St. Martin’s Episcopal Church Women announces the following board members for 2012:

President: Stephanie Wiles
Vice-President: Michelle Trieschmann
Recording Secretary: Sandy Baranowski
Treasurer: Jennifer Neckermann
Publicity: Ann Kidd
Past-President Mentor: Susan Gillies

We are still in need of a UTO Coordinator. If you would be able to take on this very important service position which requires minimal time, please contact Stephanie Wiles.

Our first ECW meeting of 2012 will be Thursday, Jan. 19 at 7 p.m. We generally meet every month on the third Thursday at 7 p.m. All women are welcome to join us to share ideas and find out what we are planning!

In addition, we welcome dues from all women of the church to help maintain our missions and projects throughout the year. Dues are only $10 a year and support events such as the Easter egg hunt, Rally Day ice cream social and carnival, Trunk or Treat, Woman of the Year and any outreach projects we elect during the year. Dues may be given to any ECW board member or placed in the envelope on our bulletin board.

The second annual St. Martin’s Christmas ornament has arrived! Add to your collection and purchase an ornament from the Episcopal Church Women between services in December.

This year’s ornament displays a stained glass window from the sanctuary and future ornaments will continue the series with additional windows from behind the altar.

If you missed the ornament last year featuring the mosaic on the outside wall of the church, there are still some available.

Please contact Susan Gillies if you would like to purchase an ornament.

It’s cookie time! Please join the Episcopal Church Women for our annual cookie exchange on Tuesday, Dec. 13 at 6:30 p.m. We’ll meet in the Packwood Library.

Please bring at least three dozen cookies to share, a container to take cookies home for yourself, and a small appetizer to share. If you would like to participate in the gift exchange, please also bring a wrapped gift valued at $15 or less.

All women of the church and their friends and family are welcome. Please join us for a delicious evening!

We invite you to join us for an informative presentation given by Dr. Carrie Morrison and Beverly Kinkade on breast and ovarian cancers on Tuesday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. in Park Hall. discussion will cover a variety of topics including symptoms and treatment options as well as personal experiences with cancer.

Everyone is welcome to join us for this helpful presentation on diseases that touch many of our lives. Please sign up in Park Hall or e-mail Susan Gillies if you plan to attend.

Annually, the Episcopal Church Women award a National Distinguished Woman Award to a woman of the Episcopal Church whose life in the secular community reflects her Christian values.

This year, St. Martin’s ECW decided to recognize a woman in our congregation who has done just that. We presented Mary Richardson the Distinguished Woman Award at our afternoon tea on Sunday, Sept. 18 in honor of her outstanding work, both within our church and our community.

Mary is the vibrant leader of two weekly Bible studies at St. Martin’s. In addition to her many contributions to our church, For six years (and still going), Mary has been a volunteer foster parent with the Humane Society of Missouri. She brings homeless puppies and kittens into her family until the pets are eligible for adoption. She provides the animals (sometimes abused, always neglected, and a few times pregnant) an opportunity to grow in a home full of loving and rich experiences of social behavior and wellness.

Mary has the spirit of St. Francis’ love. Her name as been sent forward to the Diocesan ECW for consideration of submission to the national level.

St.Martin’s hopes to continue this tradition next year to recognize yet another of our outstanding women in the congregation.

Congratulations, Mary!