Our Story…. Continues!

By Rev. Rebecca Zahrte

Welcome Our New CPWM Officers For 2023-2025!

President-Debbie Beals

What an exciting time to continue Our Story with our sisters in Christ! Mark your calendars and make plans to attend Retreat 2024, where we will share more stories, fun, and fellowship!

April 5-7, 2024, we will be joining in a Denominational Women’s Retreat in Mt. Vernon, Missouri. The Women of Missouri Region will be hosting us as we gather to share.

Our weekend together will be a time of relaxation, rejuvenation, and a refreshing of our minds, bodies, and spirits. Located in the beautiful Ozark foothills, Baptist Hill Assembly Camp boasts beautiful views and a quiet, relaxing environment.

According to their website www.baptisthillassembly.com, “Baptist Hill sets back in the rich timber setting of the Ozark Hills. We are located 30 miles west of Springfield, Missouri outside the small community of Mount Vernon. Big Spring, which is a huge attraction for many, pools into a river which runs around the entire perimeter of the campground. Its flowing waters make for a great day of canoeing or hiking.”

“Rebels Bluff, another historical site nearby, is adjoined to the acres of wildlife-filled hills and bluffs that encompass the campground.”

“Spring, Summer, Autumn, or Winter...there is no time of the year that you will not find Baptist Hill a peaceful and captivating place. A hidden treasure of simplicity and character, this camp has drawn many, near and far, to be embraced by its spiritual aura felt upon entering its gates. We invite you to come alone or with a few, or as a group to see all that awaits you at Baptist Hill.”

For our indoor enthusiasts, we have you covered…literally. With a large worship building and cafeteria/ breakout areas, we have tons of space for activities, group conversations, sing-a-longs, and fellowship. There are also hiking/walking trails around the camp to enjoy the beauty of God’s creation.

Our Story retreat will include engaging workshops, soul-refreshing worship, and of course some great food!

As the world around us becomes increasingly fast-paced and spiritually disorienting, our time together will stand as an oasis of faith, enrichment, and rejuvenation. Retreat 2024 is prepared to become a vital resource for women seeking spiritual renewal. Make plans today to join us as we continue Our Story and together continue to build the legacy of the women who have gone before. Check back on our website for updated information about the retreat and a recap of the 2023 Convention. https://cpcmc.org/mmt/wm-info/.

Debbie is a member of the Good Prospect Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Trilla, Illinois, where she grew up, married her husband Tim, and raised their three daughters, Beth, Erica, and Amanda. They are blessed to have a son-in-law Shane and three grandchildren, Madison, Blake, and Lainey. Being active in the church has been a lifelong fulfillment for Debbie. She has served the church through VBS, taught Sunday school, been a youth leader, song leader, and trustee, and is currently serving as Assistant Sunday School Superintendent and Children’s Church Director. After attending a few Women’s Spring Retreats, she joined her local CPWM. The retreats have always been a great motivator. She became Secretary of the North Central Presbytery region and continues to serve. Planning the retreats and hoping to motivate others is a great passion! Besides being active with the church, she is also a part-time administrative assistant at Mattoon Precision Manufacturing Inc. where she has worked for the past fourteen years. In her spare time, she enjoys being outside in all of God’s creation. She loves spending time helping Tim with their 27-acre farm. She says, “It is amazing to see God’s work in that.” Her other hobbies include sewing, photography, and many other things too numerous to list. Contact information: 217-849-2665; Email: debbiebeals82@gmail.com.

Secretary-Rev. Lisa Oliver

Lisa currently is serving as pastor at Mt. Tabor Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Murfreesboro, Tennessee (Murfreesboro Region). Much of Lisa’s ministry has been as a hospice chaplain, serving throughout Middle Tennessee. Lisa has also enjoyed serving as a children’s minister at Milan CPC, Summer Youth Minister at Hopkinsville CPC, and Children and Youth Minister at Beech CPC. Over the years, Lisa has volunteered as a camp counselor for camps in Arkansas, West Tennessee, Kentucky, and Middle Tennessee. She also directed some senior high camps for Tennessee Synod in the 1990s. Around that same time, she helped initiate a young adult retreat for Tennessee Synod. Lisa was ordained at New Hope CPC in 1995. She graduated from Bethel College, now University, and received her M.Div. from Memphis Theological Seminary. She followed that with a Chaplain Residency at Methodist Hospital in Memphis. She has served on the Committee on Ministry and is currently serving on the Still Waters Family Ministry Board and the Historical Foundation Board of Trustees. Most recently Lisa has been volunteering at St. Luke CPC with the laundry ministry of Sacred Sparks called Loads of Love where she finds joy serving alongside Rev. Lisa Cook, volunteers Brittni Burnsey, Stacey Wilhoite, and her father Alvin Oliver. There is joy in washing dishes for our friends! Lisa enjoys spending quality time with friends and family, crocheting, writing, and listening to music. Lisa has had the great pleasure of sharing road trips to the General Assembly and Convention with her niece Savannah Lamb. Contact information: 615-474-3954; Email: lisa.oliver316@gmail.com

Young Woman Ambassador-Holly McReynolds

Holly McReynolds attends the Good Prospect Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Trilla, Illinois. She is the current treasurer of the Good Prospect CPWM. She is going to be a junior at Eastern Illinois University this fall, majoring in Graphic Design. Her hobbies include painting, playing with her dog, and spending time with friends from her youth group. Contact information: 217-254-5766; Emai l: hkmcreynolds38@gmail.com. We would also like to welcome aboard our new President-Elect, Christie Vanderlaan, and Secretary-Elect, Beth Graham. Thank you for your willingness, and your encouragement to CPWM.