W-Life’s Spring Event   

The Display of His Splendor

Friday, March 19, 6:30 – 9:00 p.m.

Click here to register for this event

Ladies, we invite you to come expecting.  Expecting to worship with the W-Life worship team, hear stories that celebrate the joy of our salvation, and be in awe of God as we are filled with surprise and wonder at Him and His work in us and through us. Enjoy time and opportunities to work at a craft, peruse the Story & Art Galleries, and connect with each other.  Bring your friends so that they, too, will hear and see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!!

You, beloved daughter of God, are a display of His splendor, and we anticipate March 19^th being an evening of rejoicing as we discover His story in you, in us. 

There are 2 ways we need and welcome your participation:

Story Gallery

Share your salvation story—your testimony of trusting Jesus—to inspire and encourage others.  Type it or handwrite it on plain paper, stationery, or other creative background, but please keep it to the front of one page.  Submit it along with your picture so that we can add it to our Story Gallery.  What a joy it will be to read all the different ways that God calls us individually and uniquely into relationship with Him.  Here is an example submitted by Miriam.

These 3 questions may help guide your thoughts as you write:

·        What was your life like before Christ?    

·        How did you come to know Christ?

·        What difference has he made in your life?

Art Gallery

1. Because you are made in the image of a creative God, we would love to display the creativity He works through you. Submit a ceramic piece, painting, watercolor, photograph, quilt, cross-stitch, needlepoint, knitted piece, poem, etc. along with the God story that goes with that piece.  Here is Lynn’s story.

OR

2. Submit a photo of you doing something that, for you, invites His presence or where you have experienced Him uniquely.  Perhaps you are a runner, a dancer, a gardener, a nurse, or a volunteer and have a story of how you have experienced God’s presence while doing this activity.  We’d love to hear it and share it. (Remember to keep it to the front of one page!)  This is Shari’s story. 

Submit your salvation story or Art Gallery story with a photo to Zoe Hafner at zhafner@heritagecc.org, or leave it at the Women’s Ministry booth in the basket provided (we’ll check it daily). Please remember to keep all written submissions to the front of one page.

Contact Sandy Spettel at spettels@gmail.com for questions regarding the Art Gallery.

 Click here to register for this event.

Please celebrate with me the goodness of God and His provision for the Ministry of Rachel’s House through the generous giving of the women who attended our W-Life Christmas Dessert!! 

The message below is from Kristin Garrison, Director of Rachel’s House.

Good afternoon, Dear Friend!

Here is a summary of the amazing ministry opportunity Rachel’s House participated in at the Franklin Pre-Release Center last weekend—made possible only because of the generous offering that was collected at the Christmas W-Life Dessert! 

• With the money from the W-Life event, we purchased over 250 Christmas gifts, wrapping paper, and tape for the women in prison to give to their family members (mostly children and grandchildren).
• We delivered the toys and gifts to the prison last week; the inmates had set times during the week where they could come and “shop for” and “wrap” gift items for their family members.
• On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, the prison allowed family members to come to the prison, enjoy a Christmas dinner, and receive gifts from their incarcerated family member.
• Rachel’s House staff, residents, and volunteers were able to volunteer to serve at any of the 6 Christmas dinners and also see the gift exchange, as incarcerated moms gave their kids gifts like footballs, games, puzzles, baby dolls, trucks, cars, etc.
• In the past, incarcerated moms haven’t been able to give gifts to their children…you can’t imagine what an unexpected blessing this was to them.

Zoe, it was such a blessing and privilege for Rachel’s House to partner with Heritage for this ministry opportunity, and I pray that Rachel’s House is also a blessing to Heritage.   

When Marilyn and I were dropping off 3 industrial carts worth of Christmas gifts last week, some of the inmates helped us, and I can’t even begin to describe how excited they were when they saw all the gifts. They were speechless and wondered who was giving all of these gifts to women in prison?? It was incredible to communicate to them the love of Christ and other Christians who are praying for them and their children. Thank you for allowing us to be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ!

One of the women told me that this Christmas will be the best Christmas her kids have ever had, because she hasn’t ever been able to give her kids anything!

In addition, the Warden of the prison gave permission for our residents to go back into the prison and volunteer:  this is unheard of… and was such an example of grace.

I’ve heard from more than one of our residents that serving others at the prison has already made this the best Christmas that they’ve ever had.

~Kristin

Matthew 25:34

“Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in; I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”