June 7th

Back in February, two ladies from small group and I gathered in my house for a weekend of sharing food and thoughts as we studied God's word by simulcasting the IF:GATHERING women's conference. The theme of the conference was "if God is real, then…" We were encouraged and taught to think about how we believe in a Holy, Living, Limitless God Who is real and active in our world and in our lives and the implications of that truth. We were encouraged to use our gifts, resources, and personalities to find our place in God's story and make Jesus shine in the darkness. That weekend, our discussions were long and our hearts were moved. We desperately wanted to be an active and aware part of God's eternal story.

Our first order of business was to plan and set in stone a women's discipleship brunch for our church. It was an idea that we had been tossing around and vaguely praying through trying to think of a way to promote ladies fellowship that was more than just light and fluffy, but was real and deep and earnestly seeking God. However, it was also an idea that was foggy and far off. Encouraged to pursue what the Lord had set before us after the conference, we decided to run hard after this idea. Instead of a year down the road, we planned it for 4 months later. Instead of calling in people from the outside, we decided to use the gifts in our group to fulfill roles in teaching, leading worship, decorating, and serving. Instead of limiting the event to only our church, we designed and printed flyers to send out to the community and other churches in our association.

This was certainly not what we had planned. It was terrifying. Could we pull this off? Did we have the resources? Were we enough? Turns out we weren't (and still aren't!) enough and neither were our plans. But God uses people who empty themselves of their own agendas and trust in Him to lead. When the goal is to bring glory to our Holy God and what He has done in Jesus, then He is faithful to equip us with His Spirit and His provision. We are learning to follow where He calls no matter how outrageous or impossible the journey may seem.

We are SO excited to see what God will do on June 7th. He has already taken a hazy idea and crystallized it beyond anything we had imagined. Our plans were a small function in the distant future geared toward a group of ladies within our own church led by who knows who teaching who knows what. But our Living, Intentional God has shaped our obedience, our wills, our gifts, and our ideas into something much more. If you're a woman in the area on June 7th, we would love to have you join us to  learn, discuss, and sing about who we are in Jesus. Come and be encouraged to find your place and purpose in Christ as part of God's eternal, wonderful, living story.