Women’s Ministries is about supporting women in the church and community. And when COVID hit in 2020, we realized we had to do things in a new way. Our retreats were just around the corner and how to manage getting together for spiritual renewal and fellowship was uppermost on our minds.
Every conference has managed to host some very special events for their women. Rocky Mountain held an outside retreat at Campion Academy themed “Lemonade—When Life gives You Lemons, Let God Make Lemonade.” A very fitting theme for a COVID year!
Minnesota, Iowa-Missouri, and Kansas-Nebraska held virtual retreats. Elizabeth Talbot was the speaker for Iowa-Missouri’s and I feel like God was showing Himself strong in discouraging times when more than 1,000 ladies attended Elizabeth’s presentations. Beverly Sedlacek was the speaker for Minnesota’s virtual retreat.
The Dakota women met at Abby of the Hills in person and Sue Carlson from Kansas-Nebraska Conference was their speaker. Central States hosted several regional retreats online.
MORE ONLINE CONNECTIONS
Women’s Ministries is not just about retreats; we have so many other ministries and events that bring women together. Women who have been unable to attend these events in the past were able to take part in virtual meetings.
Sue Carlson has embraced Zoom in ministering to her conference by holding Bible studies, bread baking classes, Project Shield, Bags of Love and several other classes online.
DeeAnn Bragaw, from Rocky Mountain, and her team have implemented The Gal Pal Blessing Challenge, which is a way of encouraging women by just a simple, small gift.
Tabitha Isaboke and her team in Minnesota have held several Jesus Calling Zoom meetings including “A Call to Lean,” and “Who am I: A Search for Identity.”
Paulette Bullinger, working in the Dakotas, has planned regional meetings in Dickinson, Fargo, Aberdeen, Sioux Falls and Bismarck. This has enabled her to get better acquainted with her large territory and find out how Women’s Ministries can best serve church and community women.
Gail Cordian, from Iowa-Missouri, hosts the Bold2Pray program on KPOG, 102.9 FM LP out of Grimes, Iowa, which airs every Thursday for 8 hours. April 8 was the one-year mark for this program of conversational prayer manifesting God’s amazing grace.
The Central States Conference has been without a director for a length of time and now we are pleased to welcome their new director, Donna Brown, to our team.
In March 2021 each conference participated in the Mid- America Union virtual Ministries Convention. We held six English seminars and Patty Rivera, Spanish director for Rocky Mountain, planned five Spanish seminars for the convention.
LEANING ON JESUS
During COVID the conference directors and I met monthly via Zoom for encouragement, prayer and support. This has been a blessing and we are planning to continue these meetings.
Through all of the adversity in the last year we have learned a lot. We feel we are connecting better with our large union and we have become aware of more devotional needs for women.
We are also more aware that domestic violence does exist in our church. We know there is a need for all of us, not just pastors, to know how to deal with sexual, mental, spiritual and emotional abuse. Sadly, it does exist among our church members and we must know how to help and what to say—not just sweep it under the carpet.
Trusting Jesus is the most important thing we have learned—trusting that He is in control, that He knows the beginning all the way to the end. And as we say “Yes, Lord!” we choose to believe He is all we need.
In every stage of life, trusting Jesus is an easy way to live and we want our women to embrace that and lean on the Good Shepherd.
Nancy Buxton is director of Women’s Ministries for the Mid-America Union, a part-time position.
