The countdown is on to grab your early bird tickets of a bargain £8. On Monday 1st August ticket prices go up to £10. Don’t miss out! You have 4 days to get them! That extra £2 will be a valuable contribution towards your lunch on the day or could be used towards a fabulous book from the bookstall.
Tickets can be purchased from Eventbrite here – tinyurl.com/swbc16tix
On Monday’s we like to draw your attention to certain aspects of the Scottish Women’s Convention. For the next few weeks we’ll be telling you a bit more about the range of Seminars that are on offer.
Name – Sharon Dickens
Lives – Niddrie, Edinburgh
What is the title of your seminar at the Scottish Women’s Convention?
The title that I have been given is Endurance – running the race when the going is tough.
What is the seminar about?
I need to give it more thought but probably ‘How to keep on keeping on when life and ministry sucks!’
Who is the seminar for?
Any women who isn’t a deluded Mary Poppins wanna be – “Practically perfect in everyway”
Why is this area important?
Life is full of struggles we can’t avoid them basically there are times when it out right sucks. We need to learn how to run the race with endurance, relying on God and in doing so grow in our faith. We also need to teach young women how to do this well. Far to often as older women we perpetuate this Mary Poppins myth that we are practically perfect in every way and in life nothing phases us or is going wrong, it’s the “I’m Fine” syndrome magnified. We all know it’s not true or helpful.
On Thursday’s we want to give you an insight into the lives of some of the women involved in the Scottish Women’s Convention. Some of these women are involved in full time ministry in the local Church, while others balance serving in the church with a secular job.
We sent them a questionnaire asking them to give us a taste of what they do, the challenges they face .
Meet Sharon…Sharon lives in Niddrie, Edinburgh.
What area of ministry do you work in?
I’m Director of Operations and Women’s Ministry with 20schemes it’s a ministry of my church Niddrie Community Church.
How did you come to work in this particular area of ministry?
I have worked in the community primarily with families and people who have experienced homelessness for over 26 years. I was a member of Niddrie Community Church when Mez McConnell took over as our minister he asked me to be part of the Niddrie Pastoral Team initially as a community development worker. For over 8 years I primarily worked at establishing, training and co-ordinationing the women’s ministry.
When 20schemes was launched In Nov 2012 I was asked to take on the role of Director for Women’s ministry so that I could focus and develop the women’s ministry as well as and train the women workers. In April 2015 I also took on the responsibility to oversea the administration team UK and USA changing my job title to Director of Operations and Women’s Ministry so have a duel role.
Give one great challenge and one great joy of working in gospel ministry?
My great joy is that I get to mentor and disciple women who are in ministry as they mentor women, new believers, in the schemes. This is would also be, I would say, one of the greatest challenges as well as they struggle in their roles. I find it challenging the responsibility I have as an older women speaking into their lives. I feel the challenge for my own life even as I listen to my own words challenging them.
What one thing has the Lord been teaching you about yourself and himself in recent times?
Sharon will be leading a seminar at the convention. Next week we will share more details of her seminar.
On Monday’s we like to draw your attention to certain aspects of the Scottish Women’s Convention. For the next few weeks we’ll be telling you a bit more about the range of Seminars that are on offer.
Name – Leonie Poole
Lives – Sileby – a large village situated in the Soar Valley between Leicester and Loughborough
What is the title of your seminar at the Scottish Women’s Convention?
The working title is “”Ordinary fuel for running the race” though I have been pondering “Ready Brek for the soul” – probably breach of copyright there! Perhaps “Porridge for persevering pilgrims?”
What is the seminar about?
The seminar is about how we keep going as Christians, how we keep running the race – what has God provided for us that we need to take hold of? We will discover how God’s word, His fatherly goodness to us and our communion with him in prayer, our brothers and sisters in Christ and our fellowship with them and giving and receiving in service and day dreaming about heaven will keep us running the race til the end.
Who is the seminar for?
For any one who has ever felt like giving up on the Christian life– whether due to failure, fatigue, faithlessness and anyone who is running well at the moment but is conscious that none of us are promised that following Jesus will be easy.
Why is this area important?
The longer I have been a follower of Jesus, the more I see that it is the ordinary life, the day to day keeping on that is often the silent killer of faith. Crisis of faith, tragedy – they make us more aware of the testing times, but in the day to day slog we become complacent. Yet this is where the battle is fought too. And sometimes we have been guilty of giving the pat answer “Just read your Bible, pray and go to church.” Which I endorse entirely – but I want to remind people why God has given us these gifts for our perseverance and why we should keep coming back to them with renewed joy and delight.
Besides your seminar, what one thing about the Scottish Women’s Convention are you looking forward to and why?
Being back in the homeland, catching up with dear friends who I don’t see often and being encouraged by their perseverance. I have been involved with the Midlands Women’s conventions over the last couple of years and I am keen to encourage this convention in Scotland, knowing how helpful it has been to women in the Midlands. And maybe having chance to enjoy a sneaky white pudding supper while I’m there!
On Thursday’s we want to give you an insight into the lives of some of the women involved in the Scottish Women’s Convention. Some of these women are involved in full time ministry in the local Church, while others balance serving in the church with a secular job.
We sent them a questionnaire asking them to give us a taste of what they do, the challenges they face .
Meet Leonie…Leonie lives in Sileby – a large village situated in the Soar Valley between Leicester and Loughborough.
What area of ministry do you work in?
My official title is “schools and children’s work co-ordinator for the United Benefice of Sileby, Cossington and Seagrave”! Which means I am responsible for teaching children about Jesus: on Sundays in XTB – our Sunday groups, during the week in school assemblies – we have 4 primary schools, in toddler groups, youth groups, after school club and summer holiday club and it’s termly follow up sessions on Sunday afternoons.
How did you come to work in this particular area of ministry?
I had the good news about Jesus taught to me from a young age at Sunday school, camp, after school club, youth group – I think that is where my passion for ministry with children really began!
As a student I worked with UCCF as one of the very first Relay workers, enjoyed working with students but felt ill-equipped so then did the Cornhill course in London – a year spent learning how to teach the Bible. I didn’t really have a plan, I just knew I wanted to teach the Bible – I was employed by a group of churches in rural Essex as an apprentice and did mainly youth and children’s work there for 3 years and I’m still doing it 18 years later, having ministered in churches in Burton on Trent, Aberdeen and now back in the Midlands.
Give one great challenge and one great joy of working in gospel ministry?
Sometimes I walk up the road to school thinking “I’m taking another assembly” when God kindly reminds me by his spirit that I am not just “taking an assembly” I am teaching the good news about Jesus to the lost . I stand in a long line of those who have sought to pass on the Good news, invited to take part in God’s great salvation plan. The challenge is always to keep the cross central, lifting your heart and mind to the spiritual realities as you live or sometimes slog, day to day on this earth. The great joy is that we do have good news of a great saviour to share and the reason I know is because he saved me and opened my eyes.
What one thing has the Lord been teaching you about yourself and himself in recent times?
I have been preparing Sunday school lessons from Luke’s gospel, about the people Jesus meets and interacts with and this has caused me to ponder about Jesus’ mission to the lost. Namely, that He has a heart for the lost as the very fabric of his being, it is his eternity’s work, love, labour, plan and delight to seek and save the lost. I am just a Johnny come lately to this game. I need to ask him in prayer to bring me up to speed with his plans and to humbly ask where I can serve. Which is a great comfort when I feel tired, don’t see much fruit, don’t have my faith in the right place, forget that God’s power is shown in weakness. He will never give up his mission til all his sheep are safely home. He could do this work without me but he chooses to use my bumbling efforts to bring about his plans. Who would ever have thought up such a plan?
Leonie will be leading a seminar at the convention. Next week we will share more details of her seminar.
scottishwomensbibleconvention.com 