Welcome All Women!
Get to know us!
Abington Presbyterian Church offers women of all ages and life
circumstances the chance to connect with other women in a caring,
inclusive environment. We offer a wide range of programs and
groups, so whether you are looking for spiritual growth, hands-on
mission opportunities, or simply to connect with women who share
your interests or concerns (parenting, women's issues, literature,
or making new friends, to name a few), you'll find a fit here.
We are part of the national Presbyterian Women organization,
which has grown to more than 300,000 members since its beginning
200 years ago. Just like the women who comprise our
organization, we don't fit any one mould. Within Abington
Presbyterian Women (APW), you'll find women who are working,
retired, semi-retired; moms who are dealing with diapers, young
children, 'tweens, teens, empty nests, boomerang kids,
grandchildren and even great-grandchildren; women who are married,
single, widowed, or divorced; those who call themselves
conservative and those who do not; introverts and extroverts; women
in their thirties, their nineties and every decade in between.
For all our observable differences, one thing we share is the
belief that connections between women can strengthen our
spirituality, our community, and ourselves. Together we
create a net of support, friendship, challenge, understanding, and
acceptance that benefits us as individuals and our church as a
whole. We'd love to add your uniqueness to the weave of our
net.
See what we have for you!
As a reflection of our diverse make up, we offer a wide variety
of programs and activities to meet a broad spectrum of needs
throughout the year. Most of our programs are centered around
small groups that allow for lots of interaction.
- Circles: Meeting monthly, circles are the
primary framework for spiritual growth within APW. Some of
our circles follow a traditional Bible study format to gain a
deeper understanding of a specific set of Bible passages using the
structure of published study materials. Other circles explore
spirituality through a less traditional approach, using research
and discussion to shed light on current events, women's or global
issues, or particularly perplexing elements of scripture.
Meetings are usually 90 minutes in length.
- Interest Groups: The interest groups are a
less structured way for women to come together. All women are
welcome to participate in any of these interest groups, which all
meet in the evening:
- Women's Fellowship: For all women.
Meetings are held monthly in participants' homes and provide an
opportunity for issue-oriented discussion or simply social
time.
- MYKids (Moms of Young Kids): For women who are
dealing with the challenges and joys of parenting young
children. Meetings are held monthly in members' homes, and
the evening usually centers on a program or theme.
- Book Group: For women who love to read.
Meetings are held every other month in members' homes, where social
time is followed by discussion of a previously-chosen book.
All women are welcome to come, even if they haven't had time to
read the book.
- Mission: Throughout the year, APW participants
contribute to the mission work of the Presbyterian Church and
Presbyterian Women Churchwide. Examples of mission
initiatives include a fund-raiser at Ten Thousand Villages, a
Christmas gift drive benefiting residents of the Presbyterian
Children's Village, and the annual effort to assemble school kits
for children in developing countries through Church World
Service. In addition, we often contribute a small offering
(putting pennies to good use!) at monthly meetings to benefit
national and international mission initiatives.
- Retreats and Special Programs: Periodically,
APW participants join together to create special programs.
Past initiatives have included retreats (held every two years) at
the New Jersey shore and in the Pocono mountains, as well as the
Day for All Women seminar program held at APC every third
year. These programs give women an opportunity to step away
from their busy lives to focus on spiritual or personal growth, or
to simply catch their breath and renew their energy.
- Beyond APC: For women who want to participate
more broadly, there are various district-wide events throughout the
year, and even a national Churchwide Gathering every three
years. The "River of Hope" Churchwide Gathering will
be held July 18 to 22, 2012 in Orlando, Florida. For more
information, go to presbyterianwomen.org/gathering. For local
events, check out our "See what's coming up" column.
Put us on your calendar!
Take a look at our ongoing activities to see what works for your
schedule. Feel free to contact a group or circle leader to
find out more. We can even arrange for someone to pick you up
and take you to a meeting!
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Group
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Meeting Details
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Contact
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Book Group
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First Tuesday every other month at 7:30 PM in members' homes
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Polly Shaffer (215-763-2818, shafp@comcast.net)
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Sarah Circle
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Second Monday of the month at 1:00 PM at the home of Ginny
Castor
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Barbara Miller (215-646-6463, barb2bob5@verizon.net) and
Joan Faunce (215-643-2442, chasfaunce@verizon.net)
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Ruth-Rebekah Circle
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Second Tuesday of the month at 9:45 AM in Rydal Park Room
649
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Amy Gould (215-672-2734, agould63@comcast.net) and
Mildred Kistenmacher (215-836-4980, mildredk@live.com)
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Sophia Circle
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Second Friday of the month at 7:30 PM in members' homes
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Julie Wamser (215-576-5586, juliedonahuewamser@comcast.net)
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Dorcas Circle
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Third Tuesday of the month at the home of Ginny Murray
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Ginny Murray (215-884-3916, bruce_murray@comcast.net)
and Becky Martinez (215-658-0347, vze3px4@verizon.net)
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MYKids Group
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Third Tuesday of the month at 7:30 PM in members' homes
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Kristin Wynn (215-947-1169, kh_wynn@yahoo.com)
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Miriam Circle
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Fourth Monday of the month at 9:30 AM in the Church Parlor
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MM Harris (267-763-1431, mmharrisdaisy@gmail.com)
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Women's Fellowship Group
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Fourth Monday of the month at 7:30 PM in members' homes
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Carolyn Ming (215-885-7903, allencarolyn@comcast.net)
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Find out more!
Feel free to contact any member of the APW Coordinating Team for
more information.
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Role
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Name
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Contact
Information
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Moderator
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Joyce McCormick
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215-576-8210, 717-262-3581, jhmccorm2009@comcast.net
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Co-1st Vice Moderator
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Michelle Cloud
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215-885-1121 cloudbs@aol.com
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Co-1st Vice Moderator (Programs)
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Ilene Fey
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215-346-2815, irfey72@yahoo.com
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Chair of Publicity
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Donna Hoffman
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215-654-1998, gleehoff@aol.com
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Bulletin Board Chair
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Barb Powers
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215-886-2847, bbpowers@comcast.net
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2nd Vice Moderator: Membership Secretary
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Libby Boggs
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215-884-5414, boggshome@comcast.net
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Treasurer
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Ginny Murray
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215-884-3916, bruce_murray@comcast.net
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Chair of Spirituality
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Beth Love
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215-738-4343, beth.janke@live.com
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Chair of Church Women United
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Julie Wamser
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215-576-5586, juliedonahuewamser@comcast.net
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Chair of Mission: Church World Service
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Mary Findlay
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215-884-0261
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Search Committee
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Sally Bowie
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215-576-7746, udhksa@gmail.com
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Search Committee
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Kristin Wynn
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215-947-1169, kh_wynn@yahoo.com
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