Blog - Page 18 of 66 - Retreat-in-a-Bag 18

The Importance of a Name

Posted by Debby on October 28, 2014

I was planning to write a blog concerning specific ways we can show our women that we care about them. I still may do that. But I heard this song (from a 1980’s sitcom) again this week, and I think the lyrics hit the nail on the head as far as “step one” in caring for our women.

You may recognize these familiar lyrics:

Sometimes you want to go

Where everybody knows your name…

And they’re always glad you came…

You wanna be where you can see your troubles are all the same…

You wanna be where everybody knows your name.”

I think that song writer was onto something! Maybe the very first way that we can show our women that we care is by learning their name….and letting them know that we are glad they came…and being open and honest so they know that they are not alone in their struggles.

How can we create that caring atmosphere in our women’s ministries? I know we all want it–we want everyone to feel welcomed and comfortable in a safe environment that encourages open sharing. I think it has to start in our leadership and trickle down from there. We as leaders need to do what it takes to learn names and go out of our way to welcome people. We need to be open and honest about our daily walk and daily struggles and temptations so that we can all come to the foot of the cross together in weakness and humility.

Posted in: Developing Leadership, Inspirations, Little Things Make a Big Difference!, News & Information

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It’s a “Props” Time of Year

Posted by Debby on October 21, 2014

October is coming to a close. I would be remiss if I didn’t remind you that this is prime time for finding those skit props that you need. When it comes to skits for women’s retreats and events, I am a minimalist. I’m not big on elaborate costumes, sets and props. As I’ve said before, one of my favorite props is the simple hat, which can define your character without major make-up or costuming.

That said, with all the party stores stocked to the brim for Halloween, this could be a great time for you to grab a few hats or props that could be useful in the future. And don’t forget those after-holiday sales!

Remember, you want your props to be larger than life so that your audience can see them from a distance. Some examples of things to have on hand are:

Oversized money, glasses or sunglasses
Various hats (captain hat, safari hat, cowboy hat, straw hat, sailor hat, hard hat, etc.)
Simple props like a judge’s gavel, large magnifying glass, etc.

Our next skit has just been written for our upcoming retreat (theme: “Hidden Riches”). This skit will revolve around miners, and we just found plastic “hard hats” for our miners. We will be looking for large “gem stones” this week, too.

Posted in: News & Information, Skits

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The Skit Read-Through

Posted by Debby on October 14, 2014

The skit is written for our upcoming women’s retreat. This weekend we met for our skit read-through. This is a valuable process, which takes you from “draft” to “final” format. The earlier you can cast your skit and get everyone together for the first read-through, the better. Everyone was given the skit draft to read ahead of time.

Who was invited:

All ladies who had agreed to be a character in the skit
A friend I know to be gifted in visualizing a set and coming up with props
The “director” (that was me!)
Any understudy for leading parts (we don’t have any this time)

What we did:

We prayed – for ourselves, for the skit, for creativity in planning and revision, and for the retreat itself
We read through the skit, with everyone in character. Everyone was free to give input at this point on their character and dialogue. We especially pay attention to any inconsistencies or unrealistic dialogue and make corrections.
We keep careful track of any changes, of props that are needed, etc.
After reading through it, we discuss options for props and settings. Since we have no budget for our skits, we have to keep costumes, sets and props simple and inexpensive; often one of us has something at home that will work.

Finally, I made changes in the draft, marked it as “final” and sent it to everyone.

I will be talking more about how we make this work in later blogs as we get closer to the retreat!

Posted in: Retreat and Event Planning

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First Responders

Posted by Debby on October 7, 2014

“First Responder” was a term that really became part of our vernacular in the last 15 years or less. The first rescue personnel to arrive at the scene of an emergency or disaster are commonly referred to as “first responders.” But “first responder” is also a general term for all emergency service personnel who are expected to respond to medical emergencies or large-scale disasters and the skilled support personnel who provide immediate support during recovery operations. These people are trained to move quickly to the scene of an accident or disaster. Often, they are “on call” and must be ready at a moment’s notice.

I wonder if God would consider us one of His “first responders?” Does He know that He can call on us at a moment’s notice, and we will be ready to obey? Are we a tool that He can use should the need arise? God promises to equip those He calls. I Thess. 5:24 says “He who calls you is faithful, who will also do it.” In other words, if the Lord calls you to do something, He will also equip us and give us the wisdom, strength and power to do it.

But there is the little issue of our willingness and availability. Do we delay obedience by considering whether or not to obey? Let’s be known to God as one of His “first responders.”

Posted in: Developing Leadership, Inspirations, News & Information, Realities of Ministry

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What You Can Do with Cardboard

Posted by Debby on September 30, 2014

Cardboard can be an amazing resource for women’s ministry, and it is worth finding a few places where you can pick it up cheap, or even better, free. Cardboard is thrown away daily at big box stores like Costco. I worked in a showroom which regularly got rid of wonderful large pieces of cardboard. Cardboard is easy to work with, light-weight, and you don’t feel bad throwing it away when you have used it.

We have all used cardboard for signage. But consider cardboard for use as backdrops and props for skits. one of our talented prop designers taught me this trick: use duct tape to finish the edges your cardboard. Fold it over the edge, and it makes for a finished look and borders the sign, backdrop or prop. Note the edging on the sign below.

Posted in: Money-Saving Tips, News & Information, Resources, Retreat and Event Planning, Skits

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