But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved. (Heb. 10:39 NIV).
The East Central Baptist Association WMU Team hosted a GROW Night on Thursday, May 26th at Wasson Nursery in Muncie, Indiana. 30 women attended the event from 5 area churches and raised $720 for missions.
GROW stands for Go Reach Our World. The GROW Night was a mission focused event and brought our women together for the first time since the pandemic began two years ago. The evening was full of fellowship, laughter and God’s love as the women turned their hearts to the missionaries serving in all parts of the world. A refresher on the WMU organization was provided by Tami Hubler (ECBA WMU Coordinator) and the group participated in devotions from the Missions Mosaic magazine on God’s sacrificial love based on Genesis 22:1-19 (shared by Terra Haisley, Pastor’s Wife, Integris Church – Albany IN). The group thanked God for His commitment in bringing people from every tribe, nation and tongue to worship Him. Then prayers were lifted for new believers facing persecution within the KDD people group in northeastern Brazil and for each missionary listed with birthdays on May 26th.
Dinner was provided by Chick-fil-a and Wasson Nursery held a small class on potting plants and flowers. Then the women were turned loose in the nursery to choose 5-7 flowers or plants to plant in their own pot to take home. The women were instructed that each time they saw those flower pots, it was a reminder for them to pray for our missionaries.
“The event was an answer to prayer,” said Tami. “During the pandemic, our ECBA plans for local events were cancelled. At the beginning of the year, Carol Mohler (ECBA WMU Assistant) came to me yearning to restart WMU. After much prayer and discussion, we both felt that it was time to stop shrinking back because we feared that any remaining focus on missions would disappear. Without realizing it, we were in step with WMU’s Watchword scripture: Hebrews 10:39.” The GROW Night event was planned even though there was uncertainty within the ECBA WMU Team of how many women would attend due to lingering Covid concerns. The result: the event sold out at 30 women, $720 was raised for the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering, and a church requested more information on starting WMU.
Tami’s advice on restarting WMU in your own church? “Do something, anything. Pray for guidance and be obedient. Do whatever God is telling you to do and don’t overthink it. People are wanting to meet in person again, and it opens doors for sharing the gospel and supporting missions.”
The next ECBA WMU event is on Saturday, June 4th at Haltemann Village Baptist Church in Muncie, IN. This free event includes a basic overview of WMU, their programs and ideas on how to bring awareness and support for missions in the local church. A light breakfast will be served. For more information, contact Carol Mohler.