Report Back: Women Thinking Wisely Conference

It was such a pleasure to share with the wonderful women of Greenwich, Ohio, and the surrounding area at The Ripley Church’s Women Thinking Wisely conference. TRC’s conference planning committee worked long and hard to make it a wonderful event that was enjoyed by all.

I landed in Cincinnati Friday afternoon and was whisked away to a charming little cabin by planning committee member, Jennie and her husband Bob.

The Sleepy Owl’s Nest cabin is in Shiloh, Ohio, right in the middle of Amish and Mennonite country. I’m afraid this was the best picture of a horse and buggy I was able to capture in my brief time there!

The other members of the planning committee soon arrived at the cabin, and we had a wonderful time of fellowship around a phenomenal lasagna – one of my favorites!

At the bottom right is a picture of me with Kerri Sheldon of 4 Truth Ministry. Kerri was kind enough to write a guest post for me a few years back, and I highly recommend her book Resolute: An Unwavering Stance on the Truth of God’s Word, which she co-authored with her father, David, and on which her guest post was based. She also put together the awesome hostess bag I was honored with (bottom left) containing local favorites, Amish Country popcorn and Ohio buckeyes, and she hand painted the Ohio Christmas ornament herself! What a talented lady!

I am always amazed at the Providential ways God works through the conferences I speak at. Aside from the teaching and fellowship, sisters from the various churches represented make ministry connections and form friendships, sometimes their churches end up joining together in ministry, and sometimes attendees find the doctrinally sound church home they’ve been searching for.

I was delighted to learn that this was the case for Kerri and her family. They had been looking for a solid church in their area to join, but were unaware of The Ripley Church until Kerri saw on my blog that I would be speaking at a conference there. They started attending, and by the time I got there, Kerri and her mom, Lynn (on the far left in the top left photo) were able to greet me, not only as members of TRC, but also as members of the conference planning committee. What a nifty thing God did!

Saturday morning, it was conference time!

I have a special fondness for little white country churches, and The Ripley Church did not disappoint. Founded in 1851, part of the sanctuary is still the original building.

First up- check in and an energizing breakfast and fellowship time:

Lots of informative and themed materials greeted attendees as we moved into the sanctuary for teaching time:

I love the thought and care that went into these helpful conference info packets. I would never be able to think of all of this. When you’re planning a conference, be sure to harness the brains of those detail-oriented sisters!

Folders included info on 4 Truth Ministry, a Bible study app, a card with a quote from Spurgeon from my session on discernment, a program, a conference evaluation card, a TRC brochure, and an index card for writing down questions for the Q&A session.

Pastor Eric Robinson was so kind to welcome the ladies and open in prayer.

We kicked things off with Discernment 101: Learn to Discern. We talked about what discernment is, and how to use it – identifying false teachers and false doctrine – to the glory of God.

After a brief break, we moved on to session 2, Hooked on a Feeling: Living by God’s Word Instead of Our Emotions. Scripture is our authority as Christians, and we shouldn’t let our feelings lead us around by the nose.

When session 2 was over, it was time for lunch: salad, a choice of hearty, delicious soups, and cake.

Between sessions, I had the luxury of a few moments of quiet relaxation time in Pastor Eric’s office. You can tell a lot about a pastor from his bookshelves, and I could tell – this is my kind of pastor! 😍👏👏👏😍

With full tummies and fuller spirits we returned to teaching with Managing Media – being wise and discerning with news, social media, movies and TV, and other media we consume.

At the end of the day, we closed things out with a stimulating Q&A session. These ladies asked some challenging questions!

It’s always great to see mothers and daughters attending together!

Another oh-so-thoughtful touch to this conference: the planning committee had all of the ladies sign these lovely cards to me. I cherish their kind and encouraging comments.

Once the conference was over, it was time for an early supper (so I could catch an early bedtime for my super early flight home the next day!). One of my favorite things to do when I travel is to sample the local fare.

East of Chicago Pizza got its start right down the road from Greenwich in Willard, Ohio, and is, as you might expect, billed as “the best pizza east of Chicago”. Now, I’ve had authentic Chicago pizza, so I feel safe in saying that if EoC pizza isn’t the best, it’s awfully close. Also delectable were Ballreich’s potato chips, made in nearby Tiffin, Ohio. Lemme tell ya- Ruffles ain’t got nothin’ on these babies.

All too soon, it was time to say goodbye. My deepest thanks to Bonnie, who spearheaded the conference, and who, with her husband, Don, picked me up at an unspeakable hour of the morning to drive me to the airport for my flight home. Thanks also to Jennie and Bob, Janna, the conference planning committee, and all the men and women of The Ripley Church who worked so hard to host a fantastic conference, took care of all my needs, and made me feel so welcome. If you’re ever in the area and need a good church to visit, make plans to spend the Lord’s Day with these wonderful brothers and sisters.

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If your church or organization is ever in need of a speaker for a women’s event, I’d love to come share with your ladies as well. Click here for more information, or to find an upcoming event near you!

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Photo Credits

Many thanks to Kerri, Bonnie, and other conference attendees who took most of the photos above. You may assume that if I’m in the picture or if it’s a good quality photo that I didn’t take it. The remaining photos were shot by me.