It’s a Most Wonderful Time of the Year…for Women’s Ministries in Kentucky!

This is it!  This is the time of the year when your Kentucky Disciples Women’s Ministries Cabinet members and I are busy preparing for the upcoming spring and summer events.   Each of our regional women’s events reflect the purpose statement for Disciples Women. We here in Kentucky very much adhere to this mission statement of “Disciples Women’s Ministries is a conduit for diverse connections empowering each woman to find her voice and live out her call.”

Indeed, all of our events are planned to do just what the purpose statement proposes.  We accomplish that through worship, education, worship, leadership development, fellowship, opportunities for self-care, and addressing some of the hard issues of the day so Disciples women will be equipped to be the church, locally, regionally, and beyond.

This year, Kentucky Disciples Women are planning and hosting a Disciples Women’s Choral Retreat, two spring conferences, a quilters, knitters, and crafters retreat, a fall silent retreat, and a fall state park retreat.

We will begin with a retreat for our singers the weekend of March 8-10 at First Christian Church in Frankfort.  This is one of our more specialized retreats with women coming together for two days of rehearsal and a performance at the host congregation during their Sunday morning worship service.   It’s a lot of work, a great spiritual experience, a great opportunity for sistering, and a great way for musical women to take what they learn back to their home congregations and choirs.

In April, we will once again be bringing what for many throughout the region are the highlight of the Disciples women’s calendar year, our Spring Conferences. This year’s theme for the conferences is “I am with you always: Lessons on discipleship.” *  Rev. Terri Hord Owens, General Minister and President of the Christian Church (DOC) in the US and Canada, will bring the morning message and lead a workshop at the April 27 conference at Beargrass Christian Church in Louisville.  This day-long event brings together great preaching, terrific music, and workshops on relevant issues of the day led by a variety of experts on everything from human trafficking, bible study, immigration, self-care, prayer, activism, Week of Compassion, Woman-to-Woman Worldwide, and other issues important to the church at large.  Music for the event will be provided by Nashville Disciples singer/songwriter and recording artist, Andra Moran, and Deborah Garr, Minister of Music at Seventh Street Christian Church in Paris, KY.

The April 13thconference will be held at First Christian Church in Mayfield with Dr. Emily Askew, Associate Professor of Theology at Lexington Theological Seminary.  Dr. Askew will also lead a workshop, and other workshops similar in nature to those named above will also be offered.   Music will be provided by Deborah Garr.

Next up will be the Kentucky Disciples Women’s Quilt/Knit/Craft Retreat scheduled for July 8-11, at the Kentucky Leadership Center in Jabez, KY.  According to retreat facilitator, Petie McLean, “First, this is a spiritual retreat.  Time is offered for personal devotion and reflection.  Time for gathered prayers and worship is also offered.  The setting is rural and the grounds welcome participants to walk or sit on the porch and rock.  It is also time to recognize that our creative abilities are both gifts from God and gifts to be offered to God in service.  

Second, it is a time for participants to enjoy working on their favorite craft-art-hobby…quilting and knitting (we even have a scrap booker or two).  Women who participate bring their projects and spend 2 ½ days working on whatever they wish.” Specialized, yes.  Open to everyone, also “yes.”  

We also have great events coming up in the fall…Disciples Women’s Fall Retreat at Barren River Lake State Resort Park, October 19 and 20, and the Silent Retreat at Knob’s Haven Retreat House on November 8-10. More on those later.  

Check the CCK website for registration forms, and, while you are there, sign up for CCK electronic news letters, which will include more information about each of the events listed above. 

Make your plans to attend one, or more, of these outstanding retreats or conferences.  

Submitted by
Linda Jones
CCK Staff

*Theme taken from the title of one of the chapters of the Just Women! Bible Study

 

 

 

 

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Time limit is exhausted. Please reload CAPTCHA.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.