A Summer to Connect

By Merletta Roberts
In early summer my husband and I were on our way to an evening event when we stopped at a fast food restaurant to get a bite to eat. As we were starting to leave, a young man in a long robe and with what seemed to be a concerned look on his face hesitantly approached us and asked, “Do you believe all Muslims are like those who recently bombed Paris and London?” We shared with him our belief that not all people are alike, no matter what their faith; that we do not believe all Muslims are terrorists. I watched as a big tear rolled down his cheek and his face seemed to relax. Together we smiled and went our separate ways. In that brief exchange something powerful happened. We went through all the layers of assumptions and we connected; connected as human beings each caring for the other

In mid-July in the Washington D.C. area, I attended the national American Baptist Women’s Ministries board meeting followed by the national conference for women and girls, “3D” (“Dwelling, Discovering, Discipling”), and after- events. The after-event I chose was Connecting Faithful Women: Experiencing Baptist-Muslim Dialogue. This event was co-facilitated by Virginia Holmstrom, executive director of American Baptist Women’s Ministries, and Rafia Sayeed, the founding chairperson of Bridging the Gap, Connecting the Faithful.

Twelve American Baptist women and five Muslim women met for two and a half days to explore what it means to be Muslim and Baptist, sharing our faith stories and getting to know each other. Rafia shared her story of developing “Bridging the Gap, Connecting the Faithful” out of her desire to do something constructive after 9-11. Her belief is that when people really get to know each other, they begin to see each other and relate differently.

As women of faith we shared our stories, our struggles, our joys, our concerns, and our celebrations. Interfaith understanding was certainly at work. The more we shared the more the group seemed to move closer together, talk more softly, and connect in a deeper way. As we respected each one’s uniqueness we found it easier to hear each other and to share more.

When we visited a Muslim Community Center we were warmly welcomed. It was clear that the Center’s focus is on the whole person at all ages. We were privileged to witness their afternoon prayers and to experience the strong connection they have with the surrounding communities.

As we said our goodbyes and shared email addresses and so forth, I realized a strong connection had occurred; that in a relatively short time together we had moved from “us” and “them” to “we.” We had plowed through the layers of assumptions and were real with each other. Wow! Again I realized that in our connecting, we cared for each other as human beings.

Merletta Roberts is president of the American Baptist Women’s Ministries of the Pacific Northwest.

See…the Suffering: Drug Addiction–a Virtual Mission Encounter

Signpost concept

Based on 2013 statistics, illicit drug use in the United States has been increasing. In that year, an estimated 24.6 million Americans aged 12 or older had used an illicit drug in the past month, an increase from 2012 statistics. Although most people use drugs for the first time as teenagers, and is highest among people in their late teens or twenties, illicit drug use is increasing among people in their fifties and sixties. Although most who use illicit drugs begin with marijuana, the percentage of those who begin with prescription pain killers has increased. Despite this, there is a “treatment gap” in the U.S.: only about 2.5 million people received treatment at a specialty facility.*

There is a very high possibility that there are people in your congregation suffering with addiction or in relationship with someone suffering from addiction. As women of faith, we are called to become aware of this critical issue and understand how our congregations or women’s and girls’ ministries can more effectively minister with those in addiction.

American Baptist Women’s Ministries is sponsoring a virtual mission encounter, “See…the Suffering: Drug Addiction,” October 3-7, 2017. Registration is open now (register by September 28, 2016). Through daily activities and evening conference calls with special guests, you will explore the complex issue of drug addictions and see how our faith calls us to respond. Visit www.abwministries.org/vme for information about guest speakers and how to register.

*2013 Statistics from www.drugabuse.gove/publications/drugfacts/nationwide-trends, revised June 2015. Accessed December 9, 2015.

Join us for our virtual mission encounter “See…the Beloved Community”

By American Baptist Women’s Ministries

“See…the Beloved Community,” based on the 2015-2016 national mission focus of American Baptist Women’s Ministries of the same title, is a virtual mission encounter for women from March 7-11, 2016, sponsored by American Baptist Women’s Ministries. By participating in this virtual mission encounter you will have the opportunity to explore the vision of Beloved Community and understand your Christian calling to transform your community through your relationships with one another.

Special guest presenters include Rev. Betty Wright-Riggins, Philadelphia Baptist Association Consultant for Area Ministry and Communication and founder and Principal of TrustOne, a ministry of spiritual direction and leadership coaching; Rev. Dr. Cheryl F. Dudley, Regional Executive Minister of the American Baptist Churches of Metropolitan New York; Rev. Marie Onwubuariri, Regional Executive Minister of the American Baptist Churches of Wisconsin; and Rev. Dr. Karyn Carlo, adjunct faculty at New York Theological Seminary and founder and director of the Clergy, Community, Cops Project. Each speaker brings experience in building Beloved Community and will offer critical perspectives to virtual mission encounter participants.

“Becoming the Beloved Community begins with cultivating relationships. My hope is that many women from many American Baptist congregations will join the conversation about being the Beloved Community through this 5-day virtual mission encounter,” said Virginia Holmstrom, executive director.

AB Women’s Ministries’ virtual mission encounters offer the opportunity for women to engage with mission themes in a deep and meaningful way while still being able to care for work, family, and church responsibilities at home. Each virtual mission encounter includes interesting and thought-provoking activities that can be done within the normal schedule of one’s day. Every evening, participants interact with a special guest on a conference call as well as offering participants to share their learnings and observations with one another.

Register now for “See…the Beloved Community.” (Registration deadline is March 2.) Visit www.abwministries.org/vme for more information about how virtual mission encounters work, as well as speaker biographies and registration. For information about the 2015-2016 mission focus “See…the Beloved Community,” visit www.abwministries.org.

Are you already planning to attend? Leave a comment below letting other readers know!

 

 

Joy

By Nola Crooks

Complete. Irrepressible. Joy.

The other day I was asked to describe my South Africa experience in one word. A huge request but I decided that the word joy fits the bill.

From the moment we entered the country and were greeted by the women of Kagiso Baptist Church to the closing moments of the Baptist World Alliance Congress a current of joy existed across every spectrum.

I learned a lot about South Africa this summer when I became part of an American Baptist Women’s Ministries Mission Encounter to South Africa and the Baptist World Alliance Congress. Twelve women traveled together, first to Johannesburg to attend the BWA Women’s Department Leadership Conference and then to Durban to attend the 21st BWA World Congress.

We arrived in Johannesburg a few days early and our first activity was to be the guests of the women of Kagiso Baptist Church in Kagiso township. The word ‘kagiso’ means peace in Tswana. Arriving at the church we could hear the music before we opened the van door. The women were worshipping as we arrived and we were led into the church in a line by Momma Dorothy Selabano who danced us up the aisle of this simple brick church and into our places on the front row. At this point we couldn’t understand a single word the women were singing, but they were singing with enthusiasm, joy, and an earnestness that belies the inauspicious neighborhood we had passed through to get there.

The women shared worship with us and cared for us, giving us tea to refresh us after our journey, and then spent the afternoon sharing with us the status of women and issues they face in South Africa. During the program there were the usual pauses between speakers. If the pause extended for more than three to five minutes, a woman would lift her voice in song and quickly the band would begin accompanying her, then other women would join in, and before we knew it we were up on our feet again for a ten minute interval of praise. It was an absolutely incredible way to begin our journey in South Africa.

That first encounter set the tone for the entire trip.

Throughout the BWA Women’s Department Leadership Conference the African women initiated worship in the same manner as the women at Kagiso Baptist Church, and it was spontaneous and heartfelt. Worship had women from all seven continents on their feet singing songs in African languages, languages we didn’t speak, but with words whose spirit we knew. It was joyful. I wondered if this was what heaven would be like: people from all the tribes joined together for one purpose.

Not only was worship filled with joy but I believe I was hugged and loved on by every woman in Africa. I also received the same treatment from women from South Korea, Brazil, Chile, India, the Netherlands, the Caribbean, Australia, New Zealand, Croatia, and Canada.This list is incomplete because I haven’t had time to go through all the address cards I received and count up the women I met and conversed with.

I learned that my faith is global.

I often don’t think of my faith in terms of my residence. I am an American Baptist. I worship in an American Baptist church. Although I was raised in many different regions of the United States, in many cultures, I still have this quintessential American faith. I believe that we as Americans forget that our faith, our structures, our norms are American-based and until we are exposed to women from around the world our understanding of the “globalness” and breadth of believers all over the world will be limited. When we limit our faith experience to our own church, neighborhood, and culture we limit our ability to respond and understand the context of Jesus command to be a light to the world

How can I be a light if I don’t know my neighbor?

After a week in Johannesburg, we traveled to Durban. In Durban we were attending the 21st Baptist World Alliance World Congress, meetings that began in 1905 and have met regularly every five years since that time. However, this was the first time a congress had been held on the continent of Africa. In addition, the next president of the BWA is Paul Msiza, a pastor from South Africa.

The people of Africa celebrated. I had never thought that a whistle and a vuvuzela could be used as an accompaniment in worship. I know now that they can.

For five days approximately 5,000 Baptists spent time in worship, study, prayer, meetings, and friendship. It was another opportunity to learn about the Baptist faith from the perspective of other Baptists from every corner of the world. This was an opportunity to hear from them their concerns and their celebrations of their church and in their countries and to share the same with them about America.

Joy.

From my first encounter with my traveling partners at JFK airport in New York, to Johannesburg and learning about the history of a country that recently overcame apartheid, on to Durban and the assembly of thousands of Baptists, and finally the farewell hugs of the women who are now my lifetime sisters, I experienced joy.

I am thankful for this time and, to be honest, I am still processing much of the experience, wondering how God’s purpose for me will be revealed in the upcoming years. I do know that saying “yes” to this opportunity made all the difference to me.

Nola Crooks serves as Coordinator of the Midwest Section on the national board of American Baptist Women’s Ministries, and teaches fourth grade in Parsons, Kansas.

 

The Importance of Relationships in Girls’ Ministry

By Emilie Rodriguez

GLA participants learning leadership and teamwork in a very fun but frustrating activity involving PVC pipes and bouncy balls.

The national leadership team of AB GIRLS (NLT), a ministry of American Baptist Women’s Ministries, had decided that for the national gathering of AB GIRLS for the year of 2015, we would focus on developing and strengthening leadership skills. While we were hoping to reach that goal, what came out of the GIRLS Leadership Academy (GLA) in June was much more than any of us could have dreamed.

I had been in Kansas City already for four days before the GLA started, participating in the national board meetings of AB Women’s Ministries. In those four days, the theme of relationships and their power and worth emerged without being planned. And it carried on to the girls’ gathering without intention. We wanted these girl to realize their potential and become the leaders that God wanted them to be. But God wanted us to take it a step further. Throughout our time together, the other members of the NLT and I realized that these girls needed to be affirmed, assured that what they think makes them weird and odd is what God wants them to embrace, what God wants them to use in their own journey as leaders. So we tried to show them that.

Through our worship, “funshops” (“fun workshops”), and participation in both the American Baptist Mission Summit and AB Women’s Ministries Women’s Day, the relationships that we built with these girls proved to have a more powerful effect than we thought. We hoped to send these girls in their own leadership paths, trying to illuminate God’s plan for each and everyone of them. And while I feel we accomplished that, I think we accomplished something even greater: we showed them that they are worthy of being used as God’s servants, as conduits for God’s Word.

I believe that this is the foundation of AB GIRLS ministry. That age range from twelve to eighteen isn’t easy, but hearing the love and support of those around you, telling you to be strong in who you are, help develop the building blocks that these girls need to become leaders in the first place. So in your own girls group, make sure that each girl knows that they are fearfully and wonderfully made, and that although they are young, God has something planned for each and every one of them.

(For more information about ministry with girls, visit www.abwministries.org/girls. For information about the national leadership team of AB GIRLS, visit www.abwministries.org/nlt. To help support AB Women’s Ministries ministry with girls, visit www.abwministries.org/wgmf.)

Emilie Rodriguez served on the national leadership team of AB GIRLS from 2013-2015, including serving as convenor for the NLT in 2014-2015. This summer Emilie starts her freshman year of college. 

Ecumenical Advocacy Days: A Personal Perspective

By Bonnie Sestito

The 13^th annual Ecumenical Advocacy Days (EAD) gathering has come and gone, but the work is not over. Approximately 1000 men and women of faith came together to explore “Breaking the Chains: Mass Incarceration and Systems of Exploitation.”

Placards at EAD

The U.S. makes up only five percent of the world’s population yet holds nearly a quarter of the world’s prisoners. Still, “imprisonment” is a worldwide problem and takes various forms, as everywhere people around the world remain trapped in detention centers, prisons, factories and drug wars that bind and dehumanize individuals for political or economic profit. At EAD we confessed our personal and corporate failure to break the chains of poverty, racism, and greed institutionalized in our laws, economy and social behaviors that collude to perpetuate such human exploitation and strip civil and human rights.*

Human exploitation is the unethical, selfish use of human beings for the satisfaction of personal desires and/or profitable advantage. Plenaries, workshops, and films covered human trafficking including sex and labor, family detention for the undocumented, justice systems regarding the war on drugs, lack of education for girls, and more. My focus was on issues pertaining to women and girls.

EAD was intense and overwhelming. But at the end of the day, I found it very informative, educational and empowering. Statistics change. New information is shared and learned. Do you know that:

• one in seven teenagers run away from home;
• parents who are addicted to drugs sometimes “rent out” their children even as young as two months old for money to buy more drugs and pay bills;
• boyfriends can be pimps;
• one in ten men sitting in the church pews are buyers of commercial sex, but we are not talking about it; and
• girls are married off as young as nine years old?

I took in as much information as my mind and emotions would allow. The injustices towards women and girls are far greater than the short list mentioned. Generally speaking, men create the demand; women and girls are the supply. Human exploitation will not change until we all take action. Get the facts. Promote awareness. Connect to a local task force, coalition, or service. Volunteer your professional skills. Buy fair trade products. Know who your representatives are. Write, email, or call them. They want to hear from their constituents.

After I returned home from EAD to digest what I heard and learned, I finally felt like I could do something. I could make a difference or at least I could try. I was given the tools to do a lobby visit. I understood that gathering toiletries for women in prison is thoughtful and generous, and purchasing jewelry or bath products made by survivors of trafficking is supportive and worthwhile.

EAD 2015 is over but the work is just beginning. As an individual, my goal is to move from charity to justice. As American Baptist women and girls, I can only image what could be accomplished if we banded together just as the women of 1931 raised over-and-above monetary gifts to enable the denomination to continue its crucial ministries during the Great Depression. What could we accomplish today if we once again raise our voices together? “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy,” (Proverbs 31:8-9).

*From program booklet for Ecumenical Advocacy Days, 2015.

For more information about Ecumenical Advocacy Days, visit www.advocacydays.org. You may see photos of the 2015 event and watch videos of 2015 plenary speakers. 2016 Ecumenical Advocacy Days are April 15-18, 2016, at the DoubleTree Hotel by Hilton Washington, D.C., Crystal City.

Bonnie Sestito serves as Coordinator of Mission with Women and Girls for American Baptist Women’s Ministries.

“A Time of Grace: Aging and Faith”–Upcoming Event

“A Time of Grace,” September 29-October 3, 2014, is a virtual mission encounter for women offering the opportunity for participants to explore issues of aging from the perspective of faith. Themes and activities will offer the opportunity for those who are of mature age themselves to experience this season of their lives with grace and purpose; those who are experiencing the aging of their loved ones will find encouragement and increased awareness of how to be in relationship as needs change over time. Daily activities will address the spiritual side of aging, physical issues and changing needs, legal concerns, family relationships, how seniors may engage in needed ministries, and how congregations can reach out to seniors in special ways.

Special guests for “A Time of Grace” include Rev. Jennifer C. Streeter, chaplain at the Fairport Baptist Homes in Rochester, New York; Rev. Randy Frederikson, chaplain at Trail Ridge Retirement Community, an American Baptist Homes of the Midwest facility in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Mr. Stacey Lucich, an estate planning attorney in Twin Falls, Idaho; and the Rev. Dr. Bobby Joe Saucer from Decatur, Georgia, author of The Judson Press title Our Help in Ages Past: The Black Church’s Ministry among the Elderly.

Virtual mission encounters are a way for women to explore mission topics more deeply while still being able to attend to their responsibilities at work, home, church, or in their communities. Suggested activities to explore each day’s focus are emailed to participants: each participant determines how many activities she may have time to do within her daily schedule. Activities may include such things as reading the newspaper, exploring websites, reading and responding to blog posts, taking prayer walks, researching a topic of interest further, listening to audio files or watching videos, and other activities. Every evening includes a conference call featuring a special guest with particular expertise or stories to share on the daily theme; participants may attend as many or as few conference calls as their schedule and interest allow.

For more information, speaker bios, and online registration, visit www.abwministries.org/vme.

“Ubuntu”–We Are Bound Together

This blog post is contributed by Sundhari Rangiah

At Nelson Mandela’s memorial, United States President Barack Obama spoke about ubuntu, saying, “There is a word in South Africa, ubuntu, a word that captures Mandela’s greatest gift: his recognition that we are all bound together in ways that are invisible to the eye; that there is a oneness to humanity; that we achieve ourselves by sharing ourselves with others, and caring for those around us.”

This is what I experienced when I attended the National Women’s Conference of AB Women’s Ministries in Nashville, Tennessee, in July of 2012! The women at the conference were caring and kind towards me and the other women who accompanied me from South Africa. This caring started long before I left South Africa. Sitting through the conference I was in awe of their caring for the rest of the world!

Perhaps I should tell you something about myself. I am an Asian of Indian descent, living in South Africa! How did I come to be South Africa? That I owe to the Lord Jesus Christ, American Baptist missionaries, and a strong-willed grandfather. But I would like to leave that for my next article….

Being invited to the National Women’s Conference was one of the greatest experiences of my life and I am very thankful to God for the experience. I came back to South Africa and asked the Lord to show me a way in which I could translate what I experienced into action with the Baptist women of South Africa.

I realized that because of apartheid (segregation) in South Africa, the various Baptist churches had developed based on race, and were located in segregated areas allocated by race. We didn’t meet one another. It was only the Indian Baptist women who met and had a joint Ascension Day service together.

After much prayer, the Lord laid in my heart that I should invite all Baptist women in South Africa to come and join us for our Ascension Day Service. I did so, and in 2013 almost 400 women attended our first Joint Baptist Women’s Service at the Tongaat Baptist Church. I was so thrilled to see women of all races praising and worshiping God together! It was truly awesome! The different groups of Baptists were given a part in the programme. Dorothy Selebano, former president of the Baptist World Alliance Women’s Department, gave God’s word and the women were thoroughly blessed! I received numerous compliments on the co-coordinating and planning of our function. I definitely tried to emulate the standards set by the AB Women’s Ministries National Women’s Conference in Nashville. I want to thank Crystal Newton [former AB Women’s Ministries national events coordinator] for giving me the necessary guidance to plan and execute the programme and Chris Marziale [International Ministries staff] for planning my trip to the U.S.A. and making my stay in Nashville a very joyous experience!

The South African women were so blessed by our joint Ascension Day Service that they asked me to continue this service on an annual basis. My plans for 2014 are already in place and I know that the attendees this year will be greater in number than 2013.

Please continue to pray for the women of South Africa. Thank you for inviting me to contribute to your blog.

(Gallery of photos from the Ascension Day service in South Africa, 2013, and the South African Baptist women’s visit to the 2012 National Women’s Conference)

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Sundhari Rangia serves as president of the Women’s Department, Baptist Association of South Africa. She and several women traveled from South Africa to attend the 2012 National Women’s Conference sponsored by American Baptist Women’s Ministries. For more information about the Baptist World Alliance Women’s Department, of which AB Women’s Ministries and the Women’s Department of the Baptist Association of South Africa are both a part, visit www.bwawd.org.

Throw Your Pebble in the Pond–Addressing Homelessness

By Jerry Bowley, used by permission Creative Commons license

“What we would like to do is change the world–make it a little simpler for people to feed, clothe, and shelter themselves as God intended for them to do. And to a certain extent, by fighting for better conditions, by crying out unceasingly for the rights of the workers, of the poor, of the destitute…we can to a certain extent change the world; we can work for the oasis, the little cell of joy and peace in a harried world. We can throw our pebble in the pond and be confident that its ever widening circle will reach around the world.” (Dorothy Day, 1942, emphasis added.)

It’s quite possible that you read the word “homelessness” in the title of this post and felt yourself sigh. We hear about homelessness all the time–we pass homeless people on the streets and feel a variety of internal reactions. It feels like something that has already been talked about and talked about. Or, more accurately, perhaps that sigh indicates that it seems an overwhelming problem. What can we do? No sooner is one person able to move out of homelessness than five more seem ready to take her place.

Forasmuch as (even as Scripture reminds us) the poor and homeless have always been with us, the problem is growing and, to a certain degree, changing in our modern times. And even our own assumptions need to be checked about what causes people to be homeless. Do people become homeless due to drug addiction, or do they become drug addicted because they’re homeless? Do people become homeless due to mental illness, or does homelessness by its very nature bring on mental illness? And is every person who is homeless responsible themselves for their lack of secure shelter? Or are there larger, societal issues at play here? Are our traditional church approaches to serving the homeless sufficient, or should we be digging deeper?

It’s time to take a good, hard look at homelessness and inadequate housing from a Christian perspective. American Baptist Women’s Ministries is engaging in this issue by offering a virtual mission encounter for women, “Break Every Yoke: Homelessness,” May 5-9, 2014. “Break Every Yoke” will inspire and equip women to use their voice on behalf of the homeless and inadequately housed. This virtual mission encounter offers the opportunity for women to explore homelessness from a faith perspective, including how individuals or congregations may most effectively engage in ministries of prevention, support, and advocacy. Each day’s focus will be studied as it has impact upon youth, adults and families, and seniors, with suggestions for advocacy around a range of issues throughout the week.

Special guests include Rev. Francesca Crane, executive director of Bridge of Hope Lancaster & Chester Counties (Pennsylvania); Corenne Smith, American Baptist missionary serving with homeless youth in Brazil; Luz Jurado, an American Baptist woman who ministers with homeless youth in Los Angeles, California; and Rev. Judy Fackenthal, pastor of the Garfield Park Baptist Church in Indianapolis, Indiana, which is engaged in ministries with the homeless.

Virtual mission encounters offer the opportunity for women to engage with mission themes in a deep and meaningful way while still being able to care for work, family, and church responsibilities at home. Each participant in the virtual mission encounter receives a daily email with interesting and thought-provoking activities that can be done within the normal schedule of one’s day. Every evening, participants interact with one another and a special guest on a conference call, and there is a private online discussion tool for participants to share their learnings and observations with one another.

Learn how you can cast your pebble into the pond. Your individual passion and compassion, or that of your congregation’s, can indeed change the world.

Registration for “Break Every Yoke” is now open. Visit www.abwministries.org/vme for more information, speaker bios, and to register.

“Garlands instead of Ashes”–Upcoming Event on Domestic Violence

Addressing Domestic Violence: A Mission Experience for Women

Thirty percent of women globally experience intimate partner violence.¹ Nearly 75 percent of Americans personally know someone who is or has been a victim of domestic violence.² It crosses all socio-economic and racial barriers. Intimate partner violence, or domestic violence, is a crucial topic affecting women and families in our communities and in our congregations.

American Baptist Women’s Ministries is addressing the topic of domestic violence through its third virtual mission encounter for women in 2013, “Garlands instead of Ashes: Domestic Violence,” on September 23-27, 2013. The virtual mission encounter will include emailed daily activities to help you delve more deeply into the topic and educate yourself, find inspiration, and generate new ideas for involvement for yourself or your faith communities. It will also include an opportunity to engage with other participants through a private blog set up specifically for this event.

A highlight of each virtual mission encounter is the evening conference call. Every evening of the virtual mission encounter, you will be able to hear from and have conversation with someone with experience and direct engagement in the topic of the day. Scheduled guests for “Garlands instead of Ashes” include Debra Fields, Community Education and Prevention Supervisor at the Sojourner Family Peace Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Dr. Nancy Murphy, DMin, LMHC, founder and director of the Northwest Family Life Learning and Counseling Center in Seattle, Washington; Rev. Susan Chorley, director of Renewal House, a domestic violence shelter in the Boston area, and Rev. Dr. Adalia Gutierrez Lee, commissioned American Baptist missionary in Baja, Tijuana, serving victims of domestic violence.

“Persons that have participated in our previous virtual mission encounters have raved about these unique opportunities for participatory learning around issues that matter,” said Virginia Holmstrom, executive director of American Baptist Women’s Ministries. She said the positive feedback prompted AB Women’s Ministries to offer “Garlands instead of Ashes: Domestic Violence” on September 23-27, 2013. On November 4-8, 2013, AB Women’s Ministries will host “For I Was in Prison and You Visited Me: Prison and Aftercare Ministries’. Two more topics will be addressed in virtual mission encounters planned for 2014.

Registration for the “Garlands instead of Ashes: Domestic Violence” five-day virtual mission encounter is $30 per person; deadline for registration is September 19, 2013. More information and online registration is available at www.abwministries.org, click on “Events.”

¹Statistic from World Health Organization, http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2013/violence_against_women_20130620/en/

²According to Domestic Violence Resource Center, http://dvrc-or.org/domestic/violence/resources/C61/