Report Back: Women Thinking Wisely Conference 2024

I still have several 2024 dates available for conferences, retreats, and events, especially this summer! There’s plenty of time to plan, and I’d love to come share with the ladies of your church or organization. Click here for more information, or to find an upcoming event near you!

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This year’s theme centered around bees and honey,
for example, the verses listed above, Psalm 119:103, 19:10, etc.

I had such a sweet time of fellowship and sharing with the ladies of Greenwich, Ohio, and the surrounding area at The Ripley Church’s Women Thinking Wisely conference. I was honored to be asked back after last year’s conference, and it was great to see so many of the ladies back again.

Friday, I flew in to Cincinnati and was met by the lovely Emily, who whisked me off to The Ripley Church for dinner with the planning committee. Bonnie, the conference coordinator must have remembered that I enjoyed these Greenwich area specialties so much last year, and served them again this year. What a memory and what a treat!

The planning committee also blessed me with this adorable hostess gift that went right along with the bee/honey theme. Can you “bee”t that?🐝🍯

After enjoying a night of Jennie and Bob’s warm hospitality in their cozy and welcoming home, Saturday morning, we were off to the church for the conference.

The ladies were welcomed into a charmingly decorated environment and greeted with coffee and refreshments. In keeping with the theme, each of the ladies was given a small jar of local honey from Bonnie’s hive to take home. We will all remember the sweetness of this conference with every taste for some time to come!

Next, it was time to move into the sanctuary for the main event! Bonnie got things kicked off with opening remarks and hymn singing, and Pastor Eric led us in prayer.

Our first teaching session was Hospitality: Welcoming Others as Christ Welcomes Us. Hospitality doesn’t mean having twelve people over for a fancy dinner on fine china. It’s a posture of heart that welcomes others in because Christ first welcomed us.

We got a nice break and snack time after our first session. Just look at these colorful and healthy veggie cups!

Next up was session 2: Suffering. We explored Jesus as our hero in suffering, the hope in our suffering, and ways to biblically handle our suffering.

Lunch time! A sweet time of fellowship was had by all as we dined on salad, a choice of hearty soups, and Texas sheet cake.

Full and satisfied, we headed back into the sanctuary for our final session: Sweet Hour of Prayer. We talked about how to pray biblically, unbiblical ideas about prayer to avoid, practical tips for prayer, and then … we prayed.

Before Deb and Ken took me to the airport to catch my flight home, there was just enough time for one of my favorite parts of events: meeting, chatting with, and taking pictures with the ladies.

It was such a fantastic weekend with the ladies of The Ripley Church. Thanks so much to Bonnie, Bob and Jennie, Emily, Jana, Eric, Deb and Ken, Seth, and all the other brothers and sisters of TRC for making me feel right at home and working so hard to host a fantastic conference. 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

Several of these photos were taken and contributed by conference attendees. You may assume that if they are good quality, or if I’m in them, that I didn’t take them. All other photos by Michelle Lesley.