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Children of the Promise / March 2011, Featured Articles

Unfolding Grace, Giving, Receiving, Celebrating

By Cheryl Olsen   Tue, Mar 08, 2011

Unfolding Grace, Giving, Receiving, Celebrating

How many of you have held bake sales for teens to go on mission trips? Bought items to support a mission trip? Secretly envied those who were going? Wanted to be used somehow, but didn’t want to fly across the ocean?

Now is your chance! As women, we want to be used as the hands and feet of Christ, adopting some of the needs of the Eastern Region as our own. The 2011 Women’s Ministries Annual Conference will be held at Tuscarora Inn, Pennsylvania in conjunction with the Eastern Region Biennial Convention. But we are encouraging women to come a day early to join together as sisters in Christ in actual ministry.

FRIDAY
We’ll join in mission as “Hands of Grace.” We will be giving by assisting the non-profit organization, “Connections for Women,” founded by Carol Anderson, our 2009 speaker. Other ministry areas are also being explored (check www.wmclb.com for further details).

SATURDAY
Saturday, we’ll hear our theme, “Unfolding Grace,” unpacked by Cindy, wife of new Eastern Regional Pastor, Warren Geraghty, in partnership with her daughter Ellen Geraghty, recent Fellowship of Christian Athletes staff. Workshops will continue to unfold the topic of Grace:

  1. Reaching Out With Grace: Kristina Grandstaff will share about her non-profit History Starts Now project, which fights sex trafficking in New York City.
  2. Grace Unknown: What God is doing to reach the lost through CLB international missions (including updates from Ruth Vallevik’s April 2011 trip to Japan).
  3. Transforming Grace: A testimony of God’s grace that brought healing, hope, and life out of darkness.
  4. Growing Into Grace: Ellen Geraghty, who has worked with the University of Connecticut Women’s Basketball team through Fellowship of Christian Athletes, shares about ministry to young women, about personal witness, and bridging the generations.
  5. Grace Under Pressure: Living a grace-filled life whether as a busy mom, an urban professional, or a ministry leader.
  6. Grace In Ministry: What ministry looks like, and how God calls and uses his faithful followers.

SATURDAY EVENING & SUNDAY MORNING
Saturday evening and Sunday morning, we’ll join in worship with the Eastern Region.

EXPERIENCE NEW YORK CITY
East Coast women will show off the City! Many options are open: Friday through Sunday noon, Friday through Monday, or Friday through Tuesday, including a Broadway show.

We are excited for you to join us in mission, in learning, and in celebrating together! Costs will vary, depending on how many days you can join us. Check www.wmclb.com for details. If you can’t join us, band together with other women and finance someone from your women’s group as your representative!

By Cheryl Olsen

Cheryl Olsen

Cheryl Olsen (pictured with her husband Stan) serves as the secretary of Women's Ministries of the Church of the Lutheran Brethren. (www.wmclb.com)

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