Christian woman's conference planned

Local non-denomination informal organization Rooted In Faith will hold its 2nd Annual Christian Women’s Conference on Sunday, September 24 from 12:30 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. at the Hot Springs County Fairground Building. The sign-in is at 12:30 p.m. with lunch served at 1 p.m.

Organizers said in their flier, “We are pleased to welcome Guest Speaker Jennifer Waddle. Waddle is the author of “Prayer WORRIER: Turning Every Worry into Powerful Prayer,” and is a regular contributor for Lifeway, Crosswalk, Abide, and Christians Care International. Waddle’s online ministry is EncouragementMama.com where you can find her books and sign up for her weekly post, Discouragement Doesn’t Win. She resides with her family near the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, her favorite place on earth.”

Waddle will present “Gracefully Grounded: Equipped for the Days Ahead.”

Tickets are $12 cash or check only at Audra’s Copper Coo, 225 Clark St., Thermopolis, or at LizzieBell Presents Gift Boutique, 719 Big Horn Ave., Worland, and The Other Store, 1316 Big Horn Ave., Worland (Wednesday only 12-1:30 p.m.). When purchasing tickets, you have the option to anonymously purchase sponsorship tickets to give to those who are in need and want to attend.

The event will feature soup and salad lunch, praise and worship, prayer, shirts, a silent auction, and lots of giveaways. Additionally, there will be a Christian book swap table. If you have any books to spare, bring them along to share.

The conference was inspired by Worland’s Girlfriends of Grace who hold their annual spring women’s conference. Organizer Audra Dominguez said. “Let’s do one in the fall in Thermopolis so that we don’t have to wait an entire year to get together.”  

According to Dominguez, organizer Sharon Sachs discovered Waddle when listening to her on a podcast, and “she just really felt inspired by what she had heard. She checked out her ministry.” Sachs emailed her and told her they were having a conference and asked her if she would like to come speak at it and they told her they were limited in resources. “She actually got back with her and told her she would love to come speak.”

Organizers Karen Sinclair and Dominguez said they want to encourage women in their community in their faith walk. “Discouragement doesn’t win.” 

Dominguez added, “We just want to connect women who are in common faith. They don’t go to the same church. So this is not supported or organized by any one church. That’s why we say non-denominational. We have women from all churches here in town coming and we all have a common goal. We just want to love and encourage each other and walk with each other, and it’s okay that we’re not the same.

Dominguez also said, “My heart is for our community, and specifically for this, it’s the body of Christ and our sisters together. And coming together, no matter what church we’re in, because we don’t always get to worship with our other sisters in Christ because they’re in a different church. And it’s so powerful to come together in worship with all of these women and just feel the spirit there with us.”

Sinclair added, “I feel right now, today there is a great need for love and encouragement in the world. And I think women have a powerful role to play today in sharing that and showing that there’s love and encouragement. I think we are on that journey and it’s going up, up, up a mountain. Not going around and around at the base where we’re kind of stuck. But I think we’re supposed to grow in our faith and I think this conference is an opportunity for women to continue to grow in their faith, to be inspired to hear other women on their journey. And that can be very hard.”

If you have questions, contact Audra Dominguez at 904-874-2560, Karen Sinclair at 307-921-1788, Sharon Sachs at 651-755-1316, and Cynthia Garbin at 301-921-8304. Email: rootedinfaithwc@gmail.com. Follow on Facebook at “Rooted in Faith.”