I asked Martha Brooks, our Women’s Ministry Director, to talk about the past year of ministry and to give us a look ahead as to what is planned for the coming year. In anticipation of these opportunities for fellowship and time in the Word, here is what Martha had to say:
What a year we’ve had in Women’s Ministry! We began with a dinner last August, fellowshipping and feasting after quarantine. We held our first “Seasons of Life” in October with women sharing from the heart around a table heavy with desserts and coffee. Christmas saw Covid cases rise, and we weren’t able to gather again until February, when we heard from three more ladies in our own congregation, encouraging us to love well in all circumstances. April saw us in the Chapel, laughing and crying along with several of our own dear sisters about the unexpected seasons the Lord brings. The advent of summer brought the much-anticipated return of our large group Bible study, with two fellowship suppers thrown in there just to give us a chance to catch up. And while all that was going on, small group Bible studies took place in person throughout the year.
Whew.
This ministry year promises to be full as well. And I have a confession to make: sometimes I look at our family calendar and all the different colored dots and all the maneuvering it takes to get five people everywhere they need to be and think, “I just want to sit on my couch! Don’t other people want to sit on their couches? Are their couches not comfortable? I really like my couch! Do I have to put ‘sit on couch’ on the calendar just to make sure I can sit on my couch?”
If you feel like that, too, please know we are not scheduling things for the women of the church just to fill our calendars. When we are making plans as a Women’s Ministry Team, we ask ourselves this: How can we serve? Our goal is not to get every woman to participate in Women’s Ministry, but for the Women’s Ministry to serve and encourage every woman in the church (taken from Women’s Ministry in the Local Church, Ligon Duncan and Susan Hunt).
In 2021-22, the Cornerstone Women’s Ministry is aiming to serve through small group Bible studies that see women studying the Word together, (Romans 15:4), the relaunch of a Young Mom’s Encouragement Group where some of our more seasoned mothers will train the newer ones (Titus 2:3-5), quarterly fellowships that facilitate a time to deepen our friendships (1 Samuel 18:1), a retreat (Hebrews 10:24-25), and all the way back around to large group summer Bible study for part two of our study of Revelation (Psalm 119:11-12).
These plans are purposeful, and we believe all these things help us fulfill our vision, which simply states:
Cornerstone’s vision for Women’s Ministry is grounded in God’s Word where
women grow in the context of God’s people, always aiming for the glory of Christ.
I would love to chat with you and answer any questions you have, so don’t hesitate to reach out. My door is always open. (Well, I don’t have a door, but I can meet you in my “office” at Merridee’s.) Please watch for upcoming dates, jump in where your calendar allows (while keeping a little couch time!) and let the Women’s Ministry serve you in Christ Jesus for His glory.
Grace,
Martha Brooks