There was a definite hint of autumn in the air on Saturday, 17 September 2022, when 200 women gathered for the sold-out WfM Conference which took place at Culloden-Balloch Baptist Church, Inverness. This proved to be an excellent venue with lunch and refreshments provided by the church’s own in-house catering team.
Not having held a conference since 2018, it was a real joy to have a wide age range of participants, including babes in arms who behaved exemplary throughout the whole event. We were privileged to have as our main speaker Helen Thorne, Director of Training and Resources at Biblical Counselling UK, and author of a number of books.
Helen explored the theme of Hope, an Anchor for the Soul, basing her talks on Psalm 46, a song of grace, love and hope. The anchor symbolised the security and the confidence that we have in God, even when there is a storm raging all around us. We were reminded that we should not be surprised when we experience trouble in life. It is easy to respond with a “that’s not fair” cry when troubles come. As Christians we need to daily resist the world’s approach and turn to God seeking his grace to apply His word to ourselves, striving to fix our eyes on our Saviour who will “supply all our needs”, even in the hardest of times.
The wonderful singing of Psalm 46 at the conclusion of the conference was truly moving and amplified the blessing we had received from Helen’s ministry.
As well as Helen’s talks we heard updates from Rosangela Fraser, WEC International, Dina Petrou, Community House, Damaris and Mairi Beaton of FCYC. These three, or the organisations they work for, have been supported by recent WfM Projects and it was good to hear how the funds raised were being used.
During the lunch break and after the conference there was an opportunity to browse the craft and book stalls. WfM are indebted to those ladies who used their skills to sell their beautiful handcrafted products for the work of WfM, and particularly the Project. One project that WfM is undertaking is the reprinting of the two Favourite Recipes cookbooks which are going to be combined into one book and to be available by December 2022. This will coincide with the 30th anniversary of the publication of Book 1. Given the number of pre-orders that were taken it is fair to say that these cookbooks have never lost their appeal.
Without doubt and judging from the ‘buzz’ of conversations taking place, the interaction between young and old, and the many purchases made from the craft stalls, we enjoyed being able to meet once again. Therefore, it was only right to close the conference with a vote of thanks to the WfM Committee for all their hard work in planning and preparing in the months leading up to the conference. We had not expected it to be a sold-out event and we give thanks to God for the blessings we received from our time together.
For those who were unable to attend the Conference, we are pleased to share a Youtube link where you can watch the entire event.
