Chicagoans are reveling in an early spring bloom.
With apologies for going dark on you for several weeks now, I want to exult in spring with you for just a bit! If you’re not a Chicagoan, you’ve probably heard what a gorgeous stretch of warm weather we’ve enjoyed recently! It’s a bona fide gift from God!
All creation renews itself in spring! I’m thinking about how many hundreds of women are gathering in WM conference spring renewal events all over North America! What power and impact there is in your gatherings, for as you connect, you live fully into God’s plan–the re-creating, renewing, refreshing plan–for all of creation!
What a great time it is to celebrate the fact that as women, we continue to press in to the vital ministries God calls us to lead. Ministries of great importance and impact that, when birthed in Covenant churches, dramatically change communities and lives.
Just Women funds are empowering the launch of two key initiatives: Mending the Soul and PROTECT.
From the AVA (Advocacy for Victims of Abuse) initiative, Mending the Soul (MTS) is a soundly-researched, biblically-based support group Bible study that brings powerful healing to victims—which will deeply impact communities and congregations. It’s a proven ministry that has great potential to change lives!
Just Women funds are providing help with a training event in Phoenix in March and one in Chicago in May. Contact the Women Ministries office @ 773-907-3332 for more information. The goal: 25 trained MTS facilitators leading groups in Covenant churches by the end of this year. Can you imagine what a difference this will make?
Also this spring, we’re releasing PROTECT, an excellent resource that enables local congregations to address human trafficking in their own communities. Created by the Covenant’s Human Trafficking Task Force, there is already great demand for PROTECT! Watch for it, coming to your church very soon.
Also, I’d like you to know that your Women Ministries leadership team met in February and we celebrated all that God is doing through WM across North America and around the world. We considered the Covenant’s five key mission priorities: Start and Strengthen Churches, Make and Deepen Disciples, Develop Leaders, Love Mercy/Do Justice, and Serve Globally, and we looked at how to further strengthen our ministries in all these areas while developing new initiatives for the future in each one. Great stuff is going to come from this.
We also considered the financial reality of Women Ministries. As you know we are responsible to raise all our funds outside of the coordinated Covenant budget. With the help of the excellent finance team at Covenant Offices, we have a plan to address the deficit we face. It’s a good plan and a hopeful plan. It’s a plan that relies on the good people of the Covenant. We’ll be checking in with you very soon about how you can help. The small efforts of many women will get us on solid and secure financial footing. And then we’ll be poised for so much exciting, life-changing ministry! If you’d like to become a friend of Women Ministries, click here. It would really encourage us at this point in our shared history!
God bless you this spring. If you haven’t registered for your conference’s spring celebration, I encourage you to do it! If you’ve missed the opportunity, that’s okay–plan now for next year!
Enjoying the gift God’s given,
Meagan
