After months of planning and praying, the AFCM Team flew to Perth, Western Australia to hold the first WomenConnect mini-conference. We were very excited to be going, though we didn’t know what to expect. In the two weeks before the conference was held, the number of women attending doubled. We had over 40 women come to connect with each other and to God at this time of refreshment and encouragement.
On Friday night, AFCM Australia’s Assistant Director, Sue James, encouraged the ladies to work together across generational gaps. “The faith of the younger generation is not complete without the faith of the older. But the faith of the older has no purpose without the faith of the younger,” she said. Celebrating older generations accomplishments and pressing forward to begin to fulfill the new generation’s purpose, Sue reminded us that AFCM is a group of “generations touching nations.”s
Saturday morning was split into sessions that were meant to encourage the women attending with real-life stories and divine instruction.
Danielle Philippi and Anna Perlini-Tawo shared their life stories and testimonies with the ladies in an interview format facilitated by Marina Cook.
Eunice Smith reminded us that our purpose in life is not as important as who we are in Christ. “You are defined by who you are not by what you do,” she said. “Our humanity becomes Christ’s opportunity.”
Wendy Briggs gave us heaps of helpful information about mental health. She discussed the different types of mental disorders, what the symptoms are, and gave us examples of how the message of Christ has helped many of her patients. One woman who had been hearing voices was taught, through Wendy’s ministry, to tell them to “go in Jesus name” whenever she heard them. The woman came back the next day and said, “It works!”
Sue wrapped up the conference with a great message on crossing over. Elisha (2 Kings 2), Jacob (Genesis 32) and Joshua and the Israelites (Joshua 3) all had to make significant journeys where crossing over meant a change in direction for their lives. It was a choice that made a significant difference in their lives, a place where faith took over and they were able to move ahead with God’s plan.
A huge Thank You is due to Wendy Briggs and Kathleen Wall and to all the women who came to the conference with open hearts. We were tremendously bless by you, and hope you felt the same.
If you have any testimonies about what God did for you at the WomenConnect meeting, please email us or give the AFCM office a ring.
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The second weekend in October was probably just a normal weekend for most of the women around New South Wales. But for a small group gathered in Cowra, it was life-changing.
Seeing the need for a special time of fellowship, Jan Newton and Pastor Daga Le Leivre planned a cozy get-together for ladies in the Cowra area. Several of us from Sydney, Wollongong and even Cooma, made the trip to be a part of this special weekend.
“They’ve always come to us,” said Jan. “It was our turn to come to them.”
We gathered in a hall near the city centre, ladies of many ages, backgrounds and cultures. We enjoyed morning tea and lunch together in between wonderful ministry by Pastor MaryAnn Mansu and Rev Sue James. We were encouraged to wrestle with God – a form of intimacy, take off old coats to put on new ones and draw on the anointing that we had made room for.
This was my first time to visit the bush of rural New South Wales, and I, Danielle, was astounded by the hospitality I experienced while there. During the Saturday meetings, however, I also became acutely aware of the hunger for more of the Lord and of fellowship and the need for healing of some very deep wounds.
I was sitting up near the front of the hall, manning the “book” table—we were only selling one book—and it was almost lunch time, and a few ladies were milling around the room, but a few were up at the front being prayed for. As I sat there, I saw a lady crumpling a tissue in her hand and walked back to her seat, and it really struck me at that moment that this is what “it” is about. It’s about lives changing. It’s about bringing hope and healing to broken and bruised hearts. It’s about creating an atmosphere that reminds all of us that God is God, no matter what we’ve been through or where we’ve come from or who’s said lies about us or who we’ve said lies about. God is God. Forgiveness is forgiveness, and healing is healing. And we all experienced it together.
Having a women’s meeting on a Saturday morning is more than just a reason to get together for a good chin wag. It’s a way of finding accountability and encouragement in others who are around us—near or far—so that we can go to the rest of the world and bring them they same hope and healing and encouragement that we’ve encountered through and because of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
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