Volunteer for a

Day of Caring

May 5th

United Way Columbus Indiana

Day of Caring is a full-day volunteer event where local businesses and community members are connected with non-profit and residential volunteer projects in our county.  

Register by contacting volunteer coordinator 

Amanda Hummer at ahummer@uwbarthco.org

or 812-314-2706

We have an opportunity to help our community on their biggest day of service of the year. Join your neighbors, friends, and local businesses to support our local United Way.  

We have decided to let everyone who is available that day to choose a service activity for themselves.  Contact your Relief Society Sisters and friends and do it together!

Get this on your calendar!!!

April 29^th -  9 a.m.- 3 p.m.

Home Storage Center Open House

*  Adjacent to the Bishop’s Storehouse  in  Indianapolis

*   5151 W. 84^th Street Indianapolis IN

*   Tour the facility

*   Sample some of the food

*    For Members and the Public

March Presidency Message

Press Forward and Hold Fast: Celebrate Relief Society!

March of 2017 commemorates the 175^th birthday of the organization of the Relief Society.  That’s a lot of years!  How blessed we are to be members of this great organization just by virtue of our membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Did you know that there was a time when not all women were members of Relief Society?

We have a proud history.  It is worth studying and becoming more aware of.  This year, the General Relief Society presidency has asked that we celebrate in unique ways:

“…we hope that each individual sister will reflect upon and prayerfully seek ways to honor and remember this special milestone, keeping the following principles in mind:

·       Our eternal identity, roles, and responsibilities as beloved spirit daughters of our Heavenly Parents.

·       The purpose and work of Relief Society in the work of salvation, which is: “Relief Society helps prepare women for the blessings of eternal life as they increase faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and His Atonement; strengthen individuals, families, and homes through ordinances and covenants; and work in unity to help those in need.”

·       The great history of female discipleship.

·       All sisters belong to and are valued members of Relief Society—no matter what their current calling.”

What an inspired way to celebrate!  I hope we do take time to realize how blessed we are to be a part of Relief society.

I decided to research the Relief Society seal, and found these interesting items that describe the symbolism:

May we each find joy in our service, and belonging to each other through the membership we have in this inspired program,

Tracy

Relief Society Birthday Celebration

Pressing Forward and Holding Fast/ Presidency Message-

Having a Love of God and All Men   
By Jennifer Denison

Someone once asked Jesus, “Master, which is the great commandment in the law?”

Jesus answered:

“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

“This is the first and great commandment.

“And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (Matthew 22:36–39).

We can show our love in many ways: a smile, a wave, a kind comment, or a compliment. We can be kind, patient, understanding, and forgiving. This will show others the love in our hearts.

We are surrounded by those in need of our attention, our encouragement, our support, our comfort, our kindness.

May we begin now, this very day, to show love to all of God’s children. As we get up each morning, let us determine to show love and kindness to everyone.

As we come to understand how much God loves us, our hearts will be filled with love for Him, for our Savior, and for all mankind. (Thomas S. Monson)      

Welcome to our new Relief Society Sisters!

Peggy Snyder*  Angela Snyder*  Anita Snyder*  Deborah Featherston*
  Mary Hamner* Linda Ford* (all from the Shelbyville Ward)

 Melody Bonnet*  (Amy Swihart's mother)

Denise Recarte*  Jackie Recarte*Arantxa Recarte*  (Jackie and Arantxa go to school at IU and come home on weekends to our ward)

Leta Zollman -95 yrs old and residing at Willow Crossing Health and Rehab

Columbus First Ward Relief Society History 2016

The year 2016 was a year full of transitions and growth.  Our Relief Society assisted one sister transition to Motherhood (Stephanie Smith)  others welcome new children, (Kayla Jones, Wendi Thomas, and Bonnie Bingham,)   We helped with funerals as some sisters lost a brother/uncle (Debbie, Cindy, and Libby Kirts) and another lost her husband. (Ilona Ouerkerk).  Still some struggled through surgeries, accidents, and cancers.  We helped a few manage loved ones with a significant mental illness and another struggle with a teenager who seems lost. We’ve seen one sister transition to college for the first time (Annelise Guenther) , one on a mission (Jenessa Vincent), and few get married (Emily Haight and Aleese Thomas).  We’ve given food assistance to those that needed it and encouraged women in their marriages and others in divorce.  We’ve visited people on our rolls who have been baptized but needed to be found again. We’ve sent our love with several as they moved to new locations this past year ( Malya Scheibler, Carol Miner, Jennifer Dobson, Brenna Young, Chrissi Harris,   and Stephanie Smith) and welcomed new ones in. (Nell Hill, Joy Boyd,  and Nicole Hagerdorn)  We’ve encouraged covenant keeping women with our theme (Make and Keep Sacred Covenants) , temple trips, and lessons.  We’ve made shoes for children in Africa, partnered with Catholic Charities and made refugee baskets.  We enjoyed a 4 month long class as we studied Isaiah, We learned about our own personal spiritual gifts and how to learn from, help, and encourage each other with those gifts.  We shared “Our Favorite Things”, learned to make artisan bread, took a self-defense course, and delivered meals to our own ward members in our “Merry Meals”activity. We celebrated Christmas together as a Relief Society with special musical numbers by our sisters and then organized a big Christmas dinner and program for the ward.

We enjoy the sisterhood and love we share in our ward and look forward to getting to know the 5 women who have just been transferred to our ward from the Shelbyville Branch.