Finding God

ST. CATHARINES, ONT.

Scott St. MB Church in St. Catharines was the site for the 36th annual Ontario MB Women's Missionary Service conference. The conference, held April 13, drew about 600 women from all regions of the province. Valerie Bell, the keynote speaker from Wheaton, IL, addressed the women on the theme, "Finding God in unexpected places". The morning topic dealt with the impact crisis has in our lives. Crisis reveals our true beliefs, and crisis opens our spiritual receptors to God with resulting spiritual benefits. God wants to solve our spiritual crisis through our accepting His plan of salvation and then having an ongoing relationship of seeking, trusting and knowing Him.

The afternoon topic focussed on how our spiritual disability affects our locating God. Often our blessings can come through messy situations or through small touches of grace on many levels. God has a creative plan to turn difficult circumstances into good.

Special music by ladies' groups from the Grantham and Vineland churches, and by the worship team leading congregational singing, added a spirit of worshipful anticipation.

Benefits of a day like this are many. One is the annual opportunity to connect with acquaintances, friends and relatives. Another is that young mothers can leave the responsibility of child care to others and be free to concentrate without distraction on the Word of God.

Listening to Karin Willms and Louise Willms of Scott St. MB Church share in the invocation times, and Gwen Narimalla of New Covenant Christian Fellowship, Scarborough, and Pam Pauls of Fairview MB Church, St. Catharines, share their personal testimonies, helped those present become acquainted with pastors' spouses new to the province.

Camp Crossroads, Niagara Life Centre of St. Catharines and MB pastors in Zaire benefited from the offering that was taken during the day.

The annual conference becomes a spiritual highlight of the year for many of the women attending.

Marian Loewen

Return to the M.B. Herald Vol. 35, No. 13 Home Page