Perhaps you've heard about the True Woman events and the blessings they are to numerous ladies. Maybe you've listened as others have talked about their experiences at a True Woman conference. Or, maybe you've attended one or two yourself. But have you heard or prayed about hosting your own event?
Hosting a few friends for an evening get together can be stressful enough. Trust me, I know. For me, just finding the right snack for everyone to enjoy can be a struggle. So if you've ever thought, I'm just not the hosting type, then you're not alone. I'm the type that would never dream of hosting a True Woman event (or any event) at my church, that is, until I talked with Laura Schmalizried. Here's a little bit of her story.
A Message Worth Sharing!
Laura, a part-time nurse from Pennsylvania, attended Revive '11, a conference for women who are leaders in ministry, where she heard speakers, Nancy Leigh DeMoss, Crawford Loritts, and Susan Hunt. It was at this conference that Laura felt moved to share the messages she'd heard with the ladies of her church. So the following year, she helped organize a trip that would take her and over thirty ladies to True Woman 2012.
"After that conference, there was a core group of us that felt [like] we can't leave this good information here. We need to take it back to our church. We need to do a True Woman conference at our church," said Laura.
So after a lot of prayer, Laura and several other ladies at her church held a planning meeting and later hosted their first True Woman event in March 2013.
Overwhelmed by God's Blessings!
Though Laura had first prayed for thirty ladies to attend and later (after being encouraged by a message not to limit God in prayer) for 100, God brought 130 ladies to that first conference. During the conference, the ladies watched speakers on videos provided by Revive Our Hearts and met in groups to discuss each lesson.
Each small group turned out to be a beneficial time to discuss what they were learning. Every group had a leader who not only led discussions but also actively followed up with ladies after the event had finished.
"We don't want to just have an event. We are really looking toward ongoing growth and relationship," said Laura.
And that's exactly what's happening for Laura and the ladies at her church. They have recently hosted their second True Woman event this past February and are planning to host many more.
With everything online, basically the hardest part is figuring out which video to show.
When I first heard Laura say she and her church had hosted 130 ladies, I thought, How could anyone possibly manage that? And in all honesty, just a small part of me thought, Well, she's probably really organized and a natural leader (not like me at all). So when I asked her about the difficulties she had to deal with by hosting an event, I was thoroughly surprised at her response.
"Well, with everything online, basically the hardest part is figuring out which video to show." I think even I could manage that!
As I talked more with Laura, I discovered that hosting a True Woman event could be as easy as one, two, three.
One: Pray
- Pray that God would show you if you should host a True Woman event
- Pray that He would bring the right ladies to your event
- Pray that your church would be open to hosting an event
- Pray for wisdom, guidance, and grace if God should call you to host an event
- Pray for like-minded women to help you host an event
Two: Get the True Women Event Kit
Revive Our Hearts offers a free 200-plus page kit that equips you with customizable event schedules, themes, promotion materials, and your choice of your event's premiere speaker lineup from previous True Woman conference messages that are available for purchase on DVD or free by video stream or download.
Three: Host Your Event
Find a spot, invite the ladies, and let God bless the rest.
Have you attended a True Women event before? Have you hosted an event? Would you like to host one? I'd love to hear your stories, suggestions, and questions about True Women events!
Join the Discussion