Ladies Get Refreshed away from Home

HAGERSTOWN, MD.—It’s autumn: Crisp, cool temperatures. Glorious color. Falling leaves. Retreating women. All over the country, women from GARBC churches enjoy getting away for a weekend of Christian fellowship, encouragement, and fun. On September 24 and 25, ladies in the DelMarVa (Delaware, Maryland, Virginia) fellowship retreated to the Skycroft Conference Center outside Hagerstown, Md. Speakers for the retreat included Jeannie Vogel, who travels with her husband, Jim Vogel, associate national representative of the GARBC. Jeannie spoke on “Letting God Use Your Weakness for His Glory” and “Understanding God’s Work behind the Scenes of Life,” both from her new Bible study, Accepting the Challenge: Leadership Lessons from Moses, written for women in Christian leadership. Holly Hammons, pastor’s wife of Grace Baptist Church, Laurel, Md., spoke on Titus 2 during two general sessions. Jeannie says Holly’s sessions on Titus 2 were excellent. Holly says: “I don’t know how much we take the responsibility of mentoring each other as it’s laid out in Titus 2. Those words weren’t given just arbitrarily to Titus; they were given with great purpose. When the older woman has the four qualities, she has the life platform to teach the seven other qualities to the younger women in the church.” She hopes the ladies will pray about what they heard. “Once we have a burden and start praying about it, the Lord starts directing our path to do something,” says Holly. On Saturday she led a praise time that she found personally uplifting. Jeannie Vogel enjoyed a time of hearing what God has done in women’s lives. “One woman suffered from depression for years until she turned her life over to God and He healed her. Another woman uses her cancer as a platform to tell people about Christ. Another woman has a ministry to young girls on her horse farm,” says Jeannie. The retreat was emceed by Tonya Talley, pastor’s wife of Grace Baptist Church, Hurlock, Md. Tonya especially enjoyed the fellowship of being with other Christian women. She says the retreat is a getaway for mothers and a rare treat to spend time with other Christian ladies.