet basic human needs in accordance with the mission of PC (USA). It began in 1922 as a challenge to women in the church to give one penny for each year of their lives (or a dollar, if they did not want to reveal their age) as a “birthday” gift to schoolgirls in a Japanese mission station with inadequate facilities. Thus began a tradition of annual Women of the Church birthday celebrations. The Birthday Offerings have enabled a long succession of new and often innovative mission projects to be accomplished both overseas and in the United States. It funds one to five capital improvement projects each year through grants of $75,000 to $150,000. Last year White Memorial PW contributed $1,451.88.
Blessing Box (collected only as needed, not collected online)
Individual PW Circles at White Memorial may have a Blessing Box that is used to support special projects, cards for members facing life issues, postage, etc. These funds are kept by the Circle Treasurer and spent as needed.
Mission Project Support
Each month, PW Circles contribute to our churchwide mission project efforts/work by donating goods, funds, and time to support community efforts.
Contributions to these funds can be made online (unless otherwise indicated) or by check.
To give online, click here. Select the desired fund from the drop-down menu (pictured). If you would like to make multiple contributions, click “+ Another Fund.” 
Checks should be made payable to “WMPW.” Please designate one fund per check. You or your Circle Treasurer can deliver it to the receptionist in the Ross Building or you can place it in the offering plate during a church service.
Upcoming
Annual Women's Retreat 2025
