www.creativeladiesministry.com

[5starmom]

Our ladies ministry is trying to think ahead because a few of our organizers will be having babies, etc. between now and January. The lady in charge wants to have a theme for a January event soon and I'm at a loss. She wants it to be fun, but informative...a short "seminar" type of thing or a demonstration and maybe a fun activity or two.

Since January is the start of a new year, I thought of something like diet and exercise (since that's a popular thing to start in Jan.) and having a dietician come in, maybe a healthy cooking type demo. Taking care of our temple...I don't know! What are some other things we can do in *January*? I'm still in Christmas mode!

Thanks for any ideas you can share! God bless!

[Prov31wannabe]

Here is something we did and you could use the ideas you already had of diet/exercise.....

This can be done several ways---as a skit in the form of a cooking show or as a devotion (tho I still like to use props). In devotion form, can be done by one speaker on 3 topics...or three different speakers.

Spiritual Salad

Open your "cook book" (Bible) to Hebrews 12. Beginning with verse 1, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, LET US" (pull out a head of iceberg lettuce) "throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles...."
(here, discuss that baggage we carry around that weighs us down--past failures, current challanges/choices, future worries, etc. as you cut or tear the lettuce into a large bowl)
"...and LET US" (pull out green leaf lettuce) "run wtih perseverance the race marked out for us."
(here, discuss the idea that each of us has a path to follow and God's good and perfect will is our guide...we must not grow weary---{{this can be done any number of ways}}---as you tear this lettuce into the bowl.)
"...LET US" (pull out red leaf or romain or some other type of lettuce) "fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith...."
(here, discuss CHOICE...our days are made up of a series of choices----we choose how to spend each moment of our precious time, and what are we choosing? Are we choosing God's Word or TV? Are we choosing praise music or top 40 radio? Can we quote as many Bible verses as we can quote silly trivia? ...and, again, tear the lettuce into the bowl.)

Toss the lettuce together and tell everyone:
This is the true "health food"...this LET US salad. This is the salad of discipline.

Go on to tie this into new year's resolutions which often include losing weight, eating right, and exercising. It's important to manage our physical bodies.....but even more vital is managing our spiritual fitness.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Okay....
that is a very basic outline of a specific program so you can use it to fuel your own ideas. Hope it made sense.

_________________
Colossians 1:27 ...."Christ in you, the hope of glory."

[Corri]

I tend to think selfishly in January, so forgive me, please! I schedule an event for the ladies to catch up on their crafts. We plan *hours* together just to do what it is we haven't been able to do for ourselves. Each woman brings her craft (or games), and finger foods to share. We do this once a month on a Friday night, but once a year on a Saturday. I never plan a "theme" or devotion for this, but find that someone is willing to share what they do. We've had quilters, stampers, scrapbookers, painters and more share what they do. If they tell me ahead of time,and it is at all possible, I get supplies for everyone to try.
This is a big hit with the women at my church, because by January, they are so very spent! We also have our leadership retreat--that many of us are involved with the planning for--so it doesn't seem to stop!
One day, one break....then off we go!
_________________
Because He lives,
so do I--
Corri

[BarbaraJean]

Prov31,
I really like the salad idea. Do you have a suggestion for a theme name?
_________________
God Is Good All The Time. . .
Barb

[Prov31wannabe]

When I wrote this out, it was suggested as a "kickoff" program where we announced the studies we'd be doing and the other activities that were being planned and I titled it:
"What's Cookin At {name of ministry here}"
And I advertised that we'd feature a spiritual cooking demo making "Choice Salad" (instead of spiritual salad) because the talk featured the choices we are faced with....

For a non-kickoff, the same name could be used or I'd probably take a look at the Food Channel show names and see if I could adapt one of those to fit (like, instead of "From Martha's Kitchen"..."From {ministry name}'s Kitchen").
Other options:
"Soul Food" or "Food For The Soul"
For January/New Year program:
"New Year Solutions" (like those better than resolutions)
_________________
Colossians 1:27 ...."Christ in you, the hope of glory."

[cbchurch]

Something that our church did that was a big hit was we went to a bed and breakfast and had a speaker come, she was a storyteller, we all got in our jammies and listened to her stories, she was a very good storyteller and it made us all feel like little kids again. It was kind of like a devotional time just told in story fashion wiht great expression! Anyway..you wouldnt have to go to a bed breakfast to do this and if you want any of her info just let me know!