Since this is a conference for PCA women in the church, we began by defining our context as women in God’s family, and by lifting high the King and His church. This year, Dr. Roy Taylor, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the PCA, led the opening session. Dr. Taylor used I Timothy 3:14-16 to remind us that living as Christian women in the church is a symphony and not a solo. As Reformed, Bible believers, we are part of something bigger; we are part of the church universal and the church triumphant. As women in the church, we are to love, live, and take the Gospel message to a needy world in word and deed.

Having women meet with others from their region played a central role in this year’s focus. The time spent in their eight US and Canadian regions were some of the most productive and appreciated elements of the weekend, according to the participants. In each region, representatives of the Women’s Advisory Sub-Committee (WASC), joined by CEP’s WIC trainers, modeled and equipped women for regional discipleship and community building.

Alan Johnson from Old Peachtree PCA in Duluth, Georgia, taught the joy and value of the “Centrality of the Word” in hearts and ministry. Workshops, panels, and woman to woman discipleship rounded out the rest of the weekend. Susan Hunt, former CEP Director of Women’s Ministries and current CEP WIC Consultant, ended this outstanding weekend calling the women to “Live out the Purpose and Privilege as Women in God’s Church.”

We were excited and encouraged to have PCA Ruling Elder Preston Hicks, from Lexington, KY, attend with his wife. In his local church, Tates Creek PCA, Preston is the liaison between the session and women’s ministry. (See his response to the conference below.)

CEP, the 2008 recipient of the Women in the Church Love Gift, hosted the denominational dinner in which the PCA administrators and coordinators, their wives, and some staff joined the women in prayer for the PCA and its various ministries. This is a night that always elicits excited responses and this year was no exception - it is “our privilege!”

The 2009 Leadership Training Conference will be held at Covenant College, March 10-12, and will be followed by the 2009 Mercy Conference, jointly sponsored by Mission to North America and CEP, held at New City Fellowship Church, March 12-15. Look for more updates on www.pcacep.org as information for both conferences becomes available. CDs of the plenary sessions and workshops of the 2008 Leadership Training are also available. See www.pcacep.org for details.

Here is what some attendees had to say about this year’s conference. We trust these will encourage local church leaders, pastors, presbytery CE Chairman, and women’s ministry leaders as you evaluate the value of this discipleship event.

“I have been spreading the good news of God’s kingdom work through this [women’s] ministry work of the PCA. I am praying for other elders to participate in future meetings—the experience certainly enlarged my vision of the educational work (fostering and facilitating biblical thinking and covenantal living) of the WIC organization.” Preston Hicks, Ruling Elder

• “I found the focus on the church, not just women’s ministry to be so refreshing.”

• “I benefited greatly from the ‘connectiveness’ of Leadership Training – I can buy DVDs of speakers, but they don’t bring the interpersonal connections.”

• “I have renewed appreciation and love for God’s Word.”

• “Hearing Mo Up De Graff tell us about Ridge Haven in our assigned region gave me enthusiasm to pray for its ministry.”

• “WIC is more than a program. I was taught the purpose and privilege of being in a covenantal, connectional community of believers. I had a chance to see and fall in love with the BIG Picture of our denomination.”

• “Our PresWIC met during the leadership weekend, and we were all in agreement that as a PresWIC we want to train and help our local churches understand leadership and discipleship. We are writing to begin the process of inviting a Women in the Church trainer to lead this event for our churches.”

• “Leadership Training is where I really received the majority of the great teaching from godly women and many PCA pastors. Thank you for the input into my life so that I may pass it on to others in my local church and in my region.”

• “I am inspired by your love for the Church and the PCA, for your desire to see Women’s ministries flourish. I am energized by the truths God is laying out before me and the foundations that the PCA has established based on God’s Word to guide us in having God centered women’s ministries. I see God working in my heart and mind to begin to equip me to lead and shepherd woman in biblical truth.”

• A pastor writes, “Thank you for making the women at Leadership Training aware of the blessings that God is bringing to others through their ministry. I am a Teaching Elder who desires to see connectionalism flourish in all aspects of our ministry, including women’s ministry.”

• A Director of Women’s Ministry writes, “I left Leadership Training feeling refreshed for the task of ministry and with a great many ideas. I have found that Leadership Training has become a necessity each year. I arrive ‘ministry weary’ and leave feeling ministered to, encouraged, and with a tank of resources/ideas that I draw from each year. What will I do if I cannot go one year!! I know God will provide, but it has become that precious.

• I wanted you to know also that this year’s regional meetings were some of the most helpful times of the conference. I told my Women’s Advisory Sub-Committee Representative (WASC) that, thanking her for modeling to us the community building that we should be doing with our own women in our own churches. You could just see the “connections” happening as ladies exchanged names, contact info, and e-mail addresses from across the room with one another as ideas were shared and needs were met in front of our faces. She told me that this model was given to the WIC Leadership team in preparation for the conference. Thank you!!! Your modeling enabled my WASC member to model, and now I pray I can model it to my women. So exciting!”

To God be the Glory!

— Jane Patete, Women’s Ministries Coordinator