From the Chair, Lenore Three Stars (Monroe Covenant Church)
Dear Sisters of the North Pacific Conference
 Retreat is now a murmuring memory. The evaluations have been inputted and
analyzed; the debriefing results have been hashed out and put to bed with a
prayer.Still, the benefits of Retreat linger on with sense
of well-being and the occasional chuckle (Toni sure made me laugh, that accent
was real, her heart was real). My
thoughts regularly turn to what it means to be a Woman of the Word.
Am I packing power? I want to
be sure that I combine my Bible reading and journaling with prayer; three cords
of strength and power. Yes, I want
to be sure that I do that, but I admit that I’m struggling with the spiritual
discipline to do it. I feel
inadequate and guilty . (insert Edna Blake performing the finger sprinkle,
“Grace, grace”)You know, just today my son told me a similar thing about
his studying. He gets awesome grades
but he has to study for them. He
admitted that he doesn’t have the discipline today to put in the study time that
he needs. And what did I tell him?
“Oh, ask God for it, honey! When you
can’t do it, the Holy Spirit will do it through you.”
He assured me that he will do that, and
then we talked about my sweet Takoja.
I suspect that variations of this conversation are being repeated in
family circles everywhere. I know
it’s everywhere in the Bible… you do not have because you do not ask… my
strength is made perfect in your weakness… I love you… repeat and apply.
At a “Just Give Me Jesus” conference, Anne Graham Lotz told
us that she doesn’t have time to read the Bible.
Whaaat? She explained how busy her
schedule is and the enormous pressures and deadlines that press in on her.
“No,” she said, “I really don’t have time to read the Bible - - I have to
make time.”
Oh, just like Toni told us, even if you can only make 5 minutes a day to
start with, that’s good. Be a Woman
of the Word for 5 minutes a day this week.
Then a bit later, you can add time.
Next, begin to write down what you read – what do you think God is saying
to you? And for the exponential
power punch, PRAY what you read, what God is saying to you.
Repeat and apply.
So, dear sisters of faith, it was wonderful to Retreat with
you. When I pray for the spiritual
discipline to be a Woman of the Word, through the abundant grace, love, and
exponential strength of the Lord, I will add you, too – each wonderful woman who
came to Retreat.
In His Grace,
Lenore
chair@npc-cwm.org
Connecting Women
E-Newsletter from Ruth Hill's Office
Hello once again!
If you are reading your first "Connecting Women," someone
you know didn't want you to miss what God is doing through women in the
Evangelical Covenant Church. Welcome to a group of over 1500 women!
In preparation for our administers' retreat last week,
President Gary Walter asked each departmental leader to succinctly identify the
work that it does. WM's can be summarized this way: equipping (local
leaders), advocating (for the abused), inspiring (through conferences like
Triennials) and mobilizing (through initiatives like Break the Chains).
ALL of this is made possible through donations! If you are a Friend of
Women Ministries, thank you! If your church sends Ministry Support,
thank you!
Once again, there is a lot of exciting news about all of
our ministries. Enjoy! Know of someone who would love to be connected like
you? Why not forward it to her right now?
Blessings on you!
Ruth
Triennial XIII
Reflecting God's Glory
Date: July 22-25, 2010
Place: Washington, DC
Over 430 women have ALREADY registered! Join us in DC next July!
TXIII Early Registration now open!
From Washington to Washington!
Women Ministries of Bethany Covenant Church in Mt. Vernon, Washington, is
helping make it possible for their women to make the 2328 mile journey to TXIII
in Washington, DC. Each women pays her own registration; WM is organizing
fund raisers to cover their travel, as well as their lodging. 19 women
have already registered. You Go, Girls!
Have a story of getting to TXIII? E-mail us at the WM office. We'd love
to hear from you!
Walking and Praying - What a Combo
Kick up some autumn leaves as you walk and talk to God. Participants in
Prayer Walk 2010 receive a kit including a visor and lanyard with pouch for
prayer walk tips and will receive online prayer updates via email. Log in
your miles on the website and watch the total grow! Let's see how far we
can walk before TXIII. Cost of registration and prayer kit is $10.
Join the Triennial Prayer Team
Join with other praying sisters all over the Covenant as we uphold Triennial
in prayer. Go to the TXIII prayer tab to read the prayers of others, add
your own. Sign up to be on the prayer room planning committee, on-site
prayer team or off-site prayer team will be available in the near future.
Raise the Flag
Triennial presents the unique opportunity for women of the Covenant to
actually meet and share with women of the Covenant from all over the world.
What a great time of gathering and learning from one another this is. We
expect to bring women from China, Colombia, Congo, Ecuador, Germany, Japan,
Kenya, Sudan, Thailand - depending on the amount of funds raised. Help
support your conference's sponsored guest!
Register now at www.triennialxiii.org
or order a registration brochure.
TXIII Registration Rates:
EARLY: Aug. 1, 2009 - Jan. 15, 2010 $310
REGULAR: Jan 16, 2010 - May 31, 2010 $360
LATE: June 1 - July 18, 2010 $390
GROUP: (10 or more) $288 each - a 20% savings
INSTALLMENT (Electric Funds
Transfer)
Break the Chains
IJM and Mumbai Police Execute Nick of Time Rescue for Trafficked Girl
On the night she was supposed to be raped for the first time, young sex
trafficking victim Lona* was plucked from the brink of initiation into a life of
forces prostitution by police officials working with International Justice
Mission in Mumbai
Police rescued the child from the exploitative grip of a Mumbai
husband-and-wife couple who had allegedly purchased Lona from a relative is West
Bengal for a paltry 1500 rupees - less than $35 US. They intended to
exploit the girl's virginity for 30,000 rupees and then sell her to a dance bar
or brothel.
Click here for the rest of the story.
Inside the World of Modern Day Slavery
One writer spent four years inside the world of modern day slavery; an
industry that produces huge profits and countless wasted lives.
Click here for the
full story.
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month
The Evangelical Covenant Church has set aside Sunday, October 4th as a day to
host activities to remember victims of domestic and sexual abuse and to promote
healthy families and relationships. Resources for pastors, congregations
and suggestions can be found
here.
The AVA - The Clarion Call and Response Continues
Women and Men are Trained to Advocate for Victims
On August 22, men and women in the PSW conference gathered in Southern
California for an all day AVA training. This event marked the first
presentation in Spanish as a result of the efforts of individuals who
painstakingly translated all of the AVA materials into the Spanish language.
Read about it here.
Yvonne DeVaughn, AVA Director, provides training
AVA's new online domestic violence and sexual abuse tutorial nears
completion. The review of content and web page design is underway.
Sneak previews and roll out will take place over the nxt few months.
AVA Matters to God
One Regional Coordinator writes about what happened at one of her
presentations. "This beautiful woman attended one of my presentations and
after seeing a brief overview of the various forms of abuse victims endure she
was stunned. She realized what she had been going through for years was
emotional and psychological abuse. She could hardy talk as she processed
the information and left he meeting. What resulted from that one encounter
with an AVA coordinator has changed her life forever."
Continuing AVA's work requires financial support. Admittedly, these are
uncertain financial times, but God is faithful. When you give your
resources to address the damaging impact domestic violence and sexual abuse has
on families, communities and congregations, you are investing in what matters to
God. Won't you partner with AVA to make a difference in the lives of
women, men and children who have no voice? No gift is too small.
Gifts can be one-time or monthly. Send your donations earmarked for AVA to
Women Ministries, 5101 N. Francisco Ave, Chicago, IL 60625
Its Off to School -- For Mom!
A Ripple Effect for Educate the Girls
Educate the Girls, WM's partnership with Congo Covenant Church to address the
poverty and cultural values depriving girls of an education, is impacting adult
women as well. Many more are joining literacy classes. One women,
however, was inspired to do even more.
Mama Nzongo decided to return to school herself. Each day she and her
daughter don their school uniforms of a white top and dark skirt and head off to
high school. While teenage girls where shorter skirts, Mama Nzongo is
careful to cover her ankles, a cultural "rule" for adult women.
Nonetheless, she receives stares and snickers by other women as she walks by
carrying a book bag instead of gardening tools. Why would a grown woman be
going to school each day rather than going out to her garden to provide daily
food for her family?
Mama Nzongo courageously endures people's comments to pursue her goal of
getting her high school diploma. With the help of relatives living with
her, she does the garden work too. Unlike them, she does not relax at
night; she must do her homework before beginning yet another very long day.
Attending high school may not be as challenging for adult women once the new
girls' school, funded by ETG is completed. May Mama Nzongo's example
inspire many more women to receive the gift of an education.
Thank you for Ripping and Rolling
New Bandage Shipment
You have been very busy and generous! We have been informed that a
shipping container is full and ready to make the long journey to Congo. It
currently costs approximately $17,000 to send one container from Maryland to
Congo. Contributions to the shipping fund may be sent to the Women
Ministries office, 5101 N. Francisco Ave, Chicago, IL 60625
Thank you!
Connect with Ruth
A Unique Sabbatical
The word was getting out at the Covenant Offices that I was taking a
sabbatical, a gift from the Women Ministries Leadership Team following another
five years of service. Here's a typical conversation:
Co-Worker: "So what are you going to do, Ruth?"
Me: "Take a
course at the seminary."
Co-Worker: "Really? Which one?"
Me:
"Promise you won't laugh?"
Co-Worker: "Of course."
Me: "Intensive Greek."
Co-Worker: "HA! HA! HA!...Seriously?!"
The course was one I've always wanted to do but it was no laughing matter.
On the list of the most difficult things I have done in my life, I'd rank
Intensive Greek (also nicknamed Suicidal Greek), second to giving birth!
Seriously, though physically and at times emotional draining, it was
intellectually and spiritually invigorating. I loved our discussions of
passages, loved being able to see just a tiny bit more clearly what was
happening in the text, and came away with a deeper love of God's holy word.
During the process, another dream was born, one I am testing for confirmation
of God's leading. I am thinking of pursuing a master's in biblical justice
and am currently taking a course in that field. Stay tuned.
"Let my Heart be Broken..."
Bob Pierce, founder of World Vision, prayed this prayer: "Let my heart be
broken by the things that break the heart of God." Richard Stearns, the
current president of World Vision, writes in The Hole in our Gospel that he
believes that Pierce realized that he could not sustain the level of broken
heartedness and caring required to press ahead year after year in the work of
loving the needy. It was a prayer crying out to God to do it again and
again; if he didn't he knew he could not love his neighbor the way God did.
I was reading this just when I was feeling concerned about "Break the
Chains." How could we sustain the level of caring for young girls enslaved
in the sex trade? We can't really see them.
And yet, that is exactly what he calls you and me to do! To see them,
no matter how near or far away they are. In the parable in Matthew
25, both the "sheep" and the "goats" asked him, "When did we see you (in need)?"
And Jesus answered: "Whenever you did for one of the least of these, you did for
me." What is most surprising is that the criterion for dividing these two
groups is not whether they had confessed faith in Christ, but whether they had
expressed their faith in tangible and loving ways toward the needy.
"O God, let my heart be broken by the things that break your heart!"
This is my prayer, I, too, need to pray it again and again. Will you
pray it with me?
WM Leaders
Training for Connecting Women
WM's training for local leaders has been renewed and renamed.
Reflecting the foundational goal of WM to connect women in transformational
relationships, the new name is Training for Connecting Women.
The training time has been reduced from 6 hours to 3 1/2 hours by
providing a "Take-Away Menu" where participants can check the topics they would
like to explore in depth. The menus are left with the area Ministry
Coaches who can follow up with the local leaders at a separate time of their
choosing.
How are YOU connecting women?
inSpirit has a new feature, Connecting with Women Ministry Leaders!
It's purpose is to showcase exciting ways WM leaders are providing opportunities
for women to connect - both for women in the church and for those not yet in the
church. Do you have a story to tell of a transforming ministry? We
invite you to fill out the
Connecting Women Ministry Template and share your ministry with other
leaders. We look forward to hearing from you. Please mail or fax to
us at 773-784-4366.
Elected to the Board of Women Ministries
At the annual meeting of the ECC held in June, four women were elected to
5-year terms on the Women Ministries' Leadership Team. They are:
Barbara Banes - Crofton, MD
Karen Figueroa - Los Angeles,
CA
Elizaabeth Orellana - Hoffman Estates, IL
Toni Schwabe - Wyoming, MN
Penny Barham - Reidsville, NC (liaison from ECC executive board)
Welcome to each of you!
TLC Coming to a Fall Retreat Near You
If you are a leader of Women Ministries in your church, please be sure to
take advantage of TLC (The Leadership Connection) held at your conference women
ministries fall retreat. This is your opportunity to network with other
Women Ministries leaders from churches within your conference, receive a new
resource from the WM department, exchange ideas, encourage one another and
network. Check with your conference president for details on the day and
time of this event. It's TLC and it's for YOU.
New Ministry Coaches Trained in Central Conference
Trinity Abila, PSWC Ministry Coach, training new coaches in the Central
Conference.
"I learned so much today"
"Today gave me vision and possibilities for
ministry to women in our church."
"So that's what coaching is all about..."
"I was not clear at first what coaching entailed, now I'm ready to roll!!"
Training for Connecting Women, along with Coaching Essentials and Practices,
shaped the August 22 equipping event held at Sojourner Covenant Church in
Evanston, Illinois. Ann Richards, commissioned Ministry Coach since 2006
and now president of Central Conference Women Ministries, envisioned a day when
leaders and prospective coaches from her geographical area could be equipped to
serve.
A team made up of Executive Minister Ruth Hill, Ministry Coach Director Karen
Hearl, Ministry Coach Director and PSWC Ministry Coach Trinity Abila encouraged,
challenged and connected 16 leaders to the vision and mission of WM
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