By Brenda Plonis
NORTHAMPTON, England--The first European women's conference took place Jan. 9-11 in King's Park here.
Attendance for the weekend was more than 200. Participants attended from England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Irish Republic, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Kenya, Portugal, Holland, Luxembourg and the United States.
The theme was Reflect the Light.
The weekend began late Friday afternoon with a dinner at the conference center, and an introductory meeting that evening. Dana Silcox, organizer of the event, introduced the guest speakers and gave an overview of the weekend's plans.
Saturday began with a devotional service of hymns and readings. Barbara Silcox and Nina Wiggan, of the Watford, England, congregation, performed "Love Shine a Light." The women joined in the second time through the song, the words imprinting in their minds what the weekend was all about.
Jenny Fowler of Watford began each session with a reading that focused on reflecting the light in our lives.
Tammy Tkach gave the first session that day, titled "Do You Know Who You Are?" She used the analogy that we are all flowers, each of us a different type, and that the vase represented the body of Christ. She explained how Satan uses various tactics to cause us to forget how much God loves us.
Pat Halford gave a session on "Prayer and Yieldedness" stressing how God is always present and that he hears our prayers.
During the third session of the day, the women split into four mini-workshops: "Conflict Resolution," a practice in drama by Linda Halford; "Having the Courage to Heal," emotional healing by Susie Dick; "What Men Wish Women Knew," by Dana Silcox; and "Leading Your Child to Christ," by Pat Halford.
The final session of the day was given by Sheila Graham from the United States.
Her presentation on women's ministry helped clear up any misconceptions about what women's ministry is or isn't.
She and Mrs. Tkach then conducted a question and answer session, encouraging the women to let the Holy Spirit guide them in where women's ministry should go within the understood biblical guidelines for women.
That evening, the women had a choice of activities at the conference center, including badminton, roller skating and a session on color coding.
Mrs. Tkach gave her second session Sunday morning, discussing the story of Cinderella and how things go wrong in our lives and how life doesn't always turn out like we thought it would.
She pointed out that life can hurt--and often it seems there is no fairy godmother to help us.
She said, "You feel like you're climbing a mountain without the right equipment." She stressed that we need to put our trust in Christ.
The final speaker of the weekend put everything into perspective. Yvonne Tavares, who serves with her husband, Carlos, in Portugal, gave a presentation on a global missionary conference she attended in South Africa.
She spoke about the 10/40 window (10 degrees north and 40 degrees south latitude), where many of the countries haven't received the message of Jesus Christ.
She stressed that these were also the countries where women suffered the most and the countries where suffering overall was the highest.
Her presentation summed up the weekend by giving the women a commission that our work here on earth is not yet finished. People all over the world have not received the gospel message.
Mrs. Silcox left the women with several parting thoughts: "Try to make it clear to those with questions about what women's ministry is in your areas that it is not about role reversal, but it is very much about women supporting each other as we take more responsibility for our Christian commitment."
Using a model of a ship's prism, Mrs. Silcox encouraged the women to be willing to reflect the light even in difficult circumstances. Showing how a prism works, she reminded us that like a prism we can only reflect the light accurately when we are completely focused on the source.
Women seemed to leave the weekend feeling a sense of renewal.
Rachel Blakey, a Bournemouth University student, said she "appreciated the family atmosphere and that there were no divisions between age. We were not made to feel out of place because we were younger."
Many women said they had been skeptical of the weekend before they came, but by the end of it, they thought it was excellent.
Bernadette Claude, from France, felt that "the atmosphere was nice and encouraging."
She said she realized what Mrs. Tkach had said that sometimes you feel like you're the only one down and tired, and many other women feel the same. She felt we needed to support one another and that we found the support at the conference.
Helen Francis, from the Penrith church, said after Saturday's sessions, "In one day we have learned an enormous amount, all of it positive."
Many women appreciated getting together in a sort of mini-Feast. Audrey Stirk, from Northern Ireland, said she was glad to renew old friendships and make new ones.
Mrs. Tkach said of the conference that there was "no difference between conferences conducted in America or England. God's Spirit is here, and the enthusiasm is high."
Coverage of the women's conference in Ireland is scheduled for the February issue.
Jan. 27, 1998, WN, pages 16 and 17
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