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Decorating for the Glory of God

Posted by Debby on March 27, 2019

In the list of spiritual gifts in the Bible, the “gift” of decorating is not mentioned. It is, however, a gift the God can use!

Decorating is not my gift–I’ll freely admit that. While I appreciate decorations and look in awe at those to whom decorating comes naturally, I could be content with a “bare bones” event or retreat. While there is a value to simplicity, who who am I to prevent those who want to serve the Lord with their decorating talents? Decorations truly can reinforce and enhance your event theme.

Use those women who have that gift! Share your vision with them. You may have to pull on the reins a bit, due to budget concerns or time restraints, but if they are willing to work within the parameters you set, let them go for it! God gave them that creativity to use for His glory.

Posted in: Retreat and Event Planning, Decorations, Developing Leadership, Ingredients for a Great Retreat, Lessons Learned, Little Things Make a Big Difference!, News & Information

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Why Not?

Posted by Debby on September 19, 2017

As retreat season ramps up into high gear, I have some thoughts for your planning committee:

Why not do promise verse for your attendees? By the way, we now have a free downloadable list of promises here.
Why not have a hospitality table?
Why not have a book table?
Why not have a book donation table?
Why not try a skit? Start small with a short skit and see what your women think! Check our our free downloadable skits here.
Why not plan a quiet time study for your women? See what we have available for free download here, or write your own!
Why not begin with a time of reflection and end with a time of reflection?
Why not plan to give your girls a little remembrance? It could be as simple as a bookmark or a magnet. Check out other ideas on our website!

Posted in: Retreat and Event Planning, Book Table, Inspirations, Little Things Make a Big Difference!, News & Information, Retreat Remembrances, Skits

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Where Everyone Knows Your Name

Posted by Debby on August 8, 2017

I am reprinting a popular blog from a couple years ago. I thought it apropos as we all gear up for our fall women’s events!

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: Inspirations, Little Things Make a Big Difference!, News & Information

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The “WOW” Factor

Posted by Debby on June 6, 2017

Something I love: I love walking into a women’s event and, at my first glimpse of the room and its decorations, my first reaction is “WOW.” I love being surprised and excited about what is to come based on the look of the room. The world calls that “The WOW Factor.” I’m here to tell you that “The WOW Factor” does not require a huge decorating budget, which most smaller churches do not have.

What the “WOW Factor” does require is someone with vision who is willing to develop it within your working budget. We are a small church. Sometimes we may have a little left in our account from previous retreats or events which is available to use. We are trying to keep the price of the retreat down as much as possible, so we try to add as little as possible to the individual retreat price.

Here are a few ideas for creating a budgetary margin for decorations:

Offer table decoration for sale after the event
Add a small amount to the individual’s cost for the event designated to decorations
Use multi-purpose decorations that can double as give-aways
Use the crafting talents of your ladies to create what would be too expensive to purchase
Do focal point decorating

Posted in: Little Things Make a Big Difference!, Decorations, Money-Saving Tips, News & Information, Retreat and Event Planning

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The Top 6 Items to Have on your Retreat Hospitality Table

Posted by Debby on October 11, 2016

Every retreat should have a hospitality table where women can find items needed to make their retreat experience more comfortable and enjoyable. Women forget to pack essential items and things that they didn’t realize they would need, and we try to anticipate those items to have them available. We have our table of supplies in the back of the meeting space and during announcements, we point it out so women will know it is there.

After every retreat, we store unused supplies until the next year, when we replenish and expand our offerings, according to need.

We have miscellaneous items available, including umbrellas, pens, toothbrushes, Kleenex, etc. But from my observation, here are the six most popular items to have available at your hospitality table:

#6 -Earplugs – you can purchase these very cheaply, and they may help some ladies have a good night’s sleep in an unfamiliar setting with roommates.

#5 -Toiletries (of course) in sample sizes in case your women left home without them. If you retreat at a hotel, the hotel provides some of these things (shampoo, soap, etc.), but if you are in a camp-style venue, you need to have supplies such as shampoo/conditioner, soaps, toothpaste, lotions, etc.

#4-Feminine care products – this goes without saying. Women come unprepared!

#3- Throws – Venues are normally kept cool (even in the warmer months), which is acceptable for the majority of your women, but others will be uncomfortable and distracted because they are cold. If we could offer something for the middle-aged ladies who run hot, we would!

#2-Basic medical supplies – Tylenol and Ibuprophen, antibiotic creams, bandaids and throat lozenges are a must. If you are in a more rural setting, bug spray, Benedryl and calamine lotion may be indicated. We have even had pain relief patches available in our more recent retreats.

#1. Can you guess what #1 is? CHOCOLATE! Are you surprised? We always provide mints, hard candies, and small chocolates. Chocolates disappear first!

Posted in: Ingredients for a Great Retreat, Little Things Make a Big Difference!, Ministry at the Retreat, News & Information, Retreat and Event Planning

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