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WIC Resource Letter
for PCA Women in Leadership If you are a Pastor's wife, WIC president, PresWIC president or Director of Women's Ministry and are not currently receiving the Resource Letter, click here to be added to the mailing list.
Front
Page - Transition Jane Patete is one of
God’s good gifts to the PCA. I applaud Charles Dunahoo’s choice of
Jane as Coordinator of WIC ministries because I believe this is God’s
call on her life, and because she is my friend and I love her so much. Her
enthusiastic love for the Lord and for the daughters of the covenant, her
wisdom, and her warm graciousness are beautiful reflections of our Savior.
Women of the PCA, please join me in praying for our dear Jane, and in
supporting and encouraging her as she serves our Father by serving us. My new role brings excitement and
moments of uncertainty, but also a confidence that the women of the PCA
are anchored on the sure foundation of the authority of God’s Word, a
commitment to the theological standards of the PCA, and a commitment to
work within the ecclesiastical structure of the PCA. I am thankful that I
am yoked with the many women who through the years have served on the
Women’s Advisory Sub-Committee and have used their gifts and time to set
a vision and philosophy that is biblically and theologically correct. I
have learned so much in my five years of serving our daughters of the
covenant with Susan Hunt. Because she charted a steady course for our
women, calling them to the truth of God’s word and to biblical womanhood
with tenderness and excellence, we as PCA women stand in a safe place in
our new world. Let us go singing into the future with His praise upon our
lips and His grace permeating our lives and continue steadfast in our
ministry to our PCA sisters.
Matters
for Prayer
Women In the Church 678-825-1100 (general) cep@pcanet.org Jane Patete Rachel Ginzberg 678-825-1114 kstair@pcanet.org
Experiencing Unemployment in the Context of the Covenant Community… Martha Martin, one of our WIC Trainers, shares what she and her family have been learning and experiencing about living covenantally. As a WIC Trainer I have enjoyed sharing with women that our ministry is biblical when we teach the content of the covenant in the context of covenant community, which culminates in acts of compassion. It was a big phrase to learn to say. I had to practice all of those “c” words. And yet, God had plans to teach me what this phrase really meant. Content (kon’tent),
n. significance, meaning Context (kon’tekst),
n. the set of circumstances that surround a particular situation Our church friends also helped with the job search. This involved a series of emails, highlighting my husband’s skills and requesting the covenant community to “keep your ears open” around town and at work for the possibility of job openings. Those that could, hired my husband to fix their home computers (his vocation). Some church friends gave us very good advice, which we appreciated. They were aware of certain public programs that enabled us to receive quality healthcare for our children. Offering to make that phone call and have the papers sent to our house was a great help. The covenant community knew no boundaries. Upon traveling to another state to speak, I was gifted with the leftovers from a retreat that fed our family for several days. The response of these sisters was uncomplicated and simple. “We have extra food, your family needs it.” There wasn’t a need for discussion! Culminate (kul’me năt),
v. to terminate at the highest point So often we, as Christian sisters, don’t know what to do, how to help, or what to say. Offer hope. Hope in the Lord God, Sovereign Caretaker of our Lives. Our church family repeated to us loudly and without fail, “But God. God is good. God loves you. God is in control. God will provide for you. But God” through their encouraging acts and the reassurance of their prayers. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. Romans 5:2
Taking Ministry to a New Level It’s here ... WIC Bible Study and WIC Training
To order: call
1-800-283-1357 Due May 2002:
“Foundations (in other
words - basics, brass tacks, nitty-gritty, practicalities, fundamentals)
are essential to a vibrant, effective women’s ministry. They provide the
grid through which purpose statements, goals, and objectives are
developed. Without a solid understanding of the “whys” of ministry,
the who, what, where, and whens become disjointed. These “whys” become
the constant companions of wise leadership women. Craig Bailey, Church Planter for Island Community PCA in Charleston, South Carolina, chose six women including his wife Kathy, to attend the WIC training event in August. These godly women of prayer were mandated to bring back the training and vision to help build a substantive women’s ministry that agreed with the overall mission and vision of the church and was submissive to its authority and structure. Craig affirmed the helper role of women in the church and reminded them that “without a strong women’s ministry in the church, the right arm of the church was missing.” Kathy Bailey writes: We came to the training event hopeful that we would walk away with everything (a nice checklist!), but we came away with so much more! We received foundational, biblical truths and principles to implement a covenantal women’s ministry. For some of our women, it really was their introduction to covenant theology. We were given the framework/grid to help us return home and take our training tools and begin to build a women’s ministry that fits our church. Editor’s note: Kathy and the other women spent over sixty hours praying and building their ministry model. When they reached an impasse on how to implement a part of their umbrella, they would stop and pray and the Lord was faithful to help them. The following is an example of what the Island Community Church leadership women developed after attending the training and spending much time in prayer and discussion. Island Community Church Women’s Ministry Ministry Focus: And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Colossians 3:17 Service and Compassion
Ministry Special Events
Ministry Support and Helps
Ministry Prayer Ministry Teaching and Equipping
Ministry Momentum
of Grace Rolling across the West Women from thirty-one states, Canada, Korea, and South Africa joined together in September for this remarkable conference. Onilla May, former WASC member, saw it as the culmination of a big dream. Seven hundred women from the West region celebrated where God has taken the women of the West in the last fifteen years. "What a mighty God we serve! What an overwhelming sense of joy and gratitude I felt as I stood before a sea of beautiful faces gathered in Denver." Louise Riddell, PresWIC President of Rocky Mountain PresWIC reflects, "I believe that the relationship between the Rocky Mountain Presbytery and our PresWIC is a model for the rest of the denomination. These men understand that the vision can, and must be accomplished together. I was taught in Atlanta at Leadership Training, the proper role of women in the church, how to gently and wisely submit to the authority of the male leadership. This was accomplished through relationship building, listening, praying, and nurturing." The resulting fruit of what Louise learned is born out in the following interview with her pastor, Joseph Wheat, Village Seven PCA, Colorado Springs, Colorado. WIC: We are thrilled at the way the presbytery partnered with the PresWIC in planning and hosting this conference. How did it happen? Joseph: It happened when a wonderful, visionary woman in our church made an appointment to meet with me. Louise Riddell, a dear friend, began to describe how the Presbytery’s vision for church planting and expansion in our region could be translated into a conference for the women of the West. Her blueprint was the foundation for the recent Fruit of Grace Conference. After receiving approval of the concept and a willingness to sign for the finances from our Rocky Mountain Presbytery, (a great step of faith) an outstanding conference team was assembled…and our women took it and ran with it! WIC: Why did the presbytery think this was an important thing to do? Joseph: Our presbytery had moved into an era of being very intentional about the extension of the church in our vast, secular region. We had special sessions where we discussed our history and the opportunities that God had given us; praying for the Lord to bring his kingdom forth through willing, believing servants. Rocky Mountain Presbytery has comparatively few resources – so it always takes a distinctive move of God to see those great things accomplished. Our presbytery saw the idea of this conference as harmonious and helpful to the overall purpose of our mission of church planting and starting new RUFs. WIC: What are some of the ways the presbytery and PresWIC worked together? Joseph: In 1998 the presbytery, in conjunction with the PresWIC, hosted a major celebration of the 25th Anniversary of the PCA. The women took a responsible role in the arrangements, guided by the presbytery. This was a great blessing and it set the stage for the later (and much larger) Fruit of Grace Conference. The women of the PresWIC worked very carefully with a committee of presbytery. They relied heavily on the wisdom of the area pastors, and proceeded only with their endorsement and blessing. There was a poignant moment when, on the day before the conference, during our stated presbytery meeting, the presbytery was looking at the reality of a monetary loss. One of our teaching elders, who is very conservative financially, stood to urge us to praise the Lord for the vision of the presbytery and our PresWIC, and trust the Lord for the finances. All the elders rejoiced and prayed to God for the conference to accomplish its purposes. I was never so glad to be a part of this presbytery! WIC: Are there some things the women did, or attitudes they had, that other women can emulate as they work with their presbyteries? Joseph: It took the Lord raising up both the visionary leaders to conceive the big picture, and the implementers to carry it out in it’s many facets. We marveled at the ‘recipe’ of various spiritual gifts God called forth for this effort. It took full, unflinching commitment from first to last. There were moments of discouragement and tears along the way. Cheri Flores had the assignment of working with the Adams Mark Hotel when attendance was under our earlier expectations. She absorbed a lot of bumps along the way! The women had to constantly remember the vision and continue to faithfully serve God to carry it out. The pastors of the presbytery were especially encouraging at these points. The women were so spiritually resilient and tenacious! WIC: What are some of the benefits of the presbytery and PresWIC working together? Joseph: The presbytery’s vision and dreams should resonate in the churches. It should resonate with the PresWIC and local church WIC ministries. Working together gives synergy toward the accomplishment of that vision. And as Psalm 133 says –“unity leads to the Lord’s bestowal of blessing.” WIC: Is the presbytery glad they made this investment? Joseph: First we are so thankful to have the women of faith that God has given us. We are thankful to have women who grasp a larger vision and want to serve the cause of Christ. We are so thankful to have the capable leaders God has given us in our PresWIC and local church WIC ministries. When it comes to the issue of vision, leadership, and money, the least significant and easiest to gain is money. When it is God’s goals, led by his appointed leaders…the resources necessary will come. We are more than glad that we made the investment. At last count we are still lacking around four thousand dollars to cover costs, but even so, we are glad and would do again. The benefit of the conference to unite and bless the women of the West far outweighed the cost. God moved his kingdom forward in the West through the women in the church.
Florida PresWIC Conference 2002 A Woman's Journey: Generation-to-Generation Friday, Sept. 27 - Sunday Sept. 29, 2002 Speakers Susan Hunt Special Features
For more information, contact Sherry Kendrick at 941-352-2070 or saknaples@cs.com.
Evelyn Roberts is currently the PresWIC President of Eastern Canada. She is a stunning example of the importance of women having a Titus 2 ministry in the lives of other women. Evelyn was an adult when she became a Christian, but she matured quickly. One reason is that women came alongside and spiritually mothered her. The church is richer because of the investment these women made in Evelyn. Spiritual Mothering has had a profound impact on my life and it can impact your life too. I recently married for the second time; I work full-time as a self-employed sales agent, representing several companies. At my church, I am the team leader of Women’s ministries. As PresWIC President, I am in touch with several women and their local ministries. All this is to say; I too understand busy, hectic schedules. So, why is spiritual mothering important to me? Why do I continue to prioritize my time so I am able to meet with other women, pray and be their mentor? Within the first few months of becoming a Christian, a man about my age, came up to meet me after our Sunday worship service. After a bit, he motioned to his wife to come and join the conversation. I recall thinking to myself at the time—“Oh, Lord, you’ve got to be kidding me—what could I possibly have in common with this woman—there is no way we could be friends! After all, I am a single, independent, career-orientated, businesswoman who has places to go and people to see. Lord— she’s a stay-at-home mom, who does home-schooling (whatever that is), and just look Lord…she’s so ‘plain’!!” As we chatted, they invited me home for lunch. I couldn’t think of a reason quickly enough to decline the invitation…so…I went with them! While sharing lunch with her family I noticed a warmth, a love in this woman and her home, like I’d never seen before. As I departed she insisted that anytime I was working in the neighborhood that I was to pop on by for a visit. Intrigued, curious, and touched by the invitation I decided I would take her up on it. Over the next few months to a year, I’d pop by her place. Sometimes we’d have a lovely, quiet cup of tea together, other times the visit centered around helping her home-school, peeling potatoes for their dinner, washing dishes together, all the while she’d turn our focus to Christ. She listened to my stories of the day with great intent and she’d point to God at work in it all and encourage me in my daily devotions and prayers. Another couple I met early in my Christian faith went to extraordinary lengths to mentor me. They lead a small group in their home for new believers. Each week, after the rest of the group had long since gone home for the evening, you’d find us sitting in their kitchen, till the wee hours of the morning answering my never ceasing flow of questions. As the years passed that friendship deepened and to this day she is still my best friend who leads by example, shares her weaknesses and rebukes me when necessary. Both of these women came from backgrounds very different from mine. Yet somehow I knew these women had a lot to teach me, if only I’d allow myself to be teachable. The third spiritual mom who God brought into my life was a woman twenty or thirty years my senior who, I was very surprised to find out, had as colorful a background as I did. This woman allowed herself to be open and vulnerable enough with me that I felt she’d be able to understand my pains, mistakes and questions, and I felt safe enough to share them with her. I found great comfort knowing that she had successfully walked with Christ through valleys that I found myself in. To this day we email and send cards and she always invites me to be her roommate at conferences, such as this one we’re at today. Though I don’t have a large quantity of time with her God has used our moments together to encourage me forward in His ways. And now I find myself opening my home, being vulnerable with women younger than me and those new in the faith. I share my stories, my struggles, and my possessions. I remember the love that was unselfishly poured into my life by so many women and, in turn, I feel privileged to pour my life into others. Spiritual Mothering isn’t necessarily a course or a book to study. It’s something that happens when we invite the Holy Spirit to guide us through life and we walk in obedience. When we take the time to open our lives (the successes and the failures) to others it supports others and encourages them to press on and finish the race well. Am I always the one mentoring? No, sometimes my spiritual daughters mentor me back. I too have bad days that seem hopeless and feel dashed by the weight of the world. Sometimes, I am miserable and dying inside. Then, out of the blue, for no reason at all, I receive a voice message or a cheery email like this one just last week:
Why am I so convinced there is deep wisdom in God’s plan of older women teaching younger women? Because I was a ‘Younger Woman’ who needed older women to model Christianity to me. Women to help me workout faith issues and my behavioral patterns, from God’s perspective. Someone to teach me how to love, how to be a Christian woman—I needed to see how faith works out in day-by-day life experiences and I still need my spiritual mothers and I am privileged to share my life with others.
The
WICK Valley Springs PCA is located in Roseville, California, twenty-five miles east of Sacramento. It began as an MNA church plant in 1989 with six people: Pastor David George, his wife Jayne, and their four children. Today one thousand people attend and more space is needed. The vision of the church is to build a community devoted to loving God and neighbor thereby transforming the California Capital Region and beyond through the gospel of Jesus Christ. The women’s ministry team created a newsletter, “Treasures of the Heart” to connect and inform its growing fellowship. The bimonthly publication’s purpose is “to encourage each other as women in all aspects of our walk with God and to increase sincere fellowship among VSPC women and friends.” Each issue addresses women age 14 -104. Visit our web site (www.pcanet.org/cep/wic) to view a WIC newsletter that is covenantal in its approach…it is a good thing! Decatur PCA, Decatur
AL Palmetto PresWIC is building relationships among their women in ministry. Each year, an invitation goes out to the pastor’s wives and missionary wives to come to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, for an overnight retreat. The format is simple: women drawing away to fellowship and build one another up in Christ as they walk on the beach sharing what God is doing in their lives. Tennessee Valley
PresWIC and Covenant College Petal PCA Church,
Petal, MS Briarwood PCA,
Birmingham, AL Hilton Head PCA,
Hilton Head Island, SC Illiana PresWIC sponsored a multi-church Resource Fair to promote fellowship and the sharing of resources under the theme: “Brainstorming is like attending a swap meet…Bring your needs and share your ideas!” Throughout the day local WICs shared ideas for programs, games/icebreakers, spiritual growth, crafts and ending with ways PresWIC can serve as a resource for the local churches. Trinity PCA,
Charlottesville, VA is excited about a warm and encircling new arm of
service and sharing called Golden Opportunities. This WIC ministry is
designed with the goal of building connections between generations within
the Trinity family. With an eye on a culture in which many children rarely
see their grandparents, the desire is to have Trinity seniors become
“extra grandparents.” The possibilities for connections are endless: a
young person sharing a musical selection he or she has learned; an older
person reading to a toddler; a senior needing a stronger pair of arms, a
widow needing a visit are all ways to make the most of these “golden
opportunities.” If your church or WIC has a newsletter, please send it to the PCA WIC office. Put us on your mailing list so that we can see what things are happening at your church or in your PresWIC. We depend on you for information and creative ways of ministering to the Daughters of the Covenant. Let’s share with one another the good things God is teaching us. Published by: Christian Education & Publications, 1700 North Brown Road, Suite 102, Lawrenceville, GA 30043 Charles H. Dunahoo, Coordinator; Jane Patete, Coordinator of Women's Ministries
Holiness
by Grace Fruit of Grace Conference Tapes
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