Women's Ministry
Happy New Year, Ladies!
It’s with a joyful heart that we begin a New Year, expecting good and exciting things in our lives, hopeful and watchful for the ways in which God, in His great and mighty power, will change and affect us and those whom we are praying for. God is a God of newness and surprise! But I praise God that we don’t have to wait for a new year each time we have struggles and pain. I’ve been watching some of the sunrises lately and been thinking about how I can literally expect a beautiful sunrise if the sky has some amount of cloud clearing and if there are even a few clouds in the sky to reflect the light. How much more certain it is that our God will rise every morning and prepare His love towards us! In fact scripture says He doesn’t even sleep or slumber, so He is busy planning His love out for us while we sleep!
But even if your 2012 has started out miserably, carrying over from last year more of the same kinds of troubles and you are struggling to find the joy that you know God offers, stop, and tell yourself to rejoice in the Lord for, “His mercies are new every morning “. Look what we find in the book of Lamentations.
Lamentations 3:19-26
I'll never forget the trouble, the utter lostness, the taste of ashes, the poison I've swallowed. I remember it all — oh, how well I remember — the feeling of hitting the bottom. But there's one other thing I remember, and remembering, I keep a grip on hope: God's loyal love couldn't have run out, his merciful love couldn't have dried up. They're created new every morning. How great your faithfulness! I'm sticking with God (I say it over and over). He's all I've got left. God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits, to the woman who diligently seeks. It's a good thing to quietly hope, quietly hope for help from God. (from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)
So keep on with a firm grip on the Lord. He is good and faithful and wants to develop in His people an enduring faith and strength to trust Him at all times, to lean on Him, and to develop a relationship with Him through His Living Word and through prayer.
Women’s Bible Study News
It’s usually at about this time that I am revealing what study we will be doing for the springtime. I know you’re anxious to be together again and study God’s Word and be encouraged by one another in fellowship and prayer. Me too!
Beginning the first week of February, we (Women’s and Men’s Ministries) will be joining in the church-wide study of “40 Days in the Word”, which is a 6-week study coming with lessons from Pastor Todd Cloud on Sundays and in small groups that meet throughout the week. The whole church will be studying in unison the same thing through their Community Groups. Women’s Bible study will function as a community group of sorts, providing a group for those who aren’t in one already. This will be different for some of you because you have been active both in a regular Bible study and a Community Group in the past. If you are married, we want to encourage and free you up to participate in a group with your spouse. One of the main reasons we are tackling this study as a church is for growth in unity, not only as a church but also as a family. We certainly welcome all those who wish to continue to meet on Tuesday mornings at 10am or in the evenings at 7pm. We know that for many of you, this has been your lifeline to fellowship with the body of Christ, and we love serving you this way.
In the Tuesday evening format, we will join in a large group with the men to watch the session video, then break into our normal men’s group, women’s group discussion and prayer time.
There will be more information forthcoming about the “40 Days in the Word”. Watch for it and sign up for a group as you feel God directing you. After we are done with the 6-week study, Women’s Ministries will continue on for another 4 weeks in a short study on prayer which will help us to continue to “Love The Word, Learn The Word, and Live The Word”.
Looking forward to being together with you again soon! Please call or email if you have questions. I also am available to pray with you, should you be personally struggling.
Have a great day
Sincerely,