I’ve loved reading all the status updates on the She Speaks Attendees 2011! I hope everybody’s prep for speaker evaluation groups is going well and that last week’s tip helped. If you’re still struggling or would like to have someone to bounce ideas around with, I’d love for you to consider our Speaker Evaluation Group Prep. There’s still time to schedule a 45 minute call. Just fill out the Information Request form and put “Speaker Evaluation Group Prep” in the notes. I’ll get in touch speedy quick!
Onward to this week’s tip…
Be prepared for God to link you with other women who will love you, support you and want to do ministry with you.
I’ve really never seen anything quite like it. Every year our team watches in amazement as God supernaturally joins women who develop long-lasting friendships and ministry partnerships.
Let me give you a couple of examples. In my first year leading a speaker eval group, I had a group of women predominately in their 30s-40s. In a group of 12 women, 5 were young widows. Their stories linked their hearts, and they offered tremendous support to each othes. That same year, our “random” groups all seemed to have trends. One group also had a large number of women who had experienced rape.
Two years ago I had two women in my group who had experienced parenting a child with cancer. Those two women sat “randomly” at dinner one night with a table of eight women. If I’m remembering correctly, 6 of the 8 had lived through the same trial. Those women formed a blog for mothers who were experiencing walking the journey of having a child with cancer.
This phenomenon is just one of many She Speaks miracles. As if the comradery of 600 like-visioned women isn’t enough, God seems to delight in joining women together in tight bonds that lend comfort and ministry to others beyond She Speaks.
Pray for it and then be ready and watchful! Do any of you have a story from previous years about God bonding you with another woman?
I “randomly” sat next to a young woman in my speaker eval. group last year that has become one of my dearest, although long-distance, friends. The connections that I made, including my roommate and a few people that I sat with at meals, have become huge encouragers to me in my marriage, and will pray for me at a moment’s notice.
So grateful for these divine appointments.
No story from a previous year since this will be my first year – but check back with me NEXT year *wink* *wink*
I’m SURE He is gonna blow my mind in 24 days!!!!
I met Stephanie Garneau in my speaker eval group. This past winter, she forwarded a call out from an author looking for writers to contribute to her book that she received from Jory, also in our group. The short story is I submitted a piece that will be published in a book by Diane Markins. Each step and relationship was orchestrated by God, through attending She Speaks in 2009. Looking forward to new connections this year!
Last year God weaved a group of us together and it all started on the shuttle from the airport. We have such a bond that we call ourselves the table 11 girls (because that is the table in which we had each meal). Although we are all over the country we have stayed connected and pray each other through many trials and rejoice with each other’s victories. We range in various ages which is great to have all perspectives. I know we will remain forever friends. Even planning a reunion outside of She Speaks.
As a newbie, no story, but I know I’ll have one next year.
I am so looking forward to all of the connections that God makes. Thank you for the reminder that the take-away from that dazzling weekend will be so much more than I could possibly imagine right now!
I love that it is less than a month away now! It makes it feel so real!