Well...the much-anticipated Women In Ministry Conference, Mid-states region, is OVER! It feels good to have one thing off my plate...this has been something I've been working on for a year and a half, and it was sort of a big sigh of relief for it to be over. As a committee member AND administrative assistant to one of the co-chairs for most of that time, I did quite a bit of work on it!
But, it was worth it! I led the informal "coffee talk" for children's pastors, which went well. My best friend taught a workshop on "reclaiming the arts for the kingdom," and that was also well received. We got to sit in on some fantastic services...anointed worship and speakers (and we didn't have to lead any of the services, lol!)...eat at some of our favorite restaurants in Minneapolis - you just can't get authentic Middle Eastern food in Wisconsin!!
Didn't run into any of the "troublemakers" from my old church...but I realized that I really don't consider Minneapolis to be home anymore. It's weird, because it was my home for nine years BEFORE I went into the ministry...but it just didn't feel like it anymore.
We got together for dinner with another one of our best friends...a guy who's been having a very difficult time for the past couple of years with his relationship with God. We were praying beforehand, but honestly expecting the worst from him...as in, "I'm gay," or "I've decided to be an atheist" or something equally horrible. Instead we got, "I've decided to give Jesus another chance, and I'm slowly letting Him put the pieces of my life back together!" YAY!!
I also got to see my mom, who traveled from Nebraska for the conference, and my brother and sister-in-law, who still live in Minneapolis - as well as run into former co-workers from NCU, former pastors' wives, etc.
So, thanks for your prayers, everyone! The devil tried to stop us every way imaginable (his last ditch effort with me was a miserable cold that finally cleared up the day the conference started!), but God had greater things in store for both of us, and things He wanted to do in our lives - and He won! Of course. And now...I'm back in the office this week with "Operation Crackdown" on my nursery workers. But cracking down in a loving, Christian way so that they'll still want to volunteer for me .
That's awesome, Puppetmaster! I took one of our staff members, Pastor Lindsay, with me to the East Coast conference and it was so good. We loved it. I have gone to the previous ones and have told her about it many times. Now I finally got to take her. It was awesome. We can't wait to go again. I would say of everything that has really impacted my life, these conferences have to be the top. They just energize you so much as a woman in ministry. It is beyond just hearing about being a support, but actually the one doing many things such as teaching and preaching.
The Assemblies of God does a Women In Ministry conference every three years (I think that's the time frame, at least!). In the past, they've only done one in Springfield...but this year, they divided it up across the country - east coast, west coast, and mid-states, at different times throughout the year. Not sure if they're going to do the same thing again - I know the mid-states one didn't get as big of a turnout as they'd hoped.
But I'm sure there are other conferences of that nature all over the place, every year!!
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