Monday, April 13, 2009

God's Vision - The Details As He Gave Them to Joy


Over the summer months, my husband Alvin and I continued to meet with Ken and Carolee. As we met with them, we decided that we (each couple) would write out the vision for ministry as God had laid it on our hearts. Theirs was for pastoral retreat ministry and ours was for women’s retreat ministry.
I had asked God if HE would define His vision for me ~ and when I sat down to type, it all came. From God’s lips to my hands…this is what God had given to me back when He first laid the Vision on my heart:
It will be a home, located within the city of Winnipeg, that women from all walks of life, could “retreat” to ~ to take the time out of their full lives, to be RENEWED through the time away ~ REFUELED through the quietness that the home has to offer ~ and REFRESHED in a retreat setting, away (for a time) from full and busy lives. It is a place where women can draw near to the “source” Jesus Christ. A place where they can seek Him and rest in Him. A place for thirsty and parched women to be refreshed by the living water that Jesus offers. A place where their faith can be strengthened and stretched, or perhaps for some, where they can come to know Jesus in a new and real way. The retreat house will be a place where women can come to pray or to be prayed with. The time at the house will allow for wonderful discovery, as women can “be still and know that HE IS GOD!!”
This is the Vision that God entrusted to me. The retreat house is to be a place that feels warm, inviting and welcome. A place that offers peace and rest. A place where cell phones are checked at the door. A place where each woman attending gets her own room for daily and/or overnight stay if they desire. The house will be a place of resources. A place where women can come, step out of the hustle and bustle for a time, and just “be”.
The retreat house will also be a light in the community. To this end we would like to offer times when the house would be available for women’s coffee evenings, or bible study. The house is to be a place of retreat. It is not a women’s shelter, although there may be women that come to be “sheltered” from the busy and hectic lives that they live.
Some added dimensions of the retreat house may include some or all of the following:
  • a newsletter that is available to women
  • workshops/bible studies/small retreats on weekends
  • community bible study for women
  • availability of using the space on weekends for ladies groupings
  • the availability of a Christian counselor (on request)
  • the availabilty of a massage therapist (on request)
  • and more as God leads and the Vision develops!
Today, some 8-9 years later, I see that God has not changed much about the original plans He gave to me. There have been just a few changes, but stay tuned ~ we will talk about these changes later, the obvious one is that we will be 15 minutes from the edge of North Kildonan, instead of being right in the city limits! God is in control. I am but a vessel!!

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