What started as a weekend of planning, serving, and preparing became so much more.

It was a September filled with meaningful conversations, laughter, connection, and moments that reminded me once again of how deeply God meets us in community.

The first weekend was incredible. My friend, Regina Bartlett, was the keynote speaker, and this year’s theme was “Choose Faith Over Fear.”

God spoke through every worship and keynote session, every seminar, morning devotion, conversation, and even in our bunks at night.

More than 170 women came and stayed with us that weekend. I love watching them arrive with such anticipation of what is in store. Their excitement to be there is contagious! It is so much fun to greet them and help them sign up for the activities they want to participate in.

And then there is worship.

Worship is always amazing. We are blessed to have such wonderful worship teams at Camp Berea, and this year, Amanda Mammana led us.

I LOVE listening to all the ladies worshiping the Lord. It has to be one of my favorite sounds in the world. Their voices fill the entire gymnasium, and there is something so beautiful about hearing more than 170 women lifting their voices together.

Then the Word comes.

Saturdays are filled with eating, sitting under the Word, afternoon activities, seminars, and, this year, karaoke!

But one of the highlights of Saturday night for me happened away from the gymnasium.

I was invited to “the porch.”

A group of ladies invited me into their space to share life and conversation with them. I was so blessed by this simple invitation to be part of their circle.

But what happened next brought happy tears to my eyes.

Because it was dark outside, they had a lantern that they passed around the circle. Whenever someone was talking, the lantern lit up her face so I could see her and read her lips.

They didn’t have to do that.

But they did.

And because they did, I wasn’t sitting on the outside of the conversation. I was a real part of the night. A real part of the circle. A real part of their community.

That was so special to me, and it is something I will never forget.

Connections were made. Phone numbers were exchanged. Friendships began.

And when the women went home, they took with them more than memories from a weekend away. They left filled, refreshed, encouraged, and connected to Jesus and to one another in a deeper way.

The Second Weekend

The second weekend brought a different keynote speaker, Tammie Haveman.

Tammie is a humble and powerful speaker, and she connected with the ladies so beautifully. Once again, God used every part of the weekend to speak, encourage, and draw people closer to Himself.

This weekend was filled with familiar faces and new ones.

Again, it was such a joy to watch the ladies worship and take part in the sessions. But what really stood out to me this weekend was the way God built community among the women.

We could see it everywhere.

And it was BEAUTIFUL!

New England believers from different churches were connecting, forming relationships, encouraging one another, and creating friendships they could take back into their everyday lives.

These are the things I take home with me and ponder in my heart.

God is moving in New England.

I had some sweet conversations with women who shared their hearts with me, conversations I will treasure. There were moments when I was simply reminded that sometimes the greatest gift we can give one another is our presence, our listening, and our willingness to sit together for a while.

One of my biggest takeaways from these weekends was the reminder that God is not only personal in our individual relationships with Him.

He is personal in places like Camp Berea, too.

I watched God meet these two groups of women in different and deeply personal ways. I watched Him speak to hearts, create connections, bring encouragement, and draw people into deeper relationship with Himself and with one another.

And I was impacted simply by being there to watch it happen.

The Team

Working on the team was such a joy.

I love this incredible team, and we worked so beautifully together. There was such a sweetness in the way we served alongside one another.

I don’t think I have ever experienced ministry quite like this, and I feel incredibly blessed to have been part of it.

As I look back on September, I realize that I didn’t just spend two weekends serving at a women’s retreat.

I witnessed community.

I witnessed connection.

I witnessed women making space for one another.

And I witnessed God moving among His people.

What a gift it was to be there.

It all went by so fast, and I will miss being there for the third weekend but I know God will once again meet them all in a very personal way and He will continue building His Kingdoms here in New England.

I want to encourage you if you have never gone to a Camp Berea Women’s retreat weekend, I highly recommend it. If you have never checked out Berea Ministries I encourage you to do that.

How has your September been? I would love to hear your stories!