Last month, over 500 women from around (and beyond) the state of Iowa descended upon IRBC for a weekend of RENEWal! From sessions to snacks, crafts to coffee, and so much more: there was encouragement to be found all weekend in a variety of ways at the IARBC Women’s Renew Conference 2018.

The Ministry of the Word

Through the sessions and workshops, attendees were provided Biblicial instruction and help in several areas. Friday workshop topics included contentment (with Pastor Dave Callison) and prayer (Jen Burman). On Saturday morning, Professor Andy Stearns presented back-to-back workshops on the basics of Bible study. In the main sessions with Jen Burman, ladies were encouraged to love God, “Above All, With All, and For All.”  You can listen to any of these sessions here.

The Ministry of Women to One Another

The format of the Renew weekend, the lovely IRBC venue, and the atmosphere lovingly and purposefully created by Jill Blunk and her Renew Committee, provided lots of opportunity for women to develop deeper relationships with one another. Marcia Johnson shared this testimony…

The Ladies of Calvary Baptist, Grinnell had a wonderful time at Renew!  The testimonies shared on the Sunday night following Renew were filled with thanksgiving for the time of fellowship (both at camp and on the ride up and back in the church van), walking the new trail and checking out the new decks along that trail, and learning more about “Loving God with all your Heart, Soul, and Mind.”  The workshops on “Prayer” and “Contentment” were really appreciated too. We took lots of walks, did some shopping at the Faith Bookstore and Camp Gift Shop, talked and laughed a lot and even stayed up late Friday night playing a game! Thanks to all who helped plan and organize the Renew Conference!  It was a blessing!

It is our prayer that God used His Word and the Renew weekend to encourage individual women and will continue to use the effects to strengthen church families as a result. If you haven’t been to Renew, please consider coming next year, and bringing women from your local church with you! We are excited to have Faith Taylor back with us next year. Mark your calendars for September 6-7, 2019!