Oh my! That is just about all I can say–oh my!! What a marvelous week!! My friend, Cindy and I returned on Thursday evening from Lifeway’s Women’s Ministry National Leadership Forum in Nashville, Tennessee. We spent three days with 850 of our closest friend worshipping, learning and sharing about Women’s Ministry. We saw and experienced so much that I’m not sure I can whittle it down, but I’ll try.
The Praise and Worship time was so anointed and amazing. It was led by Travis Cottrell (http://www.traviscottrell.com/) who is the worship leader for Beth Moore’s Living Proof Live events. I love Travis because he is so humble and so genuine or at least he seems that way to me. We spoke to him briefly as he pushed a huge cart full of equipment that would be used by his band into the Lifeway building. He took us to the throne of grace over and over during the three day event, but undoubtedly the most spirit filled moment was when he led us in singing “In Christ Alone”. I absolutely love that song. It is the gospel message from beginning to end. I think I want that sung at my funeral one day. The song challenges me to find my life’s meaning “In Christ Alone.”
At one session we were blessed with a dramatic presentation of a passage from the New Testament by Emory Colvin (http://www.dramaticencounter.com/). She held the crowd spellbound as she presented the Word.
We were able to attend a “small group” session entitled “Up Close and Personal with Lifeway Women’s Authors”. Cindy and I chose to attend the session with Priscilla Shirer (http://www.goingbeyond.com/). Priscilla is the daughter of Dr. Tony Evans and oh my goodness, is she ever a mighty woman of God. She was transparent and humble and funny and touching in her time with us. I can’t wait to do one of her Bible studies in the coming months. She will be at the Deeper Still event in Atlanta in June 2008 with Beth Moore and Kay Arthur. Priscilla challenged us to remember that God is mighty and is able to do far more than we ask or think. She encouraged us to think of a situation in our lives that we have become discouraged over or have given up on. God knows that situation and He has not given up on it, He is not discouraged over it and He is working on it. I found great encouragement in that message for there is something that I long for greatly that I had almost decided might never happen. God’s Word to me through Priscilla was to not give up.
I would love to have attended the Up Close sessions with so many of the other authors like Jennifer Rothschild, Lisa Whelchel, Mary Kassian, Cindi Wood and Angela Thomas, but unfortunately I could not.
Shaunti Feldhahn talked to us about the differences in men and women and reminded us that we are just wired differently. I really enjoyed her presentation and need to pick up her book.
The small group sessions I attended were very good. Here is a bit about each:
Jaye Martin challenged us to connect to the unsaved and unchurched. The thought that challeneged me the most from her session was this: “How do people come to know the Lord through our Women’s Ministry?” We must make sure that the reason we do Women’s Ministry is to meet the needs of women and lead them to Christ.
Martha Lawley talked to us about how to build our Women’s Ministry team and how to discover great leaders within our church. She also gave us a crash course on conflict resolution.
Beverly Little gave us great ideas for reaching working women and hosting a working woman’s Bible study. She began one in her church at 7am. She is also considering a noontime group. She wrote her own curriculum which is in the review process at Lifeway for publication. It sounds awesome!!
Karen Finke spoke to us about ‘Involving the Uninvolved”. It was a pleasant surprise to me to find out that I had done a good job of just that with the ladies Sunday school class that I began about 18 months ago and still teach. Yahoo!! The Lord worked through me!!! Karen reminded us that we must be intentional about looking for uninvolved women in our churches. Many women would like to be involved, but need to be asked by someone who is already involved.
Pam Farrel, co-author with her husband of “Men are Like Waffles, Women Are Like Spaghetti” was hysterical. (http://www.farrelcommunications.com/) (http://www.seasonedsisters.com/) I thoroughly enjoyed listening to her and really, really want to host a “Men Are Like Waffles, Women Are Like Spaghetti” marriage weekend at our church with the Farrels leading. I bought the book by the same name and it is on my nightstand waiting to be read. The other book of their’s that I want to get it entitled “Red Hot Monogamy”. Now, isn’t that just a name for you???!!!! Here is one statistic she gave us:: Couples that pray together daily rate their sex life as the highest possible rating!!!! Yahooo!! Yet another reason to pray together, huh?
The final session that I attended was with Pastor David Landrith who pastors a church in Nashville. He spoke to us about the “Eight Most Common Mistakes of Women’s Ministry Leaders”. He was funny, yet very effective. I have ordered the DVD from that session because his thoughts were some that I want to keep foremost in my mind as I lead our Women’s Ministry. Let me give you his Eight Mistakes in synopsis:
1. Letting Your Public Ministry Substitue for Private Devotion Time
2. Having No Accountability
3. Taking an Adversarial STance with the Pastor and Staff of the Church
4. Choosing to Die on Every Hill
5. Focusing on Programs instead of People
6. Lack of Vision
7. Lack of Flexibility
8. Giving Up Too Soon
Well, I’ll hush. This doesn’t even begin to describe the high that we were on this week. We met with Jesus each and every day and learned so much great stuff that will help us with our Women’s Ministry. I would highly recommend this Forum to anyone in Women’s Ministry!!
