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Motivating, Open, Understanding, Navigating, Transforming, Accepting, Inspiring, Never-ending, Embracing, Empowered, Righteousness, Succeeding
Romans 12
2011 National Gathering for Girls
July 16-22, 2011
Green Lake Christian Conference Center
Green Lake, Wisconsin
Faith to move mountains…. Coming to the mountain…. Having a mountaintop experience…. Come to the 2011 National Gathering for Girls and be a Mountaineer! Through meaningful Bible study, worship celebrations, inspiring hands-on mission experiences, and great friendships—new and old—with girls and women from all over the U.S. and Puerto Rico, we’ll find out what it means to be a Mountaineer in our faith.
Calling all American Baptist Women and Girls of Oregon!
Scholarships are available for girls who would like to attend this event. Four girls and two chaperones will receive full registration amounts for the 2011 National Gathering for Girls in Green Lake, WI.
Do you have a girl in mind? Please contact Trudi Bils at
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as soon as possible! |
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The Holiday 2010 ABWM Newsletter |
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“Gold is the color of the morning sun" |
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Good Tuesday dear friends!
“Gold is the color of the morning sun that shines so freely on everyone”
So we sang Sunday morning during worship, knowing full well that all the sun we received during our women’s retreat weekend was of the liquid variety! But a little dampness did not dampen our spirits. Instead, it invigorated each woman. From personal sharing, to deep Bible study, to true confessions during games, to worshipful singing, to line dancing…this retreat had at all!
And all ages as well. Generational walls fell as young sat with old and shared thoughts, feelings, and experiences. That’s what a good meal at Camp Arrah Wanna will do: provide opportunities for koinonia on an intimate level.
Don’t feel bad if you didn’t make it this year. Just mark September on the calendar for 2011 and make up your mind to attend next year’s retreat.
Time marches forward, and we are eagerly looking toward ABCO’s Annual Gathering, Friday – Sunday, October 22 – 24. The rich history of ABCO is celebrated each time an Annual Gathering happens. This year’s gathering will be no exception. History provides fodder for the future; looking back offers encouragement and instruction. As ABCO moves forward, God’s plan for His people continues to unfold in new ways. Let’s gather together as an ABCO family should, and celebrate new momentum in the 21st century. New is good!
Our White Cross mission trip looms closer, and hopefully you and your church are gathering items for Rainbow Ranch. Monday – Sunday, November 1 – 7, will find ABCO women (and men) on the road to Rainbow Acres in AZ to personally deliver White Cross gifts. We’ll enjoy a tour of the facilities and meet ranchers. We’ll gain a much greater appreciation for this good ministry. And as an added plus, we’ll meet up with American Baptists in other regions along the way, for prayer, fellowship and perhaps even a good meal.
I will send out another email with specific information about this trip, including approximate costs and routes. Please prayerfully consider if this opportunity is for you.
Finally, may I recommend a book I stumbled upon at First Portland last week when exploring the wonderful library there? Chasing Francis, A Pilgrim’s Tale, by Ian Morgan Cron (Navpress). Published in 2006, the book caught my eye because the back cover read: “Postmodern insights from a Premodern Saint”. If you, like me, are interested in how God is gently prodding His church toward change for a new era, you’ll find this book a good read. The life of St. Francis of Assisi is explored on a basic level and a study guide in the back provides great questions for discussion. You can find this at Amazon.com for under $7.00 a copy.
Whew! Long-winded today, and I apologize!
May God fill your week with Divine Appointments.
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God's Been Talking to Me . . . About You! |
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 Hello Dear Sisters!
For some reason you thought it good to suggest I fill Margie Ogden’s shoes as the 2010 - 2013 President of American Baptist Women of Oregon. No great credentials here; however I am a woman, an American Baptist, an Oregon resident and a lover of Christ. I guess I carry the basic qualifications!
More than that, however, I am learning to listen. Like you, it’s been a life-long process. The more I hone my quiet skills, the better I become at hearing His voice. Used to be, He’d have to holler with thunder and lightning to get my attention. But I’m growing up, getting older, keeping the batteries fresh in my hearing aids, and learning to pay close attention.
And you’d never guess who He’s been whispering about. It’s YOU! My God is very concerned about and madly in love with YOU…His beautiful daughters. You may think He has forgotten you, not interested in you, mad at you, or even abandoned you. But fear not, little ladies. You are at the very top of His priority list!
His whispers have contained instructions to me. I have been appointed to give you a back rub, a foot massage, a manicure, a cheesecake, a hug. I will comply, so please allow me to serve you. My calendar is an open book, waiting to be filled with visits to your churches, homes, Bible studies, ladies groups, evening meetings, pot lucks. Please invite me to share with you and yours a little bit of His love. You may call me (402-312-5982) or email me (
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). I look forward to the opportunity!
At the moment I am filling my love tank at the American Baptist Women’s 2010 Board meeting and Conference in Columbus, OH. Helen Pearson, the new Willamette Association President will be joining me here soon. Together we’ll be plotting fun, new adventures for God’s Oregon AB women.
Which reminds me: there are three great, upcoming ministry opportunities that excite me to the core. Put them on your prayer list, and ask God how YOU might become involved.
First, please, please, please put the ABW Retreat in your calendar and plan to attend with a newbie! Friday, September 17 – Sunday, September 19. You’ll LOVE the subject matter and guest speaker, not to mention all the other fun and fluff to enjoy. More information will come your way soon.
Second, American Baptists’ Annual Gathering happens on Friday, October 22 – Sunday, October 24, this year in Medford at Eastwood Baptist. As with the retreat, you’ll be receiving more info on this as well. If you have never attended an Annual Gathering, perhaps this could be the year you discover how meaningful the Gathering can be.
Third, this year’s White Cross will focus on Rainbow Acres in Arizona, where our own Rev. Chris Roush is now ministering. Rainbow Acres will provide with a list of much-needed supplies which we will gather, pack, and transport to AZ in person! That’s right…this year we will hand-deliver our White Cross gifts. While there, we’ll have opportunity to tour and minister under the direction of Rev. Roush. Anyone is welcome; the dates to remember are Monday, November 1 – Saturday, November 6.
I’ll answer questions about each of these events when I visit with you, and will be sending out specific information on each. Please watch your email or mailbox.
Blessings, my sisters. May the Love of Christ keep you safe, move you forward, and fill your hearts with peace.
Your new ABWM President,
Trudi Bils |
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Vision
Every American Baptist church shall have a vital women's ministry program that empowers women and girls to become and develop as God's person, build God's faith community, and serve God's world.
Purpose
As servant leaders, we serve American Baptist churches by encouraging existing vital ministries with women and girls and empowering churches to build such ministries.
Core Values
Our ministry is based on certain non-negotiable values that form a foundation and criteria for all that we do.
- We provide Christ-centered ministries.
- We strive for excellence in all we do.
- We practice faithful stewardship.
- We are relevant for women today.
- We assure that our diversity (clergy/lay, age, geographic, and racial/ethnic representation) as a denomination is represented in our ministries.
- We affirm and encourage the use of spiritual gifts.
- We recognize the worth of all women and girls.
- We value our American Baptist family relationships.
Organizational History
American Baptist Women's Ministries became a national organization 1951, with the formation of the National Council of American Baptist women. But women's ministries in our denomination began long before 1951. For well over a century, women have been strong partners in the American Baptist family-raising money for missions at home and abroad, sending missionaries, and ministering in local churches and communities.
Through the years, women have shaped their ministries to meet emerging needs. The Woman's Baptist Society, organized in 1871 (the forerunner of the Woman's American Baptist Foreign Mission Society), focused on women in other lands. The Women's American Baptist Home Mission Society, formed in 1909, centered on evangelism in the United States. The World Wide Guild was established in 1915 to train, inspire, and empower girls for Christian ministry and leadership; it became a program of Educational Ministries. In 1992, AB Women's Ministries affirmed and accepted all responsibility for the girls' ministry and organized it as AB GIRLS.
The Meaning Behind Our Logo
The logo symbol for American Baptist Women’s Ministries is biblical. The woman depicted in the logo embodies the New Testament women who were among the first to know and believe that Jesus Christ is God’s son. They encountered the cross; their commitment deepened. Commitment leads to the waters of baptism. The woman steps from her baptismal waters confident in her belief in Christ and in her God-given talents and abilities. She carries the lighted lamp, serving the Christ of the empty cross, the light of the world.
The symbol portrays unity. The cross resembles the cross in the American Baptist Churches logo. AB Women’s Ministries is part of the larger church body. The water, symbolizing baptism, unites Christians. The water also symbolizes the oceans and rivers of the earth that connect us with sisters and brothers around the world and reminds us of our global interdependence.
The symbol is filled with life. In the cross there is new life in Jesus Christ. Water sustains physical life. The living water in the person of Jesus Christ is life. The woman, a life-giver herself, carries the light and lift of Jesus into the world. |
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