Summer 2014 A Publication of NEWIM,
from the
Network of Evangelical Women in Ministry
“encouraging women”
Why Silence?
SERVING NEWIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Jackie Rettberg Assistant to the Director Sherylynne Carriveau BOARD CHAIR Carolyn Shea CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Maureen Moore RECORDING SECRETARY Jill Austin BOARD MEMBERS Shirley Barber Lisa Cappelli Bergstedt Luann Budd Cheri Dale Joyce Kinnu Teri Thompson Tammy Tkach Barbara Willett Dawn Wilson
Four times a year, NEWIM offers retreats to help women get away to spend time with the Lord. The blessedness of leaving behind our normal activities and coming away is to have the gift of time so we can get to a place where we are much freer of distractions and more fully aware of the Lord, time to contemplate his beauty and be moved to adoration and reverence. “Truly my soul finds rest in God,” declares the Psalmist (Ps. 62:1, NIV ). Time away from our normal routines helps us draw near to God and be filled with reverence and awe in his presence, be assured of his forgiveness and love and enjoy the intimacy of silent communion. Following are some comments from women who have attended The Springs and the Silent retreats: “It’s funny how we come to The Springs with our own idea of what the Lord has planned for us to focus on and when we get here we find out it is something completely different. The Lord sent me a clear message of His plan for me and although His plan is nowhere close to what I came here thinking, He also gave me a deep excitement about getting to work on the plan! The main insight I will take home is to “practice the presence of God” and the thing I will be intentional to do as a result of what the Lord did in my life here is to practice the presence of God.” —Fran Thompson “The Springs is a soul-lifting time that is always exactly as God intends it to be. It’s a sweet treat in my busy time-crunched life. Thank you for this time. The Lord gave me rest—much needed rest. He also spoiled me with small blessings— special words, his majesty through nature, quiet times with Him, sweet sleep, and new friends. The main thing I received, was ‘Keep moving—follow Me.’” —Chrystal Sturm “The Lord used this time to slow me down, to bring comfort and to be comforted by His love, and to remind me that I am His beloved. The main insight I am taking home is simply “to be” and allow the doing to come out this “being.” I will start journaling again—doesn’t have to have rules, it is just a process the Lord uses to teach me and reveal Himself to me. What a gift! Thank you for providing a place and time and leading me through this time to get away with the One who calls me Beloved.” —Becky Austin
Silence (continued) “I LOVE silent retreats because it has been my path to accepting God, to receiving Jesus’ grace, mercy and identity and being healed in Spirit. This week I realized I also love these retreats because they take out the comparing as much as they can for us human women. We don’t have to pretend we aren’t tired; we can just close our eyes. We don’t have to feel like we are missing connecting because we need to be alone—we can’t talk at meals anyway. We don’t have to pretend we are not sad, there are ample places to cry out. We don’t have to explain to someone why we believe or struggle in our beliefs we just get to be. We can be grateful for beauty, for free time, for quiet, for our own uniqueness and even our limitations.” —Emily McClain “He meets me here every time, and this time was another one for the record books. The Lord wooed me on my way here (praise and worship in the car), welcomed me with open arms and encouragement (the wonderful team) and guided me to His word where He laid His character open for me to know Him. How great is our God! I want to be intentional about being in constant intimacy with the Lord. It’s only by knowing and being practiced at recognizing His voice that we can we hear it in our lives.” —Rachel Dutcher “The Lord used this time to do some inner “business.” I especially felt God’s blessing as I meditated on the stations out in the larger yard from the Nativity to Christ’s Ascension.” —Eleanor Hill “How did the Lord use this time? He used it for refreshing, renewal, and reassurance that His love for me is not based on performance or how well I think I am doing at living a Christ-like life. I want to be intentional to seek the Lord with purpose. If I had to boil what I’m taking home down to one word, it would be: reassurance.” —Diana Herman “If I had to boil everything down to one main insight, it would be that I want to remember who He is.” —Sarah Long “I already wanted to be more aware of God’s presence after I get up from my quiet time. It’s hard to keep following His direction through the day, but this past year I’ve felt it is essential. I just have a hard time practicing that part of our relationship. Now I have some strategies to help. This is my third time and it’s taken me this long to relax and receive.” —Jan Swing We hope you’ll join us at an upcoming retreat and discover or rediscover the beauty and joy of silence with the Lord. See newim.org for dates and details.
New Ministry NEWIM is happy to announce our upcoming new ministry, a weekend retreat a for pastor’s wives. Please join us in prayer as we continue to follow the Lord’s design for this ministry. Page 2
Gather a Foursome! The NEWIM board is planning another Bridge Day at beautiful Big Canyon Country Club in Newport Beach. It will be held on Wednesday, September 24th from 9:30 to 1:30. Registration forms will be available in August. Friends are asked to “Gather a Foursome” and register together. Lunch will be served and prizes awarded. Cost is $85 per person ($50 is tax deductible). The Bridge Day fundraiser provides scholarships as needed for ministry leaders wishing to attend a Springs Retreat or a Silent Retreat. We provide scholarships so women can take time out of their busy schedules and reconnect with God. This will also defray the cost of sending pastor’s wives to weekend reBridge Day treats, our new ministry. If you need a break to spend time with the Lord or would like more information, go to www.newim.org for details, testimonies and more about these wonderful retreats. The next Springs will be November 12-14 (Wednesday to Friday) at St. Anthony’s Retreat Center in Three Rivers, California. The next Silent Retreat will be held at Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center, Sierra Madre, California, October 23-24. Registration is open for both retreats on our website. We hope to fill lots of tables with enthusiastic bridge players. We’ll have a great lunch, great prizes and lots of fun! See you there!
Enjoying silence and reflection
Silent Retreat, 2014 You are invited to get away for twenty-four hours of silence, prayer and reflection. Join us October 23-24 at Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center, Sierra Madre, California. Registration for the 2013 Silent Retreat is open on our website, newim.org. Contact Lisa Bergstedt at lisa@lcbevents.com with questions or for more information. —Lisa Bergstedt, Silent Retreat Co-Leader Page 3
Our God Still Speaks By Shannon Reese “Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, ‘Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! ...For the Scriptures declare, “Rivers of living water will flow from his heart”’” (John 7:37b-38, NLT).
On a warm Southern California winter’s day, I sat for a few hours next to a raging wa-
Could it be that we have accused God of remaining silent?
Page 4
terfall. The mist refreshed and the sound soothed. Every second, gallons of water rushed over the rock ledge overflowing into the pool below. These verses flooded my mind as I allowed the thunderous sound to overwhelm my thoughts: God thunders wondrously with his voice; he does great things that we cannot comprehend (Job 37:5). The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over many waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty (Psalm 29:3, 4). The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace and his voice was like the roar of many waters (Revelation 1:14, 15). Taking in the boisterous voice of the water falling, it was as if the Holy Spirit spoke to my mind. “As you draw near to the rushing water, the sound grows louder; … so loud you can think of nothing else; … so loud that every other sound is drowned out; … so loud that even when you walk away, the roar still echoes inside.” If that was true (which I know it is), then it is also true that as I walk away from the water, the sound will grow softer, maybe even become silent to my ears. My conclusion? Although the water falls with constancy, my distance from the water affects my ability to hear the sound that comes from it. Consider your ability to hear God’s voice. Could it be we have accused God of remaining silent or possessing a weak voice, when instead we are guilty of distancing ourselves from His bellow? At different times in life, I have thought God was silent. I assumed His voice was too small, too weak, too hard to hear. The communication between God and me seemed to have stopped and I faulted Him for that. In reality, my inability to hear His voice and experience intimate relationship with Him was not his fault, but mine. Stubbornness, selfishness, and sinful choices: each had become barriers I erected to keep my distance. Yet, the longer I stayed away, the more desperate I became to hear His voice, feel His mist and find refreshment in His presence. Like me, do you long to hear His voice? Do you desire to be refreshed by Him? Do you want to hear Him speak to you? Do you want His voice to thunder in your ears? Immerse yourself in His Word. Fill your mind with His majesty. Bathe in His lifegiving water. Let the bellows of His voice drown out all others. Rest in His presence and be refreshed by His Words for you, today. Our God still speaks. Open your heart, your ears and your Bible; prepare to hear His voice.
Shannon Reese is a wife, a mother of teenage boys, and the Director of Women's Ministries at Calvary Church of Santa Ana. To unwind, she loves cooking, hiking with friends or getting lost in a great story. You may email her at sreese@calvarylife.org.
From the Director Transformation of the Christian It is good from time to time to think about what it means to be mature in Christ.
“He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:10-13, NIV ). Here’s a little quiz to see how you are doing on your road to maturity: Are you willing to accept your heavenly Father’s wisdom and will and obey Him? Do you refuse to strike back at God by refusing to say “it isn’t fair”? Are you able to be patient, to pass up immediate pleasure for long term gain? Can you persevere in a situation in spite of heavy opposition and discouraging setbacks? Are you willing to trust Him to the very end of a situation? Can you face frustration, discomfort and defeat without complaint? Can you say “I was wrong” without adding “but”? Do you make decisions and follow through? Do you keep your word, and don’t come up with alibis when you fail? Can you take criticism and advice? Do you forgive without resentment? Can you spend most of your quiet times with the Lord thinking about the Lord more than you think of yourself? If you can, then you can say, “I am on the way to attaining the full measure of Christ.” The work of the church is the transformation of the Christian!
Jesus
understands you! He knows how you started out as well
—Jackie Rettberg oasis631@cox.net
Introducing our new ministry partner...
Standing Stone Ministry offers ministry leaders and their spouses (one couple at a time) an opportunity to form a lasting mentoring relationship that begins with a one week retreat in a safe environment and serene location, where they are hosted with excellence and mentored with love. NEWIM is pleased to be a ministry partner with Standing Stone. For information, contact Debbie Hogan, Co-Founder: debbie@standingstoneministry.org. Website: www.standingstoneministry.org.
Page 5
Focus on Ministry Partners Karin Graves is the founder of WING Ministries (Women Imparting to the Next Generation). Her mission for the organization is similar to her passion in life: encouraging generations of women to grow in their relationships with Jesus Christ and live godly lives, both biblically and practically, through one-on-one mentoring. Karin loves God’s Word and the way it can be applied to all of life. She often reminds herself the Scriptures are His very voice and the only perfect thing we have here on earth! God has provided a powerful parallel in Scripture for Karin’s calling and the vision and purpose for WING, surprisingly based on a man rather than a woman. His name is Nehemiah. Just like him, Karin left a civic position to carry out a spiritual calling. After working for the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce as their Special Events Director for over a decade, she launched WING, which she had been developing on the side during her career at the Chamber. WING is Karin says: “In developing this mentoring ministry over the last 13 years, we have come to see the parallel of Nehemiah’s God-given task and the mission of WING Minisencouraging tries. Nehemiah led his brethren to rebuild the walls around Jerusalem for protection and to remove the reproach of surrounding nations. Likewise, WING is encouraging generagenerations of tions of women, both biblically and practically, through one-on-one mentoring, to guard against the worldly influences that can infiltrate their Christian lives, thus preserving and women to guard strengthening their very relationships in the workplace, in friendships and at home. against the worldly WING sees our mentoring concept as one of ‘preventive maintenance—we don’t always have to learn the hard way.’ And yet, in those times when we do, it is by God’s grace that influences that can a rebuilding can take place.” When implementing WING, a church or para-church organization uses the W ING Ministries ‘How to’ Handbook and develops a multi-generational leadership team to adinfiltrate their minister this six-month ministry. They pair young women in their 20s or 30s with women aged 40 and older and organize five gatherings for all the matched women to attend in Christian lives one of their homes. Mentoring is not new, but God has designed WING with its own uniqueness and purpose, which He continues to bring forth as the ministry evolves and grows. His heart for women to know His love, rely on the power of His Holy Spirit, remember His past faithfulness and find hope in Him alone are integral parts of WING. Karin explains the role of a mentor: “A Christian mentor provides many things for a younger woman on her life’s journey: biblical knowledge and wisdom, prayer, encouragement, accountability, sweet friendship and not the least of these, hope. When life inevitably presents times of distress, relationship challenges, loneliness or the unknown, a mentor can minister through remembering her own experiences. She can share memories of times when God was faithful to deliver, heal, comfort, supply, etc., and provide her with hope to carry on.” Whether sharing on the topic of Christian mentoring or any of the topics related to being a godly woman, Karin finds great joy in being a retreat speaker or in delivering shorter, devotional messages to churches and para-church organizations. In the last year and with the idea of being somewhat vulnerable, occasionally serious and randomly amusing, she started her own blog, “Bird’s-eye view by Karin,” which is turning out to be a “Titus 2” ministry focusing on the topics of DEV OTION—Jesus Speaking, HOME—Studio Living and RELATIONSHIPS—kg loving. Page 6
You can reach her at karin@wingministries.com and learn more about WING Ministries by visiting www.wingministries.com. Karin is available to speak at your next event through www.newim.org.
Focus on Ministry Partners ACTS—Actively Caring Through Sharing A Support Group for Women and Men Caregivers
Momma said, “Turn out those lights,” and we scurried around thinking of a million things we had to do, least of which was ending the day we wanted to last forever. It didn’t matter what day it was, we want them all to last forever when we’re children. Fast forward sixty, seventy, perhaps eighty years and those words come out of our mouths with sad and sobering meaning. I looked at my friend Jeanie as she bravely, slightly smiling but resolute in her encouragement to all of us listening say, “I remember the day when the light went out of my mother’s eyes. It happened overnight.” Beautiful, bright, shining, clever, stunning Mother Peggy, shortly after her 90th birthday party, slipped into what many of us are seeing in our parents—change. So is the background of the ministry God planted in the hearts of ACTS Founders, Sharon R. Melancon and Jeanie Harris. It started with caring for Aunt Lorraine, Peggy’s niece. The aging process was enough of a challenge; but they also had to deal with the legalities of their aunt having been taken advantage of by her tenant of over 30 years. It was a year of uncertainty and learning, filled with lawyers and continued diligence. Although Mother Peggy (93) lives next door to Sharon, sweet Aunt Lorraine (94) is in a skilled nursing facility 40 miles away, round trip. A caregiver has to be there whether the loved one acknowledges you or not: to monitor their care, wash clothes; tend to personal needs and the ongoing business of fees, insurance, medical, dental and grooming. When faced with providing care for another, the weight of the responsibility more than doubles the day to day stress. The pressure of managing the well being of a declining loved one as well as your own affairs can feel unbearable. Sharon leads off the meeting, “We are blessed to be a family that has worked together to care for our loved ones; both have Alzheimer’s disease. It takes sacrifice and hard work but we know it is for a “season.” How long that season will be, well, only God knows. As a family, we have supported one another on this journey but are aware so many do not have the support that makes the journey a little bit easier.” Sharon adds, “We found out the hard way how important it is to be an educated caregiver, hence the importance of resources which ACTS provides. You’ve heard it said, “A slow leak is better than a blow-out.” ACTS Purpose Statement reflects how we provide what caregivers need all along the way: ACTS is a support group for past, present and future caregivers, which provides encouragement, resources, prayer support and a safe place for sharing your true feelings. “We believe we have experienced all that we have in order to be a benefit and an encouragement to others,” says Jeanie. Please join other caregivers in a caring and understanding environment. Ask questions and get straight answers from people who have been there, learn creative and caring problem solving techniques and caregiving ideas. You are not alone on this journey! The Team: Sharon R. Melancon, Jeanie Harris and Vivian Edwards, daughters of Mother Peggy. Kym Harris, granddaughter of Mother Peggy. ACTS meetings are held on the third Saturday of each month from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm at the National Council of Negro Women Building, 3720 West 54th Street - Los Angeles, CA 90043 (July19, August 16, September 20, October 18, November 15, December 20). Contact: Sharon Melancon or Jeanie Harris jhembase-actscg@yahoo.com or 323296-2975.
Blessed be the God and Father or our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in our entire affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (ESV).
Page 7
NEWIM 10004 Cork Oak Circle Oakdale, CA 95361 (714) 318-4321 Address Service Requested
From the Heart
Newsletter Editor: Tammy Tkach Email: tammy.tkach@gci.org VISIT US ON THE W EB: WWW. NEWIM. ORG
Come to the Springs November 12-14, 2014 Wednesday through Friday St. Anthony’s Retreat Center, Three Rivers, California For more details and to register online, visit us at www.newim.org
Is your email address correct? NEWIM is all about networking and we love to keep in touch! If you’re not receiving email from us, please take a moment to send your email address to info@newim.org. Don’t forget to add info@newim.org to your contacts list. We hate it when we go in your spam file!