Just Returned

This weekend I had the opportunity to attend a retreat with Pam Caprino at the Great Lakes Conference of the Covenant Churches. We bunked in the dorm at Mission Meadows and enjoyed the beautiful scenery of Chautauqua Lake. One of my favorite stolen pleasures of retreats is a quiet moment with the Lord and my Bible on a bench outdoors. Smelling the grasses of the woods, seeing the sunset on the lake, and hearing the water lap up on the shore all contribute to devotions that endear me more to spending time with the Lord. It was just what The Doctor ordered!

Is it Possible to have a No-Cost Retreat?

Let me tell you about an activity our women’s class had in July. My family gave me a birthday present that was a perfect fit for our gals: Chick Flicks: Dinner and a Movie! As we had decided to take a break from studies over the summer, we wanted to stay connected once a month with various activities. We knew we couldn’t spend a lot of money on restaurant food and theater tickets. But this book laid out all the plans for us to have a nite in!


Starting with the themes, 12 movies are listed for choosing your activity. Invitations are drawn out to copy and mail, recipes are listed with ingredients, and conversation topics are spelled out to enhance the experience. I was pleasantly surprised by the simplicity of planning our event because everything was explained so well.


Our society loves movies! By taking movies that Hollywood has produced and redeeming them for the Lord, we are applying our faith in places where The Light needs to be shown. The movie we watched, Fried Green Tomatoes, wouldn’t necessarily be one a pastor’s wife should recommend! But the discussion questions and Bible passages provided in the book helped us to uncover some real issues and talk about them openly. As a result, we shared at a deeper level and found release in those revelations. The lesson preparations included decorating ideas and the menu correlated with the movie. It was a great evening together.


How could this lead to a no-cost retreat? You could turn it into an overnighter at someone’s home. Everyone contributes to the food, and laughter abounds. It is also a good opportunity for outreach, as your neighbors and co-workers are a part of our movie-crazed culture. They would be curious about an event surrounding a movie!


See more info at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0764431145/wwwsallyfergu-20

Coming Up This Week

Friday night is the opening of Fireproof, a movie from the creators of Facing the Giants. If we can storm the box office that night, it will affect openings in other cities. Find out where it is showing near you, at http://www.fireproofthemovie.com/ and then grab an unchurched couple to go with you. It has the potential to impact marriages all across our country!


Saturday is a fundraiser at our church for a mission trip to Uganda. If you’re in the area, we’d love to have you join us for a special event for the gals!

The Heart of a Woman

Fashion Show and Brunch

Adornment from the Inside-Out!

10 am to 1 pm

$10 in advance; $12 at the door.

Busti Church of God

996 Forest Ave Ext

Jamestown NY 14701

Sally Ferguson

sallyswords@alltel.net

979 Southwestern Drive
Jamestown NY 14701

(716) 488-1254

Participate in Sally's Blogs:

http://sallyswords.braveblog.com
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