Join your Christ Church sisters on a year-long journey toward wellness and wholeness. Every two months, we’ll consider an important dimension of our lives and offer practical steps to help us move in the right direction: closer to good health and closer to God.

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Women’s Wellness Morning 

VOCATIONAL WELLNESS

Saturday, December 3 | 10:30-12noon | Youth Center

Our final gathering for 2022 promises to be the biggest blessing of all! As we celebrate this sacred season, join your Christ Church sisters and friends for 90 minutes of fast-paced fun and heartfelt encouragement.

From days of old, the word vocation meant a summons from God to perform a particular task or function in life. So, we’ll look at our natural and spiritual gifts and listen to what God is calling us to do!

• Leigh Ann Maynard, our new Associate Minister for Bridge Communities, will bring a message on Being Faithful to His Calling
• Liz Curtis Higgs will share about Discovering Your Spiritual Gifts
• Jewels of Grace will offer their beautiful necklaces for your Christmas gift giving (every penny goes to The Healing Place)
• Karen Lovett and friends will lead us in joyfully singing some favorite carols
• Our hospitality team will serve up homemade hot chocolate, freshly brewed coffee, and a selection of delicious Christmas Cookies
• Finally, we’ll send everyone home with a small gift in your pocket and our big vision for 2023 in your hearts

Your Women’s Ministry Team can’t wait to be with you! The first 50 women who sign up are guaranteed a spot. Please register below.

REGISTER 

 

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Resources for September + October

INTELLECTUAL WELLNESS

“God wants us to use our intelligence, to seek to understand as well as we can.”

— Eugene Peterson, The Message

This autumn, our goal isn’t for all of us to become intellectuals (smile). Rather, it’s about exploring new areas of interest, feeding our minds with good food, and flexing our creative muscles, all to the glory of God.

“Our acts of creativity help us get our faith out of our heads and into our hands.”

— Joel Clarkson, Relevant Magazine

Here are some favorite Scripture verses that remind us of the value of intellectual wellness. Which one resonates with you?

• “For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.” Proverbs 2:10 NIV
• “The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out.” Proverbs 18:15 NIV 
  
• “Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge.” 2 Peter 1:5 NIV 
• “The one who gets wisdom loves life; the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper.” Proverbs 19:8 NIV 
• “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.” James 3:13 NIV

“By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.” Proverbs 24:3-4 NIV

To expand your intellectual capacity, consider these recommended reads:

• Just Think: Nourish Your Mind to Feed Your Soul by Nancy J Nordenson https://amzn.to/3Lkm8Bv
• She Dreams: Live the Life You Were Created For by Tiffany Bluhm https://amzn.to/3BhayCo
• Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know by Adam Grant https://amzn.to/3BO45R3
• Keep Sharp: Build a Better Brain at Any Age by Sanjay Gupta, MD https://amzn.to/3dkGNJb
• Always Enough, Never Too Much: 100 Devotions to Quit Comparing, Stop Hiding, and Start Living Wild and Free by Jess Connolly and Hayley Morgan https://amzn.to/3xw2L2G
• Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones by James Clear https://amzn.to/3dnPH8M
• Prevail: 365 Days of Enduring Strength from God’s Word by Susie Larson https://amzn.to/3SeQl75
• The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg https://amzn.to/3BlIy0F
• Illogical: Saying Yes to a Life Without Limits by Emmanuel Acho https://amzn.to/3QTcHdg

For intellectual wellness, you might also find these online resources helpful:

• How Creativity Connects Us with the Creator https://relevantmagazine.com/faith/three-ways-creativity-connects-the-created-with-the-creator/
• Seven Ways to Increase Your Intellectual Wellness https://www.benedictineliving.org/blog/7-ways-to-increase-your-intellectual-wellness/
• Jennifer Rothschild 4:13 Podcast: Can I Be a Doer and Still Rest in God's Presence? with Katie M. Reid [episode 201] https://www.jenniferrothschild.com/doer-still-rest-gods-presence-katie-m-reid/
• What Is Intellectual Wellness? How to Expand Your Skills for a Happier Life https://www.newsweek.com/what-intellectual-wellness-definition-mind-brain-1690899
• Robin Liefeld “Be curious, not judgmental.” Walt Whitman https://medium.com/@robinliefeld/be-curious-not-judgmental-c71350eba3b5
• Arthur Brooks: Cracking the Code to Happiness https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/arthur-brooks-cracking-the-code-to-happiness/id582272991?i=1000564510187

 

Finally, some thoughts about lifelong learning from our Women’s Ministry Team:

“I have to make myself step out of my box to continue growth in all areas of my life.  I worked and volunteered in children's ministry for decades before changing direction two years ago to serve in women's ministry. I felt called to do this. It was an uncomfortable challenge — and still is to some degree — but I have grown and been blessed by the women I have met and serve beside. Why not try something new? If it's not a fit, move on to the next opportunity. Your special gifts are needed. As my verse in my Women's Ministry Team bio says, ‘Encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.’ 1 Thessalonians 5:11.” — Bekki Livingston, Director of Women’s Ministry

 

“Sunflowers follow the sun, but did you know — when it’s cloudy and gray, they face each other and share their energy. Imagine if we did this too!”  — Michele Moody, Connections Team Leader

 

“When I’m trying to create a new healthy habit, I always try to jump start my new practice by using a habit tracker. What can I say? I’m a sucker for a gold star! I’ve used a few apps that make my regular check-ins more colorful, exciting — and, dare I say, fun — than the old paper-and-pencil method. Some habit trackers are pretty, others grow a virtual garden before your eyes with each checked habit. Or, if you’re a gamer at heart, there are even trackers that give you a baby bunny, and as you check your habits off your list, you help tidy your little rabbit’s room. Even if you don’t need one of these digital tools to encourage you to try something new, they might be a handy tip to share with a Tik-Tokker near you!” — Shelah Woodruff, Mom’s Ministry Leader

 

“Every year, I have a goal to do the following to improve my intellectual wellness:

1. Travel to a new country
2. Try a new hobby or sport
3. Volunteer in a new way or for a different organization.”

— Taylor Amerman, Outreach Team Leader

 

“I look around at the wise people who have lived longer than I have to see what keeps them ticking and thriving! My dad is a great example. At 94, he knows what's going on in the world. He reads the paper, does lots of research, and seems to always find ways to stay engaged intellectually either through reading nonfiction or doing word puzzles. I have read and truly believe puzzles are good for the brain (my dad prefers crossword puzzles). He is an inspiration, and I sure hope when I am 94, my brain is as active and eager for new information.” — Jenny Fishback, Wellness Team Leader

 

“Emily Dickinson wrote, ‘We turn not older with years, but newer every day.’ There it is. Not older, but newer. Not weaker, but stronger. Not less plugged in, but more engaged than ever before. As our love for the Lord increases and our knowledge of His Word deepens, we have more to offer the body of Christ, not less. The apostle Paul shows us by example how to step up, persevere, and keep going: ‘Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.’ Philippians 3:13-14. God calls us to look forward instead of backward, remembering our primary goal is to honor Him by loving and serving the people He brings across our paths — whatever their ages and whatever ours.” — Liz Curtis Higgs, Bible Study Leader

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What to look for in the months ahead

 

For Your Journey email newsletters:

• Key verses from Scripture to write on your heart
• Encouraging words from your Women’s Ministry Team
• Recommended reading, online and in print

Women’s Wellness Mornings:

Six Saturdays in February, April, June, August, October, and December

10:30am-12noon in the Youth Center 

It’s going to be a life-changing year, sisters!