This weekend, I had the privilege of participating in a Christian women’s conference. Now, I enjoy a good conference! Spending time with women of faith, worshiping together, learning, and fellowshipping is a beautiful encouragement to my heart. But this weekend was unique.

Yesterday’s conference was conceived in a park in the pre-dawn moments of Easter Sunday 2024. That morning, the air was chilly, the grass still wet with dew, and people spoke hushedly as we slowly gathered. Five Pastors, three denominations, multi-cultural, and yet there we were, gathering to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection! In a small rural town in Middle Georgia, we chose unity over division and worshipped our Lord and Savior. The sense of awe and joy was almost palpable as we stood in the semi-darkness, praying, worshiping, and celebrating communion together. We were corporately living out the verse “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity” (Psalm 133:1).

Our pastors recognized the fingerprints of the Holy Spirit in the beauty and simplicity of that worship service, and they met to explore how God was leading, not as separate congregations divided by minor differences in worship style or doctrine but as Christians who desired to make much of JESUS. Those first meetings led to intentionally designed worship services that encouraged us to “consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (Hebrews10:24-25).

As our congregations worked, worshiped, and prayed together, the women’s ministry leaders felt led to gather and make plans. The theme Choose Hope emerged as we prayed. The guiding verses of the event were Philippians 4:4-9, but each leader walked in freedom to hear from God what He wanted to be shared. We trusted that the Holy Spirit would lead and protect, ensuring that only His truth would spoken.

            Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

                    Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.  Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

As we planned, we added another congregation, a Hispanic church plant. Our meetings then included interpreters, but God was in the midst of us and ensured we could effectively work together. Our love and respect for each other flourished, and I gained new sisters-in-Christ. There were texts sharing prayer requests and checking in on how our weeks had been. There were phone calls to organize drop-offs of flyers and other promotional material. We were women who had rarely even crossed paths before, and now we were forming lasting relationships! We prayed that we would glorify God, our congregations would work together in love, and we corporately would boldly share the Gospel within our community.

In a manner of speaking, we brought in one more congregation. I contacted Touching Hearts Ministries, a women’s Bible study group I had actively attended while living in a different town. These women began to pray for us as well. Kim Stanley of One Thing Worship, a fellow Touching Hearts sister, agreed to lead our worship and be the Keynote speaker. Oh, my heart was bursting with excitement at what God was bringing together! Step by step, He was unfolding His plan for the event.

The day of the conference arrived at last! Women of different generations, ethnicities, denominations, and even languages entered the conference, and we had only one goal: to make much of Jesus! Sisters in Christ, our differences fell away as we studied His Word. We sat side by side and sang songs proclaiming His mighty Name. We gathered in small groups that included members from multiple congregations. We prayed together. We ate together and discussed ways to share the Gospel with our community effectively.

This weekend, I watched women live out scriptures such as:

• Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:3)
• Above all, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity (Colossians 3:14)
• Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. (1 Peter 3:8)

So, yep, I think this weekend is now officially my favorite women’s conference! We are already planning our next event. We had requests for Bible Study groups, to find ways to invite more congregations, to minister to those in need collectively, and even a few requests for a community women’s choir! I hope you can see God at work in these requests. In less than a year, He has taken four congregations separated by denomination, ethnicity, generation, and socio-economically, and He has created something new!

If God can do this mighty work in a rural Middle Georgia town with women determined to walk in obedience, what could He do in your life? All He is waiting for is your “Yes, Lord!”

I would love to hear your stories! Please share in the comment section and encourage us with your God stories.

Serving alongside you,

Carla