 Angie Latimer |
 Karen Newby |
CHICAGO, Illinois--The Chicagoland's Women's Ministry is excited to be host for the 1999 Worldwide Church of God Women's International Conference (WIC).
The conference will be conducted at the Wyndham Hotel in Itasca, Illinois, Aug. 6-8. The registration fee is $70 before June 1 and $85 after that. The hotel offers us a flat rate of $95 a night for up to four people in a room.
We want to give a little background to the conference and a foretaste of what we are planning for you.
We had our first local retreat in September 1997, but we already had in mind that we would like to build up to having a regional retreat at some point in the future.
Then Angie Latimer, Chicago Northwest Women's Ministry co-ordinator, went to WIC '98 in Dallas, Texas, and found out how it was put together.
The next thing we knew, it was announced that the next WIC would be in Chicago. The Holy Spirit had bigger plans for us than we had thought!
Since then we have been formulating a clearer picture of what the Holy Spirit wants us to do for women in our fellowship around the world. Our theme, "Celebrating the Seasons of Our Lives,'' will provide not only encouragement, but also practical help in the different phases of a woman's life.
We will have praise and worship on the Friday evening, general sessions and workshops on Saturday and a closing session on Sunday.
Here are some of the workshops we plan to provide:
Mothering Small Children--How to find time with the Lord when you can barely go to the restroom by yourself!
Mothers and Teenagers--How to maintain a good relationship with your daughter through this phase of her life and encourage her to walk with God.
Menopause--How to cope with the various reactions to this change in life and how to know that God understands.
Walking Alone--Single and loving it!?
The Golden Years--How to still have a vibrant and thriving Christian walk as we get older.
The conference will cover issues such as contentment, knowing God is in control (even when we haven't got a clue about what he is doing in our lives) and accepting the call of Christ in every phase of life. He always has a plan for us, wanting us to turn to him for comfort and guidance no matter where we are in our lives.
A few women have expressed concern that Chicago is too dangerous a city. Let us assure you that the Wyndham Hotel in suburban Itasca is in a safe area.
The Wyndham Hotel is offering a rate that with four people to a room you would pay $50 each to cover both nights, and that means putting aside $6.25 a month.
We request that all conference participants stay at the hotel to cover our costs. We plan to have a donation fund to help any who need financial assistance to attend. We are encouraging families to come together (which would mean saving $25 a month for a room).
We plan to have a worship service for everyone (other than the women) on the Saturday and also plan a family activity that evening.
The hotel is only a short drive from downtown Chicago's many sights including museums, the Shedd Aquarium, the Sears Tower and Woodfield Mall. A shuttle service runs to and from O'Hare International Airport and to the mall.
We deeply desire to provide you with a meaningful time in worship and personal reflection. We can hardly wait to see you! We are already receiving enthusiastic responses from around the world.
The time we spend together will be a time of sharing, helping and learning from each other. We will have something here for everyone.
You will find that in addition to receiving what you need; others will receive the same from you.
So, start saving now to come and enjoy what the Holy Spirit is preparing for you. Registration information will be available soon. In the meantime please pray expectantly for the continued planning of this event so all will go smoothly.
With love and anticipation.
Your sisters in Christ,
Angie Latimer & Karen Newby
WIC '99 coordinators
Angie Latimer |
Karen Newby |
Copyright © Worldwide Church of God, 1998