My apologies for getting this out to you so late in the day, but may I just say I'm moving in slo-mo today?! The retreat this weekend was fantastic and I have an adrenaline high while I'm there, but it always takes me a day or two to recuperate afterward, and I'm sure some of you feel the same. But wasn't it worth it?! I wish all of you had been able to be there, as we had a marvelous time together. We met new ladies and became connected with them in just a couple days time. Those of us who already knew each other well, now know each other "weller!" And we all know our Lord in a deeper way too. Teaching together with my daughter, Christina Tarabochia, was a joy that few moms get to experience. And thanks again to the special ladies on the ministry team who helped put this event together--Karen, Debbie, Janet, Darci, Nicole, Amy, and Susan. It wouldn't have happened without you! And to the worship team--Sherri, Heidi, and Jennifer--thanks for blessing us with such a wonderful time of singing together. It was absolutely beautiful. We've already booked the house for our retreat next year (the second weekend of April), so you can start to plan ahead.
Because I'm basically brain-dead today, this is going to be a pretty concise WOW-Zine with not much personality. But you do need to be aware of the following things coming up in Women's Ministry:
BIBLE STUDIES--Common Grounds meets at 6:30 Wednesday night at the church, followed by The Perk at 9:30 Thursday morning. We'll be covering Luke 12:35-48 and possibly Chapter 13, focusing mostly on verses 31-35. Remember that we have child care provided on Thursdays, and Kristen has signed up for this week. I see we don't have anyone that volunteered to bring snacks for this Thursday, so just drop me a note if you'd like to do that.
MINI-RETREAT--Friday and Saturday, May 10th and 11th, at Ashberry Lane. Cost is only $10 for a scaled-down version of the study we went through last weekend. I'll start registration for that this Sunday. Checks can be made out to the church but given to me.
Our Third Annual Feminini-Tea is slated for Saturday, May 18th, at 10 AM. This event has grown every year, which means we need more help every year. Thank you to you ladies who have already signed up to host a table. That's a big help. But we still need more of you to volunteer to set up a table (which are provided) with decorations and tea service. It's a fun time to bring your daughters (age 4 or above), dress up a bit, and have a girlie time together. Everyone brings some type of tea food (little sandwiches, cookies, muffins, scones, fruit, etc.) to share as we sip our tea while crooking our pinkie! Our guest speaker this year is Kathy Togstad from McMinnville, who will be speaking on She's All That and a Box of Chocolates. You know you won't want to miss anything that has to do with chocolate!
So, that's it for this week, ladies. I hope you make good connections with each other throughout the week, and remember to pray for each other.
Sherrie Ashcraft, Women's Ministry Director
sherrieashcraft@yahoo.com 971-285-6699
Monday, April 15, 2013
Monday, April 8, 2013
Monday, April 8, 2013 WOW-Zine
It is. Yes, it is. Whether you like it or not, it's Monday! Time to grab that cup of coffee as you're headed off to work or busy getting the kids ready for school. I guess it's supposed to be drippy outside, but remember you've got the Son in your heart, so you can manage today.
This is a busy week for a lot of us, as retreat happens this weekend. Yay!! After months of writing about it and planning for it, it's almost here! We've got 40 women attending Doing the Impossible, and it's going to be an incredible weekend. If you're going, please start praying for both yourself and the other ladies, that the Lord will work in a powerful way in our lives during our time together. If you're not attending, that doesn't need to stop you from praying for us. And please pray for my co-leader, Christina, as she's dealing with bronchitis and laryngitis. I need her well!!
Because of all that is involved in putting the retreat together, there will be no Common Grounds or Perk this week. Next week we'll resume our regularly scheduled programming! It's been exciting to have new women joining our studies. Remember, you can always invite your friends to come along.
Our mini-retreat will be May 10th and 11th at Ashberry Lane. The cost is only $10, and I'll start registration for that in a week or two. This will be a wonderful opportunity for you to experience getting to study the same material we'll be covering this weekend, and to get to know some of the women a bit better. Young babies are invited to this event. We'll meet on Friday evening, go home to sleep, and then spend Saturday together. We'll even have some free time for the hot tub or playing games. So let me know if you're interested in this activity and I'll add your name to my list.
Saturday, May 18th at 10 AM at the church is our annual Feminini-Tea. You've been hearing me talk about it the past couple of weeks, so I hope you've put it on your calendar. I'm looking for ladies who would like to host one of the tables, and I'll share more information about that in next week's WOW-Zine. We had 70 women attend last year, so you can see we'll need some help with this.
I'll close out this week's news with the article I just finished writing for the church newsletter that will be coming out this week.
Self-Discipline
Self-discipline. The combination of those two words do not give me a warm-fuzzy feeling! Instead, they sound like work, and maybe some sweat, and for sure some deprivation. That's not the kind of thing I easily embrace. But it’s a term that I’ve seen at work in my life over the past three months. I’ve gone through a significant weight loss, and discovered so many lessons along the way. As I’ve learned how to go from being “not sick” to being healthy, I recognized that so much of what I’ve experienced in the physical realm carries over to things in my spiritual life. See if you can identify with any of my findings.
We have to realize we have a problem before we’re able to do anything about it.
Most of you had no idea how much extra weight I was really carrying. Because of my height, I was able to spread the extra pounds over nearly six-feet of body. It didn’t show up to most people. I could look around and compare myself to others and think, “I’m not so bad.”
Isn’t this what we tend to do spiritually? We compare ourselves to those around us and think, “Well, at least I’m not as bad as that person! Sure, I’ve got a few issues, but I can hide them from others.” We can go through life wearing layers of “clothing” that make it impossible for people to see the real us. It’s not until we stand in our spiritual birthday suit before the mirror of God’s holiness that we finally see the real us. And that’s when we have the choice to either add another layer of cover-up, or to be honest before the Lord and admit our need for change.
A detailed plan helps guide toward personal success.
I was not uninformed about how unhealthy my eating habits were. I skipped breakfast (just had a mocha), usually skipped lunch, started snacking mid-afternoon on high-carb goodies, ate a big dinner, and snacked again at night. I read magazine article after magazine article about how to lose weight. I could tell you the right thing to do, but wasn’t doing it for myself. And I wondered why the pounds kept coming on! It wasn’t until I connected with my health coach, Nicole, that I found the help I could put into practice. It was one thing to read about the right way to do things, and another to have a person telling me exactly what to do. As I told Nicole, "I’m a good obey-er. Just tell me what to do, and I’ll do it.” She did, and I did! The personal involvement and knowing what I could eat when is what made a difference.
Do you see how that’s true with our spiritual health? We can know the right things in our heads, but until we put them into practice it doesn’t do us a lot of good. We can hear great sermons, read wonderful devotionals, and spend time in the Bible, but until we start acting out of what we know, it really won’t impact our lives. And it helps to have a real person walking along beside us, giving encouragement when life gets hard, telling us they believe we can do it. Celebrating even minor victories with us. That’s what happens when we’re involved in a women’s Bible study or a home fellowship group. It’s a safe place to say, “I’ve been carrying around a lot of baggage. I’m weighed down by life. Can you help me?” Spending time together in the Word, finding out exactly what we should be doing in order to be healthy in our spiritual life, is a huge benefit to us.
We can, with the Lord’s help, do much more than we think we’re capable of.
In those magazine articles, they all talked about cutting way back on white flour and sugar. Of eating more protein and getting the recommended daily amount of fruits and vegetables. I knew this. But, I also knew there was no way I could ever do that. Give up all my favorite things?? Why would I do that to myself? I didn’t like a lot of fruits or veggies. I loved desserts. I loved bread with lots of butter, potatoes with lots of butter, butter with lots of butter. (My family has kidded me for years that when I die and am cremated, they’ll put my remains in an “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter” tub!) But as I bought into my eating plan (literally!) I found a new side to my personality. I did have self-discipline. I did have the ability to hold an Elephant’s Ear at the zoo and not eat it. I did have the fortitude to bake brownies, not lick the spoon, and not eat even a crumb of the finished product though people around me were enjoying it. My tastes changed, and the healthy things became much more appealing.
The same is true in our spiritual life. When we begin to cut out the things that aren’t good for us, and ingest the milk and meat of the Word, we start to lose our taste for those things that aren’t good for us and can even harm us. Philippians 4:13 reminds us that we can do all things through Christ, who gives us the strength. This is the basis of our self-discipline. It’s not that we’re so great and that we can withstand temptations on our own, but that He enables us. Maybe your downfall isn’t butter. Maybe it’s worry, or anger, or fear. It can be anything that keeps us from experiencing spiritual health. We can either say, “I just can’t give that up,” or we can rely on the truth that we can do what we need to do because of His strength. We can exhibit self-discipline because our self is hidden in Christ.
Will you see me eat dessert again? Sure. I might even lick the spoon! Will I slather butter on everything possible? No, I’m not going there again. Life is meant to be abundant. God gives us pleasurable things that we can enjoy in moderation. My goal is to not allow food to control me again.
Is there an area of your life that you know needs a little self-discipline applied to it? If so, I hope you can use some of these lessons I’ve learned. You’ll probably find some of your own. Challenge yourself to continue to grow in your walk with the Lord. And don’t be surprised if He spreads a little butter on your path!
Sherrie Ashcraft, Women's Ministry Director
sherrieashcraft@yahoo.com 971-285-6699
This is a busy week for a lot of us, as retreat happens this weekend. Yay!! After months of writing about it and planning for it, it's almost here! We've got 40 women attending Doing the Impossible, and it's going to be an incredible weekend. If you're going, please start praying for both yourself and the other ladies, that the Lord will work in a powerful way in our lives during our time together. If you're not attending, that doesn't need to stop you from praying for us. And please pray for my co-leader, Christina, as she's dealing with bronchitis and laryngitis. I need her well!!
Because of all that is involved in putting the retreat together, there will be no Common Grounds or Perk this week. Next week we'll resume our regularly scheduled programming! It's been exciting to have new women joining our studies. Remember, you can always invite your friends to come along.
Our mini-retreat will be May 10th and 11th at Ashberry Lane. The cost is only $10, and I'll start registration for that in a week or two. This will be a wonderful opportunity for you to experience getting to study the same material we'll be covering this weekend, and to get to know some of the women a bit better. Young babies are invited to this event. We'll meet on Friday evening, go home to sleep, and then spend Saturday together. We'll even have some free time for the hot tub or playing games. So let me know if you're interested in this activity and I'll add your name to my list.
Saturday, May 18th at 10 AM at the church is our annual Feminini-Tea. You've been hearing me talk about it the past couple of weeks, so I hope you've put it on your calendar. I'm looking for ladies who would like to host one of the tables, and I'll share more information about that in next week's WOW-Zine. We had 70 women attend last year, so you can see we'll need some help with this.
I'll close out this week's news with the article I just finished writing for the church newsletter that will be coming out this week.
Self-Discipline
Self-discipline. The combination of those two words do not give me a warm-fuzzy feeling! Instead, they sound like work, and maybe some sweat, and for sure some deprivation. That's not the kind of thing I easily embrace. But it’s a term that I’ve seen at work in my life over the past three months. I’ve gone through a significant weight loss, and discovered so many lessons along the way. As I’ve learned how to go from being “not sick” to being healthy, I recognized that so much of what I’ve experienced in the physical realm carries over to things in my spiritual life. See if you can identify with any of my findings.
We have to realize we have a problem before we’re able to do anything about it.
Most of you had no idea how much extra weight I was really carrying. Because of my height, I was able to spread the extra pounds over nearly six-feet of body. It didn’t show up to most people. I could look around and compare myself to others and think, “I’m not so bad.”
Isn’t this what we tend to do spiritually? We compare ourselves to those around us and think, “Well, at least I’m not as bad as that person! Sure, I’ve got a few issues, but I can hide them from others.” We can go through life wearing layers of “clothing” that make it impossible for people to see the real us. It’s not until we stand in our spiritual birthday suit before the mirror of God’s holiness that we finally see the real us. And that’s when we have the choice to either add another layer of cover-up, or to be honest before the Lord and admit our need for change.
A detailed plan helps guide toward personal success.
I was not uninformed about how unhealthy my eating habits were. I skipped breakfast (just had a mocha), usually skipped lunch, started snacking mid-afternoon on high-carb goodies, ate a big dinner, and snacked again at night. I read magazine article after magazine article about how to lose weight. I could tell you the right thing to do, but wasn’t doing it for myself. And I wondered why the pounds kept coming on! It wasn’t until I connected with my health coach, Nicole, that I found the help I could put into practice. It was one thing to read about the right way to do things, and another to have a person telling me exactly what to do. As I told Nicole, "I’m a good obey-er. Just tell me what to do, and I’ll do it.” She did, and I did! The personal involvement and knowing what I could eat when is what made a difference.
Do you see how that’s true with our spiritual health? We can know the right things in our heads, but until we put them into practice it doesn’t do us a lot of good. We can hear great sermons, read wonderful devotionals, and spend time in the Bible, but until we start acting out of what we know, it really won’t impact our lives. And it helps to have a real person walking along beside us, giving encouragement when life gets hard, telling us they believe we can do it. Celebrating even minor victories with us. That’s what happens when we’re involved in a women’s Bible study or a home fellowship group. It’s a safe place to say, “I’ve been carrying around a lot of baggage. I’m weighed down by life. Can you help me?” Spending time together in the Word, finding out exactly what we should be doing in order to be healthy in our spiritual life, is a huge benefit to us.
We can, with the Lord’s help, do much more than we think we’re capable of.
In those magazine articles, they all talked about cutting way back on white flour and sugar. Of eating more protein and getting the recommended daily amount of fruits and vegetables. I knew this. But, I also knew there was no way I could ever do that. Give up all my favorite things?? Why would I do that to myself? I didn’t like a lot of fruits or veggies. I loved desserts. I loved bread with lots of butter, potatoes with lots of butter, butter with lots of butter. (My family has kidded me for years that when I die and am cremated, they’ll put my remains in an “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter” tub!) But as I bought into my eating plan (literally!) I found a new side to my personality. I did have self-discipline. I did have the ability to hold an Elephant’s Ear at the zoo and not eat it. I did have the fortitude to bake brownies, not lick the spoon, and not eat even a crumb of the finished product though people around me were enjoying it. My tastes changed, and the healthy things became much more appealing.
The same is true in our spiritual life. When we begin to cut out the things that aren’t good for us, and ingest the milk and meat of the Word, we start to lose our taste for those things that aren’t good for us and can even harm us. Philippians 4:13 reminds us that we can do all things through Christ, who gives us the strength. This is the basis of our self-discipline. It’s not that we’re so great and that we can withstand temptations on our own, but that He enables us. Maybe your downfall isn’t butter. Maybe it’s worry, or anger, or fear. It can be anything that keeps us from experiencing spiritual health. We can either say, “I just can’t give that up,” or we can rely on the truth that we can do what we need to do because of His strength. We can exhibit self-discipline because our self is hidden in Christ.
Will you see me eat dessert again? Sure. I might even lick the spoon! Will I slather butter on everything possible? No, I’m not going there again. Life is meant to be abundant. God gives us pleasurable things that we can enjoy in moderation. My goal is to not allow food to control me again.
Is there an area of your life that you know needs a little self-discipline applied to it? If so, I hope you can use some of these lessons I’ve learned. You’ll probably find some of your own. Challenge yourself to continue to grow in your walk with the Lord. And don’t be surprised if He spreads a little butter on your path!
Sherrie Ashcraft, Women's Ministry Director
sherrieashcraft@yahoo.com 971-285-6699
Monday, April 1, 2013
Monday, April 1, 2013 WOW-Zine
I hope you all had a wonderful Easter, filled with the joy of celebrating what Christ has done for us, as well as getting to spend time with family and friends. My Easter was chock-full of good people from Thursday through Sunday. Now it's time to get back in the swing of things. (Which makes me think I just may need to go spend some relaxing time out on my porch swing this afternoon!)
To those of you who are going to retreat in just under two weeks (April 12th-14th), check your in-box tomorrow for special information regarding our schedule, setting up car pools, Top Secret Sisters, etc. Remember how far away it seemed when I first started talking about retreat? It's no longer very far away! Due to a couple cancellations we still have three spots available, but they need to be snatched up this week. So if you or a friend would like to join us, it's still possible. And for the low cost of only $80. Contact me ASAP.
Our women's studies are happening this week--Common Grounds Wednesday night from 6:30 to 8, and The Perk on Thursday morning from 9:30 to 11. I missed all of you last week when we were off for spring break! This week we'll be going through Luke 11:14-28. and then skipping to Luke 12:1-34. Yes, you read that right! We're making up for the bite-sized piece of scripture we covered last time. Childcare is provided at The Perk, but I need one of you moms to help out this week, as we forgot to pre-plan that last time we met. So if you're willing to help our two teen helpers watch the kids across the street during our study, please text, phone, or email me. If not, you'll have to fight over the opportunity when you get there Thursday morning!
The live Beth Moore conference in Eugene is April 26th and 27th. I've made motel reservations for that Friday night, and we have a bed for one more person if you'd like to join us.
Our mini-retreat will be held at my house (Ashberry Lane) on the Friday night and all day Saturday of Mother's Day weekend, May 10th and 11th. You could always tell your husband that what you'd like for Mother's Day is a chance to get away and get spiritually refreshed for a couple days. Cost is only $10 and I'll start collecting that after our main retreat. I'll be covering the same material, Doing the Impossible, which is based on the book of Nehemiah. You'll be able to bring your young babies with you to the mini-retreat. Let me know if you'd like the join the group of women who will be attending this. (You'll be going home to your own bed on Friday night, and then back again in the morning for a full day, with time in the afternoon to relax in the hot tub or play games. Sorry, I don't have any outlet malls close to my house here in Gaston!!)
A week later, on Saturday May 18th, we'll all have a chance to enjoy our annual Feminini-Tea at 10 AM at the church. This is for women ages 4 and older. (The really young women need to be able to sit through a 30-minute talk. Well, so do the really old women!!) This is an opportunity for you to invite friends to join you for the event. I'll need people to host tables (more later about what that involves), and everyone brings tea-type foods to share. We had about 70 people there last year, and are hoping for at least that many again this May, so make sure you've got it on your calendar!
Okay, that's probably about as much information as your brain can handle at one time. There's no reason for you to get bored, as we've got a lot of things available for you to participate in, don't we? I sincerely hope you're able to come out to a lot of these events, as we always have a good time whenever we get together.
Sherrie Ashcraft, Women's Ministry Director
sherrieashcraft@yahoo.com 971-285-6699
To those of you who are going to retreat in just under two weeks (April 12th-14th), check your in-box tomorrow for special information regarding our schedule, setting up car pools, Top Secret Sisters, etc. Remember how far away it seemed when I first started talking about retreat? It's no longer very far away! Due to a couple cancellations we still have three spots available, but they need to be snatched up this week. So if you or a friend would like to join us, it's still possible. And for the low cost of only $80. Contact me ASAP.
Our women's studies are happening this week--Common Grounds Wednesday night from 6:30 to 8, and The Perk on Thursday morning from 9:30 to 11. I missed all of you last week when we were off for spring break! This week we'll be going through Luke 11:14-28. and then skipping to Luke 12:1-34. Yes, you read that right! We're making up for the bite-sized piece of scripture we covered last time. Childcare is provided at The Perk, but I need one of you moms to help out this week, as we forgot to pre-plan that last time we met. So if you're willing to help our two teen helpers watch the kids across the street during our study, please text, phone, or email me. If not, you'll have to fight over the opportunity when you get there Thursday morning!
The live Beth Moore conference in Eugene is April 26th and 27th. I've made motel reservations for that Friday night, and we have a bed for one more person if you'd like to join us.
Our mini-retreat will be held at my house (Ashberry Lane) on the Friday night and all day Saturday of Mother's Day weekend, May 10th and 11th. You could always tell your husband that what you'd like for Mother's Day is a chance to get away and get spiritually refreshed for a couple days. Cost is only $10 and I'll start collecting that after our main retreat. I'll be covering the same material, Doing the Impossible, which is based on the book of Nehemiah. You'll be able to bring your young babies with you to the mini-retreat. Let me know if you'd like the join the group of women who will be attending this. (You'll be going home to your own bed on Friday night, and then back again in the morning for a full day, with time in the afternoon to relax in the hot tub or play games. Sorry, I don't have any outlet malls close to my house here in Gaston!!)
A week later, on Saturday May 18th, we'll all have a chance to enjoy our annual Feminini-Tea at 10 AM at the church. This is for women ages 4 and older. (The really young women need to be able to sit through a 30-minute talk. Well, so do the really old women!!) This is an opportunity for you to invite friends to join you for the event. I'll need people to host tables (more later about what that involves), and everyone brings tea-type foods to share. We had about 70 people there last year, and are hoping for at least that many again this May, so make sure you've got it on your calendar!
Okay, that's probably about as much information as your brain can handle at one time. There's no reason for you to get bored, as we've got a lot of things available for you to participate in, don't we? I sincerely hope you're able to come out to a lot of these events, as we always have a good time whenever we get together.
Sherrie Ashcraft, Women's Ministry Director
sherrieashcraft@yahoo.com 971-285-6699
Monday, March 25, 2013
Monday, March 25, 2013 WOW-Zine
Happy spring break!
There's not a lot to bring to your attention, since Common Grounds and The Perk are both cancelled for this week. We'll resume our "regular programming" next week.
There are only two more spots open for our retreat in Lincoln City the weekend of April 12th-14th, so if you want to grab them for yourself or a friend, now's the time! Cost is only $80, which must be paid in full in order to register. Contact me if you want to snatch up those spots!
The Beth Moore conference in Eugene is April 26th and 27th, just two weeks after retreat. I have one more spot available in a motel room for that Friday night, so I need to know as soon as possible if you're able to join us.
I know a lot of you have a really busy week ahead of you, jammed with fun family activities. So I'll keep this really short this week and just let you enjoy yourselves!
Sherrie Ashcraft, Women's Ministry Director
sherrieashcraft@yahoo.com 971-285-6699
There's not a lot to bring to your attention, since Common Grounds and The Perk are both cancelled for this week. We'll resume our "regular programming" next week.
There are only two more spots open for our retreat in Lincoln City the weekend of April 12th-14th, so if you want to grab them for yourself or a friend, now's the time! Cost is only $80, which must be paid in full in order to register. Contact me if you want to snatch up those spots!
The Beth Moore conference in Eugene is April 26th and 27th, just two weeks after retreat. I have one more spot available in a motel room for that Friday night, so I need to know as soon as possible if you're able to join us.
I know a lot of you have a really busy week ahead of you, jammed with fun family activities. So I'll keep this really short this week and just let you enjoy yourselves!
Sherrie Ashcraft, Women's Ministry Director
sherrieashcraft@yahoo.com 971-285-6699
Monday, March 18, 2013
Monday, March 18, 2013 WOW-Zine
It's almost the first day of spring. Aren't you glad? Doesn't mean we don't see anymore gray, rainy days, but at least we know that within a few more months we'll start to dry out. If you have a chance as you're out and about, make sure to take the time to look for all the fresh starts going on around you--new little lambs, bulbs blooming, and trees beginning to flower. Doesn't it just make you a wee bit giddy?
Something else that should bring delight in your life is all the opportunities for women that we have going on at Wapato. We had a great time at WOW Game Night on Friday. Made new friends, coined some new words (you had to be there), and expended new calories by belly laughing, which is a whole lot more fun than doing crunches!
This week we'll be taking a close look at the Biblical story of two famous sisters, Mary and Martha. I'm sure our discussion will be challenging to our lives as we study Luke 10:38-41. I know that doesn't seem like a very long passage, but ladies, there's a lot to look at in those few verses! So please come join us at either Common Grounds on Wednesday evening at 6:30, or on Thursday morning at 9:30 for The Perk. The relationships that are developing in each of these groups are really to be treasured, and there's always room for more women to join in.
As you know, childcare is provided at The Perk. We recently realized that we have a wonderful problem--so many kids are coming with their mamas that we've outgrown the room we've been using to care for them. So starting this week, the children will be cared for across the street in the annex. We've so appreciated the loving care our two young girls have been providing for the kiddos, but we're going to augment the childcare team since they'll be across the street. Last week the ladies all decided that they'd be glad to take turns volunteering to be the adult at the annex, and have Eileen and Nola help them. This is part of the teamwork I love about Wapato--when there's a need, people step up!
Doing The Impossible, our women's retreat, will be here before you know it. All of us on the Women's Ministry Team are working hard to put together a great experience for you. There are only four spots still open, so you'd better act fast if you want to go! (And registration has now expanded to include family and friends from outside Wapato.) The dates are April 12th-14th at "our house" in Lincoln City, and the cost is only $80. Get your money to me as soon as possible to reserve your place.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
~No Bible studies during spring break (the last week of this month)
~Beth Moore, live in Eugene April 26th and 27th. Email me for more info.
~May 10th and 11th, mini-retreat at Ashberry Lane for those who aren't able to attend the Lincoln City retreat. Cost is only $10. You'll get to go home to sleep in your own bed, but the teaching will be the same as what the Lincoln City ladies receive. Let me know if you're interested. We've got eight women signed up for this so far, but have room for more.
~May 18th, our Feminini-Tea, 10 AM at the church. Let me know if you'd like to host a table.
Now doesn't that all sound like fun? Not only are these events fun, but they're an awesome way to grow closer to the Lord and to each other, which is the whole purpose of our women's ministry. We'd love to have you be a part of us.
Have a blessed week, dear ladies!
Sherrie Ashcraft, Women's Ministry Director
sherrieashcraft@yahoo.com 971-285-6699
Something else that should bring delight in your life is all the opportunities for women that we have going on at Wapato. We had a great time at WOW Game Night on Friday. Made new friends, coined some new words (you had to be there), and expended new calories by belly laughing, which is a whole lot more fun than doing crunches!
This week we'll be taking a close look at the Biblical story of two famous sisters, Mary and Martha. I'm sure our discussion will be challenging to our lives as we study Luke 10:38-41. I know that doesn't seem like a very long passage, but ladies, there's a lot to look at in those few verses! So please come join us at either Common Grounds on Wednesday evening at 6:30, or on Thursday morning at 9:30 for The Perk. The relationships that are developing in each of these groups are really to be treasured, and there's always room for more women to join in.
As you know, childcare is provided at The Perk. We recently realized that we have a wonderful problem--so many kids are coming with their mamas that we've outgrown the room we've been using to care for them. So starting this week, the children will be cared for across the street in the annex. We've so appreciated the loving care our two young girls have been providing for the kiddos, but we're going to augment the childcare team since they'll be across the street. Last week the ladies all decided that they'd be glad to take turns volunteering to be the adult at the annex, and have Eileen and Nola help them. This is part of the teamwork I love about Wapato--when there's a need, people step up!
Doing The Impossible, our women's retreat, will be here before you know it. All of us on the Women's Ministry Team are working hard to put together a great experience for you. There are only four spots still open, so you'd better act fast if you want to go! (And registration has now expanded to include family and friends from outside Wapato.) The dates are April 12th-14th at "our house" in Lincoln City, and the cost is only $80. Get your money to me as soon as possible to reserve your place.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
~No Bible studies during spring break (the last week of this month)
~Beth Moore, live in Eugene April 26th and 27th. Email me for more info.
~May 10th and 11th, mini-retreat at Ashberry Lane for those who aren't able to attend the Lincoln City retreat. Cost is only $10. You'll get to go home to sleep in your own bed, but the teaching will be the same as what the Lincoln City ladies receive. Let me know if you're interested. We've got eight women signed up for this so far, but have room for more.
~May 18th, our Feminini-Tea, 10 AM at the church. Let me know if you'd like to host a table.
Now doesn't that all sound like fun? Not only are these events fun, but they're an awesome way to grow closer to the Lord and to each other, which is the whole purpose of our women's ministry. We'd love to have you be a part of us.
Have a blessed week, dear ladies!
Sherrie Ashcraft, Women's Ministry Director
sherrieashcraft@yahoo.com 971-285-6699
Monday, March 11, 2013
Monday, March 11, 2013
Guess what? I'm going to try my very hardest to give you accurate information the first time through this week! Man, I was such a mess for some reason last Monday. So I'll keep this short and just give you what you need.
We've got something special going on this week in addition to Common Grounds Wednesday night and The Perk on Thursday morning. Friday at 7 PM at the church is our WOW Game Night. This is a great opportunity for you to bring along some friends who may not usually attend our Bible studies or other events. It's such a relaxed, casual time, that ladies can just get to know each other in a low-key environment. Bring a game and a snack to share, and we'll see you there!
During the week of spring break (the last week of this month) neither of our studies will be meeting. So we meet this week and next, and then have a week off for you to get to spend some extra-fun time with your kiddos and family.
We currently have only eleven spots open for our Doing The Impossible retreat in Lincoln City April 12th-14th. On this coming Sunday, the 17th, registration will open to include those who don't attend Wapato, so if you want to be sure of getting a place, give me your $80 this week.
Two weeks later, April 26th and 27th, Beth Moore will be live in Eugene and a group of us are going. Cost is $69 for the conference sessions, which are Friday night and Saturday morning. You can read past issues of the WOW-Zine to get more information. Or you can always call, email, or text me with questions. My info is always at the end of the WOW-Zine.
May 10th and 11th will be the mini-retreat at Ashberry Lane (my house) for those who aren't able to attend the event in April. Cost is only $10 and we have quite a bit of interest in it all ready. Just let me know if you'd like to come. Babies are allowed, plus you'll be going back to your own bed on Friday night, and returning Saturday morning. So that may be easier for some of you than to get away for an entire weekend.
The following Saturday, May 18th, is our annual Feminini-TEA. This is a chance for you to bring your daughters (if four years old or older and able to sit still during a presentation), as well as any female friends and family. We'll need a lot of you to step forward to host a table, which means you provide a table cloth and place settings, plus a center piece. We'll have some round tables, plus a lot of rectangular ones. I can't remember if this is our third or fourth year of having this event, and it has grown every time. So you'll be hearing more about it later, but just put it on your calendar now for May 18th, 10AM at the church. We all bring brunch/tea-type things to share, plus will be treated to an outside speaker.
Okay, I had my calendar at my side as I wrote this, and I think I got every thing down accurately and in order. Please correct me if I didn't! Have a wonderful week, and I hope to see you either Wednesday, or Thursday, or Friday! Or even at all three!!
Sherrie Ashcraft, Women's Ministry Director
sherrieashcraft@yahoo.com 971-285-6699
We've got something special going on this week in addition to Common Grounds Wednesday night and The Perk on Thursday morning. Friday at 7 PM at the church is our WOW Game Night. This is a great opportunity for you to bring along some friends who may not usually attend our Bible studies or other events. It's such a relaxed, casual time, that ladies can just get to know each other in a low-key environment. Bring a game and a snack to share, and we'll see you there!
During the week of spring break (the last week of this month) neither of our studies will be meeting. So we meet this week and next, and then have a week off for you to get to spend some extra-fun time with your kiddos and family.
We currently have only eleven spots open for our Doing The Impossible retreat in Lincoln City April 12th-14th. On this coming Sunday, the 17th, registration will open to include those who don't attend Wapato, so if you want to be sure of getting a place, give me your $80 this week.
Two weeks later, April 26th and 27th, Beth Moore will be live in Eugene and a group of us are going. Cost is $69 for the conference sessions, which are Friday night and Saturday morning. You can read past issues of the WOW-Zine to get more information. Or you can always call, email, or text me with questions. My info is always at the end of the WOW-Zine.
May 10th and 11th will be the mini-retreat at Ashberry Lane (my house) for those who aren't able to attend the event in April. Cost is only $10 and we have quite a bit of interest in it all ready. Just let me know if you'd like to come. Babies are allowed, plus you'll be going back to your own bed on Friday night, and returning Saturday morning. So that may be easier for some of you than to get away for an entire weekend.
The following Saturday, May 18th, is our annual Feminini-TEA. This is a chance for you to bring your daughters (if four years old or older and able to sit still during a presentation), as well as any female friends and family. We'll need a lot of you to step forward to host a table, which means you provide a table cloth and place settings, plus a center piece. We'll have some round tables, plus a lot of rectangular ones. I can't remember if this is our third or fourth year of having this event, and it has grown every time. So you'll be hearing more about it later, but just put it on your calendar now for May 18th, 10AM at the church. We all bring brunch/tea-type things to share, plus will be treated to an outside speaker.
Okay, I had my calendar at my side as I wrote this, and I think I got every thing down accurately and in order. Please correct me if I didn't! Have a wonderful week, and I hope to see you either Wednesday, or Thursday, or Friday! Or even at all three!!
Sherrie Ashcraft, Women's Ministry Director
sherrieashcraft@yahoo.com 971-285-6699
Monday, March 4, 2013
Monday, March 4, 2013
Happy first Monday of March! What a beautiful start to the month, as far as the weather goes. Makes us all think Spring is just around the corner, right? But we Oregonians know we still have a lot of rain ahead of us in the midst (mist?) of the blooming bulbs and blossoming trees. I know it's late afternoon as I'm writing this, but it's just been one of those busy days, like I'm sure you all have. I was up early this morning to take our granddaughter Lili to school in Tigard after spending the weekend with us, then over to spend several hours at Christina's house as we worked on book business together. I ended the morning/early afternoon by getting to spend more than an hour at DMV waiting for my lucky number to be called so I could do a title transfer. I was very thankful to have my Kindle to keep me occupied, as well as all the people-watching I was able to fit in.
Retreat spaces continue to dwindle, so if you're planning on going please give me your $80 as soon as possible. We're going to have an amazing time as we study about Doing The Impossible. Christina and I are looking forward to leading the sessions at Lincoln City the weekend of April 12th-14th. Janet will be there to keep us full with her delicious meals, our WOW worship team will help us focus on the Lord, and your interactions with each other will be priceless.
Remember that for those of you who are unable to attend that weekend, I'm offering a mini-retreat at Ashberry Lane (my house) the weekend of April 12th and 13th. Cost is only $10. So if you're unable to leave your baby at home for the regular retreat, or if the cost is too much, or your schedule simply doesn't allow it, please join us in April. We'll be covering the same material, just in a more intimate environment. And yes, your babies are welcome to come to this one! We've got several women already signed up to attend.
This week at Bible study we'll be looking at Luke 10:1-37. We've certainly been discovering some rich applications to our lives as we've walked through this study written by Beth Moore--Jesus The One and Only. It's always exciting to anticipate what we'll be learning each week, and the wonderful discussion that comes out of it. Both weekly studies cover the same material but meet at different times--Common Grounds on Wednesday night at 6:30, and The Perk on Thursday morning at 9:30. It's never too late to start attending, and there's no book to buy or homework to do. Just show up with your Bible!
Time to start revving your engines for a little friendly competition at our annual WOW Game Night at the church on Friday, March 15th, which is just a week from this Friday. Bring a snack and a game to the church at 7 PM that night and settle in for a good time of various games and visiting with your friends, while just relaxing and having fun. Jammies are optional. As with all events except our Feminini-Tea in May and our bowling party every January, this is for women only.
Beth Moore is coming to Eugene for Friday night, May 26th, and Saturday morning, May 27th. This is one of the rare opportunities we have to see her in our neck of the woods, so I hope you can join a group of us on a road trip and overnighter for that event. Please register on your own by going to www.lifeway.com/livingproof and signing up for the Eugene location. Cost is $69. Within a couple of weeks you'll receive a large envelope in the mail from LifeWay, which will have your bracelet in it, which will act as your ticket. So don't throw it out! Then, if you'd like to stay with the rest of us, let me know you've signed up and I'll get the motel rooms for us to share, which should cost $25-$30 a piece.
I think that's everything I need to cover this week, but if you have any questions about anything, feel free to contact me via my information at the end of this. I hope you have a wonderful week, and that we get to share it with you somewhere along the way!
Sherrie Ashcraft, Women's Ministry Director
sherrieashcraft@yahoo.com 971-285-6699
Retreat spaces continue to dwindle, so if you're planning on going please give me your $80 as soon as possible. We're going to have an amazing time as we study about Doing The Impossible. Christina and I are looking forward to leading the sessions at Lincoln City the weekend of April 12th-14th. Janet will be there to keep us full with her delicious meals, our WOW worship team will help us focus on the Lord, and your interactions with each other will be priceless.
Remember that for those of you who are unable to attend that weekend, I'm offering a mini-retreat at Ashberry Lane (my house) the weekend of April 12th and 13th. Cost is only $10. So if you're unable to leave your baby at home for the regular retreat, or if the cost is too much, or your schedule simply doesn't allow it, please join us in April. We'll be covering the same material, just in a more intimate environment. And yes, your babies are welcome to come to this one! We've got several women already signed up to attend.
This week at Bible study we'll be looking at Luke 10:1-37. We've certainly been discovering some rich applications to our lives as we've walked through this study written by Beth Moore--Jesus The One and Only. It's always exciting to anticipate what we'll be learning each week, and the wonderful discussion that comes out of it. Both weekly studies cover the same material but meet at different times--Common Grounds on Wednesday night at 6:30, and The Perk on Thursday morning at 9:30. It's never too late to start attending, and there's no book to buy or homework to do. Just show up with your Bible!
Time to start revving your engines for a little friendly competition at our annual WOW Game Night at the church on Friday, March 15th, which is just a week from this Friday. Bring a snack and a game to the church at 7 PM that night and settle in for a good time of various games and visiting with your friends, while just relaxing and having fun. Jammies are optional. As with all events except our Feminini-Tea in May and our bowling party every January, this is for women only.
Beth Moore is coming to Eugene for Friday night, May 26th, and Saturday morning, May 27th. This is one of the rare opportunities we have to see her in our neck of the woods, so I hope you can join a group of us on a road trip and overnighter for that event. Please register on your own by going to www.lifeway.com/livingproof and signing up for the Eugene location. Cost is $69. Within a couple of weeks you'll receive a large envelope in the mail from LifeWay, which will have your bracelet in it, which will act as your ticket. So don't throw it out! Then, if you'd like to stay with the rest of us, let me know you've signed up and I'll get the motel rooms for us to share, which should cost $25-$30 a piece.
I think that's everything I need to cover this week, but if you have any questions about anything, feel free to contact me via my information at the end of this. I hope you have a wonderful week, and that we get to share it with you somewhere along the way!
Sherrie Ashcraft, Women's Ministry Director
sherrieashcraft@yahoo.com 971-285-6699
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