November RS Presidency Message

Our 4th and final quarter's focus is "I am a Daughter of God."

NOVEMBER'S THEME

"I know my Savior, Jesus Christ, and I follow Him."

Monthly Goal:
Make a personal goal regarding something you were particularly
inspired by in General Conference and live it this month.

At the end of the month reflect on your experience

 and how it has drawn you closer to your Savior.

The Savior teaches “ Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matt. 11:28-30) Jesus Christ invites all of us to come unto Him. But how do we do that, how do we follow Christ?

We are blessed to have prophets and apostles today that are called of God and are representatives of Jesus Christ. We are taught in the scriptures that “Whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same. (D&C 1:38)” As we follow the words of our living prophets we are following Christ and our testimonies of Christ will be strengthened.

This month, following our theme of “Who We Are”, our goal is regarding our relationship with our Savior Jesus Christ, and our discipleship. This is a personal gospel, God loves and knows us individually and the Holy Ghost bears witness to us individually. As we listen to or read General Conference the Holy Ghost inspires us on how we can draw closer to Him. We invite all the sisters of the Brickyard ward Relief Society to make a personal goal to follow our living prophets. Make a goal regarding something you were particularly inspired by in General Conference and live it this month. At the end of the month reflect on your experience and how it has drawn you closer to your Savior.

Brickyard Super Saturday

It's that time of year and we're getting ready for our annual Super Saturday.  The committee has some great stuff planned and we hope that you will plan on coming.

Super Saturday

November 9, 2013

9 am - 3 pm

Brickyard Ward

1111 E. Charlton Avenue

Crafts, classes, service project and lunch.
All sisters and YW invited.
Nursery provided. 

 Cinnamon Stick Candle ($10)

each candle is 3 x 6" (6" height) and will come with the cinnamon sticks, red ribbon and jute trim (pictured - it's hard to see the jute in this picture but it's wrapped around the red ribbon).  There will be a few embellishments to choose from like fake holly berries (pictured), jingle bells, buttons, etc.  This will give you a chance to personalize your candle.  First come, first serve.

 "Keep Calm & Carry On" Board ($7)

choice of white with black letters, blue/turquoise (pictured) with white letters,
red with white letters, yellow with white letters

Owl Piggy Banks ($6)

can be painted to your preference
limited quantity, info will be provided on how to order your own if supplies run out

Pumpkin Blocks - set of 3 ($5)

 Snowman Blocks - set of 3 ($5)

 Button Letter ($4)

Copper Pendants ($3) 

please note these are NOT $6 like I first mistakenly posted

can be stamped or etched
4 shapes to choose from: square, oval*, butterfly*, leaf*
*limited quantity, additional pendants can be ordered through Jacqui Anderson

 Monogrammed Mug & Hot Cocoa ($3)

 Quote Soap Dispenser ($2)
soap not included

Painted Rocks (FREE)

3 per person
sample photo of what you can do with your rock!

Pom Pom Garland (FREE)

1 per person

sample photo 

Temple Art (FREE)
1 per person
(picture coming soon)

Order forms will be available at the church starting 10/20.
Or contact Judy Hut to order through her via email.
 Order and money due by November 3rd.
Cash or check accepted.  Checks should be payable to Judy Hut.
We have some extra materials from the samples available to those that would like to do a craft but may have financial restraints.  Available while supplies last.  Contact Judy Hut to reserve one of those.

CLASSES

10 a.m. - "Canning 101: Delicious Ways to Preserve Your Food"
by Melinda Dickson (FREE)

Kitchen/Serving Area

11 a.m. - "Snap Happy: How to Take Fabulous Photos"
 by Ellie Madsen (FREE)

RS Room

1 p.m. - "Cooking Baking Basics: Tip, Tricks & Favorite Recipes"
by Christie Dickson (FREE)

Kitchen/Serving Area

Daily Service

Instead of holding a regular Relief Society weekday activity, this month we'd like the sisters to focus on giving small acts of service.  The Activities and Compassionate Service Committee Coordinators have put together a calendar of opportunities -- one for each day of the month -- where you can sign-up to give a sister in our neighborhood service.  You can sign up for a day, time and opportunity that fits your schedule and abilities.  We hope by doing this month long activity we will become more aware of the small, but meaningful service opportunities that are around us every day.

A sign-up sheet was passed around in our combined meeting on September 30th for the first two weeks of the month.  We will also pass it around in each of the auxilaries on October 13th.  You can sign up there or contact Jordan Singleton.  OR if you don't sign up, just think of some kind of service on your own that you could give to someone in the area.

October RS Presidency Message

Our focuses for the last 3 quarters have been "I am Friend", "I Belong to an Eternal Family" and "I am a Member Missionary."  Our 4th and final quarter's focus will be "I am a Daughter of God."

OCTOBER'S THEME

"I know my divine potential and eternal value.  I understand God's plan for me." 

Monthly Goal:

Re-read your patriarchal blessing and journal your feelings
about your divine role as a Daughter of God & Heavenly Father's plan for you.If you have not yet received your patriarchal blessing,
discuss with the Bishop how you can prepare to receive it.



Our Heavenly Father loves each of us infinitely.  He knows us individually and has a plan for us.  It is crucial that we understand this plan and the role we play.  Elder M. Russell Ballard said, "Every sister in this Church who has made covenants with the Lord has a divine mandate to help save souls, to lead the women of the world, to strengthen the homes of Zion, and to build the kindgom of God."  A large part of our divine roles as covenant women is to provide relief for those in need.  We are able to bless others through love, compassion, kindness, and charity.    Without  confidence in our divine roles as Women of God, we can't effectively reach out to nurture and edify others.  For our Relief Society activity this month, we will be providing daily service for women in our neighborhood.   Our hope as a Relief Society presidency is that we will put our knowledge of our divinity into action and therefore, bless others and help bring them to Christ.    We also hope each of you will join us in our monthly goal to re-read our patriarchal blessings and reflect in writing on you divine role, potential, and the plan God has for you.

September RS Presidency Message

SEPTEMBER'S THEME
"I am a teacher, a convert.  I share my testimony with others."

Monthly Goal:
Share your conversion story with others.

For our last month focusing on "I am a Member Missionary", we remember that we are all teachers.  Our own personal experiences and conversion  are the best tools we have to share the gospel.  By sharing our testimony, others will feel of the Spirit and understand our love for Jesus Christ, the Gospel, and the Book of Mormon.   We can teach others  by answering their questions, bearing testimony, and helping them understand what it means to feel of God's love.

We are not only all teachers, but we are also all converts.  Whether we were born and raised in the Church or we found it later in our lives.  At some point, we all gained our own personal testimony of the truthfulness of this Gospel.   Your conversion story is yours and yours alone.   By sharing it, you'll make a great impact in the conversion process of another seeking out answers.

There are several ways we can share our conversion story.  For the technically savvy, we ask you to create a profile on mormon.org.   It is a website created by the Church to introduce Mormons to the world.  You can share your testimony, answer questions, and pass on accurate information to investigators. 

If you do not use the Internet, you can create your own profile in writing and pass it on to family or friends.  Or record it for your own posterity in your journal.  And of course, the best way to share your conversion story is by sitting down with someone, face to face, and testifying of your faith.

We encourage you to take part in this month's goal.  When you have done this, please come to the Relief Society room and add a jewel to our "Who We Are" jar.

Annual Relief Society Summer Social

 

Please join us and invite your neighbors!

We are putting together a fun trivia game about YOU -- the sisters in the Brickyard Relief Society!   But in order to find out more about "Whoo's Who?" we need your help.  
We've extended our deadline to Sunday, August 10th to receive this information.  

We need sisters to provide one (or both) of the following:

1.)  An interesting piece of trivia that no one (or few people) knows about you. 

2.)  A "Then" and "Now" picture of yourself of when you were a baby/child to current day.

You can email either of these to judymhut@msn.com or Jacqui Verbica: jacquiworks@gmail.com.  You can also bring it to us on Sunday.  We can even scan the pictures for you and return them to you the night of the party.   We will also have papers for you to pick up on Sunday and you can fill out your trivia on the spot. 

Even if you will NOT be in attendance, we hope you will participate!  We'd love for everyone to get to know you.  This, of course, is not required for you to attend.  Neither is bringing a dish for our potluck meal.  We're happy to have you in whatever way, shape or form. :)

We look forward to seeing you on the 15th!!!!

 

SERVICE OPPORTUNITY: Care Packages

In coordination with the RS monthly goal to support a missionary, we are putting together a service opportunity. We will be putting together care packages on Wednesday night July 31st.   One is to "Support a Missionary" and we will be sending items to Elder Bryson Ashcraft.  The other is to "Be a Missionary" and we'll be putting together a package to send to Bonnie Mortensen's son, Harry Candland.  This is a way we can support a less-active young adult and show him that his ward family cares. 

Here is a handout with some suggestions of things you can contribute.  Even a note is encouraged.  Please come by the Relief Society room sometime between 7 - 8 p.m. on Wednesday to drop off your item, have a light refreshment, and visit.  ** Updated: If you are planning to go to "Ephraim's Rescue", someone will be there at 6:45 p.m. and you can drop your stuff off.

SUPPORT A MISSIONARY

Send encouragement to our ward's

full-time missionary

Elder Bryson Ashcraft

Micronesia Guam Mission

Letters • Pictures • Spiritual Thoughts

Inspiring Talks • Your Testimony  

Drawings from your Children

LDS Church Merchandise • Ties 

Treats • Cookies • Candy

BE A MISSIONARY

Reach out to a less active young adult

from our ward

Harry Candland

(Bonnie Mortensen's Son in Boston)

Friendly Note • Uplifting Quote Books

Blank Cards/Stationery • Postcards • Small Notebooks 

Art Supplies (sketchpads, colored pens)

Toiletries (toothpaste, toothbrush, floss, mouthwash, razors

Masculine Smelling Soap • Candles

Baked Goods • Licorice • Gummy Bears

Sour Candies • Neccos • Retro Candy

Rootbeer and Ginger Flavored candies

SAVE THE DATE: RS Summer Social

SAVE THE DATE

"WHOOO am I?"  RS Summer Social

Thursday, August 15th at 6 p.m.

Grant Stake Park

We will be having salads, fruit, and yummy dessert with a short program and activity.  In order to put together our "WHOOO'S WHO in Relief Society" activity, we are asking ALL the women to help us.  Please email Judy Hut -- judymhut@msn.com or Jacqui Verbica --jacquiworks@gmail.com -- one of the following:

1) A piece of trivia about you -- what's something fun or unique that we don't know?

2) A baby picture and a current picture -- how much have you changed?   If you don't have a digital picture, but would like one scanned for you, let us know.

The deadline for this is Thursday, August 8th.  

Also, since we're so goal-oriented in RS, I'd like to throw out this challenge.  Please make a goal to either 1.) invite a neighbor or the sisters you V.T. to come to this activity, or 2.) come YOURSELF to this activity.  Or, if you cannot make it, please make a goal to attend at least ONE of your Relief Society activities by the end of 2013.  I've got a great committee who works hard on these activities and I know you will have a great time and get to know people better if you come!

RS Weekday Activity: Safety Night

Keep you and your family safe this summer.  Please join us on Thursday, July 11th at 6:30 p.m. in the Relief Society Room.  Pam Banks will be teaching us basic CPR for infants, children, and adults.  She'll also be giving us AED and First Aid instructions.  Invite your friends and neighbors!  Nursery provided.

"The Work of Salvation"

On June 21st, the Church held an inspiring World Missionary Leadership Training that was broadcast online and at the Stake Conference.  If you didn't get a chance to watch it, you can view it here.

http://www.lds.org/broadcasts/watch/the-work-of-salvation/2013/06?lang=eng

You should also check out the accompanying new website from the Church
called "Hastening the Work of Salvation."

http://www.lds.org/training/wwlt/2013/hastening/a-new-vision

Going Green Activity Update

I hope you'll join us for our fun activity tonight.   Unfortunately, we were NOT able to pull together a nursery for tonight.  But we're a casual bunch, you're welcome to bring your kids -- we just want have someone there to formally entertain them. ;)

Here's the run down (this is updated from my previous post)

5 - 6 p.m.

Sewing Reusable Shopping Bags

-  Hailey Packard will be teaching how to make reusable grocery bags out of t-shirts (YW Room).   Bring a large t-shirt.

Clothing Swap Collection

-  I will be collecting clothes for the Clothing Swap in the Cultural Hall.  Bring me your used and in GOOD condition baby, children, youth, and adult clothing.

6 p.m. - 7:20 p.m.

Rotating Mini Classes

6 p.m.         

Composting with Diane Richardson (RS Room)
Green Cleaning with Emily Auman (Gospel Principles Room - by the kitchen)

6:20 p.m.    

Composting with Diane Richardson (RS Room)

Green Cleaning with Emily Auman (Gospel Principles Room - by the kitchen)

6:40 p.m.   

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle with Bonnie Mortensen (RS Room)

Thrift Store Shopping with Laura Bramwell (Gospel Principles Room - by the kitchen)

7 p.m.         

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle with Bonnie Mortensen (RS Room)

Thrift Store Shopping with Laura Bramwell (Gospel Principles Room - by the kitchen)

7:20 p.m.
Refreshments served in Cultural Hall

7:30 p.m.
Clothing Swap in Cultural Hall

- Come and look through the clothes which have been collected to see if there is anything you want to take home with you.  First come, first serve.  You do NOT need to bring any clothing to take something home.  All remaining clothes will be donated to the D.I.

Please bring a friend or invite a neighbor!

RS Weekday Activity: Going Green

CLASS SCHEDULE

6 p.m.          Composting (Diane Richardson)
                    Green Cleaning (Karen Fairbourne)

6:20 p.m.     Composting (Diane Richardson)
                    Green Cleaning (Karen Fairbourne)

6:40 p.m.     Thrift Store Shopping (Laura Bramwell)
                    3 R's - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (Bonnie Mortensen)

7 p.m.          Thrift Store Shopping (Laura Bramwell)
                    3 R's - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (Bonnie Mortensen)

7:20 p.m.     GREEN refreshments

Notes for the Clothing Swap: Bring your used and in GOOD CONDITION clothing to the Cultural Hall between 5 - 6 p.m.   Ideally, clothing will be washed, mended and in walk-out-the-door condition.  Clothing can be for babies, children, youth, and adults.   At 7:30 p.m., you will have the opportunity to look through the clothes that others have brought to see if there is anything you want to take home with you.  First come, first serve.  You do NOT need to bring any clothing to take something home.  All remaining clothes will be donated.  

The YW will be at Girls Camp, so we are still trying to make arrangements for a nursery.  Check back for details...

June RS Presidency Message

In Relief Society this year, our theme is "Who Am I?"  Each month, we have a single goal for each of us to work on that coincides with this theme.  As we realize our potential and reach outside ourselves, we will better understand our worth and our role in this life. 

Our second quarter's focus is "I Belong To an Eternal Family."

JUNE'S THEME
"I can link my family eternally by going to the temple."

Monthly Goal:
Go the temple.

Last month we discussed how developing a love for our ancestors helps us know who we are. To quote the same talk given by Elder J. Richard Clarke he says 'As we learn to be loving, caring families in mortality, our hearts will naturally turn to members of our kindred family in the spirit world. As they continue to live beyond the veil, they wait—they wait for us, their family, to share the blessings of the ordinances of the priesthood. They yearn to belong to the eternal family circle. They are anxious for us to make this possible. Are we not compelled to do so? " We have a responsibility to our ancestors to provide those blessings of the temple for them also.  Temple and family history work go hand in hand Elder Richard G. Scott said concerning this that “Temple and family history work is one work divided into two parts. They are connected together like the ordinances of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost.” So as we discover new branches in our family tree let us not forget to link them to us eternally. For through this work are families tied together forever.

This is inspired doctrine, and we can't be perfect without the welding link to our family. We encourage you to take part in this month's goal to go through the temple or visit the grounds on Stake or Ward Temple Day.  When you have done this come to the Relief Society room and add a jewel to our "Who We Are" jar.

We love you, we pray for you and we invite each of you to come and join us in our Relief Society. If you want to join us but are unable, please let us know, and we will come to you.