Ministry Highlights: Come to the Table Prayer Experience for Women
| Ministry Highlights | Amy Hirsch
Late this summer, as we started thinking about the fall, it became apparent that we might not be able to have our traditional Women's Fall Kickoff. This is one of my favorite events of the year - I love seeing the women of our church gathered together to fellowship with one another, to hear more about ministry opportunities, and to get connected with ways they can grow and serve in our church. However, with the increase in COVID cases due to the Delta variant, we knew this event would need to look a little different than in past years.
Mary Splawn floated the idea by me after staff meeting one week of having a prayer event for women. The more we dreamed and prayed, the more excited we got - and our Women's Ministry Advisory Council enthusiastically jumped on board to make it happen! Women baked desserts, made bread, and spread the word to other ladies from our church.
We invited everyone to drop by the Sanctuary on Sunday, September 12 from 4-6 p.m. for a time of individually-guided prayer, and then to come outside under the Sanctuary porte cochere for desserts and fellowship. Our prayer guide focused on praying through the "I Am" statements Jesus made found in the book of John, and we included some experiential elements, inviting women to light a candle praying for a lost loved one to come to faith, and inviting women to come to the table at the end of their time in prayer to participate in observing the Lord's Supper. After they finished in the Sanctuary, women went outside, where they picked up a homemade loaf of bread to take home as a reminder that Jesus is the Bread of Life, and had the opportunity to enjoy some sweets and fellowship with other women.
Even though our prayer experience may have looked different than our past fall kickoff events, it was such a joy to see so many women gathered together to experience a meaningful time of prayer. We even encouraged women to take an extra load of bread and a prayer guide with them to share with someone else, as a way to continue passing along the encouragement. And this event wouldn't have been possible without the hands and faithful service of so many women in our church - I thank God for the ways they continually use their gifts, whether baking or hospitality or decorating or playing piano or design or even the gift of presence, to encourage other women.
If you weren't able to participate, I hope you'll take the opportunity to check out the prayer guide and to pray alongside us. If you want to view some photos from the afternoon, visit this link.