Our Year in Review

At the end of each year, the auxiliary and quorum secretaries of the wards, branches and the stake are asked to submit a history of their organization.  These histories are compiled and submitted to Salt Lake for archiving.  I enjoyed the opportunity to review and reflect on all that has been done within our stake this past year.  I thought our sisters might like to see what I submitted.

I know that each ward and branch in this stake has amazing Relief Societies with faithful sisters serving in many ways.  I am grateful for the chance I've had this year to witness so much goodness.

-Lorie Pierce

Stake Relief Society Secretary

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Columbia Maryland Stake Relief Society – 2015 History

President – Susan Reinsch

1^st Counselor – Cheri Meiners

2^nd Counselor – Marsha Searle

Secretary – Traci Spires (released in March when she moved to South Africa)

                    Lorie Pierce (called in March)

(L-R: Cheri Meiners, Susan Reinsch, Marsha Searle – taken Fall 2015)

The year began with Stake Conference and Ward/Branch Conferences.  The presidency enjoyed visiting each unit and having the opportunity to teach in their Relief Societies during the conferences.

In March, the Stake Relief Society, Primary and Young Women presidencies came together to organize a pre-broadcast social for the General Womens Meeting held on March 28, 2015.  The sisters, young women and Primary girls ages 8+ were invited to gather together at the Stake Center for light refreshments prior to viewing the broadcast.  We had about 200 come for the social and then a few more arrived for the broadcast, bringing our total attendance to 224.  It was a wonderful opportunity to see the sisters of all ages mingling together.

Photos taken at the Social prior to the March 28, 2015 General Womens Meeting

We held our annual Stake Relief Society Activity on April 25, 2015.  The theme was “Come to the Temple”.  We met at the Washington DC Temple Visitor’s Center.  The sisters were able to listen to the current temple president and matron (President & Sister Colton) as well as the recently released temple president and matron (Brother & Sister Swinton).  Sister Deborah Hirschi of the Savage Mill ward also spoke to the sisters about the history and symbolism of the temple.  We participated in writing letters to missionaries and family search indexing.  We concluded our activity with boxed lunches.   It was a busy Saturday morning for many, especially as there was a last minute Regional Training meeting held that same morning for all auxiliary presidencies.  But we had a nice group of 73 sisters who were able to join us.

Columbia Stake Relief Society – “Come to the Temple” – April 25, 2015

In June, the Stake Relief Society presidency was asked to provide a meal to the brethren attending the Stake Priesthood Meeting as part of Stake Conference.  We served about 75 brethren.

From March through October, 6 of the 8 unit Relief Society presidencies were released.  The Stake Relief Society Presidency & Secretary were kept busy with visits and training of the newly called presidencies.  It is always a pleasure to see the willingness of the sisters to serve within their wards/branches.  It is always nice to be able to visit their meetings and feel of their love for the Gospel.

In September, we again worked with the Stake Primary and Young Women presidencies to organize a social prior to the General Womens Meeting.  It was decided to serve a light meal in the form of a taco salad bar.  The response from the sisters and their daughters was great.  We had about 215 come for the meal and then a few more arrived for the broadcast, bringing the attendance total to 225.  We greatly appreciated the Priesthood support organized through the High Council.

Panorama of light meal held prior to the September 2015 General Womens Meeting

In November, the Stake Relief Society Presidency met with all the ward/branch presidencies & secretaries to provide training.  The theme of the meeting was from D&C 88:119, “Organize yourselves….Prepare Every Needful Thing”.  The topics of welfare, visiting teaching, gospel teaching and the purposes of Relief Society were covered.

To end the year, our Stake Relief Society was assigned to provide 6 light meals to the missionaries serving at the Washington DC Temple Visitor’s Center during the month of December for the “Festival of Lights”.  We divided our assignment up between the presidency and several wards.

Our stake boundaries are large and the sisters have little opportunity across ward/branch boundaries to associate.  We try to help our sisters connect with one another through a closed Facebook group – Columbia Stake Sisters.  We also have a blog designed to uplift and inform them.  (columbiastakers.blogspot.com)

The sisters of the Columbia Maryland Stake are great examples of faith & testimony, strengthening family, and giving service & relief to those in need.  We are grateful for the blessing of serving with them.

Highlights from Stake Social & General Women's Meeting

On Saturday, September 26, we had a wonderful opportunity to gather as women of the Columbia Maryland Stake to eat, visit and be spiritually lifted through the General Women's Meeting broadcast from Salt Lake.  There were so many sisters who joined us and it was gratifying to see everyone visiting together - strengthening, renewing and making new friendships.  We had around 215 sisters come for the Pre-Broadcast Social and then a few more joined us at 8pm bringing our total to about 225!  It's hard to count moving bodies :-)

Thanks to the sisters who prepared the Taco Salads.  HUGE thanks to the brethren who assisted with set up, food prep, serving, clean up and technical support.  And kudos to the Stake Primary Presidency for the Autumntime decorations.

The "decorations committee" aka our Stake Primary Presidency - Love these women!

If you missed the Broadcast - you really should take time to read it or watch it online.

General Women's Meeting, September 2015

Here are just some tidbits and some more photos:

"I testify that life is a gift. God has a plan for each one of us, and our individual purpose began long before we came to this earth."  --Rosemary M. Wixom, Primary General President

"Many in today’s world are looking for instant gratification and instant knowledge on the Internet. In contrast, we will be exceedingly blessed if we exercise faith and patience and go to our Heavenly Father, the source of all truth, with our concerns. So many answers and assurances can come through daily searching and studying the scriptures and with sincere and pleading prayer, but there are no such promises on the Internet."  --Linda S. Reeves, Counselor in General Relief Society Presidency

"We join with faithful sisters of the past, of the present, and of the rising generation when we join together in the work of salvation!"  --Carol F. McConkie, Counselor in General Young Women Presidency

"God didn’t design us to be sad. He created us to have joy! So if we trust Him, He will help us to notice the good, bright, hopeful things of life. - Now is part of eternity. It doesn’t only begin after we die! - Forever is composed of Nows"  --President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Save The Date! General Women's Meeting

What a great opportunity we have coming up to be taught and uplifted as women in the Church.  Please join us at the Stake Center for a Pre-Broadcast Social including a Taco Salad Bar beginning at 6:45pm - followed by the Broadcast at 8pm.  Publicity postcards are being distributed to the wards/branches this week.  Please be sure to pass them onto less-active sisters you visit teach and feel free to invite non-member friends to join us as well.  We are looking forward to being with our sisters and our future sisters on this evening.

Come To The Temple!

Saturdays are oh so busy!  Yesterday was no exception for the sisters in our stake.  We are grateful for the 73 sisters who were able to join us at the Washington DC Temple Visitors' Center in the morning for our Stake Relief Society Activity - Come to the Temple.  It was a unique opportunity to hold our activity at the Visitors' Center and we are especially grateful for the help of the missionary staff for all their support.  For the sisters who were unable to join us - you were missed!

We began our morning with a welcome from Sister Susan Reinsch, our Stake Relief Society president.  Following her, we had the privilege of receiving a special welcome from President Kent Colton, the Washington DC Temple president.  He provided some insights on the purposes of the temple and temple worship.  He encouraged us to ponder three things as we attend the temple.  First, the opportunity to be endowed with power from on high.  Second, the significance of the sealing power.  Third, that the temple ordinances are centered on the Atonement.

We were then blessed to be instructed by Sister Deborah Hirschi of the Savage Mill Ward.  She taught us about the history of temples and temple worship beginning with ancient scriptures all the way up to our dispensation with the building of the Kirtland Temple in Ohio.  She reminded us that the temple anciently and today is literally the House of the Lord.  She taught us how the purposes of the temple anciently and today are the same.  Temples teach the Lord's people, prepare them for His coming, sanctify them, allow them to make covenants with Him, provide a house of prayer, and point us to His Atonement.  She talked about how the commandments and rituals of the ancient temple reminded the Israelites of their covenant with God, just as our current temples do for us.  She taught us about specific ancient symbols in Old and New Testament temples that pointed to Christ such as the door and the stone.  She reminded us that as we participate in temple ordinances and ponder the symbols there, it can help us strengthen our understanding and relationship to Christ.  That just as with the people in ancient times, our temples are sacred places wherein we can receive guidance, peace and sanctification.

After those great messages, we then had time to write letters to missionaries, learn about indexing, mingle and view the exhibits in the Visitors' Center.  A big THANK YOU goes to Sister Becky Harms, Brothers Scott Bullock and Clarence Johnson, Sisters Michele Van Gieson and  Rosanna Hamilton for helping us with missionary writing opportunities and the indexing!  For those who didn't have a chance to see what a great service opportunity indexing is, you can visit familysearch.org and learn all about it.  Indexing is a significant support to all of us as we search out our ancestors to provide temple ordinances for them.

For our final hour, we were uplifted as we heard from Brother & Sister Brian and Sue Swinton, former Washington DC Temple president and matron.

Sister Swinton shared the story of Esther from the Old Testament as told by Sister Hinckley, which ended with "and they lived happily ever after".  She taught us that as sisters, we are as Esther, members of the house of Israel and entitled to the blessings of that covenant and the blessings of the temple.  She said that like Esther, the Lord takes us where we are and puts His arm around us to lead us along.  She instructed us that the temple endowment teaches us how to get home, back to the presence of God.  She reminded us that Heavenly Father loves His daughters.  She said it is the Lord's desire that we get on the path and stay on the path back to Him.  This is His work and His glory. (Moses 1:39)  Sister Swinton encouraged us to remember that all the Lord requires of us is that we do our best, that we do all we can do.  She recalled the story of the Widow's Mite and how even though what she gave appeared small, it was all she could do and was enough.  She concluded her remarks by encouraging us to study D&C 109 and focus on the promises that we can go forth from the temple in His name, armed with power, with His glory round about us and with angels to have charge over us.  Finally, she reminded us that our "happily ever after" is possible through making and keeping temple covenants.

Brother Swinton was our concluding speaker.  He referenced President Monson's most recent General Conference talk - Blessings of the Temple and encouraged us to review it.  He, like Sister Swinton, referred to D&C 109, specifically verse 13 and taught us about the significance of "crossing the threshold" of the temple.  He told us that as we do so, we can feel the power of the Lord as we leave the world outside and enter the environment where the Lord can speak to us.  He reiterated that it is the Lord's house and encouraged us to "just let the Spirit help us".  Brother Swinton then instructed us concerning the purpose of this life and that the need for physical bodies is to be able to receive the saving ordinances of baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost, endowment and sealing.  He concluded by sharing the following from President Thomas S. Monson:

"If you have not yet been to the temple or if you have been but currently do not qualify for a recommend, there is no more important goal for you to work toward than being worthy to go to the temple. Your sacrifice may be bringing your life into compliance with what is required to receive a recommend, perhaps by forsaking long-held habits which disqualify you. It may be having the faith and the discipline to pay your tithing. Whatever it is, qualify to enter the temple of God. Secure a temple recommend and regard it as a precious possession, for such it is. Until you have entered the house of the Lord and have received all the blessings which await you there, you have not obtained everything the Church has to offer. The all-important and crowning blessings of membership in the Church are those blessings which we receive in the temples of God." (The Holy Temple - a Beacon to the World, General Conference, April 2011)

Our activity ended with a group photo taken by Sister Reagan Dickson of Eldersburg Ward and lunch.  Not just any lunch, but a delicious box lunch of chicken salad on croissants with fruit, veggies, chips, and cookies.  With "Come to the Temple" magnets tucked inside it was like a grown-up 'happy meal'.  Although it was a bit nippy outside, most of the sisters stayed to picnic together at tables behind the Visitors' Center.  Many thanks to Sister Debi Bullock from Columbia Second Ward and all the sisters on her committee.

We are so blessed to live near a temple of God.  Our activity was uplifting and a sweet reminder of the blessings so close at hand and available to all who are willing to qualify.  Again, we express our gratitude to all those who assisted in any way to making this activity happen.

FYI - digital copies of the group photos will be sent to ward/branch presidents and secretaries.

Spring 2015 General Women's Meeting

Hello Sisters!

What a wonderful evening we had yesterday.  Over 200 of our sisters, young and young at heart, gathered together at the Stake Center to mingle, eat delicious food and then watch the General Women's Meeting broadcast from the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.  Thank you to the brethren for their assistance behind the scenes.  Also, a thank you to Brendalyn Hacking of the Hampstead Ward for sharing her harp and it's lovely music with us.

The sisters who spoke, each referenced this year being the 20th anniversary of President Gordon B. Hinckley reading for the first time The Family: A Proclamation to the World at the October 1995 General Relief Society Meeting.  An uplifting video presentation was shown, entitled The Family is Ordained of God.

If you missed hearing the broadcast....It would be well worth your time to view it or read it.  Links are provided below for that.  Although the complete transcripts of the talks are not yet available on lds.org, there is a summary of the talks.

Summary of Talks

Watch the Broadcast

Thank you to all who came and shared their joyous spirits with us.  There is value in coming together as women in the Church - it fortifies our faith and buoys up our courage.  It was beautiful to see the bonds of sisterhood strengthened as our future Relief Society sisters (our Primary girls and Young Women) mingled with their mothers, their leaders and their friends.  We look forward to this opportunity again in the Fall.