Once again, the Refresh Women’s Conference was held on a Saturday morning in September 2021 and we were amazed at God’s goodness to us.
We started our planning hoping to meet in person in one of the halls. However, that wasn’t to be. With COVID still raging and lockdowns imposed, our plans had to be changed. Prayerfully we decided to still go ahead, but online. The conference was streamed live from a website set up by Karen Moore and a zoom meeting was open for those who wanted some company or a chat during the breaks. Our guest speaker was Leisa Aitkin, a clinical psychologist. Drawing on her research into the psychology of hope and her clinical experience, Leisa spoke on the topic “Strengthened in Hope”. A conference pack was delivered to each participant ahead of time with a conference booklet, recipes, a colouring page and a pen. We enjoyed a poem video written and recorded by Sarah Wilson and Bec Faggion as well as a couple of songs and Bible readings.
We were also excited to have more than 90 women register – many from other local churches and from as far away as Mudgee. God truly is able to do more than we could ask or imagine!
Many thanks go to all those who helped organise and run Refresh last year, especially the organising team; Amanda, Heather, Karen, Lee and Sarah. A special thanks to Bruce who ran the sound desk on the day and to Tiff who made sure everything we needed was printed and distributed.
Planning will soon be underway for Refresh 2022 to be held on 10th September. Ladies, keep the date free for a wonderful morning of encouraging Bible teaching and warm fellowship.
Bronwyn Lum
(on behalf of the Refresh team)