The theme for our Women in the Church this year has been, “His Love is the Theme of Our Song,” and it was inspired by the verses from Ephesians 3:16-19, “I pray that you…may have power…to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses all knowledge.” All of our Bible studies, Circle Studies, programs, and service ministries were designed to support that theme and those verses.
Our events included:
- “Caring for the Caregiver,” our seminar for those who are caring for ill or elderly loved ones with Dr. Kathy Gregg and Barbara Thompson;
- “Holding on to Hope” an evening seminar for those who have lost loved ones;
- “Hearing Jesus Speak,” a statewide conference with Nancy Guthrie;
- “We Love Because He First Loved Us,” our Mother/Daughter/Sister/Friend Luncheon with Lou Anne Harper;
- “Lost in Wonder, Love and Praise,” led by our beloved pastor, Dr. Duncan;
- “Joy to the World, the Lord is Come,” our much loved Christmas Dinner and Life Membership awards.
Our 14 Circles, involving 200 women, continue to meet monthly. Circles meet for Bible study, prayer, fellowship, and to learn of opportunities for service within our church. Circles actively support missionaries and are involved in the lives of our Golden Circle members, those who are homebound or unable to attend church services.
Our morning Bible studies with over 250 women meet weekly to study and digest the scriptures. This year they have studied, “The Wisdom of God,” “Daniel,” “Genesis,” and “Jesus in the Old Testament”. Multitudes of teachers, small group leaders, and mentors make these studies a powerful discipleship tool among our women.
Our Service Ministries provide opportunites to serve within our own church as well as to the community and beyond. We care for those who are sick or bereaved through our Caring Ministry Team by providing meals and making visits when those in our church family are ill or have lost a loved one. Our Sew and Sow group provides handmade blankets for each of our covenant children who are born as well and assist the church and Twin Lakes with special needs they may have such as costumes for camp or a new Communion Table cover. We also have a ministry team of ladies who pray regularly for our Day School and their teachers.
We reach out to others in the community through things like tutoring for the Neighborhood Christian Center two afternoons a week, providing lunches for Gateway Rescue Mission, mentoring the women of the Central MS Correctional Facility, assisting with the Mustard Seed Fun Fridays, and hostessing the monthly Gospel Supper Club with Ruth’s Refuge.
Beyond our community, we help support the ministry of French Camp through our Quilters who donate their time and talent to make quilts to be auctioned at the Harvest Festival at French Camp each fall. Their quilts are prized and sell for thousands of dollars, all of which they donate to French Camp. And finally, we have a ministry team who handmade Christmas ornaments for our missionaries, and they spend time praying for them while they meet.
In December alone, the Women’s Ministry:
Held their much loved annual Lifetime Membership Christmas Banquet, recognizing Betty Moore, Alice Reilly, and Judy Terry for their long and faithful service to God through this church.
- Served meals for the extended families and friends of four of our deceased members following their funerals.
- Collected six carloads of books to start a Christian library at the Women’s Correctional Facility in Brandon.
- Donated and assembled one hundred, fifty gift bags for our Women in Need Ministry, providing them with everyday essentials.
- Served the ladies at Ruth’s Refuge a wonderful Christmas meal and gave them gift bags with scarves, gloves, socks and other much needed items.
- Gave 30 Study Bibles for the men in the New Life Program at Gateway Rescue Mission and heard a wonderful testimony from a previous client. He was a client there in 2011 and now he is a full time college student with a 3.25 grade point average and with a great job. He said he still uses the Bible we gave him while he was the dishwasher at Gateway.
Please remember to pray for our ladies and the tremendous ministry they perform in our church and in our community.