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Ladies’ Advance Raises Money for Philippines Seminary

By October 21, 2014No Comments

LadiesAdvance2_inlineJOHNSON CITY, N.Y.—This year’s Ladies’ Advance encouraged not only attendees, but women across the globe. Ladies met at First Baptist Church Sept. 26 and 27 for this annual retreat, hosted by the Empire State Fellowship of Regular Baptist Churches, and, for the first time, raised money for a cause.

In keeping with the theme “Storms Happen: Are You Covered?” Barb Klumpp showed photos of the devastation that resulted from Typhoon Haiyan on Nov. 8, 2013, and shared the needs of students at Bukidnon Fundamental Baptist Seminary in the Philippines. Barb and her husband, Philip, are teachers at the seminary and missionaries with the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism. Responding to these needs, the women at the retreat raised $4,000. One semester at the school costs $150, so the funds will pay for 26 semesters, plus enable the purchase of Daily Bread for people in the hospital.

Barb was one of the workshop leaders for the retreat. Those who attended her workshop learned how to reach across cultures to share the gospel. Hers was one of nine workshops that women could choose to attend. Others focused on photography, organization, marriage, special-needs kids, grief, building your faith, forgiveness, and encouragement in the church.

Joanna Arp was the featured speaker. Pointing to two psalms, she taught the women how to pray when the storms of life hit. The women also had fun visiting a photo booth and hearing Esther Frustino’s humorous spin on the storms of life in the skits that she presented. Women have many faces, she says, including taxi driver, chef, and psychiatrist. Debby Thomson of First Baptist Church, Horseheads, N.Y., says Esther’s skits taught her that “women are blessed by Christ as ‘helpers’ in various situations over a lifetime. . . . Through the pleasurable and painful parts of life, the Lord is faithful in providing us with strength, courage and humor through Him.”