Dear Daughters of the Covenant,

Writing the date 1999 jolts me into the realization that this is the year of the WIC Conference. With the flip of the calendar the conference is no longer years away. It is now months away.

True to form, two of our daughters are expecting babies—Laurin is due any day and Kathryn is expecting in May. Our son and daughter-in-love had a baby boy in September. Jane Patete’s daughter decided to get in on the action and is expecting in April. All to say, the other parts of our lives do not go into neutral as we step on the conference fast-track. All to say—pray for us!

As we look toward September, you are a key in preparing your church for this conference. This is not just a fun event to attend. Will this conference catapult us to practical, passionate expressions of compassion? Much depends on you—the women who lead the women in your church. To help you in this task, we asked Charles Dunahoo to give us a male perspective on women working with the male leadership of the church to utilize the vision and training women will receive (see pages four and five). Also, please use the information on page three to help women understand some of the issues involved in planning this conference.

As you look at the conference brochure, consider the expanse of compassion ministries where PCA women are on the cutting edge. This should not surprise us. Compassion is a characteristic of the covenant of grace. We are women who are privileged to be a part of churches where God’s grace is preached.

Prayer is the essential ingredient in this conference. Please pray that our merciful Father will accomplish beyond what we can even think to ask Him to do.

For His Glory,

Susan Hunt
Director of WIC Ministry

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1999 WIC Conference

A Matter of Praise

October 1st – Billie Underwood, our precious administrative assistant, was diagnosed with colon cancer.

October 5th – she had surgery.

October 6th – the pathology report was clear. No radiation is required.

October 15th – Billie started working from home to take care of the zillion details she is managing.

Rewind to October 1st. Billie had the peace that passes understanding. We went into a tailspin personally because of our love for her, and administratively because she is carrying huge chunks of the business side of this conference. After a few days our hearts started hearing what our heads were trying desperately to hold on to: God is sovereign; Billie is His and He will take care of her; this conference is His and He will take care of it; rest in His sovereign love. We were driven to our Father, and that is a good thing! Pray that we will stay there, and pray for Billie’s continued recuperation.

• Frequently Asked Questions

The following two questions deserve answers. Please help us by passing this information on to women who may be asking these questions.

1. Why can’t this be in a church so it would not be so expensive?

Actually, it would probably make little difference in cost if we had the conference in a church. Let me explain.

At the convention center we do not pay for meeting space because the meals and the hotel rooms we use entitle us to meeting space.

Our other costs, such as brochures, increased staff to process registrations, confirmation materials, mailings, speakers, large-screen projection, sound, printed programs, etc. are essentially the same wherever the conference is held.

Finding a church that can seat 6000, provide meals, have adequate seminar space for the pre-conference seminars, and have enough hotel rooms in the vicinity, is no easy task. Since this is a conference for women, we must have hotel rooms very close to the meeting place. The Cobb Galleria Centre provides that.

We spend many hours at the site with the Galleria Centre and hotel staffs going over every detail. If we used a church in another city, some of our staff would have to make frequent trips to that site—a cost that would have to be passed on to those attending.

Our contract with the anchor hotel and the Galleria Centre entitles us to their expert staffs who are experienced in conferences of this magnitude. Without that, we would have to hire additional help to manage many aspects of this conference—a cost that would have to be passed on to those attending.

If we have the conference in a church, it would have to end on Saturday since the church would not be available on Sunday. This presents two problems: (1) increased airfare without the Saturday night stay-over; (2) women who are employed outside the home would have to take another day off work–thus increased cost for them.

2. Then why can’t you do several smaller conferences in various places instead of one large conference?

We think we already do that. Most PresWICs have retreats, and many PresWICs join together and have larger conferences.

We did Regional Conferences in 1995. The 1999 conference could not be repeated because some of the speakers would not be available—it took considerable effort to get them once!

We do not just plan the size and type of conferences at random. There are specific reasons for doing what we do.

After the 95 Regional Conferences we prayed, evaluated, and prayed some more. We (WASC and CE staff) felt strongly that the next step in the development of the WIC ministry in the PCA was a call to compassion. As we continued to pray about how to do this, we came to several conclusions:

1. The best way to turn up the volume on compassion would be a high-profile conference with the best speakers possible on this topic.

2. There must be equipping seminars which would also feature women who are pace setters in compassion ministries, and many of the pace setters are PCA women.

3. This conference should be a celebration and a catalyst. A celebration of those ministries of compassion that are happening, and a catalyst to call us all to the covenant requirement of compassion.

4. We had to locate a facility to allow as many women as possible to attend. We have had to turn hundreds of women away at previous conferences. We had to find the realistic balance between making it available to as many as possible and yet not sacrificing our standard of excellence.

Have we made the right decisions? We can only say that we have proceeded with much prayer, extreme caution, and considerable counsel. We plead for your prayers.

• Ideas:

• Encourage teens and college students to attend and consider ways to financially assist them.
• If missionaries supported by your church are on HMA, ask your missions committee to invite and provide for them to attend with your group.

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To: Local WIC Presidents

From: Charles Dunahoo

Re: 1999 WIC Conference

Greetings! There is excitement in our office regarding the 1999 WIC Conference to be held in Atlanta September 10-12. Our staff is working diligently to have everything ready for the 4,000 to 6,000 women we anticipate will attend. Brochures and web page information is available. Local churches are gearing up to help. However, we do not want this to be just another conference or big event. We want this to be a strategic conference that will touch the lives of the participants and then spill back over into their local churches as we seek to minister on the Lord’s behalf to those in and outside the church.

Our staff will do everything we can to make this a special event in the life of the PCA. We want our church to give a good witness to the world—particularly to the rising generations of youth who have been disillusioned by the organized church. What better way to demonstrate authenticity and credibility than to show our love for Christ and one another through mercy ministries.

Our desire is for the PCA to step forth as overdue leaders in local mercy ministries. You are one of the keys in doing this. Our Book of Church Order has historically recognized the valuable input of women in ministry. Deacons, as part of the ordained leadership, are to select godly women to assist them in their task of mercy ministry. That needs to happen more often. God would have men and women partner with precision and clarity to enhance our ministries.

This conference is certainly not intended to suggest that deacons and WIC do mercy ministries as two separate entities, but that we come together as a team. Paul says, "The church grows and builds itself up in love as each part does its work." While we believe there should be some amount of freedom to use our gifts as God has intended them to be used, we believe that working together will accomplish God’s plan better and more effectively. It is a humbling reality and an exciting truth to realize that we do need each other. Paul makes that absolutely clear in passages such as 1 Corinthians 12.

We pray that God will use this conference to train, equip, and encourage local churches. I encourage you to consider the suggestions on the opposite page and put them into practice in your local situation. We made similar suggestions in previous Resource Letters, but I want to reiterate and underscore them because I believe they are strategic in the results of this conference.

Pray for us, and we will pray for you as you encourage women to consider participating in this conference. We are aware that many women will not be able to participate by attending, but through prayer they can be a vital part of the conference. They can also use the audio tapes as a means of experiencing some of the things that God does at this conference. Pray that our staff will be faithful to do our part so that you can benefit to the fullest from whatever God has in store for you in September 1999.

Suggestions for working together as WIC officers, pastors, elders, and deacons to maximize the effectiveness of the ’99 WIC Conference for local churches.

1. Be sure to include prayer in your present WIC activities for this conference. Paul reminds us that it is not by power nor by might but by my Spirit says the Lord… We want God’s spirit to permeate everything about this conference; calling upon Him together can bring blessings.

2. Meet with the church officers, especially the deacons, and share your desire to participate in this conference in a way that will benefit the local church. Communicate your desire to make this conference part of training for effectiveness in the church’s overall ministry.

2. Ask the deacons and/or elders to help you understand their prayers and objectives for your church’s mercy ministries in order for you to lead the WIC to do its part.

3. Ask the deacons and/or elders to recommend which seminars women should attend based on your church’s overall ministry plans.

4. Ask the officers to pray for this conference and for any women who will attend.

5. Ask your pastor to keep this conference before the people for special prayer.

6. Ask the deacons to encourage their wives to attend this conference. Also ask them to develop some financial assistance or scholarships, particularly for single moms, widows, and others who could benefit from the conference. (You might also do this with your elders).

7. Ask the officers, especially the deacons, for a time when women can report back after the conference to share what they learned.

8. Be available to assist the church’s officers to make the church’s ministry everything that God would have it to be, and work alongside them in any way that would enhance their role and responsibilities.

11. Above all, express your desire to work together with the officers to make the church’s mercy ministries truly effective and pleasing to Christ.

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1999 WIC Leadership Training Seminar
March 18-20
Sheraton Suites Hotel
Atlanta, GA

This by-invitation training seminar is for PresWIC Presidents, women serving in a paid position on a local church staff with responsibilities for women or teen girls, denominational staff women, and other leadership women who serve in ministries to women.

If your church has a Director of Women’s Ministry, or a female on the youth staff, please make her aware of this meeting. If she has not received information, call our office.

This gathering is designed to:

• Equip a network of women who can help equip the local WIC leadership.
• Provide a stimulating opportunity for the women who attend to fellowship and to network ideas.
• Offer teaching that will help women minister to other women.
• Cultivate denominational awareness and support.
• Please pray for this training event.
• Pray specifically for your PresWIC President who will represent you.

This meeting is not for local WIC presidents.

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November, 1998

Dear Sisters in Christ:

Among the Lord’s greatest endowments for Mission to North America across the quarter century of our denomination’s life has been the consistent prayer-driven support given us by the Women in the Church. Indeed, the devoted labors of love on the part of WIC impart the ring of reality to our motto––"MNA and you: Reaching North America for Christ."

In the midst of the focused efforts of WIC leadership at every level of the church to ensure maximum participation in the 1998 WIC Love Gift, which is committed to providing support for leadership development in the multi-ethnic and mercy ministries of Assembly’s MNA, our committee and staff felt it appropriate to find a way to recognize and honor the women of our denomination for their sacrificial service of the Lord Jesus Christ through MNA. Our decision is to establish the Urban and Mercy Women in Leadership Award, using a small portion of the Love Gift.

Women eligible for the award will be those who have made significant contributions to urban, mercy, or multi-ethnic ministry in the PCA. Such contributions may center on personal involvement and service, inspiring and motivating other women to serve, or educating and training women for effective service in these crucial areas of opportunity.

Each woman receiving the award would use the funds, as she chooses, in a way that distinctly furthers leadership development in urban/mercy ministries, as a clear addition or augmentation to already available resources, rather than simply providing normal operational support for a ministry. The idea would be to provide motivation and training for one or more other women to serve Christ in urban and mercy ministry settings within their communities.

We invite you to nominate women for the Urban and Mercy Women in Leadership Award. The awards will be presented during the September 1999 WIC Conference.

On behalf of the MNA Committee and staff, as well as for myself personally, please know of our gratitude to the living God for His having called you along side us to serve Him, and to you for your faithfulness in that service. Soli Deo Gloria!

Grace and Peace, in Jesus,

Cortez A. Cooper, Jr.
Coordinator

Urban & Mercy Women in Leadership Award
Sponsored by MNA through the 1998 WIC Love Gift
Nomination Form

Please return this nomination form to Fred Marsh at MNA, 1700 North Brown Rd, Lawrenceville, GA  30043 by March 15 1999. No nominations accepted after this date.

You are invited to nominate any woman who is a member of a PCA church and who has made a significant contribution to urban, mercy, or multi-ethnic ministry within the denomination in one of the following ways:

• By providing direct service to the poor in a relational, holistic ministry, or

• By inspiring and mobilizing people for service in urban, mercy, or multi-ethnic ministries, or

• By educating and training people for effective service in urban, mercy, or multi-ethnic ministries.

Nominee: ______________________________

Address: ______________________________

City: __________________________________

State: _________ Zip: ______________

Telephone Number (day) (_______)___________

(evening) (_______)______________________

e-mail ________________________________

Church Membership: _____________________

Brief paragraph describing why she qualifies for this PCA Leadership Award:

Information on person making nomination:

Name: __________________________________

Address: ________________________________

City: ___________________________________

State: _________ Zip: ______________

Telephone Number (day) (________)___________

(evening) (_______)________________________

e-mail __________________________________

Church Membership: _______________________

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Step by Step God Starts, Builds, and Sustains a Women’s Ministry

This story by Joan Sato is an example of WIC 101 (see the Sept./Oct. 1997 issue of the WIC Resource Letter). Joan is President of Great Lakes PresWIC.

As I share the story of what God has accomplished in the women’s ministry at Christ Community Church in Carmel, Indiana, I pray that He will receive the glory due to Him alone.

In the Fall of 1991, Christ Community Church was a one-year-old church plant meeting in a local Junior High School north of Indianapolis. Like many church plants, there was much to do, and resources were limited. The members of our congregation were covering several bases and highly committed to what God was doing.

I was asked by our Pastor, Tim Kirk, to begin a Bible study for women. We met in my home and soon grew to a group of eighteen women with baby-sitting for nineteen children in my basement. We were a diverse collection of women with minimal training in Biblical thinking and Reformed theology. By the end of the second year we were down to a group of six discouraged, resentful women. We had lost our focus. Troubling circumstances, heart-breaking situations, and spiritual and personal immaturity took us down the road of self-centeredness and conflict. We met with our pastor and his wife and asked for guidance.

From the beginning, Tim and Sally made an investment of time and energy in the women’s ministry. This was not a ministry delegated away from their hands of care and responsibility. As we refocused and worked on a vision statement, our excitement for women’s ministry was rekindled. Our eyes were on God’s amazing, sacrificial love for us and the love He had given us for the women in the North Indy area. We wanted to be known as a church that loved women unto Jesus Christ. We knew that women came with children, and if we were serious about loving women we needed to love their children.

God blessed us with male leadership who provided the protection we needed by insisting that the women’s ministry be an intentionally Bible-study based ministry. They shared our vision and the need for financial support by making baby-sitting available. This was quantitatively backed up by their generous approval of the budget. Pastor Kirk wisely protected us from being over-extended and burned out by not allowing us to assume total responsibility for the food and fellowship needs of the entire church.

Our pastor’s good standing with other area ministers soon led to a neighborhood church donating the use of their building and nursery facilities. God was teaching us to rely on His provision for all our needs. We adopted the slogan "You don’t grow an oak tree overnight." An acorn became representative of the women’s ministry God was growing in our church. We came to a point of understanding that God would keep His promises to sanctify and equip us for the work.

In September 1995, the WIC Regional Conference, "Daughters of Zion––Rise and Shine!" was held in Indianapolis. After Susan Hunt’s seminar, two of us approached her and quickly explained some of the female to female relationship difficulties in our church. Susan said, "The problem is your women don’t understand covenant relationships." We both knew Susan had summarized the situation accurately because as leaders in our women’s ministry we weren’t sure we understood covenant relationships. We went home asking God to teach us and to help us understand which way to proceed. We were not really sure what to do, but we were convinced that Susan must be on to something.

We studied The Holiness of God by R. C. Sproul. This book and video study had a profound impact on us as women. As we grew in our understanding of who God is, we came to see that our standing before Him is based solely on grace.

This knowledge was strengthened by our next study The Discipline of Grace by Jerry Bridges. We learned the essentials of preaching the Gospel to ourselves daily. The Gospel became a necessary part of our lives and not something just to share with an unbeliever. God was transforming the women of Christ Community Church and building a ministry.

Step by step, things were progressing at CCC. By August 1995 we had moved into a building. The WIC Resource Letter had become a welcomed source of information and encouragement. I learned of the WIC core curriculum. The leaders of the women’s ministry soon realized the value of this material and made a strong commitment to study these books. Our pastor insisted that the leadership of the women’s ministry not change each year. He stressed the need for this ministry to be relationship-based and not only task-oriented. Our vertical relationship with God was now more biblically sound and rooted in the truth of the Gospel. The next step was our relationships with one another.

As we studied, Spiritual Mothering, God knit our hearts together in love. The riches of the Gospel had prepared our hearts to receive the scriptural mandate of Titus 2. For the first time we stopped complaining that there were no older women in the church to mother us. We caught a vision and realized we were the older women that God was going to use to train the younger women. This was also our first introduction to thinking in terms of generations in regards to women’s ministry. For the first generation Christians in our group, this idea filled us with hope for what God was accomplishing in our families. We became intentional in including our teens in panel discussions and fellowship gatherings. Our prayer was that spiritual mothering would become a lifestyle.

Chapter by chapter, question by question, we worked our way through the core curriculum. By Design helped to move us from misery to ministry. We gained clearer understanding of our helper design and were challenged to use our spiritual gifts within the ministry of the church.

I was invited to speak to our session on the status of our women’s ministry. The story I relayed to them reflected the distance God had taken us. In one of our weekly Bible studies, we were asked to tell about a woman in our life whom we considered wise. A new believer replied with enthusiasm, "Oprah Winfrey." There was not one sigh or tsk sound made. The women responded to her with grace, gentleness, and love. If this had occurred in the earlier years there would have been strong correction and judgment. After the incident there would have been gossip. Now by God’s grace we were building up and not tearing down in our responses.

We had not escaped the sting of the curse as we saw two of our women lose their beloved husbands, a young mother lose a child to SIDS, and several women suffer miscarriages. There were marriages in distress, women fighting breast cancer, struggles with rebellious children, and dealing with aging parents and the loss of parents. There were women healing from abuse, their own sin, and from being the innocent victims of other’s sin. There was an obvious need to build community and develop ministries of compassion.

God’s perfect timing of the book Treasures of Encouragement amazed us. God used this study to mold us into mature encouragers who were biblical thinkers. The climate of our church changed significantly as we went through the twelve principles of this study. Our hearts became sensitive as we grew in our understanding of God’s love for us and how we should love one another. God was using ordinary people, homemakers, mothers, working women, to show compassion by doing ordinary things like visiting the sick, writing notes of encouragement, taking meals, providing clothing, sending care package to college students, caring for one another’s children, and giving Joy Boxes.

In response to this study, a compassion corps was more clearly defined and a "Salt and Light" committee was formed. We used the information in the Loving Leadership Manual to develop Salt and Light days. The sick, the hurting, the lonely were loved through painful circumstances. As we developed formal programs for compassion, it was joyous to watch the informal, individual responses to the Holy Spirit’s prompting increase. God caused our compassion to have both an inward and an outward focus. We are able to be a small part in supporting the work of the local Crisis Pregnancy Center and an inner-city mission.

When we studied The True Woman, we were convicted by God’s Word to abandon our cultural idols and to think redemptively. The empty pursuit of emotional happiness was replaced by a desire to be a true reflection of our redemption in our homes and our community.

The last two summers we used Leadership for Women in the Church as training for the leadership of the women’s ministry. This past summer we were privileged to include women from two church plants in the Indianapolis area. This well-worn training tool effectively reminds us why we do the things we do in the church.

Of course, there are still times of conflict, discouragement, and selfishness in our church. We still have to deal with the consequences of sin. Prayerfully, our responses are different as we call one another back to God’s Word and view each other in the light of God’s glory. God continues to teach us about living in community as His covenant people. We look forward to our next study, Heirs of the Covenant, and to deepening our understanding of covenant living.

We have now traveled from 1991 to 1998 on a journey where God started, built, and is sustaining a women’s ministry at Christ Community Church. God established this ministry by using ordinary women with no special training to do ordinary things for His glory. He has been both preventative and restorative in this work. A small tree has now grown where the acorn was planted. God has been faithful to keep His promises in the process of sanctifying us and equipping us.

Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt His name together. Psalm 34:3

From the pastor . . .

I recently had a conversation with a dozen of the emerging pastoral leaders in the PCA. One of the topics of discussion was how to identify and encourage the gifts of women in our congregations. I shared about the impact of the WIC core curriculum on our church, particularly the women’s ministry. It was encouraging to hear those pastors echo my sentiments.

I went on to share with them that I have yet to find a dynamic, vital church that does not have an equally vital women’s ministry. Then, in light of three churches that I know are struggling, I said that in each of those churches there is little or no organized women’s ministry. If we are to grow healthy, prevailing churches, we cannot do it without a vital women’s ministry.

In the next two years I will be spearheading the effort to establish an Indiana Presbytery. This effort will be accomplished through the revitalization of existing churches as well as the planting of many Biblically-based, Christ-centered, Grace-oriented churches. I will be working along side my wife, Sally, and the leader of our women’s ministry team, Joan Sato, to see to it that every church in Indiana develops a dynamic women’s ministry.

Tim Kirk

Christ Community Church, PCA
Carmel, Indiana

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The Wick
Winter Quarter 1999

Christ Community Church
Carmel, IN

Mitchell Road Presbyterian Church Greenville, SC

Mitchell Road WIC produced a prayer guide to be used every day of the month. Each day has a verse of adoration, confession, thanksgiving and supplication and lists specific requests for their church staff, ministries, missions, and one request that has something to do with civil or community needs. These guides are being used to strengthen community and focus prayer in the life of the covenant body.

Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church, Knoxville, TN

WIC goes to the movies! In an effort to be creative in showing the WIC Love Gift Video, the Cedar Springs WIC planned a surprise event. Women were invited to dress casually, meet at the church, and take part in a special WIC afternoon. Upon arrival, the women were ushered into a room decorated like a movie theater, complete with tickets, popcorn, candy and drinks. After a time of fellowship, the lights dimmed and the presentation of the video began. A memorable and fun afternoon was had by all!

West Boca Presbyterian
Boca Raton, FL

During Mission’s Week, the WIC hosted a progressive brunch for the five missionary women who attended. The local women were divided into groups with a designated driver and one of the missionary women. As the women progressed from house to house, they were given questions to ask the missionary and each other. Moving from one home to another gave everyone a grand opportunity to fellowship and to learn more about each other. At the final stop, the missionary women shared a personal testimony, prayer requests, and thoughts on missions through their children’s eyes.

Spurred on by two articles in the ’98 Summer WIC Resource Letter, the pastor’s wife and WIC president wanted to encourage the women who serve on the WIC council. They hosted a luncheon with the theme, "Let Us Serve One Another In Love." As guests arrived, they were encouraged to visit with each other and locate 23 items strategically placed around the room that represented a servant’s heart. Items included a heart-shaped mold, pruning shears, a broom, and a serving tray. The thought-provoking game was a catalyst for a brainstorming session about ways the WIC council can serve the women in the church throughout the year. As each guest left, she received a gift bag containing three items representing love, light and salt. It was suggested she keep one item and share the remaining two with other women. The entire church was touched by one small luncheon originally meant only to thank, serve, and encourage a WIC council.

Great Lakes PresWIC

Each fall Great Lakes PresWIC has annual state-wide meetings to provide opportunities to equip and encourage women. On Saturday, September 26th, PresWIC President Joan Sato and Carolyn Ogburn joined the women of Michigan at Christ Church in Grand Rapids for Michigan’s first state-wide MICHWIC meeting. The conference theme verse was Romans 15:5-7. The topics were "Unity, Why Do We Do The Things We Do?" and "Am I My Sister’s Keeper?" The day also included three seminars: "Prayer: Rest in the Battle," "Leadership for Women in the Church," and a panel discussion on comfort. The women had the privilege of connecting with sixty-six other women representing all five PCA churches in Michigan. This meeting will be repeated in Kentucky and Indiana.

Grace Toronto Church
Toronto, Ontario

Here is another clever idea for saving money for the 1999 WIC Conference…..a "LOONIE-TWOONIE DRIVE" campaign. If each woman can save one loonie and one twoonie per day she will have enough money to go to the conference! To help those who cannot do this, a special jar will be put out each Sunday, giving everyone in the church the opportunity to put their extra LOONIES and TWOONIES in, to help sponsor other women. ( A LOONIE is a Canadian dollar coin; a TWOONIE is a $2 coin.)

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1999 WIC Love Gift

The WIC Love Gift rotates between all of the committees and agencies of the PCA.

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