I know already that it is not going to be easy to describe in words all that we experienced at The Flourish Conference last weekend. I am, however, going to try my best. From the opening minutes on Friday when Executive Director Lance Finley opened with a prayer and blessing to Saturday morning's greeting and prayer from Winebrenner President Dr. Brent Sleasman, all the way to our final words of encouragement from the panel on Sunday we were blessed.
I love the opportunity to connect with women of God that I only get to see at this conference, and each year the number of women that I look forward to seeing again continues to grow as I continue to make new friends! It is even more fun to meet in person women I have been getting to know on social media! I caught up with some old friends, made some new ones, and watched others do the same. What a joy!
The 2024 Flourish Worship Team was definitely a highlight for me as well. This team was a collection of worship leaders from the Findlay area who do not often get the opportunity to play together, so it was a once-in-a-blue-moon experience. As a worship leader myself, I enjoy the opportunity sometimes to just worship while others lead, and what a delight that they led us in worship with all of my favorite songs!! But that is not the end of the worship experience for me. It was a joy to see ladies start the weekend a little shy about their worship, and as the weekend progressed they worshipped with abandon! We also had the opportunity to worship with His Blank Canvas on Saturday evening. As we worshipped, they used their chalk to create a beautiful masterpiece. One precious woman told me on Sunday, "I have never experienced anything like last night in my whole life!"
Instead of one main speaker, we had a panel of six precious women of God who shared their stories of how they are each advancing the Kingdom in their unique contexts. Each story was different. Their skill sets were different. Their areas of ministry were different, but all of them shared a love for Jesus and a passion to advance His Kingdom wherever He leads them. What a precious gift to hear from these ordinary God-loving women how God is using them in extraordinary ways. I know I wasn't the only one who was inspired! We learned it is not always easy, but it is always rewarding to follow God.
One of my favorite experiences of the weekend was the opportunity to share around the table what we were hearing God say to us and to pray for one another. Even in those brief moments, relationships were being forged and seeds of ministry were being planted. God was speaking. Ladies were listening. Hearts were being forever connected.
While it is never quite the same as being there, it is not too late to hear some of the amazing stories shared at Flourish 2024. Each main session and each breakout was recorded and will be uploaded to our YouTube channel in the coming days. We invite you to gather a few of your besties and watch together. You won't be disappointed!
